Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sharing an ARC of this book!

This was my first Katherine Center book and it was such a cute read. Definitely a few things that I didn't expect. The banter in this book is adorable and the growth of the FMC was so special to see. I was a little nervous because of some of the subject matter of the book, but it was handled SO well. I absolutely loved this book and I am eager to check out more of Katherine Center's work.

So, I only discovered Katherine Center’s books with The Bodyguard, and it became an instant favorite. Same with Hello Stranger. The Rom-Commers, not so much. It was cute but I felt it lacked the heart that her other novels have. And I'd gone back and read most of her backlist after The Bodyguard.

All that is to say: this book was absolutely adorable. It made me swoon. It made me sad. And it inevitably made my heart so happy and full. THAT’S what I want from this author's books. It also kind of gave me a minor panic attack, but it was worth it.

Also, to be clear: I would have 100% gone back for the dog.

What a great story. Sometimes you just need a good story with a great message and a happy ending of a person finding herself and love. Katherine Center always finds a way to have a complicated, sometimes flawed, female character and having her be so relatable that you can’t help but love her. The witty banter is a bonus! The Love Haters was so beautifully wrapped up that I’m pretty sure I was smiling the entire last chapter and a half.

Katherine Center has QUICKLY become one of my favorite romcom authors. And The Love Haters was definitely no different. I literally took it with me in the far to grocery shop today because I couldn’t put it down. DO NOT MISS

This was a beachy, breezy and fun read about a documentary producer sent to Key West do a promo video of the Coast Guard featuring a local hero who skirts the spotlight and focuses on doing his job. Add in an adorable rescue dog, quirky elderly women meddling and an estranged brother and you have this delightful rom-com .

This was more than a rom-com as there were definitely themes that hit heavily (i.e., body positivity, cyber bullying) but the author handled the issues with intentionality and care. I felt connected to the characters and I wanted to move into the Starlite complex and become one of the Gals.

Check out this book if you love:
🐾 Forced Proximity
🐾 Found Family
🐾 A Match-Making Dog
🐾 Close Female Friendships
🐾 Single POV

Thank you to @katherinecenter, @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the e-ARC.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center (ARC)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katherine Center brings a tender love story between Katie, a filmmaker and her documentary subject named Hutch. He is a hero rescue diver with muscles for days… Unrelated: I binged this whole book in a day. 🙂‍↕️😂

I was a huge fan of the dynamics between MCs; both really complimented each other in different ways. Hutch is my favorite type: tall, dark and quiet 🙊 I love a shy MMC!! Such a fun change up from the usual formula!

One really big trigger warning I think should be included is for EDs. This subject is handled very well for the most part in this book, with the MFC going through a healing journey learning to love herself. But it is a large overarching book theme and starts off with some pretty triggering behavior. Hopefully when published, the book will include TWs but that is not the case for the ARC.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to a 4 because I couldn’t put it down!

Huge thank you, as always, to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review🫶

How many different ways are they to say you love a book other then to just say I loved this book. The balance of the serious heartbreaking themes the FMC deals with and the love story that unfolds could not have been handled better. I always say I read for vibes and the vibes were right with this one. I laughed so hard and shed a few tears as well. Katie was struggling with things that I don’t think any woman is ever untouched by and I think they were handled perfectly with enough seriousness the topics required from such a book but also with a humor that kept the tone light enough to enjoy. Part of me wishes this book was a dual POV with the MMC. I found myself dying to understand Hutch’s thoughts and feelings but then again I think that would have taken away from Katie’s path. As much as this was a romance between a man and a woman it felt very much like a woman I could relate to finding her way back to herself.

Love love love this story !!! My first book I read so far this year that has had me all giddy for the characters!

think I'm going to have to give up on Katherine Center. I haven't enjoyed her last couple books and The Love Haters is no different. The storyline was boring and I did not like the two main characters at all. Overall this was a miss for me, but if you are a fan of clean romance with no spice and a rom-com, hallmark theme book then give this one a try. Thanks NetGalley for advanced copy.

DNF at 60%. I can’t believe I’m dnf’ing this far along, but that’s how much I simply do not like these characters. I hate HATE that I am doing this because I LOVED the Rom-Commers so so much. But I am just really not enjoying this book.
The FMC is extremely immature in my opinion, and really just seems like a child to me. The MMC doesn’t communicate well, at all.
And the Cole coming in, just made me so upset with all his lies I can’t do it anymore. I was just getting so frustrated with all the miscommunication, and immaturity with all of them. I’m really sad to have to leave this review, but it’s just not it for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Last year, I read the book The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center and absolutely loved it. It was one of, if not THE, top read of the year. Which was why, I was so incredibly excited to score an ARC of her new book!

I started The Love Haters and got sucked in almost immediately. The main character is very relatable and the MMC is super likable and kind. This was a book I found hard to put down, was eager to come back to and was so sad to finish when I did. I absolutely cannot wait to read more Katherine Center books.

