Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. Let's begin with, I love Katherine Center. Her romances just do it for me. The ability to tell a romance without the spice when you're not in the mood for spice? Amazing. Okay, so our FMC is Katie who takes her co-workers request to profile Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and said co-workers brother. Katie can't really swim, but she can fake it until she can't make it, right? Right. So she thought. Katie learned so much about herself throughout this book and the message behind of loving herself and her self esteem issues is very relatable to myself. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Katherine Center's novels have been recommended to me for ages, so I decided to read an ARC of <i>The Love Hater's</i>. Although I found the book to be a bit of a mixed bag, I could still see an undeniable magic shining through the prose. I'm definitely going to have to grab another title from her backlog and see if perhaps it's this particular offering that came up a little short for me.

Katey is a videographer who takes a project she's not exactly equipped for in an effort to save her job amid massive layoffs. With so many co-workers getting axed she's eager to prove her worth. She sets off for beautiful Key West with no idea how she's going to learn to swim prior to filming.

Hutch is a rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard who has reluctantly agreed to be a part of the promo video Katie has been sent to work on.

I liked what the book set out to accomplish, but there were so many threads crammed together that the romance suffered. I felt the romance was told instead of shown. Body image is addressed ad nauseum and while I can appreciate a journey of self-acceptance it felt odd to pair that with romance. Also, some characters seemed to think that Katey's version of self-love should mimic theirs. Replacing her black wardrobe with a rainbow was weird. My black clothes aren't going anywhere regardless of size or whatever else. All the lies were senseless and just felt silly.

I fell hard for George Bailey the Great Dane. I shared my early twenties with my own gentle giant, and this brought back sweet memories. There are some lively supporting characters and humorous scenes that were enjoyable. The hurricane scenes were some of my favorites, which came as a surprise to me. It was unfortunate that the ending felt too abrupt.

This was an easy read, but the balance felt off.

Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an Advanced Reading Copy for review. These are my unbiased opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If I could give this book more stars, I would. I had so much fun reading this story. I loved the building suspense of the relationship between the two main characters. I couldn't get enough of them and wanted to see so much more of their relationship! I loved that they were just genuinely good people that you wanted to root for. A clean, heartfelt romance through and through with unique obstacles for the couple to overcome. I loved the whole backstory and the creativity behind a videographer falling in love with the subject of her video as she watches his everyday life unfold - as she begins to see the extraordinary in his ordinary and appreciates it all.

But what I loved the MOST was the care that Katherine Center put into writing the inner monologue of the way that Katie grew to love herself. It was so beautifully written. As the author's note states, the real lovers to enemies trope here is the story of Katie and her body as she learns to appreciate all of it because it's simply hers.

Overall, this ended up being an enjoyable read. Though I will say, there were definitely some disjointed portions. The last 40% of this book bumped me from a 3 to a 4.

I absolutely loved Hutch's character, and of course George Bailey. I also thought there was significant strength in Rue and and her girlfriends. What I didn't love was Katie. Though I understand, as a woman myself, how difficult it is for some to have body positivity. I found her need of constant reassurance and belittling to herself to be excessive. The whole, "claim a body part you love" saga with Katie picking the most obscure things I thought seemed massively immature.

I've been longing for a Katherine Center book that stands up to the likes of the banter that she wrote for her characters in "The Bodyguard." At times, this felt like it could be it. But moreso than not, the banter felt forced.

In the first half of this book, you're learning so much about water rescue alongside a bunch of other random plot ties. It felt like too much and not enough all at the same time. I wanted more of the plot and less of the info-dumping.

I found the first 60% of this book to be very slow. I had a hard time wanting to stay engaged and wanting to keep reading. This could also be in part of the insanely long chapters. I felt the amount of chapters that had the asterisk breaks could have very easily turned into chapter breaks to help with that.

