Katherine Center has very quickly become one of my favourite authors. This book was the perfect palette-cleanser romance with some emotional depth. My one issue with this book is that in the developing stage of Katie and Hutch's friendship/initial filming time, there were a lot of moments that we were told about instead of shown. This ranged from carpooling to different dinner cookouts as well as swim lessons. I found the writing style easy to digest and the plot itself gripping for a simple romance. I will be giving this book 4.25 stars and recommending it to my audience!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.5 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=2.5 | ⚔️=1 | 15

summary: so like she goes to make a video of this super buff hot coast guard guy and also has body image issues and also takes swimming lessons and also [there’s a hurricane and a helicopter rescue?????? (hide spoiler)]

thoughts: very, very ridiculous and unserious and contrived external conflict, very genuine and realized internal conflict. i think Center is good at making her characters uniquely traumatized and wounded, especially for a romance, which is great! I wasn’t, like, obsessed with this, but it is a good time! so!!

Katie Vaughn has been sent to Key West to film Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson for a coast guard promo in order to keep her job. The catch? Hutch was expecting his brother and is none too pleased to see Katie. With a lively cast of side characters and unexpected attraction thrown into the mix, will Katie come out unscathed and better yet, employed?
This is my first Katherine Center book and I really enjoyed it! It had a snappy first chapter and I was hooked by the last line of it. Our MC Katie, keeps to the fringes, but isn’t a doormat, which I found refreshing. I loved how Katie’s sassy best friend cousin Beanie helped Katie rebuild the relationship with herself throughout the book. That’s to say I never love when a larger person is obsessed with their weight- it was mentioned so often! Hutch and Katie had insta attraction, but not insta love, and that made their relationship feel more real. George Bailey, Hutch’s adopted Great Dane, has the most tender origin story and I always enjoy a “pet knows before anyone” trope. My favorite quote: “Should you touch a man’s extra biscuits?” This was an unexpected tear jerker and I’d definitely recommend!!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!
Even though I've only recently started my Katherine Center journey having only read "The bodyguard" before I know I can expect from her work a charming, relatable and heartfelt story. This book honestly feels like a warm hug.
Once again, Center delivers the perfect blend of emotional depth and laugh-out-loud moments, creating a romance that’s as much about falling in love with someone else as it is about learning to love yourself.
We meet Katie, a quirky video editor navigating a tumultuous relationship with her body, the consequences of a toxic relationship and a potential job loss. When her boss gives her the opportunity to save her job, she accepts it without hesitation, even though at first she may not be the best fit for the position.
Enter Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who’s equal parts golden retriever charm and frowny "love-hater". Their initial meeting is hilariously unconventional, and we see their relationship evolve complete with witty banter and heartfelt moments.

Katherine Center's ability to balance lighthearted moments with deeper themes of self-worth, resilience, and love is unparalleled.

Thank you NetGalley, Erica Martirano from St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the early access copy of The Love Haters.

The Love Haters follows the story of Katie, who is on the verge of losing her job as a video producer since her company is downsizing. That is until she is giving an assignment by a coworker that could change everything. The catch, she needs to film her co-workers Coast Guard rescue swimmer brother Hutch. Katie can't swim. But she fakes it. Hutch, is a "love hater", permanently frowning, grump of a person according to Katie's coworkwe Cole. But, for Katie, he seems like a dream. Not only for his looks, but for his personality.

With a beautifully written cast of well-developed characters, a Great Dane you want to meet and intensive tension between the lead characters. It was hard to put this book down.

Loved the Love Haters 🤭 Katie and Hutch were so sweet and entertaining. Not as drama filled and gut wrenching as Katherine Center’s other novels but it was absolutely the vibe I needed right now. I’d LOVE this to be made into a film adaption. Thank you so much St Martin’s Press for the ARC 🫶

Katherine Center does it again with this deeply emotional romance. I went into this book blind as I do with authors that I love, and boy was I surprised. The last book I read by her was The Rom-Commers so I expected this book to be similar to that one based on the title.....wrongo!

