I received an ARC on Net Galley.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Love Haters. I love Katherine Center’s style and the longing tension and slow burn she creates in her characters. She always finds a way to humanize a lot of the challenges many of us have and in this book it was body image issues, especially in the social media age. There is also some “sibling rivalry” for lack of a better word that I feel can truly happen when trauma is involved.

I loved the side characters here probably more than any other of her books. I think they really make this book and story special.

The only reasons this book isn’t a 5/5 for me is because as a native south Floridian, one of the twists in the story has some parts that aren’t very believable for me. And also I think there was a story line involving the boss that I didn’t find necessary or too believable either. But aside from this, The Love Haters is a must read.

4.25/5 ⭐️ for me.

3.5 STARS

Video producer Katie Vaughn has been hiding from her personal life in a big way since her famous ex-fiancé turned into a cheater. To retain her job after company downsizing, Katie is assigned a story in the Florida Keys profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson, a well-known Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Besides the fact Katie cannot swim…at all, she starts off not being completely honest with Rue, who owns the cottages where is staying and is Hutch’s “Aunt,” about why she has arrived in the area.

Another complication is the man who gave Katie this job, which she needs to keep from being laid off, is Hutch’s brother; they have a boat load of family angst going on because of an early life issue. As Katie and Hutch spend a lot of time together while she not only learns to swim, but follows him around at the Coast Guard station, their attraction deepens.

Katie is dealing with her own issues of self-worth which are exacerbated by attacks on her appearance by mean comments on social media. Because of the time she spends with the quirky and fun-loving, Rue and her cadre of mature women, Katie begins to reevaluate her own negativity and life choices. This story has angst, family drama, life threatening situations not surprisingly given Hutch’s job, and not a few personal revelations.

I am quite a fan of Ms. Center’s tales and while I enjoyed this one for the most part, this book has a few issues that would be spoilers if revealed. My favorite part of this author’s writing often comes with her end of the book comments as she always gives an excellent defense of why fiction in general, and love stories in particular, matter so much to our own well being quoting Nora Ephron who said, “Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape.”

My main issue with KC in her last 3 books is a lack of plot development and setting. She writes in such a scattered messy train of thought repetitive way that as a reader who reads a LOT of books every year, I cannot believe this is something people want to read. I was hopeful going into her new one that maybe she went back to her The Bodyguard days (5 stars!), but unfortunately, her new book The Love Haters is just as bad as The RomCommers and Hello Stranger.

This was a fun and enjoyable book to read. It was not my favorite Katherine Center book, but I enjoyed the romance, the coast guard aspect, and the cute old ladies, especially Rue. While the body positive messages were inspiring and an important part of the book, I found myself skimming those phone conversations from Katie to her best friend Beanie. Overall the story was charming and uplifting! Thank you to St Martin’s press and NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for a review.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I really enjoyed it! The two main characters made me laugh and I really resonated with Katie because she has such a hard time being nice to herself and this story helped her get over that. Hutch was a little tooooo perfect, c’mon the guy has to have something wrong with him; but overall it was an easy, fun read and I would read more of her books!

As a fan of Katherine Center, I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to read this story before it is published. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy in return for my honest opinion.

Katie is a video producer in a company where jobs are being cut every day. When her coworker, Cole asks her to go on assignment in his place to film a promo for US Coast Guard rescue swimmers, she jumps at the chance despite being a bit under-qualified for the job. But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, right? So what if she can’t swim and the prime subject of the promo is Cole’s estranged brother, Hutch, who has zero desire to be in the spotlight or be featured on camera?

The Love Haters was one of those wholesome and heartwarming tales that leaves you wanting more. Filled with a cast of unique and lovable characters (and probably the sweetest 175 pound fur ball ever) , it is easy to get engrossed in this group of people who have become family to each other. The attraction and chemistry between Katie and Hutch was effortlessly believable. What makes this special, however, is that it’s about so much more than a traditional love story; it’s also about the love shared between friends, siblings, parental figures who stepped up when they didn’t have to, and so many other different types of relationships. But perhaps the most important relationship featured in these pages was told through characters who were each learning to love themselves, a struggle that so many of us readers can relate to.

