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Reviews tagging 'Cancer'
The Rom-Commers: The instant New York Times bestseller! by Katherine Center, Katherine Center
255 reviews
courtneyer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was well on my way to giving this a solid 4 stars, but the last 20% of the book absolutely fell apart for me.
I had issues with two main things, both of which are spoilers.First, the FMC is absolutely horrible to her sister in a moment of crisis (and her sister is pretty horrible back). But while the sister grovels for the FMC’s forgiveness ON HER WEDDING DAY, the FMC never even bothers to apologize in return.
Secondly, there’s a cancer scare that is completely unrealistic and insulting. I hated it.
Some genuinely funny and heartwarming moments, but I couldn’t overlook the fact that the main characters didn’t seem to learn the lessons that the book was building towards—for the FMC—that she cannot control her way into nothing bad ever happening and that she has to let the people around her (mostly her dad) make their own decisions. And for the MMC—that he can be vulnerable and learn that people will stick around. It’s ok to need help and be cared for. Instead, the author just solved their problems for them. It felt strange and unearned. A real bummer because the rest of the book was very promising.
I had issues with two main things, both of which are spoilers.
Secondly, there’s a cancer scare that is completely unrealistic and insulting. I hated it.
Some genuinely funny and heartwarming moments, but I couldn’t overlook the fact that the main characters didn’t seem to learn the lessons that the book was building towards—for the FMC—that she cannot control her way into nothing bad ever happening and that she has to let the people around her (mostly her dad) make their own decisions. And for the MMC—that he can be vulnerable and learn that people will stick around. It’s ok to need help and be cared for. Instead, the author just solved their problems for them. It felt strange and unearned. A real bummer because the rest of the book was very promising.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Alcohol
kkpines's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
paulapppp's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
jelkebooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh boy, I am truly going to have to hold myself back on this one to keep me from fully ripping this one to shreds. When I tell you that this book made me rethink every 1 star I have given recently because none of them messure up to the absolute ANGER I felt while reading this I mean it. In fact I would argue I'm underselling you. The only reason I didn't DNF this was because I had heard so many good things about this book and part of me just kept thinking it had to get better. No, it only got worse. I truly don't even know how I need to properly convey to you just how terrible this book is.
Let's start with our main character. Emma was unbearable. I genuinely think she was the devil, no exageration. At the start I didn't think she was that bad. I still didn't like her though. She flip-flopped between being the most egotistical person you have ever met and being the most insecure, whiny person you've ever met. I don't know how that possible. However, when it comes to the third act conflict, and what goes down in the storyline with her dad I truly do not know how to descibe her actions as anything else but just pure and uther evil. I also just felt so incredibly gaslit by this book as our main character faced 0 consequences, never apologised, nothing. In fact she was apologised to. It gave me such a massive ick. I'm also convinced she's a narcissist. That's not a term I throw around lightly. But the way she manages to make every single situation about herself and just throw a fucking temper tantrum when it isn't just makes it impossible to say anything else. I hated her so much. My eyes literally started producing tears out of pure anger. I don't think I've ever experienced that at a book.
Charlie wasn't much better, it's just that we are never in his head so it can never get just as bad. However, I still found him such an incompetent manchild who on top of that also just is misogynistic and elitist. There quite literally is a character in this book that is even more sexist and elitist and I'm 100% convined that is to not make Charlie seem as bad as he is. He also just was incredibly rude, and I couldn't. I don't know if it is because I absolutely DESPISE both of our leads but I just saw 0 chemistry. 99% of their conversations are them just arguing for arguments sake. I truly did not get it. I didn't see it. The fact that their first kiss happens after a major guilt trip also just doesn't really help. It's ironic that this book is about Emma fixing Charlie's rom-com script to make it actually into something romantic, because there just wasn't anything romantic in this book. I do not get it. I don't know how many times I can say that but I truly do not get it.
Also it is an incredibly minor thing about this book but it really pissed me but Charlie has a guinea pig whose brother recently died. Whenever this guinea pig gets mentioned it is mentioned how he has been utterly depressed since then, and never really eats. It is even mentioned that guinea pigs are such big herd animals. However, the extremely simple solution of GETTING ANOTHER GUINEA PIG is just never brought up. There are certain countries in which it is literally ILLEGAL to only get one guinea pig because they literally get so lonely they die, but no one ever comes up with the idea to get this poor animal a new friend. As mentioned before I know this is just such a small part of this book but it just perfectly examplifies to me just how frustrating the reading experience of this book was in general.