Katie is a video producer that is facing a downsizing at her company. When she is offered the chance to go to Key West and film a video about a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, she is all in. Did she know what a rescue swimmer was? Did she know anything about the Coast Guard? Could she locate Key West on a map? No to all of the above, matter of fact she didn't even know how to swim. Fake it till you make it right? Go big or go home.

Katie finds more than just love on this trip. I want to buy this book and give one to every woman that I know. We could all use a book like this in our life.

I loved Katie and her quirky nervous chatter. Of course we have to talk about Hutch, my new favorite book boyfriend. The banter and chemistry between these two were so good.

The side characters were just as good as the main characters. From Aunt Rue and all of her color and her belief that people do not need mirrors and that you should dress in what makes you feel good. To Cousin Beanie that never stops trying and supporting. We all could use a Rue and Beanie in our life. I also cannot forget about the adorable great Dane George Bailey! I had a large dog just like this one, the scenes with him were so accurate to a very large dog.

My only complaint. I did not want it to end. I could have read many more chapters filled with all of these characters. Such a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this title. This is my very honest review.

Katherine Center's The Love Haters is more than a rom-com; it's a heartfelt journey of self-love, courage, and second chances, wrapped in a beautifully written, laugh-out-loud romance set in the sun-drenched paradise of Key West. This book is a testament to why Center remains a favorite for readers who want their romance with depth, humor, and a touch of magic.

The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer who's had a rough couple of years— thanks to her viral rock-star ex-fiancé, cruel internet trolls, and lingering body image issues. Now, to save her job, she's assigned to create a Coast Guard recruitment video featuring the ruggedly handsome rescue swimmer Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. There's just one problem: Katie can't swim, and Hutch has a reputation as a grumpy, love-averse loner.

The setup for Katie and Hutch's relationship is filled with tension, charm, and plenty of laughs. From Katie's awkward swim lessons to splinters-in-embarrassing-places mishaps, the humor is delightfully balanced with deeper themes of vulnerability, bravery, and healing. Hutch, while initially aloof, reveals himself to be a golden retriever in grumpy-guy clothing— loyal, kind, and deeply thoughtful.

One of the book's standout features is the supporting cast. Rue, the wise and eccentric motel owner, and her vibrant group of friends,
"The Gals," bring wisdom, humor, and heart to the story. Hutch's Great Dane, George Bailey, is a scene-stealer, and Katie's best friend Beanie is a guiding light of self-love and positivity. The relationships among these characters-platonic, familial, and romantic-add richness to the narrative.

The Love Haters is not just a love story between two people but also a celebration of self-acceptance. Katie's journey to love herself after years of criticism and self-doubt is as empowering as it is relatable. Katherine Center handles themes like body positivity and overcoming trauma with sensitivity and hope.

The romance itself is a delightful slow burn, filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and swoon-worthy moments. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is electric, and their love story feels earned, genuine, and deeply satisfying.
True to Katherine Center's style, the book also delves into heavier topics-grief, unresolved family tensions, and the courage it takes to confront the past. Yet it never loses its sense of humor or warmth, making it a joy to read from start to finish.

Highlights:
* A vibrant setting in Key West, which practically becomes a character itself.
* Laugh-out-loud humor balanced with emotional depth.
* Themes of bravery, self-love, and forgiveness.
* A lovable supporting cast, from the quirky Rue to the adorable George Bailey.
* A powerful Author's Note that will leave readers reflecting on love, vulnerability, and the romance genre.


In summary, The Love Haters is a must-read that will have you laughing, crying, and falling in love alongside its characters. Whether you're a longtime Katherine Center fan or new to her work, this book will leave you with a full heart, a smile on your face, and perhaps even a fresh perspective on yourself.

Verdict:
Pre-order this one, add it to your TBR, and prepare to devour it in one sitting. Katherine Center has done it again-delivering a story that's as entertaining as it is transformative.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and while I loved the book and was sad when it ended, there were some areas that fell short. This is still a great romance read and loved how Katie felt like a friend that was telling me the story directly (not like I was reading something an author wrote).

