A romantic comedy with the perfect blend of laugh-out-loud scenes, drama and heart-warming moments. I love the way Katherine Center writes and how she tells stories. This is a story that will take you on a journey of emotions and thought that have you rooting for the amazing characters. I loved Katie and Hutch. They are strong, determined yet vulnerable and will easily weave their way into your heart. The story is inspiring, hopeful and uplifting as well a funny. It's sure to entertain and bring a smile to your face, it did mine.

I loved this book!!! I felt like it had such a good balance between the romance and Katie’s self discovery/self love journey. I also loved Hutch’s character and how he had a quiet way of showing his love. The way that they both communicated and felt like they could tell each other everything was so sweet, I highly recommend this book!

One of my most anticipated books, this one delivered everything I hoped it would. I adored it.

It’s the perfect mix of humor, warmth, romance, and emotional strength. From the very first page, I was drawn in. I loved Katie and her witty thoughts. Add in the dose of grumpy sunshine and close proximity vibes and a Great Dane who stole the show and I was smitten. The characters were relatable, lovable, and complex and their tension and slow-build chemistry made it impossible to stop reading.

The emotional layers and authentic representation of mental health and body image were so well done. The plot was hopeful and heartfelt and blended laugh-out-loud wit with real, meaningful moments. It’s one of those books that makes you feel. I smiled during the lighthearted moments and felt the anxiety during the tense moments.

Always a fan of Katherine Center's novels. Her latest was another hit. Grateful to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one ahead of time. I have been sharing this title with friends as a recommended summer read.

📚The Love Haters by Katherine Center
💛mf contemporary romance
💛coast guard mmc x video producer fmc
💛grumpy sunshine
💛forced proximity
💛opposites attract
💛standalone romance

⚠️CWs for eating disorders, body image issues, animal in distress (he’s a very good boy and is okay in the end!), natural disaster (hurricane), manipulation, drunk driving, death of a loved one, grief/loss, adoption

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5

I want to start this off by highlighting that there is a heavy focus on eating disorders, body image, and disordered eating throughout this book. There was no mention of this within the summary or on the author’s website. I had only skimmed early reviews of the book, but didn’t readily see any reviews mentioning it either. I’m very passionate about content warnings in general, especially when the marketing or colorful cover contradict the suggestion of heavier themes. Had I known that these themes were going to be central to the fmc’s characterization, I likely would have skipped this release.

There were elements of the character interactions and plot itself that piqued my interest at the start, but then I had to strongly resist the urge to DNF again at about the 65% mark. The meddling and the over the top drama was soooo not it for me.

I’ve also realized that I really dislike the inclusion of real-life celebrities that Katherine Center has been doing with her last few releases. I just think it’s weird that real people are being placed in situations where words are being placed in their mouths, it’s very off-putting (especially as someone who hates pop culture references in general). I know the scenes are harmless (like it’s not like Jennifer Aniston was being placed in crazy situations or anything), but it still felt very weird to me.

The only redeemable part of this book was Hutch and his pup George Bailey. Especially compared to previous Katherine Center mmc, I like that he was a solid communicator and deserved a lot more than he got. To be completely honest, I probably would have rated this 1 star had I not liked Hutch so much.

⚠️I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but it should be noted that I waited until after release day to pick this up because I wanted to listen to the audiobook.

Loved this. Katie had me rooting for her since the very beginning and her and Hutch’s progression into friendship and then more had me melting. I adored this book

Katherine Center's latest brought back some of my favorite parts of her writing; characters you love and root for, beautiful writing, and a story that is quirky, hilarious, and even made me cry. An absolute delight!

Katherine Center does it again! I loved the set up of this book and how we learn about both main characters. I loved the very real topics that were discussed, especially about body image.

I usually like Katherine Center’s books. This one just didn’t work for me.
I wanted to love this one. I found it to be a ok rom com.
The plot seemed to get muddled after a while.
This didn’t hit me as a romance read….thats what I thought it was going to be.
I will revisit the book at a later time and see how it goes.

This had all the makings of a breezy beach read - sunny setting, a lovable dog, and themes of self-acceptance but I almost put it down in the first few chapters. The overload of pop culture references pulled me out of the story more than they added to it. Once things settled, I did enjoy the focus on body image and how it tackled insecurity in a real, relatable way. The Great Dane, George Bailey, was a total scene-stealer, and the Coast Guard backdrop added an unexpected layer of interest. That said, I was hoping for more spark in the central romance, it felt a little flat - and the storyline with her ex, Lucas, didn’t really go anywhere. Ultimately, it’s a light and easy read, but I was left wishing for a bit more depth and closure.

This was an enjoyable read. I thought Katie was a solid FMC who was easy to relate to. Her growth throughout was well written. I also really loved the Key West setting and I thought the dog and Aunt Rue made the story so entertaining!

This book screams SUMMER vibes!! I truly enjoy Katherine Center's writing, and this was no exception. The main focus of the book was body image and I feel like a lot of women, including myself, can sometimes be very insecure. Loved the coastal setting, the Coast Guard information, and the humor. ADORED George Bailey, a Great Dane, and how he played a part of the story. I do want to say that I was expecting a lot more of the romance - I feel like there could have been a bit more chemistry between the two main characters. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable, lighthearted read!

The Love Haters was one of those rare reads I started and couldn’t put down. From the very first chapter I was hooked by the writing and the pacing. Katherine Center has a gift for blending heartfelt emotion with witty, engaging storytelling, and she absolutely nailed it with this one. Every time I pick up one of her books, I’m reminded why she’s a must-read author for me. She never misses, and The Love Haters is no exception.

