Like always Katherine Center does not disappoint, she gives humor, banter and chemistry that feels natural and believable. I was blushing, kicking my feet and invested the whole time. Katherine Center stays an auto read/buy author for me!

I’m a Katherine Center fan through and through, but unfortunately The Love Haters fell a little flat for me! But Katherine was witty as always, and I did enjoy the banter throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. Publication date May 20, 2025.

We build our lives in moments, and even the ones we can’t remember become the story of who we"

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Her plots center around real life issues making it easy to identify with her charaters and what they are going through. I really liked the way this story centered around loving and accepting yourself to be able to live your best life. I also loved the whitty banter between the characters and the frequent humorous and awkward situations the charaters found themselves in. Made for several chuckle out loud moments.
This book would be good for those who love a clean feel good story. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

🏖️ Book Review 🏖️

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: May 20, 2025

Rating: It was okay!

This was a sweet book that made me wish I was on a beach instead of my couch. I loved how easy the writing was and I found myself turning pages well past my bedtime. The biggest things that didn’t work for me was the plot line and the chemistry.
Hutch and Katie’s chemistry felt nonexistent so when they finally kissed I was feeling indifferent. The plot felt like it was a book of self journey/self love then whiplashed back to trying to force a romance.
Overall, it’s a cute summer read but not my favorite from Center.

For fans of:
🏖️ First person POV
🏊 Single POV
🏖️ Body insecurity
🏊 Meddling grannies
🏖️ Workplace
🏊 Forced proximity
🏖️ Self discovery
🏊 Strangers to friends to lovers
🏖️ No spice
🏊 Key West destination

You can always count on Katherine Center to immerse you in a fun rom-com. This is a wonderful choice to read in the summer especially while sitting on a beach. You won’t be let down if you pick The Love Haters up when you’re looking for a fun read!

This book was captivating! I couldn’t put it down! It was funny, dramatic and romantic. The details about the setting and characters were researched very well. Those details made this story immersive and very enjoyable.

Loved this one. Perfect summer romance. Easy, breezy, and light. I loved George Bailey- his actions were perfect throughout!

Soft DNF at 12%.
Unfortunately, nothing about it is really pulling me in right now. The first chapter kind of turned me off, and the next chapters just felt very info dumpy. I wish the author had woven in the main character’s background trauma more into the story than just throwing it all on the table at once.
I would maybe try this again because I liked the idea, but I’m not feeling it at all right now.

This book was so well written. I felt connected to Katie and related to some of the things she was going through. Her and Hutches relationship was beautiful and how they both didn’t see themselves the way other did but conveyed to each other how they felt. At the end of the book Katie had a realization and I feel like that can be super motivational and impactful to those that relate to this story. Also just reading this story that took place in the Keys was so fun and unlike others that I have read before!



There were a few point where buzz was misspelled as burr talking about Hutches hair and towards the middle of the book it felt like we almost jumped to a point where Katie was telling the story after the fact and not like we were in it with her but that was only there for a couple of paragraphs and switched back to how the rest of the book was.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center is one of my all time favorite authors. This was not my favorite of her books, but I still really enjoyed it.

Katie is trying to save her job when she agrees to do a video of the coast guard and her colleague’s brother Hutch.

I just loved the relationship between Hutch and Katie. He was so patient with her as she filmed what she needed and learned about the coast guard. There’s something about how Center writes relationships that I just loved.

The story got a little convoluted for me when the hurricane hit and Katie was stuck on a houseboat, but otherwise I really enjoyed this story.

The Love Haters was my first Katherine Center book, and it definitely won’t be my last! Katie is a videographer who is sent to Key West to do a promo video for the US Coast Guard, featuring our male main character who is a rescue swimmer. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed and their dynamic. I was a little annoyed by Cole, but the rest of the side characters were a ton of fun. What I especially loved about this book was that it was not just a love story between our main characters, but also our female main character learning to love herself. As someone who has struggled with body image, this really hit home for me. I stayed up way too late to finish reading this because I absolutely couldn’t stop myself. I would definitely recommend this for people who like a fun romance, a little bit deeper exploration of body image and self esteem, and want something not spicy, but cute and romantic.

