2.5 stars

This one fell...flat to me. It read in an overall immature tone to me, and I had a hard time caring about the two main characters and their love story overall by the end of the story.
Katie and Hutch had potential at first, but it just didn't go well.
This book had an overall workplace romance tone to it and I enjoyed that part of the story. I also enjoyed the part where he tended to her wounds in a hilarious way.
Katie just kept making terrible poor decisions to me, and I couldn't help but feel like she had an overall childish tone even though she was an adult. I empathized with her ED and body issues, but didn't like that the catalyst to look at herself differently was Hutch validating her beauty and whatnot. Also her decision to not tell the truth and to continue with Cole's facade was frustrating and had no valid reasoning behind it.

I liked that Hutch and Cole finally resolved their brother issues tho. Their backstory about their parents really tugged at my heart.

As far as the narration, I had a hard time getting into it. Great voice acting but an overall childish immature tone that took me out of the story every now and then.

I loved the dog. George Bailey was the most tolerable character.

Thank you to MacMillion Audio for the eALC, and to net galley and St Martin's Press for the eARC!

I always know going into Katherine Center’s books that I’m going to finish with a full heart and a smile on my face, and The Love Haters absolutely delivers!

When we meet the main character, Katie Vaughn, she’s not in a great place. Her video production job is in danger and she has recently had a devastating public breakup with her famous boyfriend. The public made it their business to criticize everything about Katie, particularly her appearance, which was not good for her mental health. She desperately needs a change, and she needs to keep her job, so she takes an assignment in Key West, where she will shadow, then produce a documentary on Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a popular Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Katie has no idea how life changing this assignment will be!

I loved all of the romcom vibes as Katie and Hutch get to know one another. The romance is a classic grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity that starts with Hutch and Katie bonding while he gives her swimming lessons. There are plenty of hilarious antics and witty banter that give way to wonderful chemistry and that had me rooting for these two pretty quickly.

What had me maybe even more invested than the romance though was Katie’s overall growth and her journey to learn to love herself again. I thought her struggles were written realistically, and I loved watching her tackle her fears and insecurities. It takes her a while to get to a better place, but she just really seems to find herself while in Key West and she also makes so many wonderful friends along the way.

If you like fun side characters, this book has a great cast, including a fabulous rescue Great Dane named George Bailey who will steal your heart.

4 1/2 stars

Katherine Center always gives me the feels. From her first words to her author's note, she squeezes a lot of heart and soul into her books. You'll get that little callback when you read the book, Love Haters.

Katie has gone through a lot. She is deeply conflicted about how she feels in her own skin. Not totally self-hating but doubting. Her growth through the book is really inspiring. Hutch helps her through some of it, but it is her own journey. Hutch is a good male character and pretty swoony. He is very broody but not in an eye-rolling way. He and Katie have a wonderful rapport in the book. There are side characters in this book that have so many lines that I was underlining. Hutch's "aunt" Rue is living life to the fullest, and Katie's cousin Beanie is an awesome hype woman.  

This book captured my attention and I didn't put it down once. I would definitely recommend The Love Haters.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

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!