I love Katherine Center novels in general and this one didn’t disappoint! I appreciated the growth shown throughout the story. There is more slapstick comedy in this one compared to her other novels. And one of the main topics related to body image issues, which I struggled with a bit. But overall a great summer read!

Adult romance with grumpy/sunshine, opposites attracts, forced proximity, and a touch of fake dating. I liked this book and thought it was interesting with a glimpse into the life of a coast guard rescue swimmer. I loved Hutch and his grumpy yet heartwarming attitude. Then, the main character, Katie, was funny, awkward, and quirky. I enjoyed seeing her conquer her fears and grow, but her personality was cringey and off-putting in some scenes.
Overall, this is a good summer romance.

This is a delightful rom-com that grabbed my heart from the start. After a rough breakup, Katie Vaughn, struggling with low self-esteem, gets an unexpected opportunity to profile Hutch, a Coast Guard swimmer. The twist? She can’t swim but pretends she can. As the story unfolds in the beautiful setting of Key West, Katie navigates her growing feelings for Hutch, along with the challenges of lying and facing her insecurities. The relationships in this book, especially with Hutch, his aunt Rue, and her friend Beanie, are heartwarming and relatable. Center’s writing balances humor with emotional depth, and the story leaves you with a beautiful message about self-acceptance and love. This is a must-read for fans of romance and personal growth.

Katie Vaughn isn’t chasing love—she’s just trying to keep her job. But when she agrees to film a documentary on Hutch, a grumpy, ridiculously handsome Coast Guard rescue swimmer (and her coworker’s estranged brother), she ends up in Key West, pretending she can swim and getting way too involved in a situation that’s supposed to be strictly professional. Oops.

What follows is part rom-com, part emotional gut-check. Katie and Hutch both have real baggage—grief, body image struggles, messy family stuff—and the way their connection builds is slow, soft, and so satisfying. Katie’s growth is especially powerful, as she learns to show up for herself with the same heart she shows everyone else. And Hutch? Peak golden retriever energy wrapped in a broody exterior. Kind, steady, and way too good to be real (but we can still wish, right?).

The side characters bring the chaos and the charm: Aunt Rue is a retired wild child, Beanie is the best kind of hype girl, and George Bailey—the oversized, frog-obsessed Great Dane—completely steals the show.

The Love Haters is funny, tender, and packed with heart. Katherine Center delivers a story that makes you laugh, tear up, and cheer for love in all its messy, beautiful forms.

Thank you @BookSparks and @katherinecenter #SRC2025 for the #gifted book! Also thanks to @stmartinpress and @youhadmeathea for the #gifted ebook arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

I struggled with this book in the beginning. I thought is was going t be all about body image. I’m so glad I stayed with it what a fun story loved Hutch, Rue, Katie and his dog. This is exactly what you need for a fun, easy beach read. Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this delightful story.

Sadly this was a miss for me. I just couldn’t connect to it at all and felt no chemistry between the love interests.

I just love Katherine Center and her storytelling. This one took me a little more time up front to get into, but once I was in - I was IN. I loved the way she peeled back the layers on Katie and especially on Hutch. The chapter where the pennies were introduced - I think I legitimately gasp-sighed. So good. Those pennies. And I kept thinking "who would play Beanie in the movie? And Rue?!" There were many times I laughed out loud. Katherine's books come across in much the way she does on her IG - personable and familiar and funny and regular (meant in the best possible way). Well done! Would definitely recommend this one; thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Love Haters is the perfect beach read! This book is about Katie, who is sent to Key West (what better location is there?!?) to do a job-saving assignment. She has to make a promotional video about her colleague's brother. Sounds great, right? Except said brother (Hutch) is miserable, hates love, and is a rescue diver...and Katie doesn't know how to swim.
Hutch is also super hot, majorly friendly, and maybe doesn't hate things as much as Cole said he did.
This is a great will they/won't they story with an amazing setting, super fun characters, and just enough "trouble" thrown in the mix to make it seem like they might not. I have already recommended this book to multiple people!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Katherine writes these deeper romances that make me completely fall for her characters! Her writing is some of my favorite, too. I adored Hutch’s character and peeling back his layers as the story went on. I think he and Katie were such a good match. Just overall a highly recommended read!

