This beautifully written, charming, entertaining, creative story filled with brilliant characters, laughter, awww moments and sunny, water filled days had me sitting comfortably for a few hours to devour each and every word. The Love Haters brings a whole cast of brilliant characters you can't help but love and root for. I enjoyed the cast and the various relationships of this book.
This one touched on a few real-life topics that I appreciated. A big one being self-image and facing fears. Center writes a beautiful author's note at the back of the book about writing her characters that struggle with the same things she does. For her, it's healing. Reading this and thinking back on the book and the way she incorporated body image, fears, self-worth into the MFC made me question how I talk to myself and how I view myself versus how my circle sees me and then the rest of the world. Self-reflection was definitely a huge part of this book and I carried it with me well afterwards.

The MFC, Katie Vaughn has had not the best time lately. She's a videographer and her job is on the line due to possible layoffs. At this, she takes her boss request to go produce a piece on his hot shot, hero brother. Her ex-boyfriend is a rock star whose fans have found her social media and have commented the worst things you can on her body and image. With looming fear of losing her job, and a torpedoing downward self-body image she tells a teeny tiny little lie about being able to swim and high tails it down to Key West to get started on her career saving project.

When she arrives she's greeted with the queen of color, Aunt Rue, Hutch, the boss' brother and his dog, along with Rue's group of girlfriends so lovingly called "The Gals". Hutch has sad eyes, a perfect body and a giant great dane rescue dog that seems to like causing a ruckus around Katie. Both Hutch and Katie explore working together on this project while Katie tries to get over her fears and Hutch tries to save and do everything for everyone.

This book is filled with self journey, swim lessons, friendships, family, rescue dogs, secrets, and bravery. I've only read one other Katherine Center book and I loved that one so much, when I saw this one coming out, I knew I immediately wanted to read it. She doesn't disappoint. She does make me want to go back and read all the books before this. Two home run books wonderfully written with love, laughter and well thought out storylines, I want to know what else is out there she's produced.

I’m pretty sure Katherine Center could write an artist’s rendition of the phone book and I would rate it five stars. She has a unique ability to bring hope, joy, and love to any topic she addresses in her books while respecting what they are. Although she has addressed body image previously, this one hit home for me in the way Katie thinks about herself. She reminds me of how I’ve thought about myself growing up and how I continue to battle how I think of myself as a postpartum mom.

KC also has a unique ability to use topics my husband and I genuinely love. He’s grown up as a volunteer firefighter (iykyk) and has always said in a different life he was a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer… and I’ve always said we need a Great Dane 😬 Rue reminded me so much of my Nana it felt like she was visiting me through this book ❤️

Why am I rambling on in this review about personal things? This is just where I am after reading any KC book. It feels personal. I know when I read her books I’m going to feel like I’ve been visited by an old friend, just like Beanie and Katie.

For those of you not rating this book five stars, I highly suggest watching Katherine Center speak live. She is truly sunshine in human form and after hearing her speak her books come alive in the best ways, especially her humor. I’m usually understand that not everyone has the same preferences and taste in books, but this time I feel like I’m defending one of my closest friends and you may need to reassess 😅

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I was so excited to receive this book early, I will read anything Katherine Center writes! While I feel like this book deals with some heavier topics there was such care with the way it was written. I appreciated the growth that Katie experienced towards herself throughout the book. The development of Katie and Hutch's relationship felt steady and fun. Aunt Rue and The Gals were such a fun and beautiful part of the story that kept it moving with heart and laughter. Pick this book up if you're ready for a laughs, secrets, and one giant dog who can't stay away from Katie (similar to his grumpy owner!).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Thank you Net Galley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC copy of The Love Haters.

Not me over here, super excited about this ARC from one of my favorite authors!!! Now, I anxiously await my signed copy, which will come in May!

I have a love/hate relationship with all of Katherine Center's books. I love everything about them but hate how reading her books comes to a quick and then I have to wait another year until I can read her new book!

The characters in her books are always so amazing, and I love their journey of self-discovery, bravery, and love. I love how in all of her books, there is a sense of love and friendship between not only the main characters but also all of the other characters within her books. This book, in particular, had quite a few characters who also have life lessons they discovered and worked through. What was even more touching about this love story between the MMC and MFC is the love story that unfolds within Katie's story and how she learns to love herself before she can truly love others.

SO GOOD!!!

