A love hater, I am not, and true to almost all of Katherine Center's work I loved this book! Did it start off a bit slow? Sure it did, but I didn't mind because I like to savor Katherine's books and become one with the characters. I loved Katie Vaughn right away. She has a relatable amount of disbelief in her own talent and worth in this world. Combine that with her body image issues and I had found my book twin! Except I'm not a video producer, I don't live in Dallas, and I'm not flying to tropical Key West to meet Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. But I digress. Katie's thoughts on '...keeping to the sides of the world, hiding behind other people in group photos, avoiding mirrors." all resonated so strong with me that it felt like someone was reading my mind.

Once in Key West, Katie meets Hutch, and his wonderful Aunt Rue, and gets down to business filming Hutch as he goes about his work days as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Katie is filming a promotional video for her boss, Cole (also Hutch's brother), and their boss, Sullivan. What ensues is both fascinating and comical, and also filled with anticipation and frustration. Kind of like real life. Only better, because Katherine Center wrote it, and she always has a life message written into her books. This one is about love, in all its many forms. Be sure to read her author's note when you finish the book. She is very passionate about her work and I'm so thankful she shares it with the world. I keep getting side-tracked here. I would like to meet Hutch as he sounds like a really great person, and his dog too. Cole can stay in Dallas! This book was very atmospheric for me - I could feel the Florida humidity, taste the saltwater, and feel the whopping of the helicopter blades in my chest. The amount of research that had to go into this book to make me feel like I was there with Katie filming a Coast Guard crew had to be extensive. Could there have been more romance or spiciness in this book? Sure. For me I took away a love story for those of us who need to remember to love ourselves first, and that was more fulfilling.

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

The Love Haters | Katherine Center

4☆
*ARC Review*
Releasing May 20, 2025!

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanusa and @katherinecenter for this ARC!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Love Haters by Katherine Center, as I have several of her books on my TBR, but this was the first one I’ve read & it will NOT be my last!

Set in the fun location of Key West (I’ve been there, can confirm 💁🏼‍♀️) Katie embarks on a media journalist assignment as her job is on the chopping block. Her coworker Cole has convinced her to take this job, which will highlight his brother Tom’s (aka Hutch) career as a rescue coastguard. Katherine Center has such a cute, funny style of writing and develops lovable characters following a humerus and relatable plot line. Katie struggles with body image issues and feels most comfortable wearing black clothing, she is pushed outside of her comfort zone when she meets the most colorful human alive, Rue. I found the rescue itself to be a little far fetched (😜🐕‍🦺🚤) but it kept my interest, which was what it was meant to do! Throw in the heartfelt and bittersweet story of their pasts, it was a well rounded story that has something for everyone. I knew Katherine Center was a girl for me with the Noah Kahan and Jonas Brothers name drops. 🫡🥰

“But I hadn’t thought I hated love. I’d thought I was just recovering from it.”

The Love Haters is a witty, feel-good romance packed with banter, heart, and the perfect enemies-to-lovers energy. The chemistry crackles, the dialogue is sharp, and the emotional depth sneaks up on you in the best way. With lovable characters and just the right amount of spice and snark, it’s a breezy, satisfying read that had me grinning the whole time.
✅ The banter and enemies-to-lovers setup fit my taste exactly.

✅ The pacing is fun and quick

✅ It has emotional beats, though maybe not as deep as I prefer

❌doesn’t quite hit the emotional gut-punch or soulmate-level romance

“ What on earth must it be like to just live in your body so comfortably and just enjoy it like that?”

I don’t know if I’ve related to a quote more in my life! I found this story to be so relatable and just like previous Katherine Center books, it is profoundly written and had me laughing out loud several times. I highly recommend this book!

Loved everything about this book and I whipped thru it and now I'm missing the characters. This is a love story of ultimate proportions. It's a love story to your friends, your family, your lover, your dog, and yourself! Couldn't put it down and wish I could read it again for the first time.

The Love Haters, was a fun time. I feel like it was a great summer beach read if you like contemporary romance with no spice and will make you laugh. The first time the FMC and MMC meet, he is pulling 50 splinters out of her butt and she is in a swimsuit! There is banter, angst, twisty storyline and found family. Its quick and easy and enjoyed it!

The Love Haters

This was such a laugh out loud romcom with heartfelt vulnerable moments. Relatable FMC and broody MMC with a heart of gold and a furry sidekick. I gobbled this up and absolutely loved it. It was such an easy and enjoyable read! Loved the audiobook too -- really thought the narrators did an amazing job of bringing this to life.

If you like:
😡Grumpy hero MMC who falls first and hard
👵🏻Cute old lady meddlers 🌺
😅Forced proximity
🔥Slow burn
🚪Closed door romcom
🐠Fish out of water FMC
🚁Coast guard search and rescue

Dive into this one!

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorites from Katherine Center. I just don’t think we got enough character background to become fully involved with the characters or their stories.

Katie Vaughn is a video producer that also does a “day in the life” project on the side. She’s basically forced to do a video about the coast guard or she’ll lose her job. The focus is on Hutch who is famous for saving Jennifer Aniston’s dog but he’s also the brother of Katie’s boss.

Katie goes to shoot the video and figures out there’s a lot of baggage with this family.

That’s basically it. It was really just okay

This book was pure magic! I love Katherine Center’s writing. There was so much heart in this story. I didn’t want the book to end. I can’t wait for her next novel.

