This was the first Katherine Center book I’ve ever read and to say I loved it is an understatement. I went into this book fully expecting to like it, but I did not expect to love it as much as I did. For starters—this book follows a struggling screenwriter who gets the chance of a lifetime to fly to Los Angeles and ghost write a rom-com screenplay for her favorite writer in the industry. Her expectations are quickly shattered when she realizes the man she’s been idolizing might not be as great a person as she imagined him to be. She realizes he has embarked on this journey to write a rom-com with no intention of the project ever getting anywhere, to get the project he really cares about off the ground—not only that, but the man doesn’t believe in love at all.

I don’t want to spoil a single thing about this book—because the journey it takes you on is truly beautiful and the underlying circumstances these characters go through: grief, illness, traumatic brain injury, disability, care-taking, guilt, but also friendship and camaraderie make for a remarkable story full of resilience, compassion, and love.

This book is the embodiment of a rom-com and I loved every second of it.

This was so sweet and lovely! I only cried 3.4 times (in a good way). I honestly love how imperfect Charlie’s character is. In a genre where the men are often written with no needs, I appreciate the complexity of an imperfect love interest who has flaws and depth.

Also, I really enjoyed the audio version of this! Audiobooks can be hit or miss, but I enjoyed this one and was so immersed that I may or may not have accidentally stayed up until 2am listening.

PHENOMENAL!!! Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this book AND audiobook as well in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Katherine Center continues to amaze!! Undoubtedly, I've sung her praises before, and I'll happily do so again. Her books hold a special place in my heart, and her latest release solidifies its position as my all-time favorite among her works!! With each new release, she consistently exceeds expectations, showcasing her incredible talent!!

What truly captivates me about the author's books is her masterful handling of of deeply emotional and relatable topics, all while expertly balancing humor in lighter moments. The story wonderfully portrays the importance of resilience amidst life's struggles and the transformative power of finding JOY in the middle of adversity. 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Emma Wheeler dreams of being a successful screenwriter, but her aspirations are put on hold as she cares for her father. When she get the chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates, she jumps at the opportunity, moving to L.A. for the job. However, Charlie is resistant to collaborating with anyone, especially someone he views as a "failed, nobody screenwriter." Despite their differences, Emma is determined to prove herself and defend the importance of romantic comedies. As she and Charlie work together, they discover unexpected feelings and possibilities, challenging Emma's beliefs about love and storytelling. Will their real life romance defy Emma's rules and come true?

Center possesses a remarkable knack for pulling at your heartstrings, effortlessly drawing you into a deep affection for her characters. I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for the two beautifully flawed main protagonists, cherishing every moment spent immersed in the pages of the story. The rollercoaster of emotions evoked, from laughter to tears and everything in between, made for an unforgettable journey!

In summary, I absolutely adored this book and its one of my favorite rom-coms of the year!! I highly recommend and it deserves infinite stars!! ♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️💫💫💫💫💫

I always love to sprinkle a good rom-com in with not just the heavy books but the heaviness that often comes with life. I've grown to depend on Katherine Center to deliver just what I need at the right time. This will be a hit this summer when it releases and with good reason - Center has again written a fun but serious story about real people with real faults, real problems and real banter that can at times be laugh out loud funny but also pull at the heart strings. The audio was done very well with just enough drama and emotion without going overboard. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for both an early e-copy and audio book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Rom-Commers will be available on 6/11/24.

Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of her career when she’s slated to help famous screenwriter Charlie Yates with his horrifically bad remake of a classic romcom. When she arrives, she discovers Charlie is a reluctant collaborator who doesn’t believe in romantic comedies and is only pursuing the project for an ulterior motive. From that moment, Emma is determined to change Charlie’s mind about love and romantic comedies and revise the screenplay to make it amazing. Katherine Center’s The Rom-Commers is everything that is wonderful about the best romantic comedies. Emma and Charlie’s awkward work banter, laugh-out-loud comedic moments, and evolving relationship are balanced well with more serious and touching moments. Center accomplishes this by keeping to the genre—it’s no doubt a romantic comedy—without succumbing to heavy-handed use of romcom plot devices. One message that really rang true in the novel is Center’s insistence that the stories you tell yourself about yourself are important and that you have a decision to make about what that story is.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spectacular!!!
Katherine Center just nails it again!!! I loved, loved, loved, loved "The Rom-Commers"!

