I love Katherine Center. Her books are cozy blankets and an excuse to cry about something super sweet. The Love Haters is no exception. Her characters have chemistry and the stories are always about people I wish I knew in real life. Katie and Hutch are so cute. Just read this. You’ll feel better.

In this sweet rom com by Katherine Center, videographer Katie is on the verge of losing her job when she agrees to travel to the Florida Keys for an assignment. She will be profiling a grumpy rescue swimmer named Hutch who is a bit of a reluctant national hero. Unfortunately for her, he doesn’t know she will be the one doing the video and he certainly doesn’t want any more national attention.

I am a big fan of Katherine Center’s work, and this book also doesn’t disappoint! It’s full of her signature heart, wit, and charm, along with a lovable cast of characters. I think many women will find Katie’s struggles with body acceptance to be very relatable. Despite several heavy topics being addressed through character backstories, the story maintains levity and humor. I really enjoyed the addition of the Great Dane, George Bailey, to the story as an important character and not just a side role as animals usually play in a rom com. I highly recommend this book to fans of friends to lovers, reluctant heroes, and dog lovers.

Thank you to Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
While I’m sure this book will resonate with some people, it’s just not for me. The constant self criticism was driving me crazy.

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is my first Katherine Center book, so I wanted to be generous with my rating. This book is enjoyable to read and oddly comforting, despite some high-stakes plots. Katie's realization about her body is beautifully written. This romance novel is not just sweet, with quirky side characters and funny lines, it is also a love letter to self-acceptance and body positivity, in well-written prose.

I like that even though the book has a light tone, KC is not scared to tackle heavier topics like grief, body image issues, cyberbullying, and accidents. I love Rue, although I did not understand how she got custody of the boys; is there no other living relative? It was never explained, and it bugged me a little. I guess there are some things I didn't understand, like how unrealistic Beanie is. Her character is one-dimensional. Does she simply accept all her flaws and love herself unconditionally? Who calls early in the morning to wake up a friend just to have a pretend therapy session and ask you to name parts of your body that you love? She is also always telling Katie to move on from Lucas and yet keeps asking, "Have you seen Lucas's interview?", "Have you heard his new song about you?", or "Don't click that article link about Lucas!" Like Really? I probably just don't appreciate characters who are just there for convenience and use phone calls or text messages to exist. And although I am okay that the book never includes Lucas's point of view because the story is not about him, it would have been nice to know why he wrote the song "Katie" or perhaps tried to reach out to Katie, and she chose to ignore him.

Overall: It's not perfect, but it's all about the feels. And it gave me the right amount of feels. No spice, but it gave me butterflies in my stomach and made me feel giddy and happy. This is a great introduction to Katherine Center for me, and I am curious to read more of her books. Is this a rom-com? It's not very funny, but it is quirky and made me smile at times.

This book's release date is May 20, 2025. 🫶

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7336302993?book_show_action=false

I’ve been a big Katherine Center fan for a couple years now, and this was no exception. I loved Katie and Hutch. hutches brother, not so much. Hated him and his role in the story!

Katherine Center does it again! Her books always hit you right in the feels. The love story between Katie and Hutch was amazing, but you’ll also be amazed by Rue and Beanie. Katie and Beanie have a wonderful friendship that we all aspire to have in life. Rue is the grandma-ish figure we all would love! The character development in the book is quick and hooks you fast. There were layers and layers to unpack, all while feeling the love unfold. You’ll love this book instantly! I sure did. I’ll do a re-read with audio when the book comes out too. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for early access. It made my February bright.

Katherine Center's books, at their best, transcend the typical romance genre, offering well-developed characters and engaging plots that keep you hooked. Her 2024 book "The Rom-Commers" even earned a Goodreads Choice Award nomination.

While "The Love-Haters" may not be her finest work, it's still an enjoyable read. The story follows Katie Vaughn on a video production job in Key West, Florida, where she's tasked with saving her job. Center's vivid descriptions of Key West have piqued my interest in visiting.

The plot revolves around Katie's assignment to create a video about Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer – despite the fact that Katie can't swim. This leads to humorous situations, but also moments of surprisingly intense jeopardy for the main character.

I received a pre-release copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While this wasn't my favorite Center book, it was still quite enjoyable! I loved the setting, the premise, and the last 20% of the book had me on the edge of my seat! However, I didn't totally connect to either of the main characters. I found Katie's body issues almost a bit distracting. Hutch seemed almost too good to be real. And I really disliked the storyline of Katie's boss. Despite all that I still had a good time reading this book.

