Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - The Rom-Commers: The instant New York Times bestseller!

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.

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nerdscanfight's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

2.5

Really should’ve had a trigger warning I think? I would’ve rather known about the little sub-plots that are quite tragic 😬 oh yeah check my content warnings below lol

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jess_read's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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jessbean's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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bidoofenergy's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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jacquiesueb's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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jehansen127's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

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witcheep's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective 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? No

4.0

"Stories exist for the emotions they create. And you can't write them if you can't feel them."

– Emma

This is such a beautiful read. I enjoyed the conversations the main characters have about what it is to love, write, or to write about love. It gets a little repetitive with how cynucal the MMC is and how hopeful the FMC tries to be.

Their dynamic shifts slowly, and it's wonderfully written to show the impact they both have on each other. The characters show with their actions that even through hardships, compassion helps you get through any obstacle and find the people who belong with you.

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