4.25⭐️ I love the way Katherine Center writes! She gives her characters so much personality(even the dog)! The main character, Katie, is headed to Key West for work to film a promotional video for the Coast Guard. And then she meets Hutch😍 This book feels a little more removed from possible reality with everything that happens to and around Katie, but it is never boring! Very entertaining and provides some self reflecting and body positivity that we can all be reminded of. I will continue to read everything she writes!

Thank you so much for this advanced copy! Katherine center you are Magic! I felt like I knew Katie! She was me! I am her! I laughed and cried throughout the story! Hutch was just perfect! I felt the connection instantly! I have to say this made me want to drop all my stuff and visit Key West! I also plan on telling myself daily all the things I love about myself! Rue and the gals are should be goals for all women!

As a huge Katherine Center fan I was excited to receive this eARC to preview. The Love Haters features Katie who is sent to the Florida Keys by her supervisor, Cole, to film a promotional video for the coast guard featuring Cole's brother, Hutch. This book made me wish I could see the promo video and watch the "Day in the Life" videos that Katie creates.

Katie stays in a cottage owned by Rue, the "aunt" of Cole & Hutch. Another parallel storyline unfolds as Katie spends a few weeks in the Keys and is loved on by Rue. Hutch was immediately likable despite the warnings from Cole. This also plays out later in the book. This was an overall fun read, but does work through some deeper feelings related to the death of loved ones. Hutch is steady and strong and lives his life for those around him.

Katie was a bit quirky and had a tendency to be too harsh on herself. Her character development was steady and it made more sense as the story progressed and detailed her previous relationship with plain boyfriend turned cheating recording artist, Lucas. Katie is also blessed with a bestie, Beanie, who helps her see the best in herself. If you are someone who struggles with body image you may relate closely to Katie who has her own enemies to lovers adventure with herself. I appreciate that Katherine described the relationship with Katie and her body as a love story in and of itself by seeing the best in that person and enjoying the hell out of it.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

The Love Haters is a rom-com and also a story of self-love. It is funny yet also emotional.
The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer who struggles with body image and is on a journey of self-love.
She is assigned a new video project to create a Coast Guard promo featuring Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson.
She travels to Key West, where she and Hutch spend time together as she learns to swim and films the recruitment video.
The story has witty banter , beautiful moments, and personal growth.
The supporting characters are loveable, adding humor and wisdom.
Overall, this was a joy to read. The romance felt a little undeveloped in the beginning, but the characters have chemistry throughout the story.
Id recommend this to anyone who loves a cleam rom-com..

I’m utterly enchanted by this book—what a delightful and unexpected love story it tells. It’s not just about romance, but about finding a profound connection with oneself in the most surprising of places.

Katie's life gets an unanticipated jolt when her career takes a left turn, whisking her away from Texas and dropping her in the sun-soaked Florida Keys. What follows is a journey of self-love, acceptance, and—perhaps most unexpectedly—her evolving relationship with color, as she moves from a life dominated by chromophobia to proudly strutting beautiful beta fish-esque outfits. I was absolutely hooked.

But what really took me by surprise was the love story at the heart of this novel—the kind that hits you like a wave, full of yearning and intensity, from the very first page. It's not the typical boy-meets-girl plot; it's the love story between Katie and her own body and soul. As a woman navigating the complexities of today’s world, Katie’s character arc made me reflect on my own journey, and I found myself wanting to apologize to my body for all the years of criticism. This story was an invitation to be kinder, more compassionate, and more forgiving to myself.

This was my first Katherine Center novel, and I can already tell it won’t be my last. I’m diving straight into her other works (pun absolutely intended!).

I just finished The Love Haters by Katherine Center, and I cannot stop smiling! This book was such a chaotic ride in the best way possible. The author has this way of making you laugh, swoon, and maybe even tear up a little, all in the same chapter. The story follows Katie Vaughn, who’s been burned by love, and now she’s juggling a shaky career and a reckless decision to lie her way into a life changing assignment. If you’re into laugh out loud moments, a touch of drama, and a sweet mix of chaos and charm, this book is for you. It’s messy, adorable, and just plain fun!

