Katherine Center delivers yet another charming, heartfelt rom-com with The Love Haters, a story filled with humor, adventure, and the kind of slow-burn romance that keeps you turning the pages. While this book didn’t necessarily blow me away like some of Center’s others, it’s still a wonderfully endearing story about loss, friendship, and learning to love yourself as much as you love others. (Side note: Katherine Center is always a MUST-READ for me.) This one will definitely give you the "love yourself" vibe.

Katie Vaughn, a video producer on the verge of losing her job, takes a career-defining opportunity that’s way outside her comfort zone—filming a profile on Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. The problem? She can't swim. But that doesn't stop her from faking it, diving headfirst (pun intended) into a whirlwind of awkward moments, hilarious mishaps, and undeniable chemistry. The added tension of Hutch being the estranged brother of her coworker, Cole, only makes things more complicated.

Katie is such a relatable protagonist—her inner monologue felt like something I’ve had with myself a hundred times over. And Hutch? A total sweetheart who grew on me more and more as the story unfolded. Their dynamic is equal parts tension-filled and tender, making for a romance that feels earned.

What truly sets this book apart is the laugh-out-loud humor. One scene in particular—featuring a big dog, splinters, and Katie’s “haunches”—had me laughing so hard I cried. Center’s knack for blending comedy with heartfelt moments makes this an easy and enjoyable read.

That being said, there was one scene that took this down from a perfect 5-star to a solid 4-star for me. Without giving too much away, it involves the rescue scene, and I found myself a little disappointed with how it played out. Still, that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

With The Love Haters, Katherine Center once again proves her talent for creating romances that are funny, emotional, and full of heart. If you love a story with swoon-worthy chemistry, tropical settings, and characters who make you laugh out loud, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this eArc.

Loved this much more than Katherine’s other works! The summer vibes really pulled me in. This will be a great beach read or book for your summer vacation. Think Emily Henry vibes but better somehow! Absolutely loved!

a cute summer romcom! A true Katherine Center story.
I generally listen to her stories as audiobooks but it was nice to read this one. Thank you for the arc

I really enjoyed this book- 4/5 stars. I read it in a day! I felt there was just enough fluff/background information. I did think that the ex boyfriend and Katie were going to meet/talk at some point but it never happened. It was a good happy ending!

i absolutely love katherine center’s writing however this book felt a bit flat for me. Some aspects of the book were not ones that I wanted to read. While I still did enjoy the book, it wasn’t my fav especially compared to The Bodyguard. I feel like it was a pretty forgettable book.



Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of The Love Haters!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

I love Katherine Center, and this book was no different. It's a great summer read, and had me ready for summer!

This isnt her strongest book, in my opinion, but i really enjoyed it. It still had her usual great banter, dialogue and story building. Thats one thing she never misses on, and this was no different.

The locations, side characters and MFC were my favorite parts. I really was able to find connection with them, and it was nice. The MMC was a little tougher for me, because at times, he felt like more of an after thought. That could just be my understanding of him, but for a romance, i just wish he gave more to the story.

While I typically love a Katherine Center book this one just didn't have the same heart as her others. I didn't feel the romance between Hutch and Katie as much as her other books in the past. While I really enjoyed the setting and the side characters I would have liked it more of the story focused on Hutch. He was almost a side character to me, I would have enjoyed learning more about him and his job in the Coast Guard.

I hated how the main conflict in the book was based on lying. That is a huge pet peeve of mine in books. I just wish the characters would be honest with each other. I feel like talented writers like Katherine Center should be able to write a story better without the characters having to be deceitful. That being said I still did enjoy the book, it was an easy book to get into and the story did move along nicely and I was still drawn in. Katherine Center will still continue to be one of my favorite authors.

I absolutely adored this story by Katherine Center. Highly recommend for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, this gives all the swoony feels. I loved the main characters and while the story was a bit far fetched (but in a fun way), the attraction felt very authentic. I read this book in 2 days which is saying a lot. Light and fun read.

I’ve never read a book by this author before but after a few chapters I was an immediate fan! This is such a perfect beach read for the summer!

I stayed up way too late laughing out loud over this rom-com. Katie is a videographer attempting to avoid a layoff by taking on a project for her co-worker. Hutch, a rescue swimmer, is part of the promotional video she is making for the US Coast Guard and has a hilarious rescue Great Dane.

There are some crazy situations Katie finds herself in during the story. She has a ton of body issues, and we see her slowly work through some of those in this story. The romance is light in this one, but friendships and found family make up for it. I enjoyed this one as much as The Bodyguard.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Listen I am usually a big fan of Katherine Center, but this one was a bit of a let-down for me.
It felt quite juvenile?
I am not sure if that is because the "I hate my body" and "I am ugly" thing, but maybe as a women in her 40's that just felt too immature.
It seemed like a teenager's mindset. The growth was too little, too late for me.

Also, I did not feel a whole lot of chemistry between our two protagonists.

If you like a sweet romance, read any Katherine Center book, but this is one of her best. This one hit a little bit softer for me, previous Katherine center books has a hard tragic storyline with one of the main characters being very effected by a terminal illness but this one was much less of that and focused on the love story. (Well minus the tragic car accident that happened 15 years prior to this story... still not missing any limbs nor is anyone legally blind so I will take it.)