What I especially loved was the dynamic between the two leads. The grumpy/sunshine trope is one of my personal favorites, and Center handles it with charm, depth, and just the right amount of humor. The chemistry was undeniable, and their banter made me smile more times than I can count. But beyond the romance, there was a real sense of growth, vulnerability, and emotional authenticity that added so much to the story.

I came for the rom-com vibes and stayed for the heart. If you're looking for a feel-good, beautifully written love story with layers of meaning, this is it. The Love Haters is a total win, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone I know.

I guess it's safe to say that Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors of contemporary romances, if not my absolute favorite. I loved this story of two people who are clearly meant for each other despite their personal baggage and the obstacles thrown at them. I loved the setting (Key West), the main characters and (most of) the supporting characters. I loved the wonderful, supportive relationship between Katie and her best friend/cousin Beanie. And on a personal note, I also loved her appreciation of the overall effect of a hot man in a flight suit. ;)
Center writes with such heart and such humor, and in a genre that's overall pretty predictable, she manages to surprise me with not only the detours to the expected happy ending, but the overall themes and lessons learned along the way. That's definitely the case here, and having seen a couple of reviews from readers who didn't complete the assignment because they assumed they knew what was coming - I'll just say it's a shame they stopped reading early, because, well, you know the old saying about assuming, and indeed, they assumed wrong. ;)
Overall I loved it, and I'm glad I haven't (yet) read all her backlist, because there's more for me to enjoy without having to wait for her next release. (Oh and don't skip her notes at the end - I love what she has to say about writing and reading love stories.)
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

With her job on the line, Katie takes an out of town job filming a coworker’s brother for a recruitment video. Katie’s ex became a famous singer and cheated on her. During this time she had a lot of issues with her weight. But on this trip she will confront all these issues and possibly fall in love.

This was a cute story and it broke my reading slump. I really enjoyed all these characters. I love when books have a group of feisty characters and this definitely had those. My one concern is that this character, in my opinion, had an eating disorder, and I feel like it needed to be taken more seriously than it was. Other than that, it was delightful read.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, this book is her latest outstanding story! Her books grab me from the very beginning, and her exceptional story telling keeps me reading long into the night.

Katie is a video producer who needs a win, so she goes to Florida to profile a hero rescue swimmer, Tom Hutchinson, for the US Coast Guard. Unfortunately, Katie herself can’t swim, but she’ll deal with that when the time comes.

Tom saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog, which made him famous and makes him perfect for Katie’s video. They have their meet cute, and fall for each other. I really liked the descriptions of their feelings for each other.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy of The Love Haters. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this one was not for me…I found the characters annoying and hard to deal with. My heart was not in the story or the characters journey. I do think it’s more of a me problem though so I definitely will still tell people to read this it just was not the book for me and that is okay!

🩷BOOK REVIEW🩷

I think this is hands down my FAVORITE Katherine Center book yet!!!!!! “The Love Haters” had everything I could ever want in a romcom and MORE!!!

Where to begin??

First, I loved all the coast guard elements in the story. This book, in a way, was a love letter to the brave individuals who risk their lives protecting the United States shores. I learned SO much about what the life of a coast guard member entails, and how heart-wrenching their job can be.

Secondly, the ROOOOMANCE😍 The pining. The banter. The wit. THE HUMORRR!! It was all balanced SO perfectly with the deeper, rawer elements of the plot line. Katherine is a MASTER at interweaving sweet, wholesome moments of romance into her stories!

Third, the DEPTH OF CHARACTERS was unmatched!! Katie’s journey to self-acceptance and confidence in her own skin was inspiring and a much-needed message to combat modern society’s obsession with social media and photoshop. And HUTCH😍😍😍 What an MMC!!! He is the epitome of a cinnamon roll hero🥹 His softness toward Katie melted me!🩷

And I can’t finish this review without mentioning GEORGE BAILEY!! I love when stories have pets in them, but I think George Bailey has to be my FAVORITE fictional pup🥰 His meddlesome ways were SO perfect for this story!

Overall, this is my perfect 5🌟 read!! I will forever be a Katherine Center fan🥳

⚠️TW: body self-consciousness, instances of cyber bullying, mentions of losing loved ones (past), overcoming fear of swimming
🚨CW: infrequent mild/strong language, closed door

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was not my favorite book from Katherine Center. I wasn't really a fan of this book. The FMC annoyed me and just seemed desperate. This story was about body image and mental health issues. I total respect the feeling about body shaming, but this was all surface level and not going into any depth. She didn't like her own body from comments online, but she was just talking about Hutches perfect body the whole time. The whole bathing suit aspect of bringing it up all the time just bugged me. Then she is okay with her body because a man finally told her she is pretty.

I did like the second half of the book when she saved the dog from a hurricane and overcame her fear from swimming. Hutch and Katie didn't really have chemistry or a true romance story in my opinion. I do love other books of Katherine centers, but this was just a miss for me.

Once again, Katherine Center creates characters that are a joy and seem so true to life. The Love Haters was so easy to get into and a delight to read. Katherine Center weaves in difficult life situations with laugh out loud funny moments. Main character Katie faces body image and weight insecurity during this story. I can see how that could be a trigger for some readers but her struggles felt real and relatable to me. Hutch is a wonderful male main character and maybe one of my favorites Katherine Center has written. His aunt Rue and his dog added to the charm of The Love Haters. The Body Guard is still my favorite KC book and I’m not sure I could even rank the others, I just know I love them all!

The Love Haters is out now. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my advanced e-arc!!