If you don’t like romcoms, why not? Also, you should read this book if you want to have a well-rounded opinion. If you do like romcoms, reading this book is a requirement - add it to the TBR pile now and leave it at the top. This is my first Katherine Center book, and now I will devour all of the others. Emma and Charlie’s tale is clever and joyful and all the things a wonderful tale should have. Thank you, Katherine Center, for working so hard for us readers and especially for your note at the end. You are a gift that made my day.

Unfortunately, The Rom-Commers was a huge miss for me. I found the story full of unlikable cliche tropes which made it difficult to relate to any of the characters. I'm not sure what has happened since The Bodyguard, but KC's writing and story development has felt very messy and unimaginative. One of my least favorite is how she creates her messy female lead characters that aren't anyone that we inspire to be like. I get that coming of age adults in their 20's have difficulty sometimes carving their own path, but come on...."her messy frizzy red hair" and her big sister role becoming her entire personality is something that I really struggle to read about. Regarding the romance aspect, this was not a relationship worth rooting for and I didn't find the male lead (we heard "Charlie Yates" about 5,000 times) attractive or that masculine counterpart we wanted for the leading lady. Dude was a basement dwelling troll. No thank you.

3.5

katherine center has really mastered the art of getting deep without making it feel heavy, or overly emotional. the setup here was cute, and written well. an effective rom-com, as the title suggests.

i liked how the narrator sounded; she was very easy to listen to! sometimes it takes me a bit to get used to an audiobook, but i was in this one almost right away.

🎧 listened to audiobook
#netgalley

Five glorious stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Rom-Commers!!

So, not being into romance and after seeing great reviews I decided to read Katherine Center’s book Hello Stranger. It was the first romance novel I have read in 20 years. I loved it and am slowly making my way through her books, so when I was approved for an advanced copy of Rom-Commers from NetGalley I was so excited!

Rom-Commers did not disappoint. I think it’s my favorite so far! And Patti Murin does a wonderful job narrating it.

Emma is a sweet FMC who has put her life on hold to care for her disabled father. The biggest thing she has put on hold is her dream of becoming a screen writer.

Charlie Yates is a celebrated screen writer and Emma’s idol! However, he has written a terrible romantic comedy and when his manager enlists Emma to help Charlie with it he balks. He NEVER works with other writers!! So starts the journey of two people who end up half heartedly working together.

I liked the playful banter and crazy situations they go through together. Charlie has his own problems and doesn’t share them. He just flounders along hiding them from Emma hoping to get the job done.

The ending is so sweet! And that’s how I happily expected it to be. There was just the right amount of tension between them to keep you wondering if it would really work out.

I was listening to the audiobook and was thrilled to listen to Katherine, herself, talk about why romance novels are so important to read and why they don’t deserve to be laughed at and put on a back burner. As I listened to her speak, I began to tear up. Her words resonated with me. Deep in my heart! I don’t care how silly that makes me seem. The joy that comes with finishing her book is very fulfilling. ❤️

May she have many more rom-com converts!

Many thanks to Katherine Center and Macmillian Audio for the ARC via NetGalley!

💐𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚖-𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜🌻
🩷𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚌𝚘𝚖..𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎!
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟷𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺(𝚙𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎
𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝..Emma is a talented writer & lover of romcoms, but also the sole caretaker for her dad. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to write with her fav Hollywood screen writer and…

🌻🌷🌸🪻🌼🌻🌷🌸🪻🌼🌻🌷🌸🪻💐

💭𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜…THIS BOOK IS PURE JOY! ☀️ this is my fourth Katherine Center book & def my fav! 🥳 I read this as a hybrid(audio some, kindle some) & had to take breaks to rest my jaw. Why, you ask? 🤔Well, because I was smiling so much my jaw would ache & cramp that I had to ice it 🧊🙃…those that really know me know I had a tumor in my jaw..had it removed & stem cells put in its place..yada yada..I am fine(ish) now but have NEVER had a book that caused such elation that I needed to ice my face. Thanks, KC😆

🌈I could rave about it all..her amazing banter, the characters(they are so real!), the relationships(& not just love interests), the quotes that should be its own book in itself, the surprising little plot twists & so.much.more!

📝 Her authors notes are an absolute must read always so never miss those! If you don’t like smiling 😁or want to be a miserable human being then don’t pick it up…otherwise please add this jubilation compilation to your TBR! ☀️🌈🦄

🌻The Narrator was perfection for this one!!

A touch meta and a lot of love

Emma is an aspiring screenwriter who is also her disabled father’s caregiver - a fact that has hampered her career and life in general. A well-connected old friend gives her the chance of a lifetime: to ghostwrite a rom-com with the screenwriter she idolizes. The only problem is he doesn’t want her help nor does he want to “lower” himself to write a love story.

