“And it’s the tragic Charlie Brown Christmas tree of movie kisses.” - Emma

This was my first audiobook (mama’s not a virgin anymore!) and I enjoyed the convenience of it. I loved @judgingbookscovers advice about finding a cast read (vs. single narrator) book, so I’m on the lookout for one.

But my favorite part of this book by far was Katherine Center reading her own author’s note at the conclusion. Her no holds barred, no apologies, no excuses love letter to romance books. It’s beautiful and funny and honestly, worth buying the book for. Kudos, Ms. Center. Brilliant.

Emma Wheeler has spent the last ten years taking care of her father after a tragic accident that, deep down, she feels was her fault. She’s given up all the trappings of youth: college, boyfriends, travel, and even a prestigious screenwriting opportunity. But to ask Emma, she’d do it all over again for her dad, her younger sister, Sylvie, and her mom.

Charlie Yates writes Movies with a capital M: aliens, battles, explosions, zombies — blockbuster movies with beloved catchphrases AND Oscar bait. But his latest attempt, a romcom, is terrible. A disaster. An unmitigated failure.

Enter Emma. She’s hired to ghostwrite this mess and turn it into something passable, despite Charlie admitting that he just doesn’t care.

But Emma has taken a leap — of faith, of hope, of desperation — and she will not go down without a fight. And that tenacity? Charlie just might not be immune to it.

As with all Katherine Center books, this one doesn’t disappoint. I loved the banter and laughed out loud so many times. I found the chemistry between Charlie and Emma palpable and honestly, I swooned a little bit at the ending, when Charlie takes the phone call during his speech and Emma is there to hear it. The supporting cast is used perfectly and the family dynamic is real.

Thanks to Netgalley and McMillan audio books for the audiobook ARC to listen to and review. Available June 11, 2024.

This was such a fun, quick read. Katherine Center has a way with words that captivates you and leaves you wanting more and more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

3.5 ⭐️

The Rom-Commers is another lovely novel by Katherine Center following Emma. She is a screenwriter who hasn't been able to break into the field due to being the full-time caretaker for her father and his life-long health issues to ensure she is there to support her family. When her agent offers her an opportunity to work with her all-time favorite writer, Charlie Yates, her resolve breaks down (after some coercing from her family). She leaves across the country while her little sister takes on the job of caring for her father. Things didn't go to plan when she gets to LA and realized that Charlie had no clue about this plan to work on fixing the (shitty) rom-com script together.

Let me be honest: Charlie is an ass in the beginning. I kind of hate how much of a pedestal Emma had him on during their first few interactions, however, the two of them grew on me as they started to open up. Emma purposely pushed Charlie's buttons more than once and I love that. His reactions made him more bearable to me, but I never fully connected with them.

If Emma said his whole name 1 more fuckin time I will riot. I cannot.

As much as I grew to like the two main characters, I did not really care about the story. It was fun and interesting in concept, but the side characters were beyond annoying and I didn't care for really any of them. The more I think about this, the more I dislike aspects of the story. (3rd act breakup for literally no reason?????) It was a good ride, but if I wasn't listening to the audiobook I think it would've probably been a very possible DNF. (2.25X audio speed baby!!)

💝 forced proximity
💝 grumpy x sunshine
💝 celebrity x fan
💝 fast-paced, fun audiobook
💝 love and loss

cw: cancer, grief, past death of a parent

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center.

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Y’all… Read. This. Book!

I just adore Katherine Center! She could literally write a book on astrophysics and I would drop everything I’m doing to read it.

I loooved her book 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧. It was easily one of my top reads of 2023. Am I still raving about it? Yep! Annnd here Center goes, yet again, making her way to the top of my 2024 favorites.

How do you become a favorite book of mine? Easy. Give me topics and characters that evoke all the emotions. If you can make me shed a tear, or quite literally laugh out loud, well, that’s just an extra star! And 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 will give you alllll the feels!

Don’t even bother reading the blurb for this one… just grab a blanket, cup of warm (insert your beverage of choice) and cozy up with this read. You’re gonna love it! (If you enjoy audiobooks, Patti Murin did a fantastic job narrating! I highly recommend.)

One caveat: I’d suggest reading 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙 first. It’ll make the cameo appearance of a character from this novel just a little more fun!

