I have not had this much fun reading in a very long time! This book is funny, relatable, and a reminder to not give up on taking chances. I have not read anything by this author that I have not enjoyed but this is favorite for sure. #netgalley #KatherineCenter #thelovehaters

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Katherine Center is an expert at building romantic tension and doing a deep dive into a specific topic. It was clear she did research about the Coast Guard.

I wish there was much more content about the main male character's swim rescue experience. Passages from his perspective might have been interesting. I anticipated Katie, the main character, would see more of the action of what that career might be like.

I found the title a bit confusing. It didn't seem to tie in much to the actual story.

Such an enjoyable fun read! Katherine Center nails the characters in this lighthearted romance. I could feel myself being embarrassed for them! Loved the story line and even the numinous characters as well. Great read! Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Ms. Center.

3.5 ⭐️ - The Love Haters offers the perfect backdrop for a light, enjoyable summer read! Set in the sun-drenched Florida Keys, this romance between a videographer and a rescue swimmer immediately captured my attention. I found myself imagining lounging by the pool with a sangria in hand, reading this fun, light-hearted story.

While the book was an overall enjoyable experience, I did find myself yearning for a bit more—more romance, more character development, more scenes featuring the rescue swimmer lifestyle, and more of the dynamic between the "Gals." That said, I enjoyed following along with Katie as she navigated her own self-healing journey with her body image. Also, the romance between Hutch and Katie was undeniably sweet, and I found myself kicking my feet during several of their interactions!

“And we’ve spent all day, every day together for weeks now—and it already feels like it’ll never be enough.”

All in all, this was a solid read and my first from Katherine Center. I have a few of her other books on my TBR, so I’m excited to dive into those next! I look forward to seeing what Katherine Center will bring to the table next!

A special thank to St. Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to dive into a Katherine Center ARC!

Thank you so so much to NetGalley for providing me with this spectacular arc!!

I am positively enamored with this story and characters. I really went in with no expectations because the Bodyguard was nothing to write home about for me, and I haven’t really read much else of her work. But I was so so pleasantly surprised. I cried which was crazy because I rarely cry about just general romance books.

This was so heartfelt and deeper than I expected. I loved the character development in quite literally everyone. It’s a perfect summer read, and I would 100% recommend.

Thank you again NetGalley and Katherine Center for this arc! It was lovely!!

I received a ARC from Netgalley. This was the book that got me out of my reading slump!
I absolutely adored it. I loved the slow burn and just these characters so much! Couldn't put it down.

5 stars
☆☆☆☆☆

I love a Katherine Center book and while this one didn’t hit for me as hard as the last few releases have, the pacing and the writing are solid. This would make a great beach read…especially as it’s set in the Florida Keys!

Katherine Marie (I’m not even sure if that’s your middle name, it’s just my go-to in order to make a point) Center! You Outdid yourself with The Love Haters. 10 out of 5 stars. It is now my FAVE book of yours. In my opinion, a self-help and self-acceptance book with some slow-burn romance makes the perfect feel-good novel. I fell in love with Katie over and over again and Hutch stole my heart with his compassion, kindness and brooding self. This book is not just a novel, it’s a journey we all, as readers, can take and apply to our lives. Brava! Now I wish I could forget I ever read it, just to experience it for the first time again!

I have truly loved all of Katherine Center’s books. I truly enjoyed a lot of this book. The relationship between Katie and Rue was so sweet! And Hutch and Katie’s banter was so fun. I had a really hard time with the motivation and storyline behind Cole and his intentions. It just didn’t make sense but I still enjoyed this book

This one is difficult to review because there were things I really liked about it and aspects that turned me off. I really liked Hutch, Rue and the dog George. I liked the character growth of the main character but the miscommunication and body identity issues were annoying. I think the main issue I had with this one was the immaturity of most of the characters.
Even though it was predictable, I did like the ending and the author's note. There were little nuggets of wisdom and thoughtful quotes throughout which I appreciated. For those who like their romcoms without language, there are a few instances but it is not overwhelming.
Unfortunately this was just an ok read for me though it had a highly interesting premise. A girl takes a job that requires her to do things she is highly unqualified for?? What could go wrong?!

This might be my new favorite Katherine Center book. I flew through this one, I finished it in almost one sitting. This book is a perfect summer read, set in Key West, Florida. There's swimming pools, boat houses, sexy men in uniforms (wet suits?).

Katie is a film maker going to Florida to film a promotion video for the Coast Guard, fun twist she can't swim and the subject of film is a very hot and very closed off Hutch.

