DNF @ 6% - getting the ick from all the diet culture talk in the second chapter, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get better thanks to other reviews/feedback. This is a dealbreaker for me, unfortunately.

Thanks St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for the review copies.

"You couldn't hate love, could you? Was that even allowed?"
"Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time."
"Proving once again that sometimes it's worth it to take a risk on love"

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center's novels. I call them "feel-good" books. The Love Haters is her newest work and does not diasappoint. Katie Vaughn has been hurt in love. She's insecure about her body image and her job as a videographer may be on the line. Her boss, Cole, sends her to Key West to do a documentary on his hero brother, Hutch. The scenery was vivid and I felt like I was there with Katie, as she began her adventure and found the courage to love herself and maybe, find love again. George Bailey, the dog, stole the story. I laughed and I cried along with The Hutcheson family and Katie! How happy I am to have received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press! These opinions are solely my own!

3.5 stars rounded up. I LOVED the first half and it felt so real and relatable. The second half felt like a weird journey where they tried to put a few plots in real time to choose an ending. I still thought overall it was a cute and addicting read, but I would’ve liked a more fluid ending.

Katherine Center is one of my top romance authors because she writes characters that are real and relatable. Her newest, “The Love Haters” was kind of a disappointment. I struggled getting past some of the flaws of the MC due to the fact that she didn’t seem to grow or develop…until the very end. There are other parts that drove me mad as well but would be spoilers. A swing and a miss but I will continue to pick up Center’s books.

Entertaining little rom com. A sweet story about love, loss, self-esteem and overcoming your fears. I found myself laughing out loud frequently. Some really loveable characters including a Great Dane, a spunky aunt & her group of retired fun friends, the Gals. This is a perfect read for a vacation or weekend getaway.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

After a breakup in the public eye, Katie has to make the decision of a lifetime to save her career when her friend Cole suggests that she profiles his brother. Hutch is in the Coast Guard which Katie is reluctant to do because she can’t swim.

After making the decision to not sit and possibly get laid off, Katie head to Key West to profile Hutch and is immediately drawn to his good looks. Will she be able to separate work and attraction to get the job done? Or will the attractiveness and the ability of not being able to swim play a key factor in the project not getting done?

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

Look, if this was a movie I would watch it EVERY time it was on TV.

It's just one of those amazing stories with heart, humour and a fantastic dog. What more could you ask for?

The Love Haters is a true romcom, set in the Florida Keys with an unlikely duo (a coast guard and a girl who can't swim). Katie's insecurities were also handled incredibly well and honestly, I think we all need a Beanie in our corner.

Just go read this book and let a little colour into your life ❤️

This is the perfect book for a day at the pool or the beach. Set in Key West, this is the story of Katie Vaughn, a video producer who wants to feature a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who shies from the spotlight. I wouldn't really classify this as their romance. Yes, they become a couple, but without his perspective or open-door love scenes, their romance falls flat. We're told a lot about their falling in love instead of witnessing it. The story does deliver on Katie's journey to self-love. Some reviewers are critical of Katie's low self-esteem, and I can see how incomprehensible her preoccupation with her looks would be unless they've experienced for themselves constant criticism from a parent. Those of us who have been there, get it.

This story is perfect for people who enjoy
-a light read
-a unique storyline
-a cast of Golden Girls
-found family
-a loveable four-legged character

This was my third Katherine Center book and she did not disappoint.

The first thing that I noticed when I started this book was that it was extremely funny and it kept being funny through the whole storyline. The banter between all the characters was so fun because this was more than a romance. The romance is honestly a subplot but something that you still get to enjoy, but it spoke more about the love between yourself and your body and also about the complicated relationships of family.

Our main character Katie struggled with body image and also the complicated relationship of showing yourself on the media. I loved how she ended up appreciating her body for what it was and not for how society deemed it to be or how she thought she should look like compared to other people. On another note, our male main character Hutch, also learned a lot about his family and that while it might not be traditional or perfect, all that matters is the love you have.

Finally, loved the dog in this book. I think when you make an animal part of the plot it just makes it a thousand times better. I would totally recommend this book for spring and summer, just you, the book and a pool. ✨

Have I become a Love Hater?. Not a chance! I absolutely love…LOVE!❤️

The premise:
Katie Vaughn is about to lose her job as a video producer. Her only hope is accepting an assignment that will take her to the Florida Keys. Gee, that doesn't sound so bad!
Katie is tasked with putting together a piece on a headline making Coast Guard rescue swimmer named, “Hutch”. He’s super cute, loves animals, (having saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog) and the internet instantly falling in love with him. Sounds perfect, right!? Well…not so fast!
The job does require some filming on and over the water in the rescue helicopter, and guess what...Katie can’t swim! Details, details! That’s not going to stop our Katie!

My thoughts are a bit mixed.

Let me explain:
There is a strong theme of body positivity throughout this read. And while I was happy to see its inclusion, it overshadowed most of the read.

The romance itself also fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t care for Hutch’s character, and felt he was cruel in how he spoke and treated Katie. Why she would want a man who treated her this way was beyond me! There was nothing endearing about this man.

