A romantic comedy that celebrates the magic of Rom-Coms! Katherine Center was able to weave together witty banter and warmth throughout the story. I loved learning how each character's past traumas impacted them in their current situations. Overall, uplifting- like a big hug!

Another great read from Katherine Center. Likable characters. Nice simple story line. Narrator is great as well.

This is my first Katherine Center romance and, man, I didn't expect this to go this way. I'm not sure if it's the narrator's voice, but I wanted to crawl out of my skin with how much I disliked this female character and everything she was saying/thinking. She sounded, to me, like one of those people who try to come off as quirky and silly and also snarky and spunky, but you just want them to shut up. I didn't like her at all, so I just couldn't enjoy this. Again, I'm not sure if it's the writing and the narrator or just the narrator, but I just couldn't stand it. I'll definitely give this a second chance, but I'll be reading it.

I have always loved Katherine Center's characters because of how real they feel in their personal past lives and their new romantic lives. This book was no different; it was full of flawed yet fun characters. The only thing that took me out of the story was the insane secondhand embarrassment I felt when she kept begging this man to like her and be with her. But that is a personal feeling for sure—I just wanted her to find her chill in that moment.

I loved the narrator and thought she did a great job bringing this story to life. I would definitely recommend this to romance fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this!

Katherine Center’s “The Rom-Commers” is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and introspection.
Wonderfully Formed Characters: Center’s characters come alive on the pages. Emma Wheeler, our aspiring screenwriter, is relatable and endearing. Her struggles, dreams, and quirks make her feel like a close friend. And Charlie Yates, the famous screenwriter, is equally captivating. Their chemistry sparks off the page.
Relatability: We’ve all yearned for our dreams, balancing them with real-life responsibilities. Emma’s journey resonates with anyone who’s dared to chase their passion. The struggles, sacrifices, and moments of triumph are beautifully portrayed.
Immersive Storytelling: The writing style envelops you like a cozy blanket. You fall into the story effortlessly, rooting for Emma and Charlie. The rom-com world they inhabit feels like a safe haven—a place where love blooms against all odds.
I knocked a star off because the fourth-wall break wasn’t necessarily my jam and the resolution felt a bit too neat, like a perfectly tied bow. Still would highly recommend! Thank you for the ARC!!!!

So I am going to do this review in two parts, the first being my review of the actual book and the second being the audio narration.

The Book:

This was my first Kathrine Center book and I had a good time! It was cute & quirky. It made me tear up and feel for the main characters. I liked the relationship between the FMC & the MMC but to be honest it felt just a little lacking. I didn’t think that there was enough context to really make you feel the emotions between them. Overall, it was a quick easy read and sometimes we just need that.

The Narration:

I have a few qualms with this part. First of all, I didn’t really love how the MMC “sounded” he just felt off the way it was done. About 3/4 of the way in the narrator sounded congested maybe.. not sure here. The biggest thing for me that drove me absolutely crazy was that you could hear intakes of breath so often it distracted from the book, I noticed it more heavily towards the end of the book but either way it was enough to make me pause a few times out of annoyance.

WOW. This was perfect. I loved it so much. The narrator was amazing and it was hard to put down! It was such a feel good story with all the right amount of emotions. I teared up a few times. Two screen writers falling in love while writing a rom com (the man is a grump) it felt like I was watching a 2000s rom com with Julia Roberts as the star.

Katherine Center wrote a solid story with The Rom-Commers. The style was different with the main character talking to the reader. It felt like being told an incredible story, and I appreciated that. Seeing as the main character is a screenwriter, it seems like a great choice. Emma and Charlie are both very broken people who are dealing with connection in two very different ways. Emma chases after the connection while Charlie is so afraid to lose it that he pushes it away. I feel like the only thing missing for me was the small moments where people fall in love. I think that I just wanted more. The ending was beautiful. I wrote down quotes from this story that I will cherish.

Gah what a beautiful story! Katherine Center has this ability to make you cackle one minute and then cry the next. The banter between Emma and Charlie is on point. The story was great. The backgrounds and the family side stories were relatable. What I LOVED about this story is how optimistic it is! It makes you want to see the good in everything knowing we only have so much time on this earth. Emma was such an awesome character and I loved when she was vulnerable and true to herself. I loved how Charlie took such good care of Emma however he could. I also loved that this was a deep rom-com about rom-coms. The narration by Patti Murin was amazing as always and I'm so glad I chose to listen to it. Seriously if you love rom-coms, deep family stories and stories about love, you will not want to miss this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC of this story which publishes on 6/11/24

2.75⭐
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Setting ~ California
Publication date ~ June 11, 2024
Page Count ~ 336 (31 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 21 minutes
Narrator ~ Patti Murin
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ mentions of cancer, forced proximity, slow burn, no steamage

Emma is obsessed with Charlie’s work and is thrilled when her friend gets her a job working with him on a screenplay.