Katherine Center is a rom-com winner. Hutch and Katie are winners.

Katie is a videographer sent to do her boss's dirty work: making a promotional video featuring his hot, perfect, kind water rescuer brother. But of course, there's a catch. But of course, there is chemistry.

For rom-com lovers, this read is pure joy.

The Love Haters is an adorable forced-proximity rom-com! Katherine Center is the queen of character development, and I certainly fell in love with Katie and Hutch. I wasn't crazy about Cole's character or really any of his plot points, but in my head, Katherine Center can't miss, and I definitely recommend The Love Haters for a fun summer read!

This was my third book by Center and as I’ve come to expect with her romances, it was a story filled with love, sweetness, and hope.

“Something quiet and forgotten and quiet and neglected in my soul got an undeniable dose of healing.”

I really loved the premise being Katie, a video producer who profiles Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Any time a romcom can incorporate a unique backdrop like that, I’m all in. You can tell the research that went into getting both sides of their professions just right and it made for such a fun setting for these two to fall in love! And for my closed door romance readers, add this one to your list. There’s plenty of tension and swoon-worthy moments but the rest remains behind closed doors.

“Having someone stand up for you and then kiss you senseless by the water at sunset is a HELL of a thing.”

Much of the plot is also focused on body positivity which was a nice layer in Katie’s story. There’s plenty of charming side characters to round out the plot. And, a major bonus in any rom com for me is that there’s a dog-this one comes with George Bailey, a Great Dane with his own insecurities and equally adorable quirks. I adored him so much and he’s a big part of the storyline which made it all the more sweeter. 🎧 And when it comes to the audio, Murin was absolute perfection. Her voice work with this cast of characters demonstrates why she’s a must-listen narrator. When you need a story that feels like a hug and a pick me up when life gets hard, read this one!

•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ set in key west, FL
+ rom com with deeper messages
+ closed door romance
+ he’s a coast guard rescue swimmer
+ she’s a video producer
+ Hurricanes
+ a rescue dog named George Bailey
+ charming side characters
+ sibling rivalry
+ forced proximity
+ fake dating & famous ex side plot
+ swimming lessons
+ body positivity
+ when he goes by his nickname

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 20, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Romance • RomCom
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 🎧 Audiobook (10h 33m)
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Patti Murin
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC, @stmartines for my beautiful #gifted finished copy and @macmillanaudio for my ALC!

I think I have read enough of Katherine Center books to say that they are either a hit or a miss for me. This one was unfortunately a miss. That being said, I think it could definitely be one of the summer reading books that you bring to the beach to have something to read but don't expect much romance. It's heavy on the self-esteem and confidence building/body positive vibes. However, there is a lot of comedic scenes because Katie just finds herself in many disastrous situations - most with the hunky Coast Guard rescue swimmer as a captive audience.
The characters were more frustrating than they were fun-loving and likable (obviously fan-fave characters are George Bailey and Rue). Katie let herself get into some really questionable situations and most of them were not that easily explained. Why let people lie about you right in front of you. Hutch is borderline annoying because he is awful at communicating. And his brother, Cole, is just the worst. But the setting of Key West and Rue's little village easily won the show. I would love to be part of that crew and spend my time with them in a brightly colored caftan.

This story follows Katie who needs to save her job and by doing that she needs to take Cole’s request to film his brother, Hutch. Katherine Center is a talented writer and she ate up with this book. I enjoyed the storyline and the writing style just made it great. I love how this isn’t your typical rom-com but it goes deeper into it by featuring self-love. I loved the Key West setting and the different conflicts throughout the book. I loved how the writing felt like I was watching a movie in my head and I can see this becoming a film. This book is only written from Katie’s pov.