Katherine Center does it again with this quirky and unconventional love story. The main character, Katie, is so relatable it’s scary. She struggles with body image, will do just about anything to please her boss, and doesn’t know how to swim. All three of which contribute to the conflict of the story. She has to film a promo video of a U.S. Coast Guard hero who has no interest in doing so. If she succeeds, she keeps her job, but again, she can’t swim and also has a phobia of swimsuits in general because, you know, body issues. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be humming Heart and Soul for days afterwards. A solid romantic comedy read!

Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is a delightful rom-com that blends humor and heart with emotional depth. Katie Vaughn, a video producer at risk of losing her job, is sent to Key West to shoot a promotional video for Coast Guard swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. What follows is a mix of miscommunications, slow-burn romance, and personal growth.

Katie’s journey isn’t just about falling for Hutch—it’s a powerful exploration of learning to love and accept herself, which adds significant depth to the story. The slow-burn romance gives readers plenty of time to root for the characters, but it leaves you wanting a bit more depth in their connection, especially considering the time spent building it.

The first half of the book does an excellent job developing the romance and building tension between Katie and Hutch, but the latter half falters a bit. A plot twist feels somewhat forced, and the lack of resolution for certain character relationships and side stories is frustrating, especially since they were introduced.

The Love Haters blends humor, heart, and healing in a way that will resonate with readers looking for a story that goes beyond the usual rom-com fare. While it may not be my favorite work from Katherine Center, it’s still a solid, enjoyable read that explores the importance of self-love and the messy, wonderful nature of relationships. Look for this on shelves on May 20!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read some really dark romantasy, including mafia daddies, stalkers, monsters, aliens, and love stories about serial killers (who kill pedophiles and other killers for the funsies), but they didn’t make me as deeply uncomfortable as reading a grown woman, possibly a recovering anorexic, have a panic attack about a bathing suit. A bathing suit purchased at a regular store, not custom built three months in advance, or representing a large chunk of my discretionary spending for the month, or bought by my bra size with special reinforcements to keep my parts covered. A darling little swim suit. 🙄 A major theme is Katie learning love her body and to ignore internet trolls who want to tear down the ex-girlfriend of a famous singer/songwriter, but as someone who actually has been fat all my life, I have to resist the urge to throat punch a skinny bitch who wants validation that “no, she doesn’t look fat in her size two jeans” and agree that yes, her ear lobes are sooooooper cute. If Center had written about Kate Atonic instead of Katie, George Bailey would have had one or more frog-shaped chew toys within 24 hours of meeting him and the story would end with a “day in MY life” where I tell the internet that my ex was a cheating piece of shit and they can all go fuck themselves.

No spoilers, but the story line with Cole - his weird hyper-competitiveness, forcing Katie to lie, manipulating everyone, his own casual lies, and more - so cringe and unbelievable. The way he describes his female boss as looking man-hungry and a she-wolf on the prowl? “The winner gets to kiss my girl”? What the HELL, Center? A character like that needs a bigger karmic knockdown. We do not want to normalize men getting away with dehumanizing women, especially in women’s literature. This is meant to be our safe space, ma’am.

That said, Katherine Center is a lovely person, cute as a bug, a talented author with a solid body of work. This one just gave me the ick, just a little.

I always adore Katherine Center's stories since they usually have the big terrible event happen at the beginning of the book, and show how our characters fight back from adversity.

This one took me by surprise since it takes a while for the big terrible event of the past to even be revealed, and then there's still a traditional climatic peak that I wasn't expecting.

Beyond that, Katherine Center continues to write relatable, fun characters that made me want to read more. An easy 5 star read from me!

Katherine Center’s books always make you feel like you’ve just won the lottery. Emotional, hilarious, romantic, witty, fun, it makes you feel all the feels while simultaneously having a grin on your face. This book was no exception. It was surprisingly deep in the perspective of the female character and how she views herself. It felt like looking in the mirror at some points. I loved this story and I cannot wait to recommend it to all the women in my life.

Ahh! One of my favorite authors! This one does not disappoint.
This book is a heartfelt romantic comedy about Katie Vaughn, a video producer facing potential unemployment. She seizes an opportunity to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, despite her inability to swim—a fact she conceals. As she becomes entangled in a web of lies and navigates complex relationships, including the tension between Hutch and his brother Cole, Katie’s journey is both humorous and poignant. Readers have praised the novel for its charming characters and the protagonist’s relatable journey toward self-love.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC, so thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this opportunity. All opinions are my own.

