I always adore Katherine Center's stories since they usually have the big terrible event happen at the beginning of the book, and show how our characters fight back from adversity.

This one took me by surprise since it takes a while for the big terrible event of the past to even be revealed, and then there's still a traditional climatic peak that I wasn't expecting.

Beyond that, Katherine Center continues to write relatable, fun characters that made me want to read more. An easy 5 star read from me!

Katherine Center’s books always make you feel like you’ve just won the lottery. Emotional, hilarious, romantic, witty, fun, it makes you feel all the feels while simultaneously having a grin on your face. This book was no exception. It was surprisingly deep in the perspective of the female character and how she views herself. It felt like looking in the mirror at some points. I loved this story and I cannot wait to recommend it to all the women in my life.

Ahh! One of my favorite authors! This one does not disappoint.
This book is a heartfelt romantic comedy about Katie Vaughn, a video producer facing potential unemployment. She seizes an opportunity to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, despite her inability to swim—a fact she conceals. As she becomes entangled in a web of lies and navigates complex relationships, including the tension between Hutch and his brother Cole, Katie’s journey is both humorous and poignant. Readers have praised the novel for its charming characters and the protagonist’s relatable journey toward self-love.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC, so thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this opportunity. All opinions are my own.

I am a big Katherine Center fan. Every book of hers that I have read has been a favorite, so when I got approved for this ARC, I was super excited. This was a quick read that was easy to get into, but in the end, it was just okay.

This story follows Katie, a video producer tasked with filming a Coast Guard recruiting video highlighting our MMC, Hutch. The problem? She doesn’t really know how to swim. But with her job on the line, she accepts the assignment and heads to Key West to figure things out. That’s where we meet Rue, the Gals, George Bailey, and of course, our MMC. Hutch is a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard—the charismatic, selfless, handsome, hardworking, and attentive subject of Katie’s video.

The storyline seemed promising. Katie wasn’t really prepared for this job and she needed to pass a crash simulation that required her to swim. She was also coming out of a relationship that left her in a very dark place for over a year. Meanwhile, Hutch was constantly described as perfect, but beneath the surface, he’s struggling with grief and the weight of the decisions he had to make to survive.

A character can’t be perfect if you want readers to be truly invested in their story, and Hutch being portrayed that way bugged me. Characters need depth, and I think that was part of my issue. There just wasn’t much to him. I needed more banter and connection. It was entertaining, but I wanted to see more chemistry between these characters.

Also, the title is a little misleading. I thought they were going to hate being in love but nope—it was more about her struggling to love herself. The book should come with a trigger warning. I didn’t see one anywhere (except readers marking it on Fable), so I really hope it’s included in the final release. I’m just not sure how to feel about the way EDs and body image where described, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it at all.

Unrelated but, I was so stressed reading about the hurricane, and it gave me the worst ptsd from the description alone. As someone who has lived through back-to-back category 4 hurricanes, Maria and Irma (and will probably have to go through plenty more), that was… ugh 😅 a little too real.

On a more positive note, Rue, the Gals, and George Bailey were easily my favorite part of the book. Rue, especially. I loved how selfless she was, taking the boys in when they were little, and how she constantly gifted Katie colorful and eccentric clothes because she saw how hard Katie was on herself. I truly fell in love with her and how much of a boss lady she was. She is really living her best life, owning a bunch of houses and retiring with her friends close by. Truly the life I aspire to have. Honestly, I think Katie should’ve done a ‘Day in the Life’ of Rue and the Gals instead of Hutch. I thought that was going to happen after Hutch refused to do it.

Final Rating:
3 ⭐️
No Spice
* If you’ve read Katherine’s books before this should be no surprise.

Read if you like:
🚁 Forced proximity
🚁 Swimming lessons
🚁 Giant puppies
🚁 Personal growth

Thank you again for this opportunity! I’m always grateful when I get that ARC approval email, especially for one of my go-to authors for rom-coms and fun. Even though this one wasn’t my favorite, I’ll definitely keep reading Katherine’s new books—she is an auto-read author for me. If this sounds like your kind of story, give it a shot. Don’t let other people (aka me) who didn’t love it keep you from finding your next favorite read. 💕

Thanks so much to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in response for honest feedback! I am overjoyed I got to read this book early.

