Katherine Center is a go to for comfort and laugh out loud moments, It just makes me happy every time I get to pick up her new book. The Love Haters while it felt like it is not completely a KC book, I still very much enjoyed it, per usual it has lot of humor, sweetest moments and of course characters that are forced to face their traumas so they can come out on the other side completely healed. The love haters is about tackling grief, healing, self love-ugly parts and all and a lot of self discovery.

Katie is jilted in love after her now famous ex-fiancé make a huge scene and leaves her traumatized, the events from her past takes a toll on her in several ways that she deals with body dysmorphia. When she gets an opportunity to profile a famous coast guard rescue swimmer, she reluctantly takes the job so to keep her video production job and travels to Florida Keys. Enter Hutch, the sweetest, greenest green forest and his show stealing fur baby, George Bailey. Although Hutch reluctantly agrees to the whole promotional video charade to try to get along with his brother Cole with whom he had a falling apart.Hutch's hard exterior slowly chips away as he and Katie forms an easy friendship. They both help each other tremendously to heal deeper wounds that were caused by people in their lives, the meddling ladies in Hutch's life were so funny that brought constant comic relief when things got heavier. Once again George Bailey felt like warm hugs along with everything else that made my heart all soft and gooey.

The ending was tad dramatic and sometimes Katie'e inner turmoil felt a little redundant which is why it wasn't a 5 star for me but nonetheless this is yet another KC's book that left me with a huge smile on my face towards the end

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of The Love Haters to read and review. The Love Haters releases May 20, 2025.

Not to be negative, but I might have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this book. (Kidding. Kinda.) Katie is a corporate video producer who’s been assigned to film a recruiting video for the US Coast Guard. The catch? She wasn’t supposed to get assigned to the job AND she can’t swim. She’s on the verge of getting laid off due to downsizing and feels that she has no other choice.

Hutch is the subject of Katie’s assignment. He’s stereotypically the hottest guy ever, a rescue swimmer with the USCG, and a proclaimed “love hater” by his brother. Hutch’s brother works with Katie and was originally supposed to take the assignment. Hutch is unsurprisingly frustrated when Katie is sent in his brother’s place.

Katie heads to Key West, where she’s assigned to film the promo on base. But when Katie meets Hutch, she’s not sure why he’s got such a chip on his shoulder, and she tries her best to get closer to him to find out….

Overall, this was fine. I enjoyed it well enough. The pacing of this one felt off. It was slow to start, then it picked up too quickly. Everything was a bit too convenient. I didn’t feel real chemistry between Katie and Hutch. It was a bit of forced proximity due to the nature of the work, but there was no *spark*. There were parts where I really thought Hutch didn’t care about Katie at all.

Katie’s bestie, Beanie, was a super encouraging character and I appreciated the body positive lessons between the two of them. This book was fun, and a little sad, but it wasn’t very romantic. It’s a love story, don’t get me wrong, but the relationship part didn’t do it for me.

Also, I kept picturing Hutch as Ashton Kutcher in The Guardian 🤣.

OK, I'll confess. I love Katherine Center books. Both the female and male characters are so loveable. I'll also confess that this is only my second favorite of her books. (The first is How to Walk Away and I still think about Ian). But Hutch in this book is a really close second. His parents are gone and his brother is self-estranged. He's avoided relationships. But he gets sucked into doing a documentary on his work as a rescue swimmer with the US Coast Guard.

Katie wears black or charcoal all the time. She isn't in love with anything about herself, except maybe her work talents. She had been engaged to a local singer, but he'd hit the big time, had an affair, and their relationship was over. There was no way that a hunky rescue swimmer might ever be interested in her.

There are some sections of this book that maybe were too coincidental. But I finished the book, full of happiness, love, and contentment. It was exactly what I expected. I recommend reading the author's notes and her acknowledgements. They are a perfect complement to the story.

The characters only share a kiss or two so its suitable for almost any reader. There is drunkenness and mentions other people having love affairs.

I have both the e-book and the audio book. The narrator is just perfect for this story and its characters.

“Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time. That’s what life is for.”

In a last ditch effort to save her job, Katie Vaughn takes on an assignment in Key West. She is highly unqualified for the project, but is determined to make it work. Along the way she meets Hutch and bonds with his aunt and dog. Katie must somehow come clean about her motivation all while encountering various mishaps.