Oh boy, I am truly going to have to hold myself back on this one to keep me from fully ripping this one to shreds. When I tell you that this book made me rethink every 1 star I have given recently because none of them messure up to the absolute ANGER I felt while reading this I mean it. In fact I would argue I'm underselling you. The only reason I didn't DNF this was because I had heard so many good things about this book and part of me just kept thinking it had to get better. No, it only got worse. I truly don't even know how I need to properly convey to you just how terrible this book is.
Let's start with our main character. Emma was unbearable. I genuinely think she was the devil, no exageration. At the start I didn't think she was that bad. I still didn't like her though. She flip-flopped between being the most egotistical person you have ever met and being the most insecure, whiny person you've ever met. I don't know how that possible. However, when it comes to the third act conflict, and what goes down in the storyline with her dad I truly do not know how to descibe her actions as anything else but just pure and uther evil. I also just felt so incredibly gaslit by this book as our main character faced 0 consequences, never apologised, nothing. In fact she was apologised to. It gave me such a massive ick. I'm also convinced she's a narcissist. That's not a term I throw around lightly. But the way she manages to make every single situation about herself and just throw a fucking temper tantrum when it isn't just makes it impossible to say anything else. I hated her so much. My eyes literally started producing tears out of pure anger. I don't think I've ever experienced that at a book.
Charlie wasn't much better, it's just that we are never in his head so it can never get just as bad. However, I still found him such an incompetent manchild who on top of that also just is misogynistic and elitist. There quite literally is a character in this book that is even more sexist and elitist and I'm 100% convined that is to not make Charlie seem as bad as he is. He also just was incredibly rude, and I couldn't. I don't know if it is because I absolutely DESPISE both of our leads but I just saw 0 chemistry. 99% of their conversations are them just arguing for arguments sake. I truly did not get it. I didn't see it. The fact that their first kiss happens after a major guilt trip also just doesn't really help. It's ironic that this book is about Emma fixing Charlie's rom-com script to make it actually into something romantic, because there just wasn't anything romantic in this book. I do not get it. I don't know how many times I can say that but I truly do not get it.
Also it is an incredibly minor thing about this book but it really pissed me but Charlie has a guinea pig whose brother recently died. Whenever this guinea pig gets mentioned it is mentioned how he has been utterly depressed since then, and never really eats. It is even mentioned that guinea pigs are such big herd animals. However, the extremely simple solution of GETTING ANOTHER GUINEA PIG is just never brought up. There are certain countries in which it is literally ILLEGAL to only get one guinea pig because they literally get so lonely they die, but no one ever comes up with the idea to get this poor animal a new friend. As mentioned before I know this is just such a small part of this book but it just perfectly examplifies to me just how frustrating the reading experience of this book was in general.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cancer
fieldofsummer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was my first 5 star of 2025. I always love Katherine Center’s writing, and the way she balances a fictional story with real life things, but this one takes the cake. I laughed, I cried, I rolled my eyes, I was frustrated, all of the emotions. I think what’s so amazing about her writing is how real her characters feel. This one the most out of any I’ve read. They feel like actual people with dimension and back story, and growth, and sometimes no growth.. it feels like I know them. This storyline felt quirky enough for me to pick it up, but the backstories and expectation of growth kept me in it. Things were highlighted. It does touch on heavier topics, but in a way that feels like it would really happen. Like when you sit down with a friend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident
tbr_withmaya's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
The Rom-Commers
I know I say this about EVERY book, but how will I move on from this. Taylor Swift had teardrops on her guitar and I had teardrops on my book.
Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter. She lives, breathes, and obsesses over rom-coms. She’s always looking for the best on screen kisses and searching for the most swoon worthy lines. But as the full-time caretaker for her ailing father, her screenwriting career is more dream than reality.
Charlie Yates is a successful screenwriter and he has the accolades to prove it. But Charlie can’t write a rom-com. In fact his most recent script, a rom-com, is so terrible it needs its own word.
Charlie doesn’t believe in love, not in movies and certainly not in real life. It’s up to Emma to make him believe that Hallmark didn’t make love up to sell cards.
