The Love Haters was well written and an enjoyable read. I was invested in the characters and their back stories. It made me laugh out loud and get angry at times.

3.5 stars. I have read multiple Katherine Center books and this one was a very middle of the road reading experience. At first, both main characters are highly unlikeable, which made me not rooting for the romance. It felt like a grumpy/grumpy dynamic which isn’t what I was looking for in a fun romance read. Eventually we find out why they are acting the way they were and harsh personalities lighten up but I still wasn’t fully invested in this love story. Heavy TW for diet culture, body image struggles. It was a fine way to pass the time, but I won’t go out of my way to recommend this one to others. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions my own.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this around 35% in. The focus on body dysmorphia and eating disorders was a bit too much for me and I think this novel was heavily mis-marketed. The most interesting character was the dog. There's a very long list of tropes in this book as well, if that is what you're into. Also, there was NO Key West in the book... lol. Tropes include touch her and die, fake dating, one bed, caretaking, forced proximity, workplace romance, and lovable side characters.

Sweet and heartwarming!

Katie Vaughn is facing an imminent lay off when a golden opportunity falls in her lap. She is asked to produce a documentary featuring Hutch, a coast guard rescue swimmer who just happened to save a very famous dog. Katie will travel to warm and colorful Key West to meet Hutch but Katie only likes to wear black, full coverage clothing and she is very self conscious about her body image. She also can’t swim, which may pose a problem since she will be spending a lot of time around the water. Hutch is tall, dark and handsome and is wildly popular for saving people and dogs. But he hasn’t dated in over a year. It’s rumored that Hutch is a ‘love hater’. Katie thinks she might be one too. With the help of the quirky residents of Key West these two love haters may learn to love again after all.

I really enjoyed this book, it was light hearted in spite of addressing the very real issues around female body image during a time of social media and AI influence.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center has recently become one of my favorite authors and all of her books have been enthusiastic 5 stars up to this point.

First, I didn’t like the title. I did enjoy Hutch and Rue’s characters but Katie’s character went back and forth for me. The self deprecation was a bit too much after awhile. Although I cruised this book very quickly which says a lot for me. I found the swim lessons, helicopter rides, shenanigans with the Great Dane and Rue’s old lady village very delightful. Overall, it is an easy, entertaining read. Not her best work but I still enjoy Katherine Center’s writing in this one.

A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me an advanced digital copy of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Charming, Uplifting, and Full of Heart

The Love Haters is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Katherine Center—heartfelt, witty, and full of characters you can’t help but root for. The story had a fun, feel-good energy with just the right mix of humor, romance, and emotional depth.

I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between the characters, and the way the story explored love, vulnerability, and second chances felt honest and refreshing. It was one of those reads that made me smile, even during the tougher moments.

I’m giving it four stars because while I really enjoyed it, a few parts were a little predictable or tied up too neatly. But honestly, that didn’t take away much from the overall experience. If you're looking for a heartwarming romance with a strong message and lovable characters, this one is definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for a digital ARC of this book. Katherine Center has written another warm and romantic novel peopled with very likable and relatable characters. Video producer Katie Vaughn is facing a job loss unless she agrees to her coworker Cole’s request to do a feature on his brother Hutch. Hutch is a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard in Key West. However, there are a few glitches involved with this plan, Katie cannot swim and Cole and Hutch do not get along. Nevertheless, Katie finds herself in Key West where her lies keep growing. This is well written, the story flows smoothly and the characters are well developed and evolve throughout the story. As in all Katherine Center’s novels, this novel does not shy away from real life issues. Highly recommend for Katherine Center fans as well as readers who enjoy books by Emily Henry, Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez. A rom-com with substance and a great addition to Summer 2025 TBR lists!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first Katherine Center and I am left severely disappointed. At the core, this is not a romance. This is more of a literary fiction where the main character must save her job and just so happens to find a romantic interest... There is a barely a whisper of romance in this book.

