Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was a WOW book for me. I love the characters, and I am going to be sad in May when it's new to others...I may have to read it again.

There is a lot going on in this book, but that is what makes it great. The love, humor, self loathe and pity, hate, lying, shocking past, urgent present, and friendship all mix into one beautiful story that has me laughing and crying.

Synopsis: Katie has a lot to offer the world: she is witty, smart, kind, and beautiful. The problem? She doesn't realize any of this! Katie's self-confidence has been completely shattered when she was dumped by her newly TikTok famous tool bag--I mean fiancé. On top of her personal life woes, Katie is also facing an impending lay-off at her job. So, when she is offered a job to create a documentary video about a US Coast Guard hero Tom Hutcheson, she capitalizes on the chance to head to Florida to learn about his water rescues, even if she herself can't swim.

Review: This is a true love story with an important twist: Katie has to learn how to love herself first. In a world where social media seems to prey on women and corrupt their beliefs of beauty, Katie is forced to cannon-ball into waters of learning self-worth. The focus on a relationship with herself is paramount content for my fellow millennials who grew up with teen magazines telling us that a size 8 is plus-size and 1200 calories is sufficient. The same is true for young women who are currently growing up in a filter-heavy landscape. I truly appreciated this examination of self-love.

Finally, can a main character have witty banter with herself? Or, rather, with the reader? The hilarious rhetorical questions Katie asks herself indicate that, yes, they can. She was beyond funny, and it made me truly relate with her even more!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Katherine Center for the eARC!

The Love Haters, by Katherine Center is a heartfelt exploration of love in all its forms - romantic, familial, and self-love. At the heart of the novel are Hutch and Katie, two characters who, despite their claims of hating love, reveal through their actions and relationships how much they truly care for those around them.

Hutch, with his frowning exterior, and Katie, who’s learned to protect herself from emotional vulnerability, initially seem like unlikely candidates for love. However, as the story unfolds, they both show immense love and support for their families, friends, animals, and ultimately themselves. The beautiful contradiction in their characters highlights the complexity of love—it’s not just about romance, but also about the ways we show up for others and for ourselves.

Center’s writing is witty, poignant, and layered with emotional depth, capturing how love can be messy, unexpected, and transformative. The Love Haters, is a reminder that love isn't always easy, but it’s often in the quiet, selfless acts that it truly shines.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a lot of Katherine Center’s work and it can be a bit hit or miss for me sometimes. Overall I do like this book. It follows the rom com format and having the MMC be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer is interesting and I like that it kind of kept the TV/Film industry theme from The Romcommers. What I didn’t love was I felt like the way the FMC was handling her body dysmorphia in the beginning felt downplayed. It felt like we were tip toeing around calling it an eating disorder which is what it was. By not naming that it made it feel like what the FMC was doing to cope with her body dysmorphia less serious and not in fact very dangerous to her health. While she does recover from this and we do see resolution on this I think it’s important to name these things. In a world where calling something an eating disorder brings a lot of shame for the person going through it doesn’t sit right with me to not name it for what it is especially when statically your audience is more likely to have experienced these issues. I do hope there will be trigger warnings at the beginning for these topics as well.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s my first Katherine Center novel, but it definitely won’t be my last. The writing felt like I was FaceTiming my best friend or reading a diary. I loved all the characters and their dynamic, the romance was charming, and the emotions and problems the main character was dealing with felt relatable. I couldn’t put it down! Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc.

I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan and I was very excited to get this arc from netgalley and it didn't disappoint. This was a solid romantic read for me and I found myself really enjoying the story and characters. I want more of Rue and her gal pals! BUT what I didn't expect was that this was going to be a story about the love/hate relationships that we often times have with ourselves. In this story, Katie has had a rough time with love and has found herself in a space where she barely tolerates herself. I like how Center handled Katie's self hate and helped her find her footing in her relationship with herself, along with finding love again in the world. I also really enjoyed the coast guard information. I didn't really understand all the things that are involved and learned a bit! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. I can't wait to read what Center writes next!

This book is infuriatingly bad. I am *begging* romance authors not to write about serious topics (in this case, eating disorders and extreme body dysmorphia) if they aren’t going to take them seriously.