Emma Wheeler is a screenplay writer. She loves romantic comedies and she is amazing at it. Too bad she is not famous. Her career is stagnant due to her personal family troubles. Emma has been the sole caretaker of her father who is unable to live by himself.
Emma chose him over her own career.
However, now her sister is coming back home after graduating and Emma gets the opportunity of a lifetime. She is asked to "fix" Charlie Yates's new rom-com. She just needs to leave home and fly to LA for six weeks to do it.
Emma has her work cut out for her. Charlie Yates doesn't want help with his rom-com.
He only wrote it to be able to get another project approved. He doesn't believe in rom-coms. He doesn't believe in love period.
Changing his mind is going to take all of Emma's time.

There was humor, lovable characters, and a cutsie romance. But the author also included some more serious elements that really gave the story depth. I was invested from page one, right up until the very end

A big thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have only read one Katherine Center book previously (The Beginners Guide to Happiness) but all of her books have been sitting on my TBR for far too long. When I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of her latest release due out June 11th, I jumped at the chance, and wow, did I make the right decision on that one. I didn't just like this book, I LOVED this book.

Qᴜɪᴄᴋ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ᴇᴍᴍᴀ ɪꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ. ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴇʟᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴇxᴀꜱ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ, ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ʏᴀᴛᴇꜱ, ᴏɴ ᴀ ʀᴏᴍ-ᴄᴏᴍ ʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ, ꜱʜᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ'ꜱ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʟɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟ.ᴀ. ᴜɴꜰᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ꜱʜᴇ Qᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ ʟᴇᴀʀɴꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀɴ ᴜᴘʜɪʟʟ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ, ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʀᴏᴍ-ᴄᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱɪx ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ᴇᴍᴍᴀ - ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛꜱ ᴇᴍᴍᴀ, ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ.

Emma and Charlie have such great chemistry - their enemies-to-lovers turned to friends-to-lovers relationship had me hook, line, and sinker. This story is completely told from Emma's point of view but even through her eyes, I was able to understand Charlie and get a sense of how he works and his motivations as well. The writing and dialog is so good that the lack of spice did not bother me one bit. The tension and banter had me laughing and crying and holding my breath waiting for what came next.

Since I did listen to this on audio, I must talk about the performance by Patti Murin. This was my first solo performer, single POV audiobook and I was so enraptured by Patti. The accents and the different tones were on point that I never felt like something was missing. She truly captured every feeling and every moment with her performance. 10 out of 10.

Tropes & Elements:
➶ Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Friends to Lovers
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💻 Working Relationship
🏡 Forced Proximity
😂 Banter

**This book also touches upon death of loved ones, grief, caretaking due to illness

My rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed listening to The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. I loved the wit, banter, and growth between the main characters. They both dealt with real life issues and struggles in a relatable and heartwarming way. If you are a fan of rom-coms, I highly recommend this one!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I certainly enjoy Katherine Center’s books. In a world with so much anger, it is nice to read or in this case listen to a fun uplifting book about love and kindness.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacMillanAudio, #KatherineCenter, #PattiMurin and #TheRom-Commers for the advance audio version for my honest review.

Katherine Center’s BEST writing! Readers will love these two characters falling in love with each other. Emma’s character is sunshine positivity and hilariously relatable, and Charlie is the grumpy skeptic who is just likable enough to keep us interested. The banter is, of course, witty and entertaining, but it’s these two characters bringing out the best in the other that is truly a joy.
Center manages a perfect blend of angst and emotional turmoil while weaving in just enough lightheartedness and perfectly placed humor. The pacing of the story line builds anticipation in a way that makes it hard to take a break, and the resolution is well worth the wait. The Rom-Commers is exactly what a rom-com should be!

