4.5 stars

Katie, a video producer, takes a job profiling Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. Despite not being qualified and faking her swimming abilities, she becomes entangled with Hutch and his family — who are good at keeping their own secrets.

Katherine Center's books are a breath of fresh air for me. I look forward to them every year now, and I know I can count on them to bring me back to center (no pun intended). The voice Center fills the book with for her main characters is so close to my own inner dialogue, in its busyness and rationalization attempts, that I feel as if I inhabit these women and their stories for 300 or so pages each year.

The underlying theme in The Love Haters is about really learning to love yourself and your own body — and Katie definitely needs that lesson, but on the same level that most of us do these days. There were some utterly heartwarming moments, full of sincerity, that made me laugh and made me cry.

I really need to check out her backlist, and I'm already looking forward to next year.

Katie Vaughn is a mid-level video producer on the verge of being fired. Desperate to save her job, she accepts a project to film a documentary about U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers in Key West, Florida. Does she know anything about rescue swimmers? No. Can she swim? Definitely not. But that’s exactly where her adventure begins.

The subject of her project is Tom Hutcheson (Hutch), a famous hero known for saving Jennifer Aniston’s dog. Cole, the colleague who assigns her the project, warns her that Hutch is a “love hater.” Katie typically films “day in the life” videos, and she hopes Hutch will be her next subject. However, when she first meets him, everything slows down. He’s unbelievably handsome, and she can’t help but feel out of her league.

Katherine Center’s The Love Haters isn’t your typical rom-com. While there’s romance, the heart of the story centers on self-love, healing, and the courage to embrace the unknown. Katie’s journey isn’t just about falling for Hutch; it’s about healing from the deep wounds left by her ex-boyfriend, a famous singer, and the relentless online ridicule she endured because of her appearance. These experiences left her feeling isolated, insecure, and depressed, eventually leading her to gain weight. Throughout the story, we see Katie struggle with her body image and slowly begin to appreciate herself again, with the help of her best friend Beanie.

Hutch plays a pivotal role in Katie’s healing. He’s the only man who looks beyond her insecurities and notices the little things that make her unique. As they spend more time together during the filming, a deep connection develops, and romantic feelings begin to bloom. But there’s a twist: Katie discovers that Cole and Tom are actually siblings. To protect Katie’s job, Cole pretends they are dating, which leads to a series of lies and misunderstandings that complicate Katie’s growing feelings for Hutch.

Ultimately, The Love Haters wraps up in a satisfying and heartfelt way. While there are some predictable rom-com tropes, the emotional depth of the story makes it stand out. It’s a journey of self discovery, healing, and learning to love yourself, something we can all relate to.

I’m giving this book a solid 4/5. It’s heartwarming, funny, and filled with emotional growth. If you’re looking for a rom-com that dives deeper than just the surface, this one is definitely worth the read. Thank you, NetGalley!

First things first - I LOVE Katherine Center. I suggest her to readers all the time! But this one wasn't my favorite.

Katie's job sends her to Florida to interview, Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. To do this job successfully she must go out into the field with Hutch, but she is not at all qualified for this. Mostly because she cannot swim. Katie tries to fake it until she makes it with no idea how much her life is about to change. This rom com is a fun read that I would definitely suggest especially to beat the summer heat. Just don't let this book be the only one you judge Center on. I liked some of her others much more.

How can you not enjoy Katherine Center’s super fun and engaging rom-coms?! “The Love Haters may not be my favorite but it is a fun and enthusiastic story with just the right amount of hilarity - Really, the US Coast Guard is about “guarding the coast’? And let’s not forget Center’s signature crazy protagonist who you just have to like and there is almost always just the right amount of sizzle. So easy to dislike the idiot manipulator and see the situation as intended. I am not going to parse this story farther than it was a quick and mostly enjoyable read. I will always be on the lookout for the next offering from Katherine Center.

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

I've read and enjoyed most of Katherine Center's books, but this is probably one of my least favorite. I'm not a huge fan of stories where the conflict is about lying. This was still a fun read and I'd recommend it to most people who like romance.

