This was cute and different and I learned about helicopters and coast guards. I do enjoy Katherine's books- they're always enjoyable and this was no exception. A satisfying ending, and humor sprinkled throughout. The FMC was quirky, relatable and very likable! Would recommend to anyone.
4.5/5 rounded up to 5

I just think Katherine Center GETS IT- ya know? She gets that romance books should be fun and make you feel good, and I very much appreciate that they always have a gloriously happy ending.
I think in terms of adult romance, Katherine is just leagues above other authors for me. Her stories feel so hopeful and so bursting with love. The side characters are just as fun and lovable as the main characters, there's also a family atmosphere, and the romance is always sweet as sugar. I just love everything about the way she writes, and I am so pleased about this story.

4.5⭐️ Absolutely wonderful as always!! I absolutely resonate with Katie and her struggles. Love how she grew and her quirkiness. When I realized there was a Great Dane!! I’m a sucker for that breed. Also, @pattireadsbooks does an absolutely fantastic job in the audiobook too! That’s a 5⭐️ narration for me.

Katie’s job depends on this assignment going well. She must be the video producer for a segment of a coast guard in the Key West. There’s just one problem. Well, a few. But the main one is Katie can’t swim and there’s a lot of water activities in the coast guard. She will soon find out just how wonderful this Hutch guy is when he’s the one giving her swimming lessons. One day, her boss shows up and throws a wrench in all the trust Katie has built with Hutch. Will they be able to maintain that trust or will Katie lose more than just her job?

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter for the advanced e-reader copy.

I loved this book. I loved the way Katie learns body positivity toward herself, and how she learns to let go. I love the characters and how vivid they feel. And I loved the hurricane twist as a Floridian who has always wondered what the hell would happen to a houseboat and being thankful I’m not on one. Highly recommended.

One of my most anticipated!! (And the way I put this off for so long because I didn't want it to be over 🤭, I mean the splinter meet cute?! It can only go uphill from there).

When Katie takes a work trip to the Keys to do a profile video of her boss's brother, a rescue swimmer in the coast guard and hopefully save her job in the process - she's armed with her video equipment, a love of black clothes and a little self doubt, and an assumption about Hutch, the man of the hour.

As the two spend time together through the course of the trip, its only a matter of time before walls start to come down, heat glances turn into stolen moments and you can't help but root for them right from the get go.

I loved this book. It had some hard truths and spots that hit you in the feels, it had butterflies and chemistry, MCs thst you couldn't help but root for, the heart pounding adventure towards the end and one heck of a side kick in George Bailey let me tell ya. Everything you could want from the latest novel from this author!





Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

3.5 Stars

Katie Vaughn is still reeling from her last and very public break up from rock star ex-boyfriend Lucas. So, when Cole Hutchinson convinces Katie to go to Key West to film a video about a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer – sure Katie said yes for it was better than losing your job. When Katie heard that it would require a video of said rescue swimmer on a helicopter over the ocean and jumping out of the helicopter a little panic set it. Why? Katie does not swim nor wears a bathing suit. And why Katie when Cole was requested? Plus, why wouldn’t Cole jump at this huge opportunity after all Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson, aka a Pup Daddy just happened to be famous for saving Jennifer Aniston’s darling pup and his brother?

The trip to Key West pushes her out of her comfort zone, with the help of Rue and “The Gals”, a group of sweet 80 year old ladies.
Hutch is a grump on the outside, but has a gentle soul. And his love for his dog makes him irresistible. I loved the way he treats Katie. Even if there is no spice, there is tension between them and a lot of chemistry. The only character that I did not like was Cole, as he used both Katie and Hutch and is a selfish and jealous man.

The Love Haters is not just a love story between two people but also a celebration of self-acceptance. Katie's journey to love herself after years of criticism and self-doubt is relatable to many.

Overall, this is an easy, summer beach read.

“Of all the shipwrecks in all the waters off all the keys, Hutch swam up to mine.” With lines like this, how can you go wrong?

Katherine Center’s author notes should be the review for The Love Haters. In describing what she feels, what she is attempting to convey through her always-fabulous-never-ever-ever-disappoint books she touches on every point a reviewer could make. In her own words, The Love Haters is “another installment in my infinite series on why love stories can save the world.” And when you are done reading one of her stories you are a believer. And you’ve had one mighty fine time getting there.

I always forget just a little bit how quickly and easily Center’s books draw you in, how that warm, comfortable, somehow familiar feeling washes over you, and how happy you are to be reading this particular story, even if you know there are going to be hard times. Tough, sad, often tragic things happen but this feel-good-in-spite-of-it she wraps around you has you reading on and on, loving even the hard bits, eager to get to more and more of the warm, happy, fuzzy good parts. The Love Haters is just one more in a series of Center’s books that I love, re-read, ponder, relish.

