guysss I LOVED this. i’m not normally a rom-com fan. I fell in love with these characters (especially Hutch 👀). I can’t remember the last time i’ve laughed out loud while reading a book? numerous times!

Katie is assigned to fly to Key West to make a promo video for the Coast Guard. Her job is on the line due to downsizing, so she neglects to mention she can’t swim. When she arrives, we meet Rue, her eccentric landlord for the next couple weeks and Hutch, her main focus for the promo, and quite a hunk.

This book has it all. It’s funny, suspenseful and adventurous. It touches on body positivity and overcoming your fears. It’s just… heartwarming and cute. I loved it and highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVE Katherine Center, but this one just wasn’t for me. I had to DNF at 30% - the grumpy/sunshine dynamic wasn’t working for me (he didn’t seem committed to being a grump or being nice, but it still wasn’t realistic?) and all she could talk about was her ED. I love representation in books, but this just missed the mark for me.

This was an excellent read! I love Katherine Center and this book is no exception. Katie was a really great protagonist - the amount of growth she showed throughout the book was excellent. Her struggles with eating and body image were so real and I appreciated how her ongoing recovery was portrayed throughout the book. Hutch was a fantastic male love interest that was definitely swoon worthy and the chemistry and care he had for Katie was great. I also really loved the side characters, particularly Rue and George Bailey. This book made me want to step into the Keys and live vibrantly in colour. A wonderful read that I think will be very popular when it is released!

Katherine Center's books are such a refreshing way to start off the summer reading season. I read a lot of dark books so "The Love Haters" comes along at just the right time as a nice palate cleaner. The enjoyed the setting of Key West and the fun little group of people Katie meets there. The story does cover some deeper issues (body image, parent/spouse loss) without getting too bogged down in it. The characters, although maybe a little stereotypical (hero MMC, dorky, but lovable FMC, quirky side characters), are fun to get to know and you find yourself caring about what happens to them. Overall, I highly recommend you add this to your summer TBR.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest review.

The Love Haters is a fun, breezy rom-com that has a deep underlying message; while our protagonist is involved in a love-story with another character, she is also undergoing a transformative love story with herself. This novel is fun and flirty, yet also introspective and meaningful. I definitely suggest The Love Haters for anyone looking for a fun romance with fun characters, witty banter, and deeper themes.
Thank you to St Martins Press and Net Galley for the digital ARC!

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for providing this ARC for review.

I have read almost all of Katherine Center’s books at this point, and overall this one was not my favorite. I really enjoyed a few of the side characters (Rue and George Bailey).

Our FMC though.. she frustrated me. At about the 40% mark I was yelling at my kindle for her best friend/cousin to tell her to go to therapy.

I did love the themes of found family and self love. It was still a solid read that I enjoyed and would recommend to fans of Katherine Center.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to preface by saying that Katherine Center is my favorite author and that fact remains though this book was a 2 star for me.

I think the storyline was well thought out, but the execution fell flat for me. I love how the FMC overcame a very serious part of her life, but it was overwhelming and focused more on her issue than the romance. Their connection felt dull and mediocre for a fictional romance. At times, the story felt repetitive and drawn out.

I pushed though because I would never DNF one of her books, but I struggled until the night of the Congo Dance. That gave me a push and pulled me in a bit, but then it fell flat again. I wanted to love this story so bad but could not find enough things to stay engaged.

3.75 stars!

This probably would have been a 4.5-5 star read if it hadn’t been for the weird fake-dating/lying trope thrown in in the last 33%!

I do think this was a major step-up from The Rom-Commers, and I’m always excited to listen to a Patti Murin narrated Katherine Center book!

Thanks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

It seems like the last few Katherine Center books have had very strong themes to them. This time she’s tackling body image. For the most part, I didn’t mind the internal body talk. It felt realistic and like something many women struggle with. But by 30% in, I was ready to move on. I quickly tired of the self help portion of the story. I was ready for the romance.

I really loved the Coast Guard rescue swimmer aspect of the story. It was interesting and not something I’ve seen in a romance. The romance had some great moments and some funny ones. I was embarrassed for our main character Katie. She had some bad luck.

In addition to enjoying the romance, I really loved the dog. I found him charming as he snuggled his way into my heart and into people’s beds.

What kept this from being a book I loved was when a side character took over and derailed everything. His actions had me so annoyed, and the reaction to his poor behavior left me so frustrated. I just wanted to focus on the romance not the side drama.

If you love Katherine Center’s recent books, you’ll probably really enjoy this..

This book contains scattered moderate profanity and has kissing.