At 4.5 stars rounded up -The Love Haters is another feel good rom-com by one of the best of the genre. To keep her job, Katie finds herself conned into going to Key West to film a Coast Guard recruiting video with a real life internet hero and rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson . But Katie can't swim and the only reason Hutch agreed to anything was to get his brother (and Katie's co-worker who conned her into the project) back to Key West. Katie and Hitch aren't looking for love but their chemistry is off the charts. An eccentric aunt, her elderly friends, and a good boy of a Great Dane round out the background characters for a likable cast that moves the story along. The scenarios are all improbable but who reads romance for the realism? Not this girl. The story just gave me a renewed hope in happily ever after and left me with a smile on my face for a story that kept me up reading way past my bedtime. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I loved this! It was such a uniquely written romance with so many cute little twists and turns. It really has something for everyone and will make you want to book a vacation to Key West asap! There were parts and storylines that I felt were never fully closed and I could do without certain storylines that were introduced.

I really enjoyed this book it is right up my romantic read alley. I found it a light hearted easy read and finished it in a few days. I have read the romcommers by Katherine Center also and enjoyed that one too. Looking forward to reading more of her books. The characters were likable and the story line easy to follow.
I loved Katie and Hutch together and their love banter. The aunt in the story just brings it together and makes for a great family and her love for life and romance.
Definitely a great read if romance books are what you love. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it before it hits the shelves!

Our girl Kate is having a tough go at her job till a senior position coworker gives her an opportunity she cannot refuse to help save her role. Go to Key West, get away from the cold, don't have to pay for lodging or food, and have to be close quarters with a guy who saved Jennifer Anniston's dog who is also attractive? Ew gross who would want that right lol? The catch is when she gets there... lets say our MMC was not expecting her to be the one for this role. yikes.

Some things I wish were discussed more in the book was about healing more of the ED and self negative thoughts, I enjoyed seeing realistic thoughts in the book but it seemed at times to get washed out by a quickly chipper moment and I wished that would of been something more worked out than light quips here and there if its going to be a theme in the book. As someone who dealt with these topics I would have liked to see this more.

Overall this book was such a fun quick read but I felt like I was getting the tea of someone else's drama cause some parts were well quite reality TV show dramatic and I ate it up haha. I can picture reading this on the beach, it would be a perfect pick up while on vacation. The characters were charming and so easily likeable and love that the dog plays an important role.


Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up

Tropes: No Spice, Forced Proximity, Miscommunication, Protective MMC

Content Warning: There is a lot of discussion of step-parental trauma about weight, negative self talk, and ED themes.


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I want to start by saying I am so grateful I was given the opportunity by NetGalley to receive an advanced copy!

I love Katherine Centers books, and this one is a perfect reminder as to why. She does great story telling, develops the characters so you feel like you know them, and it doesn’t feel forced or cheesy.

I also think this book will be healing if you are someone who struggled/struggles with body image and perfectionism in your looks. The main character describes different points of their life where others criticized them based on their weight, looks, etc. Seeing her grow through that and fall in love with herself was such a great aspect to this book.

If you’re looking for a light hearted, binge-able, rom-com, that has substance beyond the love story, look no further!

Thank goodness for Katherine Center. This is my first experience with her as an author, I’ve been reluctant to dive into her books and now for the life of me I can’t remember why. Yes this book is a romance, and a hilarious one at that; but it’s so so so much more than that. It’s an ode to a woman’s body & what a rollercoaster living in your own body can be. Our FMC is so brutally honest about her turmoil that comes with years of hating her body & the repercussions that has with romantic encounters & life encounter in general. I think that was even more important than the romance tbh, not that Hutch wasn’t super hot & competent, because he totally was. I loved the journey to self love this book had, and the journey of finding romance that accompanied!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

With Katherine’s typical sense of humor and heart, The Love Haters will definitely be a book her fans gobble up and enjoy thoroughly. I laughed out loud and momentarily teared up, as expected. I do think that while the romance is prominently on page, the focus is on Katie’s character and growth. I adored her and how she threw caution to the wind in order to keep her job.
Katie lies and agrees to anything in order to avoid getting laid off. What results is a trip to the Florida Keys and a mission to get one standoffish Coast Guard hero to open up about his amazing career. So what if she can’t swim and has to interview a pro swimmer? From her black clothes to her insecurities about her body, Katie became a friend I wanted to get to know and watch her bloom. Love the body positivity message!
Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.

