Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! To be completely transparent, I DNF'd at 30% and my review encompasses my thoughts up until this point and why I chose not to finish this book.

Read this if you love:
- Body image representation
- Forced proximity
- Strangers to lovers
- Small town vibes

!!! Trigger warning: Body image issues, body dysmorphia, tracking eating. !!!

Let me first say, I LOVE Katherine Center books, so I was surprised when I didn't love this one. The overall vibes were summer and the concept sounded so fun. Overall, her writing is still so easy to read. I will continue to read Katherine Center books in the future, this one just wasn't the one for me.

I feel the body dysmorphia main theme should have been executed differently. I went to years of therapy for body dysmorphia. While this is an important topic, I feel it needs to be handled with care. This took up much more of the plot than I was expecting for a summer read. It didn't make me feel like it done well. It felt like there should have been more sensitivity readers prior to this ARC and publishing. The chemistry between the two MC's also didn't feel natural and didn't hook me in. Because of these two main issues, I decided not to continue.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance authors. I had the chance to see her on book tour for THE ROM-COMMERS and she was the loveliest human!

I really liked the concept for THE LOVE HATERS. I learned a lot about what it takes to be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. It was funny how Katie got thrown into that universe as someone who couldn't even swim. But as far as the romance goes, I wasn't on board. From the beginning until the end, I just didn't feel their connection. I also didn't enjoy the twist on "fake dating" that was thrown in with a side character.

Maybe I read this at a bad time, but it just didn't hit home like all of Katherine's other books. However, she is still a favorite author of mine and I'll read all of her books to come!

While I didn't quite feel the same chemistry between Katie and Hutch that I have between other couples in Katherine Center novels, I still very much enjoyed their journey. I loved the older group of women in this story (I think they need their own novel!), and the story was entertaining. This is a good summer read, and I found myself smiling throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley!

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a romcom and the story of Katie and Hutch.
 
Katie is a videographer and when her job is on the line, she takes a job that is very out of her comfort zone involving the US Coast Guard rescue swimmer. But the catch is that she can’t swim herself and I loved how she just embraced it. Katie is a tough and independent woman and I really liked how she finds more to herself in this story, and she learns to love herself more.
 
Hutch is a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and he has a savior complex and just a heart of gold. His job is very important, and adrenaline filled, and it was so interesting to learn more about it. He seems like a grump and love hater at first, but you can only love him and he’s actually a big softie once you get to know him. I also adored his Great Dane George Bailey, and he is called Pup Daddy for a reason. I also liked seeing the family dynamics especially with his brother and how differently they dealt with trauma.
 
The book is set in Key West and that alone gave it the perfect summer vibes. Katie and Hutch must work together even though Hitch is reluctant at first. They’re such a great team and I loved how everyone wanted to play matchmaker for them, even George Bailey. The plot is filled with romance, action, and a bit of drama and that was just the perfect combination. I loved all the scenes on Hutch‘s house boat and how they slowly fall in love. They are just perfect together.
 
The Love Haters is a brilliant romance and I love Katie and Hutch so much. It’s not only my new favorite Katherine Center story but an all-time favorite as well. 5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

This was a cute little summer read to kick off the season… but not my favorite Katherine Center book. Dwelled on some things too long and some details felt misplaced.

The Love Haters had all the ingredients I usually fall for…sunshiney Florida setting, two people carrying more baggage than they’d like to admit, and that classic Katherine Center blend of humor, hope, and healing.
Katie’s a burned out video producer sent to film Hutch, a swoony rescue swimmer. Naturally, they clash. But it’s the kind of tension that simmers until sparks start flying. 🔥
I loved the deeper themes, grief, self image, and the struggle of showing up fully in your own life. I did feel like Katie hating her body image took over the story too much. Trust me, I can relate to it but it was just too much. Remember, you do not need a man to feel beautiful.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. If you’re in the mood for a romcom pick this one up.

Not my favorite Katherine Center. Felt too over the top. The fake dating was so incredibly fake it was icky.. Still will recommend the author overall.

