I love reading this! Katherine Center is the queen of banter. She provides stories that address deeper issues, and this one focused on body image. Center brings light to disordered eating and offers a way to relearn to love your body. I love the deepening relationship between Hutch and Katie, but I really want a friendship like the one Katie has with Beanie. The Love Haters offers an amazing cast of side characters that I loved spending time with. Recommended for anyone who needs an uplifting, fun read.

This story is absolutely adorable, and, as usual, I’m in love with Katherine’s writing. Her characters are so vivid and full of life, and she always has such relatable and real fmc’s. Katie is such a lovable, sweet character, and Hutch is just classically (scientifically) absolutely perfect. I don’t want to give too much away since this book isn’t released until next month, but I absolutely recommend and highly encourage you to pre-order a copy today!!
One thing I will point out specifically is the military representation in this book. The mmc is in the US Coast Guard, and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of detail that was put into the descriptions of his job. You can tell Katherine really did her research and made this part of the story as accurate as possible, and it was such a cool and fun aspect of the book!
I hope you enjoy this book, and in closing here are a few fun things to look out for throughout the story!
- hibiscus hair clip
- toad
- George Bailey
- lucky pennies
- splinters 👀

I really loved The Love Haters. It's two love stories in one. Katie Vaughn had a bad break up a year ago and is not looking for love. Her boss talks her in to taking a video assignment in the Florida Keys to document a Coast Guard rescue swimmer's life. Cole, her boss, told her it would save her job, since the owner of the company was cutting people's jobs. Cole neglected to tell her that the swimmer was his brother, and Katie neglected to tell him that she couldn't swim.

Arriving in the Keys, and staying with Cole's colorful Aunt Rue, Katie meets Tom "Hutch", the swimmer, and is enormously attracted to him. She has to admit she can't swim, so he gives her lessons. The other love story is with herself. Katie had an eating disorder, and it effects every aspect of her life, how she dresses, if she can stand to be seen in a bathing suit, etc.

I really loved how Katie grew in the book, and accepted that she needed to love herself and give herself a brake from being perfect. I highly recommend this book, it also has a lot of humor.

This wasn't my favorite Katherine Center book, but I did really enjoy it! Loved the setting, loved the representation of eating disorders/body image, loved Rue and her girls, loved George Bailey of course, and loved the friendships. Center writes such lovable characters and all of her books just feel so warm. Some plot things like Cole + some details at the end weren't my favorite, and I wish I had seen more of Hutch and Katie's relationship develop at the very end, but that's about it.

A nice cozy summer read that is perfect for the beach --- if you're not scared of the ocean...

Let me start off saying, I love Katherine Center’s books and I do love a good rom-con with witty banter. This was an anticipated book for me, but unfortunately I was let down. I really wanted to love this book. The only reason why I continued was because I convinced myself it wouldn’t better.

What worked for me: the message of body positivity! Loved it and love seeing women cheering on women.

What didn’t work for me: the main female character was insufferable, extremely immature for her age and annoying. Cole was a douche with a capital D. Hutch was decent, but not my favorite love interest. I did enjoy Rue!

My favorite character: the dog!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can always count on Katherine Center to expose you to a world you never thought would appear in a romance novel. This was no exception! I loved getting a glimpse into the life of a rescue swimmer, what a fascinating and terrifying profession!

This book is an ode to self-love. It’s a look into a journey that I’m sure is all too familiar to all of us — the battle of accepting our imperfections and focusing on the aspects of our being that we actually can complement.

It also deals with some brutal trauma and heartbreak, Hutch’s impenetrable outer shell makes perfect sense. However, the healing that occurs is so beautiful, and these tricky subjects are cared for with such tenderness.

I loved this!

As usual, Katherine Center has crafted a thoroughly engaging story that falls solidly into the rom-com genre while portraying characters with real depth confronting important issues, in this case, the struggles with body image and self-acceptance that women, in particular, struggle with, and the devastating effects of cruelty via social media. The main characters, Katie and Hutch, are appealing and easy to root for, with Cole and Sullivan providing the conflict and nasty vibes (though both have redeeming qualities that surface by the story's end). The ridiculous situations and comical happenings that are also de rigueur in romantic comedy also present themselves in this story, but they aren't too overdone, and Katie's character arc and her journey towards healing and self-acceptance play as important a role here as the romance. This is a story that it will be fun to reread, and although not my favorite of this author's novels, it was a joy to spend time with.

This was so addicting. I really enjoyed how much growth both main characters either had directly on the page or off the page. A lot of Katie's growth was throughout the main plot of the book and occured because of/with everything happening around it. Hutch didn't have a ton of growth throughout the main duration of the story, but it was really apparent to me that he had had that growth prior to the book taking place, which I liked. I feel like in a lot of romance books, the men either have little to no growth, it happens all at once in like five pages, or they're just seemingly perfect right off the bat, none of which are realistic at all.

The plot itself was super unique. I liked how the actual conflicts of the book made sense for the characters, rather than just kinda appearing out of nowhere. I do think the main documentary plot kinda got forgotten towards the end, since there wasn't a ton of actual follow-up in regards to that. I did like Katie and Hutch together, and the addition of both George Bailey was great. I liked the self-reflection of Katie's relation to her body, but it did get a little repetitive over the course of the book (like maybe we didn't need EVERY thought about it - like keep some things to yourself).

