A true winner by one of my favorite authors - definitely a must-read! I loved how Katherine Center was able to tackle very tough topics while balancing humor and a dynamic love story. I found the underlying dynamics of caregiver burnout, chronic illness, grief, sacrifice, rejection, and complexities of a older/younger sister relationship in the book to be captivating and really add to the depth of the main character and I strongly resonate with the main character being an eldest daughter and older sister who can't let go of her need for control and to protect at all costs - even when it is out of our hands. A happily ever after absolutely worth waiting for and some happy tears/laughs along the way. The story perfectly portrays the importance of resilience amidst life's inevitable struggles and the transformative power of finding joy in the midst of adversity - definitely add it to your TBR list!

“If you wait for people to light you up, then I guess you’re at the mercy of darkness.”

Many thanks to NetGalley and and Macmillan Audio for the early audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. It had me giggling, laughing and crying. That's how you know it was a good book. This was my first Katherine Center book and I'm already running to get "The Bodyguard"!
- Her POV
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- Workplace romance

Emma is such a strong character, I loved her inter monologue to stay strong and keep it together because she feels so relatable. Charlie is a grumpy guy in the beginning but don’t let that fool you, he’s a sweetheart. Every time I had to pause it (life always getting in the way) i was just thinking about keep listening !
And, Omg i loooved the Meryl Streep Scene! the way Katherine Center makes me feel like I was on the phone with friends telling me their story is crazy! I was fully engaged with the story from start to finish! Some scenes like the accidental “I love you “ moments had me laughing so hard! It’s a SLOW burn but amazingly done because it never feels dragged out, it lets both characters really get to know each other and bond genuinely.
The happy ending delivered what it had to! A super happy ending 🫶🏻 isn’t that the reason why we are all reading romcoms? And the epilogue wow, that last monologue was my favorite.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for the gifted audiobook ARC provided through NetGalley! It was an amazing experience and I’m so happy to share my review.

Center does a great job at romanticizing rom-coms and emphasizing that the ridiculed formula for love stories is just as valid (in my opinion more so) than the formulas for all other genres (e.g., action, horror, etc). Oh hey, patriarchy! I found both of the main characters loveable, while at times, a bit annoying. The love story felt mostly believable and the miscommunications were super realistic to real life. This was my first Katherine Center novel and I'll definitely be diving into her archives for more!

4.25
A not-so “surprise blockbuster” that will be “resuscitating the Rom-com”!

I’ll admit that I found last year’s “Hello Stranger” a bit too far fetched to be as enjoyable as it should have been. This book is right kind of far fetched. You know, Texas girl with tragic backstory has former high school boyfriend who is British and now a major Hollywood agent and gets her a job in LA writing with an Oscar-winning screenwriter, her celebrity crush and hero. Chaos ensues as they slowly realize they love each other amidst a major communication failure, followed by a grand gesture.

This is just a good old fashioned rom-com where the romance trope and interactions are classics, even if the circumstances and setting are over the top. You know whether that is your kind of thing. If you don’t—because this is your first potential rom-com and you’ve also obviously be living under a rock—give it a try. Yes, there annoying character traits and character interactions, but it’s still enjoyable. The only part I didn’t enjoy was the author’s note and the end where she goes on some sort of rampage to argue the importance of the romance genre or something, forgetting that we, unless we are reading someone else’s choice for book club but are equally committed to finishing it, are obviously already fans of the genre

I listened to the audiobook because it looked like I wouldn’t be getting access to the ebook. I found myself with the ebook too before I finished the story, so read some, as well as read back through for some clarifications, not easy to do with an audiobook.

Patti Murin is a familiar voice of the genre, especially if you listened to another Katherine Center or the last several Christina Lauren novels. I find a lot of the American rom-coms and “women’s fiction” have annoying narrators and I’ve been known to abandon several right off the bat. Though I usually prefer British narrations, Patti is one who allows me to get into the story and not cringing at the sound. That’s praise in my book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book and audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

The writing in this was cute and witty. Katherine Center is the queen of banter and she really delivers with these characters. I loved the FMC. She was highly relatable. And liked the MMC. Probably would have enjoyed him more if he had his own POV. Overall, it was a sweet and charming read. Would definitely recommend.

I have been a fan of Katherine Center’s writing since she released The Bodyguard a few years ago, and have been waiting (rather impatiently) for her newest release, The Rom-Commers. As a lover of romcoms, I was particularly excited for this title. While this didn’t leave me with the same wow as The Bodyguard, I still really enjoyed these characters and their story! I had a particular sweet spot for Emma’s dad and his storyline. I listened to this and really enjoyed the narrator. Overall a solid read!

Katherine Center is truly one of the greatest authors of our time! Ever? Always! She is incredible!

