Such a cute, fun book! Heartwarming and joyful, and a good story about coping with tragedy and loss. I didn't love the fake dating aspect.

Can Katherine Center do any wrong?? Seriously her books are just so touching and full of love and emotion and growth.
The Love Haters is no different. Katie and Hutch make such a great pair, full of angst and emotions and fun and some miscommunication. But overall their growth while they share a week together is heartwarming and you cant help but root for them.
Katherine Center is a master at making a love story about the love and not needing any of that behind closed door spice.

ARC Review:

A book so good I read it in a day. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of this books. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and for good reason.

I loved the characters, the plot, the character development, and literally everything else. Also, really really loved that the main characters had jobs that they actually went to and was written about on page rather than just having a job for the sake of giving them something to talk about (i’m looking at you hockey romance books).

This was a great read for spring break and will be an amazing summer read. I can’t wait to read more Katherine Center books, I’m obsessed.

Some Notes:
- I think it would be a good idea to have some sort of trigger warning at the beginning of the book that there is going to be heavy talk of eating disorders and self-image issues. I really loved how this plot point was handled and written about but especially with the on-page calorie counting, I think people that have experienced issues with ED recovery would appreciate knowing what they’re getting into beforehand.

- I think there was a typo about 62% of the way into the book. (I read on my kindle so i don’t know the exact page). The quote was “I things became more fun for him recently.” This could’ve already been spotted just wanted to lyk!

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for their advanced copy of the book!

This was a really fun read, while also balancing some serious topics about body image and loving one’s self. Katie really struggles with some body image issues after a break up and it follows her around for the majority of the book. And I really enjoyed how she was able to conquer those fears slowly but surely and eventually realize the importance of loving one’s body and one’s self.
Hutch was such a green flag guy. He was always so sweet and kind to Katie and helped her see how beautiful she was when she wouldn’t. He had such a tough exterior but a sweet inside, especially after hearing about his dog George Bailey (the sweetest boy ever)! And the way that Katie and Hutch first met? Hilarious!
Rue was such a good side character and I appreciate her fun whimsical personality and how she added to both Katie and Hutch’s story.
Cole was the only character I didn’t really like. I felt like he kind of created unnecessary drama for the plot that was a little over the top for me.
I really liked Katie’s job and how the documentary story with the Coast Guard added to make the plot really interesting and different from other books I’ve read before.
Everything wrapped up a little fast in the end but I had a fun time reading this one. It really is such a good book for the summer and made me feel like I was there in Key West as I was flipping through the pages of this book! Definitely get your hands on this one when you need a fun pick me up and a great summer set read ☀️

Triggers: body image issues discussed heavily

I've only read two other Katherine Center books before this one—The Bodyguard and Happiness for Beginners, and this one was definitely along the same lines as the others, a quick, fun rom-com (that even turns into an action packed blockbuster by the end).

I sat down and read this in a day because I was so excited to get an ARC from an author I had read before (which is rare for me), but it felt like a diet Pepsi of rom-coms—cute and enjoyable enough but felt empty and quickly forgettable. No flavor if you will.

Lost stars for me for the graphic detailed description of the main character's eating disorder towards the beginning which felt so out of place with the rest of the story—definitely didn't need the graphic description of that to understand she had body image issues.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Katherine Center’s *The Love Haters* is a heartwarming story that beautifully balances humor, romance, and emotional depth. When Katie Vaughn is sent to Key West to film a promotional video for the US Coast Guard, she has one small problem—she can't swim. With her career on the line, she quickly meets Hutch, her boss's heroic brother, who’s perfect for her side passion project: creating 6-minute documentaries about everyday heroes. Hutch is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer with a tough exterior, but Katie quickly learns there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Their week together is filled with unexpected chemistry, miscommunications, and emotional growth. As their connection deepens, both Katie and Hutch must confront their fears and insecurities. It’s a perfect blend of slow-burn romance and self-discovery, all wrapped in Katherine Center’s signature style—low on spice but big on emotions.

While the book touches on sensitive topics like body image issues and eating disorders, they’re handled with incredible care, compassion, and respect. (So, tread carefully! 🏊‍♀️)

If you love stories about personal growth, vulnerability, and finding love in unexpected places, *The Love Haters* is a must-read!

(4/5 Stars) Overall, this was a sweet, heartfelt romantic comedy that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. To start with a quick synopsis: Katie is worried about getting laid off from her job, so she steps (way) out of her comfort zone to do a profile on a Hutch, Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West - even though she can't swim. Plot twist: the Coast Guard rescue swimmer is her co-worker Cole's brother. Katie heads down to Key West, meets Hutch and a fun gaggle of side characters, and the story unfolds from there.

I've seen mixed feedback about Katie's character, but I really enjoyed her perspective in this book. As someone who suffers from body image issues/body dysmorphia, I thought this was a refreshing take on a FMC in a romance. I loved her journey to healing and loving herself, and the supportive cast of characters down in Key West who helped her get there. I thought Hutch was a gem and I would have loved a few chapters from his POV. My biggest complaint about this book was Cole. I really disliked his character, and feel like the plot could have progressed and this would have been a great story without him in it all, honestly.