Bravo Mrs. Center on another masterpiece!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center follows the story of Emma and Charlie, two polar opposites whose lives intertwine. It was such a cute read, the romance aspect was there — the comedy aspect not as much. Which is what I think this novel was missing for me, as my expectations were “we’ll get some LOL, funny moments.” Overall I recommend this novel to all romance lovers, the story is unique, is a bit of a book within a book, and I loved the growth for Charlie and even Emma coming out of her shell, 3.5⭐️

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advanced reader’s copy of this title via NetGalley.

Quick synopsis: Emma Wheeler has always dreamed of being a rom-com screenwriter, but her life circumstances have kept her from that dream. Charlie Yates, on the other hand, is one of Hollywood’s most prolific screenwriters - but his rom-com script is the actual worst. Emma gets called in to help him rewrite the script, and the result will make or break both of their careers.

Thoughts: If you want a book that will make you both laugh out loud and reach for a box of tissues, Katherine Center is your girl. I don’t want to go into too much detail about this book because I feel like there is a lot that is best to uncover while you’re reading. The premise is a fantastic rom-com set up, and the follow through honestly went so much deeper than I anticipated. Katherine deals with a lot of difficult and emotional themes, but as always she does so in such an honest and realistic way with glimmers of hope throughout. This book should be on everyone’s summer reading list. A note on the audio: I did a little of both formats for this one, and I definitely loved it either way! If you’re an audiobook person, you’ll love Patti Murin’s narration - highly recommend!

Read this if you like:
🎞️ rom-coms
🎞️ Hollywood
🎞️ family & found family
🎞️ grumpy/sunshine
🎞️ forced proximity

I’m a sucker for HEA’s and for rom-com’s so I knew I was going to love this book before I even started it. I received an ARC of both the ebook and audio so I listened & followed along. I finished both in a day because I just couldn’t put it down and thankfully I didn’t have to work early the next day.

This book is exactly what you’re expecting from the description. There’s no really huge twists or hidden Easter eggs. Which I appreciate, but also I do love a good twist. There was humor, memorable characters, and a sweet & charming romance with a solid layer of depth. This story is also about two people getting to a level self-discovery & realizing that they can “live their lives” & be happy. The author had me laughing, crying, and swearing at the characters (mainly Charlie Yate’s because, c’mon man..did you really have to be such a jerk?). There’s no spicy/steamy scenes in this, but to be honest I didn’t really miss them. I appreciated the flow of the story & the dual POV’s. As for the audiobook on its own, I enjoyed narration. Overall a solid 4 star read/listen that I will definitely be recommending to others.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, MacMillan Audio, and Katherine Center for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I this is the best contemporary romance novels I’ve ever read, and one of the only ones I’ve rated 5 stars! I’m honestly surprised by how much I loved this, and couldn't wait to start recommending it to my friends who love romances!

The Rom-Commers had it all. There was humor, lovable characters, and a sweet romance. But the author also included some more serious elements that really gave the story depth. I was invested right up until the very end. II laughed and cried and really enjoyed the life lessons.
I really enjoyed main characters and their personalities. Emma was sunshine enough to not be annoying, and Charlie was grumpy enough to be likeable. I also enjoyed that this was a clean romance, because it was a good reminder that angst can go a long way. I loved the ending of this one, it felt good. . One of the things that I love about the writing is that it is easy to get lost in the writing and feel transported to their world. I devoured this book,
I had heard good things about the book, and it totally lived up to them.

As for the audiobook version itself, I really enjoyed the narrator and the way she gave life to the story. I definitely recommend the narrator, again,

Thank you for the advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley and Macmillan audio.

This book had no business being so good and making me laugh out loud while also making me cry while cleaning my kitchen. This book hit all the feels, and ended just as every good rom-com should... although, I did get worried there for a second. HA!

As someone who has never read Katherine Center, I went and got as many audiobooks from Libby as I could because I need this happiness like I need water. It was THAT good. I wasn't obsessed with the cover at first... it was cute, but not my favorite. However, my apologies to the artist because the more I listened to the story, the more the cover just fit. The narrorator for the audiobook was WONDERFUL. Her infliction (even at.. or maybe especially, at 2 times speed) was perfect. She reads this perfect rom-com like a story should be told.

Pre-order this book... or put it on your TBR when it comes to the library (although, I really do think everyone would enjoy audio books if read by a wonderful narrator such as this one.) but it is so wonderful. I think both characters developed beautifully, and I loved seeing them fall for each other... however, I love love, so I'm not sure that's as hard to do for me as it is for others.

