[3.5 Stars😊] I'm a big fan of Katherine Center's writing and sense of humor. The Love Haters though, was an unfortunate miss(ish) for me. I thought the overall story was a fun one and I loved the premise of a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and a short film/documentary maker--all set in Key West, FL. The escapism was so much fun, and, of course, Katherine Center brought that sense of humor I love so much. There were so many times where I laughed out loud while reading this book, and the side characters added an overall light-hearted element to The Love Haters.

However, the romance wasn't there for me. I didn't think it developed enough over the course of the story, and I didn't pick up on the tension between the Katie and Hutch. I thought they had a connection and the elements of a great romance were there, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The story went a little bit off the rails at times, too, with Katie's hyper-fixation on her body, and the last 20% of the book felt like it came out of left field. The miscommunication twist was unnecessary and, honestly, I think that it was a missed opportunity to deepen the emotional connection between Katie and Hutch.

With all this being said, I still enjoyed the overall story. It was a good Katherine Center book, but I've also read some GREAT books from her, and I was expecting more out of The Love Haters. Am I still a believer in Katherine Center? Absolutely! But The Love Haters won't be the first book I recommend by her either. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

+Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the ARC of The Love Haters!
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Details:
💘Contemporary romance
>>>🎖️Military romance
>>>🎈Romantic comedy
>>>👔Workplace romance
👀Single, first-person POV
🥀Third act breakup (Yes-ish)
✈️Travel
🙌Would re-read

Tropes and Characters:
🪢Family ties
📍Forced proximity
>>>🛏️Only one bed
🤐Secrets

Spice:
🧨Slow burn
🌸Spice: None (no explicit content)
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Excellent to Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Very Good to Great (4.25-4.50)
😊Good to Really Good (3.50-4.00)
🙂Just OK to Decent (2.75-3.25)
😒It's A No (1.00-2.75)
🚫DNF

"Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can. Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!"

I've enjoyed Katherine Center's other books and this one is not an exception! Plus the setting is in Florida? Sign me UP, STAT! It definitely gives off summer/beachy vibes and is the perfect summer read, especially if you love KC like I do!

Katie truly faked it until she made (?) it! She found herself in the middle of her coworkers family drama (BIG, no strike that, HUGE YIKES!!!), but the plot was pretty straight and narrow the entire time & easy to follow! I don't want to give too much away, so just read it yourself!

Probably one of my favorite things in this is that Katie finds that confronting your fears IS worth it & that embracing your worth is such a beautiful, yet hard thing to do. (think of it like a roller coaster, in terms of truly finding out who you are as a person!)

Tropes Included:
🌴Touch Her and Die
❌Fake Dating
❤️‍🩹Caretaking
🛏️Only One Bed
💛Body Positivity
🌴🌞Location: Key West, FL
💬Witty Banter
💛Workplace Romance

KC shares in her Author’s Note that she loves to write stories about healing & I truly felt like you got a lot of that from this book!

HUGE thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy of this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love how when I was reading this book, at times, I felt like I was learning something.

Katie's lying in the beginning was a little too much for me, but it seemed to work out well for her. She was able to work with the delicious Hutch and get to do what she loves at the same time. Her low body confidence is a big part of this book, but does seem to get better.

I will say that I loved some of the side characters in this book. Even though I didn't love the main characters as much as I hoped.

The pacing of this story was a little strange. It was good in the beginning but the end was too rushed.

Overall, a cute story. Not one I think I will remember forever, but cute.

3.5 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of Katherine Center's latest!

I have to start this review by saying that I love Katherine Center. I think her writing is entertaining and goes beyond the typical romance in incorporating heavier topics in meaningful ways (i.e. dealing with grief in The Rom-Commers). I really appreciated and agree with all the sentiments included in her author's note for this book, but this one just wasn't for me. I think that says more about me than the actual book. The body image issues were handled well (in my fully non-expert opinion), but Katie's struggles were too much a reminder about how much we feel we need to pay attention to our physical appearance. Because of this (and one truly unlikeable character who had no redeeming qualities even when he was supposed to have been partially redeemed #IYKYK), the books wasn't really as much as an escape from reality and I just couldn't get into it.

