I want to start off by saying I think this was more of a woman’s fiction than straight up romance. There was definitely a romance storyline, but really it was more about Katie finding herself again, and loving herself and her body.

With that said, it still really enjoyed this book! Although the first 50% was mostly backstory and building it up, it went a little too slow for me, but about half way…. Then at around 70% THINGS START TO FINALLY HAPPEN! - the big reveal if you will.

I absolutely loved Rue and George Bailey (great dane) as the side characters! And I want them both in my real life!!! All in all, it was an enjoyable read, and some laugh out loud moments and a very sweet, movie worthy….FINALLY MOMENT! 🤪

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
🌊Workplace romance (sort of)
🌊Female self discovery
🌊Close Proximity
🌊Slow Burn
🌊He falls first but wont show it
🌊Single POV
🌊Only kissing

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Enjoyable enough! The self-love storyline is nice and I liked the main character, even if I did not really vibe with the narration-- I don't know why I find it SO juvenile to be addressed by the narrator in this manner but it is so offputting to me. Please do not say 'guess what?' to me. Book version of audience participation. The fourth wall should stay intact.

I also liked Hutch a lot, but he did not compel me even one bit. He is, in fact, just incredibly perfect and I found him very boring. Unfortunately, I was much more interested in Cole: you cannot show me a fuck-up with self esteem issues and ask me not to care. Katie and Hutch also never struck me as two people in love as much as they had potential, but we never really got to see that.

This is making it sound like I didn't like it when for the most part, the reading itself was fine. I just think it could have been more interesting.

This was my first Katherine Center read & I really loved it! Her writing was so easy to follow and she gave such personality to the FMC, Katie. - she was hilarious! I loved her inner mantras and the commentary that she added to every scene. & honorary mentions to my favorite character in the book- George Bailey.

Some of the scenes had me cracking up.. can we talk about the first pool scene?? Cole having to take out all of those splinters.. ouch, but hilarious. The entirety of Katie and George Bailey on the houseboat!! I literally cannot with how hilarious yet traumatic that scene was. I could not have predicted that if I tried.

One negative that I would say (and why I knocked it down from 5 stars).. I think it was a little extra with how much emphasis there was on Katies self-deprecating thoughts. I just felt like there was so much repetition before we started to see some of her character development. It made the beginning half of the book a drag. I thought I would have rated this 3 stars in the first half, but the second half was so good that it brought it up to 4.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me with The Love Haters in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much KC for this ARC!!

Like all of her books, I left this one so happy and nothing but good feelings. She writes loves stories with purpose and for you to know what’s going to happen, and it just brings nothing but peace every time. The star of this story was 100% George Bailey.. I mean come on. Give me a Great Dane with a tragic past and I am going to want him to have a book all for himself.

Happy to see this one go out into the world and see everyone else fall in love with Katie and Hutch.. but most importantly Rue & George Bailey.

Side note- I remember KC talking about her writing process for this book at an author even I went to and I think it definitely worked out!

The Love Haters is another fun rom com from the queen, Katherine Center. Admittedly, this one is not my favorite of hers. The chemistry between the MCs is a little lacking, a few of the ancillary characters a little too one-dimensional, the self-image obsession a little much. That said, Aunt Rue (a real person) and George Bailey (a rescue Great Dane) were delightful, and I was glued to the page for the last 25% or so (the inner dialogue was so well done and I was truly laughing out loud). This one would be a great movie, but only – and I cannot emphasize this enough – with Glen Powell starring as Hutch. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for this entertaining, summery read.

Pub Date: 5/20/25
Review Published: 5/19/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A love story between two people but also between a girl and her body. And OOOOOOOPH, did that one hit hard. I felt so many parts of this story on a deeply personal level and the beauty of a well written book, is that you get to be in this fictional persons psyche for a bit, but then you get to bring the lessons learned back with you. I needed this little self-love boost as we go into summer!

Honorable mention for Beanie and Rue being the human sunshines we all need, Hutch for being the stereotypical stoic-hottie in uniform, and Cole the chaotic jackass that somehow makes everything worse all at once. Also, George Bailey the toad-loving, impeccable judge of character. The story couldn’t have gone on without you!

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing! Humourous and witty, laced with beautiful moments and nuggets of wisdom. Currently trying to figure out how to become one of The Gals.

Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this story, it was a joy!

thank you net galley, the publisher and katherine center for this e arc!!

likes:
* i enjoyed that our fmc spoke about her body image issues and how it affects her- it adds a very real layer to the story, especially with current social media and the hyper fixation on being “perfect”.
* george bailey
* rue <3
* side characters that are enjoyable and don’t hinder the plot
* although there was some depth (which is always appreciated) it didn’t take itself too serious, which made it a ~lightheartedish~ read that felt perfect for the setting (spring/summer vibes)
* the vulnerability from our mc’s & side characters
* our fmc’s act of bravery bc i would actually hyperventilate in that situation
* beanie & katie’s (fmc) relationship
* “grief for a body that, it turned out, i’d loved all along.”
* authors note :,) <3
dislikes:
* george bailey playing match maker scene was a ~bit~ too cheesy for me
* hutch + cole beef reveal?? felt very unserious to me especially bc it felt like a lead up to something dramatic when a simple conversation could have been had (imo lol)
* cole being messy & clearly the little brother
* sullivan
* our fmc being unserious in an emergency situation like cmon girl we can save the jokes for another time

Katherine Center has another fun read in The Love Haters! This book was a quick and easy read with funny banter and lighthearted writing. The Love Haters is about Katie Vaughn, documentary filmmaker and Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tom Hutcheson. Katie is tasked to document not only the day in the life of Hutch but also a recruitment video for the Coast Guard. It is not a bad assignment to go to Key West. We meet the quirky Hutch’s aunt, Rue who has a real zest for life. And the Great Dane, George Baily who thinks he is a chihuahua. And hopefully they return in another Center book. I look forward to listening to the audio version soon!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange of my honest review.

Not only do I love Katherine Center’s romcoms, but I love her thoughts and truths about love. I can count on each story to be funny, thoughtful, and wise. The Love Haters continues that tradition and brings another wonderful story that filled my heart, brought many smiles, and made me swoon.

Katie Vaughn works in corporate mid-level video production, but her passion project is making documentaries about heroes. It turns out that Tom “Hutch” Hutcherson, her co-worker’s brother, is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and a certified hero himself. She takes on the assignment of making a Coast Guard recruiting video in Key West with the hope of convincing Hutch to be the next subject of her hero documentary. The only twist is that she can’t swim! She may not be up front about her motives either. All of this leads to some funny moments and delicious tension. Katie’s adventures in Key West bring her closer to Hutch, true friendship with his aunt (who is also her landlord), and wonderful side characters who make a big impact on her life. In the course of getting to know this reluctant hero who rescues others on a daily basis, Katie realizes that she needs rescuing herself. I loved watching her grow from fearful to fearless. I also loved Hutch and the way Katherine Center makes you fall in love with him right along with Katie. I truly enjoyed this compelling story that brings hope, encourages us to find the best in others and ourselves, and left me even more in love with love.

This was a quick and easy read. It kept me entertained and I enjoyed the storyline. However, I felt that the romance part of the book was forced. The chemistry and banter were not felt through words, making it hard to connect to their relationship. It felt like Katie, the main character, was looking for perfection in herself, her life and in a relationship, which is incredibly unrealistic. The characters were just blah, which I think is my issue with the book. I just didn't love any of them. There were heavy topics in this book that I think should have been given more seriousness - body image issues, grief, infidelity... They were mentioned often and front and center in the book, but there was no depth to the conversation surrounding them. Overall, the book was fine. It moved quickly, I enjoyed the plot, but I wanted more from all the characters. I am a huge Katherine Center fan, so it is very possible that my expectations are unreasonable! If you are looking for a quick summer read, try this, my opinion is not a popular one! 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies.

Copied from my review on Instagram.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center comes out tomorrow 5/20! Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC & SMP Romance for the arc. I love to tandem read books when I can so it was great to have both formats! There will be some spoilers! 🚨

Quick audiobook note, it’s narrated by Patti Murin and I always enjoy her narration. It’s a good choice if this is your preferred format!

Friends, I don’t know how to review this book 🤣 I finished it on Tuesday last week and I intentionally left it for last of the 5/20 arcs I needed to post about. Some relevant information, I have enjoyed all of KC’s books that I have read except for The Rom-Commers last year, I hated that book. This one… I didn’t quite end up HATING it but I don’t like it either.

What I didn’t like: pretty much everything.

