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.

I really love Katherine Center books. You can always count on a light, contemporary romance that explores an important topic. The Love Haters’ focus is on body positivity and the challenges facing the book’s main character.

The Love Haters starts off strong. I loved the premise, the characters (especially Aunt Rue), the humor and especially Great Dane, George Bailey. Even the “hot topic” was an important exploration of an issue that many (most?) women face. The first half of the book was exactly what I needed . . . an affable, sometimes laugh-out-loud story to escape from the challenges of real life.

The second half went off the rails a little bit. It was still entertaining, but didn’t have the same magic as the first half. I won’t get into specifics. But let’s just say the "lies and secrets" trope makes me cringe.

The Love Haters is still a fun read when you need something light-hearted to get your mind off the world.

Thank you Katherine Center and Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Love Haters.

I really went into this story hoping to love it, but unfortunately I couldn't get as into the book as I would have liked. I'm someone who doesn't need romance or steam when I'm reading books, but I did feel like our characters lacked passion or chemistry throughout this story which made it a bit challenging for me to follow along and connect with them.

Thank you for the ARC! <3

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for allowing me to read an eARC of this book! I absolutely loved this story, and Katie’s journey of not only romantic love, but also of self-love and self-acceptance! The characters were so relatable, and I wanted to go to Key West and be a part of the experience at the Starlite! What a phenomenal book!

I love love!This book has it in spades! Cole and Katie are coworkers. Cole, who is trying to save Katie’s job and not have to do a video story on his “hero” brother Hutch in Key West, sends Katie in his place. Katie is coming out of a bad relationship. She agrees to do the story even though she can’t swim and hates the idea of herself in a swimsuit. The story is on Hutch, who is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. He jumps out of helicopters to save people. My favorites in the story are George Bailey, a rescue Great Dane, and Aunt Rue and the Gals. Comedy is ahead as Katie goes to Key West and faces her fears head on. This book has it all; forced proximity, family dynamics, grief, body image, Coast Guard hero, tropical locale, and a slow burn. Get ready to be charmed by this story! 5 stars

I love Katherine Center books. This was a great book. It kept me interested I loved the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book and all her other books

I had fun reading this book!! Definitely had to suspend some disbelief but that’s why we love fiction.

I don’t DNF often, especially not this far in, but I had to call it at 40%. I enjoyed The Bodyguard but didn’t love it, so I was curious to give this one a try. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hold my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun read that leaned more into comedy than romance—which surprised me as I was expecting a lot more romance. There are a lot of slapstick-style moments (ripped bathing suits, rogue dogs, unexpected chaos) that give the story its true rom-com energy. It’s very physical comedy—not so much clever banter or wit—and while that might not be for everyone, I found myself laughing out loud more than once.

Katie’s personal arc was actually my favorite part of the book. Her complicated relationship with her body is front and center, and the way Katherine Center described it as an enemies-to-lovers story between Katie and herself really resonated with me. Some readers might find parts of that journey uncomfortable or even a little triggering, but I appreciated the honesty of it and think a lot of people will see themselves in it.

The romance, though, was where this didn’t fully hit for me. Hutch is great on paper, but I wish we had seen more meaningful connection between him and Katie throughout the story. It’s a very slow burn, but so slow that it almost snuck up out of nowhere. And while I loved the Key West setting, I didn’t totally buy the setup—Katie’s assignment to film a promo video, and the idea that the shoot would take a month, didn’t really make sense. A project like that would usually have a tighter timeline and smaller budget, especially if funded by the government. Still, this is a heartfelt, entertaining story with plenty of emotional layers.

If you love movies like Just Go With It, Fools Gold, or The Lost City, this book is right up your alley!

Everything is Hollywood sized in The Love Haters. These characters do nothing halfway. Except communicate. It’s a fun, exaggerated time. Multi-time hero Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson is easy to love. The hijinks Katie gets herself into would make Jessica Day jealous. Their romance is sweet.

I found all the information about the coast guard very interesting. Katherine did a great job of putting you right in the helicopter with them. From what I’ve learned, I would most definitely not make it through swim school.

Great for readers who are just here for a fun time and don’t get the ick from the miscommunication trope.

What can I say? I loved having an opportunity to read this ARC. Throughout the story I kept finding myself smile ear to ear. I love the way Katherine Center winds her love stories together.
I find it so easy to relate to her characters, empathize with, and root them on! So many moment of giggling at the back and forth between Hutch and Katie. Between the sexy bathing suits, George Bailey’s antics, and hibiscus hair clips I was hooked from the start.

This is a must read if you love Katherine’s books and it was great that the latest after Rom-Commers (one of my favorite books of all last year) was just as enjoyable and engaging. LOVED!!

3.75 This was a cute read filled with really likable characters. The first half was a little slow, but I really enjoyed the second half.

I’ve enjoyed many of Katherine Center’s books and this is no exception. I’m looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of The Love Haters by Katherine Center in exchange for an honest review. It publishes May 20, 2025.
As always, Katherine Center brought us a wonderful story that touches on so much. I especially loved the author’s note, which I really appreciated.
This book was so sweet and inspiring, but also informative! I learned a lot about the Coast Guard, and really appreciated the way things were explained. I loved the setting, the character development, the relationships, all of it! I highly recommend this one!

"Love, Haters" by Katherine Center is a decent read that touches on themes of love and relationships. The story follows a protagonist who faces some ups and downs in her romantic life. While the characters are somewhat relatable, they lack depth at times. The writing is straightforward, making it an easy read, but it doesn’t always capture the emotional nuances.

Overall, it's an average book that offers some entertaining moments but may not leave a lasting impression. It's a light choice for those looking for a simple romance without much complexity.

Katherine Center is one of my go to authors. Her books are light but impactful and I love the romance element. I enjoyed the main characters, Katie and Hutch (and George Bailey!) and the USCG was a unique thing to be incorporated into the story. I am thankful to have been able to early read this book, and while it wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book, it still gets four stars!

I enjoyed it! It kept my attention and I really liked the unique, quirky dialogue/writing. I didnt love the family drama curveball that was thrown in at the end (seemed unrealistic) and the ending was pretty cheesy. But overall, I liked it!