This was such a fun summer rom-com! The main characters were both very likable, not to mention hilarious. The author did a good job of keeping this one light and fun while also discussing some important things, such as the main character’s relationship with her body. Overall, this would be a great poolside read!

First I want to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Meet Katie Vaughn, a video producer with a rocky relationship history and an even rockier career path. Faced with the ultimatum to either wait for a layoff or embark on a life-changing project, Katie chooses the latter. Her task? Profile Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a dashing Coast Guard rescue swimmer stationed in picturesque Key West. But there's a twist—Katie can't swim. Yet, she’s determined to fake it till she makes it. In Key West, Katie finds herself swept away by a tide of emotions that she never saw coming. What follows is a series of comical and heartfelt events involving swim lessons, helicopter rides, and even a few stolen kisses.

What I Love:
- George Bailey, Hutch's rescue great dane who is scared of his own shadow but loves Katie from first sight
- Rue, Hutch's aunt and Katie's landlord in Key West she is an amazing character who pushed both Katie and Hutch to loosen up and have more fun
- Hutch, he is the model Coast Guard rescue swimmer but still has a lot to figure out and all he wants is to fix his relationship with his brother
- Key West, I love that Katie who doesn't swim spends most of the book on an island and I would love to visit especially after reading this book
- Rescue, Hutch saves Katie a few different times/ways but I think the final one is my absolute favorite

There are a few aspects of this book that made me want to knock some sense into Katie since she made some choices that she knew would hurt Hutch but overall I was a fan of the story. If you are looking for a slow burn closed door romance with a MFC dealing with body image issues, a MMC who wants to put his family back together and a group of characters who just want these two to get out of their heads and enjoy each other then I would absolutely recommend this book.

Katie hasn’t been let go from her video producer job…yet. When her coworker offers Katie an opportunity to film his brother Hutch for a promo for the Coast Guard, Katie has to take it. Even if she can’t swim. What Katie finds is a lovably kooky small community in the Florida Keys. And an extremely handsome rescue swimmer with a Great Dane who love to knock Katie down with exuberant excitement. As fraught familial relationships and secrets begin to surface, Katie sees just how beautifully complicated life can be. But will Hutch forgive Katie for all the things she’s kept from him about her job and this trip?

With underlying themes of body image issues and facing your fears, Katherine Center once again delivers a humorous but also thought-provoking and emotional romance.

Thank you NetGalley for a read now copy! Katherine Center has done it again; she has the knack for a unique rom-com. This book takes you on a journey to find love, but also yourself. SELF love. I can’t wait to see what Katherine has in store next!

Katherine Center once again writes a juicy rom com that I couldn't put down. My first Katherine book was "The Bodyguard". I found myself on vacation with family and could do nothing but finish that book. "The Love Haters" is certainly no different. I was once again enthralled with the beautiful characters and story created in this book.

The love story of Katie and Hutch was fun to read as it developed and the concept of their meeting was so good. I loved learning about Hutch and the Coast Guard. It's easy to see how they fall for each other along the way.

One of the most poignant parts of this book was the FMC-Katie and her relationship with herself. As someone who grew up with mother that passed her dislike to her body down to her body, "The Love Haters" really struck a chord with me. I was driven to read and watch Katie learn to love herself. It would probably do me good to start a list of things I love about my body. Katherine Center wrote this beautifully.

I really enjoyed reading and I am so grateful to have received an ARC of "The Love Haters"! I highly recommend this next installment of Katherine Center's books.

This one was okay. Definitely not my favorite Katherine Center book. Still recommend for a good, easy to read, clean romcom.

