Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Rom-Commers

Katherine Center has managed to take every beloved romance trope and combine it with the hopefulness of every 90’s-00’s romcom into the most wonderful book that’s perfect for the summer.

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!

Content Warnings

booksalacarte's review against another edition

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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

5.0

The Rom-Commers 4⭐️ 2.5🌶️

Contemporary Romance

Hollywood/celebrity romance

Workplace romance

Unwilling allies to lovers

Grumpy sunshine

Grief

Strong family

🏳️‍🌈Side Character

Injury disability rep

This was a very cute rom-com about a pair of screenplay writers writing a rom-com. It was cliche in the best ways, but also packed a punch when it came to a dressing trauma and serious topics.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters were complicated and dynamic. I found my self wishing that there was a little bit more vulnerability from the MMC for the big gesture, but he was also a silent but strong type... so, I don’t know. I’m conflicted. I was absolutely charmed by the epilogue.

The plot was a fun spin on a Hollywood insider’s romance. I appreciated that the boom wasn’t over-run by pop culture and real celebrity references. The pacing was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

glisteningstarfish's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

Katherine Center does the best job of writing a romance novel with deep, realistic themes while making it feel like a sweet, light-hearted experience! She has done it again in “The Rom-Commers,” the perfect fast-paced summer read! Emma, a ghost screenwriter, is given the job to work with Charlie, a very famous screenwriter, on a Rom-Com script. The only thing is, he doesn’t believe in love. It was so fun getting to see these two write together and fall in love.

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.

Content Warnings

ashley_andherbooks'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? 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.

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

daniellereadslikealot_'s review

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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

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!

Content Warnings

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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