Katherine Center is an auto-read romance author for me. Romance isn’t my go to genre but something about Center’s quirky characters, amusing shenanigans, and the undeniable chemistry she builds just hits the spot for me.

The Love Haters is no exception and hit all the marks for me. Katie was relatable - body insecurity (which I sort of liked that her insecurity was vague because I think we’ve all been there), career-focused, and totally in over her head. Hutch was a great male protagonist. I loved his unique job, his caring personality, and especially his pup.

I also loved the setting. Center brought the Key West to life with her vivid descriptions and beautiful landscapes. And the Hurricane?! Hilarious and also terrifying and completely over the top - what more could you ask for?!

I listened to The Love Haters on audio and it was wonderful. Humorous, engaging, and totally made me fall in love with these silly characters and this stunning setting.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the copy. Don’t miss this one!

Katherine Center is an auto read author for me! I’ve loved all her books so I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC of Love Haters!!

I loved everything about this book! Katie is such a relatable character and her enemies-to-lovers trope with herself is spot on with how so many women feel about themselves. I loved every single supporting character especially Rue, Beanie and George Bailey!! You’ll definitely love this book if you love all of Katherine Centers books!! 🥰🤩

Humorous, bubbly, and deeply earnest in the way it tackles the difficulties of life (and of bad weather!), I am so thankful that this was the first book I read after graduating college. I seem to have a pattern of always reading Katherine Center eARCs when I have my own internal conflicts about my future, and it's a comfort to always have them in my corner as something I can read in two sittings. I love that even though it's marketed as a romance, it was actually a story of self-love, which is definitely something I hope to read more of in the future. The characters are relatable and human, and I can always count on Katherine Center to include a pet that makes me wish it were my own (shoutout to George Bailey the Great Dane!)
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

Katherine Center has once again brought us a wonderful tale of choices—career, men, or both. And there’s a dog. Gotta love a book with a dog.

Highly recommend for readers who are already Katherine Center fans as well as those who are looking to read her for the first time.

DNF @ 38%

I’ve been fighting for my life to read this book but it’s so boring to me. I don’t feel any connection to the characters. Nothing about them is interesting. Katie’s constant body image issues are quickly getting on my nerves too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I love Katherine Center's novels. This is not my favorite of hers but still a solid read. I wish more would of happened before the half way point but I will definitely be recommending this to friends. 3.5 stars

This book kept me interested and engaged! I loved the setting, the characters and their strong friendships, I was so engrossed in their zest for life and having a good time together - their daily swim lessons and evening dinners. Aunt Rue is so eccentric and colorful, I want to hang out with her! I enjoyed the exploration of self-worth, the healing process, the power of love, reconnection, and forgiveness in this story. And Hutch is so swoony! A very lighthearted and uplifting journey.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley! I will read ANYTHING Katherine Center. Katie (our FMC) needs to interview a coast guard swimmer to avoid getting fired. ONE problem- she can't swim. Enter Hutch, who happens to be her bosses estranged brother. One thing to note is Katie does deal with body image difficulties which are constant throughout the book. Overall a cute vibey summer romance!

Katie was recently told that she might be laid off. When one of her coworkers said that she could save her job if she produced a video for Coast Guard rescue swimmers featuring local hero, Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, it might save her job. The only problem is...she doesn't know how to swim. There is only one thing you can do in the scenario.... fake it.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. However, I was not invested in the plot until about 60% in. I am glad that I continued to read because the last half made up for the first part. I would recommend if you like family drama, a little fake dating, and want some summer vibes.

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

This is Katherine Center's best novel so far! The characters are relateable, the story is funny but with substance and there is plenty of romantic tension.. One falls in love with Rue the loveable aunt too. The setting in Key West was captured in the story and makes me want to visit again.

This is what romantic comedy should be. I love that is addresses body image issues and internet bullying within the story. It makes one realize that we are people looking for our place and our acceptance. The ending was perfect. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book. I read it in one sitting!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the Arc!!

Anyway this book was everything! I can not remember the last time a romance book has made me feel this way!! I cried, I laughed, I kicked my feet, I clapped, I rolled my eyes. I did every emotion while reading this books and I loved it!

Every facet of this book was brilliant! Let’s begin with that:

Katie… She is a deeply relatable character. While I haven’t struggled with the extent of body issues that she did I felt for her and with her throughout it all. She is so strong and beautiful and seeing herself as such was a journey. One in which she had to love herself more than anyone else could ever love her, which is what I am currently battling. And Katherine did such a good job showing the multifaceted difficulty through such care!

Hutch… oh my gosh. What a man. The only man any woman should ever expect. He sees her in every situation. He feels for her in everything. He connects with her on a deeper level. He does everything in his power to care about those he loves. Not just with Katie but with his brother and Rue. A family man through and through. And the way he is with his dog. I can’t!! I just can’t! George Bailey was everything I needed in this book. He was the comic relief but also the ultimate wingman and you can’t convince me otherwise! I want my own Hutch!

Rue… I loved her! Her and her spunky friends were another comedic relief and total group of wingwomen!! They were the best. Friendship is explored in this friend group like none other and the found family of everyone in this story was absolutely beautiful!

While this was such a great romance there are also undertones of grief, military life, learning to love self, and family bonds. It was a beautiful tale that had me flipping the pages as quickly so I could know what was going to happen!! It was the perfect right time when I read this book and it was the perfect romance!!

Katherine Center made a piece of art with this one and I won’t forget it!!

5/5⭐️❤️