Katie needs to keep her job and has had a hard time loving her body. I enjoyed seeing her develop throughout the story and finding love along the way. Then we have Hutch, who has a crush on Katie and is so cute and friendly. I loved seeing his love for Katie develop. Katie’s best friend was also amazing and loved seeing her be Katie’s hype woman. The romance is forced proximity, slow burn, and friends to lovers. This book has been promoting the book as kind of enemies to lovers but I wouldn’t exactly say that. The romance was cute but I do have to say that I wish we got more. It felt rushed toward the end and at the end it was about Katie being happy which I am all here for but I wish we got more of them together.

The ending was well done and overall this is a great book. I recommend checking out this book and other of Center’s books. I love the writing style and how quick they are for the summer. This book is perfect for Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez fans.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

Katherine Center is back with another fun romcom just in time for summer reading! I loved the setting, the characters, the romance - it was all so much fun to read. Key West is one of my favorite places, and this book made me want to visit again ASAP.

The characters were my favorite part of this book. The fact that Katie took a job in the keys doing a feature on a coast guard rescue swimmer even though SHE CAN'T SWIM was a little bit questionable, but I loved her determination to learn and that she faced her fears. She's been through quite a bit over the last few years, and I really like her journey and growth throughout this book. Hutch might be my new favorite book boyfriend, as I just adored him. The real winners were the side characters, though. Rue and the other ladies stole the show, along with Hutch's dog George Bailey. I kind of want to find a crew of older ladies to be besties with now.

One thing that I have mixed feelings about is how much Katie's body dysmorphia was mentioned. I don't think it took away from the story, and it didn't impact my rating of the book. It's just mentioned a LOT and there were a couple times I was like, "Ok, we get it". I, too, have issues with how I see myself and how I look in a bathing suit - having to wear a bathing suit in front of people is terrifying for me. It also might be a trigger for some people. I wouldn't say it went that far for me personally, but it did spark my anxiety a bit. (the author addresses this in a note, fyi)

The hurricane scene towards the end is one of my favorite parts of the book. Having lived through many hurricanes, I can only imagine the fear Katie faces for those hours. I felt my heart rate rising during these chapters!

Overall, this is a fun read with lots of tropical summer vibes!

Thank you to netgalley for providing me this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review! All opinions are my own ❤️

I really liked this one! I liked it was a little bit different from a typical beach read and that the fmc was a video producer and was filming profiles of our mmc, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, who works for the Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. She is taking the videos not necessarily willingly because she will probably lose her job if she doesn’t do this and she is filming her coworker’s BROTHER. She meets his Aunt Rue and his lovable Great Dane, and even forms a deeper relationship with him.

One big part of the book that really turned me off was the fact that she talked about how she was so obsessed with how her body looked and there was legit a whole page of a list of food that she ate with the calories and she made it her whole personality and I just think it was a bit too much for a book that is advertised as a sweet romance. (I am not trying to say that everyone with this is annoying, this is just my opinion of the character)

I think I like The Bodyguard better than this one but I loved how atmospheric it was and I can’t wait to see everyone else’s thoughts on it when it comes out!!

Vibes are giving ☀️👙🍉🛟

I loved this. My 2nd fave of hers (happiness for beginners is my all time fave). The topics and how they were handled light but deep. The self love, the dog, the setting....all great. Highly recommend!

Should you lie about being able to swim when you are asked to video the coast guard? Probably not. Did this start make for a cute story? Yes.

Katie is on the verge of losing her job as a video producer and takes a job for a coworker. This turns into a bit of trouble as she meets Hutch, the main person she is filming, who expects his brother to be the videographer. I love how Katie and Hutch worked through this (grudgingly of course). Hutch and Katie both did a lot of learning and growing throughout the book, which is much appreciated.

However while I enjoyed it, it was missing a bit of the spark that Katherine Center's other books have made me feel.