Katherine Center always delivers a hilarious, sweet, and very cooky read. Her characters are definitely quirky, which sometimes takes some getting used to, as well as the way she breaks the 4th wall. But the humor is always a perfect palate cleanser and the careers of her characters are always fun and unique. Definitely perfect Spring/Summer reading.

Thank you to Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Stayed up past my bedtime to finish this one and Hutch is definitely Glen Powell right? Like I pictured him the ENTIRE time on the helicopter cause of that scene in Anyone But You. Yeah no, I think it’s 5 stars because of Glen Powell. I love Katherine Center and I’ll read all of her books. I wanna fall in love with a coast guard swimmer and move to key west and manage a little bnb on the beach with my rescue dog, ARE YOU KIDDING ME

The Love Haters was a rom-com lovers dream with sunshine and an island. It had two people that were both carrying a lot of baggage and was written with this authors signature humor.

I loved the deeper themes, grief, self image, and the struggle of showing up fully in your own life. I love that Katherine Center’s books aren’t just rom-coms and always have deeper themes. There was a bit too much focus on Katie’s body image and I think it’s important to say that a woman doesn’t need a man to feel beautiful.

If you’re in the mood for a rom-com, this one’s for you!

A cute summer romance! It was an enjoyable read, but just didn't hit as hard as Katherine's previous books.

This is my second book by Katherine Center and she is fast becoming a new favorite of mine. I had been in a reading slump for months, but this book kicked me out of that and I absolutely devoured it!

Her books are light and fun, but full of characters with so much heart. I could tell from the first chapter I was going to love this one, and I was right. Could not recommend this one enough for anyone looking for the perfect romance to read on the beach this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
1.5 stars. This one was rough... This story was ultimately very frustrating and a bit uncomfortable. This was not my first KC, and I had gone into this based on the description, her previous work, and the cover, expecting a fun, lovely romcom. Instead, this book was HEAVY more often than not. To start, there is a great deal of discussion about eating disorders and body image, and I'm not sure that everyone picking this up will grasp the sheer volume of it within this. The first half is highly focused on that, and it was very difficult to be within the FMC's (Katie) head. It is the majority of her personality and it is graphic. I see what KC was attempting, but it almost felt like Katie wasn't always against it which felt unpleasant and it was handled oddly. I was shocked that there were no trigger warnings at the start of the book (unsure if this was added with the final publication). This story had some odd pacing, and I felt like the conflicts were stacked on top of each other, and resolved super quick. I questioned where we were going a handful of times.
The pacing of the relationship between the FMC and MMC (Hutch) felt like it was moving towards a breakthrough, and then truly one of the most infuriating conflicts I've ever read happened. It absolutely angered me. The side character who appears ended up being rude, sleazy, and unhinged and treats Katie & Hutch terribly. I am fine with a villain, but this felt like they were immediately forgiven for some truly insane and lifelong actions. That completely threw away any chemistry between the MCs and we spent so much time with them minimally interacting. I really don't think it was an effective vehicle for any relationship growth. We get a reveal of another life event centered on grief, but it felt so sudden and then we resolved it unrealistically fast. Katie's thoughts and actions during this plot line also felt very selfish and lacked agency, and she came off juvenile. Hutch dealt with the craziness that occurred far better than I would have.
There is another conflict and climax to the story near the end, but by then I didn't feel invested in the MCs connection. I would have preferred if the side conflict from before hadn't happened and maybe we saw some more romance and interaction before this "big ending". A lot of the FMC's inner thoughts about the MMC were physical appearance focused and I wanted her to go further.
I loved Rue and the Gals. Rue felt like a person I could visualize and she added levity. I also loved George Bailey the Great Dane of course. I liked Hutch, but I'm not sure I could describe him with depth.
Lastly, I'll say that the setting of this was beautifully described, and I enjoyed that Katie got to a place of accepting her body, with the help of her friend and the MMC. I am glad that Hutch let go of the guilt he was carrying as well. All in all, this one had a mixed bag of characters, and was a miss for me.

I am a lover of Katherine Center books and this one did not disappoint! It was super cute and I really loved the main characters, as well as the side characters, dog included. The setting was so cute, quirky and enjoyable for me. The idea that you can be an enemy-to-lover with your own self was really well thought out and well written in this story in my opinion and I ended up appreciating that aspect of the story more than I’d thought.

💛Video journalist x Coast guard rescue swimmer
🩷Key West setting
💛Grumpy x Sunshine
🩷Found family
💛Body positivity

Love Haters by Katherine Center is a heartwarming, witty exploration of love, self-discovery and the power of friendship.

I enjoyed this beautiful story, it is an emotional and uplifting journey of healing, self-acceptance and ultimately love.

Thank you Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely voluntary and my own.

I really liked the concept of this book and thought the pacing was great. The standout characters were definitely Aunt Rue and the “Gals.” They brought so much fun and humor to the story & I honestly could’ve read an entire book just about them!

That said, I was genuinely disappointed by the lack of a trigger warning for the body image themes early on. There was a lot of focus on body size and appearance that felt excessive and, at times, uncomfortable. I was extremely close to DNFing because of it. While that commentary tapered off a bit as the story progressed—and I did want to see how things ended—I think readers deserve a heads-up going in.

The ending was borderline chaos with how rushed it was, but I’m glad I finished it.

DNF @ 45%.

USUALLY when I DNF a book, it's me and not the book. This time it's probably 25% me, and 75% the book. This book deals with weight and internet bullies. A LOT. Like "a major part of the plot," a lot. If I had been aware of how triggering it would be going in I probably wouldn't have downloaded it. And this ARC did not have a TW list in the beginning, so I don't even know how many other people went in blind. Normally I love KC, but this one is a major miss for me.

