THE LOVE HATERS was so good. I can't decide which of Katherine Center's books I like the most. She writes flawlessly. I liked the characters, plot and the ending. Bravo for another great story.

Many thanks for my gifted copy!

I love Katherine Center’s writing. She writes lovable, relatable characters and enduring stories. This one had so much potential, but just didn’t work for me. Maybe it’s a me problem…

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙:
I enjoyed the first half of this book immensely. I loved the Key West setting mixed with the Coast Guard elements. Hutch and Katie had great chemistry from the start, and I loved how easily their relationship blossomed. I also loved Rue. She brought so much color to the story, literally 😉.


𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙:
Sadly the second half of this book lost its charm for me. There was so much lying and miscommunication that left me super annoyed. I literally wanted to scream “just tell him the truth” multiple times. I expect to go through all the feelings when reading a KC book, but when I got to the point where I should be having those “feelings”, I was already checked out. The ending dragged on for me during the hurricane and afterwards. Maybe it’s my Christian perspective, but if I thought I was going to die on a boat lost at sea, I wouldn’t spend my last hours thanking my different body parts.


𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
I can see why so many have loved this one. It was enjoyable, but just not the book for me. Will I still read anything Katherine Center writes? Absolutely!


Thank you to NetGall and the publisher for the ARC and ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Well, throw this in the pile of Katherine Center books that I just completely adore!

I loved everything about this book! Everything. From the human characters, to the dog, to the situation, to the body positivity reminders! It’s a feel-good, fun summer read.

It’s fabulous.

I think my favorite thing about this one is that it totally confused me about half-way through (I won’t spoil it for anyone) with a plot point that didn’t seem likely or make sense with how much story was left… and then it totally redeemed itself.

Katie reminds me of… me. So I guess that helped with my understanding of her character.

As with all rom-coms, the scenario is unlikely and a bit fantastical, but isn’t that what we love about a good rom-com? I know I do!

As with every one of her books, I am now wondering how long I have to wait for a new Katherine Center to be published. 😭

A fun romance set in Key West, FL to kick off summer with. This wasn't Katherine Center's strongest but I still enjoyed it, particularly the latter half. I got bored with the constant focus on Katie and Hutch's bodies at the beginning and wasn't *totally* convinced of their romantic connection. Rue and George Bailey were interesting side characters that were plus points of The Love Haters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. The Love Haters hits shelves on May 20, 2025.

I just started getting into Katherine Center's books this year and have enjoyed everything I've read from her so far, so I was very surprised at how much I could not get into this book.
I am all for an FMC with body image issues, but I think in an attempt to really make sure those insecurities were landing for the audience, it was way overdone to the point that it actually felt kind of icky. Instead of adding depth to the character, the way this was presented actually made her feel shallow and unlikeable. In the first 100 pages of this book, you get maybe a chapter setting up the plot for the rest of the book, and I'm not kidding, the rest of it is about her body issues. The first major plot point is that she loses her luggage and has to get new clothes that are colorful and she literally almost has a temper tantrum.
So yeah, while I wish for this to be a topic that is more addressed in books, I cannot say that I want it to this degree. And considering the FMC is described as a thinner woman (it mentions at some point that she got down to a size zero), it just makes it that much worse. As someone who's struggled with my body for a long time, this feels like the book version of your really skinny friend calling themselves fat.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I simply loved this book! Katherine Center’s books are usually a hit or miss for me, but this one was just so good. Was it perfect? No, but I highlighted a TON in this book, which I rarely do!! Lots of gems about love and about loving ourselves. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end, I really appreciated Katherine’s insight.

This would be a fantastic beach read or summer read! There’s action and adventure, self-healing and discovery, funny moments, found family, and romance (I LOVED Hutch). It’s a fun light read with so many lines that had me think and self-reflect.

I’ll be thinking about this book for a while and probably come back to it again!

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ebook ARC!

Received this as an ARC from NetGalley. I’m a huge Katherine Center fan, so needless to say I was so excited to read this early! I would give this a solid 4 stars. I always love a good grumpy/sunshine trope and both Katie and Hutch fit those personalities to a T! The true message of this story was about learning to love yourself again as well as loss and friendship and that really made the book what it was. Don’t get me wrong I love the relationship aspect, but I loved seeing the progression of Katie throughout the book loving herself and growing. Also Hutch having a dog named. George Bailey was the cherry on top of this book. Would recommend this to any Katherine Center fan.

I continue to come back to Katherine Center’s books - however they can be pretty hit or miss for me. Some of them I love (The Bodyguard), while some, like The Love Haters, just fall flat. The Cole storyline in this really rubbed me the wrong way and the body positivity talk was just too much. I’ll always grab a KC book in the hopes it’s a hit for me, but this one wasn’t it.

Also- a few times in the book Hutch was referred to as “Hutch Hutcherson”, but Hutch is a nickname based on his last name. It seemed weird to me.

Katie is a video producer sent to the Florida keys by coworker Cole to film a profile on his brother Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. While this story included many silly and at times absurd moments, what i really enjoyed most were reading about Katie's struggles with her body and the scenes with her and her cousin Beanie. I really enjoyed reading those scenes and watching Katie learn to love and accept parts of her body as the story progresses alongside the romantic development between main characters Katie and Hutch. I do wish their was a bit more spice between the main characters but overall this is a fun, light romcom that i think is a great summer read.

