I have never read a Katherine Center book until this ARC from Netgalley. Although the description checked all the boxes for a delightful piece of fluff and a perfect beach read, I felt it was a let down. I felt that instead of all the feels of a light-hearted romance, I felt there was an emptiness. Quirky heroine who fakes her skill set for a dream job-check; forced proximity/beach locale-check; handsome guy with annoying brother-check; it has everything by description, but I felt unsatisfied. It's perfectly readable, but also utterly forgettable.

After getting dumped by her fiancé when his music career takes off, Katie Vaughan has sworn off relationships, focusing instead on her work as a video producer/aspiring documentarian. So when she hears that her company may be facing layoffs she jumps at the chance to prove herself by doing a piece on internet famous Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson- even if it means lying about her qualifications (she can’t actually swim) and the reason for being there (because Hutch’s brother/Katie’s coworker Cole doesn’t want the job due to complicated family dynamics). The job becomes more complicated when sparks fly between her and Hutch and one lie snowballs into another thanks to Cole, forcing Katie to come to terms with old insecurities in order to find future happiness.

This may be Center’s most bonkers book to date- I don’t want to give it away but in addition to the synopsis above this book includes anxiety ridden dogs, fake dating, eccentric and meddling family, hurricanes, and dramatic rescues. Which sounds like a lot of fun and it is! But, as usual, Center also deftly weaves in more serious themes; here Katie’s deep body insecurities and a theme of learning to love oneself which I thought was really well done. And the Author’s Note on the power or reading and romance is not to be missed. Overall, a really solid contemporary romance that I enjoyed; I can’t wait to see what Center has in store for us next!

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Love Haters was my 3rd Katherine Center rom-com and it was very enjoyable! It hit on multiple heavy topics including self-image (body positivity) and handling grief all while including her typical romance.

The main character, Katie, is a videographer. She is sent to Key West on the premise of recording a recruiting video for the U.S. Coast Guard in hopes of saving her job as well. What's the catch? The man she will be interviewing in Hutch, her co-worker Cole's older, perfect brother, whom he says is a "love-hater". Katie is staying with Rue, Cole and Hutch's quirky aunt who owns a row of bungalows in the Keys. Rue takes Katie under her wing and helps her with her self-esteem. Katie can't swim but for the job, it's a requirement. Hutch offers to give her swim lessons which helps them bond. And you cant forget my favorite character, George Bailey, Hutch's Great Dane.

I do felt that there could have been more moments between Katie and Hutch and that I wish we could have got to know Beanie a little bit more as well. The topic of body-positivity was also a very heavy focus throughout the book. I do think it was important to focus on Katie learning to love her body, however, I felt that it was a bit too overdone at some points.

This isn't my favorite Katherine Center rom-com but the audiobook still earned 5 stars. Patti Murin is a fantastic narrator!

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

Katie Vaughn's only option for keeping her job as a video producer is to take an assignment that she is not qualified for. She will have to go to Key West to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer famous for once rescuing Jennifer Anniston's dog from drowning. The catch, while she is a great producer, Katie can't swim and part of this assignment will include jumping from a helicopter into the water.

It sounded like a great summer rom com. The setting is adorable, she stays in a colorful Key West Inn with the swimmers Aunt Rue and her fun loving senior friends. We all know what will happen from the start, its a love story after all.

Once we meet the swimmer "Hutch", I can see that we are falling into what seems to be this year's favorite trope. Woman thinks she's ugly and hates her body, but once the hot, studly man enters, he takes the whole book to convince her otherwise. (see my review of the Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits here.) I am so over this and do not think it is helping at all. Just like Griffin Sisters, I would never let my teenage niece read this. No one needs encouragement to have body image issues, it does not need to become more mainstream.

There rant over, but the romance didn't have enough chemistry to overcome the other issues. So, I say give this one a pass.

I always look forward to reading whatever Katherine Center writes and The Love Haters was no exception. The writing was her usual style with well developed characters and mostly likeable side characters. I loved the Key West setting and have stayed in a place like the Starlite in this novel so that as fun to revisit that trip. Really nothing to complain about this one its the perfect beach/summer read. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

guysss I LOVED this. i’m not normally a rom-com fan. I fell in love with these characters (especially Hutch 👀). I can’t remember the last time i’ve laughed out loud while reading a book? numerous times!

Katie is assigned to fly to Key West to make a promo video for the Coast Guard. Her job is on the line due to downsizing, so she neglects to mention she can’t swim. When she arrives, we meet Rue, her eccentric landlord for the next couple weeks and Hutch, her main focus for the promo, and quite a hunk.