If you are a fan of books with heartwarming stories I definitely suggest you grab a copy of this book when it becomes available!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Love Haters had more depth than your typical romance book and taught you to love yourself too. It’s a sweet story and included a dog! I really liked Katie’s character and she was relatable for many women. Themes of family, loss, self-acceptance, and falling in love made this story great! 4.5⭐️

Rating ⭐️ : 5/5
No Spice 🚫🌶️
Release Date: May 20 2025

“Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time.”

Perfection. A must read!

Katherine Center never misses. Katherine Center always writes books that are more than just a simple love story.

Summary:
Katie is sent on a work trip to Key West to film a video about a Coast Guard rescue swimmer named Hutch, her coworker’s brother. If she refuses, she risks losing her job. During her time in Key West, Katie faces a series of challenges that force her to confront her fears—from learning to swim and wearing a bathing suit in public, to surviving a hurricane. With every challenge, Katie is pushed to her breaking point, forced to overcome her relationship with herself while grappling with the complicated dynamics between Hutch and his brother and the tension building between herself and Hutch.

Other Thoughts:
I saw myself in Katie, and I think a lot of people will too. Her journey to self-love throughout the story had me in tears, but also left me feeling hopeful. It’s the most beautiful enemies-to-lovers story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

A fantastic Rom Com with two loveable main characters! Quirky, fast paced, witty, and meaningful. This book is all you could ask for in a feel good way!
Disclaimer: body image discussion heavily

If you’ve ever been wronged while in love - ladies and gents this one is for you. How could you not hate love when it obviously hates you too. But wait. What if fate has a different idea about how you should live your life.
Katie like a lot of women out there has been lead to believe you must be a size 0 to be happy. That anything that isn’t this number is not beautiful or acceptable. Enter a whole series of psychologically damaging events from childhood to adulthood and bam you have all the ammunition you need to feel even more inadequate than you ever thought possible every single day. These learned beliefs undoubtedly extend to the dating world because how could they not, right? But wait. What if you had a best friend that didn’t believe in this? That thought that you were so wonderful all day everyday no matter what size you were and pumped you up every step of the way?
Add an assignment that the boss didn’t want to do that was passed down the line with one stipulation. Katie’s real reason for being there needs to be revealed at a specific time. During her convert mission she meets rich and dynamic individuals who inspire confidence in her and help her not hide in inadequacy anymore. Add a tall and handsome lover hater and you’re all set for a thrilling journey.
Katherine Center is my compass for what is good and happy in this world. Her books never cease to bring me joy when I seem to need it the most. Center crafts these beautiful characters and you can’t help but love every “imperfect”piece of them. They’re so relatable to me every single time and I just want nothing but the best for them because I see so much of myself in their struggles.
Thank you to St.Martins Press for this access to this ARC.

Having enjoyed other novels by Kathrine Center, I had high expectations for her new novel “The Love Haters.” As my teen students say, this book is “doing too much.” One of themes of the story involved body image. While it attempted to address the issue, the impossible situation the main character finds herself in are a poor backdrop. The minor characters had little to no character development and made their motivations hard to understand. While I enjoyed reading this book, it was just too silly to take it seriously.

I am a big fan of Katherine Center’s writing, and this book did not disappoint. It made me laugh out loud multiple times, and of course the romance is delicious and swoon worthy. There are some really powerful parts regarding the main character’s relationship with her body, and I think a very timely discussion on social media’s role in self esteem (or lack thereof). It’s probably not my favorite KC book, but it was definitely easy to read and I finished it very quickly.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

It’s been a while since I’ve read a romance with no smut, but I truly enjoyed this. It was such an easy and fun read. I really like how this wasn’t so overly focused on romance because I was genuinely curious and eager to know what was going to happen next in the story. Also, I’m sure Cole was meant to be unlikeable, but some of the things he said had me laughing out loud, and he eventually became one of my favorite characters in the book lol

This is the first Katherine Center book for me, and I’m definitely going to check out some more of her stuff now!

The first couple chapters took a few days to get into (whether it be life or the story, I am not sure) but once I got into the story, I could not stop reading it! It is definitely Katherine Center. The chemistry between the characters was perfect even if miscommunication was their main issue. The build up of the characters definitely made you understand why they had those miscommunication. It is about growth beyond love for others but love for yourself. Also, George Bailey is great.

I read this so quickly on a 3 hour flight. I always love Katherine Center books and this one was no different. Katherine's books always mix happy and light fun with some deeper, more serious scenarios as well. This book balanced the light vs heavy well and had great pacing. Also, she always finds a way to introduce new careers and characters in such an easy way - I loved the focus on the coast guard and a film production company. It reminded me a bit of the firefighter focus in Things You Save in a Fire. I love when there's a bit of a celebrity aspect as well so Katie's ex being a famous musician and the impacts of that was a fun addition. Overall a fun, quick read! I can see this being a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advance copy!

TW: body dysmorphia and past eating disorders