Another cute rom- com by Katherine Center! I was able to get an advanced copy from Net Galley and it was an enjoyable read overall! I liked all the characters, but I wish more character development was established for some of them. I loved the setting and the banter between the MMC and FMC was hilarious! I would have liked more!


(I posted my review on the Good Reads app and there wasn't a link for me to add to the review here).

This was an entertaining read with some strong elements, but it didn’t fully work for me. I really enjoyed the rescue swimmer aspect—it was unique and interesting. The found family dynamic was another highlight, and I absolutely loved Rue, the Gals and George Bailey. The plot had its highs, with moments that felt compelling, relatable, and fresh.

That said, the FMC’s constant inner monologue about Hutch’s looks started to annoy me, especially since it felt hypocritical given her own struggles with body image and self-confidence. The way her self-hate was handled didn’t sit right with me either—it felt underdeveloped or brushed aside too easily. While the book had its moments, it didn’t fully come together for me. The ending also felt a bit far-fetched.

It truly breaks my heart to only rate this book generously at 3 stars. I'm a die hard Katherine Center fan and usually her writing fills me with overwhelming joy and laughter. Something about The Love Haters just didn't do it for me. This book had an identity crisis. Was it actually about two people who hated love? No, not really. But it was about a ton of other things all at once.

First, let me start off by saying, if you're looking for romance or even a hint of smut. This is not the book for you. The Love Haters is as G rated as they come. Not even a fade to black or closed door scene to eye roll at. You get 4 total PDA appropriate kisses...

I was intrigued with the concept of The Love Haters from the first chapter. The story dives right in and sets up some serious drama without delay between Cole and his brother Hutch. Katie works alongside Cole. Cole wants Katie to take a job he doesn't want to do. Katie needs the work and is in jeopardy of getting fired. Cole convinces Katie to film his brother Hutch and work on her own personal side project at the same time. Basically Cole manipulates Katie into doing his dirty work and Katie falls for it hook, line and sinker without realizing it. Katie also has this whole rebuilding thing going on internally (and externally) that she's seemingly battling alone with the exception of her ride or die BFF. Katie is kind of a mess after a really bad, really public break-up and is finding herself again but is still extremely closed off and vulnerable.

This book felt daunting at times. I think maybe it was the overwhelming depths of which we were forced to learn about the male main character's profession and how it was basically the entire identity of the book. I understand that Katie's primary role was to document Hutch and create a promotional video for the Coast Guard, but so much of the story was spent in the weeds of USCG jargon and minutia, that it almost became burdensome to read. I found myself skimming lines at times, because I got bored.

The dog. 5 stars for that addition to the story. I loved every bit of his story and everything he brought to the party. Rue was also one of my favorite characters. The impression she made on Katie in such a short time and how she was the glue holding Cole and Hutch together was so apparent. Her and the Gals were so lively and fun, it made the setting for the story that much more enjoyable and humorous.

Lets address the plot twist, and how Katie went along with Cole's lie? In the entirety of the book, not once did her character ever display personality traits of a liar or a fraud outside of her own internal self sabotage. Katie was almost honest to a fault. So why the author chose this sword to fall on, I didn't understand. It made no sense and didn't mesh with the character as written at all! I actually got quite angry with how the FMC became a doormat in under 60 seconds and put up no fight at all. I understood her desire to protect one of the side characters, but was that really more important than lying to the character she was seemingly falling for? I think not!

I didn't like the end of the book. The reader wasn't given the closure we deserved after Center put us through the most emotional and gut-wrenching chapter at sea, to just kind of gloss over how things turned out in the end. There was more focus on Cole and other side characters than on the two main ones! Where's the official swoon worthy HEA?!?! When I reached The End, I honestly said out loud "THAT'S IT?!?"

Enjoyed the quality story writing, as I always do with this author. I really liked almost all of the characters and thought they each brought something special to the story. I loved the idea of a unique "office romance" trope. I just felt that The Love Haters had more things I didn't like about it than I did for the majority of the read. I wanted more from the forced proximity. The communication issues were hard to get over, especially given that the two MCs were intelligent and articulate adults.

What lengths would you go to save your job? Lies, secrets, and sibling rivalry abound. Quick read with a great setting.

I loved this book! I could very much relate to Katie with the body image issues. I loved the banter and relationship that developed between Katie and Hutch. The found family between Katie and the Gals was so endearing. This was a 5 star for me!

I have loved every book by Katherine Center so I was super excited to get my hands on this book! In The Love Haters, we are introduced to Katie Vaughn, who is on a special gig for her video producing job. On this gig, she meets Hutch, who is a Coast Guard hero (and hottie). Katie has a job to do but gets quite distracted by Hutch, as well as with everything going on in the colorful Key West neighborhood. If you know Katherine Center, you know that she truly writes an excellent story with memorable characters. I recommend for anyone who is looking for a new romance story or beach read!

