Katherine Center draws you in to her stories. Likeable characters and different story lines. I loved this story an absolut breathe of fresh air with hidden messages about finding yourself and love. Such a perfect summer read

Get your annotation supplies ready—Love Haters by Katherine Center is overflowing with quotes you'll want to highlight, underline, and revisit again and again. This book is a treasure trove of heart, humor, and healing, and I truly believe it’s her best yet!
From the very first chapter, I was completely drawn in by the magnetic grumpy-sunshine romance. The chemistry between the leads is irresistible—sweet, sharp, and emotionally rich—and the narrators bring them to life perfectly. I thought I’d sneak in a quick hour of the audiobook, and suddenly, I’d flown through 80% without even realizing it. It's that good.
Beyond the romance, Center masterfully weaves in delightful family dynamics, laugh-out-loud moments, and just enough suspense to keep your heart pounding. There's a depth to the emotional storytelling that makes you feel both seen and comforted—like the literary equivalent of a warm hug.
Love Haters is more than just a love story. It’s about resilience, forgiveness, and the quiet courage it takes to open your heart. I can already tell this will be a top book of the summer—one I’ll be recommending to everyone I know.

I was super excited to be given the opportunity to read this book early, as I loved The Bodyguard. Unfortunately, parts of this book just fell flat for me. There’s a huge focus on body image/eating disorders that should have come with a TW, and I felt like it made her characters fall even more into this cliche broken, timid girl gets saved by alpha male.

I loved Rue and The Gals! They were the highlight for me!

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, I have to say I love this cover, and it instantly grabbed my attention. Second, I enjoyed this book. Katie was a character that I immediately connected to.

The topic of struggling with body image is something that needs to be talked about more. I am so glad that it was included in this book.

As always KC writes addicting fast paced stories. This story talks a lot about self acceptance and to allow yourself to truly live for yourself without worrying so much about others. I loved the FMC's journey with that. I do wish there was more buildup in the romance. I felt like it was leading up to the perfect slow burn, but then...burned quickly? I think something was missing. Maybe just more scenes with the main romantic interests connecting? Since this is literary fiction with a romance subplot, I do think the romance wasn't fully fleshed out, and could have been added to. The literary fiction aspect was really good though! Loved Rue and the dog. 3.5 stars

This was a profoundly beautiful story all the way through to the end of the authors note (which was one of the best authors notes I’ve ever read). I was healed and touched by Katie’s journey to not just accepting herself but truly loving herself. Hutch had incredible depth. I adored him. I genuinely laughed out loud throughout this story and was utterly charmed by George Bailey the dog. I can’t recommend this enough

There were some aspects of The Love Haters that I really loved, and some that I didn't love.

Things I loved about the book:
- Katie's longtime struggle with a negative body self-image was sensitively and caringly portrayed and I cheered for her big time once she finally started to recognize how much that affected her.
- Her cousin's unconditional love and support was so sweet and heartfelt yet she didn't hesitate to challenge Katie to try to get her out of her negative thinking.
- Hutch's rescue Great Dane, was adorable.
- The connection between Katie and Hutch felt genuine and unforced.
- The glimpses of Coast Guard operations and rescue swimmers were informative and engrossing.

Things I didn't love:
- There were a lot of lies and omissions of truth throughout the book
- Although I felt sympathy for Katie, just when she started to grow on me, she'd get embroiled in yet another lie
- Hutch was a bit too perfect, and because we never got his POV, it was hard to understand why he was attracted to Katie
- The hurricane subplot was rather farfetched and seemed shoehorned in.

I would recommend the book as I think a lot of readers will enjoy it, but it wasn't one of my favorites of the author's. Still, I'll be looking forward to her next book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

There’s no need for a synopsis because at this point everyone in the book community has heard of this book so I’ll just tell all the things I loved about it and there’s lots!
1. Beanie! As Katie’s best friend, she is awesome at being supportive and caring and uber body positive! She has Katie find something she likes about herself every day after Katie’s super famous boyfriend dumps her and it knocks her confidence to the ground.
2. George Bailey. A ginormous Great Dane that the MMC, Hutch, rescues and steals every scene he was in
3. The Gals. A group of retirees who swim, enjoy cocktails and mettle in Katie and Hutch’s lives but with the best intentions.
4. It tackles some heavy topics with so much grace and laugh out loud humor that I could not stop reading and I didn’t want it to end.
Read this if you’re a fan of: grumpy/ sunshine, forced proximity, gorgeous setting

Thanks to St. Martins Press for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Loved it! Katherine Center is usually a must read, and I’m very grateful for this one. Watching Katie as a fish out of water in Florida, falling in love with herself and everyone and everything around her was such a joy. The ending felt a bit rushed but made me feel extremely hopeful! This felt more like an action rom-com at times which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Unfortunately this isn't the book for me. I typically love KC and her wit! However, I was really surprised by the prevalence of the body image issues and ED content (putting the food journal in chapter 2 with no trigger warning at the beginning of the book??). I may not have picked this up as these themes aren't for me right now. It's of course an important representation, but I wish it had been disclosed.

Thanks for the ARC. It was a super cute read and I really enjoyed it! The characters were really lovable and there is also a really adorable dog! Can’t go wrong with that!