I wish there was more back story of the characters. We hear Katie mentioning her body image is due to her step mother, but we never really experience where their relationship is now. This book could have explored themes of needing to cut toxic family members out of their lives and new found family. This could have given even more depth to Beanie, who seemed to be a supportive sidekick that was just waiting for Katie to call and talk off the ledge. Exploring heavier themes in rom-coms are what makes me love Katherine's writing so much. I feel like this book could have gone a bit deeper.

Additionally, I despised Cole's character. It seemed like he was confident that he wouldn't be laid off and that it was up to him on who to cut/save, but nothing said that was correct. In the end it even pivoted where he could have been on the chopping block. Let alone his involvement with the project that he technically turned down when passing it off to Katie. As the book progressed he just kept getting worse and worse. His character really took me out of the story.

Overall, The Love Haters was a quick and easy read that had me wishing I was in Florida.

I love how Katherine Center writes. It's amazing how she can portray her characters' emotions well. Every single book of hers I've read, I've loved. Katherine makes reading so enjoyable. She makes her books fun which makes them easy to read, and easy to connect to. I liked the main characters a lot. Their actions with each other, and how they balance each other out were super cute and rewarding to see. However The Love Haters was super similar to her last book: The Rom-commers, But since I liked her last one I also liked this one.

Katie Vaughn has a LOT going on. Whether it's the layoffs at her company or ex-boyfriend who has exposed her to public humiliation, she's just trying to keep her head above water (yep, that was a pun). So when her colleague Cole passes on an opportunity to her to make recruiting video about the Coast Guard, who cares that she can't swim? Or that she instantly has a crush on the Coast Guard swimmer she's filming?

I recently read and loved the Romcommers, so I was incredibly excited to open the Love Haters. The two explore similar themes (believing in love), but while The Romcommers focused on loving other people, The Love Haters is more intersted in how people learn to love themselves. Katie is a heroine who I think a lot of women can relate to - when asked to describe a feature she loves about herself, her first thought is her earlobes. The Love Haters really covers how Katie learns to love her own body and find comfort in herself - and of course, find a guy as well.

I really enjoyed all the relationships between characters. Not just between Hutch and Katie, although I do appreciate that Center writes relationships where characters actually seem to like each other and have fun together, but between Cole and Hutch, who have some brother stuff to work out, and between Rue and the boys. I would kind of love to see a version of this written from Cole's perspective - where he works through his brother issues and finds love - because it was fun to be immersed in this world, and I wanted to keep hanging out with the characters in the Florida Keys.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the Romcommers or any of Emily Henry's books

Every book Katherine Center publishes just gets better and better and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This was a clean, yet full of chemistry romance between a videographer and a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer that had me laughing out loud and at points shedding some tears. Definitely worth the read!

3.5

I love Katherine Center books but this one wasn't my favorite of hers. Was it still enjoyable and did I read it in 2 days? 100% but it fell a little flat for me.

The romance didn't give off as much chemistry as I wanted. I also really didn't care for the side character Cole and the conflict he brought.

Trigger warning: generational trauma with body insecurity

Katherine Center always draws interest through the careers her characters have. They are always unique and captivating. This time, Katie, is a video/documentary film maker who is sent to follow Hutch, a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer for a USCG promotion video. Problem is, Hutch has been labeled a “Love Hater” by his brother Cole Plus Hutch is very matter of fact with little to say and frowns, a lot. Plus he doesn’t ever do interviews. That won’t make Katie’s work hard, right?

I loved the character development of Katie and Hutch from start to finish. Although, you will fall in love with other characters: Rue (Hutch’s mother figure) and George Bailey, the aloof and toad-loving Great Dane (Hutch’s-men with dogs are always a win in my book).

One little note that bugged me, is that Katie was sent there by her work, but she had to pay for her rental and accommodations. That was weird to me. Not sure why I got hung up on that little part!

