ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH!! MY FAVORITE BY KATHERINE CENTER! The plot was so good and just fell more in love with the characters as the story went on! The story filled me with so much joy! It was light hearted, funny, cozy, and wholesome!

I loved that I finally got a military romance! It was so cute and different, and that ending!! I won’t post spoilers but I was smiling so hard! I was smitten and in love!

So honored to have read this arc! Highly recommend!

Katherine Center is MY favorite rom-com author. An auto read author for me and she never lets me down. Katie, a video producer is tasked with filming a local Coast Guard hero in Florida. When she arrives she is quickly put in her place with no-interest from said "hero". It is a rom-com after all, so I'm going to let you assume the best under these circumstances.

I thought the relationship in this one was really fun and charming. Some embarrassing situations made me chuckle and I found a smile on my face while staring at my kindle in front of strangers-awkward!

I do have to say that I didn't care for the body image issues nor the extreme weather. Perhaps a bit of a trigger for some people.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center's "The Love Haters" tells the story of Katie Vaughn, a video producer who, after enduring a series of personal and professional setbacks, now faces the prospect of losing her job. When a career-defining opportunity arises to profile Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, she jumps at the chance. The catch? She can’t swim. As Katie finds herself immersed in Hutch's world—alongside his colorful Aunt Rue and rescue dog, George Bailey, —she becomes entangled in a web of lies and complications.

Center’s writing shines through with her vivid depiction of Key West and the Starlite. It made me wish I could step into this sun-soaked, quirky setting. Who wouldn’t want to hangout with Aunt Rue and the Gals, who not only sound like a blast, but also added warmth and charm to the narrative. Then there is George Bailey, the well-meaning “puppy” with astraphobia, who steals every scene he’s in.

What also stood out in The Love Haters is its thoughtful exploration of self-love, a theme that is both refreshing and poignant. I found Katie, as a character, to be truly relatable (who doesn’t remember the internets obsession with thigh gaps?!). She undergoes meaningful personal growth throughout the novel, which I thought added a rich layer to the story.

While the romance between Katie and Hutch had potential, I had trouble connecting to it. It felt like I was being told about it, instead of shown. It made the romance seem rushed, and therefore it was difficult for me to fully invest in their connection. Additionally, the conflict involving Katie’s boss felt a bit juvenile and unrealistic, causing moments of serious frustration.

Overall, while the book didn’t quite meet my expectations, it remains an enjoyable, quick read. I’ll still be recommending it as it may still resonate with readers in search of a lighthearted rom-com that explores themes of self-discovery and empowerment.

Note: As this is an ARC, I hope the final version will include trigger warnings—particularly concerning body dysmorphia and restrictive eating—topics that are addressed in the story. I hope this will be present in the published version.

More like 3.75. I found this overall really charming! I’m not a huge romance reader, but I’ve read a couple of the author’s other books and will continue to read them. I thought the conflict drummed up with Hutch and Cole was kind of stupid and I didn’t think it fit Katie’s character to go along with it, but overall, this was a good book that’s going to appeal a lot of readers.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC

I love all Katherine Center books, but this one missed the mark for me.

1. The first time I got the ick was the scene where Katie finally wore a swimsuit it seemed she felt good in and then Huck immediately freaked out and covered her up. Especially for someone who already has body image issues. It felt to me like he was shaming her, and it felt icky. I know he says later it’s because he was attracted to her, but cmon dude—have some self control and let the girl be confident in her swimsuit!

2. The fact that her supervisor (Cole) lied to everyone and claimed she was his girlfriend, then proceeded to sleep in the same room as her while he was in the Keys, is sooooo icky. And then even more icky that their CEO then proceeded to sleep with HIM. This company needs an HR department. It all felt creepy and weird and like it shouldn’t be happening.

3. The fact that we’re supposed to believe Cole’s fiancé said what she said about Hutch at their rehearsal dinner and then she and Cole still got married?! Like — what?!

4. Katie begging Hutch to give her a goodbye kiss when they haven’t even talked about anything, in front of his coworkers, while he’s evacuating in a helicopter for a hurricane, felt cringey/desperate to me

5. What’s up with the whole Katie song by Lucas thing? I get that it plays into the internet thing that then plays into the body image issues, but it feels weird that he would put out a whole song about her and not even reach out to her at all.

6. Are we really supposed to believe that the US Coast Guard, and Hutch, who supposedly loves Katie, would leave her in the ocean when she doesn’t really know how to swim and rescue the dog first?! He literally said “I’ll try like hell to come back, but it’s the pilot’s call.” There wasn’t even a “what the heck were you thinking for not evacuating” or “thank God you’re alive! i’m so proud of you for not panicking out here!” — 0 passion and an allusion to potentially leaving her there?!


