⭐️⭐️⭐️ || 🌶️

This book was back and forth between 3 and 4 ⭐️ for me. The FMC had such issues with body dysmorphia and it seemed to be the premise of the first 25% of the book. I totally get tackling that issue, but it seemed like such a large part of the story.

Now let’s talk about Rue and Hutch ❤️❤️ Ughhh I loved them both so so much!

Rue is the mother / aunt figure that everyone needs in life - so full of color and charisma!

Hutch was definitely a cinnamon roll MMC and I loved everything about him. He definitely gave Kevin Costner in the Guardian vibes 😍

This was the first Katherine Center book I’ve read, and it kind of missed the mark for me. However! I will give another one of her books a try!

Another beautiful and inspiring Katherine Center book for the win! The writing and themes in this book are reminiscent of Center’s first novel, Everyone is Beautiful. This book had humor, romance, found family moments, and worthwhile lessons for the reader to learn.

This novel follows video producer Katie as she is sent to Florida for a job to create a recruiting video for the U.S. Coast Guard. Still healing from childhood traumas and a failed engagement, Katie is unsure how to feel about her new assignment, where she will be required to swim — which she doesn’t know how to do. When Katie comes face to face with Hutch, her coworker’s estranged brother and the subject of her new film, Katie must confront her insecurities and her ever growing feelings for Hutch.

This book was actually hilarious. It made me think (on numerous occasions) “it can’t possibly get any worse for Katie, right??” BUT IT DID! Center handled these moments with enough humor and levity, though, to make you laugh at Katie while rooting for her at the same time.

This book took a while to get started, but once it did, it held my attention. I immediately loved all the characters, particularly Hutch and Rue. The setting added a lot to the plot.

Center also addressed a lot of great topics in the book: how to heal from childhood trauma, body/weight insecurities, how to love yourself no matter what, etc. I thought the overall message of the book was very inspirational!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Love Haters absolutely delivered on the rom-com vibes and even went a bit deeper with the idea of self-love and allowing yourself to just experience life! I devoured this in one day and enjoyed the laughter & tears that came with this story.

Katie and Hutch have been deemed love haters by themselves and others but for very different reasons. These two are easy to fall for as they have a perfect balance of heavy and sweet moments. Their banter was great and seeing their relationship evolve through the quiet and mundane moments of life was refreshing. They also face the universe interfering in the best and worst ways possible, and it’s just the perfect way to drive home the idea of just “experiencing life” as it is happening.

Katie’s journey of self love and acceptance of herself was done with such grace by Katherine. I loved how the side characters help her to grow and love herself in some of the most bizarre ways! Hutch and Katie aren’t not he same journey but as Katie works to break down his tough exterior we see him start to slowly grow by letting someone disrupt his orderly life and see all the parts of him, someone he may have never shared before.

Love Haters is a love letter to ourselves mixed with a slow burn and perfect forced proximity setup. It was a delight to read and absolutely what I needed from a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review!

Katie is a filmmaker who was jilted a year ago by her fiance and stuck making corporate commercials. When her superior tries to save her position at work by sending her to film a Coast Guard promo video, she is thrust into a new culture and new city, and her world collides with Hutch Hutcheson. Hutch is a Coast Guard member and a "love hater" - according to his brother, he only cares about working out and saving people, not about feelings and family. I loved the story of Hutch and Katie, of his aunt and her friends, of Katie's relationship with her cousin, and of Katie's relationship with herself. Not only was this a beautiful love story, but the story of her body image issues hit home for me. Highly recommend!!

I always forget how much I love Katherine Center until I read another KC book. As much as I love "throw me against the wall" romance books, I always appreciate the clean, good romance that she writes about. The ending was a little far fetched for me, but also fit right into this book! I will be recommending this one as a summer romance TBR! I also started Googling Key West vacations after I finished this book! :)

4.5**



“The Love Haters" by Katherine Center is an absolute gem of a book! From the first page, you're drawn into a world where love and hate intertwine in the most unexpected ways. Center's writing is both witty and heartfelt, making it impossible to put the book down. The characters are richly developed, each with their own quirks and complexities, which makes their journeys all the more engaging. The plot is full of surprising twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, while also delivering profound messages about relationships, forgiveness, and personal growth. Overall, it's a beautifully crafted story that will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished reading.Highly recommend!

I read this in one day, so that’s clearly something. So much to love about this, including the body positivity that our main character and the heartwarming connection between the brothers that were finally realized.

The climactic event jumped the shark a little, but what is good fiction reading without suspending belief? Some of the supporting characters stole the show, most especially Rue and The Gals. I absolutely recommend this one and I remain a Katherine Center fan!

This book felt like a big warm hug and sometimes you just want to read the HEA, sweet romance books.