I found The Rom-Commers to be a lighter side to KC - this still had the heart, the guts, the raw, the real, the banter and fun, but this felt lighter and I loved it! The way I tabbed ang highlighted so many quotes was insane. She just truly encapsulates my entire life philosophy: seek joy, hold onto it, celebrate it. We control what we do with what happens to us. It isn't easy, but it is OUR choice and I LOVE THAT!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for this advanced copy - this was a highly anticipated read for 2024 and it did NOT disappoint! I loved it!

This was a great road-trip listen!
It’s all about the openness and tenacity of Emma Wheeler, the female main character in this story. She makes the reader, as well as her fellow characters, fall in love with her simply with her belief in love, as she navigates a life that has tried to discourage her at every turn. I especially liked how educated this character was on her topic of choice, and of course the inevitable happy ending.

The Rom-Comers by Katherine Center, audiobook read by Patti Murin Emma is a screenwriter and college professor who put her dreams of Hollywood stardom on hold to take care of her disabled father. A call from her former high school boyfriend now agent, Logan, changes all that when she gets hired to ghostwrite a rom-com screenplay with Charlie Yates! (yes the Charlie Yates! Hope you like that name because you will hear it a lot throughout this book!) Charlie Yates thinks rom-coms are trivial and moreover that love doesn’t exist. Can Emma change his mind in time to get a good screenplay written and make her time away from her family worth it?



I want to start by saying I love everything that I have read by Katherine Center. I really was anxiously awaiting this book and when I didn’t get chosen for the eARC I applied for the audiobook and am so glad that is the version I read. The narrator was amazing! I was listening to this on my drive to and from work for a week and talking back to my car stereo. “No!” “Really?” “What a jerk!” “Don’t believe that Emma!” I really loved this book. My only qualm was the end was a little monologuey for me, but that’s ok. I laughed out loud multiple times. I was swept away by the story as Emma made Charlie Yates do everything he thought was romantic in his screenplay that she disagreed with. I got mad that Emma doubted herself and believed the surface of what Charlie was saying, rather than looking deeper and validating her truth. But this makes sense for the character, someone who has been hiding from life due to a family tragedy; keeping her life safe and small, and not really living at all. I liked that Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard shows up as Charlie Yates’ best friend, connecting this book with my other favorite Katherine Center novel. Center has the ability to take grief and tragedy seriously while also showing humor and the small ways people soldier on. For a book that concerns some heavy topics, it felt light, even while taking it’s characters seriously. Thanks to Macmillian Audio and Net Galley for this early audiobook in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars

Romance is the hill I will go rest on. The author's note for this book should be the manifesto for romance readers.

This book made me laugh out loud. A genuine laugh. More than once. I also am not ashamed to say I cried. It reminded me of the experience I had reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. It's that deep, butterfly inducing, giddy feeling. It was the days in school wondering if the person you liked felt the same way.

Very well balanced grumpy/sunshine. They weren't extreme ends of the spectrum but normal acting humans with predisposition towards one but weren't locked into that as their only character trait. I also adored that they had hobbies and talents outside of their jobs. It made for dimensional characters.

No spice. If that matters to you. But it didn't need it, it wasn't missed. In fact, I could argue that this book is an example of how we don't need spice in every romance book to make it good.

I'll be thinking about this one for some time.
Note: I listened to the audiobook ARC but will most likely buy a physical copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Listeners Copy.
I have read all of Katherine Center’s books and loved most of them, but this one fell flat for me. I’ve learned that the celebrity/regular person trope is just not for me. This book reminded me of Nora Goes Off Script and Funny You Should Ask (I didn’t care for those either). I definitely enjoyed aspects of this book and Patti Murin is a wonderful narrator. I admired Emma’s dedication to her father and enjoyed Charlie’s character development. Hello Stranger was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I was disappointed not to love this one.

Thank you net galley for granting me access to this audiobook. This is my first Katherine Center book and now I completely understand the hype!
I absolutely loved Emma and Charlie. The banter throughout the story proves that opposites do fall for each other. The narration in this was amazing. I laughed, I cried and overall just didn’t want it to end.

I am just so in love with this novel. It's exactly what you expect from this author, and from the title and cover art you know that this is going to be well, a romcom. I was so enthralled when this book packed such heartfelt experiences from the characters, witty banter and of course, a love story. I finished this book days ago and seriously can't stop thinking about it. Please make time to read or listen to the author's known at the end, as I also believe that love stories are worth being told, enjoyed, and loved.

"I did eventually give in and marry Charlie..."

Uh, thanks?

This book ends so awkwardly. We get an epilogue where the heroine says, "...every single day, he asked me to marry him, which I loved, even though every day I also evaded the question... I...resisted saying yes in that way you can when absolutely everyone knows you want to say yes and you will say yes, eventually. And anticipation is half the fun."