The saving grace for me was Rue, the feisty “aunt” who raised both Hutch and his brother! I wanted to move to Florida and move into her condo complex. Drinks by the pool, ladies!😎🍹

And of course, I can’t forget George Bailey, the Great Dane! I’m in puppy love!❤️ (He actually displayed more love than our leading man Hutch!)🙊

🎧: With having both the digital and audio versions, the audio won out! I would definitely recommend that format! Patti Murin was exceptional as always!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio

Katherine Center is a hit or miss, for me. I've liked a few of her books, didn't love any of them, and then there were others I disliked.
This one is somewhere in between like and dislike. It's OKAY. This is a proclaimed ROM-COM. There was plenty of romance, but I didn't laugh a single time. Where was the COM, Katherine? I actually kind of found the characters annoying. Katie was insufferable. Too much ogling, and not enough action. She was too in her head, which i found really annoying. I do that enough for both of us, Katie, I don't need to read about you doing it, too.
Hutch was an alright love interest, but he wasn't memorable. I feel like I'll forget all about these characters in just a few days.
The only exception, was Rue. Hutch's aunt was the eccentric, loving aunt we all wish we had. But even she didn't save this book.

Okay, so can I just quit my job and move to a cottage on key west to live with Rue and her gals!?
I loved everything about this book! Rue’s personal struggles were super relatable, Hutch’s backstory and character 💔🥰 And I think Rue & her gals were my favorite part!
Katherine Center’s signature charm, laughter, tears, and a side of real life struggles.

In the midst of a massive layoff in the company she works at, filmmaker Katie Vaughn is offered an opportunity to make a promotional video for the US Coast Guard in Key West by a colleague/superior that has the potential of saving her job. Of course, she jumps at the chance even if she has to stretch the truth quite a bit.
Unfortunately, our heroine is a little self-conscious, not a good liar and seems to attract bad luck on her trip down arriving at her destination without her luggage, wet and stained which will cause an impromptu shopping trip with her larger than life hostess/landlady during her visit, that will end on an unexpected meeting with her subject, rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson.
Once again, Ms. Center has hit me over with a great story. These characters are both lost in their life struggles and it takes a lot of the exposure therapy mentioned along the book to get them to find their way and an act of God for them to truly find each other.
I really enjoyed the story and think the author’s writing is flawless especially the level of detail placed on the USCG day to day efforts and training. The secondary characters, especially Rue and George Bailey (though he might be a MC) are true gold and I think one has to love a beautiful story about a true-life hero and a woman who can find herself in the midst of chaos.

I have to say I did like this book more than romcommers but I had higher hopes for this book. I’ve seen mixed reviews but I’m happy to see people are enjoying it.

The first book was too slow in my opinion but it did pick up and become enjoyable during the second half.

Katie is going through a rough patch. She has to wait to be laid off from her job or lie about knowing how to do another job to be able to get a job. P.s. Katie applies to work with the coast guard and she can’t swim. Hutch is the brother of Katie’s annoying coworker Cole. Hutch basically has to help Katie learn how to swim and do everything to be able to survive.

I love a grumpy sunshine/friends to lovers trope but the FMC had a lot of issues that consumed the first part of this book and it was low-key obnoxious.

Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for a chance to read this book for free in return for free before it’s released. Pub date: 5/20/25

Please check TW’s as well, this book is full of them.

After the implosion of her engagement, Katie is struggling a bit with her self worth. Now her job is on the line, and she has two choices. Lose her job, or take a gig making a profile of “Hutch.” Hutch is a coast guard rescue swimmer and has had some time in the spotlight, and hates the spotlight. Katie doesn’t know how to swim, but doing a profile for someone that hates the spotlight, and doing it in bodies of water won’t be a problem right?

A main character with my name is so fun! I do have to start by saying that I hated how hard Katie was on her body. It didn’t feel like that was handled in the best way, though I know that 90% of women have felt that way about themselves at one time or another. I really loved Hutch, and the tension between him and Katie was fabulous! Cole…well I don’t want to get into my feelings on him! While I enjoyed this one overall, I had higher hopes for it.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of this book!

I quite enjoyed this one. There was parts that I was little annoyed by the FMC and her body issues, but this is a very real issue. Overall it was light, fun and made me smile.

This book focuses on a documentary filmmaker and a coast guard rescuer who are forced to work together through a series of lies. Naturally, sparks begin to fly early on in their relationship. This book was my first Katherine Center even though I have others on my TBR and I flew through it in 24 hours.

I enjoyed both main characters but the side characters living at the "motel" (and of course the dog) really added to the story. I found the first half a bit predictable (but in the best way) as there is something comforting about romances that follow an established pattern. However that definitely changed later in the book with some unanticipated twists.

I really enjoyed the first 50% of the book but the next 25% was a bit of a struggle. I didn't enjoy the brothers' relationship and found a couple scenes with them could have been handled differently or excluded, especially when it came to peer pressure.

Overall none of my complaints stopped me from finishing the book on the same day.. If you are someone who reads trigger warnings I would recommend checking them out before picking it up as the book touches on some topics that could be triggering.

Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up below)

Lighthearted rom-com is a favorite of mine. This fit right into that genre perfectly.
Aunt Rue was a favorite character of mine along with George Bailey. Now, you must now one of the characters is a Great Dane.
The story flows and has a great message within about body positivity and body image. Let’s not forget the moments of laughter.
Four stars all around and a must read for Katherine Center fans.
Thank you NetGalley for gifted copy.

Have yet to read a KC book that I won’t rave about. I love the depth to her characters and their lives. I am a forever fan of Katherine

I am a big Katherine Center fan and was excited to grab an ARC of The Love Haters! I did enjoy the overall book, but felt that it was lacking some character depth overall. It seemed like we had barely touched the surface level of Hutch in particular. I did enjoy the Author's Note at the end and it helped to clarify some of the plot of the book for me personally. Overall it's what one expects from a rom-com and I was left happy at the end, as one should be.