🏝️can you see me over there on outlier island all by myself? I think what didn’t work for me the most was how mean Charlie was to Emma. He was truly awful, repeatedly. And when we find out why it was too late for it to be redeemable in my eyes. I wasn’t feeling their chemistry, perhaps due to the meanness. She’s been an obsessive caretaker for her father since the accident that (I can't remember if this is early knowledge, so I'll hide it just in case) (view spoiler), so that made you feel for Emma, but I can’t say I really enjoyed her character. She was even mean to her sister at one point. I absolutely did not like her drunken night by the pool, so dumb. There were some funny bits, but nothing that had me rolling like I like my rom-coms to be.

Overall, it was okay, but not great for me.

Narration notes:
She did fine for Emma, but she didn’t really work her tone too well for Charlie.

Emma is the queen of writing romcoms. When her idol Charlie needs assistance with his new project, Emma is thrilled to be given the opportunity to lend a hand. But Charlie doesn't seem all that keen about the project. Can Emma change the way he thinks about romcoms?

I will read anything Katherine Center writes. Her books are so easy to read with her captivating writing style. The audiobook was great to listen to and I was all in, rooting for our couple to find their way to be together. I appreciated the backstory about Emma's father and loved his own little ending too. This is definitely one you want to have on your list. It releases early June.

This was my first Katherine Center book and if the rest of her books are half as good as this one, I will be reading them all! This is such a fun premise, what fan of romance wouldn't want to read a romcom about writing a romcom? I found the two main characters, Emma and Charlie, to be immediately likeable and it was so fun to follow their story and see both of them grow in different ways. The supporting characters were so enduring, I especially loved Emma's dad and I felt like he had so much wisdom to share that I personally needed to hear. I was really touched by how he (and the rest of his family) faced their hardships with such hope and optimism. This book perfectly balanced humor and fun with some heavier themes. This stands out as one of my favorite reads of the year so far and I will be recommending this book like crazy!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I love Katherine Center
I love her positivity
I love that she loves love stories
I love that she loves happily ever afters
I love that she writes about a girl and boy that WILL indeed fall in love. 
I love how you know when you crack open one of her books, you are going to find broken characters that find each other, get tangled up together, create a mess but when you turn that last page you are going to be wrapped in a warm blanket of cozy love.

She is the Christmas Hallmark movie, you know exactly how it is going to end up, right down to the 1 hour and 37 minute mark when the climax occurs (the couple breaks up) and the last 23 minutes are devoted to cleaning up the miscommunication and reuniting for that kiss you have been yearning for and then....cue the snow fall (even if the movie takes place in the Dessert) 
So that is why it pains me to write this review. 
I did not connect with this book. The premise was everything you could want especially when I am Pro #BringBack90sRomComs. A nobody girl gets the opportunity of a lifetime to Co-Write a Rom Com movie with a hunky guy...I mean let's just go ahead and call Celine Dion and get a soundtrack going
I think what didn't work for me was a few things: But I think I can boil it down to one word.....Obnoxious.
 1. Repetition: The main character continued to refer to the famous people by their FULL names over and over. She would say, "Charlie Yates, the Charlie Yates. Charlie. Yates. The Charlie Yates that wrote....Yes. Charlie Yates" At first it was cute, but after about the 5th time she continues to repeat his name that many times in one paragraph, it becomes obnoxious 

2. Silliness/SappinessI am sorry but it was over the top cheese and crackers at times. I cannot picture my dad and I dancing and singing in the kitchen...no just no. There were so many over the top silly scenes, don't get me wrong I love a good happy book. But I could not handle all the dancing and singing....even if life is unicorns and rainbows...tone it down please. 

3. CharactersEmma grated on every last nerve I had, I couldn't stand the way she was so obsessed with her Dad's health and her "holier than thou" complex she had toward her sister in taking care of him. I won't get into details, but some of the things she said to her little sister were so mean and rude. It bothered me SO much how much of hypochondriacs the characters were in this book, Like Charlie was afraid of Emma jumping off a diving board because he thought should would break her ribs( Really dude?), then after she went swimming she was incapable of taking off her own clothes?? That whole scene was so dumb. Oh and THEN how Emma freaks out and wants to rush Charlie (YATES--Oh gosh am I doing that now?) to the ER after he gets in a fight? These characters all had personalities that were worse than someone hyped up on Red Bull. Everything would go from 0 to def com 10 in a matter of seconds....no in between.

4.The LoveThere was none! Charlie treats Emma HORRIBLY he says some seriously mean things (almost as mean as Emma to her sister) I felt absolutely NO chemistry. Some of the things Charlie said and did were unforgivable in my opinion. It makes Emma look pretty desperate.


