Can I just take a second to say how much I adore Katherine Center? She’s part of this new wave of romance authors who actually tackle real-world issues—with characters who feel like people you know, or even reflections of yourself. Give me that any day over the old-school romances where the 17-year-old FMC is falling for a guy who’s got centuries (literally) on her and still insists on lurking around high schools. Or the billionaires with control issues and more red flags than the Running of the Bulls. Hard pass.

This book, though? This one delivered. I’ll admit the last two Center books I read didn’t quite hit for me, but this one hooked me from the first page and didn’t let go. George Bailey galloped in and stole my heart immediately, and Hutch wasn’t far behind. And Katie? She felt so real. Her struggle with self-love and body image is something so many of us can relate to—I know I’ve been there. It’s refreshing to see a main character who’s navigating that kind of internal battle with such honesty.

If you're craving a rom-com that's cute and fun but still grounded in real-life emotion (and blissfully free of Fae men who desperately need therapy), this is the book for you.
Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC
3.5

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a sunshine-and-saltwater kind of summertime story—with big heart, relatable humor, and just enough chaos to keep you smiling til the end!

The Vibes:

😂 I adored Katie's dry wit and laughed out loud multiple times at her internal monologue. She also works through body acceptance, and I appreciated the author including this topic.

🛟 Hutch is the stoic, rescues a Great Dane from a puppy mill 🐾, and saves you from the ocean like it’s nothing 🌊—kinda guy.

💃🏼 Aunt Rue STOLE the show. Her brutal honesty, desire to live in FULL color, and zest for life were sincerely a treat to read. I felt like I had a precious great-aunt giving me encouragement and straight talk!

Unexpected Bonus: A quiet, tender thread about grief, self-worth, and what it means to choose joy. 💛

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed a quick trip to the Keys with this one! Loved the Coast Guard rescue swimmer character of Hutch, his dog George Bailey, and his beloved Aunt Rue who retired to the Keys and runs a few businesses. I didn’t like Katie nearly as much, but her filmmaking occupation was at least interesting.

The main reason I struggled with Katie’s charactersis the same as many other readers, the body image issues were really over the top. I get that the intention was to share how traumatized she was by growing up being told she had to be skinny, and then by the internet who judged her photo when her fiance got famous, but it was too much, and honestly a bit triggering at times. It’s not even clear whether she is actually overweight or just a skinny person completely in her head about a little thigh fat. It did give the book a strong theme of learning how to love and accept yourself, I thought it was just kind of clunky in getting there.

As far as plot goes, it felt like not much was happening, then it went in a direction that was very weird and unexpected, but the last 25% strongly redeemed itself with some exciting scenes before wrapping everything up neatly.

Not my favorite of Center’s - I would name Hello Stranger and Things You Save in a Fire in those spots - but it was entertaining for a quick summer read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this DRC for review consideration.

3.5 stars! I love Katherine Center so much! Her ability to weave serious, important topics into romance books is such a talent. I’d definitely say George Bailey carried this story! This one was cute, but not my favorite. Still a good read - I personally am just obsessed with Katherine’s other book, The Romcommers, sooo much! 3.5/5 stars

Another beautiful book written by Katherine Center!
The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is literally undeniable! You can tell from the moment they meet that there is a small spark! But there are so many secrets, tension between Hutch & Cole, and the hurricane-force emotions swirl around them that takes them a minute to fully commit to their feelings. Aunt Rue is hilarious and don't get me started on the dog! They both will have you laughing out loud.

Katie Vaughn’s company is downsizing and as one of the newest hires, she’s worried her job is on the chopping block. This is why she accepts an assignment to make a recruiting video for the Coast
Guard featuring Hutch Hutchenson, one of their rescue swimmers, when she doesn’t know how to swim. A major requirement, but off to Key West she goes.

Katie struggled with her body image and self-confidence after a brush with her ex-fiancé’s new-found fame (people can be so awful online!). It wasn’t just not knowing how to swim, that was a mental challenge for Katie.

