ARC review: 4.5 stars rounded up ⭐️

I really loved this story! As someone who has struggled for years with body image issues, I appreciated the approach that Katherine Center took with Emily’s own struggles. The concept of loving our bodies and different pieces of it is so so hard for so many people. I felt seen and I know many other readers are going to as well.

I also loved the dynamic between Rue, Hutch, and Cole. It was a really beautiful story! A found family trope is one of my favorites, but can sometimes feel very cookie cutter, but the way this one was approached was pure perfection!

I was given the opportunity to read an ARC of The Love Haters via @netgalley.

Katie's company is downsizing, and 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 pretends that she can.

As Katie profiles Hutch and spends time with his aunt Rue, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two. Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

I knew pretty quickly this book wasn't going to be a good fit for me. Based on the description, I was completely unprepared for a plot point related to eating disorders that would have been nice to be aware of in advance. Had I not been reading an ARC that I'd agreed to provide feedback for, I probably would not have continued reading. Aside from that, this book was a mixed bag. There were some very funny moments that were this book's saving grace, but all of the characters made some questionable decisions for reasons that didn't really make sense and were never addressed or redeemed. In the end, this one just wasn't for me, but I do think others may enjoy it.

🎥 M A G I C A L M O N D A Y review 🎥 featuring “The Love Haters” by Katherine Center!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Katie Vaughan’s life has become a dumpster fire. Her former fiancée turned singing sensation Lucas cheated on her and left her in the spotlight of a media infused breakup. Katie is now being portrayed that she has “let herself go” since the break up and a vicious cycle of body shamers does a number on her self confidence. There’s that, and he wrote a song about her 🙄. Katie is also on the chopping block of losing her job as a video producer.

Katie gets volun-told to go on an assignment to The Keys to film a profile on an award winning coast guard rescue swimmer named Hutch. Two things though: Hutch is the brother of her co-worker Cole and … Katie does not know how to swim!

Once Katie reaches paradise, she realizes that she’s in way over her head. Not only does she have to participate in crazy rescue drills in helicopters, but Hutch is hard to get along with … and just so happens to be smoking hot and distracting 🥵! How is this going ever to work?

I loved that the enemies to lovers trope was utilized in all aspects of the story: between Katie and her body, but also between lovers, brothers, friends and parental figures. There are underlining themes of self discovery and love within all the characters that is written so magically!

“Love stories make us better at love. In all directions. And getting better at love, of course, means getting better at life” - Katherine Center 💗

Thank you kindly to @katherinecenter @stmartinspress @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on May 20, 2025!

The Love Haters took a little longer to get into than others by the author that I’ve read but once it got going I ended up binging it in a day. I loved the MMC’s aunt Rue so much she could have her own book. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.

I enjoy Katherine Center’s books and look forward to the next good summer read. There’s always more to the story than just fluff. Kate and Hutch meet in an awkward circumstance and end up on a big adventure. Their lives are complicated but over the course of the story they learn quite a bit about each other and themselves.

I will genuinely read anything else that Katherine Center writes. The characters are relatable, and I find the chemistry and tension so fun! While not a giggler (I’m usually a laugh-out-louder or nothing at all), I giggled my way through the book and randomly reread passages of The Love Haters. I was a late arrival to The Bodyguard and found myself (unfairly) comparing this book to it, but the Love Haters still did a decent job holding its own. The struggles that Katie has with her body felt much too real, and the complicated sibling relationship between Cole and Hutch gave the story a lot more meat when it was clarified (Cole didn’t come off…great…before that). And of course, it doesn’t feel like a KC book without a loving, sassy older character who feels like a benevolent (especially with colorful clothing and swimwear) fairy godmother.

I read her books for the Author’s Note as much as for the story itself, and this one did not disappoint. The focus on the magic of stories and the importance of love stories in discovering things about ourselves is something that I’m going to come back to over and over again in the coming weeks/months.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

arc provided by netgalley!

this was entertaining…. but also these characters were all insufferable imo

Katherine Center is incapable of writing a bad book! This was another heartwarming read but I did not find it to be as deep/thought provoking as previous books. The scene where they handed out flowers was very touching though.

I absolutely loved the characters Hutch and Rue! And George Bailey! It was so cute how he split his time between the two residences. 🙂

The hurricane scene was terrifying- I could imagine myself being on the house boat. The rescue scene was adorable and the mid-air kiss made me love Hutch even more!

Kate was sent to Key West by her boss, Cole, to shoot a promo video for the Coast Guard. He told her the company is thinking of downsizing, and this is her chance to prove her worth. She is to profile Hutch, who is none other than Cole's brother. Cole and Hutch have had a falling out, and Kate finds herself becoming more and more entangled in Hutch's life. She realizes that she has to confront some fears and be brave herself.

