Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This was cute, but I wish there was less focus on body image issues and more focus on romance. 3.5 stars rounded up because I did a combination of the digital and audio, and I enjoyed the narration of the audio.

I have never fallen in love with a group of characters so hard nor have I literally laughed out loud in a long time! The writing is witty, smart, quick, and so engaging which made Love Haters such a deliciously fun read! I had the pleasure of getting to see Katherine Center at an author event in Dallas and I could almost hear her narrating as I read which was a super fun bonus for me! Absolutely loved and would recommend!

4.5 stars - this book started a little slow but it really picked up and I got very interested! Cole was a bit annoying and contributed to a lot of miscommunications , but overall nobody does a book quite like KC!

This was so cute, I wanted to stay down in Key West off Duvall Street with the characters, especially Rue. There were a couple of plot points that I found unnecessary and sort of distracting, but the overall story was delightful.
Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ARC!

The Rom-Commers is a sunshine-drenched escape full of quirky characters, heartfelt moments, and just enough chaos to keep the pages turning. Katherine Center brings her signature blend of humor and heart to this rom-com, with a unique setup that drops our heroine, Katie Vaughn, into a job she’s not quite qualified for—and into the orbit of Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a swoony (if slightly grumpy) Coast Guard rescue swimmer.

There’s a lot to love here: the Key West setting is vibrant and fun, the supporting characters (especially Aunt Rue and the Great Dane!) add charm, and the premise of faking swimming skills while falling for your subject? Wildly entertaining. Hutch has serious book boyfriend potential, and the chemistry between him and Katie definitely delivers.

That said, the pacing felt a little uneven at times. The build-up to the romance was a slow burn, but the payoff felt slightly rushed and tied up too neatly. Katie’s internal journey was compelling, but the tension around her dishonesty lingered just a bit too long for my taste. Still, there’s a satisfying message about bravery and choosing joy that Center fans will appreciate.

Overall, a light and funny read with some heart-tugging moments—and a good pick for fans of forced proximity, sibling tension, and fish-out-of-water tropes.

3⭐️

I think this is the book that has finally cemented Katherine Center as an author that’s just not for me.

While I enjoyed watching Katie fall in love with herself and her body, I felt absolutely zero chemistry between her and the MMC and I think Center’s use of retrospective narration really did the entire book a huge disservice. There was no yearning or tension, and even during the high stakes ending, it never truly felt high stakes because Katie is clearly fine in the end as she’s the one telling us the story. This would have been a 4 or maybe even 5 star book for me if it had been written in present tense. If you’re a Katherine Center fan, then I think you’d probably like this, but definitely check trigger warnings beforehand because there’s a lot talk about body dysmorphia and ED’s.

Absolutely loved this story! Catherine did a lot of research to make this book seamless! Love the twists that were thrown- the aunt- the dog - the storm! Very very good!

Once again Katherine Center delivered a predictably delightful rom-com that felt like every cozy and comfortable feeling I want to feel when I pick up one of her books. I go into it knowing the FMC will overthink herself. The MMC will have insecurities but deep down will be an amazing guy. There will be some conflict but nothing that leaves you broken or stunned. It’s a comfort read and this time was no exception, she nailed it!!

Katie’s self doubt was hard to read. It was similar to what so many women experience at some point of their lives. It did seem to occupy more book space than I would have liked, but then again that’s who she was. I loved that she had a backstory with a famous person who made her feel invalidated just to be completely adored by (I mean seriously perfect) Hutch. Lastly? I adored Rue possibly most of all. Never has a side character felt like as much of a main character as the 2 destined to fall in love.

Sweet story, absolutely worth every second of reading time. My physical copy will live in infamy on my bookshelf with my many other Katherine Center books and will be pulled down and reread in the future when I need a reminder of how sweet and resilient the human spirit can truly be.

I throughly enjoyed The Love Haters — the latest from Katherine Center. I absolutely love Katherine Center and none of her books have disappointed me. In The Love Haters, we meet Katie who has to make a video to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer named Hutch. She had to travel down to Key West, Florida. Hutch wasn’t happy that it was her, expecting her boss who happens to be his brother. This was a very lighthearted and slow burn romance read! I giggled throughout the book and couldn’t put it down. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC — all opinions are my own.

I should start by saying I do not think I am not Katherine Center's target demo. I am always pulled in by her fun and pretty covers and think her books will be the fun lighthearted books I need after the heavier more literary books I'm generally attracted to.

Usually I read them and they're fine, but I read about 30% of this one before I had to throw in the towel. It just felt so ridiculous to me and so many of the lines were so cringy, I had absolutely no desire to keep reading, nor did I feel like I HAD to know what was going to happen (I could mostly guess). All of the body and food talk was really grating on me (though I recognize many women deal with body dysmorphia and disordered eating, I feel like there are much better ways of handling these topics in novels). Then I mistakenly read a review about how the MC seems to magically overcome her disorder and I just couldn't.