Once we get to that last chunk of the book where the actual climax begins, I found this to be the true Katherine Center story telling I personally love. The revelation of what Cole and Hutch's relationship actually took the turn it did and what happened to their parents gives you the worst (best) gut-punch. Though it was also weird to me that the conversation never came up about their mom's final wish prior to them becoming grown adults.

My only other qualm was with "Beanie." I might have missed something but... seemed a little bit of an odd name to get hung up on and more like a nickname, though I don't remember that being mentioned. A very small thing to be nit-picky about but I did find it oddly distracting every time she was mentioned.

Again, the story was cute. The side characters I think had more strength and were written better than Katie. I would still recommend to anyone looking for an easy to follow romance.

Katie, a filmmaker, finds herself in Florida on a job profiling Hutch, a rescue swimmer in a desperate bid to save her job. This is basically her worst nightmare given she does not know how to swim, something she had to lie about to get the job. She doesn’t expect to like Hutch nearly as much as she does or to grow so fond of the place.

I’ve enjoyed Katherine Center’s other books so I was super excited to get an ARC of love haters and was not disappointed in the slightest. I adored Katie and Hutch. Katie felt very real and well developed. I don’t see many romance novels with a main character having such a difficult relationship with themself, as Katie struggled in the past with an eating disorder and had a very negative self image. I feel this aspect of her character added so much depth to the story. Then HUTCH!! He was perfect. I adore him. I also loved Rue and Beanie-perfect supporting characters. My main critique of this book is that some plot lines just weren’t believable to me.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Would love to see it adapted to a movie. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC!

I really liked the book and think it was such a fun easy read rom-com. There were some points where I was a bit confused about the narration style of the book as the narrator/katie goes in and out of speaking directly to the reader. I at times was assuming that the book was going to end with the direct communication with the reader narration to be part of some interview she was giving to tie in the "conversation" with the reader but it didn't confuse me when that wasn't the case at the end, it was more just something I noticed. The only other note that I have is that I found it kind of weird that Hutch and Katie didn't acknowledge their kiss at all when she was sleeping over/in his room during the thunderstorm. I know we later learn that it was because cole told hutch that he and Katie were dating, but the fact that neither of them mentioned it AND that there wasn't any description of body language showing some sort of discomfort towards each other made it a bit confusing for me as the reader to interpret the situation as it felt like they were both acting as if the kiss never happened.

Aside from those two smaller things, I had so much fun reading the book, Katherine Center always delivers the best fun yet meaningful novels and I'm so glad I got to read this one prior to its official publication date!

This was my first book by Katherine Center. I found her writing style to be accessible and often charming, making it easy for readers to get drawn in, however much of the story felt clichéd and uninspired, making it difficult to stay engaged throughout the entirety of the book. Despite this, "The Love Haters" is still a pleasant read that offers a good balance of light-hearted fun and emotional depth. It's a decent choice for those looking for a quick, entertaining read, but it might not leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First of all, Katherine Center, you are brilliant. I adored the writing and pace of the book. The story flowed nicely and I continued to be captivated. It was never a dull moment and the story just progressed.

The FMC, I felt like I had so much in common with her. I adored how in depth we got into her personality and her body image issues. It was inspiring reading and watching the FMC grow slowly throughout. It felt realistic and I appreciated how long it took for her to truly appreciate herself for who she was. She was such a fun character.

The MMC... new book boyfriend. I adored his personality and seriousness. I felt like we could have explored his backstory and personality just a bit more to get more depth but overall, it was good to learn about him.

I thought the "issue" between them was going to be from the FMC's famous ex, not what happened, so it did kind of surprise me. I liked the reconnection of the two. I wish in the epilogue, we got a bit more of the FMC & MMC into the future, but I enjoyed the ending nonetheless.