I can't do anything but give Katherine Center 5 stars. I eagerly await every new novel of hers, and immediately upon finishing one, I begin it again to savor more thoroughly. Even before I read Center's afterword, where she said exactly this, I had an epiphany of why Center is currently one of my favorite romcom authors. Because although there is a heroine/hero romance (always with a "good man", very appealing), the romance at the heart of the novel is the one the heroine has with herself. Katie, the protagonist of Love Haters, with loving support from her best friend/cousin Beanie and as a result of surviving a (sure, improbable) catastrophic event, she falls in love with her body. Probably something most women readers can relate to.

I just love Katherine Center. I think her books just keep getting better. I also love feeling immersed in a new world. I finished this book in only 3 sittings and at one point realized I was just so happy to be in the thick of a novel I enjoy so much. I think we all will fall in love with Hutch & Rue by the end of this story!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book! It is a lovely RomCom, but it’s also a story about love through the lenses of friendship, family, and self. Katherine Center books always feel like a hug to me and this one was no exception. And now I really want a colorful cottage in Key West. 🩷

Love love love! Devoured this in two sittings. This was a beautiful tribute to love, both found and born. The elements of growth were woven into every characters story. I will be finding more by this author!

Let me start by saying this is a great read for the middle of the winter in MN! The book being set in Key West gives all the beachy, warm, lovely vibes I need this time of year. That being said, I didn't love Katie's inner monologue. The first 50-60% of the book it seemed like all she thought about was her body image. It was truly all consuming and left me not feeling like she was very lovable. Hutch on the other hand, I loved. He was the perfect mix of tough guy, and softy and a solid straight shooter. Auntie Rue and Katie's BFF pulled them all together and left me excited to read on, despite my dislike for Katie.

I will say the plot was a bit outlandish in places, and I wish It was a bit more realistic. The web of lines plot line and the Hurricane really needed some suspended realism for me, but over all it was an entertaining read, that had me laughing pretty good at a few points. But if you struggle with eating disorders or body image issues as triggers, I'd stay far away from this book because it really is a main focus.

A top notch romcom from this always reliable author which goes deeper than romantic love. The framework for the story is interesting and unusual but, for me, (almost literally) jumps the shark at the end.

Katie Vaughn is a mid-level employee at a company that makes corporate videos. When her colleague offers her the opportunity to make a recruitment video for the Coast Guard, she jumps at the chance to be working with a real-life hero, Hutch Hutcherson, who is a rescue swimmer and, would you believe, perfectly handsome, beautifully muscled but not in a gym rat sort of way, kind, funny, easy to talk to, and self-effacing. Gosh, what’s going to happen?

But the author also brings in a different relationship, which is potentially more interesting: that of Katie with herself and specifically her body. As a child, her stepmother told her to “suck it in” and as the ex-girlfriend of a famous singer, the Internet has not been kind to her. Consequently, she has a troubled relationship with the way she looks and with people looking at her.

The more romcoms I read, the more demanding I feel about the dressing that goes around the basic elements of the romance. In this case, I was definitely intrigued by all the information about the Coast Guard that Katie learns as she shadows Hutch in his work. And I enjoyed The Gals, a bunch of elderly ladies living in the Starlite cottages where Katie is staying, who take the usual place of the main character’s bunch of quirky friends.

Where the novel lost me was the drama at the end, which frankly seemed a bit too dramatic for a novel like this. I also was not thrilled by Katie’s complete dropping of her passion project once she finds lurve. Show a bit of spine!

What really worked for me was the conversational style of the writing that breaks the fourth wall as Katie addresses us - I’m sure it will make an excellent audiobook with the right narrator. Overall, if you like romances with brightly colored backgrounds and an illustrated couple on the cover then my guess is that you’ll really enjoy this, as I did.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das Buch enthält eine Mischung aus Liebesgeschichte und Selbstfindung einer Frau, die lernt ihren Körper zu lieben. Ich fand diese Mischung durchaus interessant, wenn auch nicht komplett überzeugend. Meinem Empfinden nach hat die Autorin versucht, zu viele verschiedene Themen und Entwicklungen in den Roman zu packen, wodurch dieser etwas unrund wirkte.

Der Schreibstil Katherine Centers wirkte auf mich wie eigentlich immer angenehm und einladend. In der frischen Geschichte war viel los, mir wurde beim Lesen nicht langweilig und die Energie in den Dialogen hat mich zudem angesprochen.

Doch leider wirkten so einige Entwicklungen in dem Buch auf mich nicht komplett glaubwürdig bzw. überzeugend. Darüber hinaus hatte ich große Probleme damit, mir die Charaktere als echte Personen vorzustellen. Darauf aufbauend war ich emotional nicht so tief berührt, wie vor dem Lesen erhofft. Die eigentliche Liebesgeschichte lief leider ein bisschen an mir vorbei.

