Lover Hater follows the journey of Katie, a mid-level video production employee who takes on a high-stakes video promo project for the Coast Guard to save her job. The twist? Katie can't swim and struggles with her own body image. Enter Hutch, her video subject and the love-hate brother of her coworker, who unexpectedly turns her world upside down.

This book delivers a few impactful lessons,
First: Love yourself. Don't let societal norms or social media define your worth, especially in today's world.
Second: Be your own person. Comparing yourself to others—like Cole comparing himself to his brother Hutch—only holds you back. Embrace your individuality and thrive.
Third: Learn to swim. Seriously, life skills like this can save you (both literally and metaphorically!).

From the very first chapter, Lover Hater had me laughing, swooning, and fully immersed. The slow-burn romance between Hutch and Katie was absolutely delightful, full of moments that made me smile and root for them. The supporting characters added so much heart and depth to the story, forming a found family dynamic that radiated love and support.

Hutch turned out to be far more than Katie ever expected—kind, thoughtful, and genuine, with a warmth that drew everyone in. Meanwhile, his brother Cole struggled with insecurities, feeling overshadowed by Hutch’s seemingly “perfect” persona, which caused some missteps in Katie’s perception of Hutch. Beanie, Katie’s best friend, was an absolute standout, always ready with encouragement to remind Katie of her strength and beauty. And let's not forget Rue and George Bailey, Hutch’s lovable Great Dane—my absolute favorites.

All in all, Lover Hater is a heartwarming story full of charm, personal growth, and unforgettable characters. It’s a feel-good read that teaches us to embrace our true selves and find love and courage along the way.

Another great beach read from Katherine Center! The characters were so cute and once again Katherine created such a unique scenario. I loved this book! Thank you netgalley for my free copy.

1/5 - I’ve had mixed feelings about Center’s previous books - some I’ve really enjoyed and others I’ve struggled with. Unfortunately, this one was the latter and is probably my least favorite book of hers so far.

While I understand and appreciate the importance of body struggles as a theme, and an overarching one at that, I don’t think it was well or thoughtfully executed here. Katie is not a likable narrator, and her tendency to be glib and rambling was frustrating at best, annoying at worst. I simply didn’t find her relatable or enjoyable. The rest of the characters fell flat, the chemistry was lackluster, and the problems were exaggerated and the overall story arc didn’t hold much attention. The best part of this book was the authors note at the end.

I probably wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t an ARC, but thank you so much to @netgalley and St. Martin’s press for sending it my way in exchange for my (brutally) honest review!

4.25 stars!

thank you so so much netgalley and st. martins press for the ebook arc! the way my jaw DROPPED when i got the approval email. i really loved hutch as a character!!! katies journey with herself throughout the book was very inspiring. i did find that there was moments that people with body image issues could be triggered depending on how easy it can be for triggers. i had one moment that made me slightly uneasy but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. i also adored rue and the gals. it felt like one big family and honestly such a fun idea of being able to live the chill years with your best friends. the last couple chapters did kinda throw me for a loop but not in a bad way! without spoiling anything it was just unexpected with what goes down and how semi fast paced and fast forwarded it got but also made it enjoyable in the way i couldnt guess how it was nearing the end. there were also so many good quotes and moments on the self love journey that i honestly needed to hear and strive to feel that way someday myself. this was such a fun read. katherine is a newer to me author and so far im really really enjoying her works. this also makes me really wanna take a trip to key west and bask in the sun and take life a little less seriously for a bit! this was so exciting to read in advanced and cant wait to get a physical copy when it comes out!

TW: There is body image and eating disorder talk throughout this entire book. I feel like it was handled really well, but wanted to make note in case this may be difficult to read. I love that the FMC learns to love and accept herself in addition to falling in love with the MMC. The first half was a bit slow, but I flew through the second half.

Pet spoiler: the dog does not die.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Romance is not usually my preferred genre but I love Katherine Center. She knows how to pull you in, develop lovable characters and relationships without getting overly spicy. I absolutely loved this one!

This was so cute! I love Hutch. There’s one part I wish didn’t happen but the rest of the story was so fun and interesting and adorable. A rescue swimmer is such a cool character job.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc.

This book was kind of mid, but Katie made me love it.

Such a fun and easy reading. If you are looking into romance with a happy ending this book is for you!
I could picture every character in my head as I was advancing in the story.

This was a cute, somewhat predictable rom com. BUT- the best part of this book, in my opinion, was how the main character learned to love ALL parts of herself. Lots of messages that I took to heart and will try to remember the next time I’m being hard on myself.

Another new Katherine Center book, another new book boyfriend to pine after. Every time I finish a book I think that there can't possibly be another main character to top the current one, and every time I'm (happily) proven wrong. I loved this story, and per usual, enjoyed the pacing, witty banter and all of the side characters (hello George Bailey!). I look forward to her new releases every year and this one was a perfect read to make me smile like an idiot while waiting for spring.

