Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy of The Love Haters by Katherine Center. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Love Haters follows Katie, a promotional videographer whose job is on the line due to company downsizing. When a colleague offers her a chance to head to the Florida Keys to shoot a Coast Guard promotional video, she jumps at it—especially when she finds out the star is none other than Pup Daddy Hutch. What unfolds is more than just a romance; it's a heartfelt journey of self-discovery and learning to love oneself.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this is my first Katherine Center novel. The Rom-Commers has been sitting on my TBR list forever, and thanks to The Love Haters, it just moved to the top. I truly enjoyed this book—even the delightfully cheesy cinematic moments that made me want to roll my eyes (in the best way).

And can we talk about Beanie? Everyone needs a friend like her—someone who shows up in a heartbeat, is always dependable, and isn’t afraid to give you the brutally honest truth no one else will. She was such a standout.

It’s also worth noting that this book touches on body shaming and cyberbullying. If those are triggering topics for you, you may want to proceed with caution.

I loved this book! The journey the fmc experienced with her own body was inspiring. I loved the chemistry between Katie and Hutch too, and read late into the night so I could get to that delicious ending. Thank you for the chance to read this arc! I’m deeply appreciative!!

Katherine Center seems to be getting better and better as a writer. This is a fun summer read with characters that you are rooting for.. I love the banter and the rom-com aspect. I recommend to fans of contemporary romance.

First, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center’s books always make their way to the top of my TBR, and this one did not disappoint.

My first reaction to Katie was frustration. I was frustrated by how much she loathed herself and her body. However, as I continued reading I understood Katie more and loved being able to accompany her on her journey to self-acceptance.

#NetGalleyARC

This was a sweet read about a not so confident girl and a loveable "perfect" guy. At first, I wasn't really sure how the title fit into the story but it all made sense at the end. It made me laugh and cry. The epilogue was alot! I also think this is the 3rd book that I have read recently about being lost at sea!

🐸🐕⛴️🏊‍♂️🌀🚁

Okay, this one should've had some form of a content warning that one of the main struggles for Katie was recovering from an eating disorder and body image issues. And as someone who's recovered from an eating disorder and has very close friends struggling with one it took me by surprise that there was no warning about it.

Yes, this was a fun read and a good way to start getting ready for summer reading with light reading material. But there were parts that felt rushed and like some plot points were missing because of the lack of outer dialogue between all the characters. It did read like a "And that's the story of how I met your Father..." which felt nostalgic to me but to others it might not feel that way.

I do think this one would read better as an audio book as I struggled with envisioning some of the major plot points and bathing suit descriptions. And dare I say that this would be a cute graphic novel if romantic comedies were to become such a thing?

Please please please reconsider books that have eating disorders as part of a main character growth spot or struggle putting a content warning or something in teh book or have the author make a note or something. Please please please.

"It's healing to read stories about healing. It's nourishing to read stories about people finding nourishment. It's life-changing to read stories about people changing their lives."

I totally agree. I have enjoyed this book to the fullest. From the Gottman references, comedic timing, character development, quick wit, all the characters (main and side). Katherine Center always does that so well--reconning with self, family, friends, and finding contentment within yourself. So wholesome without all the excessive spice.

Katie, our enduring main character, has a lot of inner thoughts and voices. She has come a long way but she has been stuck in her negative cycles about her body. She has resorted to hiding and wearing everything black. She has a past and an ex that keeps trying to pull her back in. She finds an opportunity to take a gig in Key West where she is surrounded with everything new. This includes filming a promo video for the US National Coast Guard and just be around really cool heroes.

She didn't know she'd bring all her baggage with her to only be forced to see it through a different and fresh perspective thanks to all the new company she has. I wish we got to see more of Hutch's inner thoughts and more of his character development but he was still so solid. He didn't exactly struggle with his identity as much as other main characters. And that's okay.

"I picked on you like the meanest mean girl in the world. I made you hate yourself. I sucked the joy out of everything--walking down the street, or eating a BLT, or just sitting in the sun. I should have taken you swimming and let you float in the water. I should have let you relax. I should have stood up for you. I should have admired you, and enjoyed you, and kept you company, and celebrated you."

"That's how you fall in love--and stay in love--with anyone, including yourself: see the best in that person and enjoy the hell out of it was often as you can."