I love a Katherine Center book and also happen to be fascinated by the Coast Guard so this book was an immediate yes for me. I was hooked from the start and really loved the story. The self-love journey, the banter, the will they/wont they… it was all going so well. There is a major curb ball with a 3rd character more than half way through that halted all progress, felt out of character for our main girl and really just left me with a bad taste. It was unnecessary and frustrating and the book would have been much stronger without it. I’m still rating this high because there are so many delightful moments. Some of the side characters (including a dog) are so delightful and interesting and the romance was definitely there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

It's not often I have a hard time moving on from a book, but this book was so good. I have been in a heavy duty reading slump since. It made me cackle. It made me cry (I am NOT a crier.) It stressed me out. It made me want to add more color to my life.
It's been a solid month plus since I've read this book and I still think back on some of the lessons. I found the FMC significantly quirkier and disconnected than her usual But I ended up loving all of it.

This was the first Katherine Center book I've read. I was not disappointed! I can't wait to dive into more of her books :)

Meh. This took me nearly 2 months to finish (and the only thing that got me through the last 40% was the audiobook). There was nothing compelling about this story, Katie was hard to root for as an FMC, Cole was a walking dumpster fire, Hutch was annoying and pouty, and the dog…annoying. I loved Rue and the Key West setting and the gals. But the main plot and the romance? Boring. I really love KC’s earlier books but the last two have been complete misses for me.

I enjoyed this! A fun summer read that I got through pretty quickly. I enjoyed how fast paced and entertaining the writing and storytelling was. It hooked me from the beginning and had me finishing the book quickly. I loved the Key West setting and thought the premise/plot was fun. Katherine Center has a gift for funny, engaging storytelling with deeper themes underneath. I didn't really connect to either character or their romance so that took away from my enjoyment a bit. The FMC was a little frustrating and I didn't totally love the way body image/disordered eating was handled in this book. I also feel like the romance went from 0 to 100 with very little build up, so by the time the couple got together, I was confused about how it had actually happened. Not a bad book at all, still a fun summery read that I think a lot of people will enjoy! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

4.25⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the early ARC e-book of Love Haters by Katherine Center!

This was such a fun, heartfelt read. I absolutely loved how normal and relatable Katie felt—she was funny, kind, and her inner dialogue was both realistic and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Hutch was adorable. As someone married to a military guy, I really enjoyed how he was portrayed—yes, he fit some of the stereotypes, but he also broke them in ways that made him feel authentic and entirely his own person.

The story was fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining, with that classic Katherine Center blend of witty romance and a deeper emotional current. As always, there's a good dose of trauma nestled in with the love story, which gave the plot more weight without making it feel too heavy.

Love Haters is a fantastic reminder of one of Center’s central themes: that romance isn't shallow—it's meaningful, life-giving, and a vital part of being human. I think this book is a great read for anyone, whether you're a seasoned romance reader or just dipping your toes in.

One thing about an Author's Note by Katherine Center - they're going to reaffirm you for being a romance reader. "Love stories are the best kind of therapy. They're not shallow, they're deep. Start looking and you'll see it too." It's so true, there is something so beautiful and joyous about a love story - knowing that you're working towards a better version of a character or a couple and the promise of a happily ever after. I feel zero shame for my unabashed love of romance novels.

Katie has once chance to save her job - she has to absolutely crush the short film she has to make about the coast car. A short film that landed on her lap by way of her co-worker, Cole whose brother just so happens to be the hunkiest coast guard hero you've ever seen. There's one catch - she can't swim. Oh, one more catch - she is kind of falling for Hutch, the hunky hero himself. Will Katie come out of paradise unscathed, or with a whole lease on life?

Is The Love Haters the best romance I've ever read, no? It's almost laughably far fetched and if you hate a miscommunication trope or have a fear of the ocean - avoid it. But, is it self affirming? Absolutely. Perhaps the most beautiful love story in this book is the love story Katie writes to herself and her body -- a message I think every woman could stand to write in their own lives! At first, I was triggered by just how body conscious Katie was (Hello, praying on my own insecurities!) -- but, one line will stick with me forever," I should have loved all of my everything. Because it was mine."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own and freely given.

I’m a huge fan of Katherine Center, so I was incredibly excited to receive an ARC of The Love Haters. Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 17%. Nearly five full chapters in, at least 90% of the content centered around body image. While I’m sure this is all building toward an empowering message that many readers will relate to, it was just too much for me. I personally find it exhausting to live in a world so fixated on body image and I didn’t want my reading escape to be filled with that same chatter.

I could already tell there were side characters and plot points I’d probably love, and I wish I could’ve stuck around long enough to reach them. But I needed less body focus and more actual story. And if somehow you didn’t know going in, this book tackles body image and body dysmorphia very directly—so definitely check content warnings before diving in.

It’s not a trigger for me, but the sheer volume of it wore me down. That said, I have no doubt it leads to a powerful journey of self-acceptance. If you can push through to the heart of the story, I genuinely envy you!

On a high note—Katherine’s author’s note? Absolute perfection, as always. Five stars for that alone. They are truly some of my favorite pieces of writing in the world.

Katie Vaughn doesn't believe in love anymore she has been burned one to many times. Her work life isn't going much better it looks like if she doesn't take a job she knows she is not qualified for. She has been taxed with doing a profile on Tom Hutchenson a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, the problem she can't swim and at some point she is going to have to get in the water. Hutch also happens to be her bosses brother and they don't really get along. Hutch is a hater of love as well. The two get along well and Hutch even agrees to teach Katie how to swim. They spend a lot of time together and start to have feelings but with neither of them believing in love can something come of it? This was a wonderfully emotional read that had me laughing and crying all the way until the end. Center really knows how to pull on the emotions of the reader in all the best ways.