This book is an extremely slow burn- I mean, glacial. But at the same time, you grow to love Kate and Hutch. You delve into their past, their trauma, and learn to be okay with who you are. I think, with Kate's body image issues, every woman will relate to her in some way. I also loved Hutch. He seemed like the “perfect man, " but as we explored more of his life and backstory, we discovered that sometimes the struggles others face are hard to see. I cherished the little moments between Kate and Hutch and the challenges they needed to overcome for a happily ever after.

One thing I love about Katherine Center's books is how she presents unique settings and careers. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into a career in the Coast Guard and some of the responsibilities this job entails. This book also tackles the very real issues of body image and the impact that media can have on how we feel about ourselves and the impossible beauty standards we are expected to live up to. I loved watching Kate begin to like herself and eventually love herself.

Enhancing this book are the delightful side characters we meet. Aunt Rue brings comedy and a touch of colour to Kate's life. The gals from the tiny village add many laughs and conga lines, while Kate's best friend provides a dose of reality and comfort. But I think my favourite was the lovable Great Dane, George Bailey.

This book has a lot of ups and downs, and I found myself on a rollercoaster more than once. If you want a book about learning to love yourself while falling in love, this is the perfect book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and SMP Romance for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you @stmartinspress, @macmillan.audio, and @NetGalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan, she is an auto buy/read for me. I have loved all of her books I've read, so I was beyond thrilled to get an ARC and ALC of one of my highly anticipated new releases. I liked the unique premise of a Coast Guard MMC and the beautiful Key West setting. I loved that it was focused on body positivity and self image/worth and enjoyed seeing the FMC’s personal growth throughout the story. I thought both George Bailey, a lovable and silly rescued Great Dane, and hilarious Aunt Rue were fun additions to the story. I love when the side characters play important roles in the plot and help drive the story.

However, I had a hard time relating and connecting with the MCs. I felt like there was too much internal dialogue from the FMC and wasn't enough spark and chemistry between the two MCs. Their relationship felt forced and a little awkward to me. Also, I'm not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, it frustrates me and takes away so much from the story, but I know that's a personal issue. Even though I didn’t love this one as much as some of her others, it was still an enjoyable, summery read and I'll definitely be purchasing a copy to add to my KC collection.

I really enjoyed the audiobook, Patti Murin always does an incredible job with pacing, tone, and bringing the story to life.

I enjoy Katherine Center's books; typically cute stories and quick reads. And this one has a dog who will steal your heart. ❤️

3.5 rounded down.

I love Katherine center. Her wit and her style of writing. This book was so unique with the coast guard side of things. As a military spouse I loved that aspect. I really enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the banter between the MMC and FMC. There was one part that wasn’t my favorite in the middle in terms of the conflict between them but it resolved relatively quickly. Overall it was a really fun read

Katherine Center delivers another witty rom-com. The Love Haters has a collection of characters that it follows throughout the story.

Kate was sent to Florida by her boss Cole to shoot a promo video of the Coast Guard. She is to video Hutch. Kate and Hutch silently develop feelings for each other that they do not act on. One day Hutch pushes away Kate. It is revealed that Cole’s brother is Hutch and they have a rough past. Cole sent Kate to shoot the video to avoid spending time with his brother. He also pretended to have a relationship with Kate to hurt his brother. Kate is stranded on Hutch’s houseboat during a hurricane with his dog. The boat began to sink. Hutch was able to save both Kate and his dog.

This book deals with body positivity, family relationships, death and loss. There is humor woven throughout this heart warming story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced e-copy for a honest review.

Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time.
~
Alright guys listen, just before we get into this, it is an extremely slow burn, you’ve been warned! But this book like a love letter to love, which I know is the exact opposite of the title, but it truly was. It was a love letter to people learning to love themselves, people learning to let go of their past, people that believe they need to put forth a hard exterior to survive, people who are afraid of loving someone else, and people who are trying to live the life they’ve got to the fullest. And every single one of those scenarios was so well done and played out perfectly with all the others in this book. George Bailey might have stolen the show, as he should have, but this book make my heart happy in a way only Katherine Center can. This was a maze of ups and downs and laughs and serious moments and harrowing experiences and I want to keep this spoiler-free, so trust me when I say If this isn’t already on your summer TBR, it 1000% should be and you won’t regret it!

(4.5 stars)
Katherine Center has another hit with The Love Haters! I love her writing, which mixes humor in with romance tropes, and also covers some deeper topics along the way. This time, our female main character is Katie, who has body image issues, among other things. She’s a videographer and works professionally on business-oriented videos. She’s quite good at her job, but the company is planning on downsizing a lot and so her job is on the line. When her direct supervisor, Cole, wants her to film a promotional video for the Coast Guard, featuring a rescue swimmer based in Key West, Florida, Katie jumps at the chance, in spite of her not knowing how to swim (a requirement for the job), in the hope of saving her job/not being laid off. It turns out that the rescue swimmer in question is actually Cole’s older brother, Hutch.