The Love Haters has moments that are so goofy and unserious at times that I was literally cackling out loud with laughter. I love the way that Katherine writes her characters and tells stories. It’s the perfect mix of funny and real, bundled with bits of wisdom that have you thinking deeper than just what the story tells you.

Throughout the book, the main character, Katie goes on a journey of accepting herself. She’s struggled with an eating disorder in the past and is still actively dealing with her perception of her physical self. This was so sad to read, but I really loved the way it was represented. I do think earlier bits in the story where she’s recounting her eating disorder would be triggering, so be aware! That being said, I loved watching the character growth Katie experienced.

Huge shoutout to Beanie, Katie’s best friend and cousin, who truly shows up as a best friend in this book. Often times I feel like romance books lack meaningful secondary characters, but Beanie was so important in driving Katie’s character growth and I really appreciated the realness she offered.

About 2/3 of the way into the book I was getting so sad that I didn’t have that much left because I wanted to continue to stay in it’s universe. Then right after that there was a major twist, where Katie gets caught in a bunch of lies. This was incredibly disappointing to me because it definitely threw a kink in where I thought the book was going. From that point forward the story turned into something I really wasn’t expecting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book even with the twist I didn’t see coming but it was so unserious (as I said before) that pieces of it made me laugh.

Also, I know I am rare in saying this, but I am not a fan of a long epilogue where it feels like the story is just being wrapped up with a bow. This is one of those books, which did make me feel more meh about it. However, I do love the way that this author bundles in advice into her work and the epilogue did contain a lot of that - which I do appreciate.

Overall 4 stars for me! I would recommend, even if a couple things fell off for me, I think this story is so well written and all the characters are super lovable.

This review is very very difficult to write. After completing the book I had to stop and sit on it for few days to figure out what it is about it that just fell flat for me. I’m a HUGE long time fan of Katherine Center. If she writes it I will read it. All of her stories can be formulaic with the typical romance tropes, but there’s almost always a little more emotional weight in her story than most authors. This story is the exception. The big emotional issue with the FMC: body issues. That’s it. She had a famous ex boyfriend which caused her to develop an eating disorder and body issues, and now she’s forced by her bestie to give praise to a body part every day. It isn’t that body dysmorphia isn’t a big issue, it’s the handling of the subject that didn’t sit right with me. You don’t just suddenly “get over” disordered eating like that. I feel like the author didn’t consult with experts and have sensitivity readers regarding that subject. On the other hand, the MMC, the main “Love Hater,” really just doesn’t know how to communicate and hasn’t dealt with some lingering childhood guilt in a healthy way. He’s a character that you WANT to swoon over, since he’s a handsome coast guard rescue swimmer and all, but his broodiness and childish behavior with his brother kinda dims his light just a bit for me. He is constantly being described by his frowny eyes, his frowny face, and his enormous Adam’s apple. And that’s about all we know about his looks. Most importantly, I did not like how the author basically had him abandon his sobriety so easily because his brother dared him to. It really didn’t make sense for the character or the situation.

The massive mid act conflict was absolutely RIDICULOUS but what was even more maddening is that the FMC just went along with it! She was smart and honest and truthful up until that moment, then she went and lost her dang mind. That entire plot just made me very VERY angry. THEN add in the hurricane in the mix. You’re telling me she’s in Key West and has a hot coastie in her life and a bunch of local old ladies who adopt her like family and NOBODY told her there was a hurricane coming and she needed to evacuate??? Everybody left without her! Look, I live in Florida. We allllllll know for days and days and days in advance that a hurricane is coming, whether it shifts track or not. We all get prepared. You cannot convince me NOBODY told her to leave until the hurricane was right on top of them. Again, having an expert in this area to consult with may have helped this plot point.

Yes, our FMC and MMC got their happily ever afters in the end, but it was a frustrating path to that end. This book just really fell flat for me, and that makes me really sad. I look forward to her books every year, but this one was a miss.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center could write the phone book and I'd be happy. I've been a fan since before she became so well known, and introduced her to many readers. This book does not disappoint. Her writing just gets better and better. Love this one!

