The real enemies-to-lovers story that takes place is between Janie and herself! The Love Haters shows great character growth as Janie learns to love and change the narrative she has about her own body and self-worth. This growing confidence shines and makes each interaction with Hutch (the mmc) even more wonderful and sweet. Set in West Key, Florida, Janie is sent to film Hutch, a US Coast Guard, and make a promotional video for coast guard school. As they spend more time together with swim lessons, filming, carpooling and evenings spent with Hutch's aunt, their attraction blooms and even though neither has had a good experience with love, they must choose whether to be brave or miss out on the love of their life.

(Note: there is little spice, and has closed door scenes)

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I. Love. Katherine. Center.

I have a solid space on my bookshelf for romantasy and smut, but there is just some level of laugh out loud love and wholesome relatability to every single #KatherineCenter book that I have read. Did I squeal when #netgalley sent the approved #arc alert? I might have. But not as loud as I did when I fell for George Bailey and all of the things he loves the most. In a world riddled with heavy and sad things, do yourself a favor and jump on this train - you won't regret it!

5 stars. SO MANY THOUGHTS:

"The Love Haters" tells the story of Katie, a videographer from Dallas, Texas, who has always struggled with her body image and self-acceptance. She travels to Florida to film a promotional video highlighting the US Coast Guard's rescue work. There, she meets Hutch, a stoic and duty-bound US Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Their initial interactions are marked by awkwardness and misconceptions, especially after a rather embarrassing encounter involving a swimsuit and butt splinters. However, as they spend more time together, Katie begins to see a different side of Hutch – a kind, understanding, and surprisingly funny man. Through their growing connection, and with the support of her found family, Katie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to embrace her body, find joy in life's simple pleasures, and open her heart to love.

Katherine Center's "The Love Haters" is a heartwarming and delightful read that will leave you smiling long after you turn the final page. I found myself smiling, laughing out loud, and even getting giddy over these two. Katie, our relatable protagonist, is on a journey many of us can understand: learning to love herself. Her struggles with body image are portrayed with honesty and sensitivity, which was necessary considering so many women navigate these issues. Her transformation from a woman trapped in everything monochrome to someone who embraces the full spectrum of life's colors PLUS her willingness to learn and be taught new things without being too proud? 5 stars. I would be her friend.

It's a journey of self-acceptance that resonated deeply with me. Kindness to ourselves is also an important love story as we see in Katie’s monologue to herself: “…I bullied you. I picked on you like the meanest mean girl in the world. I made you hate yourself. I sucked the joy out of everything—walking down the street, or eating a BLT, or just sitting in the sun. I should have taken you swimming and let you float in the water. I should have let you relax. I should have stood up for you. I should have admired you, and enjoyed you, and kept you company, and celebrated you.”

Hutch, the stoic Coast Guard hero, is a great match for her. While initially perceived as reserved and duty-bound, he gradually reveals a depth of kindness, understanding, and humor that made me want his point of view the whole time I was reading. Having the first person POV helped to solidify his stoic character and further proved how much of this story wasn’t just their love story but Katie’s journey toward loving herself.

The found family aspect of the story is another highlight. Center beautifully illustrates how love isn't confined to romantic relationships; it's found in the safety and connection found in friends and chosen family. The warmth and camaraderie among Katie's people create a sense of belonging that makes this book feel like coming home after a long time away.

I see the negative reviews. I see that you’re upset that “KaTiE nEedS a MAn tO lOvE heRSelF.” You guys are going to be ok. In fact, I challenge you and say you’re overlooking the beauty of human connection. It was when Katie came to the figurative end of herself that she had a revelation of the self-love she needed her entire life. Sure, did Hutch confirm these things when she needed to hear them? Yes. He helped understand her worth. But he wasn’t there when she truly and deeply understood it and it changed her life. This begs the more important point that we are humans and we need each other. I want to depend on the people around me. Humans thrive in community, in partnership, in collaboration. We learn the best when we work together. His recognizing her worth doesn't diminish her own self-discovery; it reflects the natural human tendency to heal and grow alongside others. "The Love Haters" beautifully portrays this dynamic of humbling ourselves to learn from one another, to hear truth from others before we cling on to it and make it our own, and to grow together.

Some fun things you’ll find in this read:
🕶️ US Coast guard rescue swimmer hero
👙 relatable female main character
🕶️ kick-your-feet and swoon-worthy story
👙 she doesn’t know how to swim, he teaches her
🕶️ swimsuit mishap
👙 butt splinter removal upon second interaction
🕶️ a man who looks great in sunglasses
👙 found family
🕶️ importance of friends who tell you the truth and hold you accountable

"The Love Haters" is a 5-star read that proves that true love can be both for ourselves and others.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expect this book on shelves when it’s published on May 20, 2025!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a pretty quick read and probably her best out of the last few new releases, but her older books are better in my opinion. I liked the characters, but there was not enough romance for me. I liked the storyline but wished we got an even more from Rue and maybe Beanie in person.

Would recommend.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for this review copy.
Katherine Center has really taken a dive off the deep end into wonderfully written romance books. I have LOVED all of her most recent works and whoever designs the covers? Slay.

For me, this was just okay. This is my least favorite from KC, but still enjoyable. It had very good moments but I found it was slow overall

2.5⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had some good moments but was overall underwhelming. The opening scene was ridiculous and way too long. There was a lot of telling and not showing. It was too short to really develop the characters, so I didn’t feel a connection between the fmc and mmc. Not a favorite.

