In The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, Emma is a screenwriter whose career never really got off the ground. She’s been busy for the last ten years taking care of her disabled father and getting her younger sister through school. So when her agent and friend contacts her about a work opportunity, she’s surprised; she’s always been a bit of a pity case with the agency. Then, things get even more amazing: the job is to help Charlie Yates, award-winning screenwriter, fix his horrible rom-com screenplay. So for the first time in her life—at her family’s encouragement—Emma does something entirely for herself and goes to LA. But once she arrives, she finds Charlie uninterested in her help. Worse, he doesn’t even believe in love. No wonder his screenplay was awful. But Emma is determined to show him he’s wrong, and as they start to work together, she discovers that—to both their surprise—it’s good. But are these feelings real, or just the result of what they’re working on?

Okay, this is a minor complaint, but I don’t like the cover of this book. To me, the colors clash in a really unpleasant way (magenta, orange, and red? Really?). Luckily, my feelings toward the cover don’t match my feelings toward the story underneath it.

This was pretty charming and sweet (as is to be expected, I suppose). I really liked Emma. She’s a hard worker while also being full of empathy. Her bond with her father is fantastic; he was injured during a family trip, an accident that also led to the death of Emma’s mother, so while the situation is very serious and often painful, there’s so much love between them, and it’s great to see.

As for the romance, it was quite cute—if predictable. Emma and Charlie start out at odds with each other, but grow to care about each other; I’ve read that story before. But I did quite like how Charlie was able to swallow his pride and let himself learn from Emma, who specializes in writing romance. And they worked well together, their compatibility in both professional and personal life evident from early on. It’s nice to see them learn to be vulnerable with each other.

I do wish that Charlie had been better at communicating, though. I mean, I understand why he was reluctant to tell Emma some things—they’d only known each other for a few weeks, after all—but it was still frustrating. He should have respected her enough to make her own, informed decision about certain things, rather than keeping her in the dark. I know it worked out fine, but it still kind of bothered me.

I also wish that there had been more exploration of Emma’s anxiety. It’s mentioned a few times, but she never really thinks much about it once the final act’s drama ensues. I kind of wanted, if not resolution exactly, at least more acknowledgement. Instead, it’s sort of forgotten about, and so there’s almost the implication that since it’s a happy ending, her anxiety doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sure this wasn’t the intention, but it was something I noticed.

But in the end, The Rom-Commers is a really solid romance. The two leads are likable while still having believable flaws. The relationship progresses at a reasonable pace, though of course this is still a rom-com book, so they do jump to deciding they’re “in love” quicker than I think people would in reality (in most cases, at least). The family elements, with Emma’s father and sister, are excellent. The emotions are palpable without being overwhelming. The serious moments are well balanced with light-hearted ones. Also, the audiobook, narrated by Patti Murin, is very well done. This is a great light read! I’ve read another book by Center, but I guess I need to seek out more of her work!

The Rom-Commers is available now!