I loved Katie’s journey from an insecure introvert to someone who wasn’t afraid to live in color. Hutch and his aunt and her friends gradually coaxed Katie’s true self out with swimming lessons, dinners, and a rambunctious Great Dane! Hutch was an absolute pillar and oh-so-dreamy! I also loved the Coast Guard aspects of the story which added an extra element of adventure, danger, and excitement!

The Love Haters was a pure delight from start to finish! I adored Katherine Center’s author’s note at the end, as well.

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to an audio version with Patti Murin narrating. Her performance was perfection! Just icing on the cake!

A love hater, I am not, and true to almost all of Katherine Center's work I loved this book! Did it start off a bit slow? Sure it did, but I didn't mind because I like to savor Katherine's books and become one with the characters. I loved Katie Vaughn right away. She has a relatable amount of disbelief in her own talent and worth in this world. Combine that with her body image issues and I had found my book twin! Except I'm not a video producer, I don't live in Dallas, and I'm not flying to tropical Key West to meet Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. But I digress. Katie's thoughts on '...keeping to the sides of the world, hiding behind other people in group photos, avoiding mirrors." all resonated so strong with me that it felt like someone was reading my mind.

Once in Key West, Katie meets Hutch, and his wonderful Aunt Rue, and gets down to business filming Hutch as he goes about his work days as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Katie is filming a promotional video for her boss, Cole (also Hutch's brother), and their boss, Sullivan. What ensues is both fascinating and comical, and also filled with anticipation and frustration. Kind of like real life. Only better, because Katherine Center wrote it, and she always has a life message written into her books. This one is about love, in all its many forms. Be sure to read her author's note when you finish the book. She is very passionate about her work and I'm so thankful she shares it with the world. I keep getting side-tracked here. I would like to meet Hutch as he sounds like a really great person, and his dog too. Cole can stay in Dallas! This book was very atmospheric for me - I could feel the Florida humidity, taste the saltwater, and feel the whopping of the helicopter blades in my chest. The amount of research that had to go into this book to make me feel like I was there with Katie filming a Coast Guard crew had to be extensive. Could there have been more romance or spiciness in this book? Sure. For me I took away a love story for those of us who need to remember to love ourselves first, and that was more fulfilling.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

The Love Haters | Katherine Center

4☆
*ARC Review*
Releasing May 20, 2025!

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanusa and @katherinecenter for this ARC!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Love Haters by Katherine Center, as I have several of her books on my TBR, but this was the first one I’ve read & it will NOT be my last!

Set in the fun location of Key West (I’ve been there, can confirm 💁🏼‍♀️) Katie embarks on a media journalist assignment as her job is on the chopping block. Her coworker Cole has convinced her to take this job, which will highlight his brother Tom’s (aka Hutch) career as a rescue coastguard. Katherine Center has such a cute, funny style of writing and develops lovable characters following a humerus and relatable plot line. Katie struggles with body image issues and feels most comfortable wearing black clothing, she is pushed outside of her comfort zone when she meets the most colorful human alive, Rue. I found the rescue itself to be a little far fetched (😜🐕‍🦺🚤) but it kept my interest, which was what it was meant to do! Throw in the heartfelt and bittersweet story of their pasts, it was a well rounded story that has something for everyone. I knew Katherine Center was a girl for me with the Noah Kahan and Jonas Brothers name drops. 🫡🥰

“But I hadn’t thought I hated love. I’d thought I was just recovering from it.”

The Love Haters is a witty, feel-good romance packed with banter, heart, and the perfect enemies-to-lovers energy. The chemistry crackles, the dialogue is sharp, and the emotional depth sneaks up on you in the best way. With lovable characters and just the right amount of spice and snark, it’s a breezy, satisfying read that had me grinning the whole time.
✅ The banter and enemies-to-lovers setup fit my taste exactly.

✅ The pacing is fun and quick

✅ It has emotional beats, though maybe not as deep as I prefer

❌doesn’t quite hit the emotional gut-punch or soulmate-level romance

“ What on earth must it be like to just live in your body so comfortably and just enjoy it like that?”

