Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
This one took me a minute to get into and I wasn’t sure that I was going to enjoy it. Somewhere along the way I was able to sink in. It’s not my favorite Katherine Center book and, based on the description, I was hoping it might be! Overall it was a decent read with fun characters that you found yourself rooting for.

Some of the storylines weren’t the most believable, so if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy that in your books - this isn’t the one for you. If you are open to whatever a fiction book might bring you, then it’s a pretty wholesome story.

It does explore some complex family trauma and personal struggles with body image and self-esteem. I personally felt as though that was resolved in an unsatisfactory way and it felt very sudden. There was also some dialogue in a conversation that seemed insensitive and flippant from another character. It almost gave off “it’s that easy” vibes about loving themselves.

I love Katherine Center and this book did not disappoint! At turns hysterical and emotional, I enjoyed the journey of self-love that Katie found herself on, and I’d love to hang out with Rue and the Glad at the Starlite.

I loved this story and think Katie and Hutch were hilarious and so entertaining.

I enjoyed getting to see Katie slowly love herself and her body, especially after dealing with the mean comments about her after her and her ex boyfriend’s breakup. I liked that she went out of her comfort zone to a project to hopefully save her job. Hutch was great- I liked that he was somewhat misunderstood and not as put offish as his brother made him out to be. Overall, the romance was good- although their relationship(?) didn’t really take off until towards the end, the chemistry was there throughout and it kept me reading until the very end.

I firmly believe that Katherine Center can do no wrong. I love absolutely everything she writes. I loved that this felt a little more like her previous "women's fiction with romance" novels. Katie and Hutch are an absolute delight and I related to Katie in so many ways! I always recommend the audio, Patti Murin does an incredible job bringing Center's books to life.

Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc and Macmillan Audio for my ALC. All opinions here are my own.

I unfortunately had to DNF this one at the 50% in mark. I just felt zero connection to the characters, and in turn, the romance. I also do not enjoy instalove and this one had major love-at-first-sight vibes. I just think this author might not be for me.

Thank you to @NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Love Haters was such a heartwarming read! Katie is thrust into the world of the US Coast Guard where she is hired to film a promo video. This is where she meets Hutch, a quiet Coast Guard who yearns to not be in the spotlight and be left alone. So of course these two develop great chemistry and a romantic interest forms. On top of the romance, there is also a story of learning to loveself before being able to love another. Overall, I recommend for everyone to read this when it comes out on 5/20/2025!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh how I loved this story! I loved it so much!

From the very beginning, I was hooked by Katie and Hutch’s witty banter and the delightful humor that Katherine Center always does so well. The chemistry between them was electric, full of charm and genuine connection. I absolutely adored Rue—her brightness, her fun spirit, and the energy she brought to every scene made her a standout. And yes, I even fell for George Bailey!

The setting in Key West was just perfection. I could practically feel the humid air, the warm sunshine, and see the crystal-clear water thanks to the vivid and immersive descriptions. The atmosphere added so much to the story and made it all the more enjoyable.

This book was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. It made me smile, laugh, and root hard for the characters. I 100% recommend The Love Haters—it’s romantic, funny, heartfelt, and everything you want in a feel-good read.

While I normally really enjoy Katherine Center's books, this one fell a little short for me. The author's note at the end of the book confirms what I thought - this felt like less of a romance novel and more of a self love story between Katie and her body. I kind of wish that had been noted at the beginning of the book instead of the end so I could have adjusted my perspective while reading. I just didn't love how the body issues Katie had been with dealing with since she was a teen, and often still referring to, happen to fully resolve within the few weeks the book took place once she realized that Hutch, the MMC, found her attractive. I also wanted more development between Katie and Hutch. Their attraction and relationship felt a bit rushed at times and I would have loved to see more of them really falling for one another.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Love Haters
By Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

I absolutely loved this book! I am a big fan of Center’s writing but this one exceeded my expectations!

This novel is about Katie a young videographer who is tasked with shooting a video of the coast guard… but she cannot swim! She flies to key west to start the job and realizes she did not have all the information from her colleague. There she develops a beautiful relationship with a fun group of ladies and Hutch, the star of the coast guard shoot she must complete. The story has everything romance, a huge dog, family drama and so much more! I just couldn’t stop reading/listening to it!

For me, the relationship Katie had with herself and her body really resonated with me, a few times through the book I found myself tearing up a bit! It is something I did not expect to find in a romance novel but am so happy I did!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the digital advanced readers and listeners copy!! The narrator of this audiobook - Patti Murin was amazing to listen to! I seek audiobooks she reads because I love her expressive her voice is! This novel will be published May 20, 2025! Add it to your TBR!!

3.5 stars

While I did have fun with most of this - Rue, her friends, George Bailey were all adorable - I didn't feel the full chemistry and the body imaging was so hard to read. Katherine Center seems to go all in on the inner body thoughts (and out loud thoughts in past books) that take up so much of the book and can be triggering for sure. The ending is bitter sweet in that area but I wish it was sooner and not discussed so much and this easily would have been a star higher. I look forward to seeing if that happens in her next work.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for access to an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center has a way of making you feel as if you’re fully immersed in the story, not just watching from the sidelines. The Love Haters is another great love story about loving our self and how in turn it allows us to love others better. The Love Haters is one of the best books I’ve read this year. A perfect beach read!!

Given her past, Katie isn’t a fan of love but instead criticizes herself and self worth. Katie takes a job in Key West, filming a documentary about a coast guard rescue swimmer, in an effort to save her career. Unbeknownst to Katie, this would be a life altering experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martens Press for the arc!!