Like most people, the big ick for me was Katie’s body dysmorphia, not that she had it, but the way it was written and addressed. If this is a topic at all triggering to you do not read this book. It is constant and throughout the whole book. Anyone can have body image issues, so I take issue with reviews that seem irked that a “pretty & skinny” girl is written like this. The problem is the way KC wrote it, it’s never addressed in a healthy way, and turned into comedic relief at times.

The bar scene. So problematic in so many ways. It was weird, and misogynistic, and even Katie pissed me off with her inner monologue about the drinking contest.

Literally everything about Cole. Sorry about your childhood trauma and all bro, but you suck.

Why I didn’t hate it as much as I hated the Rom-Commers. Damn it, KC sucked me into the romance in the second half and I was also NOT PREPARED FOR THE END OF THE BOOK. I was invested and stressed. The synopsis like off-hand mentions hurricanes, (“Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue”) a hurricane does happen FYI.

However, it’s not enough to save the book it’s still terrible in comparison to her older books. Literally how did the person who wrote The Bodyguard and What You Wish For write this.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for a digital ARC of The Love Haters! This was a perfectly light and fluffy summer read - sure to be a hit with fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

Katie and Hutch are love skeptics - it hasn't worked out for them so far, so why would the future be any different? Neither one expected the immediate sparks to fly upon meeting for the first time. Both assume that the other MUST not feel the same way, and their antics take off from there. The setting in Key West with bright colors and warm weather really set the scene for a tropical beach read, complete with an extremely attractive Coast Guard rescue swimmer as the icing on the cake.

While I enjoyed this book as a whole and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for something sweet and mindless to dive into this summer, I thought that the miscommunication trope was overplayed to the extreme. Every bit of the multiple conflicts and plot devices was driven by miscommunication. Personally it's just a trope that I don't enjoy reading and find pedantic. I also thought that both Katie' and Hutch's low self-esteem with a little much - yes, women in particular can be so hard on their bodies and their appearances, and this is a relatable topic for a main character, but it could've been written in a more eloquent and realistic depiction of the struggle that people (men AND women) face with body dysmorphia.

Overall - 4⭐️
Plot - 4⭐️
Characters - 3.5⭐️
Character Development - 3⭐️
Setting - 4.25⭐️
Writing - 3.5⭐️

The Love Haters by Katherine Centers
Contemporary romance.
Katie Vaughn is on the brink of losing her job. People are getting laid off left and right. When her coworker Cole asks her to travel to Key West to profile a Coast Guard with a famous rescue to his credit, Katie can’t say no. The video producer job will get her out of town and direct line of her boss, hopefully saving her job. Yes, she lies and says she can swim to get the job but figures she can learn easily enough. Going a day or two earlier should be sufficient.
Katie meets Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson and Aunt Rue and finds her style of dress changing, swim lessons scheduled, and helicopter issues she never expected but it’s all unexpectedly tempting. And colorful.

🎧 I alternated between an ecopy and an audiobook which is narrated by Patti Muran. The performance is engaging and brings the characters to life. I clearly heard the various of Katie throughout sick as trepidation, joy and concern. I listened at 1.5 to more closely match reading and conversation speed. I try to read both formats together when possible as I find it gives me the best depth from the story.

The first half of this book had me cracking up with laughter over and over again. I highlighted so many passages I found utterly amusing.
I’m not fond of lying and Katie does a fair amount of it to keep her job. I had to forgive that, specifically because of the job pressure.
My favorite piece of Katie’s concern was having to disclose her weight for the helicopter. I so remember my horror the first time I took a tour in Hawaii and had to do the same.

Enticing and delightful.
4.5
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

It really isn’t the start of summer without a Katherine Center book in my hands!

I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan and really enjoyed her latest, The Love Haters so much!

I did an immersive read of this one and really, really enjoyed Patti Murin’s narration. She very much brings the characters and story to life and if you can, I highly recommend the audio!

Center has a way of writing layered romances where there is always something special and unique about her main characters. I really enjoyed getting to know Katie and found her to be incredibly relatable. She is struggling with her body image and I really, really loved the way Center explored that in the story. Center talks about it a bit in her Author’s Note which I really recommend you read as well.

I found Katie and Hutch’s story to be one of my favorites of Center’s. Hutch is a coast guard rescue swimmer who went viral saving Jennifer Aniston’s dog and is a real heart throb! You get to learn all these interesting facts about the coast guard and Hutch is teaching Katie basically how to swim so there are many, MANY hilarious moments between them that had me laughing out loud. I think the bathing suite fiasco is my favorite moment and when you read that part, please message me so we can laugh together! I loved so many of the side characters, Rue being my favorite, and the Key West Setting. I also, really really loved Hutch’s dog George Bailey.

