Title: The Rom-Commers
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Romance
Pages: 336
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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The Rom-Commers
Emma Wheeler dreams of becoming a screenwriter and is willing to take any job that helps her earn extra money. Fortunately, her best friend, Logan, is an excellent agent. However, for the past ten years, Emma has only been able to accept work-from-home jobs. She has been the full-time caretaker of her father, needing to stay with him around the clock.
Emma and her younger sister, Silvie, had an agreement: Emma would care for their father during the first ten years, and Silvie would take over for the next ten. One day, Logan calls Emma with an incredible opportunity. Her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, needs help rewriting a romcom screenplay after the first draft turned out to be a disaster. Initially, Emma hesitates to leave her father, but Silvie assures her that she’ll step in and take care of him.
When Emma arrives in Los Angeles, she quickly discovers several challenges. First, Charlie wasn’t informed that Emma would be assisting him, and he prefers to work alone. Second, he knows next to nothing about romcoms. Lastly, Emma will have to live with him for the next six weeks.
Review
I think I’ve just read my first five-star book of 2025, and honestly, it might be my favorite Katherine Center novel yet—and that’s saying a lot since I’m already a huge fan of her work.
For me, the key to loving a book is finding characters I can relate to, and that’s exactly what happened here. Some moments hit me hard, especially Emma’s situation. She’s spent the last ten years taking care of her little sister and father, but no one is taking care of her. That really resonated with me. She also struggles with anxiety, which feels so real. And, of course, Emma’s love for romcoms mirrored my own. We had so much in common. But surprisingly, I also related to Charlie in a lot of ways—insomnia, a shared fear of swimming pools from a near-drowning experience as a kid. It was fascinating to connect with both characters on different levels.
This book had everything: humor, relatability, romance, and even moments that made me cry. I couldn’t put it down. For a minute, I worried it might have a bittersweet Me Before You-style ending, but thankfully, it delivered a happy conclusion. Still, the emotional journey was intense. When Charlie rejected Emma, it felt like he was breaking my heart, not just hers.
Charlie wasn’t perfect—he could be rude and stand-offish—but his actions showed how much he cared for Emma. He was in love with her but didn’t think he was good enough, which made him try to push her away. That dynamic broke me, but it also led to some sweet moments, like when he Googled whether he was in love with her because he wasn’t sure. That made me laugh so hard.
The supporting characters were great too. Emma’s father was inspiring—always learning and making the most of life, even mastering ten instruments with just one hand. Logan, on the other hand, left me conflicted. He lies a lot, and I don’t think he ever really apologized for his actions.
A couple of thoughts lingered after finishing the book. I wondered why Emma and Silvie didn’t consider placing their father in a nursing home so they could both pursue their dreams. Also, I can’t believe it took me so long to realize Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard made a cameo! That was such a fun surprise.
This book was full of witty banter, genuinely funny moments, and even adorable animals—Cuthbert the Peruvian guinea pig was a delight, despite his small role.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It made me laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. I highly recommend it. And in case you’re wondering—there are no spicy chapters in this one.
4o