Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Rom-Commers

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The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

53 reviews

daniellereadslikealot_'s review

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was an absolute delight to read. Emma and Charlie captured my heart entirely and I loved every second of it. Their banter, chemistry and care for each other was done so well. It’s been a while since a fictional couple really got me like they did. I also loved Emma’s relationships with her dad and sister, especially dealing with their grief and the dad’s illness. Center always knows how to give us a beautiful, romantic story that has so much depth, character growth and humor. Any fan of her books will love this one as much as the others and for new readers, it’ll be a great introduction to her writing!

CW: death of a parent, injury, mentions of animal death, cancer, grief, illness

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

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niftyreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

All someone has to say is, “This is a book by Katherine Center,” and I want to read it. Every book she writes makes me so happy, and that is precisely what THE ROM-COMMERS did, too. I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. And I fell head over heels for Emma Wheeler and Charlie Yates. What an exceptional love story with the bad, the ugly, and all the good!

I love the way Center writes because whoever she uses as the stories narrator grips your heart and doesn’t let go. You can love them. You can get annoyed with them. You can want to hit them upside the head. You can cry with them. But they have such a stronghold on you the entire book that by the end, it feels like you are leaving a friend behind when you close the book. But that’s all the more reason to reread it 😉

For anyone who loves the grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity tropes, Center absolutely nailed them. They are two of my favorites, and I loved seeing Emma and Charlie stuck together! Plus, their banter while being a grump and sunshine is so good!

We can’t forget the fabulous audiobook narration by Patti Murin—one of my all-time favorite narrators! After hearing her as Emma and Charlie, I cannot imagine anyone doing it better. Her voices, cadence, and emotions make THE ROM-COMMERS an exceptional listen!

I’m not sure if you can tell, but I really liked this book and audiobook. Katherine Center writes fantastic books, in my humble opinion. You cannot go wrong reading or listening to THE ROM-COMMERS!

Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the ALC! Thanks, St. Martin’s Press, for the arc!

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laheath's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Grumpy meets sunshine, forced proximity romance. Unfortunately, the female lead is inconsistent. At the beginning, she's the primary caretaker for her partially-paralyzed father. When she gets the chance to further her career by working with a successful Hollywood screenwriter, she becomes very juvenile. The plot takes another turn when her father faces a health crisis, but then she just seems mean and judgmental. Though this is presented as a romance, it takes a while and then seems to come out of nowhere with little development. In the author's note, she mentions the discrepancy of romance novels not being considered good writing. Maybe the publishers should more accurately promote the novels, such as family drama/romance.

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elle_laine's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Emma is a writer who has passed up opportunities to further her career because she is her father’s primary caretaker. But when a friend calls her and describes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to re-write a romantic comedy script with one of the most famous screenwriters of today, Charlie Yates, Emma can’t say no. And after her dad and sister hear about the opportunity, they make it impossible for her to not go. Unfortunately, Emma finds out too late what Charlie Yates thinks about romance and love, and the journey she sets out on to prove to him that love is not “an emotional Ponzi scheme” turns out to be something she never bargained for.

I simply ADORE this book and storyline! Katherine Center never fails to deliver a truly heart-warming and slightly heart-breaking story about love, the realities of life, and truly comedic moments. I fell in love with Emma and Charlie, their stories, and all the other characters that made this story so incredibly special. Not a single character was presented as one-sided, but rather each character was presented with their flaws as well as their strengths, making the story complete and realistic. I felt like I could relate to the characters.

THANK YOU Macmillan Audio for providing me with the audiobook version of this book through NetGalley. All opinions listed here are only mine. The audiobook made it that much more special. The narrator was excellent and brought life to the story that took it up a notch. For each character, she created a distinct voice which greatly helped in the reader experience. Personally, I typically opt to read the physical copy of books, but this was a wonderful audiobook production. My recommendation is the audiobook, as it gave the story a fullness that I do not think I would’ve gotten from an ebook or physical copy. The overall experience with the audiobook was all-around enjoyable.

This is the perfect spring/summer read for lovers of Katherine Center’s other books, lovers of happily-ever-afters, and even for those who do not really “believe” in love. Let this book surprise you. Open up your world to a genre you may not generally lean toward.