Whenever there is a storm around you, grab a Katherine Center book. It’ll wrap its arms around you in a healing, hopeful hug until everything feels much more settled.

Her latest is about saving each other and ourselves. It made me laugh and tear up and swoon and gasp and by the end my heart was swollen — but in a good, doctor-approved way.

I loved following Katie around and learning about Hutch and seeing everyone just be themselves, bumping up against one another until everyone was better for it.

What a joy to experience, start to finish.

Read if you like:
- Contemporary romance
- Terribly handsome men in aviators
- BFF convos that make you LOL
- A bit of action (not that kind, you naughty minx!) with your swoony stories
- Old ladies living their best lives
- Shmoopy pups
- Love stories about all kinds of love

This book was so unbelievably good, I read it in one sitting. I adore Katherine Center's books and I'm so grateful to be an early reviewer for this one!

Hutch is everything. I love the love interest in this so much, Katie is also a great relatable main character.

My favorite part of it all was the setting and the action. I know we come to romance for the romance- but I LOVE how much Center's books give it real story. The backdrop of Key West, crazy rescue action and delightful side characters!! This book was just so fun.

Oh, how it pains me to write this review. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. The lead character was desperately in need of some (a lot) of therapy. The inner dialogue dragged on for pages….and pages. There were 7 pages of dialogue regarding her ankle?! It gained traction around the 25% mark but then went off the rails again. The romance was sweet and I liked the Coast Guard aspect. However, this one was a big disappointment.

Thank you to the Katherine Center, St Martin’s press, and Net Galley for this ARC.

Gah! Love haters has everything you want from a Katherine Center book, and more! I opened this book up and literally couldn’t put it down- I read it in one sitting!

Love haters may be slow burn love story about Katie (a videographer) falling for Hutch (US Coast Guard rescue swimmer), but it has so much more. There is found family, an interesting take on enemies to lovers, and how we handle grief. Overall, it tells the story of love: familial love, romantic love, and even self love. I laughed, I swooned, I cried. It truly had it all.

Did I love the way Katie asked herself/the reader questions like this in the whole book? Yes, yes I did!

Do I also wish I could snuggle George Bailey, the most lovable book doggo? Absolutely!

Katherine Center has very quickly become one of my favourite authors. This book was the perfect palette-cleanser romance with some emotional depth. My one issue with this book is that in the developing stage of Katie and Hutch's friendship/initial filming time, there were a lot of moments that we were told about instead of shown. This ranged from carpooling to different dinner cookouts as well as swim lessons. I found the writing style easy to digest and the plot itself gripping for a simple romance. I will be giving this book 4.25 stars and recommending it to my audience!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.5 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=2.5 | ⚔️=1 | 15

summary: so like she goes to make a video of this super buff hot coast guard guy and also has body image issues and also takes swimming lessons and also [there’s a hurricane and a helicopter rescue?????? (hide spoiler)]

thoughts: very, very ridiculous and unserious and contrived external conflict, very genuine and realized internal conflict. i think Center is good at making her characters uniquely traumatized and wounded, especially for a romance, which is great! I wasn’t, like, obsessed with this, but it is a good time! so!!

