This is the latest novel from Katherine Center, whom BookPage calls “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, and, Hello Stranger. The Rom-Commers is a connected story to her blockbuster hit, The Bodyguard. Katherine writes deep romantic comedies about how life knocks us down and how we get back up!
Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a successful screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies, and she’s good at it! Ten years ago, her family was involved in a tragic accident on a camping trip. Since then, she’s been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. When her ex-boyfriend and now famous screenwriter agent calls with a new job opportunity, she can’t believe her ears. She’s being offered a chance to rewrite a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, her adored writing icon! After discussing the situation with her family, they agree it’s too big an opportunity to pass up. Emma’s younger sister, Sylvie, steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to Los Angeles for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime.
When she arrives at Charlie’s mansion with Logan, she quickly learns that Charlie has no idea who she is or that she’ll be working with him. Logan quickly convinces Charlie that Emma is the writer he’s been waiting for, but Emma becomes so upset that she immediately wants to return home. After some discussion, Emma agrees to stay the night. When Emma tells Charlie all the things wrong with his script, he’s both annoyed and impressed and requests that she stay on and help him rewrite it. Over the following weeks, Emma learns that Charlie is cynical about love and doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. As they spend more time together, Emma begins to feel a strong attraction for Charlie and takes some bold steps to see if he’s feeling the same. Meanwhile, Charlie is harbouring secrets that won’t allow romantic attachments with anyone. As their relationship reaches a boiling point and a sudden tragedy strikes, Emma is forced to make quick decisions to avoid major heartache.
This is a charming and fun book with very likeable characters and a storyline that will hook you in from the start. The story does include some serious subject matter, including tragedy and loss, mental health issues, and family loyalty and caregiving. These topics are wonderfully woven into the story, making for a more compelling story that doesn’t make the book heavy or dark.
Emma and Charlie are well-designed characters that have a strong chemistry from their first meeting. Despite their conflicts in the book, all of their conversations are filled with hilarious banter, meaningful dialogue, and underlying flirtation. Emma’s a loving and sunshine-filled personality, but she’s also quick to point out her own flaws and looks at life realistically—sometimes too much so, causing her inner paranoia. There are several instances in the story where she bravely speaks her mind before even thinking about the consequences, which makes her character even more admirable. On the other hand, Charlie is grumpy, unorganized, and unmotivated—a perfect counterpart for Emma. Charlie’s character could have been explored further in the story, giving a more detailed backstory of his failed marriage and life outside the mansion.
The audiobook does include a bonus scene at the end of the novel, which repeats a major scene in the book from Charlie’s perspective. It’s fascinating to see how different the inner monologues between Charlie and Emma are, which further emphasizes their contrasting characters. Overall, the entire book is well laid out, with interesting plot points and conflicts happening throughout the book and not just at the end. For fans of Katherine’s earlier novel “The Bodyguard,” you’ll be pleased to see characters from that story make appearances in this one!
Narrator Patti Murin elevates this audiobook in a big way. Murin uses an exhuberant, hopeful voice for Emma, making for a compelling and fully entertaining listen. Murin also provides a variety of interesting and entertaining voices for all of the characters, vividly bringing each of them to life while simultaneously pacing the story very well.
In summary, this is a very enjoyable read or listen that will delight fans of Center’s previous work and new readers. If you’re looking for a feel-good story with substance and a fantastic entourage of characters, then you won’t be disappointed with this one!