First of all, I adore Katherine Center. I think she's an incredible author and I love that her stories always have deeper themes/experiences sprinkled in amongst the humor and swoon. However, this book hit a bit different for me. I feel like it's definitely more women's fiction versus the emotionally charged, but romance all the way vibes of Katherine's more recent books. Don't get me wrong...Women's literature can be amazing. But Katie and Hutch's story was left a little more open-ended than I prefer in exchange for an epilogue that focused more on Katie's revelations about herself. Again...not a bad thing, just unexpected. I also struggled a bit with Katie's negative view of herself. I know many women experience feelings similar to Katie's and I can see how her character arc is probably extremely meaningful and empowering to them. My body is far from perfect, but I also prefer to try my best to not focus on outward appearance so I think that's why I had a hard time connecting to that aspect of the book.

Even with a couple of personal hangups, I still really enjoyed this book. Katherine's writing style is honestly like coming home for me at this point and I loved Patti Murin's narration in the audiobook. As always, I can't wait to see what Katherine has in store for us next!

Things I loved:
❤️Beanie (what an absolute hype woman)
❤️Rue (who seriously must be protected at all costs)
❤️"The gals" (I want these ladies to be my besties too!)
❤️George Bailey (just everything about him really)
❤️The nickname "Hutch" (it really is the coolest)
❤️Coast Guard rep (so interesting!)
❤️Katie and Hutch's meet-cute
❤️Swim lessons
❤️SWET training (the wardrobe malfunction in particular 😂)
❤️Some of the absolutely swoony things Hutch said to Katie
❤️Katie's thoughtfulness and sacrifice during the hurricane
❤️Beauty lists (Katie and Beanie's)
❤️Katie's successful character arc
❤️Overcoming chromophobia
❤️Katie's life changes

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

Can I just say how excited I am that @katherinecenter invited the Coast Guard to the table?!
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The Love Haters is such a unique story focus on Katie whose job is at risk and is sent to make a documentary about a ‘love’ hater named Hutch. Katie is sent by her boss, Cole, the brother of Hutch. Cole is a manipulator and has his own self interests in seeing this story done (cue the evil music).
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Our MMC is Hutch - a Search and Rescue Coastie whose brother has (as said) manipulated the system a bit. His job is dangerous so he has an air to him that keeps him alive - more to come on this (but this is accurate AF).
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Body image is a big theme. For the most part, when you are on active duty - you work out a lot. I did and my body was banging. Katie was cyber bullied about her body/weight/wardrobe when she was the fiancée of a celebrity. That level of bullying is not something that just leaves a person - so of course she’s self conscious when she has to be weighed to go on a helicopter, and has to be in a bathing suit with very fit people.
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I thought the author did a great job explaining the USCG aspects. Also please note - that individuals in certain jobs have a level of arrogance. Think of Ice Man in Top Gun - that cockiness can keep you alive. Hutch can’t be a passive MC. Search and Rescue is no joke - we had it in the AF and it is next level.
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I loved Hutch because he reminded me of people I served with. I also loved Katie, she loved and accepted her body and was raked over the social media coals - and then had a negative relationship with her body image. Come one though - your body changes with age. We wax and wane with self image.
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Read if you enjoy:
Learning new things
A woman who can be confident and also insecure about herself
A man who has a dangerous job
Forced Proximity
Rue (trust me you will love her!)
Body image - from positive to negative
Key West setting
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And yes, the Air Force uses SOB (Souls on Board)
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This was my first Katherine Centers book and it was so cute! Her writing felt like the whole book was the narration of a rom com! She did such a great job making there be romance but also character growth outside of the relationship. The miscommunication between brothers could have been resolved sooner in my opinion, which would have taken out the very short stint of "fake dating" that happens and causes more trouble and confusion than good. Overall this was a very cute story and I will definitely be reading more of Katherine's books!

Despite the negative body image talk in the beginning, I ended up really enjoying this one. I prefer KC on audio and Patti narrated it so well! The plot was a little random and quirky, but that’s a KC book in my opinion.

This was another beautiful book from Katherine Center.

Katie has been asked to create a recruiting video for the US Coast Guard and in an effort to keep her job amidst layoffs she fails to disclose that she doesn’t know how to swim. Katie ends up taking swimming lessons with Hutch, the Coast Guard hot shot hero that she is supposed to be working with. She feels immediately drawn to him and it seems that he feels the same as he leads her through how to swim and also how to feel comfortable in her own skin.

Katherine Center’s stories are always about more than love and The Love Haters is no exception. Katie’s most important love story is not with Hutch, or Rue, or Beanie or even George Bailey, but with herself. I’ve never related to a character more. I think that everyone struggles to love themselves all the time but when Katie talks about her unhealthy relationship with food and her obsession with being perfect and skinny and beautiful, I completely understood. It’s a struggle that I still have and fight with myself over. Am I doing enough? Am I being kind enough to myself? Am I too reliant on sugar? Am I eating enough protein? Have I worked out enough? Will my calories in our way my calories out? Have I earned that dessert? These are real questions I have asked myself in the last few days and I know they are the same kinds of questions that Katie has fought through. I loved seeing her reframe her thinking and really begin to love who she is just as she is.

