I have so many questions: the insta love? the lies she went along with with Cole? Like WHY? the bar scene?! Why was no one helping an out-of-towner about the storm and just deserting her? & lastly, where was the relationship?! Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for it but I just don’t see the appeal for it. A lot of body negativity talk with her body issues (which I wasn’t expecting for most of the book! But it’s also very relatable!!) just always brought the mood down. Katie and Hutch were fine. I just didn’t really see the relationship happening between them.

I really loved the chemistry between the couple but struggled so much with all the weight talk/plot points. I was disappointed that there was no content warning for the weight talk. While body image/food issues are universal and not exclusive to larger individuals it was extra hard to read as a plus size person when the character art on the cover is such a thin person. Again, totally valid way for a thinner person to feel I just didn't love reading about it.

When Katie gets a cool new assignment, she knows this will make or break her career. I mean, it’s in Key West and she is interviewing a hunk called “Hutch” that once rescued Jennifer Aniston’s dog. Sounds dreamy! One problem may be that she can’t swim. Will fake it til you make it work in this situation?

There were so MANY things to love about this book. I'm not sure how Katherine Center does it, but she manages to continue providing sweet and fun love stories. But in this book, there isn't just love but wonderful characters. Hutch is probably one of my favorite book boyfriends - - but he isn't alone in being a draw to this book - - let's not forget about his fantastic rescue pup.

I have to say I may have enjoyed this book so much because I was fortunate enough to see Katherine Center at a book signing and heard her explain much of the background for the book. I especially enjoyed hearing the information surrounding the Coast Guard and rescue swimmers. There are so many facts about them that I didn't know and found it fascinating.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I absolutely loved the audio version. The narration really was fun and pulled me right in.

Thank you to NetGalley for copies of both the audiobook and ebook.

While the premise of The Love Haters by Katherine Center promises a delightful escape to Key West, the execution, while entertaining, occasionally dips its toes into the predictable. The story revolves around Katie Vaughn, a video producer with a rocky romantic past, who, to save her career, takes on a profiling assignment of Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. The main conflict arises from Katie's inability to swim – a major problem when your subject is a highly skilled water rescuer – and her subsequent attempts to hide this fact. This central lie, while generating some comedic moments, also feels a tad overplayed, stretching credulity at times.
Center excels at creating a vibrant setting. Key West comes alive with descriptions of conga lines, drinking contests, and the ever-present threat of hurricanes, truly transporting the reader. The supporting characters, particularly Hutch's eccentric Aunt Rue and his endearing Great Dane, add a wonderful layer of warmth and humor to the narrative. Hutch himself is a compelling romantic lead – "scientifically good-looking" as Katie observes, and with a simmering dislike for all things love-related, offering a classic enemies-to-lovers adjacent dynamic.
The novel truly shines in its exploration of bravery, both physical and emotional. Katie's journey to confront her fear of water mirrors her internal struggle to overcome past heartbreaks and embrace vulnerability. The rescue scenarios are genuinely thrilling, showcasing Center's ability to craft suspenseful and heartfelt moments. However, the resolution of some of the conflicts, particularly the long-standing animosity between Hutch and his brother Cole, feels a little too neatly tied up, lacking the nuanced emotional depth that the build-up suggested.
Overall, The Love Haters is a charming and enjoyable read, perfect for a beach getaway. It delivers on its promise of romance and adventure, but a few instances of contrivance prevent it from reaching the full five-star potential. It's a solid four-star read for those seeking a lighthearted story with a good dose of tropical charm and a satisfying, if somewhat predictable, happy ending.

I was very excited to read this one but unfortunately will not be finishing because of the subject matter and the way it deals with disordered eating. Katherine Center is a joy to read but unfortunately it's not going to be something I can peacefully engage with at this time.

This book was a delight to read! The setting was fun, the characters were so lovable, and the themes of learning to love your body and found family impacted me while reading. I love Katherine Center and really appreciate her clean writing, humorous scenes, and warm endings. Highly recommend!

Like always Katherine Center does not disappoint, she gives humor, banter and chemistry that feels natural and believable. I was blushing, kicking my feet and invested the whole time. Katherine Center stays an auto read/buy author for me!

I’m a Katherine Center fan through and through, but unfortunately The Love Haters fell a little flat for me! But Katherine was witty as always, and I did enjoy the banter throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. Publication date May 20, 2025.

