Where do I even start 🤔 If you had asked me in the beginning I was on the super struggle bus with this. For one the main female character Katie was such a buzzkill right off the bat, and the premise was over the toppppp. I know romcoms kind of get a free pass for being ridiculous/unrealistic but I dunno it was a bit much. The last romcom I read I had the same problem. The author starts it with the female mc being a disaster and or pathetic so it’s very hard (for me) to go into it when you start out with a dud of a character that has no self confidence. Romcoms can still have a good story even if the female character is awesome!! As the story progressed though she grew on me, a lot, thankfully. Then comes Hutch the main mc, and gimme lol. He was a great character & I enjoyed his character development along the way. I had a hard time initially getting into the book, but after awhile I started to get more invested & I liked/loved the idea of the two being a couple. Rue (Cole & Hutch’s aunt) was probably my favorite part/person in the book. Her personality you could feel it when reading, she made you smile 💖 One of my favorite parts of the book (without giving too much info) was anniversary day where they handed out flowers in town😍 The rest of the book is your typical they spend time together, more unrealistic plot (some of it was cute & I did enjoy it), but then she gave us the chemistry, the part we look forward to in a romcom! … & then at the end it just kind of ends. They make up because they always do but but but…where was the very necessary conversation??, some interaction in the future (not just Katie telling us what took place later), and there was zero romance besides a dumb makeup kiss. Hi 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ super hot coast guard plus romcom equals at least some sex right? What even was that ending?? As much as it was headed in the right direction to get these two coupled up I’m incredibly disappointed in the ending as far as Katie & Hutch go. Overall this wasn’t what I’d really consider a romcom, and the ending wasn’t redeeming if anything it was the opposite. I feel like it lacked true closure, especially since the author read it from Katie’s pov telling us what happened vs the events playing out real time. Not a bad book but not what I expected & imo not really what I would consider a romance, it was definitely missing the romance & spice. There was ZERO spice! I’m not expecting a porn but c’mon haha. Another thing I noticed in this book compared to her others was there was a lot of Katie talking to herself/rhetorical questions. It was ok as far as it didn’t necessarily bother me but sometimes a bit much & kind of random or not in line with the rest of the writing. Not Center’s best work or what I’m used to from her past books unfortunately. That or it needs to be classified under a different genre 🤷‍♀️ If anything this was more of a book about finding yourself/self confidence with a touch of cutesy couple added in, sort of. It was well written but just kind of a miss. I do look forward to her next book & I think she is incredibly talented, excited to see what the future brings us with her writing ☺️

Sorry I feel bad writing this review😭. Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC, always appreciative of the opportunity!

Katherine Center writes some of the best rom-coms with the most endearing characters. The Love Haters is a fun and sweet read about Katie and Hutch, they are quirky and endearing, with an adorable meeting. This book is 5/5!

Thank you netgalley for an arc of The Love Haters by Katherine Center

I was disappointed with the new Katherine Center book, The Love Haters. I have loved some of her previous ones and I just couldn’t get on board with this one. I struggled most with the outrageousness of the plots (it surpassed the line of too unrealistic for me) and I didn’t believe that the main character would make some of the choices she did about 75% through. I will happily pick up another Katherine Center novel but this one, unfortunately, won’t be making it onto my shelves.

I liked that the main character was working through her body image issues, but sometimes it became a lot of her processing that and I felt like it became very repetitive. The connection between the romantic interests was cute and I really enjoyed their story and getting to know each other. The setting of the Keys was really fun and the side characters of the gals were a nice addition to the story.

I've always enjoyed Katherine Center's books, and I really liked this one too. I loved Katie's journey to accepting her body more, but definitely wanted more of her cousin Beanie in that plotline - maybe even a visit? Beanie seems lovely and I would've loved more of her. While this was a romance, so much of it was about Katie falling in love with herself and I really enjoyed that. And George Bailey - the best detail (It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorites so I caught it right away). Overall, I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Net galley for the E ARC! Oh my gosh i devoured this story and ended up enjoying it way more than I even thought I would. This story follows Katie who gets tasked by her co worker Cole with this job of producing a video for the coast guard in the key west. Not only does she have to document the coast guard responsibilities and experiences but she ends up having to film a "day in the life " video for hutch who long story short saved Jennifer Anistons dog and is now a internet heart throb. And hutch a Cole are brothers who don't get along. This was the sweetest story of family and love and surprisingly body positivity. I loved that Katie was realizing how to love her body and appreciate it for all it does. This story was so much deeper than a romance but still had me swooning.