This book has it all. It’s funny, suspenseful and adventurous. It touches on body positivity and overcoming your fears. It’s just… heartwarming and cute. I loved it and highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVE Katherine Center, but this one just wasn’t for me. I had to DNF at 30% - the grumpy/sunshine dynamic wasn’t working for me (he didn’t seem committed to being a grump or being nice, but it still wasn’t realistic?) and all she could talk about was her ED. I love representation in books, but this just missed the mark for me.

This was an excellent read! I love Katherine Center and this book is no exception. Katie was a really great protagonist - the amount of growth she showed throughout the book was excellent. Her struggles with eating and body image were so real and I appreciated how her ongoing recovery was portrayed throughout the book. Hutch was a fantastic male love interest that was definitely swoon worthy and the chemistry and care he had for Katie was great. I also really loved the side characters, particularly Rue and George Bailey. This book made me want to step into the Keys and live vibrantly in colour. A wonderful read that I think will be very popular when it is released!

Katherine Center's books are such a refreshing way to start off the summer reading season. I read a lot of dark books so "The Love Haters" comes along at just the right time as a nice palate cleaner. The enjoyed the setting of Key West and the fun little group of people Katie meets there. The story does cover some deeper issues (body image, parent/spouse loss) without getting too bogged down in it. The characters, although maybe a little stereotypical (hero MMC, dorky, but lovable FMC, quirky side characters), are fun to get to know and you find yourself caring about what happens to them. Overall, I highly recommend you add this to your summer TBR.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest review.

The Love Haters is a fun, breezy rom-com that has a deep underlying message; while our protagonist is involved in a love-story with another character, she is also undergoing a transformative love story with herself. This novel is fun and flirty, yet also introspective and meaningful. I definitely suggest The Love Haters for anyone looking for a fun romance with fun characters, witty banter, and deeper themes.
Thank you to St Martins Press and Net Galley for the digital ARC!

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for providing this ARC for review.

I have read almost all of Katherine Center’s books at this point, and overall this one was not my favorite. I really enjoyed a few of the side characters (Rue and George Bailey).

Our FMC though.. she frustrated me. At about the 40% mark I was yelling at my kindle for her best friend/cousin to tell her to go to therapy.

I did love the themes of found family and self love. It was still a solid read that I enjoyed and would recommend to fans of Katherine Center.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to preface by saying that Katherine Center is my favorite author and that fact remains though this book was a 2 star for me.

I think the storyline was well thought out, but the execution fell flat for me. I love how the FMC overcame a very serious part of her life, but it was overwhelming and focused more on her issue than the romance. Their connection felt dull and mediocre for a fictional romance. At times, the story felt repetitive and drawn out.

I pushed though because I would never DNF one of her books, but I struggled until the night of the Congo Dance. That gave me a push and pulled me in a bit, but then it fell flat again. I wanted to love this story so bad but could not find enough things to stay engaged.

3.75 stars!

This probably would have been a 4.5-5 star read if it hadn’t been for the weird fake-dating/lying trope thrown in in the last 33%!

I do think this was a major step-up from The Rom-Commers, and I’m always excited to listen to a Patti Murin narrated Katherine Center book!

Thanks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

It seems like the last few Katherine Center books have had very strong themes to them. This time she’s tackling body image. For the most part, I didn’t mind the internal body talk. It felt realistic and like something many women struggle with. But by 30% in, I was ready to move on. I quickly tired of the self help portion of the story. I was ready for the romance.

I really loved the Coast Guard rescue swimmer aspect of the story. It was interesting and not something I’ve seen in a romance. The romance had some great moments and some funny ones. I was embarrassed for our main character Katie. She had some bad luck.

In addition to enjoying the romance, I really loved the dog. I found him charming as he snuggled his way into my heart and into people’s beds.

What kept this from being a book I loved was when a side character took over and derailed everything. His actions had me so annoyed, and the reaction to his poor behavior left me so frustrated. I just wanted to focus on the romance not the side drama.

If you love Katherine Center’s recent books, you’ll probably really enjoy this..

This book contains scattered moderate profanity and has kissing.

First of all, I adore Katherine Center. I think she's an incredible author and I love that her stories always have deeper themes/experiences sprinkled in amongst the humor and swoon. However, this book hit a bit different for me. I feel like it's definitely more women's fiction versus the emotionally charged, but romance all the way vibes of Katherine's more recent books. Don't get me wrong...Women's literature can be amazing. But Katie and Hutch's story was left a little more open-ended than I prefer in exchange for an epilogue that focused more on Katie's revelations about herself. Again...not a bad thing, just unexpected. I also struggled a bit with Katie's negative view of herself. I know many women experience feelings similar to Katie's and I can see how her character arc is probably extremely meaningful and empowering to them. My body is far from perfect, but I also prefer to try my best to not focus on outward appearance so I think that's why I had a hard time connecting to that aspect of the book.

Even with a couple of personal hangups, I still really enjoyed this book. Katherine's writing style is honestly like coming home for me at this point and I loved Patti Murin's narration in the audiobook. As always, I can't wait to see what Katherine has in store for us next!

