I finished this one in a day! This is a romantic book about a videographer, Katie, who is assigned to make a Coast Guard training video starring stoic, unfriendly Hutch who also is her superior's brother.
The slow burn was fun and ultimately satisfying. And, the book was quite romantic. However, I also found this book to be unexpectedly touching. (I found myself reaching for the tissues while reading at work.)
Another unexpected aspect of the book was the focus on self-image and self-love. At times, I found myself wishing that Katie would have some self-confidence. But, I can certainly understand the struggles that she was going through.
Ultimately, this was a fun, steamy, satisfying summer read.

The Love Haters was my first dip into Katherine Center’s world, and I was surprised since I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much. What I found was a quirky, heartfelt, and emotionally layered story that blends classic romance tropes with genuine character growth and vulnerability.

Pretty sprayed edges and a misleading cover couldn't save this one. I honestly couldn't stand the main character and I hate the miscommunication trope so that with the abundance of lies in this book drove me crazy. I did read it in 2 days though so it had that going for it. Oh in the ending was the most ridiculous thing! 1.5

I have yet to read a Katherine center book that I didn't like. And The Love Haters was no different. I think that Katie and Hutch have the best banter of all of Katherine's characters. And it didnt' help that Hutch has loveable Great Dane. And I can't forget Aunt Rue and her senior friends. That group of friends reminded me a bit of the Golden Girls and the Miami setting of the book didn't hurt either.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

After reading The Bodyguard, Katherine Center became an automatic read for me. I loved Rom-Commers, The Bodyguard, and Hello Stranger, and the charming interactions Center creates. Unfortunately, The Love Haters missed the mark for me. I think this could have been a winner if Center focused more on the interactions between Katie and Hutch; however, there were too many other elements thrown in for my taste. I appreciated the side-plot about Katie's self-love journey, but Cole's storyline felt very unnecessary. In the end, everything came together, but the journey was not what I expected or would have preferred.

In order to keep her job Katie has to try to get an interview with a pretty population coast guard rescuer.
Stop making a girl insecure about herself a whole.book. I know its normal but its annoying to read it a whole book.

I either absolutely love Katherine Center books or I find them incredibly middling. This one was a LOVE. The characters felt rich and the romance was romanc-ing! Hutch felt unreal and I would love to see this onscreen!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

★★★★☆

The Love Haters is a charming, witty, and emotionally satisfying rom-com that delivers everything you’d expect from Katherine Center—with a little extra sparkle. The audiobook, narrated by the always delightful Patti Murin, brings the story to life with warmth and humor, making it a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

The banter between Katie and Tom is a highlight—sharp, funny, and full of that delicious slow-burn tension. Their chemistry crackles from the start, and watching their relationship evolve from reluctant co-conspirators to something deeper is incredibly satisfying.

And then there’s Aunt Rue—an absolute scene-stealer. Her wisdom, sass, and heart add so much depth to the story. She’s the kind of character you wish you had in your own life, and her role in nudging Katie toward love and self-discovery is both touching and hilarious.

Patti Murin’s narration is pitch-perfect. She captures Katie’s inner voice with just the right mix of vulnerability and strength, and her delivery of the dialogue—especially the banter—is spot-on.
If you’re a fan of smart, feel-good romance with strong female leads and a touch of family magic, The Love Haters is a must-listen.

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillanaudio #macaudio2025 #thelovehater #katherinecenter #pattimurin

This was fun! I love Katherine's books and was so excited for this one. It did not disappoint. I loved the plotline around rescue swimmers and the grumpy/sunshine romance.

I loved seeing Katie fall in love with herself and her body again. As someone who has struggled with their self-image over the years it was nice to see a character, I could see myself in.

Hutch is the definition of grumpy in my opinion. He's not about to take credit for doing his job and has spent years denying anyone from interviewing him. When Katie shows up his whole world tilts.

Hutch's "grandma" was the absolute best! She was so hilarious and I loved her little friend group. She instantly took Katie in and pushed her to love herself. The swimsuits she picked out for her and all the other outfits were great.

The great dane!! I freaking loved the great dane. Highly recommend!