This book left a bad taste in my mouth. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t empowering. It was messy and all over the place. We’re at work, we’re on a trip, we’re lying, we’re on a house boat during a hurricane with a dog…

Our main character, Katie, is full of self-loathing and has severe body dysmorphia and issues. Read at your own caution. The book is full of self-body shaming. Full. Of. It. Oh but when does she our main character come to terms with her beauty? When a man says it. I had expectation that the book would offer more self-acceptance instead leaned heavily on male validation. However, this is also very prominent in this story.

The men in this book were stereotypical, surface level, no depth, one-dimensional. I really don’t have much to say on the love interest, Hutch. His communication with his family was poor, and vice versa, leading to unnecessary drama that was silly and easily avoidable…and the drinking contest was disgusting.

I’m giving it 2.5 stars (rounded down) because I do feel this is incorrectly marketed, but this wasn’t necessarily a bad book. Not for me. If you want adventure & meddling messy family drama with no romance, this may be it for you!

A Coast Guard rescue swimmer, a videographer, a rescued Great Dane (afraid of thunderstorms) and an incoming hurricane. This is an absolute utter delight, and my favorite Katherine Center since The Bodyguard.

4 ⭐️

This was a really sweet romance. Katie and Hutch were a great match - she was self-conscious of her body and he couldn’t stop staring at her, she talked constantly and he just quietly listened. George Bailey the Great Dane was an adorable, scared giant with the worst case of wants-to-be-a-lap-dog syndrome I’ve ever read.

I liked the humble nature of Hutch despite his being an incredible Coast Guard rescue swimmer. And his commitment to Rue was so heartwarming. Katie’s journey to body acceptance was so relatable, and I felt for her so hard.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I didn’t think the day would come where “Hello Stranger” would be dethroned as my favorite Katherine Center book. . . but here we are. I LOVE “Love Haters!”

As with all good books, there are parts that make me cringe and parts that make me swoon, Parts that make me laugh and parts that straight make me cry! I love to feel allll the emotions while I am on the ride and this book delivers.

If you want a book to throw and hug at the same time with a guaranteed happy ending, I couldn’t recommend this one more.

Katherine is a queen of romcoms. This will give you so much laughter, heartfelt and swoon worthy moments. A book that dives into body dysmorphia that can be triggering to some readers and this was constant throughout the book, so if this is something that will bother you, i suggest skipping this one.

Katherine Center's The Love Haters is a delightful read that's perfect if you're looking for a romance with a little extra spark. Center delivers a cast of truly colorful characters who are a joy to spend time with, and the witty banter keeps things moving. What's really fun is how she weaves in just enough suspense to keep you on your toes, adding a nice layer of intrigue to the charming love story. It's a genuinely enjoyable escape!

Katherine Center still ranks high on one of my favorite authors list! Once again she has delivered a very entertaining book, about misunderstandings and some times down right lies.
Set in Key West, a documentary producer is sent to make a film to encourage joining the Coast Guard. While there she will have to go through simulations of their training. Why let the fact that she can’t swim get in the way? I can’t her very attractive main subject Hutch Hutchinson teach her?
A very entertaining and sometimes heartwarming warming family dynamic story.

This was the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time! Katherine Center knows how to write a romcom! Her characters are so identifiable, it’s like reading about a best friend. Their insecurities are FUNNY.
I loved everything about this. The plot twists, side characters, location in KEY WEST—all fun and fantastic.

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

This was such a cute and quick read—perfect for summer! What really stood out to me was the focus on self-love. I especially appreciated that Katherine Center actually used research-based strategies to explore it. I absolutely adored Hutch and George Bailey—because let’s be real, adding a dog is always a win in my book! Now, on the flip side... I wasn’t a fan of Cole. At all. He came off as manipulative and toxic, constantly dragging Katie into bad situations and blaming everyone, ESPECIALLY Hutch, for his problems. I kept wondering why Katie let him push her around so much—it didn’t quite sit right with me, and honestly, I think that whole storyline could’ve been left out without hurting the book. One character I wish we got more of was Sullivan. I think there was a real opportunity for a deeper friendship between her and Katie, especially after that best friend comment. A little more bonding there would’ve been nice, and I think could really played a meaningful part since she was the reason Katie was worried about her job. Definitely a great book to read poolside or at the beach this summer!