I am a big Katherine Center fan. Every book of hers that I have read has been a favorite, so when I got approved for this ARC, I was super excited. This was a quick read that was easy to get into, but in the end, it was just okay.

This story follows Katie, a video producer tasked with filming a Coast Guard recruiting video highlighting our MMC, Hutch. The problem? She doesn’t really know how to swim. But with her job on the line, she accepts the assignment and heads to Key West to figure things out. That’s where we meet Rue, the Gals, George Bailey, and of course, our MMC. Hutch is a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard—the charismatic, selfless, handsome, hardworking, and attentive subject of Katie’s video.

The storyline seemed promising. Katie wasn’t really prepared for this job and she needed to pass a crash simulation that required her to swim. She was also coming out of a relationship that left her in a very dark place for over a year. Meanwhile, Hutch was constantly described as perfect, but beneath the surface, he’s struggling with grief and the weight of the decisions he had to make to survive.

A character can’t be perfect if you want readers to be truly invested in their story, and Hutch being portrayed that way bugged me. Characters need depth, and I think that was part of my issue. There just wasn’t much to him. I needed more banter and connection. It was entertaining, but I wanted to see more chemistry between these characters.

Also, the title is a little misleading. I thought they were going to hate being in love but nope—it was more about her struggling to love herself. The book should come with a trigger warning. I didn’t see one anywhere (except readers marking it on Fable), so I really hope it’s included in the final release. I’m just not sure how to feel about the way EDs and body image where described, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it at all.

Unrelated but, I was so stressed reading about the hurricane, and it gave me the worst ptsd from the description alone. As someone who has lived through back-to-back category 4 hurricanes, Maria and Irma (and will probably have to go through plenty more), that was… ugh 😅 a little too real.

On a more positive note, Rue, the Gals, and George Bailey were easily my favorite part of the book. Rue, especially. I loved how selfless she was, taking the boys in when they were little, and how she constantly gifted Katie colorful and eccentric clothes because she saw how hard Katie was on herself. I truly fell in love with her and how much of a boss lady she was. She is really living her best life, owning a bunch of houses and retiring with her friends close by. Truly the life I aspire to have. Honestly, I think Katie should’ve done a ‘Day in the Life’ of Rue and the Gals instead of Hutch. I thought that was going to happen after Hutch refused to do it.

Final Rating:
3 ⭐️
No Spice
* If you’ve read Katherine’s books before this should be no surprise.

Read if you like:
🚁 Forced proximity
🚁 Swimming lessons
🚁 Giant puppies
🚁 Personal growth

Thank you again for this opportunity! I’m always grateful when I get that ARC approval email, especially for one of my go-to authors for rom-coms and fun. Even though this one wasn’t my favorite, I’ll definitely keep reading Katherine’s new books—she is an auto-read author for me. If this sounds like your kind of story, give it a shot. Don’t let other people (aka me) who didn’t love it keep you from finding your next favorite read. 💕

Thanks so much to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in response for honest feedback! I am overjoyed I got to read this book early.

The Love Haters has moments that are so goofy and unserious at times that I was literally cackling out loud with laughter. I love the way that Katherine writes her characters and tells stories. It’s the perfect mix of funny and real, bundled with bits of wisdom that have you thinking deeper than just what the story tells you.

Throughout the book, the main character, Katie goes on a journey of accepting herself. She’s struggled with an eating disorder in the past and is still actively dealing with her perception of her physical self. This was so sad to read, but I really loved the way it was represented. I do think earlier bits in the story where she’s recounting her eating disorder would be triggering, so be aware! That being said, I loved watching the character growth Katie experienced.

Huge shoutout to Beanie, Katie’s best friend and cousin, who truly shows up as a best friend in this book. Often times I feel like romance books lack meaningful secondary characters, but Beanie was so important in driving Katie’s character growth and I really appreciated the realness she offered.

About 2/3 of the way into the book I was getting so sad that I didn’t have that much left because I wanted to continue to stay in it’s universe. Then right after that there was a major twist, where Katie gets caught in a bunch of lies. This was incredibly disappointing to me because it definitely threw a kink in where I thought the book was going. From that point forward the story turned into something I really wasn’t expecting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book even with the twist I didn’t see coming but it was so unserious (as I said before) that pieces of it made me laugh.