I also would like to note that the afterword read by the author made me smile. It really was so thought out and relatable, and as someone who has never read or listened to a book by Katherine Center before, made me feel more connected to her as a human and an author.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and the wonderful author for letting me get my ears on an ALC of The Rom-Commers for my honest unbiased review of this book. I cannot wait to get my own physical copy in my hands when it is released to lend to my friends.

I absolutely adored The Rom-Commers! Emma, an aspiring screenwriter, is given an opportunity to help Charlie Yates, award winning screenwriter of action adventure movies, to polish his dud of a romantic comedy script. After caretaking for her father for the past 10 years since his accident, she shows up on Charlie's doorstep ready to help, and he has no idea she is coming. After creating an agreement, she decides to help him revitalize his screenplay, by showing him how to live the tender moments to create a well rounded romcom. Of course, he needs a partner to experience this.

Emma was such a delightful narrator to listen to throughout the entire story. Her voice and energy the Katherine wrote was such a breath of fresh air. She could be so downtrodden because of her life circumstances, but she is such an optimist, I just couldn't help but smile! I love seeing people choosing to continue pursuing their dreams even after a long time.

Patti Murin's narration just added to the voice that Center created in Emma. She breathed in and communicated exactly the pure optimism that Emma has. I loved everything that Murin brought, from all the highs and the lows! I would highly recommend the audiobook, and I think this is how I will engage with Center's books moving forward!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and Katherine Center for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center does it again! She is the queen of fun, witty, clean romances. I caught myself smiling, laughing out loud and wiping away stray tears. So many emotions, so much fun!
The audiobook narration was phenomenal!

The Rom-Commers had me happy crying, I mean this book is an absolute joy burst and a beautiful ode to the romance genre. Emma Wheeler wants to be a screenwriter but she’s also the sole-caretaker of her kind father, so her dreams have been on the back burner—that is until she gets a chance to re-write a rom-com script with her favorite writer Charlie Yates, her dream job. Only the script is awful and he doesn’t believe in love, so Emma makes it her mission to ignite this cynic’s belief in love. This story is quirky and fun and has so much heart and joy. There is a cancer subplot, as a trigger warning and grief about a parent loss. But the conversations are handled so well. Emma is amazing. She’s brave and honest to herself and strong. She has so much love in her and she is just such a gem. And I love how Charlie grows. I loved having this story through only Emma’s eyes and how she continuously breaks the fourth wall with the reader. It is inviting and warm and the story is of two flawed people remembering what love can feel like. It’s beautiful and hard and painful and happy, and just all the things. It feels like the perfect classic rom-com and I would’ve read hundreds of more pages of these wonderful characters. Katherine Center is an absolute joy to read, and this was just so good, and the narrator was just amazing for this! I can’t stop raving about it!

I have heard so many positive things about Katherine Center's writing and books and was super excited to finally read my first Katherine Center novel. This story in particular sounded absolutely adorable, I mean what avid bookworm obsessed with romance novels and romance stories wouldn't want to read one based on two screen play writers coming together to write a romcom? Add that it was available on audio and I was in.

I have two main thoughts with this book. On one hand, I could give this book ten stars for how witty and vivacious the banter and back and forth was between Emma and Charlie. Center clearly has a way with words and is an effective story teller. There were SO many deep and profound and relatable themes to this story, I could easily quote so many golden nuggets from the dialogue and the chemistry and romance were perfect for a book based on two people falling in love while writing a romantic comedy. The Hollywood vibe was spot on and I really liked the overall story. The ending, that moment with Charlie getting his award, that was powerful and will stay with me.

That being said, on the other hand, it was extremely disappointing for someone who so obviously has an incredible grasp on language and vocabulary to use so much foul language, the 'F' word in particular, throughout the book. I lost track of how many times the characters used the 'F' word, it was to the point where I was uncomfortable listening to the audiobook and could only have it on when I didn't have anyone else around. It also was very jarring for me and instead of adding emotion and power to the moment, it pulled me out and became so over used that when the word could have been effective and impactful, I was burned out on the overuse it lost its power other than to turn me off. I think the author could have used so many better word choices to convey more effectively the emotions of those moments. It was just too much foul language in my opinion.

Due to the amount of swearing, I can't just blanket recommend this book which is really a bummer because I liked the story and I really liked the characters. I could easily become a huge Katherine Center fan, but if her other books have language like this, even if the sexual content is closed door, I don't find it "clean" seeing as it takes the book to a sort of rated "R" level to me. I think if it had been one or two ‘F’ words it might not have been an issue for me, but I legit can’t even count how many times it was used, it was WAY too many.