We build our lives in moments, and even the ones we can’t remember become the story of who we"

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Her plots center around real life issues making it easy to identify with her charaters and what they are going through. I really liked the way this story centered around loving and accepting yourself to be able to live your best life. I also loved the whitty banter between the characters and the frequent humorous and awkward situations the charaters found themselves in. Made for several chuckle out loud moments.
This book would be good for those who love a clean feel good story. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

🏖️ Book Review 🏖️

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: May 20, 2025

Rating: It was okay!

This was a sweet book that made me wish I was on a beach instead of my couch. I loved how easy the writing was and I found myself turning pages well past my bedtime. The biggest things that didn’t work for me was the plot line and the chemistry.
Hutch and Katie’s chemistry felt nonexistent so when they finally kissed I was feeling indifferent. The plot felt like it was a book of self journey/self love then whiplashed back to trying to force a romance.
Overall, it’s a cute summer read but not my favorite from Center.

For fans of:
🏖️ First person POV
🏊 Single POV
🏖️ Body insecurity
🏊 Meddling grannies
🏖️ Workplace
🏊 Forced proximity
🏖️ Self discovery
🏊 Strangers to friends to lovers
🏖️ No spice
🏊 Key West destination

You can always count on Katherine Center to immerse you in a fun rom-com. This is a wonderful choice to read in the summer especially while sitting on a beach. You won’t be let down if you pick The Love Haters up when you’re looking for a fun read!

This book was captivating! I couldn’t put it down! It was funny, dramatic and romantic. The details about the setting and characters were researched very well. Those details made this story immersive and very enjoyable.

Loved this one. Perfect summer romance. Easy, breezy, and light. I loved George Bailey- his actions were perfect throughout!

Soft DNF at 12%.
Unfortunately, nothing about it is really pulling me in right now. The first chapter kind of turned me off, and the next chapters just felt very info dumpy. I wish the author had woven in the main character’s background trauma more into the story than just throwing it all on the table at once.
I would maybe try this again because I liked the idea, but I’m not feeling it at all right now.

This book was so well written. I felt connected to Katie and related to some of the things she was going through. Her and Hutches relationship was beautiful and how they both didn’t see themselves the way other did but conveyed to each other how they felt. At the end of the book Katie had a realization and I feel like that can be super motivational and impactful to those that relate to this story. Also just reading this story that took place in the Keys was so fun and unlike others that I have read before!



There were a few point where buzz was misspelled as burr talking about Hutches hair and towards the middle of the book it felt like we almost jumped to a point where Katie was telling the story after the fact and not like we were in it with her but that was only there for a couple of paragraphs and switched back to how the rest of the book was.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center is one of my all time favorite authors. This was not my favorite of her books, but I still really enjoyed it.

Katie is trying to save her job when she agrees to do a video of the coast guard and her colleague’s brother Hutch.

I just loved the relationship between Hutch and Katie. He was so patient with her as she filmed what she needed and learned about the coast guard. There’s something about how Center writes relationships that I just loved.

The story got a little convoluted for me when the hurricane hit and Katie was stuck on a houseboat, but otherwise I really enjoyed this story.

The Love Haters was my first Katherine Center book, and it definitely won’t be my last! Katie is a videographer who is sent to Key West to do a promo video for the US Coast Guard, featuring our male main character who is a rescue swimmer. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed and their dynamic. I was a little annoyed by Cole, but the rest of the side characters were a ton of fun. What I especially loved about this book was that it was not just a love story between our main characters, but also our female main character learning to love herself. As someone who has struggled with body image, this really hit home for me. I stayed up way too late to finish reading this because I absolutely couldn’t stop myself. I would definitely recommend this for people who like a fun romance, a little bit deeper exploration of body image and self esteem, and want something not spicy, but cute and romantic.

Katherine Center is a rom-com winner. Hutch and Katie are winners.

Katie is a videographer sent to do her boss's dirty work: making a promotional video featuring his hot, perfect, kind water rescuer brother. But of course, there's a catch. But of course, there is chemistry.

For rom-com lovers, this read is pure joy.

The Love Haters is an adorable forced-proximity rom-com! Katherine Center is the queen of character development, and I certainly fell in love with Katie and Hutch. I wasn't crazy about Cole's character or really any of his plot points, but in my head, Katherine Center can't miss, and I definitely recommend The Love Haters for a fun summer read!