I should start by saying I do not think I am not Katherine Center's target demo. I am always pulled in by her fun and pretty covers and think her books will be the fun lighthearted books I need after the heavier more literary books I'm generally attracted to.

Usually I read them and they're fine, but I read about 30% of this one before I had to throw in the towel. It just felt so ridiculous to me and so many of the lines were so cringy, I had absolutely no desire to keep reading, nor did I feel like I HAD to know what was going to happen (I could mostly guess). All of the body and food talk was really grating on me (though I recognize many women deal with body dysmorphia and disordered eating, I feel like there are much better ways of handling these topics in novels). Then I mistakenly read a review about how the MC seems to magically overcome her disorder and I just couldn't.

I probably should only give The Love Haters 1 star since I didn't even finish it. But since I'm not a KC super fan and should have known better to begin with, I'm giving it 2 stars. It does seem like lots of her readers have loved it, but I've also read more negative reviews than I have seen for any of her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy of this book.

Katie, on the brink of being laid off, fibs to take on a project that could save her job.

I love how this book not only focuses on the love story between characters, but also the inner turmoil of dealing with your own self criticism and learning to love yourself and face your fears.

A great summer beach read.

The newest from Katherine Center is so cute! THE LOVE HATERS is a charming novel set in Key West Florida that follows Hutch, a coast guard rescue swimmer and Katie, a video producer. She heads to Key West to film Hutch's work and sparks fly. While I loved both of these characters, George Bailey the Great Dane was my favorite character. There were also many other side characters, like Rue and her friends who really added to this story. Center also includes a journey of self-love and acceptance which I appreciated. Another heartwarming winner from her! This one publishes May 20th.

THE LOVE HATERS follows a videographer named Katie who takes on an assignment (hopefully to save her hanging-by-a-thread job) covering the Coast Guard in the Florida Keys. Her contact is Hutch, an outrageously good-looking man who’s been described as a “love hater” for his lack of interest in dating. But maybe just maybe he’s not as antisocial as he seems?

If you’ve loved Katherine Center’s recent era of silly little romance reads full of hijinks and fun, you’ll surely love this one too. Have to be honest and say not everything in this one worked for me sadly.

I want to start with the cover because as iconic and summery it is………. it kind of has nothing to do with the story.

The last thing I’ll say is kind of a PSA/trigger warning. The book focuses a LOT on body issues. Like from page one basically. It was a bit much for me especially just since there was a lot of other things happening too. I needed more romance and less conflict I think.

With a threat of being laid off, Katie takes an assignment to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. But Katie isn’t qualified - she can’t even swim and her colleague is Tom’s brother. “Hutch” is expecting his brother Cole but when Katie now must navigate Hutch’s family dynamics, unexpected shenanigans from the Gals, a pup who is obsessed with her, and trying to keep her job.

I love Katherine Center often takes romance and mixes it with hard topics so you can laugh and cry. This book however felt more like women’s fiction with a romance sub-pot. I loved Katie’s journey around her body image issues and self-esteem as someone that has struggled with those issues so it was very relatable. My favorite characters were the Gals and the beloved pup George Bailey but the romance wasn’t my favorite and the fake dating trope that gets thrown into the end felt like a bit too much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC.

#netgalley #bookrecs #womensfiction #romanceread #netgalleyreads #novelsandneedlework

This is the first of Katherine Center's books that I did not fully enjoy. The couple did not connect with me for most of the book, and their plot relied heavily on the miscommunication trope. The ending was also far fetched, (even for a romcom), and took me completely out of the story. However, it was still a quick summer read - perfect for a day at the beach - and I enjoyed the Key West setting and the kooky local side characters. Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Another entertaining read by Katherine Center! The Love Haters is full of laugh out loud moments and heartwarming make you feel good moments. I loved the main characters, Katie, and Hutch- especially when he broke out of being Mr. Serious all the time.
The Love Haters is a fun summer romance read especially with the setting in The Keys and focusing on The Coast Guard.
I do wish this book was a little longer to get more with the ending but I still enjoyed it!

Posted a review to my bookstagram @bookofthemeg on 6/19!

Cute! Really appreciated such a realistic portrayal of being a woman with body image issues, and how the character was able to work through it WITHOUT the help of a man. Deducted a star because the subplot with Cole really rubbed me the wrong way.

I always love Katherine center’s novels. This was fun… man, does she write the best heroes. I was a bit surprised by the amount of body image content but Katherine does always add some depth to her heroines. I just don’t always find that body image stuff interesting. That said, several women in my book club talked about how relatable it was.