This book is painful. There was so much potential, but this author includes bizarre plot twists that really bring the story down for me. Before I completely tear this apart, let me start with the positive. Katherine Center can write in a way that makes me really feel. She has a lot of talent. But, her choices make this book NOT romantic and NOT satisfying at the end (see above for one example).

I enjoyed a lot of the story with Emma coming in to help Charlie write a rom-com. He is pretty dismissive of her so she doesn't put up with it. She puts her foot down and gets what she wants out of the situation. THAT part was satisfying.

However, she ends up being a doormat and a martyr. Pretty much every relationship in this book is REALLY emotionally unhealthy, from an unhealthy guilt making her serve her dad to her own detriment for 10 years, fighting TERRIBLY with her sister and not apologizing but demanding her sister grovel, her dad telling her he just decides to be happy (sweep it under the rug psychology), the hero "protecting her" through being a total douche, her chasing the hero down MULTIPLE TIMES, etc.

I received the audiobook as an advanced reader copy. The narrator does a great job and all the characters have distinct voices.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced audio copy of “The Rom-Commers” in exchange for a review

I’ve been with Katherine Center since ‘How to Walk Away.’ She’s a classic go-to in the sweet romance, human connection space. I always pick up her new books as the come out.

So why only 3 stars? While I enjoyed it, I’m not sure it’ll stick with me long term.

Katherine Center is easy to read with an enjoyable story. I enjoyed listening to the book but wasn't crazy about the English accent. Overall, likeable characters and a good ending.

First, and I think most importantly, can I just say from the very beginning how much I hated the character TJ? Teej. Jablowme. Backwards cap guy. I mean, I know he wasn’t meant to love, but ugh! *Please forgive pardon all spelling errors of his name, I listened to the audiobook, ha.

Second, and most obvious from my 5 star review, is that I loved this book. It had so much that I loved in it.

Things I loved:
I love how she described what Rom-Coms are about and the comparison to sex, it made me laugh, but at the same time she’s not wrong.

I loved the characters. Emma just felt so relatable and all her thoughts and emotions just felt real and like something I would’ve thought/said/done too. Charlie was amazing, but wasn’t perfect like so many other romance books. He had his issues and Emma just figured them out. Of course there was the communication errors where you’re just mad and thinking “why wouldn’t you just tell her/him?!”

I loved the whole writing a rom-com together, while your life turned into one because of “research” just was so fun to read. Her explanations of what necessary parts of rom-coms were, and then seeing it in their friendship, and the bickering and all of it just was fun.

I loved how real the hard things in life were portrayed. The guilt and the hard part about caretaking.

I loved the quote: “If you wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you’re at the mercy of darkness”

Things I didn’t love:

The HEA was all in the final epilogue and mainly…

That it ended.

3.5 stars. Cute story with likable characters. There were some swoony moments. My complaint is that for a book about two writers working on a screenplay, we didn’t see enough of them collaborating/writing. We were told they worked well together, but I would have like to see more of that in action. I wanted to see them write a scene together that made me feel something (both the scene they were writing AND the banter it took to get them to that end result). I did enjoy seeing them talk about rewriting the terrible kiss in the screenplay, but I would have liked more scenes like that. The main conflict veered dangerously close to “unnecessary misunderstanding” territory, but I feel like the resolution helped make up for some of the frustration I felt during that section. I also wish there had been just a little more of them coming together before the big conflict because that would have helped me weather the frustration even better. That being said, there were still some very cute scenes that kept the romance kind of subtle and just hinted that were thoroughly enjoyable. The Bodyguard cameos were also fun.

Listen. This book. THIS BOOK is the epitome of a Rom-Com. Like, Duh! It was so delightful. I laughed so hard. I even cried (b/c trigger warning-there is speak about death and cancer) and it was just perfect! When I started this I HATED Charlie. Like, wanted to throat punch him so hard. But, in the end he redeems himself. The character development was great and I love how the ending just ties the entire book up. Katherine Center never fails me-she will be an auto buy :) I wish I had a hardcopy of this because there were so many more quotes that I wanted to write down and post it note around my house.

If you want a book that is light, sweet, funny, emotional then grab this one because you will not be disappointed. The audio version is so good!

4.5 Stars! Kudos to Patti Murin, the narrator of audiobooks matters so much because it will make or break it for me. If they suck, I'm not listening. Not the case here. She did a fantastic job!

⭐️3.25
4-5 stars seems to be consistent in the reviews of The Rom-Commers, so my expectations were high and I am clearly in the minority.

I tried, but did NOT like Charlie. He was extremely rude and I was cringing because Emma seemed to be acting out of desperation.

The pace was too slow but I stuck with it, just waiting for more to happen and to finally connect with the characters. Once the story got going, it felt rushed and then quickly ended.

This one wasn’t my favorite by this author, but it reminded me of Happy Place by Emily Henry. If you liked that one, this book is for you. Overall, I liked it but definitely didn’t love it.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: June 11, 2024