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ashley_andherbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
ARC Review
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!!
One thing that didn't sit well with me, was the last minute "solution" to Charlie's cancer. It felt very deus ex machina to me. It felt insensitive to real life people who are dealing with cancer. I'm sure they wished an incorrect scan would happen to them, but I'm not sure how likely that is to happen in real life. I wish she would have found a different and better way to deal with this. Even as simple as Charlie freaking out thinking he had cancer again, to be told it's okay you have bronchitis.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Grief, and Death of parent
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
Thank you to the publisher for providing me an eARC to review! This one is out June 11.
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Sexism
smagzisreading's review
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
tamsterdam_reads's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
The Rom-Commers strikes the perfect blend of humour and romance. With its charming but complicated characters, in true Katherine Center fashion, there was depth and lightheartedness that made this story so memorable.
I adored the female main character, Emma, with her emanating light and seeing the world through a positive lens even though she was placed with many difficult obligations. Charlie was almost as equally lovable but in his own unique way. The back and forth dialogue between the two was so good and I loved both of their character arcs.
The narrator, Patti Murin, did a fantastic job with character distinction and the emotional tones.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the galley and Macmillan for the alc. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
rainkatzanddogs's review
emotional
funny
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Chronic illness
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Cancer
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
medium-paced
I have thoughts on this book I would like to share, however, I will be withholding my review for this title in solidarity with the St. Martin's Press Marketing Boycott.
The book community is demanding three (3) things of St. Martin's:
1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia and racism from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how moving forward, they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.
This boycott is a media boycott asking influencers not to promote books from St. Martin's Press. If you are interested in supporting the authors, please still buy/borrow and read their books, just please do not promote those books on socials.
The book community is demanding three (3) things of St. Martin's:
1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia and racism from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how moving forward, they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.
This boycott is a media boycott asking influencers not to promote books from St. Martin's Press. If you are interested in supporting the authors, please still buy/borrow and read their books, just please do not promote those books on socials.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood
thebookishpersuasion's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing
mrs_meg_walsworth's review
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Closed door no sexual content really. A few kisses but nothing descriptive.oxfordcommas91's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
4.0
First, huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book as an ARC! Any new Katherine Center book is a book I will always beg to read early.
The plot - meet Emma, the “sunshine” of our Grumpy/Sunshine duo who is an aspiring screenwriter stuck in Texas as a caretaker for her chronically ill father. Emma’s pal Logan is an agent for some Hollywood stars, including (unbeknownst to Emma), Emma’s favorite super famous screen writer, Charlie. Charlie is, of course, the grump of this duo who has written a truly abysmal romcom to curry favor from a network exec. Logan brings Emma into the picture to get Charlie’s writing on track, moving her across the country for a six week stint at Charlie’s mansion. Write a beautiful rom com, cash that mega check, and then Emma will be on her way back to her home town. Or will she?
My thoughts - this book was delightfully cliche, and I say that in the nicest way possible. Sometimes it’s okay that something is a cliche - it works for a reason. Grumpy/sunshine is not my favorite romcom trope, and variations on this plot have been done before (Jasmine Guillory’s “By the Book” comes to mind), but this one worked for me, because of course it did. Because no matter how suspicious I am of the plot or the tropes, Katherine Center makes you FEEL things about her characters in a unique way that I think is really difficult to find with modern romance writers. The plot is sickeningly sweet, but I will sign up for the cavities because I love her characters so much.
The one major downside for me was the absolute onslaught of traumatic medical content (more on that below in the content warnings section). It was inescapable and truly there at every turn throughout the book. One of the medical plot lines would have been enough to further the storyline, but the three major accident/trauma plot points was rough. It felt like we were being cracked over the head with a baseball bat to remind us that bad things happen to good people.
Other than that, I feel like there were moments that felt a bit obvious to me and I would have loved a bit more insight into Charlie and what made him tick, but I can’t wait for all of you to read this one. You’ll laugh, you’ll shed some tears, and you’ll walk away feeling just a bit lighter than you’d felt before you read it.
Important content warnings: there is a LOT of medical content in this book, and that’s something you should be conscious of if you’re sensitive to that. There are discussions of traumatic accidents/death, near death experiences, loss of a parent, cancer, and a lot of talk of caretaking for a loved one with a disability/chronic health condition. If any of these issues are weighing on you, I’d encourage you to take a take a beat on reading this right away.
The plot - meet Emma, the “sunshine” of our Grumpy/Sunshine duo who is an aspiring screenwriter stuck in Texas as a caretaker for her chronically ill father. Emma’s pal Logan is an agent for some Hollywood stars, including (unbeknownst to Emma), Emma’s favorite super famous screen writer, Charlie. Charlie is, of course, the grump of this duo who has written a truly abysmal romcom to curry favor from a network exec. Logan brings Emma into the picture to get Charlie’s writing on track, moving her across the country for a six week stint at Charlie’s mansion. Write a beautiful rom com, cash that mega check, and then Emma will be on her way back to her home town. Or will she?
My thoughts - this book was delightfully cliche, and I say that in the nicest way possible. Sometimes it’s okay that something is a cliche - it works for a reason. Grumpy/sunshine is not my favorite romcom trope, and variations on this plot have been done before (Jasmine Guillory’s “By the Book” comes to mind), but this one worked for me, because of course it did. Because no matter how suspicious I am of the plot or the tropes, Katherine Center makes you FEEL things about her characters in a unique way that I think is really difficult to find with modern romance writers. The plot is sickeningly sweet, but I will sign up for the cavities because I love her characters so much.
The one major downside for me was the absolute onslaught of traumatic medical content (more on that below in the content warnings section). It was inescapable and truly there at every turn throughout the book. One of the medical plot lines would have been enough to further the storyline, but the three major accident/trauma plot points was rough. It felt like we were being cracked over the head with a baseball bat to remind us that bad things happen to good people.
Other than that, I feel like there were moments that felt a bit obvious to me and I would have loved a bit more insight into Charlie and what made him tick, but I can’t wait for all of you to read this one. You’ll laugh, you’ll shed some tears, and you’ll walk away feeling just a bit lighter than you’d felt before you read it.
Important content warnings: there is a LOT of medical content in this book, and that’s something you should be conscious of if you’re sensitive to that. There are discussions of traumatic accidents/death, near death experiences, loss of a parent, cancer, and a lot of talk of caretaking for a loved one with a disability/chronic health condition. If any of these issues are weighing on you, I’d encourage you to take a take a beat on reading this right away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, and Panic attacks/disorders