Katherine Center has a unique ability to write stories that make you laugh, while at the same time tackling serious topics. She writes with strong emotion, but somehow manages to keep it light. The Love Haters made me happy, sad, and everything in between. It made me smile and made me aww out loud. With witty and sentimental stories such as this one, Katherine Center continues to be a go to author for me.

I’ll start this by saying that I’m a big fan of Katherine Center. The Rom-Commers was one of my favorite reads of last year!

I just couldn’t really connect with this one though. Most of this book centered on the FL’s body image issues but it felt forced in a way that reminded me of 2010s Tumblr?

That being said it was still a fun read! The chemistry is fun and I continue to look forward to what Katherine Center puts out next.

Thank you for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book!

Following the story and growth of the FMC Katie was a blast and an emotional rollercoaster. I liked how body image and shaming was portrayed and it really took the reader on the journey of self love with the FMC. It felt as though I was right there with Katie feeling the way she did. There was many little quotes throughout the book that I throughly enjoyed but the one I liked the most was "I'd taken her for granted, this, soft, tender, undemanding self-all these years. I'd criticized her, and ignored her. And she'd just endured it. She'd stayed with me and taken it all-because she had no choice." My favorite side character was Beanie because she was a light in Katie's darkness and was always coming up with ways to help Katie through her dark times. Beanie's advice of pick something about yourself that you love and say why was one of my favorite pieces of advice she had given. The romance between Hutch and Katie was sweet and innocent, I enjoyed that it was a slower burn and a not expecting to find love trope.

A truly heartwarming story of finding yourself a finding love. Katie is the most relatable character I have encountered in a long time She truly enraptured you in her journey. Her struggles so real to may of us, A book full of laughter, growth and learning to love your self and others. Another 5 star book for Katherine Center.

Katie is at risk of losing her job until her co-worker encourages her to travel to Key West to cover his brother, Hutch, the Coast Guard rescue swimmer. There she meets Rue, the quirky, free spirited aunt, the Gals, and Hutch's giant dog. While spending weeks learning about the Coast Guard and rescue swimmer, she develops an easy romance with Hutch. In the meantime, her BFF helps her discover how to love herself. It all goes wrong when her co-worker and her boss show up for a surprise visit.
I thought this was such a sweet, heartwarming story. I learned about the Coast Guard, related to Katie's body image struggles, and cheered for Hutch. Would definitely recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read The Love Hater's in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s the perfect blend of sweet romance and heartfelt moments. The main character was so relatable, and I really appreciated how the author explored her body image struggles in such an honest and empowering way. It was refreshing to see a story that tackles such a personal issue with such grace.

The writing was beautiful and kept me hooked from start to finish. I also have to mention how much I adored the dog – it brought such warmth to the story. And the old women who kept pushing the characters together were such a fun addition, bringing humor and charm to the narrative.

Overall, this book was a delightful read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a touching, romantic story with a lot of heart.

Such fun characters, a great romance. I love George Bailey!! Love how Katie learns to love herself and the character evolves... Such a great message!

3.75 stars - this book has the truly quirky characters that we all love in a Katherine Center book. Unfortunately, I think the main premise for the female lead will be a little bit tough for some readers. There are major trigger warnings for body image and disordered eating content. However, if you are OK with that, I think the author tries to handle it in a sensitive and empowering nature!

Katie’s company is in trouble, and to save her job (as a videographer) she has to journey to the Florida Keys to interview a hot Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hutch. The problem is that he doesn’t want to be interviewed. Throw in a kooky aunt and her retiree friends, a scheming brother, and a lovable dog, and chaos ensues. With a side of romance of course. This was just a “like” for me, but Katherine center is always an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC - all opinions are my own. I love Katherine Center, and look forward to hearing more from her!

What I loved:
-Katie’s inner monologue is honestly hilarious and I can’t get enough of it. She is so relatable.
-Good balance between upbeat rom-com, but also digs deeper into getting to see Katie’s growth toward body positivity.
-Key West setting, swim lessons, and nightly BBQs scream summer/beach read.

The FMC and MMC had great chemistry, but the book contains minimal spice. This seems the be Katherine Center’s style, so if you like this about her other books you’ll love this one too.

