Katie Vaughn’s job as a video producer is on the line, so she must do whatever she can to prove her worth. Her coworker, Cole, offers her a gig to make a promo video for the Coast Guard following a rescue swimmer named Hutch. Katie jumps at the opportunity even though she has no idea how to swim. Cole also suggests that while Katie is there, she should try to convince Hutch to be a subject in her “Life in the Day Of” series, her side hobby where she highlights female heroes. This is the video she believes will save her job. Katie has no idea that this life changing opportunity will change her life in more than one way.

Love Haters is exactly what I would expect out of a Rom Com. Katie finds herself in hilarious situations while falling in love with. One of my favorite scenes is when Katie shows up to the pool to take a Coast Guard swimming test in a “sexy bathing suit” instead of a more practical athletic swimsuit. She ends up showing a little more than she is comfortable with. My one critique of this book is that there were too many things going on in the storyline. I thought that Katie getting wrapped up in Cole’s lie in the middle of the book was frustrating and unnecessary, it really took away from the romance storyline.

I am a fan of Katherine Center. I really enjoyed The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger. Love Haters did not quite meet the mark for me. As I was nearing the end of the book, I was sure that I would be rating it three stars. I had a change of heart after reading the Author’s Note. Katherine shared that when you are reading a really great story, you are not just watching it from the outside, you are literally in the story. I have to admit that this was true for me. I didn’t love all of it, but I was in it. I was right there with Katie and Hutch. I could see, feel, hear and smell all of it! For this reason, my official rating is a four.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review. My review can also be found on Goodreads, http://goodreads.com/sara_chisholm.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Love Haters in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center is never a miss, with witty banter full of depth. And always bright with laughter “Are ordinary ankles that mesmerizing? That sleek? That sophisticated?”

As universal and relatable as body image issues are, I found it difficult to connect with Katie’s motivations. I closed the book feeling like I needed more time with Hutch and Katie, who it seemed went from flirtatious to loves of each other’s lives too quickly; this reader wanted more build up, more longing. The chemistry was undoubtedly there, it just needed more time to brew.

I’ll always pick up a Katherine Center book and The Rom-Commers is one of my all time favourite reads.

All meet cute and no meat.

The body image self loathing side plot? Garbage.
Awful humans outnumber the good ones. 0 chemistry whatsoever. It ended and I was like do they even actually like each other?

I only finished because of George Bailey.

I'm a huge fan of Katherine Center. This was my third book by her and I did like it but it wasn't my favorite out of the three I've read. I went between the digital and audiobook for this one. The audiobook was narrated by Patti Murin who also narrated Center's other books and even some other audiobooks I loved. She's always a joy to listen to.

Katie is a video producer who needs something good to get her career back on track. She heads to Key West to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, who is her coworker's brother. He is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. She lies about knowing how to swim to get the job done.

This was a fun, light-hearted rom-com. There were some funny parts, and I did obviously love the Key West setting. Key West is my favorite place to visit. Like basically heaven in Paradise. Lol. Overall, a decent, feel good book. Just not my favorite by her.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

(warning, this review is gonna be a THIC and jUiCy one😋)

☆4 stars☆

now playing: over my head (cable car)- the Fray
0:35 ━❍──────── -5:32
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