And we barely got any time/dialogue with Hutch and Katie actually together. I found most of this book to be cringey and problematic. You reaaaaaally had to suspend reality, and I didn’t find most of the characters to be likeable, except for Beanie and Rue. This one just wasn’t for me, and I really wanted it to be :(

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

"The Love Haters" by Katherine Center is a fun romantic comedy that takes place in the Florida Keys. There is humor, emotion, personal growth, and a little romance. This is another great novel by Katherine Center!

this was so cute!! I absolutely loved the banner between the two main character as well as the dog! This was super fast paced, cute romance with some real life issues brought up throughout the story. My first read Kathrine center book did not disappoint!

I must say I am usually Katherine Center’s biggest fan, I have loved all of her books so far and while I really enjoyed The Love Haters, I wish there was more to Katie and Hutch’s story and maybe one less side story. I must say I was super excited to read a story about two people who have sworn off love falling in love and that aspect of the story did not disappoint. I love the main character Katie getting over her past insecurities on a tropical island and really incorporating that, not always by choice, into her previously muted life. Hutch will most likely go on to be a favorite MMC of mine, much like all of Katherine Center’s other leading men.

Overall, despite wanting a bit more of their love story, I give it a solid 4 out of 5.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ || 🌶️

This book was back and forth between 3 and 4 ⭐️ for me. The FMC had such issues with body dysmorphia and it seemed to be the premise of the first 25% of the book. I totally get tackling that issue, but it seemed like such a large part of the story.

Now let’s talk about Rue and Hutch ❤️❤️ Ughhh I loved them both so so much!

Rue is the mother / aunt figure that everyone needs in life - so full of color and charisma!

Hutch was definitely a cinnamon roll MMC and I loved everything about him. He definitely gave Kevin Costner in the Guardian vibes 😍

This was the first Katherine Center book I’ve read, and it kind of missed the mark for me. However! I will give another one of her books a try!

Another beautiful and inspiring Katherine Center book for the win! The writing and themes in this book are reminiscent of Center’s first novel, Everyone is Beautiful. This book had humor, romance, found family moments, and worthwhile lessons for the reader to learn.

This novel follows video producer Katie as she is sent to Florida for a job to create a recruiting video for the U.S. Coast Guard. Still healing from childhood traumas and a failed engagement, Katie is unsure how to feel about her new assignment, where she will be required to swim — which she doesn’t know how to do. When Katie comes face to face with Hutch, her coworker’s estranged brother and the subject of her new film, Katie must confront her insecurities and her ever growing feelings for Hutch.

This book was actually hilarious. It made me think (on numerous occasions) “it can’t possibly get any worse for Katie, right??” BUT IT DID! Center handled these moments with enough humor and levity, though, to make you laugh at Katie while rooting for her at the same time.

This book took a while to get started, but once it did, it held my attention. I immediately loved all the characters, particularly Hutch and Rue. The setting added a lot to the plot.

Center also addressed a lot of great topics in the book: how to heal from childhood trauma, body/weight insecurities, how to love yourself no matter what, etc. I thought the overall message of the book was very inspirational!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Love Haters absolutely delivered on the rom-com vibes and even went a bit deeper with the idea of self-love and allowing yourself to just experience life! I devoured this in one day and enjoyed the laughter & tears that came with this story.

Katie and Hutch have been deemed love haters by themselves and others but for very different reasons. These two are easy to fall for as they have a perfect balance of heavy and sweet moments. Their banter was great and seeing their relationship evolve through the quiet and mundane moments of life was refreshing. They also face the universe interfering in the best and worst ways possible, and it’s just the perfect way to drive home the idea of just “experiencing life” as it is happening.

Katie’s journey of self love and acceptance of herself was done with such grace by Katherine. I loved how the side characters help her to grow and love herself in some of the most bizarre ways! Hutch and Katie aren’t not he same journey but as Katie works to break down his tough exterior we see him start to slowly grow by letting someone disrupt his orderly life and see all the parts of him, someone he may have never shared before.

Love Haters is a love letter to ourselves mixed with a slow burn and perfect forced proximity setup. It was a delight to read and absolutely what I needed from a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review!

Katie is a filmmaker who was jilted a year ago by her fiance and stuck making corporate commercials. When her superior tries to save her position at work by sending her to film a Coast Guard promo video, she is thrust into a new culture and new city, and her world collides with Hutch Hutcheson. Hutch is a Coast Guard member and a "love hater" - according to his brother, he only cares about working out and saving people, not about feelings and family. I loved the story of Hutch and Katie, of his aunt and her friends, of Katie's relationship with her cousin, and of Katie's relationship with herself. Not only was this a beautiful love story, but the story of her body image issues hit home for me. Highly recommend!!