I’ve been a huge Katherine Center fan for a while, so I was excited for this new release. I will say that I was hesitant after seeing mixed reviews. The book did get off to a slow start, but overall I did enjoy the story. Center’s trademark humor came into play and the FMC was a bit of a loveable mess. I had a love/hate relationship with the MMC though and that along with a few annoying plot points brought the rating down for me.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for gifted advanced copies (audiobook and ebook) of this title.

First time reading a work from this author. The first few pages and chapters were catchy, but overall lost interest. It has some fun parts, but there was a lot going on. And the focus on body image/self doubting throughout the entire book was a no for me despite trying for self acceptance. Will still check out the other books by this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I laughed, I cried, and I said WTF a few times.

I am honestly so conflicted on how to rate this book because it elicited so many emotional responses. I think first and foremost if the portrayal of body dysmorphia is a trigger for you, I would not recommend this book. I don't think I can speak about the way in which Katherine Center handled Katie's body dysmorphia and the "healing" or approach. I do know that other reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with how the topic was handled.

I liked Katie and Hutch as characters. I loved the side characters, in particular Hutch's dog and Aunt Rue (and her friends). The side characters and interactions provided humor and comedy helping to lighten a book that's plot was focused on grief and self deprecation.

If you watched the movie about Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers in Kodiak, Alaska and thought I would really love to read a sunshine and colorful version I think you might really enjoy this book. Katie's a videographer who basically get conned into following around rescue swimmer Hutch who's defining characteristics can be summarized as "perfect". The mishaps and physical comedy kept me engaged. There were at least two major moments in this book that took me by surprise (hence WTF) and I have to give Center credit for that accomplishment. I read so many romance books each year it takes a bit to surprise me and she definitely did.

I thought the dialogue and relationship development between the full cast of characters was reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and my favorite part. Katherine Center's author note at the end of the book was worth reading.

Thank You to St. Martin's Press for a e-arc via NetGalley!

The story was.. cute, but there were almost too many little twists and clumbsy/rescue opportunities. More so than a love story (PG btw) it’s a story about loving yourself. Which is FINE but soooo much of this was her overcoming her body image issues that the plot was almost filler.

4.5 ⭐️🧡
As someone who has struggled with body image and insecurity all my life, this one hit me hard. I really felt connected with Katie and her inner thoughts, even when they felt silly or crazy. I didn't love the whole "web of lies" subplot, but I liked Hutch and Katie and Rue and the girls so much that it didn't bother me. As someone whose husband was in the military, I liked all the Coast Guard info also.

Katherine Center is my romcom queen. While I didn't personally enjoy one of her more recent novels, this one flet like an old friend. I will eagerly read anything she puts out there. 🧡

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Overall give this book 3.5 stars. This is my first Katherine center book. I have many others in my bookshelf that I can’t wait to read now. I inspire to be like the group of gals when I get older. Enjoying life for what it is while cat calling and heckling cute men. I also want a wild dog with wild personality.

3.75 rounded up

What I find dependable about a Katherine Center book (especially her more recent ones) is that 1) they are just lighthearted and fun, and 2) you can count on the FMC to learn something important about themselves. In this realm, The Love Haters did not disappoint. I felt so connected to Katie and her body image struggles, and I loved watching her fall in love with her own body. It was so akin to my own struggles with how I look and being my harshest critic, and it was so important to me that Katie found love for her body because of her change in mindset not because of what a guy told her. While I know body image topics can be a touchy subject, I think it is important to note that--like so many other issues--everyone can present a little differently. Not all anxiety looks the same and not all body issues present the same either. For my part, I thought Katherine did an excellent job talking about it in this book.

That being said, the actual romance in the book was a bit lacking for me. It felt a bit shallow, and while Katie, the narrator, tells us that she and Hutch spend all day every day together for weeks, we don't actually get to see much of those interactions, which left the story feeling a bit insta-lovey for me. I loved Hutch--and his dog--and I did like him and Katie together. I just wish I could have seen more of their actual fall. And while I certainly don't mind a miscommunication trope if done well, I didn't like this one very much. It felt as though the characters chose miscommunication rather than it just happening unintentionally, and then even when that was resolved, it just stacked and had me screaming, "didn't you learn your lesson!"

I DID however love the dramatics of the end of the book. I like a little excitement in my romances, and that definitely bumped up my rating, even if it was a tad outlandish. Hutch's job as a rescue swimmer is such a bada** career, and I loved reading about it.

Overall, it was a cute Katherine Center story.