♫“With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind”♫
Spice❣︎ 1/ 5 (two kisses, allusion to side characters hooking up)
Violence/gore❣︎ 2/ 5 (a fight and some minor none severe blood injuries)
Language❣︎ 2/ 5 (shit, ass, fvck, pretty infrequent besides the last 40 pages)
Other❣︎ grief, loss of parents, loss of SO, talk of past anorexia, body image, BED (i believe so…idek, from my own experiences that's what it looked like but please correct me if not!), drunk driving, i think that's it!
For age i’d recommend 14+ for the heaviorish themes, just my personal tho!!<3
♫“I wish you were a stranger I could disengage”♫
ChArAcTeRs❣︎
Katie~ while reading this all i wanted to do was hug her and tell her it would be okay…idc if she’s a grown adult and i’m a fourteen year old crying in my room over a book…she is ME. When I say I want to be felt by a character, this is what I mean. I’ve never related to a character more…..
Hutch~ I love this man. He isn’t here to validate her, or “complete” her, he is here to MAKE HER HAPPY. To compliment her. I want this kind of love….
Rue~ AHHH ADOPT ME. oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Katherine center are you trying to break me???? I love her so much. Her immediately taking Katie in and helping her find herself and caring for her! Ahhhh i love this woman, her story as well….oh my goshhhhhhh
George Bailey (ofc he gets a mention!!!)~ my boi. Imo he is the hero, he is the main character energy. I wanna go adopt a great dane now.
Cole & sullivan~ ngl hated how they got together…. But i think they lowk fit well. A book abt them would be appreciated;)
Beanie~ bestie. We love her, she is the definition of friendship. I love love love her sm.
♫“Everyone knows I'm in Over my head, over my head With eight seconds left in overtime She's on your mind, she's on your mind“♫
༺Synopsis༻
Katie Vaughn is a Video producer on the brink of getting fired, when her colleague offers her the option to go to the keys to film for “the love hater“ Hutch, she jumps aboard in effort to redeem her Job but quickly catches unwanted feelings for him, his dog, and his whole family.
♫”I'm losing you and it's effortless, Without a sound we lose sight of the ground”♫

༺my thoughts༻
My thoughts? Buy this book. I’m literally gonna count the days til release so i can purchase a physical copy. I felt so emotionally attached while reading this, the subplots are so so written to which i cared equally to them as to the romance. The side characters all leave sm impact and the relationships with the main characters…chefs kiss.

꧁my favorite quotes꧂
“It was such an odd idea, when you think about it: that I could hurt the world back by hurting myself.”
““No one’s born fearless,” Rue said. “You have to earn it.” Then she added, gesturing at the swimsuit dangling from my hand, “Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time. That’s what life is for.”
“If you don’t reject the harsh things people say to you, then I guess, at some point, that means you accept them.”
“I DIDN’T NEED A RESCUE SWIMMER TO THINK I WAS BEAUTIFUL. I COULD DO THAT FOR MYSELF.”
(in all caps for anyone who thinks this is just a book abt a woman desiring validation, BECAUSE IT ISNT POOKIE WOOKIES😋)
“Hutch went on. “You’re a TV jingle you never wanted to learn, but can’t erase. You’re a puzzle that can’t be solved—or a question that can’t be answered—or a dream you wake up from that feels like it really happened. But it didn’t happen. And it can’t happen. Because that’s not how dreams work.”
“And now I have. We’re here to be alive. To feel the sun on our skin. To breathe deep in the wind. We’re here to feel it all. To love and cry and love some more. We’re here to rescue ourselves—and everybody else—in every way that we can. What was it Rue said about courage? That no one’s born fearless? It’s true.”

♫“Everyone knows she's on your mind, Everyone knows I'm in over my head“♫
💕 now for recognition and thanks to my bestie Ari who buddy read this with me, but also thank you for being the Beanie in my life, who constantly makes me feel worthy of this special little life😭

Induction & playlist:)
READ THIS BOOK. Case closed.
Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1DCWQrQPIaDqBPEJuLyuJj?si=qty9iPr0TPGbzPwjDMqlIg&pi=DXhC1tujT8y0W

Katherine Center has done it again! I absolutely devoured this rom com and started packing my bags for the Keys before I was event done. I did have some iffy moments with this one though.

What I liked: I loved so much about this book! First of all, it's rare to find a main character with my first name (Katie), so that made me like it immediately. I also love the tie in to Key West. I had one of my favorite vacations there several years ago and I am dying to get back to those islands. I really felt like I was back on the island, walking the streets among the palm trees and rogue roosters. If only I could rent a beach house from Rue! Speaking of Rue, I absolutely loved her as a character! Honestly, I loved her more than Katie. Her personality is everything I want to be when I grow up and I love her outlook on color.