The Love Haters delivers a heartwarming and deeply enriching read that is bound to leave you with a smile long after you turn the last page. Unlike your typical romance novel, The Love Haters offers a fresh take on love—not just romantic love, but self-love and healing. At its core, it’s a story about personal growth, self-acceptance, and finding strength in the most unexpected places. While there is certainly a romance between the main characters, the real journey here is the protagonist’s path toward loving herself. I might have also fallen in love with Rue and the gals plus the best dog, George Bailey.

* Closed door romance
* Coast Guard MMC
* Found family
* Slow burn
* Trigger warning: Body dysmorphia/mentions of an ED

And let me just say, do not skip the author’s note at the end. It adds an extra layer of depth to the story and gave me even more appreciation for the journey the characters (and Katherine herself) take.

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

Wow!!! With Katherine Center, I know exactly what I’m gonna get but the nuance and how everything plays out still surprises and delights me.

Spice: 🌶️ 1 out of 5 (no spice, just kisses)
⚠️ content/trigger warnings at the bottom (slight spoiler but important)

The love haters is a story of both loving another person and learning to love yourself. It’s a fast paced rom-com filled with wisdom, humor, heart, and action. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Above all, it made me think about my relationship to myself and pay attention to how I can better love my body, and that made it all the more powerful of a story.

Katie is a documentary filmmaker tasked with going to Florida and making a recruitment video for Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Her main subject is Hutch who gained internet fame for heroically saving a dog (and his general handsomeness). Only problem? Katie can’t swim. And because of body image issues, she’s afraid of putting on a one-piece swimsuit. But she’s gotta face her fears because her job is on the line.

When Katie gets to Florida, she meets Hutch’s eccentric yet loving aunt and “the gals”, a gang of retired widows, who suck Katie into their orbit and shower love on her. They were such fun characters! Another notable character is Hutch’s Great Dane, George Bailey! 🐶 If you’re like me and you love Found Family, you’ll adore this book.

There’s a scene where Katie falls into the water, panics, then calms herself down, kicks up to the surface and starts treading water, then Hutch grabs her and swims her to shore. I feel like that’s a good metaphor for the book itself. She rescues herself and he comes along and makes things a bit easier. I loved seeing Katie and Hutch’s relationship blossom and grow, but what I enjoyed most was seeing Katie find her confidence on her own.

I can’t gush about this book enough. Just go pick it up!!
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⚠️ Content/trigger warnings: disordered eating, body image issues, cyber bullying, physical altercation, being stranded on a boat during a hurricane, brief description of a fatal car crash, death of parents, mild language

Thanks so much to @netgalley for the ARC! I’ve read a few books by Katherine Center now and I am quickly falling in love with her writing.

The Love Haters was such a great story and I was hooked right away. Katie is in danger of getting laid off so she agrees to go to Florida and record a video to recruit people to join the Coast Guard. One catch…Katie can’t swim! Is that a problem?

The center of the video, Hutch, is a great looking guy that happened to rescue Jennifer Aniston’s dog but also happens to hate love. Katie is also staying at his aunt’s vacation resort and constantly attacked by his Great Dane.

This story is charming, funny, and dramatic. It’s a must read!

I really enjoyed reading this book! Most of the characters were engaging and likable, but at times it felt like there were too many without enough depth or development. The first half was absolutely fantastic—captivating and well-paced—but the second half felt a bit rushed, leaving me wishing for more detail and resolution.

I appreciated the positive themes of self-love and the thoughtful exploration of body image issues. However, I think it would be helpful to include a disclaimer at the beginning, as these topics might be sensitive for some readers.

Overall, it was a great read with an important message. Despite some pacing issues, it’s a story I would recommend!

If Katherine Center writes it I'm reading it! I have read almost everything by this author and this one didn’t disappoint! I loved the characters so much!

My first Katherine Center book and I wasn't disappointed. I've heard a lot about her books and wondered if they could be as good as everyone says. They are! Katherine Center knows how to set up a story and create characters with depth that play out in your mind as if they were on a movie screen. I will be reading more of her books.

Swept up in Katie and Hutch’s stories set in Key West. Reading it in the middle of winter did not dull the hibiscus, Lilly Pulitzer, key lime world Katherine Center created. I might have pictured Hutch as Glen Powell in Top Gun crossing over as a Coast Guard… Don’t forget to peep the Author’s Note after you’ve finished the book.

Katherine Center is always a must read for me so thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

What a fun, relatable, and emotional read. We had a snow day here so this was the perfect book to pretend you were in the warm, tropical Keys. Katie is learning to love herself (and body) while also not losing her job. She takes on a crazy assignment that quickly turns into more.

I loved the characters in this book and their character development. I found myself not wanting to put this book down and there was one large twist that I wasn't expecting. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to buying a copy when it comes out.

Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is the perfect escape for anyone looking for warmth, wit, and a heartfelt exploration of self-love and personal growth. The novel is filled with lovable, quirky characters and a plot with a pace that makes it entertaining until the last page.

The supporting characters—like Rue, the Gals, and even the toad—add charm and humor, creating a community of support and encouragement around Katie. By the end, you’ll find yourself completely invested in her journey with Hutch, rooting for their happy ending.

Katherine Center once again delivers a story that will resonate with readers long after they’ve finished it, celebrating the complexities of relationships, both with others and with ourselves. I really enjoyed this book, and LOVED the author notes at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.75/5

Imagine you are working towards your dream job, when you are told that the company you work for is about to layoff half of their employees. What would you be willing to do to try to keep your job and your dream alive? That is the question posed to our protagonist, Katie. In Katie’s case, she’d be willing to lie about her ability to swim, so that she can film a profile of a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Hutch, and hopefully keep her job. One lie is the beginning of a slippery slope and our protagonist eventually finds herself navigating a web of lies of her own making and of others.

I will read everything that Katherine Center writes. I absolutely love her characters and the emotional journeys she crafts for them. I have read several of her published novels and I am constantly recommending her. “The Romcommers” was my go to gift for friends and family that read last year. My excitement and expectations for “The Love Haters” was so high, which is why I was disappointed that I did not enjoy it as much as previous books. I wish we got to see more of their relationship development and I also wish we got to see more of Katie’s own emotional/mental journey.

Overall, if you want an adorable enemies to lovers with a wide variety of dynamic characters and a lovable rescue Great Dane set in the gorgeous Key West. Then you should definitely give this book a chance, Center is incapable of writing a bad romance and I cannot wait to grab a physical copy of this and reread it on release day!


Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC and the chance to read and review this book early!

Goodreads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7104496169

StoryGraph Review Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/435af5ff-7daf-4192-8724-4630213c98c9

I always know when I read a Katherine Center book I’m going to not only enjoy it, but carve out little pockets of time in my day to read. This is another hit. It’s got lovable and quirky characters, a plot that moves along nicely, and some drama, but not so much that you question the HEA. After all, it is a KC romance! She writes so the reader has something to enjoy; an escape. This accomplishes that in spades!

I need to preface my review with a bunch of words dedicated to the amazingness that is Katherine Center. I adore Katherine Center as much as much as you can adore a person you do not personally know or hang out with. Her books have been such a warm, beautiful place for me to get lost in. One of the great things about Katherine Center as a writer and as a human is how her love stories are not just love stories: they are stories embedded with profound lessons, lessons that not only transform her characters and give them a chance to experience insights that directly parallel with their own personal growth, but that also give us, her readers, a chance for the same thing. The depth of her narratives inspires personal reflection and growth, making her work resonate on a deeply meaningful level. I have read every single book she has ever published, and I have learned something about myself through all of them. Katherine Center will always be an auto-buy author for me. I will always pre-order her ebooks, hardcovers, audiobooks, etc. If this lady retires in my lifetime, I will be HEARTBROKEN. I am a lifelong fan and a forever supporter.

This is a great book. It really is. It is not, however, my favorite Katherine Center book. AGAIN, this does not mean it is not a great book. Emily Henry is a huge name out there. Funny Story was a GREAT book that she released last year, but it was not my favorite Emily Henry book. This is the same thing. These authors write huge, beautiful, life affirming, amazing love stories that I LOVE, but their newest are not always my favorite from everything they’ve written. My favorite for Katherine Center is still The Bodyguard, and my second favorite is still The Rom-Commers. (Putting The Rom-Commers in second place is probably incredibly unfair - it is SOCLOSE to being tied with The Bodyguard.)

I do not know many people out there who will find it difficult to identify with Katie. She is very insecure about her body, an insecurity that is flared when her boyfriend/fiance becomes famous and the internet starts tearing her apart. There is a perfect line Katherine Center writes to highlight Katie’s acceptance of this huge insecurity: “I really was fine now. Most of the time. As long as I could keep my clothes on.” LOL Samesies, Katie. Samesies. Katie is as quirky and hilarious as I know all of Katherine Center’s female characters to be. There were some moments that felt like they were overly quirky, if that makes sense. I still liked her very much. I won’t delve into the synopsis. I assume most people who read reviews already know what the book is about - they’re just gauging whether the book is worth their time. (This one is.) I will instead delve into the things I loved and didn’t love. (The didn’t love list is very, very short.)