IN typical Center fashion the story wraps up with unicorns and rainbows, which will of course make you warm and fuzzy. Even after having very negative thoughts about this book I finished it with the sense of happiness and hope. Katherine Center does that, she must infuse the pages with happiness, and I cannot stay angry/upset or frustrated with her book. Then to add even more icing on the already sappy epilogue her authors notes knocked it out of the park, I loved her explanation and inspiration for the book. I actually liked it way better than the book! I am sorry to say I did not enjoy this one. But please read it for yourself, especially if you are a Katherine Center fan. This one has a lot of her usual quirks , it just didn't work for me this time around. She will always and forever be an automatic read for me.... 
To quote the great Celine, "My Heart Will Go On.......to her next book" 
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this advanced copy read of "The Rom Commers" by Katherine Center. I was not influenced or paid in exchange for my honest review.

This was a choice....that's the best way to sum up my thoughts on this novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy and audiobook. I hate to say this...but I was rooting for the book until the 75% mark...and then I was rooting for it's downfall...

Charlie sucks...and he has no redeemable qualities. Emma also needs to grow a backbone.

But quite frankly...if I only dedicated myself to the audiobook and did not finish the book through the epub...maybe I give it 4 stars.

It is an entertaining read, and it is better if you listen to the audiobook.

But I do not wish for Charlie and Emma to be together...not one bit.

This book made me laugh and made me cry. It was such a fun rom com with some heartbreaking moments. I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to listen to this fun and captivating love story.
It was an easy listen with a super cute plot. I already preordered this beautiful edition so I can display it on my shelf. Loved it and highly recommend. 🥰

A RomCom about Romance writers writing a RomCom - SIGN ME UP!!!

Our leading lady Emma has always put others first (and has put her passions and career on the back burner) finds herself with the chance of a lifetime to help THE BEST screenwriter in Hollywood, Charlie, rewrite a romantic comedy. What could go wrong?! Except he doesn’t really even want to write this screenplay and he definitely doesn’t want anyone else’s help…. especially a "no name writer like her"... But he begrudgingly accepts because he needs her help to get this script approved so his true passion project can be greenlit.

Let me start off by saying I adore Katherine Center and her books are like a warm hug - always comforting and sweet.

Emma and Charlie had great chemistry and excellent banter! I enjoyed Charlie’s snarky remarks and how he insisted “true love doesn’t exist” while asking Emma to help him write a rom com… OF COURSE they would fall in love with each other (not a spoiler - this is a RomCom - of course they end up together)! And I LOVED the premise of this story!

Emma’s struggles with her dad and her sister and losing her mom at a young age really made me emotional. Charlie’s struggle with his own personal problems also really got to me and I found myself tearing up a time or two😭

But that’s the mark of a great love story right!? To make you feel and of course a happily ever after ending doesn’t hurt!?

I really really adored both main characters but I felt like I needed a little more to happen between them?
Just a couple more *swoon* worthy moments (that’s my only critique but that’s probably just a me thing)! 🤣

I’ll never stop reading or recommending any book by Katherine Center! 👏🏼

Thank you Netgallery, St. Martin's Press and MacMillion Audio for an advance listen of this sweet romcom.

Center is on a self-proclaimed journey of defending the genre of Romance and I'm here for it. She wrote this truly amazing line in the book that I wish I could share but she argues that every genre makes a promise to the reader. The mystery will be solved, the battle will be won, the universe will be saved, etc. In Romance, it's that the two leads will end up together. If the audience doesn't get that then the writer wasn't doing their job. And I just love the predictable package deal and the journey of how we will get to the happy ending.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 4.5 stars. This is my fourth book of Katherine Center's and they just keep getting better. The heroine is an aspiring screenwriter and believer in love stories who is partnered with a non-believing famous screenwriter who has written a truly terrible rom-com. You can't help but love the main characters, flaws and all. Emma is giving to a fault and learns to recognize that and how playing that role has sheltered her from her fears. Charlie has been hurt and is cynical but is very cute and is eventually open to realizing his wrongs. You're rooting for them the whole time.

Read if you like:
•Forced Proximity
•Celebrity Romance
•Sunny vs grumpy
•Coworker romance

🌶️- Acknowledges the existence of sex but in my opinion very clean.

LOVVVEEEE!!! I will read anything Center puts out!!! Its believable! It’s touching! I tear up! The ROM Commers was no exception. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review.

I was able to listen to the audiobook of Katherine Center’s The Rom-commers, which will come out June 11th, thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio !

When screenwriter Charlie is stuck on his rom com screenplay, he’s set up with a ghost writer, Emma, who’s been yearning to be as successful a writer as him and admiring his genius writing forever. While writing is her passion, she’s been helping take care of her father for years, unable to take big steps towards a successful career. This is her opportunity, but can she teach Charlie why romcoms are valid screenplays and make the skeptic understand romance once and for all, or will the movie fall to pieces along with her career?

This rom com story has all of the ingredients of a good book: the characters are well developed and grow in different ways; the plot is both predictable in some ways and surprising in others, but all in a satisfying way; the language is descriptive and fun, creating excellent banter and memorable scenes.

For fans of rom coms, this is a great new read! I particularly enjoyed the audio as well!