This book was heartwarming and romantic and about the family you’re born with and the family you choose. It’s about learning that the best and most important love affair you will ever have is with yourself and how that isn’t always an easy thing to do. It’s about being kind to yourself and finding something to love about yourself even in your darkest times.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was my first book by this author, and I found it funny, relatable, and enjoyable overall. The characters felt real, and the humor added a nice touch to the story. I did wish there hadn’t been quite so much emphasis on body issues, even though it was part of the character’s journey. Still, it was a solid, entertaining read.

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted audiobook.

A big, goofy grin and a heart overflowing with happiness— that’s an exact description of me finishing this book.

Last week, I was in desperate need of sunshine, both literal and figurative. And since the weather wasn’t cooperating, I turned to another tried and true source... Katherine Center and her newest book, The Love Haters.

Don’t take the title too seriously. There’s nothing to hate here. As always, Center delivers a swoon worthy romance full of satisfying sighs and laugh out loud moments while tackling some relatable heart-centered issues.

Set in the Florida Keys, there’s plenty of summer fun to be found in this read, and no doubt it is ideal for reading by the pool or at the beach. It’s also important to note that Hutch, our MMC, is a broody and oh-so-fit man in uniform. Whooo! 🥵

Center has a way of drawing me into the romance, and watching Hutch and Katie get to know one another and fall irrevocably in love gave me all the butterflies. It was the perfect mix of sweetness and heat.

But the most impactful part of the storyline for me was Katie’s journey of self-discovery. As someone who still struggles with body positivity, I understood Katie’s difficulty with finding the right bathing suit or wanting to throw out the scale. It was relatable and encouraging, especially as Katie overcame her fears and embraced her body.

Truth be told, I didn’t love the 3rd act tension inducing narrative. But the entirety of the storyline couldn’t be undone by that one dynamic for me.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the absolute BEST character in the book, a Great Dane named George Bailey. The way he would LEAP into Katie’s arms every time he saw her. I was IN LOVE.

🎧Patti Murin and Katherine Center were MFEO (made for each other). Murin perfectly embodied the full range of the storyline and breathed life into Katie. An audiobook homerun, for sure.

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

3.5⭐️
I struggled with the first part of this book but liked the rest of it.

The first part heavily focused on body image and disordered eating and the FMC almost seemed proud of how “successful” she was. While this insecurity and distorted self-image played a role throughout the entire book it didn’t feel worth it. In my opinion, the topic either needed to be explored significantly more or significantly less.

Katie, the FMC, is given the chance to show her value at her company amid downsizing so she doesn’t share that she doesn’t swim when approached about an assignment to do a promotional video for the Coast Guard featuring their hotshot rescue swimmer, Hutch.

Hutch happens to be her co-workers brother and she’s told he’s a “love hater”, perfect but always frowning. He’s smart, sexy, generous, loyal and patient however on a few situations he gets bad intel and immediately shuts down versus asking questions and communicating.

Aunt Rue was obviously the favorite character and “the gals” were a great addition to the story.

I understand the secondary story was supposed to be about Katie finding her appreciation and acceptance of her body, self-love, body positivity and all that but it just fell flat for me.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Katherine Center always has a way of drawing in the reader with relatable characters, humor, and sweet moments. Not only does this book focus on romantic love, but also love for oneself. Katie had so much personal growth throughout the story, as she learns body positivity, to feel comfortable in her own skin, to find happiness, and love who she is. Hutch was so sweet and cute. And George Bailey was such a lovable dog and I love how he immediately bonded with Katie. Highly recommend this one!

“You’re like… you’re like a human hot-fudge sundae.”

“So you really do hate love.”
“A lot. So much.”
“Good choice, let’s hate it together.”

Thank you St Martins Press for my advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy. Katherine Center has been one of my favorites authors in the past few years and I was very excited when I received the advanced copy of The Love Haters. We follow Katie Vaughn as she struggling to keep her job as a video producer while balancing the trauma from a past relationship with a famous singer. Katie is sent to Key West to shoot a promotional video for the coast guard. The video will feature Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a rescue swimmer. Along the way Katie and Hutch form a relationship. It was an entertaining read, but it was not my favorite of Katherine Center’s books. I didn’t enjoy the body image insecurity as it was very repetitive. I also feel like the two main characters were lacking chemistry. I did enjoy the character of Rue and all of her quirks. I also loved George Bailey.