The Love Haters is a relatable story featuring Katie, who hasn't had the best luck in love . Assigned to create a recruitment video for the Coast Guard leads her to Hutch, who according to his brother is a "Love Hater." I particularly liked how the focus on Katie finding things to love about herself and her body that Katie's cousin Beanie reminds her to do...something we should all remember to do for ourselves. Set in the tropical paradise of Key West, you'll smile and laugh out loud as you watch Katie and Hutch navigate the relationship to become a couple you will want to root (and hope) for with every turn of the page.

This was such a fun read. The perfect amount of romance. I loved the real life experiences of the Coast Guard swimmer. I loved every second of it and didn’t want it to end.

I was so excited to get approved for an ARC of Katherine Center’s newest romcom, The Love Haters (pub date May 20 2025) and it did not disappoint. There’s just something about Katherine’s writing that makes you smile the entire time you’re reading.

Beyond the love story, there’s a subplot involving Katie’s body image struggles and her self-love journey. I’ve struggled with body image since I was a girl and found myself relating to Katie on a really deep level throughout the whole book. I highly recommend reading this if you’ve dealt with similar issues- the topic is handled in a healthy, sensitive way.

All this to say: I loved it. One million stars. No notes.

I had the opportunity to read a free advance review copy of The Love Haters through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Love Haters was the first book I've read by Katherine Center, but I'll definitely be looking to read more by her in the future. From the beginning, I liked the style of writing, which had a good flow and an overall inviting feel to it. Our main character, Katie, was relatable, and I enjoyed following her journey, especially as she confronted her body image issues. The story really dives into a variety of relationships: romantic, family, and coworkers. I think one of my favorite parts was the exploration of one's relationship with themself. Some awkward situations provide a bit of comic relief, and some (literally) colorful characters brighten things up. I loved the setting in the Florida Keys and the glimpse into the Coast Guard and water rescues. I was somewhat frustrated with the conflict that happens and how Katie reacted to it, but I'm happy enough with how things worked out in the end. I overall enjoyed reading the book, and it really held my interest all the way through.

This is my first arc and what a fun one to read and review!

I want to start off by saying - I am a big big Katherine Center fan, I recently re-read all her other books just to tide me over until May, but then St. Martins Press and NetGally gifted me with this arc -- but I have to say sadly this one is probably my least favorite of the bunch 😫

3.5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

But let's start with what I like:
I think this was such a fun romance, and I enjoyed the journey, the change in location (TX vs this one in the FL Keys), and most of all I am a full-time video producer like Katie so I LOVED this premise! KC always has such fun jobs for her leading ladies and this was no different!

I thought Katie and Hutch did have chemistry and were super cute ...but I wanted MORE! (more on that later) And I loved the addition of the Great Dane George Bailey. I am always a sucker for a cute pet that loves the MC before their human realizes they do too!

And, I did personally really relate to Katie's internal struggle with body image. I know some people found that to be too much, but I have to say it felt very accurate to my own thoughts for periods of my life. I think having the second love story between Katie and herself was really touching. Sure most women can say they have felt bad about their body image, but when struggling with an eating disorder it is fundamentally different and for some people it presents this way.

💖 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖

And now where I think this missed the mark for me:
First, I felt this was lacking the witty banter that The Bodyguard, Hello Stanger, and The Rom-Comers had. It was missing that magical something between Katie and Hutch. The moments of brightness and laughter that I have come to know and love about KCs books fell a bit flat for me in this one. I really felt like we could have lived in the falling part of the book longer. I thought Hutch was a shy cutie and I just wanted more of their buildup, and more of their after in the epilogue!

The side characters also fell a little flat - I am not sure what it is but her cousin Beanie didn't feel like a fully fleshed-out character. It was missing the depth in her relationship with Katie, and basically, all the other side characters had even less. I wish we got just a little bit more there. Well besides Rue - who was and is - such an adorable character and really brought the color and life to this book!

All that to say though - I think I feel so strongly about what this might have been lacking because KC is such a great writer and my bar for her is soooo much higher than most other romance writers.

This was still such a quick and fun read that lets readers escape to paradise for a while. Readers will still feel all the feels and fall in love with Katie and Hutch. I really loved the added self-love and personal growth we got to see in Katie and I will eagerly await KCs next book even if this one was not me personal favorite.

🌴 🌴 🌴 🌴 🌴 🌴

thank you thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I love this author and all of her books! This was another delightful rom com full of loveable characters, humor, wit, heart, and an exciting storyline. The perfect beach read for everyone this summer!