I have yet to read a Katherine Center book which has not been amazing. This one might not have been as good as the rest, but still so very good. The hurricane was a little ridiculous, best not too think *too* hard about it, but it still worked in context and I still love the book.

Solid 4 stars for me.

The Love Haters had everything I hope to find in a rom-com: a good setting, multi-faceted main characters, funny banter, nice chemistry, and a bit of drama. The book was easy to read and hard to put down — I decided to read a couple of chapters (I was about 30% in) on my day off and ended up finishing the book.

You know the plot from the description, so I'm not going to retell it and will just move to my thoughts:

I didn't know much about the Coast Guard before this book. Now I still probably don't know much, but I felt like there was the right amount of detail to make the setting real.

Besides the main love story between Katie and Hutch, there's also a love story between Katie and her body. I think it was a good addition to the character, although it did feel like a "you don't know you're beautiful" situation in a few scenes with Hutch, especially in the scene after the bar.

Aunt Rue, the ex-chromophobe who now wears all colors of the rainbow, was great at getting Katie out of her shell and moving the plot.

I wish I had gotten to learn a bit more about Beanie: while she always called Katie, it felt like they only discussed Katie's problems, so all I knew by the end of the book was that Beanie lives in New Jersey and loves self-help literature (and that she has one weird repeated dream).

With all this said, it was a really enjoyable read and a nice dive (pun intended) into the profession of a rescue swimmer. This was my first book by Katherine Center, and I look forward to reading more. Thank you very much for the ARC!

3.5/5 ⭐️ Rounded up to 4.

This was my first Katherine Center book. It was a very enjoyable read and found it hard to put down. I loved the idea behind it and the focus on the US Coast Guard. I loved the elements Rue brought to the table. However, I wish we got to see more of the fmc and mmc growing relationship. I did not like how childish some of the characters acted. While I appreciate the aspect of learning to love your self, it felt like at times that part would drag on. Overall, it was definitely a cute book, with a cute dog! I look forward to reading more books by Katherine.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Get transported to Key West and enjoy this quirky group of characters. Aunt Rue was my favorite and everyone needs someone like that in their life. The author does a great job at capturing Katie's insecurities and helping her learn to deal with them. I enjoyed the body positive images and learning to love yourself just as you are both were very uplifting and affirming.

Katie Vaughn is a videographer but the boss is downsizing her department and she fears loosing her job. Cole gives her a job as he doesn't want to do it. Cole has an estranged relationship with his brother. Cole's brother requests him to come and shoot a video and instead of going he sends Katie saying this might save her job. You quickly get enthralled in the characters and want to see what happens next.

Katie is so relatable as she is vulnerable and has self image issues. She has a best friend who truly believes in her and helps her grow and change. It was great to see her be comfortable in her own skin and change to wearing color and being happy.

Katie gets caught up in lies and finds herself swooning for Hutch and it isn't a hardship for her to hang out with him and film him. Hutch has a savior complex and is always trying to do the right thing. The brothers had their own issues to work out from the past and learn to let go and find a way forward.

Katherine Center always gives cozy vibes and feels like a warm hug. With that being said it’s not my favorite from her, but it’s still definitely worth your time especially if you’re a Katherine Center fan.

3.5 rounded to a 4- I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan, and she is always a go-to author for me, so I was so excited to receive this ARC. While I have, and will continue to, recommend this book to friends and co-workers, it had a different feel than her other books. This book didn't have quite the build-up/pay-off as some of her other books. But Hutch is definitely the type of leading rom-com character we have grown to love, and Aunt Rue and her gals are absolute perfection to the story. I agree with other reviewers that the author's note should be moved to the beginning for a couple of reasons: one possible trigger warning for readers who might struggle with eating/weight disorders, and for readers to understand more about another facet of the love story that is to come.