Between The Rom-Commers, and now The Love Haters, I’ve really come to love Katherine Center’s writing.
This was such a fun and charming story about learning to love yourself and give grace as you give others, friendship, and loss.
Katie’s predicament was not enviable at the beginning of the book, but as we went on I couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere besides where she was. Obviously, with Hutch, but also George Bailey, and Rue and The Gals. The life she grew into in The Keys felt so authentic and special and I loved all of it.
I think everyone can relate at least a little bit to the troublesome relationship Katie had with her body and self image, and how insanely easy it is for external factors to manifest those kinds of ideas, especially into girls of a young age, as her step mom did, and then the entirety of the internet further compounded in her relation to Lucas. Her journey to loving herself exactly how she is was with help from Beanie, Rue, and Hutch was so heartwarming.
As a milspouse I loved the military romance aspect and learned a lot about the Coast Guard. Hutch was a such a fantastic MMC and so easy to fall for. His, Cole, and Rue’s story was heartbreaking but I loved the way they all stuck together. The mess George Bailey gets Katie into towards the end was scary and exciting and funny all wrapped up in one
I really loved this book, every second was a feel good read and I had so many moments of laughter. Katherine Center has become an auto-buy author for me and I really look forward to her releases.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley.
Publication date 5/20/25

Love Haters was not the title would be my choice for a title because it was nothing but love liking! Love Haters was a delightful rom com and I enjoyed the audiobook. It would be nice to have a male and female reader as is the trend now.

I really enjoy Katherine Center's books when they feature various "heroes". The Love Haters features a coastguard rescuer and his family. Might I say that I never liked his brother, and still don't! This book features romance and adventure--full steam ahead! It even features a cuddly (albeit) large rescue dog. What more is there to like? Thank you to Netgalley for this free e-book in exchange for an honest review! Don't wait.......go read Katherine Center's newest release!

I’ll get straight to the point—this book was just okay, and I can't say I genuinely enjoyed it much.

The premise initially sounded right up my alley, but the execution left me disappointed. The storyline leaned heavily on clichés and shallow emotional beats without the payoff you'd expect from a slow-burn or even a fun, fast-paced rom-com.

On the bright side, I did enjoy the found family aspect—Rue and the Gals were delightful, and their bond felt authentic and heartwarming. The epilogue was sweet, even if it felt like too little, too late. The relationship with her cousin Beanie, however, bordered on overbearing; the constant contact didn’t feel natural or realistic, and Katie’s decisions during moments of conflict (like calling Beanie while stranded in the middle of the ocean and not saying anything about it) seemed irrational.

One of my biggest issues was how the book handled the main character’s body dysmorphia and eating disorder. These are serious topics, and here they felt underdeveloped and at times carelessly woven into the plot and miraculously resolved. It was frustrating to read page after page about how much the FMC hated her body, especially in contrast to the male lead, who was constantly described as unrealistically handsome and perfect.
Additionally, and this is something I don’t like too much in any book, the book was littered with too many overly current pop culture references—TikTok, the Jonas Brothers, etc., which made the story feel like it was trying too hard to be relatable. The breaking of the fourth wall didn’t help either. Lines like “You’re probably wondering what I look like” or “I’ll tell you what I did…” pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in.

The romance itself didn’t feel earned. It was a lot more telling than showing when it came to the connection between the leads. The chemistry was minimal, at best, and there weren’t enough genuine or meaningful moments between them to make me believe they were actually falling for each other. Cole, in particular, was a character who came off as unlikable and annoying, and the subplot with Katie’s boss flying across states just to sleep with his brother? Completely unbelievable. For a character like Hutch, who’s supposed to be intelligent, it also made no sense that he wouldn’t question Katie’s supposed relationship with his brother more critically.

Lastly, the title felt completely disconnected from the story. Neither of the main characters actually hated love, which made the choice feel mismatched.

That said, I do see potential in the author’s voice and storytelling, so I’m open to giving another Katherine Center book a shot. Hopefully, one that leans more into developed relationships and thoughtful character growth.