Die romance Bücher der Autorin bleiben für mich eine Überraschungstüte: Ich kann vor dem Lesen nie sagen, ob ich das Buch lieben, überhaupt nicht mögen oder irgendetwas dazwischen finden werde.

🖤🖤🖤 1/2

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane ansprechend findet, in denen es darum geht, dass die Heldin sich und insbesondere ihren Körper neu schätzen lernt, für den könnte “The love haters” einen Versuch wert sein.

This was great - I have really grown to love Katherine Centers book. Loved to see the growth of the main character and so loved the way this happily ever after turned out. Thanks so much for the ARC! I loved it!

This book isn’t your typical rom-com. Did it make me laugh? Yes. Did it make me cry? Also yes. However, it wasn’t as light hearted as I typically expect in a rom-com. This book has your typical boy meets girl romance, but also a heavier story of love. The FMC not only falls in love with a boy, but also with herself.

I go into books blind, and I’m glad I did with this one. However, if I knew the content I probably wouldn’t have read it. One of the main storylines of this book surrounds Kate and her hatred of her own body. You see her journey to healing and ultimately choosing to love her body no matter how it looks. It also touches on her history with eating disorders.

The true romance aspect of it was cute. I would have liked to have seen more on the page showing the MMC romantic feelings developing. Most of the time he was a flat character without much depth. This makes the romance in the end a little difficult to believe.

Katherine Center did an unbelievable job talking about a difficult topics. I would encourage everyone to read the author’s note at the end.

Katherine Center is a tried and true author for me. All of her books just feel like a big hug, and this one is no exception. I was in the mood for something light and sweet and this definitely delivered.

I liked the setting of this book a lot. Key West and a coast guard rescue swimmer? Sign me up! As I read this in a snowstorm, I could imagine myself in the Florida warmth.

I liked Hutch and Katie a lot. Katie is kind of fighting her own battle with body image issues, which as a woman who is also in her twenties I can seriously identify with. And I loved her eventual self-acceptance, I just wasn’t expecting this sort of scenario in this book, so it threw me off guard a bit. Hutch was really sweet and I liked that he kind of was unexpected for Katie.

The writing here was a little unexpected, and I kind of can’t recall if I’ve seen it in Center’s other books. But it’s very much a story told to the reader (I.e. Katie is almost looking back on this story and telling it directly to you) which was kind of jarring and isn’t a writing style I personally gravitate towards. I also don’t think the title really matches up with this book…

I just did not like the conflict here. I was really enjoying this book up until Cole showed up (and I could kind of foresee what he was going to do) and kind of made everything go wonky. The whole conflict just felt kind of silly and Katie going along with everything was just…not how I expected her character to react? I just felt of that what I knew of her character, she would never do something like that.

Overall, this was a quick and sweet read for me. If you like Katherine Center’s books I am sure you will devour this one as well.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy! The Love Haters is on sale May 20, 2025!

What can I even say really? Anyone who has read Katherine Center knows that her books are a sure fire perfect read and you will not be disappointed. I was going to initially share about the book as I always do but honestly, all you need to know is it’s a must read and you won’t be disappointed!
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What I actually found was I was highlighting the heck out of the authors note at the end of the story because Katherine manages to put words to what I am sure every romance reader…or any genre ready for that matter, likely feels but perhaps can’t put words to! I think her words are everything you need to know about this review so I will just leave it to the expert!

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me so I was excited to get an advanced copy of the Love Haters. It has all the elements of a good rom-com but it needs a warning about the body dysmorphia of the main character. The older ladies, Aunt Rue and her friends, and the dog George Bailey were great additions to the story. Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

4.5 stars rounded up

The authors note for this book says it all: this is more a love story between Katie and her body than between Katie and Hutch. This was a beautiful novel of self-love, with a romance plot taking place in the background. I enjoyed all the characters and found the main couple to be a cutie twosome to follow.

While this is not my favorite Katherine Center I’ve read (still The Bodyguard!), I really enjoyed this tale and appreciated the message of growing to love the bodies we’re born into. I found healing through Katie’s journey, which is what I’m sure Center set out to do. I will continue to read anything this author writes.

Highly recommend to any romance lover. No spice, like Center’s other works, which is what I prefer.

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

Katherine Center does it again with a closed-door feel-good romance that you won't want to put down. Her writing makes you embarrassed for Katie when first meeting Hutch. Is the ending a little cheesy? Yes, but the story overall is great. If you enjoyed the Coast Guard movie, The Guardian then you will enjoy the MMC being a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. I would give it 4.5 stars since I do enjoy a quick feel-good romance to read between other heavy reads.