*****I do not feel like what I share below are spoilers, but if you do not want to know any revealing details at all about the book, then please stop here.*****

Things I loved:

Hutch: Katherine Center has this amazing way of making all of her leading men sound incredibly handsome and dreamy. They have these elements of kindness that lean even more into their dreaminess. And I have to say: Hutch may have the DREAMIEST occupation that any of her leading men has had. He rescues people for a living, and accomplishes this by JUMPING out of helicopters! I know these moments can mean life and death and you must be INCREDIBLY well-trained to do this kind of job, so forgive me if I sound a bit airheaded when I say this….even knowing all of that….that job sounds sexy as hell. Hutch was a very quiet kind of dreamy. He wasn’t hilarious, but it was inferred heavily throughout the book that he preferred to keep to himself and limit conversation, so when he was open and conversational with Katie, it immediately made him feel like he was filled with more light just because Katie was around.

Rue: Rue is Cole and Hutch’s aunt. She is also the person Cole has connected Katie with to set up her housing while she is completing her documentary assignment on Hutch. I honestly can’t remember the backstory with Katie’s mother. She either died when she was young or bounced. But Katie did have a stepmother - one who helped give birth to her body image issues. The presence of Rue is in stark contrast of the women Katie grew up with, which I loved. It doesn’t matter how old we get - a person who enters our lives who can fill a gap that we have been missing from either childhood or adulthood is never unwanted or unneeded. I love that Rue fills a place for Katie that she needs. She has Beanie, a best friend who wants Katie to love and appreciate herself in the best way, but it’s different from the kind of figure that Rue can play for Katie.

Faux love triangle: I LOVE when a third person enters the picture and spurs moments of jealousy. I do not want to say too much because I do not want to unintentionally give any spoilers, but Hutch’s jealousy made me smile SO HARD. I loved how protective he was of Katie.

George Bailey: George Bailey is Hutch’s Great Dane. This dog loves to lovingly tackle Katie every time he sees her. I LOOOOVED how he knew that Katie and Hutch were each other’s meant to be before either of them knew.

The Gals: What a fun bunch of people! This group of women provided the perfect backdrop to Katie and Hutch's developing love story. Their presence added a rich layer of warmth, wisdom, and humor, creating a charming and poignant contrast to the couple’s blossoming romance. These women not only enriched the narrative but also served as a beautiful reminder of enduring love, support, and the lessons that come with age and experience. Especially when Sullivan, a woman VERY interested in Hutch, shows up, and they played interference on Katie’s behalf.

The hijinks! - Cole, Katie’s superior and Hutch’s brother, shows up and creates some hurdles for Katie and Hutch. I thought the reasoning for why Katie unwillingly goes along with Cole’s hijinks made sense, and it was an incredibly well thought out loop to throw out to keep her and Hutch apart….just for a little bit, anyway. :)

The hurricane: I grew up along the Gulf of Mexico (not the Gulf of America, for Pete’s sake). Hurricanes were a norm that I HATED. We had to board up our home and evacuate multiple times. We were always lucky, though; the hurricanes always veered off in another direction away from Corpus Christi. So I actually felt real fear for Katie when she found herself stuck in the middle of one. And the reason why she ended up stuck in the middle of a hurricane made me LOVE her. This was the moment when I became intensely loyal to this character.

The rescue: Just trust me on this. From the moment I realized she was going to need to be rescued, I knew the rescue was going to be such a HUGE moment in this book.

Things I loved less:

Luke - Katie’s famous cheating ex-fiance begins to publicly regret losing her. As in he writes a song literally titled, “Katie”. I really thought he was going to enter the story at some point. He not only never did, but there also wasn’t any attempt on his part to reach out to Katie. It seemed weird that he was so publicly depressed about losing her but didn’t even try to get her back, or at the very least, reach out to her to apologize for how their engagement ended.

The rescue: I KNOW. It was on my “loved” list. I desperately wanted this rescue to happen, so just the fact that it exists, makes me love it. But it was a bit underwhelming. I know that Hutch has to remain calm in his job, and he has immense experience with that, but I was hoping for something a bit bigger from him once the rescue part was complete, once he could let his professional guard down. He had to have been hectic with worry and alarm, but just stating this fact as simply as he did didn’t feel like enough for some reason.

That’s literally it. Those were the two and only things I didn’t love or that felt like a loose end that needed some tying.

The book is really great. The only reason it was not a 5 star read like the bulk of her other books is because I didn’t laugh or swoon as much as I did with those books so it didn’t yank at me in the same way.

If you read a Katherine Center novel, know that you will laugh, you will swoon, you will connect with yourself in the most positive of ways, and you will walk away a better version than you were before you started it. And I mean that wholeheartedly.

Such a fun and charming contemporary romance, with a strong beach read vibe! Katie, a videographer, travels to Key West to film a special project featuring Hutch, a hero in the Coast Guard. The only catch is his brother was supposed to be the one assigned to the job, and Hutch isn’t overly enthusiastic about the change. She spends time getting to know him better and building a relationship. Hutch’s “Aunt” Rue and her group of friends, The Gals add to the fun of the story! Katherine Center is a wonderful writer and introduces some beautiful themes of loving yourself as you are, overcoming fear, and learning to love again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!