Great summer Rom-com! Loved these characters and could totally relate to the female main characters body image issues. My favorite character of all though was the Great Dane! What a perfect addition to the chaos that ensued. I received this book through netgalley for an honest review and also bought a copy because it’s a beautiful book, sprayed edges and all.

This was such a cute read! I loved the summer rom com and it made me giggle at times. I was really into this story!

Hoping that the author has a Trigger Warning page at the start of the book, since it touches on some sensitive subjects such as body image. However, the story is pretty cute - Katie is a video producer that gets the opportunity to profile Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. Just one thing: Katie can’t swim. She happens to befriend Rue, who does have a swim instructor - who happens to be Hutch. After some lies, stolen kisses, drama, and a huge Great Dane rescue named George Bailey, there were some happy endings. This is the first book I’ve read by Katherine Center, so I’m looking forward to checking out some of her other books.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Love Haters by Katherine Center. I give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

The Coast Guard needed a new recruiting film and Katie has been given the job. There's just one problem, she can't swim. She didn't exactly lie, she just didn't divulge that information. When she gets to Key West, she gets a place to stay with a quirky older lady named Rue who just happens to be the aunt of the man she is to interview and shadow for her film, Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. Of course, Rue spills the beans that Katie needs to learn to swim in a few days, not knowing her dilemma. Not only that, but Hutch is gorgeous and swoonworthy and Katie is deathly afraid to put on a bathing suit. How is this going to work out?

First of all, I love Katherine Center and have read almost all of her books. She has a way with love stories that gives such a comforting vibe that I just can't put them down. The Love Haters, however, was not all I was hoping. This is a rom com, but it was a little over the top chaotic. Crazy things just kept happening to Katie. She had also experienced trauma in her past that resulted in an eating disorder and body dysmorphia, and I felt that this aspect of the story could have been given more care. The romance had its moments, but I wasn't as taken with it as I have been with other couples this author has written. Overall, I liked it, I just didn't love it. Even though The Love Haters is not my favorite, I will continue to read what Katherine Center writes because I love her perspective on telling love stories and I know she will write more that I will love.

yes, i did indeed cry like 5 separate times!!!

one thing about me, i love a kc book! katherine’s books are so special and just make me FEEL. i resonate so strongly with so many of her characters— she truly captures the human experience so perfectly.

katie, hutch, and the love haters were no different. katie’s self love journey with her body, the brotherly relationship between hutch & cole, RUE AND THE LADIES, GEORGE BAILEY. katherine said it best herself, this book truly is just about all different types of love.

this book was funny, poignant, heartwarming, and had the perfect amount of tropical vibes to start off my summer reads!

AND her author’s note??? katherine just GETS IT. the essence of romance and importance of storytelling. she is so in tune with the ‘why’ of it all. i love her so much.

thank you netgalley & st. martin’s press for the arc!

Katherine Center never disappoints! This may be my favorite book of hers yet. The characters were fun and likeable. I would recommend this book to anyone!

This is the first title I have read by Katherine Center, and I don't think her writing is for me. The narration style is first person, speaking directly to the reader, and is completely telling instead of showing. Beyond that, the story was completely overwhelmed by body image issues and disordered eating. The narrative was so trapped inside Katie's head, it felt like the rest of the story was glimpsed through tunnel vision.

The overarching message isn't terrible, but therapy seems much more reasonable and healthy than Katie putting herself in a life-threatening situation to have the revelation that it's okay for her thighs to touch. Hutch seemed more interesting, but he and the romance were a distant background. Even a toad gets more coverage in the epilogue than their relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Love Haters was such a fun summer romance read! Katie Vaughn is a video producer who was tasked to travel to Key West to film a video for the Coast Guard by her boss, Cole. The issue at hand is that she cannot swim and is not 100% prepared for what filming the video entails. Katie also finds out that the main lead of the video is also Cole's brother, Hutch. Cole and Hutch are currently not speaking to each other. Katie convinces Hutch to prepare her to film the video by offering to connect Hutch with his brother. During this time period, sparks fly between Katie and Hutch.
I really enjoyed this book. It was light and easy beach read. I would give it four stars. I liked the premise of it and the two main characters. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for a free review. Out now!

2.5 stars, rounded down.

I have loved past Katherine Center books, but I just don’t think this one was for me.

Katie Vaughn gets a job filming Hutch and the coast guard swimmers for a promo video. The catch is she doesn’t actually know how to swim.

Very cute premise, the story just didn’t really deliver.

Katie has significant body insecurity following her last relationship that has really morphed into a number of “phobias” now. Which I would have been open to reading about more, but it felt it was never fully addressed and more surface level.

The romance felt very weirdly paced and I never truly bought into their development (felt a bit insta love).

I did love her friendship with her cousin, that was truly beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'm a big fan of Katherine Center's books having read all but a few. This one was a fun story as Katie, a journalist, is sent to do a story on a heroic Key West Coast Guard officer who made a famous rescue of a dog. The future of her job is riding on this but she doesn't know how to swim, a requirement. As one knows, you always say yes and figure out the detail later. But, as always, there are surprises along the way - Hutch is handsome and much more talkative than she was told, Katie's boss is Hutch's brother (who turned down the story and opted for one of his team to do it, foreshadowing), and the brothers' aunt is the owner of the hotel where Katie is staying and turns in her fairy godmother of sorts. As with all Katherine Center stories, there is fun, misunderstandings, love and happiness in the end. This one doesn't disappoint.