More than anything, I wanted to give this book 5 stars. I adore Katherine Center's writing, however, my heart couldn't let me give this more than 4 stars.
I just needed more.
I had a great time unwrapping the romance and side plots of the story, but I felt like the ending was cut just a little too short. We got our resolution between Katie and Hutch, outside factors that had affected them went away in a few sentences, and then it was all ... over... No extra little crumbs to savor. As always, KC, has the best epilogues, but that didn't even give me the rest of the time I felt was missing with our MCs.
I loved the humor throughout the story, the relationships felt real, and I did stay up far too late to get to the conclusion of this story. I was worried how Katie's body image issues were going to unfold throughout the book. A lot of times, characters are just *magically cured* because the main love interest tells them they're perfect. This story was, appreciatively, nothing like that. Yes, we do get validation from the love interest, but Katie's journey through self love felt organic to me. The plotlines were refreshing, I had a smile on my face all the way from start to finish. Some lines did ride the border of too cheesy, BUT, I love cheese, so it was okay with me. I especially loved the small mention of Noah Kahan towards the beginning of the story.
Honorable mention of how accurately facetime calls with your best friends were described.
I highly recommend this book! It may not have been my favorite of her repertoire, but it didn't miss either!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this precious ebook ARC in return for an honest review!

3.5 stars.

The Love Haters focuses on Katie who is sent to the Florida keys to document a hero named Hutch. Katie struggles with body dysmorphia and worries about various aspects of this job like wearing a swimsuit and telling her weight to the helicopter pilot. She also doesn't really know how to swim. A lovely older lady named Rue takes Katie under her wing and gets Hutch to give swim lessons. Various obstacles and events make Hutch and Katie spend extra time together and they catch feelings for each other. Unfortunately, things don't end up going smoothly and lies come into play.

Although this book was a quick and cute read, I didn't like it as much as other Katherine Center books. I can relate to the body issues and did like that she began to heal from that. Cole was a bit ridiculous with his lies but I feel like he needed to be. Overall, it was pretty good.


Thank you to St Martin's press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center never misses. This was such a fun and great read. I loved all of the characters and just really loved this book. She’s always an auto buy for me

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me, I love her books! This book was a fun, quick read set on the Florida Keys. I loved the hero MMC and thought the plot was intriguing. I enjoyed this book but would recommend other Katherine Center books over this one. I loved Rue’s character and found it heartwarming how she took in all these people in her life as family. I only wished we could have seen more of her.

The humor and chemistry fell a little flat for me at times. I wished there was a little bit less focus on the main character’s insecurities as a plot-point and more focus on the romance elements. I appreciated that the author brought to light body insecurity issues but I think the joking with her best friend Beanie about it/ naming body parts she liked was a little overkill. I also think Cole’s character was a little over the top/unbelievable.

Overall, this was a fun and funny read that would be great for the beach! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an advance copy of the book (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Two things:
I had never read a book by Katherine Center.
I read the book without knowing what it was about.

When I started reading it, I was hooked very quickly by the plot. It's the first book I've read by this author and a favorite for me. It made me laugh so hard, I felt like I was watching a rom-com on a Friday on my couch.

The characters are developed very well, and the story unravels at a good pace. I really identified with Katie, I am her a lot of the time. And of all the fiction books that have tried to talk about self-love through a character, Katherine Center created the best example. Katie wasn't generic, wasn't redundant, wasn't a copy of a book, she was real, the soliloquies and monologues Katie has, I've had them. ME! And how Katie concludes her struggle of acceptance with herself is memorable:

"I should have loved all my everything. Because it was mine."

Simply beautiful.

The dynamic between Hutch and Katie is very good and natural. How the siblings' relationship develops is also good and funny. I really liked the fight between the siblings, I imagined it just like in a movie-a silly fight. Cole is a separate dilemma, only he understands himself.

I would have preferred if they added more to the ending, something more commenting on how Hutch and Katie were left. But that didn't affect much for me, it was just that I wanted something extra.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a simple, closed door rom-com.

I love every Katherine Center book I read! This story didn't hit me quite as lovely as the rest but I was still captured and enjoyed it a lot!