All that being said, I think George Bailey is one of the greatest characters of all time and the action at the end of the book DID have me hooked! Looking forward to what Katherine Center does next. :-)

DNF

No matter how hard I try, I'm surprised I made it 40% of the way through the book. It wasn't for me.

The Love Haters was an enjoyable listening experience with a fun story and some things to think about. Katie Vaughn is a video producer and the company she works for will be cutting staff. She is offered the opportunity to keep her job by heading to Florida and make a video profiling Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. He's a coast guard rescue swimmer in Key West, who wants to remain low key. Apparently there was a viral video of him saving Jennifer Aniston's dog and he isn't pleased with his infamy. There is only one big problem, she can't swim, and will have to prove she can in order to go out on the boat and train with him. Of course spending time together is bound to have some feelings develop between them, but both Katie and Hutch have been burned by love and have no desire to get involved with anyone. Katie also finds out that her immediate boss, Cole and Hutch are brothers who don't get along. Once she arrives in Key West, she meets their colorful aunt Rue who takes her under her wing when her luggage is lost, and Hutch's rescue Great Dane, who seems to immediately love her and listen only to her or Hutch. Lying about being able to swim causes some issues, but Hutch helps her out there. There is a lot going on in this one, so buckle up when you start it.

Katherine Center's books always have an issue that one or more of her characters are dealing with and in this book it is Katie's body issues. She is always worried about how she looks and what others will think. That is what caused some of her heartbreak. Being a plus sized woman myself, I was worried about this, but I thought the author did a great job with it. Unfortunately, our society often body shames and causes these feelings to develop, so bringing it front and center is realistic in my opinion. Katie is someone who is really good at her job, but she likes to fade into the back in her dull, dark colours, so it was fun to see Rue and her gals dress her up in bright colours and bring her front and center. George Bailey, Hutch's rescued Great Dane is also a star in this story. Something he does almost caused a tragedy, but you'll have to read it to find out what that is. Hutch is a great character, as described in the story, a gorgeous male hero, who is excellent at his job and wants his family to get back together. He was so helpful with Katie when she had to learn to swim, jump out of a helicopter and more, but humble. This story has themes of body acceptance, family drama, forgiveness, reconciliation, taking chances, honesty and romance. Although I enjoyed the story a lot, the ending was a bit over the top, but pulled all the threads together.

Set in the Florida Keys, Katie gets sent to FL to help produce profile on the Coast Guard and Hutch. While I normally love Katherine Center and all she does this book didnt work for me. I struggled to care about Katie and Hutch's relationship as well as there felt as if there was too much going on at time between the famous ex, the body image, the fake relationship it all felt over the top and forced. I absolutely loved the side characters and the setting and will continue to read what Katherine Center does next!

I was very excited to get an advanced copy of The Love Haters because Katherine Center is an automatic read author for me. I have so many thoughts about this book and the more I think on it, the more things bother me.

Katie and Hutch were cute, I'll give it that. I absolutely LOVED Rue's character and George Bailey? We love a gentle giant.

But I feel like the body loving storyline was overdone. We get it, Katie is overcoming her obstacles and has to learn to love herself, but this went over the top. Literally EVERYTHING about Cole was obnoxious. I don't see why Katie would ever agree to go along with his lies. And then the big drama at the end felt like it came out of absolutely no where.

Overall did I enjoy this and read it pretty quickly? Yes - it was cute and an easy read. But as far as a KC read, this was unfortunately pretty low on my list.

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

I think I have loved all of Katherine's books - and this one is no exception! I will be getting a physical copy to add to my collection of the rest of her books for sure. I am a sucker for a good love story and this one even included a dog so there's a plus! I would recommend packing this one up in your beach bag this summer for sure!

Looking for a new rom-com to read this summer? Then don’t sleep on this one!

This book is a breath of fresh air. It’s fun to read from the first page to the last. Full of fun, lovable characters, drama, and romance, it is the perfect summer book!

