As soon as I get approved for a Katherine Center book, I drop everything else and dive in. Because I know I'm going to love every word and oh boy, did I love The Love Haters.

The chemistry (and longing) between Katie and Hutch was chefs kiss perfection. The setting was fresh and different with a hilarious and diverse cast of secondary characters. I read it in two sittings and was immensely sad that it was over.

The truest sign of a great book, is the feeling of loss knowing you can never read it again for the first time. That's what Katherine Center always delivers.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this absolute gem of a book.

Katherine Center delivers deep rom-coms and 'The Love Haters' is no exception.

Katie is sent to make a documentary of the Coast Guard featuring Hutch, her co-worker Cole's brother, in an effort to not get fired. All the while, she's dealing with internet comments about her ex-fiancé and her image, which sends her on a spiraling journey of self-acceptance thanks to help from her best friend Beanie, and Rue, who takes Katie under her wing. (I'd like a Rue in my life please.)

I adored these characters, the setting, all the factoids, and of course, Center's message. I always enjoy reading her Author's Note, which is full of emotion and wisdom. And I liked the heart of the issue between the two brothers and what they learned from it.

In 'The Love Haters', Katie goes on an ADVENTURE, not to mention the emotional turmoil from Cole. This story is a wild ride and I did not want to put it down.

Hutch is the epitome of a gentleman. I died when he took off his shoes for Katie. He kept displaying his feelings in little ways and I felt bad for all the hell he was going through thanks to his brother. Also, he has the best dog, minus that time said dog wouldn't leave the houseboat.
Hutch's line on why love is the worst, why he hates it, is the best.

I really enjoyed this book. The relationship progression of getting to know each other was perfection and I love where Katie ended up.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

3.5 stars rounded up

What a sweet book! I feel like the characters were so well developed even though it was on the shorter side. Collecting the “mom’s pennies” was a bright spot for me and something I’ll keep with me.

Love love love all of her novels and this one is no different. I will always recommend Katherine Center to anyone looking for a fun read.

I had the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook for this story. The audiobook was had a good narrator, but it wasn't enough for the story to hold my attention.

Overall the characters were enjoyable to read, except for the main character, Katie. Part of this could be the narration and partly how she was written. The story revolves around her body issues after getting negative press, but I think the way it was written more depressing versus trying to sympathize and relate to the character. I could read some chemistry between Katie and Hutch, but it came off as more friends caring for one another and not in love.

The story had good elements to it. What felt like would be a bigger part of the storyline ended up reading more of a side story. Maybe there was too much the author was trying to put into the story and the main focus got lost.

This wasn't my favorite Katherine Center book and I have loved her stories prior to this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the arc.

I was lucky enough to receive the ARC and ALC so let’s talk about them.

ARC: This is a very unconventional love story… as it’s mostly about our main character Katie learning to love herself as well as Hutch. I honestly don’t think it only falls into the category of romance but also maybe Lit Fic or Women’s Fic. There was a very strong message about loving yourself and your body. There is definitely a lot of talk of ED and body dismorphia.

That being said I did enjoy myself. The story got a little too goofy for me in the middle but the end brought it all together.

ALC: I really enjoyed the audio. The narrator was great and I have nothing bad to say. I reccomend the audio if you’re an audio person.

Thank you to Katherine Centers, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the early copy.

The Love Haters follows Katie Vaughn and Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. It is by far one of my favorite Katherine Center novels. It is not only a rom com, but also a story about learning to accept yourself and coming back from past trauma. It is still at its core a light hearted romance, with a few tropes in it, and a giant dog. However, it does tackle issues of self esteem, internet bullying, and how sometimes we let joy get away by paying too much attention to what others might think. In a time when social media is flooded with influencers and trolls, Katie seemed like a very realistic heroine. The chemistry between her and Hutch is believable and I really enjoyed watching them fall in love.
I genuinely thought this book was funny, cute, and enjoyed reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I have read other books by Katherine Center and I was looking foward to this one. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. It enjoyed the beginning but then I had a hard time getting through this book. Maybe for others they would enjoy it and I don't want to deter anyone from reading it.

Also, this will not stop me from reading Katherine Center books in the future.

AHHH! Katie and Hutch! They had me kicking and giggling my feet at times. Katie's feelings towards her body felt a little too familiar to me and i am sure. for many women. I love the ending, it felt so strong and empowering. I enjoyed this read! Writing was fun and quick.

Had many ups and downs with this book as I read. This is my first Katherine Center book, and I will say I loved her voice throughout the story. Her writing is very descriptive and easy to breeze through. However, I was not a fan of Katie. In the beginning, chapter after chapter detailed her issues with her body to the point where being deeply insecure was her only character trait. The first few chapters were difficult to get through for that reason. But overall, the story was cute, light, and easy to read.

It was sweet and the message about body dysmorphia and self-image was very genuine. It did a great job of providing romance that wasn’t just fluff but also substance.

