THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center is everything you're used to from a KC book-- a little bit of self-help inspiration, a whole lot of the triumph of love, and just a dash of the most traumatic thing you've ever read.

I greatly enjoy Katherine Center's books, even though I have been blindsided in the past. There are never content warnings up front, but I am here to protect you, soften the blow. This one has a fatal car accident (in the past, but fairly integral to the story) and what I would describe as extreme self-loathing, including past disordered eating (described in some detail!). Oh, and weather-related peril. And a cheating former partner. I think that covers the main traumas, but I'm always happy to get into specifics if you need more details. And yet I would still say this is one of the lighter ones?

Now that we've covered the sad stuff! The POV character Katie is a promotional video maker who gets sent to make a Coast Guard recruitment video. Hutch is the aw-shucks dreamboat rescue swimmer who eschews the title of "hero," even if its true, and is Katie's subject for the few weeks she's in Key West filming. They are of course instantly drawn to each other, although Katie has a lot of internalized fatphobia that she has to deal with in order to learn to swim and also...you know, exist in her body. I appreciated Katie's character arc as she applies a self-help book to her relationship with *herself* and learns to appreciate it. It's heartwarming and life affirming without being like, an "all bodies are beautiful" soap commercial.

It is cute and fun and I read like 95% of it in one day, because I couldn't put it down without finding out what happens, which is always a good sign, if you ask me.

You know how one little lie of omission can snowball? The best snowballs come with swoon worthy grumpy cinnamon roll heroes in the middle of the story. Take my word for it and read this one.

I loved this book so much. Katherine Center always seems to not only write beautiful romances but there are always life lessons that I feel I can use in my own life. The Love Haters was no different.

As we get to know Katie and Hutch we find they are dealing with problems that many we do, body image, insecurity, loss of love ones, family conflicted, etc. In many ways this helped me connect with Katie because I too have dealt with many of her conflicts. As she overcome her challenges I too could overcome mine.

I had the hardest time putting this book down. Every time I did I just wanted to be back in Hutch and Katie’s world watching them fall for each other.

Thanks St. Martin’s Press for giving me an eARC through NetGalley.

It's cute and all, but it feels more like a body-positivity thing than a romcom. I wish Hutch and Katie had more on-page conversations, though, because it felt like they were falling for each other through a handful of conversations and some off-screen things. Half of their talks were about deep, meaningful things, though, so their attraction had some foundation.

I do believe the body image issues were the primary focus, though. It was mentioned too much and too integral to Katie's character for it not to be the main point.

Also, the miscommunication issue Katie fell into? Originally, no, it wasn't her fault. But she also stood by and let things happen. Sure, she'd protest, but also she'd let herself be walked over and just went with it when honestly, she should have just left the bar. That probably was the most frustrating thing about this- there were just a couple of things that happened that Katie "protested" but also let it slide when the other guy didn't budge.

Overall, cute, but I was hoping for more of a romance-focused book rather than something with a cute romance on the side.

thank you Netgalley and Katherine Center for the arc!

This book was really cute and I really enjoyed it for the most part. I really loved the narration / audiobook. I just felt like I was left wanting so much more overall in the end. I would still recommend this book but for me personally it wasn’t very memorable.

I was really excited for this book! Every Katherine Center book that I have read, I have thoroughly enjoyed. While this one was not bad, I didn't love it. I felt like I had a really hard time connecting with the characters and just didn't fully love the story. As a plus size woman myself, I am a huge advocate for body positivity and overcoming those fears. When I first started listening to this, I thought this is going to be a great representation but the amount of times that this is in the beginning of the book really turned me off. It was literally the first 40% of the book and I just was not vibing with that.

over all, this is a cute romance that I still think it is worth the read. It does have a great story about learning to Love yourself and overcoming fears.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Okay, so let's start with the premise. Katie (fmc) gets hired to go to key west and make a mini docu series on the coast guard and do a profile on a rescue swimmer. Hutch (mmc) is described as "frowning is his only hobby", and is made out to seem like he will be quiet, standoff-ish, rude. I found this was not the case at all. If anything, Hutch is giving major golden retriever energy. Another main theme of this story is body dysmorphia, low self confidence, and childhood trauma. So read any trigger warnings if you need to before reading!

Katherine Centers writing is fun, not too serious, a little cheesy as times, but I would recommend if you're looking for a fun and quick summer romance. I don't think I would say that I loved this book, but it did keep me entertained.

Loved this one!!! From the beginning to the end. The MC had a good arc of change and the other characters were great. There was one that was fun to hate, one to love and a group of ladies called the Gal Pals who were a kick! OF COURSE George Bailey was in a class of his own. Talk about a scene stealer. The information about the USCG and the job of rescue swimmers was interesting. I loved the setting of Key West with its easy breezy, colorful description. The story was engaging and fun and the ending worked for me. This author has become my go to if I am thinking about reading a romance. 5 stars for me!

This book was phenomenal!! I loved the tropes,relationships, the plot- pretty much everything about it. It had me hooked.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center was such a fun, heartwarming surprise! This was my first time reading one of her books, but it definitely won’t be the last—I absolutely loved her writing style. It’s smart, funny, and packed with just the right amount of heart.

Katie Vaughn’s journey had me hooked from the start. I loved the mix of humor, adventure, and emotional growth woven into her story. The setting in Key West was vibrant and lively, and Hutch (plus his Great Dane!) was the perfect combination of swoony and complicated. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch was fantastic, and the humor throughout kept the story feeling light even when deeper moments surfaced.

There’s a lot to love here: great banter, charming side characters, some hilarious situations (Katie pretending to swim was pure gold), and a sweet message about bravery and second chances. I can’t wait to pick up more of Katherine Center’s books after this one!