Thank you to St. Martin's and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book!

I loved all of the research you can tell KC does for her books. It was entertaining, funny, cute and heartwarming. So many parts made me laugh out loud.

Katherine Center is an expert in the rom-com warm hug and this book was no exception. I’ve seen some reviews criticizing the FMC’s body dysmorphia but they also seem to be the ones who didn’t finish the book. While I agree it was a central staple to the story, you have to continue to read to see how she moves through it and heals through it. The result is far more satisfying than if you just judge her for her bathing suit “phobia” and stop progressing. Body dysmorphia, anorexia, and orthorexia are real conditions and having them as a focal point in the story and handled well and accurately is refreshing, frankly.

The pacing to me was very quick, we got to experience some of the whirlwind of learning about the USCG, feeling wrapped up in the chemistry and the in the shenanigans (wink, wink). Rue and George Bailey are each too pure for this world, and I love that Hutch nearly instantly picked up on her little feature in her eyes that her ex (likely) never noticed. We love an attention to detail sir.

Overall a very satisfying storyline and the overall warm hug feeling at the finish is what I have now come to expect from Katherine Center.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center does it again. The Rom-Commers last year was one of my favorite books of last year, and the Love Haters will most likely hold the same weight for this year. And even more so, because I felt such a kinship with Katie and her struggles. I think any woman reading this book will be like, "Yep, I get it, girl." Katie was just so relatable. And Hutch....goodness. What a gem of a character. Yes, there was drama. But there was such a sweet slow build and though it was a romance, it was very much a story about self-growth and Katie coming to a peace with who she is. I adored this book- read it in a day. 5 enthusiastic stars...
Thanks to #NetGalley and #St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This should’ve definitely came with a trigger warning due to the amount of eating disorder, body image, negative self talk that happens in this book because there was a lot of it. For most of the story actually. It definitely took away from the lightness and warmth that I usually expect from her books.

I loved reading about the US Coast Guard rescue swimmers and of course the Great Dane, George Bailey, stole the show and made some scenes absolutely adorable. The last quarter or so of the book ended up making my experience more enjoyable.

This was solid romance read but my expectations were high after the Romcommers and this just couldn’t compare for me! I liked the premise of how filming the promo brought Katie and Hutch together and found myself not being able to put it down because I needed to know what happened when Cole entered the plot in a bigger way. However, I caught myself skipping past the parts where Katie’s self-deprecation dragged on. I liked how Hutch’s stoic demeanor balanced Katie’s, but in the end I craved more character development with Hutch and wish we got a little bit more of his perspective.

This was exactly what I expect from a Katherine Center book- quirky characters, a will they or won’t they storyline (I always knew they would) and a happy ending, after several misunderstandings along the way. Katie has not been lucky in love lately, her job may be on the line and then a peer asks for her assistance filming a promo video for the coast guard. She’ll need to spend some time in Key West to do research and interviews and filming. She’s not a strong swimmer, but what could go wrong?
Fun story and a perfect beach/summer read.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the digital ARC!

3.5 Stars. After a very public break-up with her now famous musician ex, Katie Vaughn takes an assignment profiling a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West in hopes of not losing her video producer job. However, the rescue swimmer, Hutch, is her coworker Cole’s brother, and Katie does not know how to swim. Paradise gets complicated when Katie and Hutch, a fellow “love hater”, begin to have feelings for one another.

Katherine Center continuously delivers light-hearted, cozy reads that seamlessly integrate serious topics into her stories, and I appreciated that the author tackled the important topics of body dysmorphia and eating disorders through this book. However, I struggled to connect with the female protagonist, Katie, as well as feel invested in the romance between her and Hutch. While this did make parts of the book a bit slow, I enjoyed other components of the plot. Ultimately, the story didn’t quite capture my attention as much as I had hoped, but I still liked it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my gifted digital copy!

This book was so enjoyable to me. Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to read. The story between Hutch and Katie was so good. Hutch is just so dang sexy, and I fell in love with George Bailey. It was just such a sweet story. The message in the book about loving yourself was such a great takeaway. It definitely resonated with me, and I could relate to Katie in many ways. I recommend this book wholeheartedly! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center does it again! I just started reading her books last year, and devoured every one. This was an amazing read, filled with adventure AND romance. Lucky for me, my favorite things. This was my favorite book I've read this year!

If you're craving a novel that blends heartfelt romance, sharp humor, and meaningful character growth, *The Love Haters* is the perfect choice. Katherine Center masterfully takes familiar tropes and transforms them into a refreshing, emotionally resonant story through her engaging prose and well-crafted characters. This is not just another contemporary romance—it’s an experience that will leave you uplifted and satisfied. Fans of Center’s previous works and anyone in search of a witty, feel-good read shouldn’t hesitate. Pick up *The Love Haters* and let its charm win you over.

This book is perfect for summer beach reading. I liked both characters and their journey to each other. There's a big goofy dog and a chaotic brother and lots of colorful outfits. It's just a joy.

The Love Haters was a delightful read with the absolute best characters and an adorable romance. Hutch isn't what his brother says he is. Cole is just upset and childishly dealing with the tragedies from his past. Katie has been burned by love and has a terrible body image, two things she is trying to come to terms with. Aunt Rue is the family member everyone wishes they had, and her small amount of meddling is exactly what this story needs. I loved every minute.