Let me start off by saying, I love Katherine Center!!!! A lot of her books really hit for me, but this one didn't. It had KC's hallmark witty characters/moments, as well as some "real life" story lines woven throughout the romance; however, the serious plot line about FMC Katie's ED/recovery was not handled delicately. There were no TW or CW about the ED/body dysmorphia as far as I could tell, and it wasn't just mentioned once. It was allllll throughout the story. I also found a lot of the story to be unrealistic (I get it, it's fiction) but floating on a house in the middle of a hurricane? Kind of silly.

I am a big Katherine Center fan as she write fun, humor, heartwarming, and easy to read books. This was a disappointment. It had all the staples I expect in one her novels including lovable main and side characters, and some kind of lesson but in the end I was disappointed in the plot. It just felt silly and unbelievable including the random fake dating plot and lies that went along with that plot line. I loved Rue, George Bailey, and the setting which made up for some of the other parts. I am still a big fan of this author and plan to continue to pick up her books even if this was a let down.

Enjoyed this book. A go to author for an enjoyable book with good characters. Looking forward to her next book.

I loved so much about this book. The body positivity being one of the biggest reasons I loved it. I adored Katie and Hutch’s growing relationship. I liked that Hutch was deep down a stand up guy who would do whatever he could to help people. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback

I love Katherine Center! When I was given this arc I was so excited because I love all of her books and this was no exception. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is so great, it was an awesome romcom, will be recommending.

There’s just something about how Katherine Center writes characters. I read this whenever I could, including two late nights which I almost regretted the next day but not quite. Ha!

This is truly a story of identity and love between friends, family, pets, self, and Katie and Hutch. A great escape read if you are needing to be carried off to Key West for a bit.

Not my favorite KC book, but it was still a five star read. I laughed so much at all the shenanigans that happened in Florida with the two characters. I also loved Hutch so much. Katie and his chemistry were FANTASTIC and the premise made for an interesting read, so that was fun. I loved the grandma and how she wanted to give Katie color back into her life. We all need someone like that.

Ok. I usually like this author’s books. Pretty much the only contemporary romance I read. But this latest was a miss for me. I didn’t care for any of these characters (except for maybe Rue and George Bailey), the FMC was so annoying and I understand she had body image issues but I don’t feel like this brought anything to the plot. Hutch was also kind of weird, didn’t really communicate at all, not even at the end?

I also didnt really like the weird fake dating plot? Like who would be ok with going along with that? I dunno. It just all felt a bit off to me.

The Love Haters is the story of a woman, who can’t swim, who gets put on assignment to film a coast guard rescuer. I love @katherinecenter books so much. Just like all of her books, this book was filled with snarky one-liners and pop culture references mixed in with such honest emotions and swoonworthy romances. The most likable characters with so much dimension and so much humor peppered throughout that this book was just like a warm hug. I laughed out loud and I found myself smiling while reading it. I loved it so much that I alternated between the audio and my kindle because I didn’t want to put another book into the mix.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio as well as the author and narrator for these fun ARCs. All opinions are my own
#NetGalley @NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress @St.Martin’sPress #MacAudio25 #MacmillanAudio @MacAudio25 @MacmillanAudio #KatherineCenter @KatherineCenter #PattiMurin @PattiMurin #Fiction #Romance #ChickLit #audiobook #eBook #BookReview

Title: The Love-Haters
Author: Katherine Center
Formats: eBook/audiobook
Narrator: Patti Muran
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: May 20, 2025
Themes: Family, romance, self care, self love, grief, U.S. Coast Guard water safety, Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers
Trigger Warnings: Water rescue, Danger in water, water rescue, terminal illness, fatal car accident, loss of parents, loss of spouse, animal cruelty discussed, animal in danger

I’m not usually a fan of romances, but I do like Katherine Center’s books as they tend to be about much more than a love story. This one is about Katie Vuagh, who has been asked to take a project from a colleague that he doesn’t want. Their employer is downsizing the company and Katie hopes that this is the project that will prevent her from being terminated. The project is a profile piece of her colleague’s brother and his heroic actions. Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson is a rescue swimmer with the United States Coast Guard who also saved the dog of a celebrity. The project takes place in the paradise of Key West. Katie moves into a small cottage owned by Hutch’s aunt, who immediately takes Katie under her lively and vibrant wing. When Katie meets Hutch, in embarrassing situation upon embarrassing situation, she’s struck by his good looks and even better heart. Katie finds herself enjoying Hutch’s company as well as learning about his role as a resume swimmer. However, circumstances and Hutch’s jealous brother seem determined to keep them apart. When Katie finds herself trapped on Hutch’s houseboat with his rescued Great Dane during a storm, she’s forced to face her feelings for both herself and for Hutch.

