Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early read of The Love Haters by Katherine Center. Any Katherine Center book is an automatic read for me. This one is in competition with Happiness for Beginners as my favorite Katherine Center book. The Lover Hates is about Katie, a video producer, who gets thrown in to a project to follow a Coast Guard swimmer, Hutch, for a promotional video. I had to suspend my judgement a bit on the ridiculousness of the premise and the situations that Katie got in to but ultimately I thought they were hilarious. She can't swim, Hutch's dog keeps plowing her over, she gets stuck in a storm, she has to pretend to be her colleague's girlfriend, etc. Katie's character is so funny and I really enjoyed the way that she was allowed to break the 4th wall and talk to the reader occasionally. This helped normalize the craziness in which she often found herself. I love that this was a rom-com, so it did have the rom piece but was really heavy on the com. That said, Center also tackles a lot of body image insecurity with Katie's character and it is nice to see her coming around to herself in the end. Really enjoyed this read, would absolutely recommend to friends!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Love Haters, particularly the main character, Kate, who I found relatable. Her all-black wardrobe and struggles with self-image felt very real and personal. I could easily connect with her journey of finding herself.
While Hutch was a loveable character, I didn't quite feel the chemistry between Kate and Hutch from his perspective. While their relationship had its moments, I couldn't fully grasp what made them connect beyond surface level, which left me a little disconnected from their romance.
The title, The Love Haters, also felt a bit misleading. I couldn't quite understand why they were considered "love haters" by the end of the book—this aspect didn't seem to come to fruition in the story, leaving me a bit puzzled about its significance.
Overall, it was an engaging read, with a strong main character and emotional depth, but certain aspects—like the chemistry and title—left me wanting more.

This was my forst Katherine Center book and I totally get the hype! Definitely a good beach read or general interest read for women.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc of The Love Haters by Katherine Center.
I love anything that Katherine Center writes, and this book was no exception. The Love Haters is a story of a videographer trying to get a story and save her job. In true rom com fashion, the reader knows the story will end with love, but Center knows how to weave a story to make it an enjoyable journey. This is a book that will be easy to recommend to readers!

I was lucky enough to get this ARC from Netgalley. I could not put it down. I literally stayed up half the night to finish it. I love that these characters are flawed and not perfect. It made them seem so relatable. The journeys you take with yourself and your family in your adult life and grow. It was a great read!

Katie Vaughn needs her job and to do that she needs to lie to keep it. She's given a chance to save her job by doing a video on a coast guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? The problem ... She can’t swim— and the rescue swimmer, Hutch, does not want her to do the video. He is hoping to reconnect with his brother Cole who is the one who assigns Katie the job so as to avoid his brother.

But the lie works and nextstop for Kaite is Key West. Where she stays with Aunt Rue (Cole and Hutch's aunt) and her fellow residents at Rue's resort. A resort special for life time friends who are now widow.s. Of course they get involved and help out Katie.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

A fun beach read. Enough suspense and unknowns to keep you reading and light enough that if you fall asleep on the beach you'll be able to jump right back into the story.

This is the perfect summertime/vacation read. It’s cute and cozy and I would expect nothing less from Katherine Center. Witty dialogue, fun colorful setting, and important themes grabbed me from the beginning. Hutch is a dream and the supporting characters are also lovable. Could have done without the third act drama since I don’t think it would have really affected the climax, which was swoony enough as is. Overall it was adorable and I will recommend it to anyone who needs a beach read.

Katherine Center has done it again! The Love Haters is a heartwarming, witty, and deeply emotional story that pulls you in from the very first page. With her signature blend of humor and heartfelt moments, Center crafts relatable characters you can’t help but root for. The romance feels authentic, the dialogue sparkles, and the themes of resilience and self-discovery leave a lasting impression. This book is a perfect reminder that love — in all its messy, imperfect glory — is always worth fighting for!!!

Didn’t enjoy this one as much as her other books but I still liked it. When starting the book, I felt like I missed something. Like I was dropped 25% into the book. But Hutch is my dream man that’s for sure!

I love Katherine Center! I've read 3 of her books so far. I thought this book was funny and emotional. I think it hit the spot for me. It had a great amount of build up in tension and resolution. Center tends to follow a formula to set up all her books: girl in the south, girl travels for a guy due to her job, and girl has a tragic familial backstory. It's just an observation, not a criticism. The rest of the book is anything but a formula. I think she does a good job of not relying on any overdone tropes to further the plot and I truly appreciate that. There was a lot of self reflection throughout the book and I thought it was a smidge too much for me but I do understand what it's like to be insecure and to work through that so the so it didn't bother me that much, I do feel like that internal dialogue was needed. It's a lovely book, and I do recommend it for anyone looking for a lighthearted romance!

The FMC was really hard on herself after a breakup. Kody’s of self discouragement which was very relatable. But bridging that gap between how the FMC and her love interest became so in love was done pretty elementary like. Could’ve done some more character development. Other than that the story was pretty decent. I liked Katie and Beanie’s sister/cousin/ bff relationship A LOT.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love Haters is more than just a romance—it’s a story about self-acceptance, self-love, and finding a safe space to grow. While the chemistry between Katie and Hutch is absolutely swoon-worthy, the most powerful love story here is the one between Katie and herself.

Sent on a work trip to film a promotional video for the U.S. Coast Guard, Katie meets Hutch—a real-life hero with a quiet strength that allows her to be fully herself. With the support of her hilarious best friend Beanie, meddling Great Dane George Bailey, and the ever-wise Rue, Katie embarks on a journey of healing, confidence, and love.

This book is both an easy read and an emotional powerhouse, and I adored seeing Katie’s transformation. Her story resonated deeply, proving that self-love and romantic love don’t have to be linear—you can find both at the same time. 💕

📢 Highly recommend for fans of heartfelt, character-driven romance! And don’t skip the author’s note—Katherine Center’s passion for love stories shines through!

3 stars

This love story that takes place in Key West, FL is as chaotic as you’d assume the state of Florida is.

Trigger Warnings:
- body dysmorphia
- natural disaster

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!