I received an advance copy of Love Haters and absolutely loved this book. Another winner for this author that tells a unique love story while also being a book about friendship, found family, self-love - and bonus, there’s a dog! The story about Katie and Hutch contains plot lines I never saw coming, and valuable lessons you didn’t realize you needed right now. It helps that Katie was so relatable - I feel just like her in so many ways. So, as her new and old friendships grow and she continues to learn to love herself, I’m right there beside her experiencing the same thing. I would wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone looking for an enjoyable story that will heal your heart a bit while you simply enjoy the love story the author has created for us.

Katherine Center does it again with a rom-com I could not put down!
FMC Katie has body image issues, she dresses in all black, and doesn’t own a scale. This story line was handled beautifully by the author. And of course Katie learned to love herself and the way she looks.
Hutch is perfect, and he loves to be the hero. But this hero doesn’t like the attention of being a hero. I loved his character instantly. We all knew Hutch and Katie would end up together but the journey on how they got to that point was so much fun!
My favorite character was Rue! Loved her and her positivity. I loved how she also took ahold of Katie and helped Katie to come out of her shell. And who wouldn’t love George-Bailey???? But man, he needs to learn to not jump up and knock Katie over anymore.
Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC ebook. I will definitely be buying this book for my trophy shelf.

This has been the first book I’ve actually physically read in literally FOREVER. I’ve been an audiobook girly for almost a year now, and I’m glad that this was the book I read physically for the first time in a long time. This book probably had the most relatable FMC for me, I resonated with her story regarding her emotionally abusive stepmother so much. I resonated with her lack of confidence due to that abuse. It was SO incredibly relatable. Reading about everything she went through throughout the story felt as if I was reading a story about my own growth. Major props to Center for making this character so real, for so many people I’m sure. And can we talk about how hot Hutch sounded? I’d let him rescue me any day. The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me, is because there were just a lot of cringe “high school-ish” moments in my opinion. The age group of the characters felt more juvenile than what their ages actually were. But that’s just a personal pet peeve of mine in books and I genuinely think anyone who’s an avid romance reader would give this 5 stars in a heart beat. The overall message that Center conveyed throughout this story was just so uplifting and beautiful. The Love Haters releases on 5/20/2025, and I highly suggest you grab it, it could very well be your perfect read for summer!

The thing to know about KC is no matter what she writes about, it’s motivation is always going to be about joy! Katie and Hutch are Love Haters. Katie because she’s been burned in the past by a musician boyfriend who went big, cheated and left her behind. She’s also been subjected to bullying about her image, first from an impressionable young age having a stepmother tell her ‘suck in your stomach’ and online bullying from being with somebody famous. I thought Katie was a realistic woman struggling to love her body. I’m flabbergasted by many early reviews that didn’t like or understand her. Hutch has some baggage, and keeps to himself as a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. These two end up spending a lot of time together when Katie, a videographer, is sent to produce a promotional video for the Coast Guard. There is so much to love in this story, my only quibble keeping it from a full five stars, is the conflict around 65% that keeps these two from dating—so silly! Hutch’s rescue Great Dane, George Bailey, is the best! Narrated by the lovely, Patti Murin, thank you @macmillan.audio for the listen. Out 5/20 4.5 stars

I am a big fan of Katherine Center!! I love how she infuses her romances with humor and her characters - especially the fmc - are relatable. I've seen other feedback about how the body image insecurity storyline was too much. As someone who has dealt with body image insecurity, I wholeheartedly disagree. I think Katie was very well written and her issues were issues that so many of us face. I loved her!

The story was very sweet. Yes, Hutch might be considered a little too perfect. Who cares? Don't we all secretly pine for the perfect match? The ending might be considered a little over the top, but I was personally cheering for it to happen.

I loved everything about this book, even the contrived wrench in the romance that keeps them apart. The story was fun. I now want to retire to Key West and live in a bungalow with Rue and The Gals.

If you are a fan of Katherine's other books, you will love this one too. I'd rate it higher than 5 stars if I could.

Thank you to NetGalley for and ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely fantastic. If you want a feel good romcom, Katherine Center can’t miss. The chemistry between her characters is unmatched.

I was so excited to get an ARC of The Love Haters because I loved The Rom-Commers SO much. However, I was unable to finish reading this book because it dealt extensively with body image issues which was not mentioned in the description. This was very triggering for me at this time.

I enjoyed that this was an enemies-to-lovers love story first and foremost between Katie and her body. I’m a long time fan of this trope in romance and a Katherine Center enthusiast. Center tends to put a lot of care into crafting her characters, writing a lot of detail and backstory of their struggles and journeys. We got that in the Katie and Hutch characters and even felt empathy for another character (Cole) who was hard to like for a good part of the story.

The name of this book is fantastic. It’s such a good title. While this isn’t my favorite of Center’s novels, I appreciated that she explored and went deep on body image and negative perceptions that Katie held regarding her weight. This book also touches upon the ills of social media and cyber bullying behaviors which are relevant in our times and how that can affect self-image for the worse.

The slow build of the friendship to lovers trope between Hutch, a Coast Guard search and rescue expert and Katie, a videographer sent to do a recruitment video about the Coast Guard featuring him was a beautiful setup. I especially warmed to the additions of Rue, Hutch’s “aunt”, and her joie de vivre with the other lady friends who live together and George Bailey, Hutch’s rescue dog who has thunder phobia.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I love Katherine Center, but this one wasn't my favorite. It's still a fun read and it kept me good company, but I really miss the stronger female leads she's written in the past and felt she undercut her MC's intelligence here.