The best part of this book was the setting. I’ve always wanted to go to Key West and this novel set me that much closer to the island itself. The author describes the beautiful paradise very well and I enjoyed “seeing” the sights and staying in Katie’s quaint cottage. On the other hand, because of the same talent for imagery, I found the houseboat terrifying, even before the storm.

The second best part of this book was the narrator of the audiobook. I was lucky enough to both read the eBook and listen to the audiobook. I enjoyed the audiobook just a little more as the narrator had a pleasing voice and I enjoyed the fresh perspective she provided through her interpretation of the characters.

I did feel like some of the side characters could have used some more fleshing out. Beanie could have offered a lot more to Katie’s character if we’d learned a little more about her. I felt that Sully was a character I would have liked to learn more about. These two people were so influential to Katie that I feel that establishing them a little more would have made Katie a more rounded character.

All in all, this wasn’t my very favorite of Ms. Centers books but I still recommend it to her fans as well as fans of romance novels. I can’t wait for the next one.

I haven't read a Katherine Center book that I didn't like and this one was like the rest. Katie is a filmmaker and wants to save her job so someone at work makes her go to Florida to profile a rescue swimmer, Hutch. He just so happens to be her coworker's brother. The coworker tells her Hutch doesn't want attention for his rescues and seems to hate love. She goes to Florida which becomes the opposite of her life, colorful clothes, doing things she never would do and starts to embrace her new sense of self. She meets Hutch who she seems to be very good looking she notices. Since she can't swim she decides to take lessons and who is her teacher?...Hutch. Her new found friends encourage her to live her best life which includes falling for Hutch. Katie has never felt comfortable with herself and when Hutch starts to say sweet things to her it dumbfounds her. When a hurricane threatens this budding romance will they get through it together?

This was a sweet story about two people who really needed each to discover what they were missing in their lives. Didn't need any spice and it kept my attention. A little corny about the hurricane towards the end but that's ok! Would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to review this ARC!!

Another cute summer book from Katherine Center. Not my favorite, as I found the main character annoying. I wasn’t eager to keep picking this book up until it was done.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley, for a copy of this e-arc and audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several of Katherine Center's books in the past and enjoyed most of them. This one was a hit. This is a perfect beach read. It was laugh-out-loud hilarious. I mainly listened to an audiobook and loved it. The narrator, Patti Murin, did a great job. I found myself wanting to continue listening while doing chores or in the car. The female main character, Katie, was likeable and relatable, and Hutch, the male main character, was grumpy but hilarious. The star of the book was George Bailey, Hutch's great dane. Such a fun read.

While I really enjoy Katherine Center's stories, this one was kind of a miss for me. I liked the characters and the storyline, but I felt there was too much internal dialogue. I wanted more glimpses into the interactions with Katie and Hutch. I love the growth of Katie and the positive self talk, but I wanted more romance.

Maybe I’m a love hater…
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and… I’m so disappointed. I knew 20 pages in that I wasn’t going to vibe with this book because the FMC was so annoying. I was literally gaslighting myself into thinking it would get better. BOY WAS I WRONG.

She would state the most obvious things like “the water is wet” level obvious, and it felt like I was being spoon-fed every emotion or thought. Like okay, thank you Captain Obvious?? And don’t even get me started on how dumb she came across. She reminded me of a middle schooler trying way too hard to impress her crush.

Most of the book focused on body dysmorphia and image issues, which could have been powerful… but the way it was done just irritated me. It wasn’t like a “she found herself and grew into her confidence” moment, it was “a hot man told me I’m pretty so now I love myself.” Women don’t need a man to feel worthy. It felt outdated and lowkey frustrating.

Also? There was zero chemistry between the main characters. Like she talks about his body every single chapter but somehow they still have the flattest connection I’ve ever read. I was just confused the whole time.

I do appreciate the attempt at body image representation, but it came off forced and surface-level. Combine that with the plot holes, the lies, the chaotic pacing, and the fact that the most interesting character was the rescue Great Dane… yeah, this was a miss for me.