Katherine Center has done it again with a great romance book. Katie is sent to Key West to film a Coast Guard video by her boss Cole. The subject is Cole's brother Hutch. Katie has the opportunity to film a Day in the Life video of Hutch for her own YouTube channel with the hopes that she won't be let go from her company in the latest round of lay offs. Katie does not see herself as the perfect woman; she struggles with body image. Katie ends of up living with Rue, Hutch and Cole's "aunt". Secrets are revealed; funny things happen; love is found.

Katie’s life takes a surprising turn when she accepts a gig that feels completely wrong for her, but with so much to prove, failure isn’t an option. Her journey takes her to the Florida Keys, where she finds herself immersing in the vibrant local culture, making lifelong friends, finding love and learning to love herself again.

This book is equal parts laugh out loud funny and heartwarming. The close knit community vibe of The Gals was an absolute highlight for me and I loved the love for Great Dane, George Bailey. I enjoyed reading about the budding romance between Katie and Hutch unfold, the relationship she creates with Rue and the friendship between her and Beanie. I also appreciated Katherine Center shedding light on issues many women face, from heartbreak and grief to online bullying and body image struggles.

This was a solid romance that added just the right amount of swoon and laughter without overshadowing Katie’s personal growth.

Katherine Center does it again. You can’t help but love the Love Haters and the characters, especially Rue, Katie and Hutch. And the setting of Key West provides such a colorful background for this story. Hutch's job added such a suspenseful aspect to the story, while Katie's was more light but also a bit stressful because of her situation. Great characters.

Katie makes workplace videos. You know the ones, but in their spare time she's developing and making a youtube hero.series, with the rumored layoffs going around the office, her co-worker call offers for the chance to interview a guy who got famous on the internet for rescuing a dog who also happens to be a coast guard superstar.The catch is it's his brother what choice does she have? She needs to keep her job, and who knows?Maybe she'll get to put him in her series-- so off she goes to the Florida keys where she meets the boys' aunt rue. One's there She starts to get ready to make her Coast Guard. Recruitment video just one little thing, she doesn't know how to swim something. She needs for the training for the video. Enter aunt rue, who sets her up with said hero hutch. -- what follows is a hilarious family dramedy, throw in an awesome cast of secondary characters, the beautiful florida keys, a lovable great day named george bailey and why not a hurricaneat--- its very roots this was a super fun book I. Enjoyed reading it Katherine Center. Headed onto the ballpark again, definitely, where I commend

Thank you, Nat galley for the arc and exchange print on its review.

As a love lover, I loved this love story. She sees him! She SEES him! He sees her! He SEES her! Reading this brought so much warmth to a very snowy January. I loved Katie and Hutch’s dynamic and Rue was a delight. The way Katie and Hutch both opened up and grew to trust each other was beautiful. Their backstories were so important to them individually and sharing them brought them so much closer. The rescue swimmer having a rescue dog (named George Bailey, no less) was also perfect. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Why aren't we all living in Key West? This is the question I asked myself over and over again while reading this book. Forget the rom-com; this was an ode to beachy living. Who wouldn't want to live in paradise, where you can get together with the gals every day, go swimming, enjoy the sun, eat good food, and just relax?

So Rue and the gals were the best part. Definitely the way to retire, even if you can't live there right now.

Oh yea, the rest of the story. It was good. I will read anything Katherine Center writes, and it will keep me up too late. Written in the first-person, you really get into Katie's head and become invested in her story.

I really did love all the characters, even the mean Cole. It's a classic Katherine Center story, with a loveable but flawed FMC who is trying to sort out her life. There's lots of depth behind the romance and humor, and someone disastrous happens, which of course ends beautifully. All of the bad stuff is worked out in a tight and clean way.

However, this is missing some of the complexity of some of her earlier novels. They usually start out strong, with something punchy or dramatic on the first page that gets me excited to read it, and there's usually some interesting twist you don't see coming, or a worse disaster that ends being just the right thing. This definitely had drama, but it was pretty straightforward.

I will still give it 4 stars, because I enjoyed reading it and it was hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

This was honestly such a sweet and feel good book. One that inspires you to work on self love, and just love in general. Happy to say this was my first ARC, and I can’t wait for more to come. This was also my first read from this author, and I’m hooked!

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors so I had high expectations for this book. It was a quick, easy read. But it actually took some motivation for me to continue finish reading it. I loved Hutch and Rue. Katie was alright, but the whole lying bit with Cole and the boss was too far-fetched. Honestly, it was annoying. There was hardly any romance. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t Center’s best book either. Thank you for the opportunity to read Love Haters.