Unfortunately this was my least favorite Katherine Center book I've read. However, it's still pleasant and would make a great beach read.

3⭐️

Not sure why this book was called “The Love Haters” honestly as there wasn’t really that much love hating going on. This book was such a roller coaster for me: Not in the “exhilarating alternating moments of fear and pure excitement” kind of way, but in the “this part isn’t half bad, but the next chapter is garbage” kind of way. At times it was a cute little romance novel between a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and a documentary videographer . At other times it felt like a 16 year old’s fan fic between a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and the “gorgeous but doesn’t know it” ex of Justin Bieber. Somethings were just totally unrealistic and implausible.

There were some deep topics in the MMC Hutch’s background that were totally glazed over due to the tone of this book and the fact that they were overshadowed by the FMC Katie’s constant insecurities. Katie has a multitude of phobias and body issues that occupy at least 30% of this book and that she should’ve probably sought professional help for instead of the daily phone calls with her cousin. While important topics, they were just the parts of the novel I liked the least.

If you exclusively read clean romances, you’ll probably enjoy this one more than I did. High School Me would’ve probably loved this.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been in a reading slump for the past month and this book helped me get out of it. I devoured this book in 5 hours. I loved the relationship between Hutch and Katie. And George Bailey, what a great touch. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Katherine Center is one of my auto-buy authors, so I knew I was in for a good time with The Love Haters. For some foolish reason, I still started it later than I should have, figuring I'd read for a few hours and go to bed. Mistakes were made - there was no sleep until I got to the end!

One of the things I've always loved about KC is her ability to infuse so much humor into how the characters handle their emotional wounds. Katie's (very relatable) battle with her swimsuit is also laugh-out-loud (and get judged by the sleeping cat) hilarious. And while we're told to expect Hutch to be zero fun, he has a sly sense of humor that peeks through even in the middle of disaster. And who doesn't love a hot rescue swimmer with a giant dog who insists on keeping a little extra "padding" to enhance snuggle time?

At times delightfully chaotic, The Love Haters is full of laughs, ruminations on family & what exactly it means to love yourself, and how your views on yourself spill over into your relationships with others. I also really enjoyed the different families, found & blood, and the inclusion of older characters living their absolute best lives (The Gals would be an absolute blast to sip sangria with!)

I absolutely loved this book! The story follows Katie, a video producer, who meets a fellow “love hater” while working. The two bond over their skepticism about love, but as they get to know each other, their journey toward self-love and healing begins. The story strikes the perfect balance between humor and heart, making it an easy and enjoyable read from start to finish.

The setting in Florida is the cherry on top - its sunny, laid back vibe creates the ideal backdrop for a feel-good romance, making it a perfect for summer read!

Katherine Center’s books are always so much fun and a breeze to read! I absolutely hated Cole, but luckily he wasn’t a main character. Hutch and Katie were both so likable, but let’s be real, George Bailey (the dog) was my favorite. Yes this book was unrealistic but it’s exactly what I needed to read in these crazy times.

I think I would give the book a 3.5. It was a fun, cute, beach read. I have read a few of Katherine Center's books and have been fans of those as well. A couple people on here were not fans of the body image storyline but I thought it was relatable and better than the typical societal beautiful main character. I did like the arc of the main character Katie. The one thing for me about this book is that the storylines seems scattered and abrupt. Spoilers: I did love the Rue storyline she was super sweet, but I was confused whether they knew her beforehand and if not I found it odd that she would take in the children of the man who caused the accident that killed her husband. I wish that was explained more unless I missed it.

Overall good book and worth it for a quick read, but not the best book I have ever read.

This was such a fun read, I was smiling so much reading Katie and Hutch’s story. I absolutely loved how relatable Katie and her body image struggles were. Every girl has gone through something similar and it was so real and felt good to read about it.

Thank you to Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of The Love Haters! I am an enormous fan of her work and was a diehard fan after "The Rom-Commers" so I had high hopes for "The Love Haters". I had a bit of a harder time sinking teeth into these characters, but still felt invested enough to be rooting for them the whole time. Center is able to tie in deeper themes that many people can relate to while also creating a world where happily ever afters do exist!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC.

I know when I read a Katherine Center book, I will be hooked from the first page to the last. Her novels are feel-good reads that leave me with all the warm and fuzzies, and The Love Haters was no exception. I picked up this book on a Sunday and was unable to finish it before Monday, which made for a long day of work thinking about Hutch and Katie nonstop!

These characters made such a heartwarming match. Their banter and interactions made the story a delight to read. There’s even a dog named George Bailey from my favorite movie, It’s a Wonderful Life! Pure happiness. Best of all, this was a book I would not bat an eye if my teenage daughter wanted to read. It was clean, but still swoony in all the right ways. The story has a great message about one’s self-body image throughout, which certainly makes one reflect on the importance of enjoying life regardless of how their body looks. The secondary characters, particularly Rue, made The Love Haters all the more fun to read. I firmly believe everyone needs a Rue in their life!

If you’re looking for a light, fun beach read for the summer, I cannot recommend The Love Haters enough.

I would read Katherine Center’s grocery list. Another wonderful romcom that I can’t wait to buy a physical copy of. Katherine is a master of romance!

I love all of Katherine Center’s novels and this one did not disappoint! Such a funny, beautiful, occasionally heavy story. I will be recommending this one to everyone I know. Perfect book for summer!