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jillwedemeier's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Katherine Center does it again with another delightful romantic comedy, aptly titled "The Rom-Commers." Center is a master at crafting sweet, closed-door romances that will give you all the feels. Like with her other books, "The Rom-Commers" will have you laughing out loud and wiping away tears. There are quite a few hard-hitting topics in the book, so be sure to check the trigger warnings. But, as usual, Center is able to skillfully balance grief and trauma with romance and humor. This book was not my favorite of her works, but it was an enjoyable and easy read that will make the perfect beach or poolside companion this summer. Emma and Charlie were relatable characters, each dealing with their own challenges and past traumas. I loved the "opposites attract" trope and thought they both had excellent character development. Overall, a wonderful rom-com that I recommend.

I listened to the audiobook read by Patti Murin. She has narrated Center's books in the past, and I always enjoy her narrations. Murin is a believable narrator who brings the story to life with a fun and lively performance. The audiobook featured a bonus scene from Charlie's perspective and an author's note read by Center, which are both audio-exclusives, as well as acknowledgements read by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

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mrs_meg_walsworth's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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rachminick's review

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“It’s all about the details you notice and the joys you savor and the hope you refuse to give up on.” There are many great quotable lines in this book!

Emma and Charlie are both broken people who develop a friendship and eventual relationship through the common trope of forced proximity. The way the characters continue to carry baggage from past trauma leading to the eventual conflict led to me feeling a little frustrated and disappointed toward the end of the story. However, the earlier steps taken toward growth by each character and the banter between them kept me invested in the love story.

I love a story that includes lovable side-characters and this has a mix of easy to love and easy to hate side characters.

Emma’s father is a lovely example of overcoming and one of my favorite quotes from him: "Whatever story you tell yourself about your life, that's the one that'll be true."

I absolutely loved the audiobook and found it an easy and engaging listen. Patti Murin’s performance lends a lot to the story giving each character a distinctive voice.

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

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macklyle's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ARC Review -
The sweetest story - truly just the embodiment of a good rom-com. Katherine does a really good job to keep you hooked and maintain the storyline at a pace that doesn't feel dragged out but also was not missing any details. I loved the banter between our two main characters from the get go. My heart was swooning the whole time - I als0 loved the sweet bits of advice and inspiration from her father.

Pros: Loveable characters, witty banter, unique plot, and explores grief, growth and forgiveness in a non 'heavy' way.
Cons: I did not love the second person writing; some points it was cute, and others it felt distracting from the story line. I would have loved a bit more interactions between out two MCs - which is a weird considering they lived together for 6 weeks, but at times it felt like a recanting of moments from Emma's pov and not the real thing.

Overall - I adored this book so much!!

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louisekf's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Katherine Center is a must-read author for me. She never lets me down. Her romance novels always bring joy to my reading life, even as she covers serious topics along the way. The Rom-Commers is no different - it was just delightful.

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter but life got in the way of her taking advantage of a prestigious Hollywood internship. Specifically, she became her father’s caretaker and a mother-substitute for her younger sister, after a tragic accident. So she put her life on hold, while she continued to write without achieving any success in that area. But an old friend in LA is her manager and one day he hands Emma the opportunity of a lifetime - to write (actually re-write) a rom-com with her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, if she can come to LA from Texas. Apparently, Charlie is a masterful writer but this rom-com is a disaster and rom-coms are Emma’s specialty. So this is a rom-com about writing a rom-com! Very meta.

The whole sequence of events after Emma gets to LA is pretty hilarious, while also touching on Emma’s fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, and her fangirl idolization of Charlie and other Hollywood writers and actors. There’s a fun cameo appearance by Jack Stapleton, who we met in The Bodyguard - and Meryl Streep! We have a bunch of tropes: enemies-to-lovers and/or friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, grouchy-sunshine, etc., but Center somehow pulls it together in her expert way. Among the serious topics covered are: Meniere’s disease (I don’t think I’ve seen another book that covers this, a disease a friend of mine deals with); cancer; death of a parent; disabling injury; and more.

Do not miss this book if you like rom-coms at all!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Patti Murin, and the audiobook includes a short piece by the author (read by the author).

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

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smorrow_03's review

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

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

I won an ARC o this on goodreads and I loved it so much!!!

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