I really enjoyed Katie's story, it was not easy to read about her body image struggles but it felt so relatable at the same time. I really loved Hutch, he's my favorite KC book boyfriend. The side characters were very fun to read, although there is one over the top character you hate which I have also found a theme in her books. This book has romance, laugh out loud and some anxiety inducing moments. I would definitely recommend,

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

4 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC!!

I've let it sit for a day, and yep, I love this. I don't think I've been able to stop thinking about Hutch and I don't think I'd be mad if I never did. The banter, the slow burn, the plot twists....immaculate. I've wanted to read Katherine Center's books for a very long time, but I never expected the first one to be an ARC. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words how much I adored this, but I can say I rarely start and finish a book in the span of 24 hours.

Super excited for this one to come out!!

I’m a big fan of Katherine Center so I was excited to read an advance copy of her newest novel The Love Haters. This was a solid 3 out of 5 star read for me. The romance part of the story was sweet but a little too simple. I would’ve enjoyed more lead up to the characters — readers are just kind of dropped into the story and we only get a snapshot with not much backstory or character development. There's a big plot line around the main character and body image insecurity stuff which was fine, but, at times felt like it was trying too hard. Overall, enjoyable enough story with a few laugh out loud moments. I learned some things about the U.S, coast guard and I loved aunt Rue. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Love Haters
by Katherine Center
Pub Date: May 20, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I dropped everything to read the newest book from Katherine Center and boy was it worth it!
Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.
I loved the characters and this book brought joy to my life!
Center is humorous and writes her stories with passion and depth. This story is a perfect example of that!

The Love Haters is an interesting change of pace story for this author. Yes, it’s a love story, but it’s more of a love story where you are learning to love yourself first. Her main characters have been through a lot but together they are magic. Beautifully matched between strength, resilience, and dedication, they work so well together.

3.5 ⭐️

The Love Haters by Katherine Center was a nice read! It was fun being able to accurately picture Key West, since i’ve visited there before. As someone with a marketing background, I really appreciated all the little details advertising and promotions—it felt super relatable. I also liked having a plus-size FMC, but at times the focus on her self-confidence (or lack thereof) was a bit much and didn’t always add to the plot. The romance was sweet, and had a nice slow burn. This was my first time reading Katherine Center and it was easy to read, and pretty light hearted despite covering some deeper topics - it wasn’t as absorbing for me personally, as some of my other favourite authors, but it kept me interested and made me forget i was even reading at times!

Also Katherine Center’s books always have the most gorg covers, you can’t not buy the physical copy

Cute. Cute. Cute.

This is a swoon-worthy romance that makes you fall in love with the main characters and their love story.

In addition to the love story that develops between Hutch and Katie, I loved the love story that developed between Katie and herself.

I found myself lost in the story and couldn’t stop turning pages, and had to force myself to put it down to sleep. Katherine Center’s books do this to me every time.

This is an absolute gem and perfect book to kick off your summer TBR list.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a 5 star read! I was hooked from the very first scene. There were so many laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed the refreshing storyline and the charm of every single character. This book about self-healing, self-love, and acceptance was so much fun. Must read!

There's some "I've been spending all of my time with Hutch" but, why aren't we seeing and reading about those times spent together? And when they are "together" it doesn't really feel like it, we're reading more about her body insecurities, clothing and swimming lessons. I just never felt any type of connection. The beginning is a bit funny with the fourth wall breaking parts, but other than that I didn't feel much of anything. Maybe I had too high of expectations.

Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is a fun, charming read with plenty of humor and heart, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me. The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer assigned to profile Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom "Hutch" Hutchinson in the Florida Keys. Their banter is sharp, their chemistry is solid, and the whole setup makes for an easy, engaging read.
Center’s writing is always a highlight—she knows how to craft witty dialogue and create characters you want to spend time with. The romance is sweet, and the setting adds a nice, escapist feel. That said, some parts felt a little predictable, and I wished for more depth in certain moments. A few emotional beats wrapped up too neatly, and I wanted more from the side characters, who had a lot of potential but didn’t get as much development.
Still, if you’re looking for a feel-good romance with humor, warmth, and a bit of adventure, The Love Haters is worth picking up. It's an enjoyable, breezy read—perfect for when you want something light but still well-written.

What a great book with an even better message. Stop body shaming yourself! Buy the bathing suit, buy the bright color dress, go shopping, go to the pool or the beach. Stop listening to others or negative thoughts. Enjoy life!

Katie the heart of the story. She’s a hard worker, the self conscious, quiet, sweet friend.
Beanie- the best friend everyone wants and needs
Rue- the special one. The carefree, happy, relaxed, go with the flow aunt.
Hutch- the Coast guard rescue swimmer that everyone wants to be rescued by. The tough guy but underneath it all he is a big softie, or is he.

Highly enjoyed this book.