Thanks to NetGalley (my first ARC and experience with them) and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Digital Copy.

Katherine Center is a hit or miss author for me, some of her books I can't put down and others I struggle to finish but The Love Haters was one I couldn't put down. The love story between Katie and her body is so touching and thoughtfully written with sincerity and delicate. The characters are lovable and I truly felt like I was in Key West with them all. There is the boss/brother and he was as arrogant as can be but somehow pulls the story together. This was a 5 star read for me.

This was my first Katherine Center book. I’ve got a few on my shelf, and thank goodness, cause I need more of this. The Love Haters was quirky and charming - I loved the mix of humor and wit, trauma and drama, and the big summer vibes (despite it taking place in Autumn).

In the Author’s Note, it says “In the best stories, you’re *in* it. You’re a part of it. It’s happening all around you - and *to* you. You’re not just witnessing the characters, you *are* the characters.” And I was in it. I loved Katie from the beginning. She was relatable, and her backstory was interesting. It was a little random to have the pop star ex-fiance thrown in there other than to add beef to the moments where Katie started doubting herself again. But her journey to start loving herself and her body was beautiful. Hutch was a hottie (probably). Katie’s description of him upon first meeting was one of the best male love interest descriptions I’ve read in a long time. And George Bailey? Stop. This dog is real to me. He’s adorable and his back story and fear of thunder was so sad. The part at the end was tugging my heartstrings for this baby boy.

I finished this book in a day. It’s a quick and fun read, and super funny. The drama with Katie’s boss and “work superior” seemed a little silly and unrealistic - I might have been grinding my teeth at the reasons for not telling Hutch the truth - but it smoothed over quick enough. Overall, really enjoyed the characters and the filmmaking and the exciting search and rescue scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!
Publication Date: 05/20/2025

Let me start by saying Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me. I ADORE her books. That being said, this one fell a little short for me. I feel like I didn't really connect to the FMC Katie or her best friend Beanie whom she only ever talks to on the phone. There were still some funny moments that made me laugh out loud but it lacked dialogue and character development between Katie and the MMC, Hutch. I would have liked more scenes where they're actually talking and hanging out. I did enjoy all the George Bailey scenes but I think the whack-you-on-the-head focus on self love was a bit too much for me. Still couldn't put it down and finished it in a day so would recommend as a quick pool read. The Rom-Commers, Hello Stranger and The Bodyguard are still my favs.

I thought this book was good! This is a rom-com book through and through. There were so many moments where I can see the scene play out in a movie, and I thought those moments were funny. The fmc did annoy me a bit, but it’s a journey she must go through (I guess). The book was still lighthearted while also dealing with a serious submit. Was it the best way to deal with a serious subject? Not entirely, but I personally didn’t think it was bad. Overall, good book and enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-ARC! Didn’t know I needed a Coast Guard romance before reading The Love Haters. Really loved this book, especially the supporting characters of Rue and George Bailey.

Yay Hutch, boo Cole. I don’t love a miscommunication/lie trope so that’s my main dislike of the book. Hope to see it adapted as a rom-com movie. Also, there’s lots of discussions on body image which some may find triggering.

Not spicy.

I absolutely love Katherine Center. Her books have such a mix of fun, poignancy, big feelings, and hard conversations. She always tackles important topics in an accessible way that makes you think while you enjoy the experience. This newest book, The Love Haters, was just as fabulous as all her previous books. It dives into body positivity and eating disorders. It also has a fun beachy Key West vibe- one of my favorite vacation destinations- and she describes it SO well. The characters were enjoyable and layered. I had a challenging time reading this in bed, as is my normal practice, because I kept laughing too hard and waking up my spouse. There were so many fun characters, but the self-help addicted cousin takes the cake!

My favorite quote, "No one is born fearless. You have to earn it."

It is definitely a romance but the strongest and most central relationship to the story is the female lead character's relationship with her own body.