It's been a while since I have read a book by Center and I had forgotten how well she crafts a story. She does a very good job of creating likable characters needing to deal with personal issues and other obstacles to find love. Katie's poor self image is sad but makes for some good humorous dialogue. Having a good self image despite your critical thoughts is a good theme. Yes, the book drags some times because of a lengthy discussion between Katie and her best friend, but I know I will never think of ankles the same again. Center also does a good job of creating unlikable characters, such as Cole, and quirky ones, like Rue and her friends. This may not be Center's best but it was an enjoyable read overall.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I always enjoy Katherine Centers writing. This isn’t her best one yet but it was light hearted and a good time. Thank you Net Galley for another great read.

I had a really hard time getting through this book. It needs all the trigger warnings for body image issues and there is also the underlying theme of Katie not seeing herself as worthy until a man saw her as worthy. It felt way too problematic for me, and I had a hard time getting past it to enjoy the story. I have really loved Katherine Center's other books, but this one fell flat.

I'm a huge Katherine Centre fan because honestly all of her books are fantastic. Great romance, build up, but nothing too steamy (I like steam as well, but Katherine's books feel great without having all the details, if you know what I mean). Her characters are great and the storylines are super engaging.

The Love Haters is no exception to me loving her books. This was a 5 star read for me all the way. Firstly, I loved both of the main characters. Katie is a filmmaker who has body image issues from her upbringing and from a bad breakup. She has recovered some of her self-worth but she still has a long way to go to self-acceptance. This made her so much more real because I know that many people suffer with body image issues and it was nice to see that not only did the autor address them, but gave steps that Katie was taking to try and love herself more. She also didn't outright mention Katie's size or more than her general appearance, which made her seem more appealing.

Hutch was a great male main character because he was humble but kind. He had an amazing job for the Coast Guard saving lives and was a real-life hero, but didn't want to be recognized for that because he just wanted to help people. He was a grump on the outside but a softie inside. The connection and sparks between Katie and Hutch were fantastic.

The side characters also really made the story special - Aunt Rue and her crew of besties added such a splash of colour (literally and figuratively) into the story. Katie's best friend/cousin Beanie was also a great support and friend in tough times. And let's just say Hutch's dog George Bailey was a great scene stealer.

Overall a lovely read and I highly recommend it.

I have heard all about this author for a long time and was excited to get this one for review. I devoured it - a perfect summer read. I love the one bed forced proximity heat!

THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center 🎧

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the digital copy.

When video producer Katie Vaughn takes a last-chance assignment in Key West profiling Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, she’s hiding one major detail: she can’t swim. Between secrets, sibling tension, and one very good dog, Katie finds herself in deep waters - physically and emotionally.

I ended up listening to this one on audio, and it was the perfect multitask read - easy to follow and genuinely entertaining. I loved Katie even more for her love of George Bailey the dog (he totally deserves his own shoutout), and Hutch’s character felt so grounded and believable. There was just the right amount of plot, heart, and romantic tension to keep me fully engaged. A warm, fun read that still manages to hit some deeper emotions, too.

The Love Haters has all the charm you’d expect from Katherine Center—quirky characters, emotional growth, and a gorgeous Key West setting. I loved Hutch and the self-love themes, but the plot got a little messy and the romance took a back seat at times. Still, a fun, feel-good summer read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc!

This was a cute story with a central couple that you were rooting for. At first he came across rude but what leading man isn’t brooding and misunderstood. The plot was fun but by no means believable. I held out for some good bedroom scenes but was very disappointed when I realized everything sexual occurred off page and was super vanilla. Unfortunately, that makes the book a little boring for me but readers who want an off page romance this is perfect for you!!

I love Katherine Center books and so when i had the opportunity to read this one i grabbed it! I loved The love haters and the fact that it dealt with some issues that so many of us do and does it well, i loved the talk of body image and how Katie struggles so much with it, seeing her grow as a character was lovely and really made me try to appreciate myself!

Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for an early digital copy!
I felt like I won the lottery when I was sent this.

Okay so I always appreciate Katherine’s love of a quirky twist, deep realistic topics intertwined with romance you can escape in, and easy writing style that feels like a hug.

BUT (and Katherine I’m sorry) that wasn’t exactly what I got with this book- it was but it wasn’t.

I actually put the book down when I first tried to read and thought I wasn’t in the mood. So I saved it for the BEST setting ever, a south Florida vacation!

But even in the right setting I realized I kept reading but was not swayed by the many different plot lines that didn’t feel like they got resolved fully until a quick epilogue. With such a family centered story, I wish we heard more of Katie’s background.

The body image plot line made me want to wrap Katherine in a hug because all women have felt this. While I understood wanting to bring light, it was hard to read second hand. It also felt like this took over the many plot lines not allowing them to also have space.

It was still a summery read I completed so my rating is a 2.5/5 stars 🫣🫣

I loved this one, Katherine Center is definitely an auto-buy author for me! The audio narration was fantastic and made it even easier to get lost in the story. It’s the perfect beach read: light, fun, and heartfelt. My only small complaint was the ex-boyfriend plot line, which didn’t quite work for me. Overall, still a really enjoyable read!