DNF at 12%. This book has absolutely no trigger warning about eating disorder at all. I was happily reading along only to turn the page and see a calorie counting list as well as the FMC saying how her goal was 1,000 calories a day. As someone who experienced disordered eating in my youth, this was very problematic for me. This only continues as the FMC discusses her step mother telling her to suck it in, to be tiny, and putting her on a diet at age 12. While I can handle books centered around body image issues and eating disorders, I typically go into them knowing that’s what I’m reading about. This really rubbed me wrong way as I was blind sided. After careful consideration and asking a friend who read the book previously, I have decided to no longer continue with this book as the topic stays front and center throughout the book. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC but at this time I am not able to.

This rom com hooked me in at the beginning. I enjoyed that these characters each had a good back story, and I liked. that the author included information about the coast guard interweaved into the story. I do feel like i learned some new and interesting information.

However, in this particular story I felt like the romance portion was a bit underdeveloped for Katie and Hutch and i wanted a bit more closure for them at the end, besides them just living side by side and having the dog go back and forth between their houses. I also did love the huge focus on Katies body image issues throughout the story, for me it took a bit away from the overall story line and I felt like it was too much of a main focus and after the first few chapters I wanted her to get over it already and for it to stop being such a focus.

I love katherine centers work and would read anything that she writes but this one was just not my favorite by her.
3.5 stars from me.

THE LOVE HATERS - KATHERINE CENTRE
3.5⭐
Katie takes a job of profiling Tom "Hutch"eson a rescue swimmer with Coast Guard, but Katie can't swim and takes it up only to save her job on her co workers request who is Hitch's brother Cole. But on entangling with Hutch she gets trapped in mountain of lies and needs to be truly brave.
.
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As the name I too had a love hate relationship with the book...the part about body insecurity and loving it was good and nicely done but the love story and chemistry between the two leads was lacking and in the end the mix of lies didn't jibe well with me.
Not one of her fav books by her for me.

Another great love story by the amazing Katherine Center! This author is a must read for me. As a Florida native some parts felt off but it’s a work of fiction so some leeway is allowed. (Just know if the thing is happening you would know on the keys.)

I loved the relationships. The romantic relationship wasn’t even in my top 3! The sisterhood was so strong and 1000% my favorite.

What a fun book! This novel had Katherine Center's signature charm. I was glad that it was a hit for me after not loving her book last year.

Katie is a film documentarian who is charged with filming a commercial about the US Coast Guard rescuers. Her job is at risk of downsizing so she is determined to do her very best. She didn't realize she was walking into complicated family relationships with Hutch (her subject), Cole (his brother), and Rue (their adoptive mother).

This was a sweet, amusing book. Katie was earnest and hardworking. Hutch was the ideal rom-com hero. The premise got complicated and messy throughout the book, but the story remained charming. I thought the tone veered a little campy, but I was entertained and enjoyed the story. Katherine Center has become a must read for me. While all of her books aren't hits for me, they are pretty reliable and this one was particularly strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I went in expecting laughs and left with a heart that felt both lighter and fuller. Katherine Center writes characters who feel like people you actually know. They’re often messy, flawed, doing their best, and sometimes falling short. That’s what makes her stories hit deeper than your average romance. The protagonist’s insecurities are incredibly relatable and her emotions feel real.

Read if you enjoy:
✨ Grumpy x sunshine
✨ Journey of self love
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Funny with depth
✨ Witty banter
✨ Closed door rom com

This beautiful story had me in tears. Katie’s journey of self love was moving and her early struggles with body image were deeply relatable. As someone who also sometimes feels uncomfortable in their own skin, it was refreshing to see a protagonist who isn’t perfect, but who’s perfectly imperfect.

The FMC's emphasis on how much she hated her body felt like overkill. I believe the book had a good opportunity to show a character's growth in accepting herself throughout the book but this felt mishandled. I've never struggled with eating disorders and never had particularly bad body image issues; however, I felt uncomfortable reading this and can't imagine how it will be received by someone with more serious issues regarding their own body. I like Hutch and Katie together. I believed their pining and emotional attraction towards each other.

Katie takes an assignment filming at an USCG station to save her job. She'll be required to swim in a simulation before her helicopter ride. No problem, except she never learned. Some things can't be faked. Her coworker, Cole, tells her things about Hutch, the Coast Guard officer she'll be profiling. Apparently, he hates love. Katie can relate--not only was she burned by love, but it went viral.

Katie is staying at Cole's aunt's property, and Aunt Rue is so fun. Their pseudo mom, colorful and kitschy, and she gets Kate to wear bright colors and even a bathing suit. She arranges for swim lessons--with Hutch.