I absolutely loved it, and read it almost in one sitting. As always, it was a cute, sweet, memorable book.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from the publisher and author through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

Like all of Center’s novels, this was incredibly sweet. I love her slightly ridiculous plot lines paired with tender and earnest interactions with people. I thought some of the scenes were a little annoying but then also found myself laughing out loud (especially Cole’s dialogue). Another really wonderful book by Center that I definitely recommend.

I thought The Love Haters was going to be a romance book, but it feels like it's more of a women's fiction. I gave it the requisite 50 pages for shorter books and it's a DNF for me. The FMC's body issues were not what I signed up for. Her inability to swim, but then lying about it to get this youtube type job sent me over the edge. That's a safety issue not only for her, but for anyone else in the water with her. And I just couldn't get that out of my head. I made it to 18% of the arc and we just finally got the MMC. For a book that's just over 300 pages, that feels like a very late introduction.

And then the writing. I've only read one other Katherine Center book and I don't have very clear memories of it, other than I enjoyed it. But the Love Haters is just full of short choppy sentences, with short choppy paragraphs. It feels simple and it's obviously designed as a quick beach read. But the FMC's self-esteem issues didn't fit in with the simple writing and it just allowed me to completely gloss over the fact that she needs a job and therapy, not a romance. And that's where I threw in the towel.

The Love Haters just wasn't going to work for me. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the arc for review purposes.

Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors and is an automatic read for me.


This book was especially enjoyable as we followed the main female character, Katie, as she takes on a challenging work assignment in order to prevent losing her job.

She's also dealing with previous heartbreak. And a lack of confidence in her body. As cute as this romance was, I do think the bigger story was Katie learning to love herself and learn to not be a love hater.

I do recommend this book for anyone who loves rom coms and women's fiction.

thank you to the publisher and net galley for the arc.

You can always count on Katherine Center to deliver a heartfelt romance filled with humour and an emotional undertone that pulls on your heartstrings.

What to expect:
- worplace-ish: video producer and the man she's profiling
- hate to love (hence the title!)
- banter that will have you laughing out loud!
- slow burn, closed-door romance
- FMC's realistic struggle with body image and self-doubt
- fun side characters, including a cutie pooch!

I look forward to seeing what Katherine Center writes as I am often entertained and usually really appreciate the FMC in the novels. While I wasn't as enamored with the FMC as some of the past ones, the love interest and side characters made up for it. I absolutely would LOVE more of the older women community in Key West and their stories as they all seemed SUPER interesting and I love their found family. This one was good, but not great. I still will absolutely devour any novel written by Center and am already looking forward to her next one (probably a backlist as I don't know if I can wait for her next new release!)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mrs Katherine could publish her grocery list and I would read it, no questions asked! What an absolute treat this book was. I have to admit a little different from her other love stories. I loved the way she carefully portrait body image and self love and at the same time weaving relatable love story. Having lived in Miami it was a huge plus to have this set in the Keys which contributed to loving way more the story. As amazing as always!

I generally enjoy Katherine Center’s books but I found these characters so incredibly irritating. I totally get body image issues caused by trauma but I felt it was almost taken to a weird extreme. I honestly didn’t finish this one, as I was so annoyed and I didn’t want to ruin myself for Center’s future books.

Kathrine Center did it again!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I wanted MORE Hutch and Katie and was so sad when the book ended!! Loved Auntie Rue and The Gals!! I highly enjoyed the body positivity representation! I loved how she took us on this journey of self discovery with Katie on learning to love herself! Andd she got the hot guy at the end too! I kid you not, I got butterflies as I was reading this and loved every minute of it!
Also, I need to see this promo video! 😂
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC

OH MY GOODNESS, one of my new favorite books! "The Love Haters" by Katherine Center was wonderful, fun, and hilarious. I loved the characters and storyline, was delightful and feel good the whole read through. Thank you for that! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is probably the 4th or 5th book that I have read by Katherine Center and I think she just keeps getting better and better. I adored this book!