Our female main character gets sent off to make a documentary of a Coast guard rescue swimmer that wants nothing to do with the lime light. But alas she has to save her job as most of her colleagues are getting laid off. then we have the fake dating troupe thrown in towards the end just to mix it up a bit more. Mix in some mild body image issues, running from a past love, and saving her own job? We got an interesting mix of things going on.

This has witty banter, dialogue and a good mix of descriptions that makes it a fast and cozy read without leaving us (the reader) bored.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published May 20, 2025.

Take one self-deprecating, all-black-wearing, background-blending heroine. Add one serious, no-fun, larger-than-life Coast Guard hero. Now throw in a lost suitcase, a caftan-related meet-cute, an overly enthusiastic Great Dane, and an unfortunate splinter-removal scene… and you’ve got The Love-Haters!

Katie isn’t exactly thriving—she’s just trying to hold onto her job, even if it means taking an assignment she’s wildly unqualified for. That’s how she ends up in Key West, filming a promotional video for the Coast Guard featuring their most handsome, stoic, and annoyingly competent rescue swimmer, Hutch. (Who, by the way, happens to be her boss’s brother.)
Their first meeting? Peak rom-com chaos. Luggage lost, caftan acquired, and mortifying introductions made. Their second? Well, it involves a Great Dane tackle, a poolside wipeout, and Hutch playing splinter-removal duty on her backside (yes, really).

Katie is used to staying in the background, but Hutch—despite his all-work-no-play attitude—sees her in a way no one else has. And the more time they spend together, the harder it is to ignore the sparks flying between them. But just when innocent flirtations turn into something more, disaster strikes, and suddenly, they’re both facing a storm neither saw coming.

This book had me laughing out loud (George Bailey, you chaotic legend), swooning over the slow-burn tension, and feeling all the emotions. But beyond the hilarity, Katherine Center beautifully explores themes of self-doubt, resilience, and stepping out of the shadows.

If you love witty banter, forced proximity, opposites-attract romance, and a hero who takes his shirt off just the right amount, you need this book!

Katherine Center does it again with a sweet romance and it also has a message. Your life falls into place when you begin to love yourself.

As with all of Center's novels, this struck a perfect balance of humor and depth that made it such a joy to read. The chemistry was palpable, but the stand-out element to me was the realistic and well-executed character arc that Katie has with herself throughout the story. I will say I wanted a *bit* more payoff from the Katie/Hutch dynamic in the conclusion, but it was still such a good read.

4.5 stars!!

First things first, I was given a copy of this book as an ARC, in exchange for an honest review. A big thank-you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center for allowing me to be an early reader.

This book is told in the perspective of Katie, a video producer. Layoffs are currently underway at the company she works at, so in order to save her career, she flies out to Key West to profile a “day in the life” of a US Coast Guard, Hutch.

While profiling Hutch, Katie becomes intertwined in the community of Key West.

This book is a combination of humour and romance in the best way possible.
There were so many moments in this book that made me laugh out loud! And the chemistry between Katie and Hutch was amazing.

If you’re looking for a lovely romance book to read, especially if you’ve loved other books by Katherine Center, then I highly recommend checking this out. Releasing in August of this year! x

This book was fun, and light, and deep. It felt like a breezy summer read while also digging deep into the female millennial issue of body image and figuring out how to love and accept yourself. The whole time I was reading I could see myself in Katie while simultaneously feeling like I was Beanie on the other end of the FaceTime call BEGGING her to see herself how the rest of the world does.

Thank you Net Galley for this eARC! I can’t wait to read more from Katherine Center!

Okay I actually really loved this one!! The beginning took me a minute.. and the body image stuff at the beginning was kind of extra at the beginning.. but man I flew through the rest and didn’t want to stop reading. It felt like it was real and I really enjoyed it!

I love reading KC books because they're always so humorous and heartwarming, and The Love Haters was nothing different. She always creates relatable characters, and I resonated with Katie in this book. Ugh, it was so good. Highly recommend!

This was fun! I was really worried going into this book as I have had mixed results from Katherine Center's books. After absolutely loving The Bodyguard, the following two releases were disappointing. So this was a pleasant surprise.

Katie Vaughn needs to save her job. So she agrees to her coworkers request that she travels out to the Key West to make a promo video for the Coast Guards by following Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. Along the way Katie will fall in love, make new friends, and confront some of her greatest fears while learning to love herself and embrace who she is.

I really enjoyed Katie and Hutch - they both seemed like great characters and while I feel like the romance was a bit rushed, I enjoyed them together. I also loved Rue, Hutch’s amazing aunt, and George Bailey, the very lovable Great Dane that Hutch rescued. However, I found Beanie's support questionable at times and Cole was an idiot who just made me frustrated.

The handling of heavier themes, such as body image and grief, could have been better. These are very important topics and need to be handled with a certain level of care. And I believe that the light tone of the book overshadowed these moments - especially with the inclusion of some of the dramatic/over the top instances.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I love the author's writing (that is one of the reasons I keep coming back to Katherine Center) and I felt like the plot was fairly well developed (especially when I compare it to the author's last two releases). I look forward to seeing what else the author will release.