As for the audiobook version itslef, I really enjoyed the narrator and the way she gave life to the story. I definitely recommend the narrator, again, I just have to give a disclaimer on the language found in the story before straight out recommending the book as a whole.

I received an advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley and Macmillan audio. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"You had to maximize joy when it fluttered into your life."

“Are you mad at me?” I asked.
“No,” Charlie said, still looking mad.

“You don’t need fixing.”

My rating: Five ⭐️ (and more if I could)

Katherine Center is an author whose words resonate with my soul.

Desperate anticipation is a mild description for how I felt about this book. When I received an ALC (advanced listener copy), I immediately downloaded it and put off all my responsibilities and other books so I could immerse myself in yet another of Katherine Center's incredible books.

I have LOVED everything I've read by Katherine Center, and the last three books I've read from her (The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, and The Rom-Commers) have all been exquisitely enthusiastic five-star reads.

The Rom-Commers is so, so much fun. I wish I could give it more than five stars because I loved it more than I can express. I can't even count the amount of times I found myself chuckling out loud or with a grin on my face while listening to this book. There are so many moments that are, in a word, delightful.

Lighthearted without shying away from hard topics, The Rom-Commers is full of heart and hope and healing. Emma and Charlie are EVERYTHING you could want in a set of main characters. Real and flawed, I honest-to-goodness found myself trying to look them up at one point to see what other works they've created, only to remember that they only exist in the too-small moment of this book.

Watching these characters make mistakes, participate in incredible banter, overcome fears, and blossom into better people was like sitting in your favorite chair with your favorite book, favorite drink, and favorite blanket cape—comforting and soothing and rejuvenating.

How I wish this book could have lasted forever. Already I find myself looking forward to reading it again, and we're only twelve hours out from when I finished it the first time. (If that gives you any indication of how much I enjoyed this book.)

Katherine Center is a master, and I will forever read anything she writes. The end. Definitely recommend this book to absolutely everyone. Swoony, engaging, and fun, this book is one you won't want to miss.

Gneral notes:
Book: The Rom-Commers
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Contemporary Romance/RomCom
Language: Moderate (a few "F" words, various swears scattered throughout)
Romance: Closed door/fade-to-black
Violence: None
Trigger/Content Warnings: Death of a parent, dealing with long-term illness, anxiety

The Rom-Commers- Made me chuckle along with a little heartbreak. Too often we think we are the only one who can do something and then come to find out once you don’t do it life still goes on someone else will step up. Emma and Charlie have chemistry that is both explosive at times and dry. Will they or won’t they find their way to each other.

The narration was amazing.
Thank you NetGalley for another amazing advance audiobook!!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center - Releases June 11th 2024 - 2.5 Stars

Honest discussion incoming. I started this book really enjoying the storyline and feeling like Katherine Center can just tell a good story. 2 Screenplay writers in Hollywood working together to write a rom-com?! Let's go right?! And I will say, I really enjoyed The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, so I was so pumped for this one! (And I will still be reading her backlist because I have heard nothing but great things about those!)

Unfortunately, this newest one just wasn't for me for several reasons and I ended up being disappointed. I am very appreciative to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review of the eBook and audiobook - and the narrator did a great job in narrating the story to keep you engaged - I did want to keep reading and listening - but like I said, it ended up not being for me.

As I mentioned this is about 2 Screenplay Writers who are working together to write a rom-com together. We have Emma and Charlie. Emma is ultimately a character I started off really enjoying because I found her, at first, to have such depth as a caregiver to her family and very relatable because I am a special needs Mama and have experienced caregiver fatigue just as she has. I loved how passionate she was for her writing and was so excited for the project they were going to work on.

The story kicks off as her ex-boyfriend from high school introduces her to Charlie, a famous screenplay writer in Hollywood, to help him with his horrible rom-com he's written. Charlie is a guy she has idolized and fan girled about for years in her screenplay writing career, so she is nervous and so excited to go on this journey. Her family encourages her to go because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for her and she has sacrificed so much for them. However, Charlie wants nothing to do with Emma because he says he doesn't need help and it wasn't exactly approved for her to work with him at the start. After reading her work, he realizes she is a good writer and asks her to stay. She ends up staying and living with Charlie in his mansion for several weeks to help write the story and everything takes off from here.

