The Love Haters by Katherine Center was another hit. She always writes a great love story with witty banter and swoony scenes.
Katie has a job to do that will require her to follow Hutch, a total hero-type, and film him to make a promo for the Coast Guard. There’s one problem, Katie can’t swim, and this job definitely requires her to do that while in Key West on assignment. If she wants to keep her job, this is the only way to do so.
Once she meets Hutch and his Aunt Rue, who is quite a character, the story unfolds as Katie learns how to swim… and how to love again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

Thank you to Netalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is only the second book of this author's that I have read, but it won't be my last one! This book had it all, drama, romance, lies and of course a rescue! I felt completely immersed in the characters, setting and story. Its not often a book can transport you right to into the story like this one did. It will be a romance hit this spring for sure!

I DEVOURED this book. It was so much fun! I’m absolutely obsessed with Hutch and found myself relating to Katie a lot more than I expected to. Katherine managed to keep the main story line lighthearted and fun, while also deep diving into some issues/insecurities that the characters had, and I loved that. This is a really perfect read to get you out of a reading slump or even if you’re just looking for something quick and bingeable in general.

This book was ok. It had good potential and then good too convoluted with so many genres and plots being thrown together. Eating disorder, fake dating, brothers fighting over the same girl, misunderstandings..:it became too many things in one book. It felt like lazy writing the last 1/3 and rushed to finish.

This new novel by Katherine Center is both a love story between the two protagonists and the love story of the female main character with herself. It is an uplifting, slow burn, closed door romance that will leave you feeling good.

While it makes you feel good, it also explores the ways that society and even those who claim to love us set unattainable standards for women's appearance that we then perpetuate in how we talk to and treat our own bodies.

In addition to the insights above, the book is also laugh-so-hard-you-cry funny at times, particularly when it comes to the male main character's dog. And has some plot twists that I definitely didn't see coming.

Strongly recommend checking this out when it's released later this year!

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

What I enjoy about this author's books is her attention to details and bringing an authenticity to her characters and story. She is great at writing realistic characters with emotional struggles that are not overdramatized. You can tell she does her research to show the unadulterated side of Katie’s personal struggles, but does it in a way that isn’t over exaggerated.

I enjoyed how the author wrote each scene vividly, to where I could feel the sun on my face and see the tropical beauty that surrounded Katie. This book had the author’s signature charm and attention to details, but it truly lacked the romance I was craving from Katie and Hutch. The lack of chemistry was disappointing and the banter/dialogue between them felt forced at times.

Overall this book is a charming story that touches on loss and the importance of loving yourself. The side characters are as likable as Katie and Hutch make for a well rounded story. I craved scenes with George Bailey in it because he just stole the show every page he was on. For those looking for a love story, I didn’t get much of that with this book. I think other topics shine more than the romance between Katie and Hutch and I didn’t feel that this was the center of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book! I think it has taken over as my new favorite by this author. Rom Com with a beach setting and bright colors. The main character struggles a lot with body issues-which I feel like a lot of us females can relate too!! Hutch is a dream boyfriend 😍
Loved Aunt Rue, not a fan of Cole.
Definitely pulled me out of my reading slump.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Adding this book to my top 10! So many funny and jaw dropping moments. I felt all the emotions. As Katie revealed more about herself I couldn't help but see my younger self intertwined with her story. Watching someone overcome so many obstacles and learning self love was so inspiring. I loved how her sister was along for her journey and the fact that her sister was freaking hilarious. On the contrary, there were some heavier topics that were written with so much grace and care and I couldn't help but be a ball of emotion. I won't give anything away.

I had a ball reading this book! I laughed, I cried, I did some self reflection and soul searching and that's more than I could ask from a book! When people ask me what lives rent free in my head, I'll definitely say it's this book.

How old were you the first time the world made you feel like your body wasn’t up to its standards? Did it stick with you? I think it sticks with all of us.

“What on Earth must it be like to just live in your body so comfortably and just enjoy it…”

This novel read like a love story to one’s body. The MFC goes through life absolutely hating the skin she’s in, to the degree that she ends up struggling with an ED (so trigger warning there). She learns to love herself with the help of her hype-girl bestie and a good heaping dose of trauma.

Just a heads up, you are gonna read 50% of the book before you get to the real ROM part of this romcom.