Katie has major body image issues and she hasn’t worn a swimsuit in ages. A large part of this is due to a very critical stepmother, which made me really sad to read about. The other part is from being mocked on social media for her looks and her clothing choices (by fans of her ex, a rock musician). I think a huge number of women will totally relate to Katie on these topics. There is so much pressure to look a certain way, to fit into a certain size, etc. Her best friend, Beanie, tries to give her pep talks, asking Katie to think/say nice things about her body, but it’s a difficult road for Katie. (From the cover illustration and from the text, I do not think Katie is a “plus size” person, just a normal young woman who thinks she’s overweight.) Beanie also has good advice for Katie in terms of learning to swim: face your fears; do the thing that scares you. Easier said than done, of course!

I loved Cole and Hutch’s Aunt Rue, and her “gals” in Key West. The gals weren’t really delineated; they were kind of a faceless bunch to me, but Rue is delightful! With Katie’s luggage gone astray, Rue outfits Katie in colorful clothes, the absolute opposite of what Katie usually wears (black t-shirts and black jeans, for example).

I also loved Hutch, even though he seemed way too perfect at first. Learning his and Cole’s and Rue’s backstories were emotional revelations. There’s an undertone of grief below the surface for all three of them. And I also fell in love with George Bailey (ha!), Hutch’s Great Dane, who seems to have a thing for running into and knocking Katie over. What I didn’t really care for, was Cole and his approach to life, lying and his brother. Oh well. That’s a minor nitpick.

As always, Patti Murin knocks the narration out of the park!

Don’t miss the Author’s Note at the end, full of interesting thoughts on the magic of stories, and learning to love yourself for yourself. “We can train our own eyes to look with kindness, and pay attention to what’s beautiful, and focus on what’s right instead of what’s wrong.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Presss and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center can do no wrong. The chemistry between her lead characters are always perfect, and this book is no different. It is delish.

This was a mixed bag. I loved the Key West setting. Rue and her friends were a hoot. I liked,Hutch but we just didn’t get enough of him. We didn’t get enough of Katie and Hutch together either. There were some cute moments but it was just very disjointed. I think more romance and less self reflection would have been nice. Also, I needed to know what Hutch was thinking. Plus , Cole was @ silly character.Can an adult man really be that immature.,Even with all that I did enjoy reading the story. And I must say George Bailey was precious.3.2 stars.

Wow, this book completely swept me off my feet. It was the kind of story that grabs hold of your heart from the first page and doesn’t let go until long after the last one. I read it in a single sitting because I simply couldn’t put it down.
Katherine Center has a gift for writing stories that are equal parts heartfelt, humorous, and deeply moving, and this one is no exception. There are LOL moments, emotional gut punches, and scenes so tender that they brought tears to my eyes. The characters are vibrant, the setting is dreamy, and the emotional depth is exactly what I love in a great read.

Even without giving anything away, I can say this: it’s a story about bravery—not just the big, dramatic kind, but the everyday kind that asks us to show up, to be vulnerable, and to take a chance on something scary and beautiful. There are twists, warmth, and just the right amount of romance to make your heart flutter.

If you're looking for a book that makes you feel everything, joy, heartbreak, hope, and love, this one is it. Sweet, smart, and unforgettable. Highly recommend.

I like Katherine Center’s books and was excited to review this title for NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.
This was an easy, lighthearted read for me. I like how her stories focus on a MC’s profession that isn’t found in most books (that I’ve read so far at least) with this one focusing on the coast guard and videographers.

Personal Connection Moment: MC likes plain colors and is “afraid” of bright colors. While I don’t hate color, I do tend towards black/white/grey. Better channel Rue and pick a pop of color next time 😉

Favorite Side Character: George Bailey, Rue

4/5

Doesn’t top her book “The Rom-Commers” for me but a great read nonetheless.

I really enjoyed this book. There was only one complaint I have, there was so much detail leading up to why Katie went down to the Keys, but the actually love story didn’t really develop. There were quite a few wrenches thrown in the storyline/plot such as Cole lying to his brother that Katie was his girlfriend. The fighting in the bar between Cole and Hutch. The back story with Cole and Hutch’s parents dying in a car accident,…and how Cole really felt his brother saving him and always feeling like he was living in Hutch’s shadow…Rue taking the boys in.and loving them even though they were blood related.

Katie meets Hutch because his brother sends her down to Florida in an effort to save her job and create a recruitment video about the Us Coast Guard. Hutch isotherm response team that saves crowing people. It was pretty much love at first sight between Katie and Hutch. After a major hurricane Katie goes back to save Hutch’s dog, but now she is at risk of drowning but at the last minute Hutch comes down to save her and the dog George Bailey. She ultimately is not fired but she quits and moves to Florida to work for Rue and that’s it…. Please make a sequel about Katie and Hutch.