You can always sign me up for anything Katherine Center writes. I know going into it that I’ll always have a lighthearted read with a happy ending. I expect it, and I think that’s okay. This one was no different! I was a little worried the Coast Guard bit would feel a bit cheesy, but you can tell Katherine did her research. That part was well done!
A major theme throughout this novel is body image. For some, it may have taken away from the story, but I know many people will be able to relate to it. Yet at the same time I do think it might lose some readers for how big of a topic it is if they’re just expecting a romance story. So much of this novel was about learning to love yourself, which I loved. That in itself is a romance story, so the real romance was just another lovely added layer, in my opinion. I can definitely say I am a fan of Hutch, and I really appreciated the side story of his relationship with his brother (even if his brother was absurd for so much of the novel). My favorite character though? The dog. George Bailey was the biggest baby while also being the smoothest wingman. We could all use a George Bailey.
Overall this worked for me, but I do see this as being a hit or miss for some if they’re expecting a simple happy-go-lucky love story.

Thank you for my advanced readers copy!

I really liked this one! I thought the storyline was cute and felt like a 2000s rom-com. Katherine Center is an automatic buy for me and this one did not disappoint!

I'd like to thank NetGalley for this ARC of The Love Haters!

I had a bit of a rough time getting into the first 30-40%, and there were some elements of the plot that just weren't realistic and felt outlandish.

Negativity aside, I had such a great time with this read. I kept one-more-chaptering this book until I finished it and ultimately gave myself 2 hours of sleep before work. I appreciated Katie's development throughout the book, I adored Rue and the gals, and enjoyed the Key West setting.

P.S., Look up "insufferable" in the dictionary and you'll find Cole. Kudos to Katherine for making me yell at my Kobo as if I'm talking directly to the character.

First of all, to share a name with the FMC is an honor. This book was relatable, beautiful and raw. I loved Beanie's character and how she helped Katie love herself again. And Hutch was so kind and caring yet closed off to everyone except those he loved and it was so special seeing the bond he and Katie formed. AND GEORGE BAILEY? Sweetest dog ever. Overall, this book will forever be imprinted in my memory and I am so honored I was able to read it before its release.

Katherine Center’s newest rom-com is a witty, heartwarming adventure set in Key West, where video producer Katie Vaughn fakes her way into a high-stakes assignment profiling a heroic Coast Guard swimmer, even though she doesn't know how to swim. Thrown into a world of helicopter rides, hurricanes, conga lines, and one very good-looking (but complicated) man named Hutch, Katie finds herself juggling lies, uncovering old fears, and stumbling into unexpected romance. As sparks fly and secrets unravel, Katherine delivers a funny, but also all-the-feels story about bravery, second chances, and the messy, beautiful leap it takes to truly fall in love.

I saw this book was available on NetGalley and didn’t know anything about it other than it being written by one of my favorite authors. I loved this book!! It had some series topics in there like body image issues, but for the context of this book I liked how they were kept somewhat light-hearted, while still addressing it - if that makes any sense 🤪 this book had grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, an awesome dog, and great supporting characters. Everyone needs a friend like Beanie in your life! I was in the perfect mood for this book and had a bard time putting it down.

As someone who typically adores Katherine Center’s novels, I went into The Love Haters with high expectations—and for the most part, it delivered, sorta. True to form, Center gives us a heroine who’s messy, flawed, and deeply human. The main character in this one is a bit neurotic (sometimes almost too much), but honestly, that kind of relatability can be comforting—especially for those of us who know a thing or two about overthinking or self-criticism (or both).

One of the things I appreciate about Center’s writing is how her stories are never just about romance. They’re about women finding themselves, or healing from the past, or what have you - but ultimately growing into who they’re meant to be. The Love Haters fits that mold well, and although this time the emotional arc is just as important as the love story, it didn't quite hit the mark.

The male lead, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, felt a bit too perfect at times. While charming and swoon-worthy, he lacked some of the nuance I was hoping for. Still, their dynamic was entertaining, and I was invested in how things would play out between them.

My biggest frustration about this one, in comparison to her other novels? Some of the pivotal twists and resolutions felt a bit too convenient, even for fiction. Center typically does such a good job grounding her characters but this time the more far-fetched moments pulled me out of the story just a bit.

That said, The Love Haters was still an enjoyable read. If you’re a fan of Center’s other novels, this book will feel like a familiar and welcome escape.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katie is needing to make a video for her job and her subject? The coast guard but specifically Hutch.

There was so much heart in this book and so much bonding. I adored both of the main characters and kept wanting more from them. There is this dry humor to the book that just constantly works and while I didn't cry at the end, there were tears.

I always cannot wait to see what Katherine comes up with next!

Ahhh I wanted to enjoy this one as it was so highly anticipated but alas this was not for me. I loveee a good rom com but this felt so disjointed. From Katie’s self-love “journey” and rediscovering herself to the Hutch and Cole saga it felt like the plot points and conflict didn’t flow together well enough. There were both cute and funny points but overall unfortunately not my favorite 🥲 & thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Katie, who can't swim, can either stay at her current video producer gig and wait to get laid off or take a job filming for the coast gaurd a hot real life hero. The choice is easy but won't come without consequences.

It kills me to say I couldn't get into this one. I've truly been chasing the high of How to Walk Away with each new Katherine release and unfortunately I just haven't found it. It feels like the characters get more obscure with more issues that truly need the help of a professional. Don't get me wrong I'll keep trying her books but this one just wasn't it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Love Haters A Novel written by Katherine Center and narrated by Patti Murin was so much fun. Strangers to lovers. Miscommunication. Forced proximity. Romance but not spicy. Hutch is dreamy. Katie is relatable. And the Great Dane, George Bailey, has my heart. This was a dual read/listen. Patti Murin was phenomenal. One POV is getting harder to come by. Katherine Center created such lovely characters in The Love Haters. This will be put into my reread cycle. Five stars.