The narrator, Patti Murin, fully brings Emma Wheeler to life, adding a snappy quality that is just so fitting it makes Emma feel even more loveable.

The Rom-Commers is a gem of the genre. A must read for anyone who loves romcoms.

Two screenwriters - Charlie, who is hugely successful, and Emma, a struggling screenwriter who has spent 10 years caretaking for her dad - are thrown together to fix Charlie's disaster of a romcom script. He doesn't believe in love or romcoms. She, of course, adores them. But, her own life hasn't been easy. So while she's the one that believes in love, she isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Both Charlie and Emma have hard things they are healing from which makes the story so real and endearing.

I really enjoyed their banter and how their pasts slowly unfolded as they worked together.

As someone who has been married to 10 years to a person that I met when we became roommates, it was so fun to read about how Emma and Charlie's routines just fell together. Those, "Why is this just so easy?" feelings felt familiar. And those little moments when Emma starts to realize she has feelings for Charlie.

I listenened to the audiobook over 2 days and didn't want to pause for anything. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to listen to an audiobook ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have now listened to 3 Katherine Center books and this is easily my favorite. This book is so much more than a rom-com. It’s about the love you also have for your family. The narrator captured all of the complex emotions well (though I did not love the voice of Logan).

Now, let’s get into the story. Emma Wheeler, you sweet girl. I was nervous for you. Sometimes the things Charlie said were too mean. And yet she seemed always to be forgiving… the relationships between Emma and her family is what really flushed Emma’s character out. The bits of them sprinkled throughout really allowed for the third act to shine.

As I said before, some of what Charlie said in this book felt too mean. I think that’s the only reason for me that this book felt slightly less than 5 stars (it’s a 4.25 for me.) I remember physically wincing at one point. That being said, he and Emma charmed me when they were working together. It felt cheesy in the right way. It felt predictable in the right way. I would recommend this (especially if love rom-coms in book and film format).

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for a audiobook Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am convinced that Katherine Center can do no wrong. I wasn't sure entirely what to expect going into this book, but let me just say, I'm obsessed.

I absolutely loved this book! Katherine Center creates such likable, enjoyable characters that I actually want to spend time with in real life! Aside from being great characters in this story, there is also the “Hollywood glitz and glamour” - seen from the outsider’s point of view, which adds a whole other level of fun.

If you’re a fan of Katherine Center, you’re going to love this book! Perfect for summer!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My only issue with this audiobook is that I finished it! Patti Murin is the perfect narrator for Katherine Center books! She manages to get the perfect pacing for the dialogue, the back-and-forth banter. I didn’t love Logan‘s voice, I know it was supposed to be a posh British accent, but he sounded too old to be Emma‘s contemporary.. however, since he supporting character, it did not diminish my love of this audio! Highly recommended! Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley!

I have been reading alot of heavy books and really needed a lighter read that doesn't take itself too seriously and Rom-Commers fit the bill.
The audiobook is well done but would be even more engaging if there was a male narrator for Charlie. I felt a little more disconnected to Charlie as a result of it not being a male voice.
This is a closed door rom-com but unfortunately, if you do not want instances of harsh language and sexual dialogue you will want to skip this one.

wow wow wow. tempted to leave that as my review because WOW. i honestly had zero expectations going into this one. i was completely blown away with how much i loved this novel. katherine center is the queen of witty rom-coms with beautiful prose, top tier banter, and real human connections and the rom-commers is not exception.

every time when I read a romcom book about a girl being a fan girl of the male main character, it makes me so nostalgic, and reminds me of my girlhood - having justin bieber, One Direction and twilight movie posters all over my bedroom walls. it is like my girlhood dreams coming true. every moment of this book reminded me of the precious art form of going through life ✨NOTICING✨. what i mean by that, is noticing the precious little moments throughout your day that make up this great and wonderful life. that tragedy is unfortunately a given but surrounding yourself with the people you love, while recognizing the mundane will only make us appreciate those really big moments. katherine wrote every relationship in this story with such heart and soul. the conversations and (at times) conflicts felt so real and human. truly so beautiful.