Hutch is nothing like Cole described. And he has the friendliest dog. He teaches Katie to swim and he takes his job seriously. As they spend time together, they both help each other and they have fun hanging out with Rue's friends, definite chemistry. But he thinks she's Cole's girlfriend, and holds back.

An impending hurricane, a daring rescue, facing fears, plus secrets and truths revealed. Fun, quirky, some somber moments, and romance--all you expect in a delicious KC rom-com.

The love haters might find out they actually love love after all.

This was a solid romance read! I’ve loved quite a few other books from this author but this one just wasn’t one of my favorites from her. I really enjoyed the characters in this book and especially enjoyed the FMC finding her relatable and fun. I struggled quite a bit with the romance in this one feeling it a bit underdeveloped and like it was missing something from me to love it. I really enjoyed the setting and the lighter feel of this book I did wish it had been balanced out more with the heavier topics. Overall though a fun romcom that I definitely recommend checking out!

3.5 out of 5 stars!

Katherine Center is always a must read author for me. I look forward to her book each spring. This book just missed the mark for me. From the beginning, I had a hard time with the main character's difficulties with her own body image and not having them address by a professional. She kept talking about immersion therapy but she didn't seem to have anyone who was helping her through that. This stuck in the back of my head for the entire book.

I finished this book, but I will admit the first 30-40% was much of a struggle.

I struggled with Katie and Hutch as the leads and whilst I generally enjoy a good grumpy/sunshine, they seemed very one dimensional. Whilst body image can be very tastefully written about, this misses the mark with Katie's character - rather than dating, she should (as I saw another reviewer state) go to therapy stat. Hutch's brother Cole can just get straight into the bin.

I loved Aunt Rue (and her friends), George Bailey (the dog) and the absolutely delightfully punny names of the stores in town. This is what earns the book it's 3 stars. The concepts of found family and that a woman's life doesn't magically end after divorce or in widowhood are shown well here - I can't wait to be in my 60's & 70's with a rocking friend gang like that.

Whilst there were some entertaining moments, overall the book fell a bit flat.

3.25 ⭐️s
This was cute, quick, and summery but not my favorite KC book. The plot had a lot going on between trying to save her job, learning to swim/train to work with coast guard, her videos, her ex, body image issues, fake dating, family drama, hurricane, etc. The romance felt very surface level to me and underdeveloped - I didn’t really feel the emotional connection between Hutch and Katie. On a positive note, Rue and George Bailey were the best characters and I enjoyed the parts with them.

TW - heavy emphasis on body image issues

Thank you for the eARC!

✩ 4/5

Can a struggling reporter convince a dreamy Coast Guard rescue swimmer to let her interview him, and save her job in the process?

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Every Katherine Center book feels like the coziest, funniest romantic comedy to me, and I truly eat them up every time. In The Love Haters, we follow Katie, a video producer on the verge of being laid off, as she embarks on perhaps her toughest assignment yet: convincing Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, to let her profile him. Sounds simple, right? Except Hutch is the brother of Katie’s boss, and the two of them do not get along (oh, and she can’t swim.)

Can Katie save her job without falling for Hutch in the process?

This book is such a perfect and easy summer read. If you're heading to the coast for vacation, it makes for a wonderful companion. That said, compared to Center’s other main characters and love interests, I didn’t feel as immediately connected to Katie and Hutch. While I laughed, cried, and kicked my feet at all the swoony moments, it didn’t fully hook me (at first.) Center’s signature quippy writing still made it enjoyable, but I felt both the central characters and the main conflict could have been fleshed out more effectively. We get a few “WTF?” moments toward the end that honestly felt like drama for drama’s sake.

Katie, however, was a deeply relatable character. Her struggles with trust, body image, and anxiety felt raw and empowering. As someone who has faced similar issues, it was meaningful to watch her navigate those challenges. Hutch had similar emotional wounds, particularly around commitment and attachment, but his character development didn’t really kick in until the third act. I would’ve appreciated more insight into his past and internal struggles earlier in the story.

All in all, The Love Haters is a fun, beachy, summer-y read that definitely deserves a spot on every romance lover’s TBR this season. Is it perfect? No. Is it still swoon-worthy? Absolutely.