"The Love Haters" is a delightful and heartwarming read. If you're looking for a light and entertaining escape with a touch of romance and self-discovery, I highly recommend giving it a try.

The only issue I had was how Cole's lies were resolved. It seemed too easy and convenient and no repercussions for anyone.

This was a really sweet book. It wasn’t my favorite book by Center, but I loved the military aspect and I loved the body positivity. I laughed out loud several times reading it. I thought the Cole showing up and saying they were together storyline was a bit much (…but not the hurricane? IDK) but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

I really enjoyed The Love Haters! I have read 3 other Katherine Center books and this was another great read. I thought all of the characters were enjoyable, especially Rue and I wanted to get back to the story when I was unable to read.
I thought the ending was a bit rushed and the body shaming was a bit repetitive in the begining, which is why I gave the book 4 stars. However, it's clean, cheesy (in a good way) and the coast guard information was interesting. I'd recommend it!

Katherine Center’s books always feel like a warm hug. Her characters are realistic and easy to relate to, all with their own struggles and difficulties. She writes a beautiful romance story that incorporates heavy themes and they are page turners every time. This was not my favorite of her books but I will always read everything she writes.

4.25 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Love Haters! Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me! You can always count on a feel-good romance when picking up her books and this one is no different 🩷

This was a fun romance to read that would be perfect for the beach. I am a fan of Katherine Center and I did enjoy this book, but I did struggle with the conflict that happened towards the end of the book that didn’t seem very genuine. I really liked the couple it focused on and I loved how it showed immense growth for the main character and the way she viewed her own self worth. Overall it was a great read!

This is my first experience with Katherine Center after circling around her books for years, and it was … interesting? Objectively I would consider this a good book. It was certainly not unenjoyable though I did find certain story lines a bit unnecessary or oddly handled. I was very surprised by a main plot point being an obvious eating disorder and severe body image issues, especially with no heads up before the book began. Normally I find some ‘trigger warnings’ unnecessary but even as someone who is not at risk of either, I think one is extremely necessary in this case. Somewhat related- the ex fiancé being famous just didn’t seem to have a point besides it linking to the body image issues. If one didn’t exist, the other didn’t have to. There wasn’t another path the story could’ve gone down to end with the same result?

I know the above sounds harsh but I did very much enjoy the first 60%- like thought I’d be giving it 5 stars until that point- and that is why I am still giving 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. The plot kind of went haywire after the 60% mark thanks to Cole, who I couldn’t stand.

The scenes between Katie and Hutch were cute but left me wanting more. As I said, the first 60% had me hooked and that was basically just them finding their footing with each other. Things never really progressed from there. Even the epilogue barely gave an update on them.

I don’t have any hard feelings about reading this book- it was fun and I am glad I did! I will recommend to anyone that I think would enjoy. Thank you Katherine, St Martins Press, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center's books always have a way of leaving me hopeful. I say this every time I review one, but it is true. Center loves love more than any other writer I have read, and while she understands the importance of a love story, her books are much more than a romance. The main characters are often searching for purpose or trying to quiet their inner voice. I always find them relatable, but none more so than Center's newest, The Love Haters.

Katie's (our main female lead) struggles with her body image. I grew up in an era rife with pictures of women's bodies that were unattainable for most. I grew up in an era with sitcoms that promoted dangerous diets and body dysmorphia - the same era where Britney Spears, at times, was considered fat. I look back at that time and know how damaging it was to millions of young people. Watching Katie's growth and her acceptance of herself was a beautiful part of this story.

I also loved much more than Katie's lovely character arc. I loved the banter, the friendships, The Gals (one of the best parts of this book), the setting, and George Bailey. Let's not forget Hutch. He was so genuine and thoughtful. He looked out for everyone. The way Katie and Hutch came together and grew as friends and then into more was heartwarming.

If I have any gripes, it is with Cole's storyline. Some reviewers hated him, even saying he ruined the whole story for them. I didn't like him, but I have zero issues with unlikeable characters. Rather, the conflict could have been focused elsewhere. I just found Katie's actions about Cole to be a bit unbelievable for her character.

