The Rom-Commers
Ratings12
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings12
Average rating4.2
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?
Reviews with the most likes.
Sometimes One Shot Really Can Change Everything. This is one of those tales where it should have been over from the very beginning - these two people are just *so* broken by their lives to this point that it *shouldn't* work...
And yet it does, because this is a romantic comedy and that is the very *purpose* of romantic comedies, to give the rest of us hope that something like this *can* work - even in our own completely broken states. And hell, *particularly* when the book is meta enough to actively make *that very same point* within its text. (Helped by the overall plot of... actively writing a romantic comedy movie. ;) )
Yes, some of the things that both characters do are horrible. Yes, perhaps some (or even much) of this tale doesn't or even can't happen in real life. Well, again as pointed out within the text here, neither can zombies or space aliens or some such... and yet people love those movies for somewhat similar reasons as to why they love romantic comedies.
So sit back and enjoy the ride and the feels. If you have to turn your brain off and enjoy the spectacle for sheer spectacle, *do that*. But don't criticize a book that many will truly love and find catharsis in over your own hangups. Particularly don't review bomb something just because "that can't really happen". *Particularly when one of the main issues in the book is exploring how reality doesn't really apply in romantic comedies, including this one.*
Overall a strong tale with complex and complicated characters, with a lot of laughs, some smiles, and even a few dusty room scenes to boot. Come in expecting to laugh and perhaps wet your eyes a bit, and you truly won't be disappointed here.
Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.
Katherine Center surprised me with her captivating storytelling. Despite my initial doubts, this book left me in a delightful book hangover—I’ve tried other reads, but nothing quite sticks. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover her! Her name has been all over BookTok, but I didn't think her books were my style. How wrong I was! I finished listening to her book this morning, and nothing else compares. The narrator masterfully holds your attention, and the story is an absolute joy.
Years ago, a tragic accident on the Wheeler family vacation forever changed their lives—the mother lost her life, the father lost the use of his hand, and the daughters were never the same. Emma, the eldest, channeled her grief into becoming a stellar screenwriter, even winning a prestigious internship she had to forfeit to care for her father. Now, thanks to an old friend and agent, Emma gets a fleeting chance to pursue her dreams. She’s been hired to assist Charlie Yates, the award-winning screenwriter she’s admired for years. However, upon meeting Charlie, Emma realizes that some heroes are best admired from afar—a very long distance afar.
This novel will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, making you laugh one moment and cry the next. Like all truly heartfelt stories, it evokes a wide range of emotions from the start, keeping you fully invested until the end. It’s almost like an emotional cleanse—you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come out feeling rejuvenated.
The book is sweet, fun, funny, heartwarming, agonizing, surprising, and highly entertaining. Katherine Center proves herself a spectacular Rom-Com writer, with at least 50% of the novel being dialogue—something she masters brilliantly. I laughed out loud many times and adored her impactful one-word paragraphs. Center has a talent for crafting wonderful characters that readers can’t help but love and root for. Plus, there’s a fantastic twist that caught me by surprise—bonus points for that. How many Rom-Com authors can write truly surprising twists?
Unfortunately, it will probably be another year or two before Katherine Center finishes her next masterpiece. Luckily, I have plenty of her other books to dive into while I eagerly await her next release.
3.5 - This was a quick, fun romcom full of sweet moments and a touch of drama (both family and health-related). The story brings together two writers to create a romcom, but of course, one of them (the famous screenwriter whom she idolizes) hates the genre.
Characters
Emma: She's the classic eldest daughter who feels she has to handle everything alone (I can relate). Her writing career has been put on hold due to her family commitments, but she exudes a quiet confidence as she heads to LA. Emma is direct and anxious, which makes for an interesting mix. I really liked her.
Charlie: My first thought about him was, “this man has the emotional intelligence of a potato.” While I still think this, the way he asks clarifying questions about feelings and social interactions gives off a slight neurodiverse vibe. Maybe he's just low on emotional intelligence and a bit of a toxic masculinity type. Either way, he's the typical grumpy guy who turns out to be a sweetheart, despite sometimes doing thoughtless things.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and narration. The scenes were vividly described without being over the top. The book is told from Emma's first-person perspective. It's a slow burn with no explicit content, and delightfully cheesy in the best way!
