The Rom-Commers by Katherine CenterStar Rating:
Spice Level:
Published by St. Martin’s Press on 06/11/2024
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Women’s Fiction
Format: DRC (321 pages)
Source: NetGalley
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She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?
Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.
Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone—much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.
But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter—even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules—and comes true?
This was my first book by Katherine Center, and it will definitely not be my last. I was hooked from the first page and voraciously devoured Emma & Charlie’s story. I was pleasantly surprised how Center effortlessly spun a fun and epic love story but managed to sprinkle in bits of tragedy, hardship, and perseverance. The more somber moments didn’t detract from the levity of the story. They, in fact, made it better; more believable & real. Just two wonderfully flawed characters, trying their best to deal with the tragedies of their past. All while hoping for a better future.
Emma Wheeler is a talented screenwriter. Well, sort of. She was on the path to realizing her screenwriting dreams when a tragic climbing accident left her father partially paralyzed. With a traumatic brain injury to boot. Guilt and a strong sense of responsibility made Emma abandon her prestigious Warner Bros. screenwriting internship to stay in Texas and care for her disabled father 24-7.
Charlie Yates is a screenwriting legend. He can do no wrong and everything he pens is sought-after. That is until he tries to write a romantic comedy and fails. Miserably. I mean it’s bad. Like, “We’re going to need a better word for terrible.” bad. He only wrote it because he needed to get one of his other screenplays green-lit. He doesn’t even believe in love. He doesn’t really believe in anything anymore.
Charlie’s agent, Logan, who also just happens to be Emma’s ex-boyfriend from high school, has been throwing Emma work any time he’s able. When The Charlie Yates needs help rewriting his script, Logan jumps at the chance to give Emma the job. She is the best romantic comedy writer he knows, and Charlie Yate’s biggest fan. Two birds, one stone. Except Charlie doesn’t know Emma is coming to help him, and he absolutely does NOT want to write with anyone, especially a nobody like Emma Wheeler. That is until Emma rips Charlie’s script to pieces and impresses the hell out of him, all at the same time.
Charlie and Emma are polar opposites that complement each other perfectly. I love the kick-ass writing team they make, the close bond they form, and the deep love they share. From the way they navigate their working relationship, to the tension-filled “research” that leads to them falling in love, Charlie & Emma kept me laughing, crying, and turning pages at a rapid pace. Their character growth was immense, and their happily ever after was well deserved. Because Emma & Charlie are sheer perfection together. And it’s high time they both managed to be ok and write the very best story of their lives.
Also, more books should have an adorable pet guinea pig named Cuthbert. Just saying.