Katie Vaughn has been sent to Key West to film Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson for a coast guard promo in order to keep her job. The catch? Hutch was expecting his brother and is none too pleased to see Katie. With a lively cast of side characters and unexpected attraction thrown into the mix, will Katie come out unscathed and better yet, employed?
This is my first Katherine Center book and I really enjoyed it! It had a snappy first chapter and I was hooked by the last line of it. Our MC Katie, keeps to the fringes, but isn’t a doormat, which I found refreshing. I loved how Katie’s sassy best friend cousin Beanie helped Katie rebuild the relationship with herself throughout the book. That’s to say I never love when a larger person is obsessed with their weight- it was mentioned so often! Hutch and Katie had insta attraction, but not insta love, and that made their relationship feel more real. George Bailey, Hutch’s adopted Great Dane, has the most tender origin story and I always enjoy a “pet knows before anyone” trope. My favorite quote: “Should you touch a man’s extra biscuits?” This was an unexpected tear jerker and I’d definitely recommend!!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!
Even though I've only recently started my Katherine Center journey having only read "The bodyguard" before I know I can expect from her work a charming, relatable and heartfelt story. This book honestly feels like a warm hug.
Once again, Center delivers the perfect blend of emotional depth and laugh-out-loud moments, creating a romance that’s as much about falling in love with someone else as it is about learning to love yourself.
We meet Katie, a quirky video editor navigating a tumultuous relationship with her body, the consequences of a toxic relationship and a potential job loss. When her boss gives her the opportunity to save her job, she accepts it without hesitation, even though at first she may not be the best fit for the position.
Enter Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who’s equal parts golden retriever charm and frowny "love-hater". Their initial meeting is hilariously unconventional, and we see their relationship evolve complete with witty banter and heartfelt moments.

Katherine Center's ability to balance lighthearted moments with deeper themes of self-worth, resilience, and love is unparalleled.

Thank you NetGalley, Erica Martirano from St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the early access copy of The Love Haters.

The Love Haters follows the story of Katie, who is on the verge of losing her job as a video producer since her company is downsizing. That is until she is giving an assignment by a coworker that could change everything. The catch, she needs to film her co-workers Coast Guard rescue swimmer brother Hutch. Katie can't swim. But she fakes it. Hutch, is a "love hater", permanently frowning, grump of a person according to Katie's coworkwe Cole. But, for Katie, he seems like a dream. Not only for his looks, but for his personality.

With a beautifully written cast of well-developed characters, a Great Dane you want to meet and intensive tension between the lead characters. It was hard to put this book down.

Loved the Love Haters 🤭 Katie and Hutch were so sweet and entertaining. Not as drama filled and gut wrenching as Katherine Center’s other novels but it was absolutely the vibe I needed right now. I’d LOVE this to be made into a film adaption. Thank you so much St Martin’s Press for the ARC 🫶

Katherine Center does it again with this deeply emotional romance. I went into this book blind as I do with authors that I love, and boy was I surprised. The last book I read by her was The Rom-Commers so I expected this book to be similar to that one based on the title.....wrongo!

Katie is a video producer that is facing a downsizing at her company. When she is offered the chance to go to Key West and film a video about a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, she is all in. Did she know what a rescue swimmer was? Did she know anything about the Coast Guard? Could she locate Key West on a map? No to all of the above, matter of fact she didn't even know how to swim. Fake it till you make it right? Go big or go home.

Katie finds more than just love on this trip. I want to buy this book and give one to every woman that I know. We could all use a book like this in our life.

I loved Katie and her quirky nervous chatter. Of course we have to talk about Hutch, my new favorite book boyfriend. The banter and chemistry between these two were so good.

The side characters were just as good as the main characters. From Aunt Rue and all of her color and her belief that people do not need mirrors and that you should dress in what makes you feel good. To Cousin Beanie that never stops trying and supporting. We all could use a Rue and Beanie in our life. I also cannot forget about the adorable great Dane George Bailey! I had a large dog just like this one, the scenes with him were so accurate to a very large dog.

My only complaint. I did not want it to end. I could have read many more chapters filled with all of these characters. Such a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this title. This is my very honest review.

Katherine Center's The Love Haters is more than a rom-com; it's a heartfelt journey of self-love, courage, and second chances, wrapped in a beautifully written, laugh-out-loud romance set in the sun-drenched paradise of Key West. This book is a testament to why Center remains a favorite for readers who want their romance with depth, humor, and a touch of magic.