Overall, this was a fantastic read, but I do think this will be a mixed bag for people.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, the story centers around the blossoming relationship between Katie and her love interest Hutch, set against a backdrop of swimming lessons Filming a reel for the coast guard and other shared experiences. While the book is enjoyable, there is a noticeable lack of depth in the portrayal of the connection between the main characters. The narrative often focuses on Katie’s perspective, where she recounts activities like dining with friends or swimming, but there is a missed opportunity for more intimate moments between the couple.

The relationship develops rapidly over the course of three weeks, yet we doesn't get to witness enough meaningful interactions between them to fully believe in the depth of their love. There are limited scenes showing them together in the pool or during the swim lessons, which could have been key moments to deepen their bond. These scenes, if included, might have provided a stronger sense of connection and made their quick fall into love feel more natural.

Overall, while the book captures some of the charm of a whirlwind romance, it would have benefitted from more focus on the developing relationship through shared, engaging moments between the characters, This still a book I'd gladly pick up and read again.

I’d like to think we have all been Love Haters at some point in our lives. Whether we hate the love we have for our friends, families or lovers , it always finds a way back in. This lovely story follows Katie and Hutch as they find a way to let love back in. As Katie heads to Key West to film a promo video for Hutch, a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard, she finds little instances of love along the way. Learning to love herself and her body again after heartbreak, Katie meets fabulous people as she details the life of a rescue swimmer. Just so happens he is not too bad to look at. I throughly enjoyed this story. It was light, yet deep. It made me laugh and swept me away to a colorful, warm and friendly Key West.

A well written book that has many themes within the pages, the one that really stands out is to be ok with yourself and choose to talk positively to yourself. While this is a romance story, it's also so much more. It's about self-acceptance, self-love, conquering fear, friendship, and family. In my opinion, Katie's relationship with herself takes center stage. I think a lot of people, women in particular have not so healthy opinions of themselves. The Love Haters follows Katie who has had an absolutely terrible few years. She got engaged to who she thought was the love of her life only for him to go viral on TikTok with a song the night of their engagement. It lead to a year of her struggling with body image issues after internet trolls tore her apart after an appearance on the red carpet and her fiancé slowly growing apart from her. He ended up cheating on her and she had to find out through those same internet trolls. When Katie’s job wants to send her to Key West to create a video of the Coast Guard working to entice enrollments she’s initially hesitant but eventually gives in. She stays in a redone motor lodge with a magical woman named Rue who I wished was my faux-Aunt. There she meets Hutch who is the hook for the Coast Guard video since he recently went viral for saving Jennifer Anniston’s dog from drowning in the ocean. Things get complicated then. Just saying everyone needs to get them a Hutch. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity.

The Love Haters was the first book I've read from Katherine Center, and it was so much fun! I have discovered several authors over the past few years who write books that I feel are instant movies/TV shows, and I'm fairly confident that Center is another one of them! I could absolutely see The Love Haters as a fabulous romantic movie. Everything was so well brought to life that I felt like I was in the Keys with Katie and Hutch. The friendship between Katie and Beanie was such a delight, and their interactions always made me smile. I loved how all of the characters, from Rue and The Gals all the way down to George Bailey and Sullivan, were so well developed and colorful!

3.5! Cute romance & felt like a little bit of a different premise than most romances these days! I really enjoyed both of the main characters.

I really enjoyed this book. This was my first read by Katherine Center and I’ve been wanting to read something of hers for awhile. I’m happy I got to read her new one. This was very adorable in so many ways. First, I thought I could relate to Katie is many ways. We had similar jobs and we both have trouble seeing ourselves the way others see us. It takes progress and time to feel comfortable with what we truly love about ourselves. As for Hutch, he has to be the most gentle, sweetest, and genuine guy there is. I loved his respect for not wanting to come on too strong with Katie and he stuck up for her in more ways than one. I also thought Rue was a great support system for Katie. She was such a good spirit to her and to make her grow out of her comfort zone. We all deserve to have a Rue in life. This was such a cute book with adversity and obstacles and everyone including Hutch’s brother, Cole faced many. I feel like each character learned something about themselves and it allowed them to show and see love in many ways, not just romantic, but also platonic and self love.