Another wonderful Katherine Center book! The Love Haters follows Katie as she attempts to save her career as a video producer by profiling Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The only problem is Katie cannot swim, and as you can imagine, Hutch becomes an excellent instructor! During this book, Katie learns more than just swimming techniques, she learns about self-acceptance, found family, and of course, love. I really appreciate how Katherine Center discusses body image issues and grief throughout the book with honesty and sensitivity while still being hilarious. So many of us, let the critical voices from our past have too much power in the present impacting our view of ourselves and relationships. Multiple characters are dealing with their own internal beliefs that are no longer serving them and discovering ways to let those voices go.

Katherine Center did it again with this one. She is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. If you love a good fake dating trope, you will certainly enjoy this book! There were moments of humor and I enjoyed the character development that took place for Katie. Overall, 3.5 stars.

Katherine Center rarely does wrong in my opinion, and once again, she lived up to my expectations. Katie has to go to Key West to film the US Coast Guard, and while she is there, she's hoping to film the famous Hutch - who happened to save Jennifer Aniston's dog and also happens to be the brother of Katie's boss. Once Katie gets to Key West, she is befriended by Rue, the owner of the place Katie is staying at. Rue and her friends become Katie's support system as she learns to navigate the tricky waters of interacting with Hutch. Through all her interactions, Katie realizes she is more than what some internet trolls write about her on social media, and finds that loving herself is her key to happiness.

Are there some moments where you wish you could punch a character in the face for being annoying? Yes. Cole would get punched every time he spoke if it were up to me. Are there moments where you wish Katie was a little less oblivious? Yes. If Katie picked up on even one compliment from Hutch or hint from Rue, things might have been different. Did I want more antics from Rue and her friends? Yes. They are fun and smart - a deadly combination. But overall, this story worked for me just like every other Katherine Center book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

The Lover Haters 🌊👙🏊
(thank you @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter for this ARC ♥️)

This was easily a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me! This is my very first read by Katherine Center and I am so in love with her writing. I am so happy I discovered this incredibly talented author and I’ve already added many of her other books to my TBR.

In this book you get a fun romance mixed with very deep but important topics. I was caught off guard in a very good way. Several lessons are captured in this book very beautifully. This is a love story not only between Hutch and Katie but also about a love with Katie and HERSELF. It portrays the importance of loving yourself, giving yourself grace, embracing the positives and facing your fears.

She touches on how we look at the past. I really loved this line in the book that really all of us could probably learn from: “It was about the deep, enduring comfort that comes from looking at your life for exactly what it is, and exactly how it’s unfolded—and really seeing it. The past can’t hurt you now like it did then. The story of your life is always full of mystery. You can unfold it on a table like a map, and study it, and understand it in new ways. It’s not different, but you are.”

This story beautifully portrays resilience, the power of acceptance, loss, grief, guilt and family/friend relationships. The wit and humor in this book is unmatched. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. I particularly loved the relationship between Katie and her BFF Beanie who really brought out the best in Katie and played a very positive role in her life. I was genuinely touched by Hutch’s aunt Rue who demonstrates the type of selfless love you get from family. I honestly just can’t say enough good things about this book. I absolutely LOVED the authors note at the end that was so touching, so true and genuine. I 1000% percent agree that love stories can change the world.✨

I absolutely loved this book. Such an easy read! I found myself wanting more with each page I turned. I’m used to mystery with lots of twists and turns, so this wasn’t a normal book for me, but I was pleasantly surprised!

I hate lying and SO much of this book revolves around dishonesty. It goes beyond trope-y fake dating. I really wanted to like this more. The themes of self empowerment, friendship, and found family were eclipsed by all of the lying.

The ending was surprising, and sweet. I love the way that Center writes as though the narrator is looking back fondly over events that occurred. Overall a quick read.

This was a pleasant, young adult read. It focuses more on Katie's self-acceptance and body positivity than romance. Has a fun setting with Key West and the US Coast Guard. Quick, easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was my first Katherine Center book. Solid romance read and was quite enjoyable, but nothing stuck out to me to make it a 4 or 5 star read. I did enjoy the writing and the humor. I'd definitely recommend for fans of the genre.

"Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time."

I'm always stunned and wow'd by Katherine Center. Every single time. She is able to take some serious topics and issues and is still able to create a fun and lighthearted romance.