Katherine Centers best book yet! Katie is so relatable- I think most people can connect resonate with having body issues and self doubt. Getting to watch (read) Katie struggle though and address these issues head on was healing in a way I did not expect. This book had the funny and light romcom vibe I was looking for, while also being nourishing! Learning to love yourself and others after you’ve been hurt takes bravery and perseverance, and Katie has both! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC, this book was like a hug for my inner self critic.

This was a wonderful story! Katherine Center has done it again! Katie, the main character has such good chemistry across the board with all of the other charachters. I was so sad that Katie has such negative body image about herself, and it appeared to really affect her emotional state. If you are someone who has enjoyed Katherine Center's books in the past, you will enjoy this. If this is your first Katherine Center book, then you won't be disappointed! Thank you to net galley for this ARC for free in trade for my honest review.

Katherine Center does it again!! This author has yet to disappoint. The way she writes her characters makes them all so incredibly lovable. Even the flawed ones you can’t help but love. In her authors note she nailed exactly how I felt reading this book. She describes it as a “delicious romantic love story going on between Katie and Hutch - in addition to all kinds of extra love stories between friends, and siblings, and parent figures. But it is also another type of love story. One between Katie and herself.” I can’t get enough of Katherin’s books and can’t wait to devour the next!

The cover made me think this would be a classic cheesy rom com but it wasn’t. I sadly struggled my way through this one - I guess I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover 🙃 .

Very little romance and hardly any relationship development between the romantic interests, so it didn’t feel believable to me. I couldn’t get on board with the whole plot being built upon lies where the main character looks for pity, acting as if she was trapped in a web of lies as opposed to agreeing to go along with them. This book wasn’t for me, but still appreciative to receive an ARC. Thanks to netgalley for this ARC!

Katherine’s books read like a love letter to life, to love, and to the romance genre. They leave me feeling hopeful and happy, and what more could you want from a book?

I really enjoyed the development of Hutch and Katie. From the swimming lessons to the scenes with George Bailey, they were just so fun on page together. And, as always, KC had the best side characters. I loved The Gals and wanted to pull up a beach chair right beside them!

While the romance was excellent, Katie’s personal growth was the best part of this book for me. I was rooting for her to see her worth and love herself and her body. This book was such a good blend of humor and heartfelt, emotional moments!

Grab a bright, floral dress and some sunnies and let’s head to the beach!

Thank you to SMP Romance for the gifted traveling arc copy and eARC! All thoughts are my own.

I am so thankful for receiving this ARC as I am a big fan of the author. Like every other Katherine Center book, it didn’t disappoint. I loved the MC (Katie) as she seemed very relatable. I’m not the fastest reader but flew through this book. Recommend picking up!

Katie's job sends her to Key West, FL to create a documentary on local hero, Tom "Hucth" Hutcheson. He's a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard, but Katie can't even swim, which makes her a little less than qualified for the job. Despite this job being less than ideal for Katie, this project could potentially save her job from internal changes and budget cuts so she has to get it done. As she spends more time with Hutch getting to know him and learning to swim, she learns to let go of her past and learn to live a little. I loved every second of this. Hutch is broody and Katie is anxiety masked behind sunshine. All the characters are so well written and developed. I loved the chemistry between Katie and Hutch and I love the descriptions of Key West and the ins and out of rescue swimming in the coast guard (at least the way it was written because that's not normally something l'd be into). Center always writes her characters with real world problems but the chemistry always keeps me coming back for more.
Overall, I'm a big fan and can't wait for everyone to get their hands on this one!

possible TW: mentions of ED and body image issues

Usually love Katherine Center's books. She can weave in more serious topics while still making it light and fun. This book was kind of the opposite. It felt more dark and depressing around the body image side. It felt like overkill as well and made the book hard to finish. While I found the writing very "real" in spots, some of it just felt over the top. Unfortunately, the content of this one wasn’t what I hope for in a fun rom-com.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Katherine Center is an auto-read author for me, so I dove into The Love Haters with high expectations and sunscreen in hand—Key West makes for a sun-soaked, vibrant backdrop. The story follows Katie, a videographer tasked with creating a film about a reluctant Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hutch. He wants zero to do with it... and unfortunately for him, Katie's entire job depends on making it happen.

While the setup had all the makings of a swoony rom-com—forced proximity, fake dating, career stakes—I found myself not quite clicking with Katie the way I usually do with Center’s heroines. Hutch, on the other hand, was a standout, as was Aunt Rue (can we get a spinoff?).

Though it didn’t reach favorite status for me, it was still a breezy, beachy read with a few heartfelt moments and Center’s signature optimism. A solid summer escape for fans of slow-burn romance with a splash of sunshine.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book!