Full disclosure, it took me waaaaaay too long (like 2/3 into the book) to realize this is a sequel of sorts to Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard. I enjoyed that book as well but I think I liked this one a smidge more. Emma is a lot less sure of herself than Hannah was, and normally that would bother me, but it is lovely to see a caregiver’s oft-hidden struggles highlighted. Emma loves her dad and will do anything to protect her sister’s future — much to her own detriment. And while there is conflict around that, neither her dad nor sister take her for granted. They are a strong family unit and fully fleshed out side characters.

Charlie is a grumpy writer who, frankly, I hated at the beginning of the book. The author had to do a lot of character rehabilitation and she did so with aplomb. By the end, cheesy and predictable as it was (I mean, that’s why we are here, right?) I was cheering for Emma and Charlie.

Throughout the book, the case is made for romance stories and romantic comedies in particular. Why are they beloved by so many across time but still denigrated as “fluff” in popular culture? The author lays out a convincing case that the stories we tell ourselves are often as important as the facts. She speaks more about this in an authors note that I really enjoyed.

There are a few questions I still have about the book that I think classify as plot holes, but this is a story about love conquering fear, pain, and loneliness and not a story we need to pick apart for logic or continuity errors.

Overall a very enjoyable read (or in my case, listen) and I will be recommending it to my fellow romance loving friends.

Macmillan Audio provided this audiobook for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Rom-Commers is one of Kathrine Center's best books. Emma and Charlie are so likeable and loveable, I liked Emma's quirkiness I loved the way Charlie did the little things to show how he felt for Emma. I liked that at times during the audio it felt like Emma was talking straight to you like a friend. I loved the pantry part, wait and see you'll love it too. I liked how she took no crap from Charlie and gave it back to him, she was spunky.

This was truly an utter disappointment. I’m so sad to say this as I really enjoyed Katherine’s books when I discovered her. But as I continued to read I noticed they all tend to be one note. All the same storyline but with different scenery if you will. I liked the audio reader. It’s like there are no unhappy endings allowed and the moment girl meets boy you know they will end up together. No surprised. I hate giving negative reviews but unfortunately I felt I had no choice.

Thank you to netgalley for the ALC!

Oh my goodness. This book. Look, if you love 2000s romcoms, then this is the book for you. When I say this book could be a movie, I’m not exaggerating. I could see the scenes unfurling in front of me and imagine the sweetest love story playing out on the big screen. It would obviously have a fantastic soundtrack, like How to lose a guy in ten days good.

If you’ve liked Katherine Center’s previous work, this book will be right up your alley. It’s a bit of women’s fiction with plenty of romantic tension. You will love the quirky, bold Emma. And the sweet, thoughtful Charlie Yates? He’s the romcom lead of your dreams.

Listen. You might be saying, “Hannah. I’ve read plenty of romcoms. Why this one?” And I’ll be telling you that people don’t make these books like this one anymore. This is classic. This is sweet. This is Center witty. This is what every romance movie of the 2010s and 2020s have been missing.

Just do yourself a favor and preorder it. Not just because it has adorable pink sprayed edges, but because it’s a story you need in your heart.

P.s. absolutely loved the narrator. She was the perfect voice for Emma and I didn’t want to put it down once. Some narrators make me cringe, this one was great!

I'm excited to read this book, but couldn't listen to more than a few minutes of the audiobook due to the narrator grating on me. She seemed so much older than the character and I couldn't reconcile the two.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review, The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. This review is purely my thoughts and opinions based on this audiobook.

Emma wants to be a screenwriter, and she’s an outstanding author writing of rom-coms. She’s gets the opportunity of a lifetime to write for Charlie Yates, but she’s still providing full-time care to her loving father. But Emma’s sister steps in and it frees Emma of her responsibilities to go and travel to L.A. What an opportunity! Her most favorite writer of all time!

Charlie Yates is not thrilled with writing with anyone, let alone Emma. He’s willing to try, but she’s putting up a fight for love and rom-coms in general.

I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie, and even Emma and her sister. Great story and even better ending to tie the entire story together. Also, I enjoyed the humor and some LOL parts throughout the audiobook too. And what happens if the love story Emma has envisioned, comes true?

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.5)

Emma Wheeler, aspiring screenwriter, gets a chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates. Leaving her caregiving duties to her sister, she heads to L.A. But Yates, cynical and dismissive, presents a challenge. As they clash over love's authenticity, Emma realizes her own story might just be the ultimate romantic comedy.