I love anything and everything that Katherine Center writes so I was so excited to get to read the ARC of the Love Haters. Katherine always handles important and sometimes uncomfortable themes, but as always, there is always a beautiful outcome.
The story follows Katie who is a video producer who is afraid of losing her job so she lies that she can swim to take a job down in Key West. There is a deep underlying issue to why Katie truly never learned how to swim, but her personal growth journey deeply unfolds in the story with the help of her landlord and her video subject, Hutch.
Hutch and Katie’s relationship builds so beautifully in the story as does the humor. The story was very entertaining and truly inspiring in learning how to confront your fears and to value yourself & the life you were given.
Overall, it was another hit from Katherine, and you will be delighted. I truly hope this story gets made into a movie just like so many other of Katherine’s books!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I loved this book! The banter was so fun and plot was well written and easy to read! I would highly recommend reading this book!

This will be one of the best beach reads of the summer! I laughed out loud so many times! The characters are so full of love and life. It goes beyond being just a fluffy romance and dives into the realm of self love that so few books dare. It’s not often I take lessons from rom coms but this one certainly had some gems! A must read for this summer!

Katherine Center has written another delightful romance novel, and while it has a bit less "extra" than some of her earlier books, the characters are still well-developed.

The Love Haters takes place in Key West. The main character, Katie, takes a trip to the island to create an advertisement for the US Coast Guard in order to keep her job. She ends up working with Hutch, a handsome rescue swimmer and the older brother of her boss. Hutch has all the qualities you'd expect from a dreamy romance hero—he's incredibly good-looking, down-to-earth, and carries a bit of a mysterious vibe. As the story unfolds, we discover that both Katie and Hutch have their own individual struggles. After being left by her famous fiancé, Katie faces negative comments from online trolls about her appearance, which makes her feel insecure and begins a difficult relationship with her body . She sticks to wearing black shirts and jeans and avoids swimsuits like the plague, even while visiting beautiful Key West! Meanwhile, Hutch, who lost his parents as a child, deals with his own past traumas and a desire to save everyone around him. Their burgeoning relationship gets complicated when Katie’s boss and Hutch's younger brother, Cole, shows up unexpectedly, bringing a surprising twist to the story.

I breezed through this book in a day! Overall, The Love Haters is a fun read. I wish the connection between Hutch and Katie had been explored more; it felt a little rushed. If you're looking for a summer romance with some depth, enjoy a gentle, closed-door romance, and embrace flawed but lovable characters, grab The Love Haters for a day at the beach.

And just like in her last book, don't skip the author's note. Though I've never considered myself a "romance reader," Katherine Center always makes me reconsider my thoughts on this genre when I read her books.

Happy reading! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this lovely advance copy.

“Love is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

“Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time. That’s what life is for.”

I can’t pass up the opportunity to read a book by Katherine Center. She took me on an adventure to Key West. I was able to experience everything with Katie, her dreams, fears, love.
Are you giving yourself love? Are you deserving of love from others?
Well, it seems Katie who is insecure about her body image and Hutch who hates love meet.
Entertaining, wonderfully written, facing one’s fears, dancing, friendships, family, secrets, taking chances, self-love.
I loved George Bailey, a giant dog with fears of his own.
I laughed and had tears in my eyes. A love letter to the soul.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Whenever a book is touted as "laugh-out-loud" funny I'm immediately skeptical. But The Love Haters did make me laugh quite a bit!

For a book based in Key West (a place I've never cared about) and followed a documentary filmmaker, Katie, as she made a promo video about the US Coast Guard (an organization I've never thought about), I was entertained the whole time.

This is also a great book if you're more into sweet romance! You do have to suspend your disbelief for quite a big portion of the book, but that's ok. It does sometimes feel like a romance book that wanted to also be self-help, and I don't love self-help books so that would be my biggest complaint.

I did like how well some side characters were developed. I'll miss you Beanie, Rue, and George Bailey! All in all, this is a very cute book, and now I want to go pass out flowers to strangers.