I wanted to strangle Cole by the end. Although I am sure that is a collective and intended sentiment.

Now on to the criticisms, because when can I resist?

I felt like the ending gave the necessary drama but fell short on the romance. The epilogue was somewhat dragged out. Like a bunch of afterthoughts to tie everything in a happy bow.

<b>Overall, </b>it was definitely an enjoyable read and I would recommend if you’re looking for a more serious romance.

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

This story hit way deeper than I was expecting. It's part of the reason why I adore Katherine's writing so much! She took this adorable romance story and filled it with life lessons about self-love. The kind that smack you right upside the head and open your eyes at the same time.

You know what else it's full of? Brilliant characters! From the love haters, Katie and Hutch, right down to Lucky the toad- you can't help but love every unique character along the way.

I was soooo intrigued by the book description. A fun romcom with two "love haters" in Key West ? Sign me up!! I really enjoyed the beginning, but then Katie's insecurities took over the whole plot and I was getting really annoyed. I kept going since I actually really liked Hutch. But unfortunately I felt no chemistry between the characters.

That being said, I was so glad to have Rue and the Gals to bring some lightness and fun. I also really enjoyed getting to know Hutch and loved his character arc.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book 🫶🏽

Katie, Cole, Hutch, Aunt Rue and a dog named George Bailey will have you laughing, getting angry and falling in love. What a fun story. Another hit by Katherine Center. I went from reading the book to listening to the audiobook. I so enjoyed both formats.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, #StMartin’sPress, #KatherineCenter, #PattiMurin and #TheLoveHatersANovel for the arc for my honest review.

4.5⭐️
As someone who has suffered from BDD her whole life, I very much related to Katie. This is a story about love from so many angles. Loving partners, friends, animals, and at the end, loving yourself. Was the plot absolutely silly and unrealistic? Absolutely. But for me it was a relatable rom com and another great read from Katherine Center. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Katie, a videographer who is on the verge of being laid off, gets assigned by her coworker Cole to make a video about the Coast Guard in Key West. Specifically highlighting a hero (who also happens to be Cole’s brother) named Hutch. There’s one problem: she can’t swim. She lies and Hutch teaches her. She starts falling hard for Hutch, and then Cole shows up and turns everything upside down. Chaos ensues.

I really enjoyed this! I have loved every Katherine Center book I’ve ever read, and this one is no exception. Katie was so great, and I loved her (colorful) growth throughout the story. Hutch was the perfect love interest. I feel like I’m half in love with him myself! I definitely recommend this book.

It feels like spring is coming when a new Katherine Center book is around the corner. I was really looking forward to The love Haters. I enjoyed the book and think it would be a wonderful beach read. The book follows Katie, a woman who is learning to love herself, as she goes on an assignment in Florida where she falls for Hutch, a charming Coast Guard. I did find that there were a lot of things going on in the book. However, it was a quick read overall and one to put on the spring/summer reading list.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

2.75/5 stars

I was really enjoying the first 2/3 of this book, but we completely lost the plot in the last third. What happened to the documentary Katie was filming on the coast guard? Why all the lies and frustrating miscommunications?

I would have enjoyed this book so much more if it stayed on track with its initial course. The tension between Katie and Hutch was building at a nice pace. I was fully on board with their compelling character development regarding past traumas with body image issues for Katie and a tragic loss for Hutch. But unfortunately, all of this halted with the unnecessary and really jarring third act conflict, and the plot never managed to get back on course from there on.

I nearly DNFed at 70%, but Patti Murin’s vibrant narration made me finish the book. The ending, sadly, was not any better.

This was my first Katherine Center read and I was really looking forward to reading The Love Haters after hearing her other novels being spoken so highly of by others. Unfortunately, I didn’t love it but would give her other work a chance in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this book before publication. If you’re a fan of Center’s other work, I recommend giving The Love Hater’s a chance as it will probably be a hit for fans of her other work.

I normally do not read romance books or any type of books where one of the main characters in the military… why you might ask because I myself I’m in the military and this one while I’m not in the Coast Guard I am in the Navy. I work on the same type of helicopters that they would use as the Coast Guard to do the rescue swimming in this. But not only that I work with rescue swimmers! When we got to the beginning of the book, I can say that when it came to Weight and Balance I was a bit annoyed. And this is why I don’t read books with any type of military talk or what I do in it. While they do go for weight and balance of the aircraft and a commercial aircraft, they do average the average person‘s weight for weight and balance. I have flown on aircraft and they’ve never once asked me what my weight was nor do they know my weight so when she started kind of freaking out about that, it made me roll my eye.
Looking past that and trying to take the rest of the story for what it is I found that the book was cute I ended up really liking the characters. If it is a Katherine Center book I am going to pick it up. I like her writing style and how she tells her stories. The personal growth of Katie was great to see and I really loved the Key West setting.