One of the big issues with the FMC Katie is body positivity and self-love. We get to watch Katie as she battles with herself but ultimately learns and gets incredible support in order to change her perspective on herself and learns how to love her body for what it is and what it does for her.

She also definitely does her research for her books, this one focuses on the Coast Guard and I learned so much about this area that I didn't know. The MMC Hutch is a Coast Guard and we get to learn through his character what it's like to be a Coast Guard and what they go through in their lives to both become a coast guard and how their life is while they're working. I loved this aspect of the book.

Katherine Center's romances are so full of love and kindness and happiness and all those wonderful fuzzy things that you're looking for in a great romance. And, she definitely does that in The Love Haters. I love how her books make me laugh and also make me cry, taking me through a plethora of emotions while I'm reading her love stories. Katie and Hutch were such lovely characters and I loved watching their journey.

"Stories have a unique kind of magic. They aren't real life --- but they're kind of the next best thing."

That quote came directly from the Author's Note at the end of the book, which I have to mention, because I thought her thoughts on reading and stories and love stories was just so special. Don't skip over the author's note at the end of the book, because it's just extra special in my opinion.

Release Date: May 20th 2025 📅

My reviews can also be found on GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/brandisbooks.

Thank you to both St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley & St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ebook.
The Love Haters is the upcoming romance by Katherine Center coming on May 20th.
Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with this book. There should have been clear trigger warnings in the synopsis or at the very beginning for topics like anorexia, eating disorders, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia. In 2025, in a contemporary romance, it’s unacceptable for readers to stumble upon a detailed depiction of the FMC’s old food diary and struggles with an eating disorder around page 10 without any prior warning.
This completely took me out of the story within seconds, and I found myself unable to care about it anymore. Sorry, but this is not okay—highly disappointing.

ARC COPY FROM NETGALLEY!

When life feels like a whirlwind of chaos, there’s nothing quite like diving into a new Katherine Center book to calm the storm. You just know her characters are going to go through it—facing struggles, heartbreak, and the occasional identity crisis—but you also know they’ll make you laugh, make you swoon, and, most importantly, make you feel like everything’s going to be okay. Plus, watching someone else’s life spiral into chaos from the safety of your couch? A deeply underrated form of therapy.

Katie, our leading lady, was painfully relatable—in the best way. As Katherine notes in her (as always, top-tier) Author’s Note, Katie is basically in an enemies-to-lovers relationship with her own body image. And honestly? Same. The real love story here wasn’t just between her and Hutch, but between her and herself—which might actually be the most important romance of the book. As someone who has spent far too much time wrestling with my own reflection, I felt seen in a way that was both comforting and, frankly, a little rude.

Speaking of love stories, let’s talk about Hutch. This man. He’s got golden retriever energy with just the right amount of grump, which is truly an elite combo. Every time the universe threw another ridiculous obstacle in his and Katie’s way, I wanted to grab them both by the shoulders and yell, just kiss already! Instead, I settled for mentally running into his arms and giving him a big hug.

And then there’s Rue. Oh, Rue. The moment she appeared, I was in. She’s the kind of character who makes you want to track down the author just to say, “Thank you for this gift.” Her connection to Hutch? Heartwarming. Her mentorship of Katie? Even better. We should all be so lucky to have a Rue in our lives.

In conclusion, this book was everything I wanted—funny, heartfelt, and full of characters I’d absolutely befriend in real life. Katherine Center does it again

3.5 ⭐️
I will always be excited to read anything that Katherine Center writes. This one, however, took a bit to get in to. I love the body positivity and self acceptance, but I felt like we had to slog through a ton of negativity to get there. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it was a like, not a love. (Many of Katherine Center’s other books are 5⭐️for me!) I would love to hang out with Aunt Rue for drinks/dinner by the pool though!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, which is available on NetGalley for all members!

This is my first time reading a book by Katherine Centers. I usually lean towards more romance so I really had to sit down with this one because it has such a good message.

Katie is such a relatable character and is pretty funny. She struggles with body image issues along with other things going on in her life and I think allot of women can relate.

Hutch works closely with Katie and he is there to help with her assignment and to keep her safe.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC I really appreciate it and left an honest review.

Another hilarious and beautiful romance nov by Katherine Center! The haunch dialogue had me nearly in tears. I love the setting and the major sense of adventure this one had .