4.5/5

Katie Vaughn, in an effort to save her job as a video producer, takes a trip to Key West, FL to film a military recruitment video for the Coast Guard that focuses on one specific Coast Guard rescue swimmer, named Hutch. With Hutch doing things like noticing her eye color that no one else has noticed before and taking tender care of her first-aid needs during swimming lessons, Katie's feelings quickly get swept up. And so ensues an entanglement full of family drama, high-stakes rescue footage, dinners with a group of lively old women, and learning to love herself for real, without needing the acceptance of other people...and of course the love of a giant Great Dane.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the amount of detail Katherine Center puts into it. which she is so good at! The Love Haters focuses a lot on the Coast Guard, seeing as our MMC is a rescue swimmer, and I learned so much about the Coast Guard just from reading this book. The rescues that ensue are so technical and sound very legit. You can tell how much research Katherine Center does; it makes her stories so much more believable and fun! I also absolutely loved the story of Katie and her journey of accepting and loving her body. As someone who knows what it is like to struggle with body image, it is amazing to watch her ebb and flow, have good days and bad days, and eventually, come out on top! I thought the friendship of Beanie and Katie was absolutely beautiful. Rue's character was a delight and so well characterized, along with all The Gals. This book had me smiling and laughing so many times; I absolutely loved the humor! Both main characters, Katie and Hutch, were well-done with thought-out backstories that made a lot of sense. I loved George Bailey, the huge Great Dane, and loved how big of a role he ended up playing in the story. The third act conflict was so frustrating (mostly focused on one specific character); I was completely unable to put the book down and so enthralled in the story, wanting to make sure the characters would have the truth revealed and all conflicts resolved. The ending was absolutely wonderful and so worth all the previous frustrations, I absolutely loved it! All in all, this was so good! Of course, writing was amazing. I love how Katherine Center writes; it feels like a best friend telling you a story, and I will never get tired of it. Forever loving everything she puts out!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

SUMMARY:
One year after a heinous breakup from a rising, social-media famous fiancee, Katie Vaughn discovers her company is about to enact some major downsizing-- resting her job on the chopping block. As a corporate videographer from Dallas, she prefers to live behind the camera and craft meaningful stories of heroism into works of art. Or, at least, sharing those stories in her free time when she isn’t toeing the corporate line.

Despite typically clinging to the safety and security of predictability, Katie jumps at the chance to take on an assignment suggested by her corworker, Cole, in the Florida Keys in an attempt to save her position. She’s tasked with producing a promo video for the Coast Guard by shadowing rescue diver and real-life hero Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. She knows nothing about the military and can’t even swim, but chalks those up as minor details since she can’t pass up the chance to fight for her position. Hutch also happens to be Cole’s brother. The brother that he despises because of a complicated past and what Cole describes as his boring personality & penchant for frowning.

After a childhood of filled wth criticism and enduring the vicious scrutiny of the media during her relationship with her ex-fiancee, Katie is incredibly uncomfortable being perceived by others. Her time shadowing Hutch gives her an opportunity to, not only get to know the handsome & introverted hero, but also to get to know herself better by facing her own fears and self-perceptions.

WHAT WE LIKED:
The FMC - Katie Vaughn - She’s relatable, she’s sweet without being overly saccharine, and, while plagued by insecurity, it’s not her whole personality. She is confident in her work and her art, she can have nuance for complicated situations (even though miscommunications definitely occur!)

The MMC - Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson - He’s got the quiet, broody thing going for him, he’s got a heart of gold, but he’s not without flaws. Perfection would be boring, so seeing those cracks in the facade were very welcome!

The Setting - The Starlite in the Florida Keys - Sign us up to stay with Aunt Rue & the Gals! Center beautifully describes the island life with its vibrant colors and laissez-faire culture.

The Takeaway - Romantic Love & Self-Love Seamlessly Intertwined - Center describes the inner-monologue of self-criticism so well, it feels like a punch to the gut in the best way. Let’s just say, at some point Katie has a revelatory moment, and it hits hard. If you’ve ever struggled with body-image, you might want to have your tissues handy.

REAL TALK:
Tropes--
• Workplace romance
• Fish out of water (an apropos description, indeed)
• Miscommunication between love interests
• Fake dating
• Only one bed... kinda....
• Rejection issuesDamsel in distress
• Sunny vs grumpy
• Everyone else sees it first/lovers in denial
• Love triangle...kinda...
• Man in a uniform
• Emotional scars/broken by past
• Protector/white knight

Style Notes--
'The Love Haters' is written in first person, and this lead to some style choices that caused some passages to feel a bit clunky.

