The Rom-Commers
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Katherine Center
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Patti Murin
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Written by:
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Katherine Center
About this listen
Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2024
This program features a bonus scene and an author's note—both audio-exclusives—and acknowledgments read by the author.
“[Patti] Murin's portrayal of Emma is captivating—a blend of sass, humor, and empathy with impeccable timing and nuances.”—AudioFile
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?
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
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What the critics say
"Center, the prolific author of many romances, clearly understands what it takes to create a winning romantic comedy and puts Charlie and Emma through many of the most delightful rom-com tropes (enemies to lovers, forced proximity). But the book, like all of Center’s work, doesn’t completely eschew darkness—both Emma and Charlie are dealing with trauma and grief. A winning romance that deftly balances heft and humor."—Kirkus
"Winsome and charming, Center's latest is that perfect blend of romance and overcoming life challenges that her readers treasure."—Booklist (starred review)
Editorial Review
What listeners say about The Rom-Commers
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-06-17
Story fell flat, 11 hours of what?
For an 11+ hour listen the story really didn't have much to it. The storyline felt similar to Beach Read (Emily Henry), a book about 2 writers writing, and orchestrating planned "experiences" in the name or research, and ultimately falling in love but it lacked substance. It felt like you jumped from one "event" to the other, without a storyline flowing through some inane moments between the characters that helped build a believable connection. The supporting characters felt underused for the majority of the book, so there was no connection to them either.
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- two.bit book.review
- 2024-07-02
WOW - this book!
This author + this story + this narrator = pure magic.
This was a lot more than a romance trope. It was a comedic ode to trusting in love. This story made me root for the characters and the happy ending they richly deserved. It has depth, and back story, and recovery from sadness and trauma - and, honestly, just go read it already.
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- Stacie Quigley Cormier
- 2024-06-19
This combo never disappoints!
Katherine's work with Patti's story telling = chef's kiss every time! This is the combo I can listen to again and again.
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