First, I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an eARC in return for an honest review!

This book started off SO strong, I loved the characters, and it was FUNNY! Katie was so relatable, from her body image issues, to her worries about her career, to her many fears. I loved her dynamic with Beanie, their relationship was so sweet and added such a nice touch to the story. Beanie was her #1 supporter and i loved reading about sisterhood in books.

Hutch was lovable and i was falling for him at the same time as Katie was. Rue was probably the highlight of this book for me. I loved her and I want her story, I need to read about her and her husband’s love story, even if it will wreck me.

This was a solid 4⭐️ UNTIL about 60%.. When lies and miscommunication began, it lost me a bit.. I enjoyed the ending, but it didn’t quite feel like enough to give it 4 stars.

Overall, this was a sweet read. This was my first Katherine Center book, and I do plan on reading more!

I absolutely LOVED this latest gem from Katherine Center. Has all of the rom-com-dram I have come to expect from her. Tender and thoughtful and hilarious. Three cheers for George Bailey!!

Katherine Center is reliably witty and fun.

The Love Haters was a quick read with all you want from a rom-com: humor, jealousy, flirting, and a colorful aunt named Rue.

I devoured this book. As an avid Katherine Center reader, I wait on pins and needles for her new books. I was given the privilege to read this as an early copy, and let me tell you. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. I laughed out loud so many times, I had a crease in my forehead, and I was so happy yet sad when I was finished. I LOVED Katie. She was such a real person that I often forgot that she was the main character. And Hutch? Seriously?? We need a sequel. =]

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors when it comes to romcoms, and I’ll pretty much read anything she writes. This book was just what I needed to get out of a reading slump.

Hutch and Katie are both really likable characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them. It’s an easy, quick read for a cozy day. The reason I didn’t give it a higher rating is that I felt the ending was missing something. Even so, I’d still recommend it to other romcom fans.

This book was glorious (as Rue would say).

I received an ARC from NetGalley. I might update my review after it is published with excerpts or quotes I loved after it’s published.

I have always loved to read but this is the first time I have ever felt like stumbled upon a book that I needed at a particular moment in time.

The Love Haters is, of course, a rom com between an unlikely duo - Katie, a videographer who wants to tell the stories of hero’s while blending into the background herself, and Hutch, a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer with certifiable hero status he would like to escape from. A series of ups and downs both builds and threatens their relationship. Twists and romance ensue. But more poignant for me than the relationship between the couple was that between Katie and herself. Katherine Center aptly calls it an enemies to lovers trope. At 9 months postpartum (and frankly for most of my life) I have struggled with body image. I wouldn’t say that reading this novel has suddenly fixed me, but I definitely feel a higher capacity for kindness and love towards myself.

The Love Haters is a fun, chuckle out loud but also tear up more than once, story that makes you really take a look at your own life, which is not something I have found recently in a book. Having only read The Bodyguard from Katherine Center, which I enjoyed, I would say this blows that out of the water. It was a stay up way past my bedtime and think about the next chance I will get to read kind of book. I plan to check out more of her books but this will be tough to beat!

I actually didn’t feel the chemistry as much as I would have liked. The supporting characters were a mixed bag and felt all over the place. Still entertaining but not one of my favs.

Big thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc to read and review.

My first thoughts after finishing this book was, “this can’t be the same author that wrote the Bodyguard??!??” I had so much high expectations for this one but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark. The romance felt way too instalovey, like we aren’t even at the half way point and confessions are being made. To top it off the characters lacked a lot of depth which in the end made them hard to connect to.

The only thing preventing me from giving this a 1 Star was the message Mrs. Center was conveying. Our main character Katie, greatly struggles with body image and self esteem. The big theme behind this book was discovering self-love. Katie truly got to explore this throughout the story and watching her person growth in this area was enjoyable.

Overall, even though I didn’t love it I would still recommend especially if you’re a Katherine Center fan.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

How far would you go to keep your dream job? That’s the question Katie must confront when her boss, Cole, offers her one last chance to save her position as a videographer. The catch? The project requires swimming—something Katie absolutely cannot do.

But how bad could it really be? Soon enough, Katie finds herself whisked away to the sun-soaked shores of Key West, tasked with creating a compelling recruitment video for the U.S. Coast Guard. The centerpiece of her film is Hutch, a charismatic rescue swimmer famously dubbed “Pup Daddy” by Jennifer Aniston after he saved her dog. Though known as a “Love Hater” (a title lovingly bestowed by his brother Cole), Hutch reluctantly agrees to teach Katie about the Coast Guard—and how to swim.

As Katie navigates the depths of both the ocean and her heart, sparks fly, and the line between professional duty and personal desire blurs. Their journey is beautifully complemented by a cast of vibrant characters like Rue, the ever-loyal George Bailey 🐶, the lively Gals of the Starlite, and the charming yet complex duo of Katie and Hutch.

If you’re already a fan of Katherine Center’s previous novels, this book will sweep you off your feet with its humor, heart, and undeniable charm. Packed with laughter, love, and life lessons, it’s poised to be the must-read summer hit of 2025! Dive in—you won’t want to come up for air.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book! Katherine’s voice is fun to read.