What I didn’t like: There were some parts I thought weren't quite so flushed out. I don't know how much of the famous ex storyline was needed. I think just having him be a controlling ex to help shape the body issues storyline was fine, but I thought it would play more into the end of the novel than it did. He wrote a whole song about her and wanting her back but didn't actually reach out? I thought he would show up and we would have this love triangle. I would have enjoyed that more than the fake dating with her coworker. That was the other part I wasn't thrilled about. It felt a little thrown in there last minute for me. While I had those issues with the book, I still gave it a high ranking and still enjoyed reading it! Maybe I just had high expectations after being blown away by The Rom-Commers?

Read if you like: a summer rom com that will transport you to the Florida Keys and make you want to fake drowning so a hot coast guard swimmer will rescue you (don't actually do this, please).
Would I recommend?: Absolutely!

Star rating: 4 stars

The Love Haters by Katherine Center was, unfortunately, a mixed experience for me, landing at a 3-star rating. As a longtime fan of Center’s work, I went into this book with high expectations, but it just didn’t fully click for me.

The humor, which is usually a strong point in her books, felt forced and unnatural at times, making it hard to fully engage with the story. I also struggled to connect with Katie, our female lead. Her body image insecurities were a key part of her character arc, but they became repetitive to the point of frustration. While I completely understand the importance of self-acceptance themes in romance, the way it was handled made it difficult to stay invested.

Additionally, Beanie—the quirky cousin/friend—felt like an odd character choice, and instead of adding charm, she often felt out of place. The romance itself didn’t feel entirely believable, lacking the natural chemistry and emotional depth that I usually love in Center’s novels.

I truly hate giving a lower rating to an author I admire, but The Love Haters simply didn’t work for me. That being said, I know every reader connects with books differently, so while this wasn’t a hit for me, others may still find it enjoyable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A disappointing read from an otherwise beloved author, with forced humor and an underwhelming romance.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rom-com deliciousness! This book is a great reminder to order anything that Katherine Center writes. She is a master at serving up the perfect amount of romantic dilemmas mixed with witty banter to have you falling in love with her characters one page at a time.
Publishing just in time for beach read season!

*I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

“We’re here to be alive. To feel the sun on our skin. To breathe deep in the wind. We’re here to feel it all. To love and cry and love some more.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an eARC of “The Love Haters” by Katherine Center. I read “The Rom-Commers” last year and enjoyed it, so I was really excited to read this one as well.

As far as characters go, I really enjoyed out FMC Katie and the MMC Hutch, but the real stars of the show were The Gals and George Bailey! I loved the found family aspect and the ending was fantastic!!! Katie had so much character growth.

I don’t love the miscommunication trope, so that was a big aspect for me that hindered with my complete enjoyment of this story. However, the summer vibes of this story are going to be something that will make you want to pick this book up in June for sure.

This was such a fun book. I really like that the author is adding in extra depth with other completely normal problems. The miscommunication was really messy with the brother involved, but I ended up being ok with that included.

I dont have my posting schedule made for May quite yet, but I will share this title on my instagram at www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads shortly before publication day.

Katherine Center fans will be happy with this one! It's a cute romantic comedy with some fun twists.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

Grateful to have had the opportunity to read the audio that is narrated by one of my favourites - Patti Murin who helped bring this lacklustre story to life.

I absolutely love when authors include commentary on very real issues, especially those that are considered kind of taboo to discuss. THE LOVE HATERS centres around body image and as someone who struggles with this herself I wanted so desperately to connect with Katie’s story, however I found her self-love journey to be extremely cliché and unoriginal! It honestly felt like I was reading a manual on body image that they would have regurgitated to us in a middle school health class…

The romance between Katie and Hutch lacked chemistry, the most interesting and heart warming parts of this relationship revolving around Hutch’s dog…

The conflict between the brothers was petty and the resolution felt equally immature.