I always forget how much I love Katherine Center until I read another KC book. As much as I love "throw me against the wall" romance books, I always appreciate the clean, good romance that she writes about. The ending was a little far fetched for me, but also fit right into this book! I will be recommending this one as a summer romance TBR! I also started Googling Key West vacations after I finished this book! :)

4.5**



“The Love Haters" by Katherine Center is an absolute gem of a book! From the first page, you're drawn into a world where love and hate intertwine in the most unexpected ways. Center's writing is both witty and heartfelt, making it impossible to put the book down. The characters are richly developed, each with their own quirks and complexities, which makes their journeys all the more engaging. The plot is full of surprising twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, while also delivering profound messages about relationships, forgiveness, and personal growth. Overall, it's a beautifully crafted story that will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished reading.Highly recommend!

I read this in one day, so that’s clearly something. So much to love about this, including the body positivity that our main character and the heartwarming connection between the brothers that were finally realized.

The climactic event jumped the shark a little, but what is good fiction reading without suspending belief? Some of the supporting characters stole the show, most especially Rue and The Gals. I absolutely recommend this one and I remain a Katherine Center fan!

This book felt like a big warm hug and sometimes you just want to read the HEA, sweet romance books.

The Love Haters delivers a heartwarming and deeply enriching read that is bound to leave you with a smile long after you turn the last page. Unlike your typical romance novel, The Love Haters offers a fresh take on love—not just romantic love, but self-love and healing. At its core, it’s a story about personal growth, self-acceptance, and finding strength in the most unexpected places. While there is certainly a romance between the main characters, the real journey here is the protagonist’s path toward loving herself. I might have also fallen in love with Rue and the gals plus the best dog, George Bailey.

* Closed door romance
* Coast Guard MMC
* Found family
* Slow burn
* Trigger warning: Body dysmorphia/mentions of an ED

And let me just say, do not skip the author’s note at the end. It adds an extra layer of depth to the story and gave me even more appreciation for the journey the characters (and Katherine herself) take.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Wow!!! With Katherine Center, I know exactly what I’m gonna get but the nuance and how everything plays out still surprises and delights me.

Spice: 🌶️ 1 out of 5 (no spice, just kisses)
⚠️ content/trigger warnings at the bottom (slight spoiler but important)

The love haters is a story of both loving another person and learning to love yourself. It’s a fast paced rom-com filled with wisdom, humor, heart, and action. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Above all, it made me think about my relationship to myself and pay attention to how I can better love my body, and that made it all the more powerful of a story.

Katie is a documentary filmmaker tasked with going to Florida and making a recruitment video for Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Her main subject is Hutch who gained internet fame for heroically saving a dog (and his general handsomeness). Only problem? Katie can’t swim. And because of body image issues, she’s afraid of putting on a one-piece swimsuit. But she’s gotta face her fears because her job is on the line.

When Katie gets to Florida, she meets Hutch’s eccentric yet loving aunt and “the gals”, a gang of retired widows, who suck Katie into their orbit and shower love on her. They were such fun characters! Another notable character is Hutch’s Great Dane, George Bailey! 🐶 If you’re like me and you love Found Family, you’ll adore this book.

There’s a scene where Katie falls into the water, panics, then calms herself down, kicks up to the surface and starts treading water, then Hutch grabs her and swims her to shore. I feel like that’s a good metaphor for the book itself. She rescues herself and he comes along and makes things a bit easier. I loved seeing Katie and Hutch’s relationship blossom and grow, but what I enjoyed most was seeing Katie find her confidence on her own.

I can’t gush about this book enough. Just go pick it up!!
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⚠️ Content/trigger warnings: disordered eating, body image issues, cyber bullying, physical altercation, being stranded on a boat during a hurricane, brief description of a fatal car crash, death of parents, mild language

Thanks so much to @netgalley for the ARC! I’ve read a few books by Katherine Center now and I am quickly falling in love with her writing.

The Love Haters was such a great story and I was hooked right away. Katie is in danger of getting laid off so she agrees to go to Florida and record a video to recruit people to join the Coast Guard. One catch…Katie can’t swim! Is that a problem?

The center of the video, Hutch, is a great looking guy that happened to rescue Jennifer Aniston’s dog but also happens to hate love. Katie is also staying at his aunt’s vacation resort and constantly attacked by his Great Dane.

This story is charming, funny, and dramatic. It’s a must read!

I really enjoyed reading this book! Most of the characters were engaging and likable, but at times it felt like there were too many without enough depth or development. The first half was absolutely fantastic—captivating and well-paced—but the second half felt a bit rushed, leaving me wishing for more detail and resolution.

I appreciated the positive themes of self-love and the thoughtful exploration of body image issues. However, I think it would be helpful to include a disclaimer at the beginning, as these topics might be sensitive for some readers.

Overall, it was a great read with an important message. Despite some pacing issues, it’s a story I would recommend!

If Katherine Center writes it I'm reading it! I have read almost everything by this author and this one didn’t disappoint! I loved the characters so much!