I love Katherine Center - one of my fave authors! Unfortunately this one fell flat for me.

I liked the characters but felt like there was too much going on - and the story and character development were hurt as a result.

I decided not to finish this book. There was a stylistic choice that was present in her prior books really annoyed me. There were times when the author clearly wrote the intended feeling (italicized) instead of letting it be felt through context.

Katherine Center is usually a hit for me and I thought the description of her newest novel sounded so fun! Katie is a video producer who takes a job featuring her boss’ brother, a rescue swimmer for the US Coast Guard who is deemed to be a “love hater” in Key West. Only problem- she doesn’t know how to swim, which is a requirement for the position. As she attempts to fake it until she makes it, she meets Hutch and seems to fall for him very quickly, where he seems to be holding back. Learning more about his life and motives made for an interesting read and really made it feel like as Katie interviewed him for the video, we were watching it all unfold.

Quick and easy read with a slow burn romance, lots of adventure, and a lovable Great Dane. There was also a LOT of body image insecurity and discussion throughout this entire book as Katie was dealing with issues accepting herself and her appearance. It felt like she did go on a journey of self love and we do have some resolution with this, but in the grand scheme of things, I think it fell a little flat for me that she went her whole life dealing with these issues and feels “cured” after only a few weeks.

Aunt Rue and The Gals were so eccentric and their characters made the book even more fun. I didn’t find myself liking other supporting characters (Beanie and Cole) very much but maybe they just didn’t get enough time to really develop as characters 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you’re a fan of her other works, I think you will enjoy this one as well! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC ☀️

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★

Katherine Center has been one of my favorite authors to read over the years as I enjoy the depth of topics she covers and her style of writing.

This story of Katie and Hutch was such a fun enemies to lovers story that had me intrigued from the start. It had the best push and pull with great banter which had you rooting for the characters the whole way through even though they didn’t really connect until the very end.

I loved the tropical setting in Key West and appreciated how well it was described. I absolutely adored the side characters that brought so much fun and light to the story. Rue, Hutch’s aunt, was my absolute favorite character of all!

Katie’s growth over the course of the book was such a beautiful development to read. She went through so much over the years being criticized and it damaged her tremendously. Seeing her develop confidence and overcome some of these issues was admirable.

While I did love this book and will easily recommend it to others, it wasn’t my favorite book of hers. The reason for this was the chaos of the FMC. She is a bit frustrating with her constant rambling and her letting people take advantage of her. She wouldn’t stand up for herself or communicate which put her in horrible situations and it was just frustrating in the end.

The authors note at the end of the book is a must read! It really resonated with me and affirmed why I love reading Katherine’s books so much!

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook in tandem and I loved being able to hear all the personality Patti Murin put into the characters. She did a wonderful job bringing this story to life!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
Found Family
Forced Proximity
Tropical Location
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy x Sunshine
Learning to Love Yourself

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I adore Katherine Center and her ability to write fiction and love stories that have some substance along with humor. I loved that this book was set in the Florida Keys and wished that it had been explored more through their time together. I loved the descriptions of Hutch and the things I learned about the Coast Guard from Katie's experience being thrust into that world. Rue was my favorite side character and someone that I adored after learning her backstory and the unusual way that the brothers joined her family. I never connected with Cole or the whole Sullivan/fake dating side story. The chemistry in this book felt like it was a secondary plot line to Katie's obsession with her body. I wanted to love the focus on her trying to learn acceptance and body positivity, but it became annoying when it was the whole topic of every conversation. She even decides to make that the topic of her possible last call to her best friend ever while she is in danger?? Come on. Ultimately, I still enjoyed both reading and listening to the story and finished it in a few days, but it won't unseat my other favorite Katherine Center books.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC to this book and audio.

When Katie’s boyfriend cheats on her, her self-esteem takes a nosedive. Worse, her coworker assigns her a video profile of a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West in The Love Haters, a contemporary romance from Katherine Center arriving on bookstore shelves May 20.

Katie does not want the assignment—not because the Coastie is a hunk—but because she cannot swim nor is she a fan of helicopters, which are used in these rescues. Not only does she need to be a swimmer but she also needs to train to be the person who needs rescue from the ocean. However, if she does not fulfill the assignment, she will become a candidate for lay-off.

Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson is said to be a love-hater having gone through an ordeal in which his brother’s drunk fiancé threw herself at him at his brother’s rehearsal dinner. That created a rift between the brothers, who were already on shaky ground.