this book felt like an early 2000’s romcom dream. the themes of grief and finding ones purpose while navigating hardships was so beautiful. emma is a new favourite FMC. she truly felt like my best friend. a true fellow lover girlie and romantic. not to mention, the PINNING and GROVELLING that king charlie did was truly everything to me. had me kicking my feet with the biggest smile on my face (🍩 iykyk 🥹). i saw myself in both charlie + emma in many different themes so that was so so special. i swear i was crying during the entire epilogue lol.

patti murin did a phenomenal job narrating and bringing this story to life. there wasn’t a single moment where i thought the audio was lacking or taking away from the story. P.S. the bonus scene of charlie’s POV during the diving board scene in the audiobook was EVERYTHING TO ME!!!!

some of my favourite quotes:
- “what do i need to do to make you stay” 🫠
- “because last night when i was reading your stuff, i wanted to work with you and i havent wanted anything in a very very long time” 😭
- “i think that you’re my favourite person i’ve ever met”🤧
- “i’ve known you six weeks and i already can’t imagine my life without you” 🥲

if this book isn’t on your radar, you MUST add it to the top of your list. i will forever be recommending. thank you macmillan audio for the ARC!! pub date: june 11th! 💗

A great story about loss, grief, love, and hope.

Emma - the selfless, caring, loving, responsible daughter and big sister who gave up her dreams of being a screenwriter for 10 years to care for her sick father, now has an opportunity to make them true.

I can say that I connected with Emma in a personal level. Having to put your life on hold for the people you love. Putting your needs and wants last, so you can give them a sense of security and love. Feeling that guilt of wanting to move on and making those dreams come true...
I liked that both her sister and father were very supportive, and I could understand why Emma was comfortable with her life. She was so used to being the "maternal" figure for her little sister and the caretaker for her father, that she forgot about her dreams for a while.

Charles Yates was a jerk. A very disrespectful and rude jerk. That was my impression of him throughout the entire story...up until the end. The end made me understand that Charles was afraid. Afraid to love and be loved. Afraid of hurting the one person who had gotten him out of that "writer's block."

I enjoyed the tug of war between Emma and Charles Yates but sometimes felt irritated with Emma for "begging" for his love. Had she no dignity? Self-love? But I could see why she would insist. Those feelings are hard to hide, even for the biggest jerks to ever exist.

I laughed out loud a few times at Emma's dialogue and internal monologue. She is very high spirited and optimistic.

Katherine Center is such a great author! The way she brought awareness to her readers not only about mental health but also the hardships of dealing with the loss of a loved one and dealing with survivors' guilt. Many great messages were received from this story and I enjoyed it very much.

I always say, if a book/story makes the reader FEEL, then the author is doing her/his job!


Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for the complimentary audio in exchange for the honest review. Also, great job to the narrator, Patti Murin (and of course Katherine) !

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I loved it. I listened to the Audiobook version and was hooked from the start. I found myself looking for things to do that would allow me to listen to it and was sucked in at every listen. So sad when it ended but I loved the ending. If only all books could be this good.

Thanks to my friend Apryl for the recommendation and to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy of the ARC.

THE ROM-COMMERS by Katherine Center is a heartwarming, sweet romance with lots of humor and wit! Protagonist Emma is a caretaker for her father, on top of raising her younger sister after the tragic death of their mother. The author plies the storyline with emotional depth, between Emma’s family and her idol, the reclusive screenwriter, Charlie Yates. It’s also a story about Emma finding inner strength to grab hold of and hang on to what she wants after sacrificing most of her life to care for her family. I especially loved Emma’s dad’s positive attitude and humorous outlook on life, despite the tragedy that took his independence and took his wife’s life. The story grabbed my attention from the very first and held on throughout the entire book, leaving me with a smile on my face as I read the last word. I enjoyed The Rom-Commers so much I immediately went in search of other books by Katherine Center and added her list to follow for future books.

I was provided with an advance audiobook, thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley. The narrators, Katherine Center and Patti Murin, did a marvelous job capturing both the voices of the characters as well as their attitudes and personalities.