This was my first Katherine Center book, so I had high expectations coming in. However, I just could not get into the book, so I DNF-ed it around 40%. I wasn't invested in the story and was confused as to the point of it, and it felt like the beginning of a bad Hallmark movie. So it missed the mark for me!

I am so excited that I got to read this ARC! I read and loved The Bodyguard and have been excited about @katherinecenter ever since.

Katie is trying to save her job by traveling to the Florida Keys and filming Hutch, a rescue swimmer for the coast guard, as a recruiting tactic. Unfortunately, Katie had to lie about her ability to swim and this comes back to bite her. Fortunately, Hutch is not only a great swimmer, but a great teacher.

You can probably see where this is going... romance.

I'll tell you right now, if you're looking for steamy romance, this isn't it. BUT, if you're looking for romance you can recommend to your high school students who want to avoid spice? This one is perfect and just what I was looking for.

There are some pretty heavy body issues that could be a TW, but as the fmc works through them, I found myself nodding along and thinking differently, too!

I am such a Katherine Center fan and this might be my favorite by her! This book had me in an absolute chokehold, it’s definitely more emotional that some of her prior books but still has some comedy and the great characters that we know we can expect from her books. I loved Hutch and Katie but also loved George Bailey and Rue. In addition’s to the super cute but tense romance there was the added hair raising and tense moments during some of the coast guard and stork scenes. Love, love, love this book!!!

This was a really cute book! I always enjoy Katherine Center's books. I do feel like there was something missing between the connection of the characters but overall it was a good read!
Thank you for the ARC!

What did I just read?!? That was...crazy! But in a good way!! This is actually going to be a very tricky thing to review because I want to do the story justice without giving anything away. Here goes! ⛱️

Katie heads to the Florida Keys to create a promo video for the Coast Guard. Wait, that sounds too simple. It's FAR more complicated than that. Katie can't swim, and she's supposed to be working with a rescue diver. A VERY handsome, VERY single rescue diver named Hutch. But Katie's fear of the water, and her feelings for Hutch, might not be the only thing she's hiding! As the onion is peeled, Katie learns a LOT about loving, living, and what she really wants.

Katherine Center does it again! If you read this book, consider the author's note to be required reading as well. This story felt like a mash up of women's fiction and romance. Katie, and the reader right along with her, learns about the importance of REFRAMING our perspective. That was probably my biggest takeaway...the incredible power of reframing our thinking, as well as the importance of loving ourselves. In between the meditations on one's body, there were hilarious scenes that had me crying because I was laughing SO HARD. There were also more "OMG!" moments than I could shake a stick at.

I would have loved a little more romance, and a little more Hutch, but the way that the main character Katie breaks the fourth wall to tell the reader this entire story was really refreshing and fun. At certain points the author chose to break up really intense scenes with conversations, which made things less impactful for me, but I believe that's due to the idea that this is a rom-com and not a romantic suspense book. Overall, this was a great summertime escape that helped me reframe some of my own beliefs, and who can ask for more? 😃

Trigger warnings: body image issues, secondary character with a heart-related diagnosis, death of family members in a car accident (before story begins), toxic work environment.

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

i absolutely ADORED this book from start to finish - it felt like a tropical vacation in book form. definitely a new favorite! ☀️🌺🌴🛥️

Was so excited when I got the ARC for this book! It pulled me in at the beginning but it lost its momentum for me towards the middle. I really couldn’t connect with the female main character which made this book tough to finish. I feel as though my favorite character was “George Bailey” as “it’s a wonderful life” is one of my favorite movies! I’d still recommend the story but this definitely wasn’t a favorite of mine by this author.

This one didn't work for me as much as previous Katherine Center books have worked. I didn't love out FMC, and really didn't love her boss. I could read a whole book about her aunt tho! This was still a fun read, but probably only because it was Katherine Center... probably would have dnf'd if it was a different author.

CW: negative body image, disordered eating, mention of parental death, and minor blood

Katherine Center writes romcoms like no other. They’re swoonily romantic and so funny, but she also weaves in beautiful life lessons. I loved following Katie as she learned to appreciate her body because she lives in it. I loved Hutch. He was not the typical “broody hero.” He was broody, but in a cinnamon roll way?? Just know-HE IS EVERYTHING TO ME. The plot was absolutely wild and it made me laugh with its ridiculousness sometimes. This book was entertaining, and I had a great time.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5⭐️

This book reminded me of what I love about Katherine Center’s books. She writes a really endearing romance that’s balanced by deeper emotional or experiential challenges. Her books are not just a fluffy rom-com, but also not only soul-crushing sorrow. There’s both the humor and the heart. The laughter and the tears.
If you read it, don’t skip Katherine’s authors note; it’s tremendous and thought-provoking.

I absolutely flew through this one.
There was so much to enjoy:
Straight up good-guy-hero Hutch.
Warm & inviting & wonderful Rue.
The inside look at the Coast Guard.
The idyllic Florida Keys easy-breezy lifestyle.
Plus the little things, small but meaningful: the Pennies, the toads, the humming.

I thought Hutch’e back story was developed superbly and my heart both broke and soared because of it. I wished we delved into Katie’s past a bit more and explored how her prior experiences informed her current struggles.

My main critique is the “epiphany” Katie eventually came to about self-love: that the secret to the release from her identity and image issues was within herself. Beyond making zero sense, it also goes against the truth of humanity’s fundamental need for a Savior outside ourselves.

😇: any “religion” honestly boils down to self-worship with a bit of hedonism mixed in
😍: VERY clean! Only one or two kisses, and visual admiration
🤐: occasional language throughout

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.