There were some fun moments and I definitely wanted to finish this book, but overall I wanted to like it more than I actually did. It was a slow start to the plot and a slow build to the romance. The premise of this book is fantastic! I mean a rom-com about a rom-com lover writing and rom-com with a rom-com sync? So fun! But the writing style didn’t live up to my expectations. It is fully “tell not show,” and maybe that’s on purpose? All the dialogue and minimal scene blocking definitely felt like a screenplay. If you like micro-tropes like birthday traditions, family caregiver, niche rom-com/writing references, you’ll smile throughout many scenes in this book ☺️ I’m glad I read this, it just didn’t fully hit the spot.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio @NetGalley for the eARC and ALC 💙 #netgalley

Perfect for you if you like:
Grumpy dialogue
References to writing rom-coms
Caregiver/family health obstacles

Similar to:
How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson
Beach Read by Emily Henry (open-door)
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (YA, fade-to-black)

⛔️closed door romance (mild innuendo)
⚠️explicit language, previous loss of a parent, sick family member, talk of cancer

The Rom-Commers may be my favorite audio book of the year!! And that is coming from someone who is constantly listening to an audio book. This is by far my favorite book by
Katherine Center & it is exactly what a well written, beautifully narrated rom-com should be. I was so excited to receive this ARC & it surpassed even my 5 star expectations. I’m reading this as well - you can’t go wrong with either format. Put this one on pre-order - you will be so glad you did!!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an ARC copy. .

This latest by Katherine Center was delightful. It gave me all the warm, fuzzy rom com feelings and I devoured it in two days. I absolutely ADORED Emma and all of her selfless, anxious quirkiness. I wanted a tiny bit more from Charlie's character-- he felt a little too one-dimensional to me, but he did find some redemption towards the ending. I love a good close proximity trope, and adore the whole average-girl-meets-celebrity-fangirl-romance vibe! This novel is the must-have feel good summer beach read for 2024!

This was my first novel narrated by Patti Murin and she did a fantastic job evoking the emotion and delivering this wonderful story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and Katherine Center for an Advance copy of The Rom-Commers in exchange for an honest review. Emma (our MC) desperately dreams of being a screenwriter but her ultimate dream is to write Rom Coms. Luckily for her, a friend from her past calls her up to ask her to write a fantastic, award-winning rom com with Charlie Yates. As she heads out to LA, we find out that Charlie didnt know she was coming... chaos ensues but in the best way possible. It was so fun to watch these two work together, explore rom com topics, and just learn how to work together. The narrators do an amazing job telling this story and really captivating the listener. As always, Center weaves a beautiful story that goes deeper then just a love story. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. If you're a rom com lover, this one needs to be on your summer reading list. You can pick up your own copy of June 25th, 2024!

Great narration. As a fan of lighthearted love stories I enjoyed this title. While you assume the main characters will end up together, I found the male lead to be very unlikable in the beginning, and I'm not sure he ever fully redeemed himself. All in all I enjoyed this title and looked forward to listening to it every day. The story includes cameos of Jack Stapleton.
I enjoyed the author's essay about love stories at the end of the book.

I really enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine romance between two screenwriters who have had wildly different careers. Even though both characters have quite heavy backstories, this felt like a light and funny read. I loved the Hollywood setting, the banter between the main characters, and the wholehearted defense of the power of happy endings (mostly of the fictional variety).

Unfortunately, I'm not sure this worked as well on audio for me. This wasn't my favorite narration in terms of the tone that it set for the character of Emma, and I was so confused as to why she was voicing one of the characters with an accent in the beginning (the backstory was not explained until chapters later). That being said, much of this is up to personal taste, and it was still a well-produced audiobook of a great book that I really enjoyed.

This was my first book by Katerine Center and I look forward to diving into her back catalog. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

So. Very. Beautiful. I listened to The Rom-Commers in audio, so I do not yet have a physical copy of the book to hold, lovingly reread, and pull quotations from, but there is a section when Emma (realistic romantic) tells Charlie (cynic) just what a romance is and means, and the words to-a-t describe what we readers want and receive from a romance. And in that perfectly meta-way, Katherine Center delivers on her promise. Rom-Commers is a romance to make your toes curl, your heart weep with shared pain, and your soul sigh in deep satisfaction. Life has held plenty of suck for both Emma and Charlie, and when circumstances throw them unexpectedly together and force them to write a romantic screenplay together, success seems unlikely either on the page or in real life. I have read many of Katherine Center's books, and I can attest that while always a terrific writer, she is getting stronger with every book she writes. The Rom-Commers is a keeper that I know I will eagerly return to in years to come.

The audio version of this book maybe, better than the real book. Is that even a thing? Katherine Center is a laugh out loud kind of author. If you are reading this in public, people are definitely going to hear you laugh. The banter between the characters is outstanding. I read the book first, but also requested the audio because I knew it was going to be greatness. I am not giving away any spoilers, but Emma and Charlie OMG! 5 stars!!!!

Alright , this was cute, really cute, loved the book. Enjoy Emma and Charlie immensely. The whole i dont want to write with you to be actually grow into the story is so nice. I like how it developed, and how she had to find her way, the almost ending got me worried and cry a bit , but thanfully everything got resolved 🥳.
Overall very cute rom com