This book is a warm hug and the perfect summer read! I really can’t wait for you to read it!

4.5

This was the 6th book Katherine Center book I’ve read and I really liked it. I became a fan after reading The Bodyguard. I enjoyed the premise around this book and found the characters interesting. I really liked Aunt Rue and think everyone can relate to an Aunt like her. Theo book paced well and was really engaging. I’d definitely recommend it to my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely adore a romance that lets me in on the "falling in love" part of the story and The Love Haters does that so very well! Don't get me wrong, I also believe in the lightning bolt of insta-love, but I think it's so very satisfying to see a love story unfold as the hero and heroine gradually fall for each other. I really liked that about The Love Haters.

Katie is a strong woman with lots of body insecurities. She's not always confident, but she's got lots of moxie and agrees to things she probably shouldn't. She has a good friend who tries to help with the body positivity issues, and then there's Aunt Rue who colored Katie's world. I would comment that sometimes the body insecurities became repetitive and went on for too long. Then there's Hutch, the subject of Katie's film. I did like how Katie really got to know him through her work on her film project. And of course, there's George Bailey who brings the smiles and drama! I did like these characters -- they were not perfect, but they were perfect for each other.

There's a bit of action as a hurricane hits Key West. This part was tension-filled and had me on the edge of my seat. I did read this rather quickly as it's an easy read and moves along for the most part. I do wish there had been more Katie-Hutch time at the end of the story, and I appreciated the epilogue and where everyone ended up in this romance. Overall, 4.5 stars

“You can look around with your own eyes. You can find your own details. Notice for yourself what matters—and decide what it means.
It’s as true as it is life-changing.
But the only way to do it is to do it.”

This one just did not grab me. I have loved all of Katherine Center’s books but this is my least favorite thus far. I did LOVE the Great Dane representation, though.

I found myself very annoyed at the main character and her negativity about her body. It was just too much, so much so that it became distracting to the story. And the chemistry between Tom Hutcheson, this supposed adonis, and Katie Vaughn just wasn’t there or believable. I do understand a bit more about Katie after the author’s note, though. I see what the author was trying to do.

The audiobook, on the other hand, was fantastic! Read by dual narrators it was laugh out loud funny at times. They both did a great job of harnessing the angst, but also the evolution, of the characters. A great listen!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC and ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book snuck up on me a little bit. Katherine Center’s books always sneak up on me in a way. She really is such a good storyteller in that I don’t even care what her books are about or even have to like what they are about and I still inhale them. The premise for The Love Haters feels slightly ridiculous and doubles down on its ridiculousness as it goes on. There’s an almost manic energy to the book that turned me off at first before it wrapped up so nicely and caught me in its web.

Katie is such an interesting protagonist. I can’t relate to a boyfriend proposing then taking it back after they get famous then writing a song about me but I can relate to the way she sort of hates herself. Center’s authors note mentions that the love in this book isn’t just meant to be romantic but also with friends and other loved ones (Rue! Georgie Bailey!) and maybe most importantly loving yourself. Katie’s journey to loving herself was just as inspiring and lovely as her journey to loving Hutch. Who wouldn’t be in love with Hutch! He came through for Katie and I love him.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Always a sweet treat to read her books. This one was fun, key west setting, body image conversations, some stupid characters but it was fine. I enjoyed it even if some parts were far fetched.

THE LOVE HATERS is the latest romantic comedy by Katherine Center. It is a charming, heartfelt and entertaining story of love, loss, friendship and self-acceptance. Katie Vaughn is trying to get over a humiliating and very public break-up with her ex, now a famous singer. Her job as a video producer is also on the line. According to her co-worker, Cole, her only chance to avoid being laid off is to go in his place to Key West and profile, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer that saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog. Although the rescue has gone viral, Hutch does his best to stay out of the limelight. A couple of small problems – Katie can’t swim and Hutch is Cole’s brother. What could go wrong? As Katie becomes involved with Hutch, his family, friends and his beloved dog, George Bailey, we are taken on Katie’s whirlwind journey of self-discovery and learning to take chances. While there is a heartwarming romance in the story, there are also themes of friendship, community and finding one’s self-worth. All in all, this is a warm, funny and satisfying story and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.