Here is what I didn't like:

While I started off liking Emma, I became frustrated because of how much she is pursuing Charlie when he is completely mean and rude to her. There are several situations where he talks bad about her behind her back and she overhears it. For example, Charlie was married before and Emma overhears Charlie talking bad about her to his ex-wife (and the friend who introduced them) saying she was "nobody" and "just a writer" etc., yet there were times I felt like he did like her and showed emotions for her? So, while I understand the reason he felt like he couldn't be with her, he was just so rude for no reason and she didn't know any of those reasons. Yet she still peruses him. Over and over again. So ultimately, Charlie was a character that was just so back and forth for me and I had mixed feelings throughout the story about him. I felt like we needed his POV to really understand him since its first person and we just feel like he likes her but then he treats her bad several times so you end up frustrated with him.

Around 78% is where I almost DNF'd this book because of a scene that, while this entire book was considered clean romance, this scene frustrated me on a personal level. Essentially, Emma is upset for a certain reason and ends up getting drunk during that time at Charlie's place. She is pursuing him and trying to proposition him to have sex with her and it could just be a 1 time thing, that is doesn't matter etc. He says no, he doesn't want to, she is not able to consent because she is drunk and she thinks to herself how "ugh. now he was throwing consent at me? How was I supposed to argue with that? Maybe I could use my feminine wiles." And so continues to try to proposition him for sex with him continuing to say no. That bothered me because it portrayed her in such a negative way. So in that moment he's being a good guy, yet she's mad about it.

I did ultimately finish the story and see the happy ending they had, but I was just over it at that point. They didn't really go together for me personally - it felt toxic in a way. So all of those things lead me to this 2.5 star review. With some things I liked but it was overall, not for me.

Again, I do like the two previous Katherine Center books I have read by her but unfortunately, this one was just not for me. I will be reading more of her backlist but not recommending this one.

Content: language - several F and S words, sexual innuendos, death of a parent, parent with an illness, cancer, divorce, caretaker fatigue and other details explained above.

If you like rom-coms, you will love this exceptionally well-written book.

Emma Wheeler hasn’t been able to pursue her dream of writing romantic screenplays. Instead she’s been stuck in a tiny apartment caring for her injured father and teaching English so she can give her younger sister a full college experience. There’s a great scene early in the book where Emma and her father are having breakfast; it’s funny and touching and lets the reader know so much about the close relationship Emma has with her family, even with all the challenges.

Emma’s life begins to change when she is pushed to accept the challenge of going to Hollywood to rewrite the terrible romantic screenplay drafted by her literary idol Charlie Yates. I loved both characters who are portrayed in depth with all their flaws and insecurities. A very funny scene near the end of the book where Emma and Charlie go line dancing is so well-written that the reader “gets” their relationship without the author having to tell us.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did an excellent job.

PHENOMENAL!

"The Rom Commers" is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies looking for a feel-good escape. With its endearing characters, sparkling dialogue, and heartfelt message, it's a book that will leave you laughing, crying, and believing in the power of love. So grab a cozy blanket, a hot cup of tea, and prepare to be swept off your feet by this charming tale of romance and laughter.

A traditional romcom in a contemporary setting, with a meta twist, that was as warm and appealing as I could wish for.

Emma Wheeler has been the caregiver for her father for 10 years since a camping accident and has consequently been forced to put her screenwriting career on the backburner. But when an opportunity comes up to co-write a romcom screenplay with the famous Charlie Yates, she can’t turn it down.

There are all the romcom beats you look for, and which Emma has to explain to Charlie as he’s only ever written action thrillers and appears to be immune to the charms of love. Misunderstandings, missed connections, and tears - so many tears - make up the time-honored plot and while my eyes rolled a little as Emma, yet again, misses the cues, I have to say I was spellbound and in a rosy haze while I was listening. None of the characters break the mold, but they are all people I’d be happy to meet.

Patti Murin (who also read The Bodyguard) brings empathy, charm, and sprightliness to her narration and accomplishes capturing both the rom and com elements with aplomb.

Ideal for those of us who like their fantasy in a pink cover with illustrations.

Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

Emma and Charlie. Charlie and Emma. A rom-com about two screen writers writing the rom-coms of all rom-coms while living it in real life. Charlie is the jaded screen writer with writer’s block, and Emma is the nobody screen writer praying for her big break. Emma’s best friend and manager of Charlie and herself stages a life-altering meet cute. A novel full of family, grief, love, and rom-coms. Audio book is delightful and the extra chaptwr and notes from the author are a great surprise.