Katherine Center books are always HIT or MISS and this one was, unfortunately, a miss for me. I couldn’t understand why there was so much discussion about weight and how much she weighed and how self conscious she was about her weight. It was honestly quite a disappointment to me. Did I enjoy the picture perfect, golden retriever MMC, sure. But their banter and romance really felt like it took a backseat to her personal weight issues, which by all accounts, was not an actual issue other than inside her head.

There were a few quotes that made me laugh and a few that made me a little teary…

"You think I'm a human hot fudge sundae?"

The funny thing about the internet is that it’s basically a collective hallucination. If you don’t join in, it doesn’t exist.

Life isn't a straight line, Its always ups and downs. That's just how it goes.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center's books are *chef's kiss.* The Love Haters is the perfect summer read for anyone looking to get lost in a sweet and lighthearted romance.

4.5 ⭐️As a die hard katherine center fan and a workplace romance lover i ate this one up. There is something about the way that Katherine Center writes that pulls me and and has a grip on me until the very end. I’ve seen some people say that they don’t like that the FMC’s insecurity and self body image comes up consistently in the story but as a girlie with these issues daily it is honestly very nice to read something relatable in that sense (knowing I’m not the only one who is thinking about these things constantly).

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for sending me over this ARC. 🖤 The best kind of mail is book mail!

This book had me hooked right from the start. I loved the concept behind the plot and the characters involved. I was instantly rooting for the MMC and FMC. This storyline made me smile, laugh, and at one point even brought tears to my eyes. Some topics felt a bit overdone; not to say they didn't have a place in the story, but it reached a point where things became repetitive, and I wished other topics had been explored more. Overall, I loved the multi-layered plot. I understand why it might not become an all-time favorite, but if you're looking for a quick rom-com, I don't see how this one could go wrong! I binged this in one evening, and you bet I stayed up way too late to finish it.

3.5 stars. ✨

Pub Date: May 20, 2025

As always, all thoughts are my own.🖤💫

Katherine Center does it again. The Love Haters was fantastic and the character development was great. I read it in one sitting.

This was cute and a unique story! There was a good amount of humor and the personalities were consistent in the characters. The yearning? A+! Hutch and Katie had some CHEMISTRY. Romance lovers will really like this, and I do enjoy Katherine Center's writing!

If the MAIN issue had not stemmed from a lack of communication, I would have enjoyed this much more. Hutch deserved the truth sooner than he got it, and I can't help but feel like there was not enough time of him processing. All of this happened in like, the last 30% of the book, too. I know that miscommunication is a common trope and is easy to use to create conflict, but it just isn't for me!

I really enjoyed this book. It really took on the topic of body image and I really like how it was done. I wish there had been a bit more closure on the romance at the end of the book, but overall, I really liked it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of THE LOVE HATERS.

I gobbled this book up so fast and it healed my little black heart. Katherine Center is always a breath of fresh air and she breaks up my thriller/horror loving brain in the best way. I love these characters and I miss them dearly.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. This book was a fun read. I loved the coast guard aspect, as well as learning to love yourself and appreciate your body and all it does for you.

2.5/5

Unfortunately, I found this novel to be pedestrian, especially in the beginning. I think the author was trying to do this thing where she introduced the main characters separately, and trying to build up to what was literally described as the perfect guy. (Newsflash: perfect is boring). But she gave the FMC a whole 14% at the beginning to complain about some (validly) depressing things that happened in her life.

Every now and then a book comes along with a main character so whiny that I want to physically throw the book. The FMC had an eating disorder, and I think the author handled it gently, and I'm sure many will relate but the fact that the FMC didn't actually do the work herself to heal but basically needed the guy to validate her rubbed me the wrong way.

Honestly, it would have been a 2 except for the last 20-30% of the book picking up in drama, finally having the fraternal duo have a real conversation that was decades overdue and caused the whole (weakly implemented) plot, and ensuing comedy.

Not my favorite Katherine Center book, but a good one still! I didn't love all the body talk. It was woven so much through out the story and I think it got to the point of really distracting from the plot. I would have loved a more confident main character! It was still good though. Loved the witty banter.