One of my favorite characters in this book was sweet precious little angel baby, George Bailey, the 160lb Great Dane with “thunderphobia” - no further details needed.

Then we have Hutch. His character is just full of integrity and earnestness. There’s a scene where the MFC describes being essentially pinned by his hands on a banister and my heart was all atwitter. This character is written as a bonafide hero and never once does it come off as too much or redundant. Sigh. He had the best “confessions” in this book. I saved some of them for this review but they’re so perfectly done, you need them in context.

My one gripe with this was, while there’s of course a HEA and a tying up of loose ends, I wanted a grand finale (bigger than was written) when it came to professing feelings. She owed him words for just letting *that* play out like it did. Anyway- It was cute but I felt like I just wanted more, somehow. Now that I’m typing it out, I don’t know what I would have done differently. Maybe I just need a bonus chapter or something.

Lastly, as a Floridian on the Gulf of Mexico, I felt her distress in an indescribable way in one scene in the book (no spoilers). Just *no thanks* on any of that chaos.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this book!

The romance between Katie and Hutch was solid, but after finishing the book and reflecting on the story a little bit, I realized that the more important love story was Katie's journey of self-love. She's dealt with years of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. The ending is a very tense and traumatic scene for our main girl where she comes to terms with how she has seen herself over the years. There is a HEA but isn't not in the way you'd typically expect in a romance, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I need an Aunt Rue in my life. That woman knows how to live life, and I want to be her when I grow up!

Katherine Center continues to be an auto buy/read author for me!

The Love Hater is easily one of my favorite books for the first half of the year. This story is such a perfect romantic comedy, it will be an easy pick up for those who want a feel-good story. It does have some potentially distressing themes (body image issues), but I think it was handled well and contributes to the character development. Overall, if you have enjoyed previous works from Katherine you cannot go wrong with this one as well.

This was… not my favorite Katherine Center book. I have loved all of her books I’ve read and this one just felt like a misstep. Katie felt.. too quirky? I’m not sure exactly how to describe her, but I felt annoyed by her sometimes. And I wish there had been more development between her and Hutch. But it was just “we’ve spent all the time together and now we’re in love”. I don’t know.. it just felt incomplete and like it was trying too hard to be quirky. The storyline was cute and had a good ending. But I wouldn’t read it again.

I’m very grateful to have received an ARC on Netgalley! I’m a huge fan of Katherine Center’s books and this one did not disappoint! Both Katie and Hutch had great character development, and it nice to see them helping each other work through their problems. I would’ve loved to have a bit more to read in the epilogue about Hutch and Katie’s relationship and where that ended up, but I did enjoy reading about the rest of the characters! Overall an awesome read with relatable characters and it helped me realize things could change in my life as well. The Love Haters will definitely be a re-read in the future!

I wish I had half-stars because I would give this book a 3.5 or 3.75. It's a cutesy rom-com that takes place in sunny Key West and had me SO excited to read! Overall, it was a good book, but I think some aspects fell a little flat for me, especially compared to other titles by this author. That being said, it's a great quick read to fill that rom-com hole in your heart.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

What I loved:
I actually really liked the transformation of Katie and her self-image. I found several sentences speaking to me as someone who has fought this battle and continues to fight it every day (as I'm sure most modern-age women do). Looking at self-love through the lens of the Gottmans was such a fun twist.

I adored George Bailey the dog and am so happy he was protected at all costs. That big toad loving boy has my heart from now until forever.

I really enjoyed Katie and Hutch's relationship. I think KC did a wonderful job of making their chemistry feel palpable. Their first kiss had me grinning ear-to-ear. I feel like their love story made sense to me on a time scale as well, which is not something every romance achieves. Hutch as an MMC was lovable and a great juxtaposition to Katie.

What I wished was different:
I wanted more Rue! Her vibrancy and wisdom peppered throughout the story was so refreshing as a side character. We needed more of her in this book. I would have loved to see her playing matchmaker a bit more and plotting with The Gals. I also wish we had gotten to know The Gals a bit more in their scenes, especially at the birthday party.

Cole was forgiven too easily and too readily. Quite frankly, he was an asshole and either needed some better comeuppance or needed more redeeming qualities. I understand why he acted the way he did, but to me it did not balance out all the lies and general behavior of entitlement. His treatment of Katie in the bar as if she were a plaything had me GRUMPY. That was a bigger deal than the lies and never was addressed truly.