This book will be a perfect summer read, by the pool (or the beach) with a cold, fruity drink - would definitely recommend if you're looking for something light and fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Love Haters was my first Katherine Center book, and I’ll be honest, I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype.

Thankfully, it did.

When Katie heads to Key West as a last minute substitute videographer to film a promo for the Coast Guard, she doesn’t know how to swim OR what drama she’s getting herself in the middle of. But she dives in and gets the job done… eventually.

Full of funny moments and interactions that made me laugh out loud, I couldn’t help but root for Katie to save her job, learn to love herself, and to find love with someone who really sees her. This book has a found family vibe that warmed my heart and was romantic without an ounce of spice.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves an empowering message and a good laugh.

Thank you St. Martin's press, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Two words that will always get me to read a new book: Katherine Center.

When I was a kid, I would wait anxiously for the new Baby-Sitters Club book to come out and rush to the bookstore to buy it. I'd devour it in a day. As an adult, Katherine Center's books are my Baby-Sitters Club. Needless to say, I was ACHING to read her new book "The Love Haters" after hearing her talk about it when she was on a previous book tour. It was worth the wait. Was it my favorite Katherine Center book? No, but it's easily in my `Top 5.

So here's the plot:
Katie Vaughn is on the verge of losing her job as a video producer, but her boss Cole tosses her a project that could save her. She has to make a video for the US Coast Guard by profiling viral hero US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer (and Cole's brother) Hutch. The catch? She can't swim. But who need to know, really?

In true Katherine Center style, she weaves a romantic, often-hilarious, tale. The relationship between Cole and Katie has plenty of tension, humor, and amazing one-liners. Oh... And there's a dog! A goofy, overly excitable Great Dane with a fear of storms.

This book delved into some more serious topics like body-image and self-doubt. I know this can be a trigger for some, but I appreciated the way she approached the topics.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

So good! Heartfelt and emotional. Next to zero spice but great writing.
Love Katherine's storytelling and character depth.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest feedback.
This first half of this book was absolutely terrible. 0 stars if I could. The entire book seems to focus on Katie's hate of her body, but the first half is just too much. I understand we all have things we dislike about ourselves, but the way this was written was so unrelatable. I could see this being written for young teens?
The last 20% of the book was enjoyable and had me captivated. I love Katherine Center, but this is a hard pass for me.

When I saw I got an ARC of Katherine Center’s new book I was so excited! So thank you to #netgalley for this opportunity to leave a review of my honest opinion.

1. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. If she has a new book out, I’m there! And this book was no different!

2. Things I expect when I read a KC novel… a sweet romance story that unfurls at a slow, but delicious pace, ✅, characters that have faced challenges, but grow in some way ✅, JOY filled moments/ characters ✅ and a happy ending ✅

This novel 💯 delivered and was a joy to read. Also, I loved that she featured the Coast Guard. My only regret is that she didn’t feature a bigger moment between Hutch and Mandy at the end. I mean the ending was pretty epic, but I wanted a little more closure between their relationship and maybe more than just a kiss! 😍

Life is too short. Even long life is short. That was one of the of the great messages in this book.

Positive about this book was that I laughed out loud and the humor on this was great for me. Very rom-com vibe and I loved it.
The Gals I would love to grow old and have a group like that.

Negative about this book is that the main character seems to have body dysmorphic disorder and it’s addressed very lightly even though it’s so bad that she cannot live normal life. I wish the book would have made more clear guy won’t fix your body image. Girl, you need therapy ASAP not another guy.

Second issue I had was all that lying. I just can’t handle that well. When it’s a big part of the plot I get so much anxiety. I guess that’s one reason I don’t get along with a lot of people.

This is fiction story though and rest of the book was VERY entertaining so I do recommend this for a light read and look past of how the mental health issues were handled.

If you have mental health issues please reach out. You are not alone.

DNF at 80 pages.
I couldn’t get past how awful the main character was to herself about her body and the overall dialogue being so centred around it as well. I personally found it a bit too forced and over the top which made it really hard to build any sort of attachment to any of the characters or plot line:

While i think the good intention was there to have a FMC appear more “normal” and relatable to the modern woman (we all struggle or have struggled with body image issues) but it just didn’t resonate the way I think the author hoped… for me anyway.

It was ok. I just haven’t been loving Center’s newer books like I did her olde ones (How To Walk Away & Happiness For Beginners). Some cute moments and the couple in this one was cute too, but it just won’t be a very memorable one for me.

I loved this book! Katherine Center always manages to strike the right balance between funny and heart wrenching, and this book is no exception. The Love Haters includes some serious themes and scary moments but does so with enough levity that it doesn't feel contrived. The side characters were fun, though maybe less fleshed out than I've noticed in Katherine Center's other books. I especially enjoyed the bond the FMC had with the MMC's giant Great Dane.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.75 ⭐️rounded up

I was excited to read this book because I am a big fan of “Things you save in a Fire”, and I always love a good rom-com.

I don’t think I’d call this book a rom-com though, because it had a lot fewer funny moments than I’d expect. It did have romance, for sure! But the deeper elements of the story played a much louder role than any comedic relief.

