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mamawantsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Emma Wheeler has had a life that wasn’t hers. She’s devoted the last ten years to caring for her father and her little sister while putting off her dreams of becoming a screenwriter. Her agent, who happens to be her old high school friend, sets her up with the opportunity of a lifetime with THE Charlie Yates but Emma doesn’t know if her responsibility will be to herself or to others. And why is Charlie Yates so damn attractive and infuriating?
I thought this was a well written story with the most amazing use of all tropes for romance books and movies. I loved the callbacks to other characters from Katherine’s other novels. The story did feel like it dragged a bit and could have done a bit of editing to get rid of some extra fluff that wasn’t needed.
Overall I am extremely glad to have read this book because as a lover of romcoms and romance novels, though maybe not as big as Emma, this filled a void in my heart I didn’t know I was missing.
Thank you so so so much to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the opportunity for this advanced copy!
Graphic: Cancer, Misogyny, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
glisteningstarfish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
For those who love:
🩵 Workplace Romance
🩵 Roommates
🩵 Screenwriter + Screenwriter
🩵 Cinematic
🩵 Anxiety Rep
🩵 Caretaking Rep
🩵 Guinea Pigs
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
bookrecsbyjess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Minor: Cancer, Medical content, and Death of parent
letmetakea_shelfie_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
booksandcoffeewithlexi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
alexwalton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This story is of Emma, who is an aspiring screenwriter but also caregiver for her father, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime. She leaves her dad in the hands of her little sister to move in with Charles Yates, legendary screenwriter (and Emma's favorite), to write a rom-com movie remake.
This is light-hearted and silly one moment, then romantic, then sad and reflective. No spice but the romance was so strong I didn't even notice.
(Also Katherine, could we please have a book on TJ Haywood? 🙏)
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
Nothing is in graphic details, just mentions, but they are integral to the story and often discussedasims723's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer
ashley_andherbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Emma, a want to be screen writer is paired up with Charlie, a very successful screen writer to rewrite Charlie's not to romantic (or comedic) rom-com. This grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, work place romance blossoms as the two writers work through their differences to rewrite a script.
Brief take away;
- grumpy/sunshine
- work place romance
- forced proximity
- egotistical MMC
- anxiety and disability rep
Trigger warnings for;
- illness/cancer
- grief/loss of parent
Emma took a step back from her dream of being a screen writer to take care of her sick dad. When the opportunity to work with her favorite screen writer, Charlie, to help him with his rom-com, it's an opportunity she can't pass up and her family won't let her. Charlie doesn't believe in love and just wants to get this out of the way quickly so he can get the green light on another project.
I absolutely adore Katherine Center's writing. Her books always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside and this one was no different. The connection between Emma and Charlie was slow to spark but once it did, they had great chemistry. This was the kind of book that gave me butterflies. The characters pasts are a big driving factor in their relationship and the story progression.
Big spoilers ahead!!
Overall, I very much enjoyed the book and characters.
Thank you to Netgalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for a copy in exchange for a review.
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Grief, and Death of parent
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Rating: 5/5 stars
Emma is an aspiring screenwriter whose career was derailed by personal tragedy—but things might be about to turn around when she is hired to fix a terrible rom-com script with her favorite writer, Charlie Yates.
This book is, first and foremost, a love letter to the genre of romance and I am HERE FOR IT. Watching Charlie come around to the importance of joyful stories was such a beautiful and meaningful character arc it genuinely made me cry, and the awards show scene was one of my favorite moments I’ve read in a book this year (or maybe ever).
Also, this book is DELIGHTFULLY funny. I found myself literally laughing out loud so many times (even though there are definitely some super sad moments and pretty big CWs as well, see below). The chemistry and banter between Emma and Charlie was SO good, and I was rooting for them SO HARD the whole way through.
Highly HIGHLY recommend this (ideally after THE BODYGUARD because there are some fun Easter eggs/cameos if you care about that sort of thing!)
CW: Cancer; death of parent; chronic illness/disability; medical content; grief; mild sexism
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Sexism