Also, I know I am rare in saying this, but I am not a fan of a long epilogue where it feels like the story is just being wrapped up with a bow. This is one of those books, which did make me feel more meh about it. However, I do love the way that this author bundles in advice into her work and the epilogue did contain a lot of that - which I do appreciate.

Overall 4 stars for me! I would recommend, even if a couple things fell off for me, I think this story is so well written and all the characters are super lovable.

This review is very very difficult to write. After completing the book I had to stop and sit on it for few days to figure out what it is about it that just fell flat for me. I’m a HUGE long time fan of Katherine Center. If she writes it I will read it. All of her stories can be formulaic with the typical romance tropes, but there’s almost always a little more emotional weight in her story than most authors. This story is the exception. The big emotional issue with the FMC: body issues. That’s it. She had a famous ex boyfriend which caused her to develop an eating disorder and body issues, and now she’s forced by her bestie to give praise to a body part every day. It isn’t that body dysmorphia isn’t a big issue, it’s the handling of the subject that didn’t sit right with me. You don’t just suddenly “get over” disordered eating like that. I feel like the author didn’t consult with experts and have sensitivity readers regarding that subject. On the other hand, the MMC, the main “Love Hater,” really just doesn’t know how to communicate and hasn’t dealt with some lingering childhood guilt in a healthy way. He’s a character that you WANT to swoon over, since he’s a handsome coast guard rescue swimmer and all, but his broodiness and childish behavior with his brother kinda dims his light just a bit for me. He is constantly being described by his frowny eyes, his frowny face, and his enormous Adam’s apple. And that’s about all we know about his looks. Most importantly, I did not like how the author basically had him abandon his sobriety so easily because his brother dared him to. It really didn’t make sense for the character or the situation.

The massive mid act conflict was absolutely RIDICULOUS but what was even more maddening is that the FMC just went along with it! She was smart and honest and truthful up until that moment, then she went and lost her dang mind. That entire plot just made me very VERY angry. THEN add in the hurricane in the mix. You’re telling me she’s in Key West and has a hot coastie in her life and a bunch of local old ladies who adopt her like family and NOBODY told her there was a hurricane coming and she needed to evacuate??? Everybody left without her! Look, I live in Florida. We allllllll know for days and days and days in advance that a hurricane is coming, whether it shifts track or not. We all get prepared. You cannot convince me NOBODY told her to leave until the hurricane was right on top of them. Again, having an expert in this area to consult with may have helped this plot point.

Yes, our FMC and MMC got their happily ever afters in the end, but it was a frustrating path to that end. This book just really fell flat for me, and that makes me really sad. I look forward to her books every year, but this one was a miss.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center could write the phone book and I'd be happy. I've been a fan since before she became so well known, and introduced her to many readers. This book does not disappoint. Her writing just gets better and better. Love this one!

I have yet to read a Katherine Center book which has not been amazing. This one might not have been as good as the rest, but still so very good. The hurricane was a little ridiculous, best not too think *too* hard about it, but it still worked in context and I still love the book.

Solid 4 stars for me.

The Love Haters had everything I hope to find in a rom-com: a good setting, multi-faceted main characters, funny banter, nice chemistry, and a bit of drama. The book was easy to read and hard to put down — I decided to read a couple of chapters (I was about 30% in) on my day off and ended up finishing the book.

You know the plot from the description, so I'm not going to retell it and will just move to my thoughts:

I didn't know much about the Coast Guard before this book. Now I still probably don't know much, but I felt like there was the right amount of detail to make the setting real.

Besides the main love story between Katie and Hutch, there's also a love story between Katie and her body. I think it was a good addition to the character, although it did feel like a "you don't know you're beautiful" situation in a few scenes with Hutch, especially in the scene after the bar.

Aunt Rue, the ex-chromophobe who now wears all colors of the rainbow, was great at getting Katie out of her shell and moving the plot.

I wish I had gotten to learn a bit more about Beanie: while she always called Katie, it felt like they only discussed Katie's problems, so all I knew by the end of the book was that Beanie lives in New Jersey and loves self-help literature (and that she has one weird repeated dream).

With all this said, it was a really enjoyable read and a nice dive (pun intended) into the profession of a rescue swimmer. This was my first book by Katherine Center, and I look forward to reading more. Thank you very much for the ARC!