Katherine Center does it again with The Love Haters, a heartwarming romance that delivers more than just a love story. While the romance between the main characters is undeniably sweet and keeps you rooting for them, the real standout is the book’s deeper message: the importance of self-love and kindness toward yourself.

Through her relatable and nuanced characters, Center masterfully weaves a tale that reminds readers to embrace their imperfections while celebrating personal growth. The story’s twist adds depth and intrigue, making it more than a standard romance.

The Love Haters is a feel-good, uplifting read that balances a sweet love story with a powerful message of self-acceptance. Fans of Katherine Center won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of The Love Haters!

Ok this book is probably more along the lines of a 3.5 stars for me ! I LOVE Katherine Center, The Bodygaurd & RomCom were some of my absolute fav romances, but this one just fell a little short for me !

I really enjoyed the MMC, I mean Hutch is a dreamboat and his 4 legged companion, George Bailey, they’re a dream team.

But my problem with this book was Katie, the FMC. i’m all for some self love and self discovery, but there was just TOO much self loathing for me in this one. You absolutely don’t learn to love yourself over night but I just think there could have been MORE romance, and less negative self talk.

Overall, this was a very cute romance and I would recommend it, it’s just if you’re new to Katherine Center, don’t let this book be the one you judge her by!

This was my first of Katherine Center’s books, and unfortunately I don’t plan to be reaching for more. The writing is very bland and the humor is off. Things that I assume are supposed to be funny just miss the mark and feel awkward. I would not recommend this book. I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me so when I was able to get my hands on this ARC I was giddy. I kept waiting and waiting for it to get good and fall in love with the characters and their chemistry, the book ended and I was still waiting…

I did love the imagery of the Florida Keys and now I want to vacation there. I also felt like I learned a few things about the US Coast Guard. And I loved the Jennifer Aniston connection (my fav celebrity).

Katie and her issues with body image and self doubt, while important to be addressed and discussed, seemed a bit redundant. Cole, Katie’s coworker and Hutch’s brother became more unlikeable the longer the story went on. And I just didn’t feel the authentic spark between Hutch and Katie. My favorite characters ended up being George Bailey, Hutch’s Great Dane and Rue, Cole & Hutch’s “aunt”. I also didn’t really get how or why Hutch was a love hater. And lastly, I was waiting for Katie’s ex to resurface for closure and it didn’t happen.

Will I still auto buy anything KC writes? Absolutely! I’m just sad I have to wait so long for her next.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Although this is a romantic novel, it talks a lot about self love, self acceptance, the value of friendship and conquering fear, and i really enjoyed the message. If you are a fan of Katherine Center’s books, I am sure you will love this. It comes out on May 20, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this gifted ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of The Love Haters. I have enjoyed every Katherine Center book I have read so I was very excited to get a chance to read her newest book early.
This book took me a bit longer to get into than typical for her books. I think maybe it was the heavy focus on her body image. This could be because I am personally not pleased with my body. I have always struggled with my weight and definitely am in the obese category. I think that makes it hard for me to read about characters who aren’t happy with their bodies when the character isn’t an obese person. I know this is likely my own personal problem but it still makes it harder for me to read about characters with body image issues.
Once Katie arrived in Key West, I felt the book finally started to move along and I quickly became hooked. I quickly fell in love with Rue and the other “old lady” characters added to the enjoyment. I loved reading about Katie’s introduction to the Coast Guard and loved getting to know Hutch.
I feel the grief aspect was handled well and made me become very attached to the characters as I read about how they handled these issues. The connections between the characters tied to the grief aspect were very touching and definitely kept me reading.
While this book wasn’t my most favorite Katherine Center book, I still really enjoyed this rom-com. It is high up on the list of all of her books and I definitely recommend it to others. It kept me hooked as I waited to find out what would happen next. It has moments that made me laugh, moments that made me tear up, and moments that kept me guessing about what would happen next. It was definitely and enjoyable read.