YES. Start living the life you can look back and say, "that was a good life." Life is too short to lose sight of these things.

Katie has been unlucky in love and now she has to worry about her job too? When her boss requests for her to take his place to profile his brother the coast guard. But Katie has no idea how to swim but she can't confess that now. How will she juggle interviewing someone who swims in the ocean for a living when she can't even doggy paddle?

This was a unique romcom. How many love interests are coast guards. It was even at times educational. Hutch was very easy to like. He was friendly and confident and honest, and I appreciated that. Katie was easy to relate to as well. She was also friendly and kind.

Hutch and Katie have great chemistry, but then his brother shows up and ruins everything for me. All the lies just felt immature and childish, and I just wanted to get to the HEA.

George Bailey the Great Dane, though, he stole the show!

thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.

I loved this book - the characters, the tropes, the banter, and personalities were all amazing. It was a great break from reality with a cute romance with grumpy(ish) meets sunshine with comedic relief of an eccentric aunt and lovable, clumsy pup.

I devoured this in a day and didn’t want it to end. It was such a cute story. Throughout the book, you are given so many interesting/authentic details that showed how much research went into the characters’ professions and life experiences and dealing with natural disasters.

The FMC deals with body dysmorphia and shares her mental journey throughout the book. It’s filled with self confidence boosters and ways to reframe how you see yourself, your abilities, and your body. I appreciated the complicated relationship with body image being included with relatability and sensitivity.

I look forward to Katherine Center’s new book every year! This one started a little slow for me, but it picked up about half way through and I couldn’t put it down. I’m glad I hung in there because the later half of the book had twists and turns I was not expecting. The chemistry, heart and humor all came together! This book is a great summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a breezy romcom that made for a quick read. While it wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center novel there is plenty for fans of the genre and Center’s to like. A solid pick if you’re in the mood for something light and amusing!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A solid romance story, with a great story line. I have read a couple of Katherine Center novels and enjoyed them! I enjoyed Katie and Hutch, however I didn’t enjoy the constant body image issues…especially since it wasn’t that big of part of the whole story. I felt like more time should have been devoted to developing other characters such as Beanie, and especially Cole. Otherwise it was a great story and had plenty of real life believe-able moments! Overall I give it 4 stars!

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is like a rom-com that snuck into therapy, stole the tissues, and left you grinning. It’s sharp, snappy, and surprisingly tender. It’s perfect for anyone who believes that love is worth the mess!

In The Love Haters, we follow Katie as she is tasked with creating a day-in-the-life video of an internet sensation who is also a member of the Coast Guard. And did I mention he is perfect? Attractive, saves people, saves celebrities' dogs, and is all around a great guy? But there's one small problem: he doesn't want to be famous and much less filmed. Katie must convince him to do this video, but once she finds out more about him, she starts to fall for him, and maybe the video isn't the best idea...
The romance in this was cheeky and cute and was really a perfect standard rom-com. The side characters were hilarious and the conflicts were honestly laugh-out-loud funny. It is set in Key Largo, so the atmosphere was perfect for the summer months, or even if you just want to escape to a warm place. You also get to learn so much about the Coast Guard, which was so interesting! The true gem for me was the underlying plot that Katie works through from start to finish.
This is the perfect book for anyone who looks at the swimsuit aisle as summer is approaching and feels nothing but anxiety. This is such an affirming book for anyone who has struggled with body image or working on the journey of loving yourself. There is so much about self-love, how the internet comments on women's bodies, and what all of these expectations can do to women. I loved Katherine Center's approach to this topic and how Katie came through these struggles.

This will be the perfect summer read for 2025 (although I read this a bit earlier ofc)! Loved the Key West setting and the premise of filming a promo video while our FMC didn't even know how to swim 😬

While this book had its funny and lighthearted moments (especially between Katie and Hutch, the "diaper" scene made me laugh), it also dealt heavily with the topic of body dysmorphia. I don't really know what it's like to experience that, but I liked the journey of self love and acceptance that our FMC went on. I also liked the progression of the brother relationship between Hutch and Cole in the later half of the story. Wished Cole didn't fake a relationship with Katie bc it created unnecessary tension and distance between Hutch and Katie, but it wasn't the worse conflict.