I probably should only give The Love Haters 1 star since I didn't even finish it. But since I'm not a KC super fan and should have known better to begin with, I'm giving it 2 stars. It does seem like lots of her readers have loved it, but I've also read more negative reviews than I have seen for any of her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy of this book.

Katie, on the brink of being laid off, fibs to take on a project that could save her job.

I love how this book not only focuses on the love story between characters, but also the inner turmoil of dealing with your own self criticism and learning to love yourself and face your fears.

A great summer beach read.

The newest from Katherine Center is so cute! THE LOVE HATERS is a charming novel set in Key West Florida that follows Hutch, a coast guard rescue swimmer and Katie, a video producer. She heads to Key West to film Hutch's work and sparks fly. While I loved both of these characters, George Bailey the Great Dane was my favorite character. There were also many other side characters, like Rue and her friends who really added to this story. Center also includes a journey of self-love and acceptance which I appreciated. Another heartwarming winner from her! This one publishes May 20th.

THE LOVE HATERS follows a videographer named Katie who takes on an assignment (hopefully to save her hanging-by-a-thread job) covering the Coast Guard in the Florida Keys. Her contact is Hutch, an outrageously good-looking man who’s been described as a “love hater” for his lack of interest in dating. But maybe just maybe he’s not as antisocial as he seems?

If you’ve loved Katherine Center’s recent era of silly little romance reads full of hijinks and fun, you’ll surely love this one too. Have to be honest and say not everything in this one worked for me sadly.

I want to start with the cover because as iconic and summery it is………. it kind of has nothing to do with the story.

The last thing I’ll say is kind of a PSA/trigger warning. The book focuses a LOT on body issues. Like from page one basically. It was a bit much for me especially just since there was a lot of other things happening too. I needed more romance and less conflict I think.

With a threat of being laid off, Katie takes an assignment to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. But Katie isn’t qualified - she can’t even swim and her colleague is Tom’s brother. “Hutch” is expecting his brother Cole but when Katie now must navigate Hutch’s family dynamics, unexpected shenanigans from the Gals, a pup who is obsessed with her, and trying to keep her job.

I love Katherine Center often takes romance and mixes it with hard topics so you can laugh and cry. This book however felt more like women’s fiction with a romance sub-pot. I loved Katie’s journey around her body image issues and self-esteem as someone that has struggled with those issues so it was very relatable. My favorite characters were the Gals and the beloved pup George Bailey but the romance wasn’t my favorite and the fake dating trope that gets thrown into the end felt like a bit too much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC.

#netgalley #bookrecs #womensfiction #romanceread #netgalleyreads #novelsandneedlework

This is the first of Katherine Center's books that I did not fully enjoy. The couple did not connect with me for most of the book, and their plot relied heavily on the miscommunication trope. The ending was also far fetched, (even for a romcom), and took me completely out of the story. However, it was still a quick summer read - perfect for a day at the beach - and I enjoyed the Key West setting and the kooky local side characters. Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Another entertaining read by Katherine Center! The Love Haters is full of laugh out loud moments and heartwarming make you feel good moments. I loved the main characters, Katie, and Hutch- especially when he broke out of being Mr. Serious all the time.
The Love Haters is a fun summer romance read especially with the setting in The Keys and focusing on The Coast Guard.
I do wish this book was a little longer to get more with the ending but I still enjoyed it!

Posted a review to my bookstagram @bookofthemeg on 6/19!

Cute! Really appreciated such a realistic portrayal of being a woman with body image issues, and how the character was able to work through it WITHOUT the help of a man. Deducted a star because the subplot with Cole really rubbed me the wrong way.

I always love Katherine center’s novels. This was fun… man, does she write the best heroes. I was a bit surprised by the amount of body image content but Katherine does always add some depth to her heroines. I just don’t always find that body image stuff interesting. That said, several women in my book club talked about how relatable it was.

It's been a while since I have read a book by Center and I had forgotten how well she crafts a story. She does a very good job of creating likable characters needing to deal with personal issues and other obstacles to find love. Katie's poor self image is sad but makes for some good humorous dialogue. Having a good self image despite your critical thoughts is a good theme. Yes, the book drags some times because of a lengthy discussion between Katie and her best friend, but I know I will never think of ankles the same again. Center also does a good job of creating unlikable characters, such as Cole, and quirky ones, like Rue and her friends. This may not be Center's best but it was an enjoyable read overall.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I always enjoy Katherine Centers writing. This isn’t her best one yet but it was light hearted and a good time. Thank you Net Galley for another great read.