The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer who's had a rough couple of years— thanks to her viral rock-star ex-fiancé, cruel internet trolls, and lingering body image issues. Now, to save her job, she's assigned to create a Coast Guard recruitment video featuring the ruggedly handsome rescue swimmer Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. There's just one problem: Katie can't swim, and Hutch has a reputation as a grumpy, love-averse loner.

The setup for Katie and Hutch's relationship is filled with tension, charm, and plenty of laughs. From Katie's awkward swim lessons to splinters-in-embarrassing-places mishaps, the humor is delightfully balanced with deeper themes of vulnerability, bravery, and healing. Hutch, while initially aloof, reveals himself to be a golden retriever in grumpy-guy clothing— loyal, kind, and deeply thoughtful.

One of the book's standout features is the supporting cast. Rue, the wise and eccentric motel owner, and her vibrant group of friends,
"The Gals," bring wisdom, humor, and heart to the story. Hutch's Great Dane, George Bailey, is a scene-stealer, and Katie's best friend Beanie is a guiding light of self-love and positivity. The relationships among these characters-platonic, familial, and romantic-add richness to the narrative.

The Love Haters is not just a love story between two people but also a celebration of self-acceptance. Katie's journey to love herself after years of criticism and self-doubt is as empowering as it is relatable. Katherine Center handles themes like body positivity and overcoming trauma with sensitivity and hope.

The romance itself is a delightful slow burn, filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and swoon-worthy moments. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is electric, and their love story feels earned, genuine, and deeply satisfying.
True to Katherine Center's style, the book also delves into heavier topics-grief, unresolved family tensions, and the courage it takes to confront the past. Yet it never loses its sense of humor or warmth, making it a joy to read from start to finish.

Highlights:
* A vibrant setting in Key West, which practically becomes a character itself.
* Laugh-out-loud humor balanced with emotional depth.
* Themes of bravery, self-love, and forgiveness.
* A lovable supporting cast, from the quirky Rue to the adorable George Bailey.
* A powerful Author's Note that will leave readers reflecting on love, vulnerability, and the romance genre.


In summary, The Love Haters is a must-read that will have you laughing, crying, and falling in love alongside its characters. Whether you're a longtime Katherine Center fan or new to her work, this book will leave you with a full heart, a smile on your face, and perhaps even a fresh perspective on yourself.

Verdict:
Pre-order this one, add it to your TBR, and prepare to devour it in one sitting. Katherine Center has done it again-delivering a story that's as entertaining as it is transformative.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and while I loved the book and was sad when it ended, there were some areas that fell short. This is still a great romance read and loved how Katie felt like a friend that was telling me the story directly (not like I was reading something an author wrote).

I wish there was more back story of the characters. We hear Katie mentioning her body image is due to her step mother, but we never really experience where their relationship is now. This book could have explored themes of needing to cut toxic family members out of their lives and new found family. This could have given even more depth to Beanie, who seemed to be a supportive sidekick that was just waiting for Katie to call and talk off the ledge. Exploring heavier themes in rom-coms are what makes me love Katherine's writing so much. I feel like this book could have gone a bit deeper.

Additionally, I despised Cole's character. It seemed like he was confident that he wouldn't be laid off and that it was up to him on who to cut/save, but nothing said that was correct. In the end it even pivoted where he could have been on the chopping block. Let alone his involvement with the project that he technically turned down when passing it off to Katie. As the book progressed he just kept getting worse and worse. His character really took me out of the story.

Overall, The Love Haters was a quick and easy read that had me wishing I was in Florida.

I love how Katherine Center writes. It's amazing how she can portray her characters' emotions well. Every single book of hers I've read, I've loved. Katherine makes reading so enjoyable. She makes her books fun which makes them easy to read, and easy to connect to. I liked the main characters a lot. Their actions with each other, and how they balance each other out were super cute and rewarding to see. However The Love Haters was super similar to her last book: The Rom-commers, But since I liked her last one I also liked this one.