It was a blend of grumpy x sunshine (misunderstood is more accurate than grumpy), a little bit of forced proximity, and a whole lot of “he fell first”. Example-Hutch noticing the pie shaped sliver of color in Katie’s eye that even her ex boyfriend and best friend never noticed?!

From the beginning the self-deprecating way the female main character talked about herself, (and the negative body image she held) gave me a bit of the ick.
I acknowledge that this is a very personal reaction to something that may not bother the next person in the slightest. After reading the authors notes at the end of the book, She wanted the love story to not just be between Katie and Hutch, but between Katie and herself. Which does make a lot of sense.

I liked Hutch’s character a lot, and the complicated history/story that contributed to the person he grew up to be.

Rue was one of my favorite characters in the book, and I could easily read a book from her POV!

This book has swoony moments, that make you smile and your heart go pitter patter. Because we love, love! I do agree with the Author, every time we read a love story it changes us a little and helps us love a little better—or want to in the very least.

This is the first book I’ve read of Katherine’s, also the first closed door and first person POV I’ve read in a long while and I was happily surprised! 🥹 There was such a great group of characters, especially the steamy Coast Guard MMC. And I’m wishing Rue would adopt me and let me live with her in the keys at the Starlite. ☀️🕶️
Katie’s transformation in self love was one of my favorite parts, it felt so empowering to watch her grow. I definitely think this book could easily be turned into a cute rom com that I’d watch all day.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

2.25⭐

LIKED:
- The body dysmorphia and self-love aspects of this book are the most successful in my opinion. I wish that it had a bit more grounding as the story progresses, but it made the character relatable to me as someone who has similar issues. I liked Beanie having Katie name small parts of herself that she loves and the silliness but also realness of it all. ..but then the cover of this book has Katie look teeny tiny and perfect and I’m frustrated. I know this is in ‘Liked’, so I won’t be too negative about it, but it was flawed, despite being the strongest part.
- I’m not from the Keys, but this book did make me want to go to the Florida Keys. Except the last 10%, I’m good not being there for that. But that section of the book was by far the most entertaining.
- I generally liked George Bailey, but omg the name. The amount of times I read the full name ‘George Bailey’ was exhausting. But I did like how George Bailey fit into the overall story and the ultimate climax.
- Rue was great and I wish she was in the book more, honestly. She was in it a bit, but the amount of love that Katie has for her in the end feels like it needed another chapter or two.
- I like the title of this book, it’s fun. I think the cover is also pretty fun, and definitely stronger than her last cover (as it tells more of a story)

LAMENTED:
- There is FAR too many things happening in this book. She’s doing the “Day in the Life”, Swim lessons, Learning to love herself, The Coast Guard stuff, The middle of the book fake dating thing (ugh), The tragic family backstories, The famous ex-boyfriend, and more. It was exhausting and never gave time to the characters that they deserved, really. I loved 'The Romcommers' and felt that Center really nailed the balance between Romance and Women’s Fiction, but that was not nearly as successful here.
- Her having a famous ex-boyfriend is unnecessary. It added nothing. And that’s disappointing.
- The side characters were unpleasant. Beanie was kind of a terrible friend in many ways. And Cole?? I hate that man. I know we’re not really supposed to like him, but what a petulant ass. Ugh.
- …I may get hate for this but I found Hutch really boring. I don’t really understand why they like each other besides lusting after each other, well, Katie lusting after him and then him just falling for her for no real reason? I don’t know. I felt very underwhelmed by the romance, which was very disappointing.
- Oh boy. The scene in the bar with the darts is just atrocious. It is deeply uncomfortable and I do not understand why it is necessary. I mean the whole Cole/faking date bit is just hugely frustrating and a weird thing to drop at over 50% of the way into the book. That should have been earlier and the kiss bet removed entirely.

LONGED FOR:
-More swim lessons? I thought there would be way more swim lessons and I was left disappointed
- REMOVE the weird kiss bet. None of that.
- Less of the military industrial complex but that’s me.

Will I read the next one? : Quite possibly. As mentioned, I really liked 'The Romcommers', and with Katherine Center’s intensive backlog, I suspect this one is just not for me where others may be.

This is my first Katherine Center book, and honestly I loved it. I thought it was a really cute story and the main characters were a delight!

I will say that the fmc, Katie, deeply struggles with body image issues, like deeply. And a large chunk of the book is her working through this and trying to see herself in a more positive light. As someone who has personally struggled with this, I found it really insightful and honest. It’s not a “ah ha” moment and everything is better. It’s a continuous work of choosing to see yourself in a loving way. I thought the author did a great job here.

As for the relationship, it was adorable. I absolutely loved Hutch. He’s the mmc, our coast guard rescue hero. He’s a little private, but so blunt and funny, and even better, he is oh so sweet on our girl Katie 😍 Watching the two of them build a friendship and fall in love was so sweet to witness.

And man what a wild but absolutely perfect ending!

Oh also, the best side characters ever, Rue (their honorary aunt), and George Bailey (a Great Dane), just brought the perfect humor and sweetness to the story.

Now go enjoy a delicious hot fudge sundae 🍨