I NEEDED MORE PAYOFF. Maybe I am ruined with all the romance I read, but there was an edge missing to Katie and Hutch. I needed a touch more of that classic KC banter and I needed more than three relatively chaste kisses. I was WAITING for a scene with Hutch's beauty list about Katie. For him to praise in the bedroom allllll the things he loved about her body and for her to see those parts in a new perspective. I feel like a couple of scenes after the truth comes out and before the hurricane would make Katie's hurricane experience hit harder. One of those NEEDED to be a spicy scene, IMO. It could even be a soft closed-door scene, but I was waiting for the payoff of Hutch and his worship and adoration of her body. As someone who has fought and continues to fight the self-love battle, I have found spicy scenes around men praising and worshipping an FMC's curvy and normal human body to be SO healing. This book would be elevated by that.

All in all, a solid airplane read. I love KC and will continue to keep reading her. She has a talent for making connections interesting and believable. I would gladly recommend this to a friend as a cute beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

While there were elements of this book that were fun and moments of chemistry that I enjoyed, overall this one fell flat for me. I wanted more from the love story and the final third of the novel took a turn that didn't work for me.

I really struggled with the portrayal of body image issues and disordered eating for our main character. The level of issues needed a professional and more than just a 'get yourself together/love yourself more' attitude.

I would pick up The Bodyguard by Katherine Center instead of this one.

I had so much fun reading this book. Katie is such a relatable main character and I absolutely fell in love with Hutch. It was just a fun little read. It didn’t take itself too seriously and the romance was so sweet. I can definitely see this becoming a comfort book of mine.

Katherine Center is one of my absolute favorite authors, and Love Haters is a perfect example of why. I loved how she masterfully tackles hard topics like body image within a storyline you wouldn’t expect. Her approach is both thoughtful and refreshingly unexpected, blending humor with genuine insight.

Center’s characters are vibrant and real, and the dialogue sparkles with wit and sincerity. She not only entertains but also gently challenges the reader to think deeper about self-acceptance and resilience. This book is a heartwarming reminder that even the toughest topics can be explored with grace and levity.

If you’re looking for a novel that defies typical genre boundaries and speaks to the real-life struggles we all face, Love Haters is a must-read. I wholeheartedly give it 5 stars!

So so good! I couldn't put this book down - it was so lighthearted and deep at the same time. Another great novel from Katherine Center!

Not my favorite KC but still very enjoyable. Some of the side characters ended up being my favorites of the book. I also appreciated the typical KC positive self-love message embedded in the love story.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinspress for allowing me to read this arc ebook in exchange for my honest review.


About the book: MC Katie Vaughn is still getting over the hurt from her very public breakup with her famous boyfriend. Aside from cheating on her, he also did quite the number on her self esteem.
On top of her self esteem issues, Katie is also trying very hard to keep her job as a video producer, especially after rumors that the big boss has been firing people all over the company.
Katie is desperate to keep her job, so she reluctantly agrees to take a career making “gig” profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in the Key West. But big problem! Katie can’t swim! And did I mention Cole and Hutch are brothers? I won’t get too much into their relationship here, but it’s a “messy” one.
While Katie is spending time with Hutch each day, she is forced to confront her biggest fears and insecurities, all while trying to keep her job.
As Katie gets to spend more and more time with Hutch, his awesome Aunt Rue, and his adorable Great Dane, George Bailey, she gets trapped in multiple lies.
Katie endures many challenges while in Key West including swimming lessons from Hutch, daring flights on helicopters, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and some stolen kisses…along with chances to tell the truth, face her own fears, and to truly be brave.


What I thought: I normally love Katherine Center books, and I really wanted to love this one as well, but I found it to be just ok. It’s a cute and easy read. A perfect summery beach read or pool side read for sure. It just wasn’t amazing or anything. None of the characters really stood out to me. The Great Dane, George Bailey is definitely my favorite character, because who doesn’t love a quarky dog character? I felt like the pace of the story was very quick, but not necessarily in a good way. I felt like it was rushed, especially the relationship between Katie and Hutch. Like, she arrives in Key West to start videoing his day in a life, she’s there for maybe a few days or so, and all of a sudden she’s in love with him. Honestly it’s like their sudden deep attraction for one another sort of comes out of no where. They definitely don’t have an amazing “meet cute” or anything. All in all I found this book charming and cute, so I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️