I loved this!! I thought the characters were endearing and had relatable struggles (especially the main character and her body image issues). I also thought the heavier issues they discussed (body image, car accidents, disease) were approached with care but not so much so that it distracted from the overall plot. I wasn't sure about the main conflict between the main character and her love interest, but I got on board eventually. The ending action was a lot of fun and not something I'd read before, either. Overall, really enjoyed this one.

This was bad! Very predictable plot. The romance felt forced. I also thought the writing was bad. I have read other books by Katherine Center and this did not seem like it was written by the same author. This was just not for me.

3.5 stars for Katherine Center's latest "The Love Haters". I've read almost all of the author's back-list and enjoyed some better than others of course - I'd put this title smack in the middle of the pack - not bad at all, but not my favorite either. I enjoyed the overall story here - about Katie, a video-producer who's assigned to do a piece on a famous & hunky Coast Guard rescue swimmer (Hutch) in Key West. She's got a lot of baggage (heavy on body-image here & she can't swim) and he is the "love hater". My favorite characters here though are his Aunt Rue (and her "gals") and the doggo named "George Bailey" - I loved them so. I did feel that the pacing was a bit off in this one & I struggled at times with the romance but overall, it did keep me engaged & reading. Will be looking for Center's next as well. My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my advance readers copy - greatly appreciated!

This was my second ARC from Katherine Center and wow did I thoroughly enjoy this one! Hutch was the swooniest hunk of a MMC and Katie was the most relatable FMC ever, making her feel very much like a real person. Katherine Center has said she likes to write books that live at the intersection of womens fiction and romance - this book perfectly rides that line and exceeds expectations for both categories. It is a delicious romance but at the same time reminds us that the most important love story we'll ever live is that of self-love. A beautiful reminder to always cherish every moment we have with ourselves, because one day we won't be around anymore, and don't we want to make this life a good one? Katherine writes in a way that really puts the reader into the story, and makes us feel like it's happening to us. Through reading, we live a thousand lives, and I'm incredibly glad that The Love Haters was one of mine.

Katherine Center has consistently been one of my favorite contemporary romance authors because her books have such a great blend of romances with a lot of heart and also just silly fun. Her latest is another fun summer rom com set in Florida and dealing with Coast Guard rescue swimmers…

Our MC, Katie, is a film maker and has been tasked to shoot a commercial covering and promoting Coast Guard rescue swimmers. This job is supposed to help save her career as her company’s boss is making cuts. Once she arrives in Florida, Katie finds herself entranced by one of the swimmers, Hutch, and what happens in journey of her own.

Firstly, I really loved the themes of self love, body acceptance, and even the small touches of grief discussed. Katie’s backstory has to do a bit with a former relationship that when it ended, caused her to lose some self-esteem and view herself and her body differently. However, throughout the course of the story with the help of some wonderful supporting characters, I enjoyed seeing Katie regain that confidence and love for herself which helped her in other aspect of her life like her career and finding love.

Now while I enjoyed that part, there are some parts I didn’t care for as much. For some reason I feel like I wasn't fully able to really connect with parts of the plot or characters. At times it felt like there was almost too many other things going on (sibling rivalry, job drama) that took a bit away from the central part of the romance.

Though it still had a nice ending + of course a lovable and sweet dog, I will admit that this wasn't my favorite from the author. It just felt like it was missing some of that extra spark that I have come to love from KC books. However, I do think people will still enjoy this and it will make for an easy summer read!

I had a lot of fun reading this! I was in a bit of a reading slump but this helped me snap out of it. I really enjoyed the characters--from Katie all the way to the supporting cast. It was a fun read and I imagine it would be even more enjoyable in the summertime by the pool. Thank you for an advanced copy, NetGalley!

ARC REVIEW
Feeling a little disappointed by this book i was very much looking forward to reading it but it kind of fell flat to me. I wasn’t a big fan of a lot of the plot points and kind of the overall plot just didn’t work for me. I like Katie and seeing her relationship with herself grow but I feel like we didn’t get to know Hutch that much and we didn’t see their relationship grow in my opinion. I was not that big of a fan of cole and i felt like his whole plot line at the end was just kind of unnecessary. I will say i loved Rue and Hutch’s dog was the cutest ever!!