Definitely has trigger warnings for disordered eating
I loved Hutch and Katie's relationship!
Just wish there was a little more spice

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. I read it in one setting. It was almost a five star read for me. I just wanted the ending to have more romantic fanfare. The scene is set, and it’s a big one. I just thought the romantic tension didn’t reach what it was capable off. I team “Please add more to the ending ocean scene!” Like….. pretty please with a cherry on top!

"The Love Haters" by Katherine Center is a charming slow-burn romance that initially takes its time to unfold. As a new reader of Center’s work, you might find the beginning a bit sluggish, but patience pays off. The characters gradually develop, and their chemistry becomes undeniable, leading to a heartwarming and satisfying happy-ever-after. By the end, you’ll likely find yourself smiling and feeling all the feels. Overall, it's a cute story that showcases Center's knack for blending humor and romance.

many thanks to the author, st. martin's press, and netgally for this arc

it was really beautiful reading Katie's story. her journey towards self love and healing is something i think a lot of people will be able to relate to and i'm so glad she got her happy ending. this is more of a finding yourself narrative with a romance sub plot, and i really enjoyed that. her bond with Beanie, Rue, and The Gals was so sweet and as someone who loves Key West, the backdrop was just perfection. the writing was beautiful and i highlighted so many quotes that stood out to me. i think this is one that a lot of people would benefit from reading.

now i love when a book has a furry companion and when it's a great dane that's convinced he's a lap dog i love it even more. Hutch was the epitome of dreamy book bf and i really enjoyed how in depth this book went into the coastguard and their rescue swimmers. the issue that took this from a 5 star read to a 4.75 was the conflict brought on by Cole. it seemed to come completely out of left field and by the time it was resolved we barely got to see Katie and Hutch as a true couple. their tension was great and i loved their back and forth but i just wanted more of them being in love.

I'm a big fan of Katherine Center books and this one was no exception. As usual, her main character is relatable and kind. The male interest, Hutch, also known as "The Love Hater" was also likeable which is another thing I appreciate - so many romance books have rude brooding macho men. Sorry, being rude isn't sexy! I love the sweet men Katherine Center writes about and was rooting for the couple the whole time. I loved Rue and the family dynamics and found the story to be a fun, relaxing read without being too cliche. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, SMP, and Katherine Center for the chance to read this ARC!

There was a lot I loved about this book:

-Bright & sunshiney Rue and her community of older women (The Gals) who embraced Katie right away
-George Bailey, a Great Dane & the best wingman ever
-Hutch who was hot but more importantly kind (although I would have loved more of them actually being together)
-Katie's journey of discovering how to be kinder to herself & her body
-Learning more about the Coast Guard was interesting.
-Set in the Florida Keys, this would make a great beach read.

Unfortunately there were also a few things I found fairly problematic.

-Katie has some really negative thoughts about her self image and also discusses her struggles with an eating disorder. First, I hope there is a trigger warning in the final copy because the thoughts she shares are pretty dark. However, her healing journey seemed to me like a lot of positive thinking, a plucky best friend, and an ah-ha moment of clarity. I don't think that's the reality for a lot of people, and it may be harmful to portray it that way.
-Some of the plot was driven by Katie's fear for her job security, but the reason for the potential job cuts really didn't sit well with me. In 2025 we have plot driven by a woman in leadership slashing roles because she had a bad breakup and needs to get laid? Really? I can't imagine reading a book where a man in leadership would be presented that way.
-The bar scene. Honestly this was upsetting for a lot of reasons. Having a contest with people where the prize is a kiss with someone unwilling? No thanks. Also there were ways to remove themselves from that situation without forcing Hutch to drink, especially when it was heavily implied that the reason he doesn't drink was linked to a traumatic incident in their past.

I know that in exchange for an ARC, I promise an honest review and I hope I've done that, although I think this review might be a little too honest. 😬 I think I would write it differently if these were things I just didn't like vs. things I am concerned about as a reader.

I've enjoyed other books by this author and would definitely read more of her work! ☀️