The Love Haters is a quirky, fun story of Katie and Hutch - both jaded by love, and both perpetually single, thrown together by a plan of brotherly avoidance that ends in a happy ending.

This book was a fun read - there is a great cast of characters that are dynamic and fun, and a few will pull at your heartstrings. Katie is a young woman trying to rediscover herself after heartbreak, and Hutch is carrying the weight of his heroic job on his shoulders. The last chunk of the novel is, quite frankly a little crazy, and I was so relieved to read their happily ever after.

The reason this book was only a four star for me was because of how heavy handed one of the themes throughout the story was. Katie has a body-positive storyline that, for face value is a great critique on our society. However, it was really over done. There were certain scenes (especially toward the end, right before the big finale) where I felt like this particular plot point had no business being in the story. It was quite off putting - I wanted to be able to get behind it fully, but the way it was over done made it seem more annoying than a necessary part of the story.

Katherine Center is one of my favourite authors and I love the way she writes her books with a lighthearted, rom-commy style while also incorporating a deeper element into them! Her writing is captivating and so fun to read.

I loved both of our main characters, Hutch and Katie. One theme i really appreciated that was discussed was how Katie struggled with self and body image. I think this is a struggle that many people go through today, and I’m glad that the author is bringing attention to it. The way that Katie learned to embrace her body by the end and became more comfortable in it was so heartwarming. And Hutch was really sweet and encouraging. I enjoyed the way he really saw Katie; he noticed the details, and was attentive. It was also fun that he was a US Coast Guard.

The story was intriguing and I had a fun time overall. It was a story of love and self-discovery! All of the Katherine Center books I have read so far have been great, so I would highly encourage to pick one of them up, this one included!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author so much for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🫶

DNF

I didn't realize that this was going to have a major theme of disordered eating. I love that Katherine Center doesn't shy away from difficult topics, but the way Katie's body image and disordered eating was introducted was too much for me.

I think it would be really helpful for publishers to include trigger warnings, especially for topics that can trigger unhealthy behaviors, like disordered eating and suicidal ideation.

I wish I could write this review without leaving a star rating, because I don't think that authors should *not* write about disordered eating, but for my personal taste, it's not something I enjoy reading about.

This was a good story. I enjoyed the romance, but my favorite part was the side characters. I loved Rue and The Gals. I do feel there was maybe a little too much talk about our FMC's body image concerns, but that is probably just me. I definitely recommend this book if you want a light, quick, Summer read. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early e-arc of this book.

BOOK: The Love Haters (ARC)
AUTHOR: Katherine Center
PUB DATE: May 20. 2025, by St. Martin’s Press
PAGES: 320 pages
RATING: 4.5 stars
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction/Romantic Comedy

Thank you, THANK YOU to @stmartinspress, @netgalley, and the author for gifting me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK SYNOPSIS: Katie has been burned by love in the past. Now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices. She can 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. However, Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim yet fibs and says that she can. And turns out, Cole is Hutch’s brother, & the two don’t get along. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good-looking man she has ever seen, but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue & his rescue Great Dane, George Bailey, she gets trapped in a lie.

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: The Love Haters is a heartwarming romantic comedy that intertwines self-appreciation/acceptance, taking chances, and the healing power of love. At the heart of this story is George Bailey, an endearing Great Dane who plays a pivotal role in bringing two wounded souls together. (Give me a lead dog role in a book ANY day! The story follows Katie, a videographer grappling with self-doubt & body image issues, who is assigned to create a promotional video for the US Coast Guard. Her subject is Hutch, a rescue swimmer dealing with his own familial scars & a reluctance to be in the spotlight. Their initial interactions are marked by resistance & misunderstandings, but as they navigate their personal challenges, a genuine connection begins to form. George Bailey is more than just a canine companion. I LOL’d when he would not-so-subtly nudge our FMC & MMC closer together. I loved the slow burn, the character development, and how embracing vulnerability can lead to profound personal growth. Enjoy this story chalk-full of swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, & stolen kisses.