Emma is so eldest daughter coded. From the way she is the sole caretaker of her dad, to the way she puts off all of her dreams, because she doesn’t believe the responsibility she has placed on her shoulders can be taken over from anyone else. But Charlie Yates never lets her carry that burden alone. Not even when he makes her wish she never met him.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
emwebz's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
bgrow's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
hdunscombe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed the playfulness of this book, and the dedication to the protagonist's craft as a screenplay writer. Most notably, a lot of Emma's descriptions for how a line is delivered or how an expression is portrayed read like stage directions one might include in a screenplay. I also appreciated the realism of a tight family unit where members handle loss in different ways at different times; Emma and her family rise to the occasion, stumble, count their blessings, make sacrificies, and focus on the essentials at different times.
There are some heartbreaking parts to the story, but they are mostly in the past, and the book delivers a classic romance happy ending where everyone finds a sense of belonging.
One thing that bugged me was that Emma and Charlie could be abruptly ruthless. Charlie ripping Emma to shreds right after meeting her seemed uncalled for and out of character. Emma was also so nasty to her little sister toward the end. The brutality both leads showed when acting on assumptions and incomplete info made me root for them a little less.
This is more of a personal gripe of mine, but the extent to which the plot hinged on conflict stemming from info being unnecessarily withheld (e.g. why Emma's career hasn't taken off yet) was a bit irritating - though admittedly, letting one lead dig a hole for themselves without realizing they lack info is a classic romance trope.
Plot-wise, I was a little lost in the vague setup that "this guy's mistress wants this rom-com made and only then can Charlie make his dream film". So few of the characters involved in this were shown on the page that I was convinced Charlie's ex was actually the mistress? But then no one ever really came to the surface as a reveal and the stakes there just fizzled out once Charlie decided to focus more on the rom-com. I had to remember that there doesn't always have to be a big reveal, and background conflict isn't meant to be the focus anyway.
My only other gripe is petty, but as a full-time caretaker herself, Emma needed to hop off our poor grieving guinea pig and be more invested in his health! She just saw him as an unremarkable lump, and she seemed very dismissive of Charlie's compassion for him - as if it was a silly quirk. I was kind of hoping Cuthbert would come back into play to unite everyone, instead of just being a device to show Charlie's softer side. He abruptly disappears once Charlie's softer side is established.
Also, Charlie, way to keep Cuthbert from some much needed cuddles! Most guinea pigs do love being held or at least pet! Poor guy!
We learn he eventually dies, and it's never shared whether they did anything to help him aside from try to get him to eat and sing to him? A vet would have advised introducing a new friend to Cuthbert, at the very least. Justice for Cuthbert.
There are some heartbreaking parts to the story, but they are mostly in the past, and the book delivers a classic romance happy ending where everyone finds a sense of belonging.
One thing that bugged me was that Emma and Charlie could be abruptly ruthless. Charlie ripping Emma to shreds right after meeting her seemed uncalled for and out of character. Emma was also so nasty to her little sister toward the end. The brutality both leads showed when acting on assumptions and incomplete info made me root for them a little less.
This is more of a personal gripe of mine, but the extent to which the plot hinged on conflict stemming from info being unnecessarily withheld (e.g. why Emma's career hasn't taken off yet) was a bit irritating - though admittedly, letting one lead dig a hole for themselves without realizing they lack info is a classic romance trope.
My only other gripe is petty, but as a full-time caretaker herself, Emma needed to hop off our poor grieving guinea pig and be more invested in his health! She just saw him as an unremarkable lump, and she seemed very dismissive of Charlie's compassion for him - as if it was a silly quirk. I was kind of hoping Cuthbert would come back into play to unite everyone, instead of just being a device to show Charlie's softer side. He abruptly disappears once Charlie's softer side is established.
Also, Charlie, way to keep Cuthbert from some much needed cuddles! Most guinea pigs do love being held or at least pet! Poor guy!
We learn he eventually dies, and it's never shared whether they did anything to help him aside from try to get him to eat and sing to him? A vet would have advised introducing a new friend to Cuthbert, at the very least. Justice for Cuthbert.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
Aquaphobia, Fear of drowningmamasuereads's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a bit disappointing to me. I think I figured with that title there would be a lot more comedy but, in my opinion, there wasn't enough light hearted humor. I was surprised by the serious subject matter and I did not appreciate Emma's character. I did enjoy Charlie's character (and Cuthbert!)
I listened on Libro so maybe the narration made a difference.
I listened on Libro so maybe the narration made a difference.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent