Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Okay, so let's start with the premise. Katie (fmc) gets hired to go to key west and make a mini docu series on the coast guard and do a profile on a rescue swimmer. Hutch (mmc) is described as "frowning is his only hobby", and is made out to seem like he will be quiet, standoff-ish, rude. I found this was not the case at all. If anything, Hutch is giving major golden retriever energy. Another main theme of this story is body dysmorphia, low self confidence, and childhood trauma. So read any trigger warnings if you need to before reading!

Katherine Centers writing is fun, not too serious, a little cheesy as times, but I would recommend if you're looking for a fun and quick summer romance. I don't think I would say that I loved this book, but it did keep me entertained.

Loved this one!!! From the beginning to the end. The MC had a good arc of change and the other characters were great. There was one that was fun to hate, one to love and a group of ladies called the Gal Pals who were a kick! OF COURSE George Bailey was in a class of his own. Talk about a scene stealer. The information about the USCG and the job of rescue swimmers was interesting. I loved the setting of Key West with its easy breezy, colorful description. The story was engaging and fun and the ending worked for me. This author has become my go to if I am thinking about reading a romance. 5 stars for me!

This book was phenomenal!! I loved the tropes,relationships, the plot- pretty much everything about it. It had me hooked.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center was such a fun, heartwarming surprise! This was my first time reading one of her books, but it definitely won’t be the last—I absolutely loved her writing style. It’s smart, funny, and packed with just the right amount of heart.

Katie Vaughn’s journey had me hooked from the start. I loved the mix of humor, adventure, and emotional growth woven into her story. The setting in Key West was vibrant and lively, and Hutch (plus his Great Dane!) was the perfect combination of swoony and complicated. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch was fantastic, and the humor throughout kept the story feeling light even when deeper moments surfaced.

There’s a lot to love here: great banter, charming side characters, some hilarious situations (Katie pretending to swim was pure gold), and a sweet message about bravery and second chances. I can’t wait to pick up more of Katherine Center’s books after this one!

This was my first Katherine Center book, so I had high expectations coming in. However, I just could not get into the book, so I DNF-ed it around 40%. I wasn't invested in the story and was confused as to the point of it, and it felt like the beginning of a bad Hallmark movie. So it missed the mark for me!

I am so excited that I got to read this ARC! I read and loved The Bodyguard and have been excited about @katherinecenter ever since.

Katie is trying to save her job by traveling to the Florida Keys and filming Hutch, a rescue swimmer for the coast guard, as a recruiting tactic. Unfortunately, Katie had to lie about her ability to swim and this comes back to bite her. Fortunately, Hutch is not only a great swimmer, but a great teacher.

You can probably see where this is going... romance.

I'll tell you right now, if you're looking for steamy romance, this isn't it. BUT, if you're looking for romance you can recommend to your high school students who want to avoid spice? This one is perfect and just what I was looking for.

There are some pretty heavy body issues that could be a TW, but as the fmc works through them, I found myself nodding along and thinking differently, too!

I am such a Katherine Center fan and this might be my favorite by her! This book had me in an absolute chokehold, it’s definitely more emotional that some of her prior books but still has some comedy and the great characters that we know we can expect from her books. I loved Hutch and Katie but also loved George Bailey and Rue. In addition’s to the super cute but tense romance there was the added hair raising and tense moments during some of the coast guard and stork scenes. Love, love, love this book!!!

This was a really cute book! I always enjoy Katherine Center's books. I do feel like there was something missing between the connection of the characters but overall it was a good read!
Thank you for the ARC!

What did I just read?!? That was...crazy! But in a good way!! This is actually going to be a very tricky thing to review because I want to do the story justice without giving anything away. Here goes! ⛱️

Katie heads to the Florida Keys to create a promo video for the Coast Guard. Wait, that sounds too simple. It's FAR more complicated than that. Katie can't swim, and she's supposed to be working with a rescue diver. A VERY handsome, VERY single rescue diver named Hutch. But Katie's fear of the water, and her feelings for Hutch, might not be the only thing she's hiding! As the onion is peeled, Katie learns a LOT about loving, living, and what she really wants.

Katherine Center does it again! If you read this book, consider the author's note to be required reading as well. This story felt like a mash up of women's fiction and romance. Katie, and the reader right along with her, learns about the importance of REFRAMING our perspective. That was probably my biggest takeaway...the incredible power of reframing our thinking, as well as the importance of loving ourselves. In between the meditations on one's body, there were hilarious scenes that had me crying because I was laughing SO HARD. There were also more "OMG!" moments than I could shake a stick at.

I would have loved a little more romance, and a little more Hutch, but the way that the main character Katie breaks the fourth wall to tell the reader this entire story was really refreshing and fun. At certain points the author chose to break up really intense scenes with conversations, which made things less impactful for me, but I believe that's due to the idea that this is a rom-com and not a romantic suspense book. Overall, this was a great summertime escape that helped me reframe some of my own beliefs, and who can ask for more? 😃

Trigger warnings: body image issues, secondary character with a heart-related diagnosis, death of family members in a car accident (before story begins), toxic work environment.

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

i absolutely ADORED this book from start to finish - it felt like a tropical vacation in book form. definitely a new favorite! ☀️🌺🌴🛥️

Was so excited when I got the ARC for this book! It pulled me in at the beginning but it lost its momentum for me towards the middle. I really couldn’t connect with the female main character which made this book tough to finish. I feel as though my favorite character was “George Bailey” as “it’s a wonderful life” is one of my favorite movies! I’d still recommend the story but this definitely wasn’t a favorite of mine by this author.

This one didn't work for me as much as previous Katherine Center books have worked. I didn't love out FMC, and really didn't love her boss. I could read a whole book about her aunt tho! This was still a fun read, but probably only because it was Katherine Center... probably would have dnf'd if it was a different author.

CW: negative body image, disordered eating, mention of parental death, and minor blood

Katherine Center writes romcoms like no other. They’re swoonily romantic and so funny, but she also weaves in beautiful life lessons. I loved following Katie as she learned to appreciate her body because she lives in it. I loved Hutch. He was not the typical “broody hero.” He was broody, but in a cinnamon roll way?? Just know-HE IS EVERYTHING TO ME. The plot was absolutely wild and it made me laugh with its ridiculousness sometimes. This book was entertaining, and I had a great time.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5⭐️

This book reminded me of what I love about Katherine Center’s books. She writes a really endearing romance that’s balanced by deeper emotional or experiential challenges. Her books are not just a fluffy rom-com, but also not only soul-crushing sorrow. There’s both the humor and the heart. The laughter and the tears.
If you read it, don’t skip Katherine’s authors note; it’s tremendous and thought-provoking.

I absolutely flew through this one.
There was so much to enjoy:
Straight up good-guy-hero Hutch.
Warm & inviting & wonderful Rue.
The inside look at the Coast Guard.
The idyllic Florida Keys easy-breezy lifestyle.
Plus the little things, small but meaningful: the Pennies, the toads, the humming.

I thought Hutch’e back story was developed superbly and my heart both broke and soared because of it. I wished we delved into Katie’s past a bit more and explored how her prior experiences informed her current struggles.

My main critique is the “epiphany” Katie eventually came to about self-love: that the secret to the release from her identity and image issues was within herself. Beyond making zero sense, it also goes against the truth of humanity’s fundamental need for a Savior outside ourselves.

😇: any “religion” honestly boils down to self-worship with a bit of hedonism mixed in
😍: VERY clean! Only one or two kisses, and visual admiration
🤐: occasional language throughout

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book. It was OK, a quick read, but it was a bit different from her other works. A lot of focus on body image issues and a romance that was pretty thin, not fully developed.

I didn’t particularly like the main female/male characters, although I loved Rue, The Gals, and George Bailey.

Overall, a decent read, but not my favorite.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center has my heart! "The Rom-Commers" is one of my favorite books, and "The Love Haters" has joined that list as well.

If you are looking for a feel-good, funny, heart-filled romance, this is the book. Katie (FMC) and Hutch (MMC) are easy to adore and their relationship is one you will cheer for. The setting of Key West is dreamy (until the hurricane anyways), and I've added it to my bucket-list of places to travel,

This book is perfection. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Love Haters is just the sweetest story. I love everything Katherine Center writes and this one was definitely no exception. Five stars!

"The Love Haters" by Katherine Center was a well written story. This story takes you on a wheel of emotions from laughing to crying and all the in between.
Katie is sent to cover a video of the coast guard in order to keep her job. Hutch is the coast guard that she is set to feature the video on. Before leaving for the trip Katie is told all things about Hutch by his brother Cole. Turns out none of them are true. As Katie and Hutch spend time together they realize that they like it. When an incident happens to make them question what is really going on things start to decline for both of them. During all of this Katie learns a very important lesson.
I highly recommend this book.

The Love Haters is a fun, feel-good rom-com that follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer with a skeptical view of love, as she’s sent to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a heartthrob rescue swimmer in Key West. The twist? She can’t swim and is caught up in a hilarious mess involving her coworker and Hutch’s estranged brother. With a sunny Key West backdrop and plenty of humor and heart, this book is the perfect escape into a world of romance and second chances! This charming story is full of humor, heart, and surprising romance.

My favorite read before was the bodyguard but now it's The love haters. Such a fun and beautifully written book by Katherine Center she never disappoints! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy on release day!