Getting stuck out at sea during a hurricane was a crazy way to end the book and bring Katie and Hutch back together! But I loved the ending, and ofc this was another great closed door romance 🥰 And not sure if anyone else appreciates this, but Katherine Center writes the most touching author's notes 🥹

P.S. God bless George Bailey 🐶

I was so invested in this book from the start. Katie is such a relatable heroine—she’s struggling with body image issues thanks to years of toxic comments from her stepmother, and a humiliating moment with a now-famous ex didn’t help either. It was a great reminder that words do matter, and even offhand comments can do real damage.

Enter Hutch: steamy, swoony, and giving serious Top Gun energy… but make it Coast Guard. I loved how his presence helped Katie slowly start to see herself differently, and their chemistry was off the charts. The supporting cast was also a highlight—Rue, in particular, was a total scene-stealer. She had big fairy godmother energy and brought so much warmth and humor to the story. Her bond with both Katie and Hutch added extra heart. And that hurricane twist toward the end? So intense in the best way. It gave Katie a real moment of growth—surviving something that wild helped her reconnect with and appreciate her body more, which was such a powerful takeaway.

My one gripe? Some of the plot points felt a little too over-the-top. Like, Katie and Hutch flirt for two minutes and then—boom!—in walks their horny boss and suddenly we’re in a fake dating subplot. I’m here for a little drama, but I wish it had been a touch more grounded.

Read this if you love: workplace romance, forced proximity + slow burn tension, body-positive themes, a swoony hero with military vibes! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This one hits shelves on May 20!

DNF 17%. I had really high hopes for this book, however I could not get past the fmc’s body image issues. I think this is an important topic to tackle, however, it needs to be done correctly and tastefully. The fmc just seemed whiny and insufferable. Her entire personality was her disordered eating and body image issues which, hello, trigger warning!

I feel like you can’t really go wrong with a Katherine center novel. I adore her writing style and the heart and humor she brings, despite the layers of trauma interwoven. My only complaint is the lighthearted way Katie’s body images were portrayed. I feel like therapy should have been encouraged and a more serious tone taken. Otherwise it was a really fun book. I loved the coast guard and rescue swimmer aspect! It was unique and exciting, especially hearing about through Katie’s tales while making her videos. Rue and the gang, and George Bailey were my favorite parts! Also could have lived with less Cole and his douchey behaviors.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

As much as I love Katherine Center’s books and enjoyed this one, there were a few major misses for me in The Love Haters.

Katie is sent to Florida for work to interview Hutch, a coworker’s brother who is a rescue swimmer for the coast guard. The only problem? Katie can’t swim (oh, and she has an almost debilitating case of horrible body image).

I loved the unique choice to focus on rescue swimmers, a career that added plenty of adrenaline to the scenes where Katie and Hutch were training or off to rescue someone. Their private swim lessons also provided plenty of humor, particularly due to a group of older ladies and a rambunctious Great Dane. I did almost die of secondhand embarrassment during their first pool encounter though 😂 The side characters were all fantastic with the exception of Cole, Katie’s despicable coworker who nearly made me hate one of my very favorite tropes.

The biggest miss for me was the way that Katie’s body image was handled on the page. If you have struggled with any kind of body dysmorphia or this is a trigger for you, please tread lightly, as we are subject to lists of Katie’s calorie counting and almost constant self doubt over her body. If just one character had suggested that Katie could use some professional help maybe that would have made all the difference, but telling me that love and one wild incident make things all better felt too fluffy and unrealistic for me.

While not my top recommendation of Center’s books, this one still gets 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the writing and unique storyline. Thank you to SMP for the gifted ARC.

I really enjoyed “The Love Haters”. This book really had all the ingredients for a fun romantic comedy. Most of the characters are charming and the plot is delightful. There was a lot going on in the book in a good way, the story lines didn't feel overwhelming or rushed. Katie's POV would have me laughing for a chapter and then crying especially when it came to her body image and her journey to self-love and acceptance. I loved Beanie and Kate's friendship and how supportive Beanie was about Kate's body image issues. The way that the love between Hutch and Katie developed through the story was perfect! The setting of Key West felt almost like another character. I enjoyed reading the author’s vivid descriptions of the place. I especially loved Rue’s character. She is the perfect encapsulation of the Key West lifestyle. George Bailey stole the show! I absolutely loved all the moments he was involved in the story. Thanks to Katherine Center, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I look forward to reading Katherine’s next book.