Things I loved:
❤️Beanie (what an absolute hype woman)
❤️Rue (who seriously must be protected at all costs)
❤️"The gals" (I want these ladies to be my besties too!)
❤️George Bailey (just everything about him really)
❤️The nickname "Hutch" (it really is the coolest)
❤️Coast Guard rep (so interesting!)
❤️Katie and Hutch's meet-cute
❤️Swim lessons
❤️SWET training (the wardrobe malfunction in particular 😂)
❤️Some of the absolutely swoony things Hutch said to Katie
❤️Katie's thoughtfulness and sacrifice during the hurricane
❤️Beauty lists (Katie and Beanie's)
❤️Katie's successful character arc
❤️Overcoming chromophobia
❤️Katie's life changes

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

Can I just say how excited I am that @katherinecenter invited the Coast Guard to the table?!
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The Love Haters is such a unique story focus on Katie whose job is at risk and is sent to make a documentary about a ‘love’ hater named Hutch. Katie is sent by her boss, Cole, the brother of Hutch. Cole is a manipulator and has his own self interests in seeing this story done (cue the evil music).
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Our MMC is Hutch - a Search and Rescue Coastie whose brother has (as said) manipulated the system a bit. His job is dangerous so he has an air to him that keeps him alive - more to come on this (but this is accurate AF).
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Body image is a big theme. For the most part, when you are on active duty - you work out a lot. I did and my body was banging. Katie was cyber bullied about her body/weight/wardrobe when she was the fiancée of a celebrity. That level of bullying is not something that just leaves a person - so of course she’s self conscious when she has to be weighed to go on a helicopter, and has to be in a bathing suit with very fit people.
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I thought the author did a great job explaining the USCG aspects. Also please note - that individuals in certain jobs have a level of arrogance. Think of Ice Man in Top Gun - that cockiness can keep you alive. Hutch can’t be a passive MC. Search and Rescue is no joke - we had it in the AF and it is next level.
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I loved Hutch because he reminded me of people I served with. I also loved Katie, she loved and accepted her body and was raked over the social media coals - and then had a negative relationship with her body image. Come one though - your body changes with age. We wax and wane with self image.
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Read if you enjoy:
Learning new things
A woman who can be confident and also insecure about herself
A man who has a dangerous job
Forced Proximity
Rue (trust me you will love her!)
Body image - from positive to negative
Key West setting
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And yes, the Air Force uses SOB (Souls on Board)
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This was my first Katherine Centers book and it was so cute! Her writing felt like the whole book was the narration of a rom com! She did such a great job making there be romance but also character growth outside of the relationship. The miscommunication between brothers could have been resolved sooner in my opinion, which would have taken out the very short stint of "fake dating" that happens and causes more trouble and confusion than good. Overall this was a very cute story and I will definitely be reading more of Katherine's books!

Despite the negative body image talk in the beginning, I ended up really enjoying this one. I prefer KC on audio and Patti narrated it so well! The plot was a little random and quirky, but that’s a KC book in my opinion.

This was another beautiful book from Katherine Center.

Katie has been asked to create a recruiting video for the US Coast Guard and in an effort to keep her job amidst layoffs she fails to disclose that she doesn’t know how to swim. Katie ends up taking swimming lessons with Hutch, the Coast Guard hot shot hero that she is supposed to be working with. She feels immediately drawn to him and it seems that he feels the same as he leads her through how to swim and also how to feel comfortable in her own skin.

Katherine Center’s stories are always about more than love and The Love Haters is no exception. Katie’s most important love story is not with Hutch, or Rue, or Beanie or even George Bailey, but with herself. I’ve never related to a character more. I think that everyone struggles to love themselves all the time but when Katie talks about her unhealthy relationship with food and her obsession with being perfect and skinny and beautiful, I completely understood. It’s a struggle that I still have and fight with myself over. Am I doing enough? Am I being kind enough to myself? Am I too reliant on sugar? Am I eating enough protein? Have I worked out enough? Will my calories in our way my calories out? Have I earned that dessert? These are real questions I have asked myself in the last few days and I know they are the same kinds of questions that Katie has fought through. I loved seeing her reframe her thinking and really begin to love who she is just as she is.

This book was heartwarming and romantic and about the family you’re born with and the family you choose. It’s about learning that the best and most important love affair you will ever have is with yourself and how that isn’t always an easy thing to do. It’s about being kind to yourself and finding something to love about yourself even in your darkest times.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was my first book by this author, and I found it funny, relatable, and enjoyable overall. The characters felt real, and the humor added a nice touch to the story. I did wish there hadn’t been quite so much emphasis on body issues, even though it was part of the character’s journey. Still, it was a solid, entertaining read.