The heroine is a documentary filmmaker. Her career interested me as I love watching docs. We sympathize with her and wonder about her. (Side note, I don’t read book blurbs and it’s always interesting to me that in at least two of Katherine’s books we don’t get character names for a long, long time. I was 12 percent into this book before I first read Katie is the heroine’s first name and 25 percent of the way in before we saw her last name.) (In a previous book—the firefighter heroine’s name came up much, much sooner than the firefighter hero’s name.) Biggest element with this heroine? Readers relate! Katherine’s writing is equal parts romance and women’s fiction. We relate, learn, and grow right along with the FMC. Also, the fact that her name was Katie and Katherine is the author—a little bit of self-revelation?

The hero has a larger-than-life occupation as a rescue swimmer for the US Coast Guard. I loved learning about this. Hutch comes across as humble, slightly broken, and very noble. He’s part of a team who rescues stranded people out of the Atlantic Ocean.

The heroine’s journey is one of discovering her value, of believing her body is valuable, just as it is. This body-positivity message is one I think readers will relate with. We don’t ever get her description. I liked that vagueness element because we can insert ourselves into the book. We don’t know if she’s an “apple,” “pear,” or if she’s obese or thin. But she’s learning to accept herself.

The author letter is golden! Don't miss that.

For my audience, I’d warn readers about language.

I received a free ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OH MY GOSH! I LOVE GEORGE BAILEY! I have the biggest soft spot for Great Danes and OMG this dog in this book was everything.

Of course j loved Hutch. Gosh, who wouldn’t! Katherine Center KNOWS how to write a man that makes all them panties drop. Even in a ZERO spice book, I can see Hutch being many girls’ book boyfriend!

The entire story was funny and exciting and oh lord I did not need the stress from the end of the book but it was still just so amazing! Gonna be a summer MUST READ!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review! Chef’s Kiss!

Absolutely loved this. I’ve so enjoyed books by this author in the past and this one didn’t disappoint. I really loved the characters in this book. It was the first time I really sort of thought insta love worked! Katie and Heath, with George Bailey just all worked and I loved them as an eventual little family. Rue and the girls stole my heart. Even the absolute crap head that Cole was just worker. Excellent writing. This was the trip I needed to key west in January! Thank you so much net galley for the early release of this book! Would definitely recommend this author and her books!

I love Katherine Center so much! Her books truly make me feel so good inside and always make me laugh. The Love Haters was no exception. What a treat to get this novel early!

Katherine Center never disappoints!

The Love Haters is a great read for anyone who likes:
- Someone learning to love themselves
- Grumpy/sunshine dynamics
- Hot/cold vibes
- Sibling rivalry
- MCs who are forced to lie about things
- Found family
- Big goofy dogs
- Handsome lifesaving heroes

Thanks very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

The Love Haters by K atherine Center was an adorable romcom that I finished before I even realized how quickly I was reading through it because it was so good. This was the kind of romance that had me deeply invested quickly and made me really love the characters from the first pages.

Katie is quirky, awkward and completely oblivious. I loved her immensely because she was instantly such a relatable character and kept the story flowing with tons of comedy. She is the kind of character that is impossible not to love and root for, with the kind of insecurities it’s easy to understand as a woman living in a culture with impossible beauty standards. Hutch is the strong, silent type that somehow completely defies this persona when he is around Katie and I loved seeing the two of them bond and become close despite the circumstances. As much as Hutch tries to resist Katie’s charms when he finds out she is crashing into his life to film a recruitment video for his job – a film he wanted his own brother to do, thus creating resentment – he proves immune to her quirkiness and opens up so heartwarmingly to her.

The best part is that it isn’t just the main characters that are so irresistibly loveable. From Beanie, Katie’s cousin and best friend who is constantly vying for her to gain confidence and take a hold of her life via video calls, to Rue who is the most wholesome landlord from the moment she appears on the scene, and the Gals who inundate everyone with love upon first meeting. The whole cast of characters was fantastic and I loved every moment of so many of them.

It's not just the characters that shine however. There is not only the main story following the daily job of the coast guard, but there is so much backstory to the characters, including Katie that is so relevant to the story as a whole and made it impossible not to want to keep reading. Katie’s backstory involves overcoming insecurities she has developed as a result and seeing her grow and try to move past her deeply rooted fears makes the story that much more interesting to read.

The Love Haters was such a wonderful read, and exactly the book I didn’t know I needed. I was almost sad for it to come to an end because I got so caught up in the story and the characters. It’s a very fast read and the story never lags which makes it hard to stop reading because it’s so easy to get immersed in the story. I can’t wait for more books from Katherine Center because she has become a solid favourite with her adorable romances.

Love Haters by Katherine Center was a fun, romantic read. I love that she touches on more serious subjects but reflects them in a way that are positive and hopeful for the reader. I enjoyed reading about the coast guard and Hutch’s job as a rescue swimmer. I am ready to move to Key west to live with Rue and the gang. Lovely book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katherine Center does it again! She's created a wonderful story with excellent characters that sucks you in from the very first moment and you cannot put down until you discover what happened to them. This is a great love story that is not only just between the 2 main characters, Katie and Hutch, but it's also between Katie and herself. It is inspiring and thought-provoking. I could not put it down and I'm going to recommend to everyone I meet that they read it.

4.5 ⭐

this was amazing, Katherine Center never disappoints! love love loved, it was so funny yet so relatable and sweet. Hutch might be my new fav KC love interest <3

The Love Haters is a charming, fun read. It felt refreshing to read a spice free romance. I didn't love the "romance conflict", but it was thankfully short lived & got cleared up pretty quickly. I loved that this novel focused on friendship & finding love for yourself.

I love all of her books and this one is no exception, the story was a fun one to read. I am beyond grateful to get to read this book.