Now a bit of a love-hater herself after being dumped, Katie finds herself drawn to Hutch as he is such a kind, considerate person, as well as a competent rescue swimmer. When he learns she cannot swim other than maybe a sloppy dog paddle, he starts meeting with her daily to make her a competent swimmer. The more the two spend time together, the more the love-hating may be wearing off.

Readers will be rooting for Katie and Hutch in the latest from Katherine Center whose The Lost Husband and Happiness for Beginners were both made into Netflix movies. The author lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 18, 2025.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Genuinely, and I cannot stress this enough, F*CK COLE. I am currently 75% of the way into the book and there is genuinely NOTHING Cole could do to redeem himself in my eyes. Which is unfortunate because he is the MMC’s brother, and you don’t really want them to be estranged; but also, again, F*CK COLE. F*CK THIS GUY.

Making the MMC’s brother the main villain is a bold choice. Why couldn’t he be an ex? It would fit the storyline and then I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable for not forgiving him… because I will not. He is the worst. I also don’t understand Katie’s motivations for going along with Cole’s scheme. Like yes, it’s to keep her job- but she doesn’t appear to really love this job and has the possibility to do at least moderately successful freelance work. There’s no reason for her to go along with such an absurd scheme for a job she is just good with. She doesn’t love it, doesn’t absolutely need it because she has no other options. Also, Cole doesn’t appear to be high enough on the totem pole that if Katie had immediately exposed his lie, the boss wouldn’t have taken Katie’s side, or at the very least, taken no sides. But then they say the lie is for Rue? Which I just really don’t get. The gist of this: the third act conflict makes ZERO sense.

I have so many different feelings on this book, I don’t know how to get my thoughts straight. It had me emotionally going all over the place with so many parts I loved and so many parts I really did not love. 😭

It was definitely a very fun book with some depth & serious topics! Katherine Center will always transport me completely into the story, it feels like im there myself. And although her stories always deal with serious & very real topics, they are still so enjoyable & quick paced I just fly through them!

A downside of this book for me was that I just could not connect with the characters or really fall in love with them at any point. I still enjoyed the characters but it felt like I never really knew them, especially Hutch. I just know it had the potential for me to be obsessed with them & their relationships, but it just did not hit for me. Especially with the romance! There were some very cute moments that I loved but it just never gave me enough. It somehow felt like the romance happened instantly and at the same time never really happened at all? I really don’t think they ever truly loved each other?? at least I didn’t see it or feel it. 😕 I really wish this story was a bit longer and showed us some more of the characters really connecting, especially at the end.

I did really enjoy the setting and the atmosphere! Especially with the great writing, I could visualize all the scenes very well. And some of the scenes were quite fun. But at the same time, some scenes felt so out of place and strange, I was really cringing a LOT. 😭 And a couple scenes (especially one) drove me INSANE. I could not believe the choices these characters were making. One of the characters did something that was absolutely TERRIBLE???? I was horrified. Although if these are the emotions & reactions the author wanted from these scenes then well done! They definitely made me feel some strong emotions.

Overall this was not my favorite from this author, but it was still a quick & enjoyable read, especially for summer! Although PLEASE check the trigger warnings before reading!!!

Katherine Center is still an absolute favorite of mine, I can’t wait to see what she does next!

First Katherine Center book and I'm a fan. The Love Haters had me giggling and smiling throughout. I think my favorite character was George Bailey the dog of the MMC. He stole my heart in this story. The FMC Katie is given an assignment to make a video highlighting a rescue swimmer named "Hutch" for the Coastguard down in Key West. One small problem, she doesn't know how to swim and its a requirement for the assignment. Katie lies because she needs this opportunity or risk losing her job. That one lie snowballs into others and soon Katie finds herself in a hot mess. She meets Hutch and is immediately attracted. Hutch is the perfect man/hero. Working together slowly sparks start to kindle between the two. This book I found was not only about romance and finding love but also about self healing and learning to love yourself. What's that saying, you can't love someone if you don't love yourself. I highly recommend to add this to your summer TBR.

I have never read a Katherine center book before. I will say I have a few of hers on my TBR shelf at home, but been so fixated on one of my favorite authors that I've neglected others. That being said, this is definitely going to open the gateway to reading more of her books.

This book was so well written, the character is so relatable and I got so invested in the relationship. As someone who reads a lot of smut, and I'm glad there wasn't one. It allowed the romance to blossom and the sexual tension to help the reader.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review