Overall, a disappointing read.
I have enjoyed previous works from this author but her I’m starting to think her style of romcom just might not be for me!

This book how can you not love it!!! Katie is a videographer in a company in Dallas. When she is given a chance to go and make a video about the Coast Guard she is dreading it but makes the best of it! Cole her boss send her to do a promotional video to get people to join up with a tiny little tid bit it’s his older brother hutch. As Katie gets to key west she is haunted by body image and her famous ex boyfriend and online trolls. Beanie Katie best friend tries to encourage her to look at the bright side of it all!

I love this book! It make me laugh and it’s just what I need I highly recommend!! So go buy it now!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a fan of Katherine Center’s books for a while, so I was excited to read her latest book. I can say that it is what I would expect. But I will also state that it was not my favorite of her books.

The story of Katie, who is rebuilding her life after a breakup and is on the verge of losing her job. She accepts an assignment to shoot a promotion about the Coast Guard focusing on the brother of one of her colleagues. Of course, the brother, Hutch is perfect. But he is also described as a “Love Hater,” which Katie also considers herself to be. Of course, none of what she expects to happen does.

It is the typical hi-jinks and HEA story. It was entertaining, and there are aspects that are explained later in the book that help the story make sense.

I was a little put off by the body image insecurities that were immediately expressed by the main character. There was some positive outcome with this, but it sat a little weird with me.

Will I continue to read books by the author? Yes! Was this a fav? No!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Katie Vaughn can't swim, but in an effort to save her job, her coworker convinces her to film a promo video for the USCG and profile rescue swimmer Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson...who happens to be his brother.
—-
I'm torn over this book. There was so much potential, but ultimately, it didn't fully click for me.

Katie is recovering from an eating disorder and struggles with body image. This felt like such a big focus of the story that a trigger warning should be included (especially when we're given an example of her calorie counting). Her self-doubt and insecurities took center stage, making it hard to connect with her. And while I know the real love story is supposed to be between Katie and her body, it felt like she relied too much on others to push her forward.

Then, things in Key West just got messy. Unnecessary lies, random drama, and slapstick moments made it feel all over the place. I was half expecting Katie's ex to pop in to make more drama! And while Hutch is very much a good guy, he lacked depth making the romance fall flat for me.

That said, there were fun, laugh out loud moments that kept me entertained! It's just the mix of a heavy topic with the lightness of the story didn't quite work.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of The Love Haters.

I’ve read a lot of Katherine center books and tend to love them. This book took me about 30% to want to read it. I do like the main characters of Katie and hutch and especially aunt rue. I think at the beginning it didn’t seem as authentic.

I like the overall storyline and the way they come together in the end. George Bailey of course steals the show.

this book really frustrated me, the way the author dealt with what is clearly an eating disorder in the main character was flippant and harmful imho. Also her ogling the male lead constantly and only talking about hot he was was very annoying to me.

Katherine Center does it again! Relatable characters with character development throughout. A fun and engaging romance full of humor while still hitting deep topics of self worth, bravery, grief and family. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end - it really pulled it all together for me.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I'm a fan of Katherine Center, and this book was another fun ride, but unfortunately, from time to time, I did feel that there were too many subtopics to tackle and that nearer to the end some ideas for the characters felt a bit forced/ contrived. However, it is still a solid romance, and a light beach read. I must state I read the ebook and audiobook in tandem. I got invested in most of the main and supporting characters and I loved the dog George Bailey. The love story was still entertaining and the rescue job aspect was well done. Overall, a quick and easy read.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I! LOVE! KATHERINE! CENTER! This author can do no wrong in my eyes. This story is wonderful -- the tension, the pacing, the side plots and other characters... I need another book by Katherine immediately! Katie and Tom's relationships and respective backstories have so much realness and depth to them and I subconsciously find myself comparing all other rom-coms to the standard that Katherine sets in her books. Escapsim at its finest while simultaneously being rooted in reality. This book made me feel all the feels, including laughing out loud multiple times. Read this!!