I don’t know if I’ve related to a quote more in my life! I found this story to be so relatable and just like previous Katherine Center books, it is profoundly written and had me laughing out loud several times. I highly recommend this book!

Loved everything about this book and I whipped thru it and now I'm missing the characters. This is a love story of ultimate proportions. It's a love story to your friends, your family, your lover, your dog, and yourself! Couldn't put it down and wish I could read it again for the first time.

The Love Haters, was a fun time. I feel like it was a great summer beach read if you like contemporary romance with no spice and will make you laugh. The first time the FMC and MMC meet, he is pulling 50 splinters out of her butt and she is in a swimsuit! There is banter, angst, twisty storyline and found family. Its quick and easy and enjoyed it!

The Love Haters

This was such a laugh out loud romcom with heartfelt vulnerable moments. Relatable FMC and broody MMC with a heart of gold and a furry sidekick. I gobbled this up and absolutely loved it. It was such an easy and enjoyable read! Loved the audiobook too -- really thought the narrators did an amazing job of bringing this to life.

If you like:
😡Grumpy hero MMC who falls first and hard
👵🏻Cute old lady meddlers 🌺
😅Forced proximity
🔥Slow burn
🚪Closed door romcom
🐠Fish out of water FMC
🚁Coast guard search and rescue

Dive into this one!

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorites from Katherine Center. I just don’t think we got enough character background to become fully involved with the characters or their stories.

Katie Vaughn is a video producer that also does a “day in the life” project on the side. She’s basically forced to do a video about the coast guard or she’ll lose her job. The focus is on Hutch who is famous for saving Jennifer Aniston’s dog but he’s also the brother of Katie’s boss.

Katie goes to shoot the video and figures out there’s a lot of baggage with this family.

That’s basically it. It was really just okay

This book was pure magic! I love Katherine Center’s writing. There was so much heart in this story. I didn’t want the book to end. I can’t wait for her next novel.

Katherine Center is an auto-read romance author for me. Romance isn’t my go to genre but something about Center’s quirky characters, amusing shenanigans, and the undeniable chemistry she builds just hits the spot for me.

The Love Haters is no exception and hit all the marks for me. Katie was relatable - body insecurity (which I sort of liked that her insecurity was vague because I think we’ve all been there), career-focused, and totally in over her head. Hutch was a great male protagonist. I loved his unique job, his caring personality, and especially his pup.

I also loved the setting. Center brought the Key West to life with her vivid descriptions and beautiful landscapes. And the Hurricane?! Hilarious and also terrifying and completely over the top - what more could you ask for?!

I listened to The Love Haters on audio and it was wonderful. Humorous, engaging, and totally made me fall in love with these silly characters and this stunning setting.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the copy. Don’t miss this one!

Katherine Center is an auto read author for me! I’ve loved all her books so I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC of Love Haters!!

I loved everything about this book! Katie is such a relatable character and her enemies-to-lovers trope with herself is spot on with how so many women feel about themselves. I loved every single supporting character especially Rue, Beanie and George Bailey!! You’ll definitely love this book if you love all of Katherine Centers books!! 🥰🤩

Humorous, bubbly, and deeply earnest in the way it tackles the difficulties of life (and of bad weather!), I am so thankful that this was the first book I read after graduating college. I seem to have a pattern of always reading Katherine Center eARCs when I have my own internal conflicts about my future, and it's a comfort to always have them in my corner as something I can read in two sittings. I love that even though it's marketed as a romance, it was actually a story of self-love, which is definitely something I hope to read more of in the future. The characters are relatable and human, and I can always count on Katherine Center to include a pet that makes me wish it were my own (shoutout to George Bailey the Great Dane!)
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

Katherine Center has once again brought us a wonderful tale of choices—career, men, or both. And there’s a dog. Gotta love a book with a dog.

Highly recommend for readers who are already Katherine Center fans as well as those who are looking to read her for the first time.

DNF @ 38%

I’ve been fighting for my life to read this book but it’s so boring to me. I don’t feel any connection to the characters. Nothing about them is interesting. Katie’s constant body image issues are quickly getting on my nerves too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.