For example, the author breaks the fourth wall in a few places by asking the reader if they forgot about a certain detail or editorializes what the reader might be thinking. It happens a few times throughout the book but it doesn’t feel like an important part of the actual storytelling, so it can disrupt the flow by changing the style in what feels like an unnecessary way.

Additionally, the first person narrator (the FMC, Katie) uses rhetorical questions to propel the exposition to a degree that feels excessive. A la “Did I notice this? No.” or “Did this plan work? Not exactly.”

BONDRAC STUDIOS - BOOK DRAGON RATING:
While some writing style choices weren’t our fave, we can admit it’s more of a nit-picky critique and the book was enjoyed overall. Engaging, sweet, and lots of characters to root for-- it’s a solid 4/5 on the Book Dragon Rating Scale. 1/5 for spice due to passionate kissing being the upper tier of physicality (not steamy, just heartfelt).

I've read 2 other books from this author, and this one was just as sweet and fun of a read, if not more. I felt like there as a slow build to enjoying Katie, but as I saw her personal growth through the story, coming to love herself, I really came to love her character arc. Rue's cottages/decor gave Golden Girls vibes in the best way, as did her relationship with "the gals."

Katie is a low-ish level employee at her company where her peers are being culled left and right, following her boss's life falling apart. Close to the brink of losing her job, she is offered an opportunity she can't refuse from a midlevel supervisor, Cole.

To shoot a promo on his brother and the Coast Guard.

The catch--Cole and his brother do not get along and so come along a string of sticky situations, in which Katie finds herself.

Over the course of her time in the Florida Keys, Katie makes unlikely friends, and learns how to overcome her personal struggles.

Overall, I do think the book focuses on her body image issues for a while in the first half, which led to a slower start for me. But, I flew through the latter half of the book, and genuinely loved the ride.

If you would have asked me to rate this book at 50% it would have hands down been a 5 star read. The chemistry between the characters, the plot, everything was so well written and just one of those books that you couldn’t help but smile while reading. Without spoiling the plot, between 80-90% completion, the book totally lost me. The ending wrapped up everything but the love story, which was truthfully the main draw. Still a good read but definitely got bored towards the end and felt like I wanted more from the ending.

I am a fan of Katherine Center’s work and I really enjoyed this book. I was smiling ear to ear throughout the epilogue.

I do have to admit, Katie was a bit of a rough go for a good portion of the book but by design it seems. In order to grow we must overcome hurdles and insecurities to come out a better person. I can’t decide who is my favorite secondary character either because both Rue and George Bailey are so much fun.

I am so grateful to have received the DRC and can’t wait to share with friends once it comes out this summer.

I've read a few of Katherine Center's novels before and I think this one tops them all for me. It's intriguing and full of compelling language. The set up isn't too slow and the plot points are all unique and unexpected. It's completely captivating with an adorable, swoon-worthy HEA in the end. Speaking of the HEA, it feels justified and earned after the two main characters conquer their individual inner demons. I definitely really dug this one, and its impactful message of body acceptance. It's so important to see in the mainstream media.

CW: body dysmorphia, eating disorders

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a delightful read. Katie is a documentary filmmaker who is tasked with making a promo for the Coast Guard by her company. Specifically, she has to do a profile on Tom “Hutch”, a rescue swimmer who happens to be her coworker’s estranged brother. Scared of losing her job, Katie says yes despite not even knowing how to swim. When she arrives, Hutch turns out to be her swim instructor and they have instant chemistry. Yes, this story is cheesy and ridiculous. Yes, I judged Katie for not being able to find Key West on a map. I also loved this book. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is perfect and sweet. I adore Beanie, George Bailey, and Rue (not necessarily in that order). The love story here ends up mainly being between Katie and herself. She learns to accept and love herself the way that she is, and to embrace life. I really had a good time with this book and it was just what I needed. It took me back to sunny, carefree days on the beach. I would read this again. 4.5/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date May 20th, 2025. This review will be found on Instagram and Goodreads indefinitely.
Instagram book reviews @CandaceOnline

I am so glad the author gave us the tip we can read this on Net Galley! I couldn’t put it down and had to stop half way just because I had to work a few hours later and needed sleep!!
A videographer, Katie, is sent to the Keys to film a recruiting video for the coast guards when she meets Hutch, the principal rescuer on the team. Hutch, however, was expecting his brother to be the one doing the video and provides some resistance to this unexpected substitution. What ensues can be described as a highly enjoyable, humorous and captivating love story. Love does not stop there, though, as several other forms of love are beautifully exemplified in this book. Would definitely recommend reading it.