Katie is struggling with so many things; it’s overwhelming. Her famous ex cruelly dumped her and then shamed her on the internet. And you know the internet – anything and anybody is fair game; there’s nothing too mean to post about someone. Truth, facts, a little human compassion? None of that matters to those who just pile on. “She’s ugly, she’s old, she looks frumpy, she looks like his mother.” Is there no end to the heartless things people will say? She already has serious issues with her body, thanks to her evil stepmother. As if that’s not enough, her job as a video producer is in jeopardy. Going to Florida and taking on a project her boss, Cole, apparently doesn’t want to do is a better option than just sitting around waiting to be let go. Not by much, though. And although she’s a very capable, talented video producer, she’s not exactly qualified for the requirements of this project, like swimming, helicopters, simulators. If her cousin Beanie wasn’t her constant support the despair would overtake her.

Hutch is struggling, too, but you have to look a little deeper. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer, great at his job and famous for rescuing Jennifer Aniston’s dog, it seems he has it all. Except there’s a lot of tragic history there that affects everything in the present. He’s such a good guy, hard-working, compassionate, good to his zany Aunt Rue that you will fall in love with him immediately. And of yeah, he is just possibly the most handsome man on earth. If you don’t believe me, ask Katie.

It sounds heavy and dreary and maybe hopeless, but it’s not. Instead, author Center works her usual magic and keeps you entertained from cover to cover: laughing, wincing, swooning. Sensitive topics are handled head-on – but sensitively. Love takes a lot of work, and it’s a learning experience on so many levels. Not just that handsome guy or beautiful girl, but loving yourself, loving those who’ve hurt you, learning to forgive and move on, and never giving up.

The Love Haters is another wonderful addition to my Katherine Center Library. Katie and Hutch are meant to be. Aunt Rue and her friends provide the comfort and acceptance that Katie so desperately needs. And the supporting cast is full of entertaining, surprising, sometimes annoying people and pets. I absolutely loved this story and recommend it without hesitation. I received an advance copy of The Love Haters from Goodreads and from St. Martin’s Publishing Group via NetGalley. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc!! This is the third Katherine Center arc I’ve been granted, and as usual she did not disappoint!

Katie is on the brink of losing her job when one of her coworkers, Cole, offers her the chance to do a documentary series on a u.s. coast guard water rescuer. Katie is up to the task, but isn’t thrilled when she learns the requirements of the job. She would need to learn how to swim (meaning she would have to be in a bathing suit in front of others) and undergo some rigorous training in case an emergency were to happen while she was filming. Still, with her job on the line, Katie agrees to do whatever is necessary to save herself from being fired.

Katie travels to Florida to work with Hutch, the hunky hero everyone on the internet knows as the man who rescued Jennifer Anniston’s dog. As well as being her documentary subject, Hutch is also teaching Katie how to swim, and is around occasionally because his aunt owns the hotel that Katie is staying at. Katie isn’t enthusiastic about love after her ex-fiancé broke her heart after years together, and Hutch is described as a love hater himself. However, as the two spend more time together, their connection and attraction to each other grow. But there’s some complications-it turns out Hutch is actually Cole’s brother, and Cole is not a fan of his heroic older brother. When Cole gets Katie involved in some lies, whatever relationship she has with Hutch is jeopardized. However, nothing challenges Katie more than when a serious storm rolls in and things go haywire.

This book is so good, I loved it!!! Katherine Center always writes such unique characters and storylines! Hutch’s job is such a unique career to delve into for a book, and her research definitely was evident through the details she provided us with. Hutch and Katie were such likable characters, and it was awesome to see Katie go through so much personal growth. I think some of Katie’s struggles will really resonate with readers, and as she heals maybe they will too.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves romance or is just looking for a good, interesting summer read!

This book was a quick and easy read. I found that there a few too many references to her weight and being down on herself.

📖arc review: love haters by katherine center
⭐️rating: 4/5
🌿genre: romance

💌my thoughts: thank you so much to st. martins press & katherine center for this ARC via netgalley!

this one was SO cute!!! it was such a good mix of humor, seriousness, and action that kept me so invested.

i loved our main characters & really resonated with some of the body insecurities that katie felt. i did get super mad at the end with one of the side characters and felt that it all was a bit rushed. this novel definitely gave all the summer vibes being set in key west which i also adored!

overall if you want a cute sunmer romance with depth and action give love haters a try as it is OUT NOW!!!

🏷️ #bookstagram #books #bookreview #booklover #bookaddict #booknerd #bookworm #readmorebooks #readersofig #read

This book and I went on a JOURNEY! We started out in potential 5-star territory, then I got to the 60% mark and things took a 3-star turn (more on that later). But thankfully, everything turned out okay (phew!) and it landed in my 4-star LOVE IT category!

What I enjoyed most about this book was the dialog. It’s so warm and witty, and helped showcase the characters’ growth through solid communication. As a result, the relationships in this book sparkled! The standouts for me were Katie and her cousin, Beanie (lots of body positivity/love yourself pep talks), and any moments involving Aunt Ru and “The Gals” (so much charisma).

And let’s not forget about the romance between Katie and our MMC, Hutch! I adored seeing them grow and especially how Hutch helped Katie gain confidence in herself. It’s a tricky balance because it could have given a white knight vibe. But for me, it was more about two humans seeing the good in each other, which helped them each acknowledge their own self-worth.

But let’s talk about that turn…there are a few things in books that just rub me the wrong way, and a couple showed up here at the halfway point. Misogyny, a potential breach of consent, and some solid manipulation all occur. These scenes played out fine and did factor into a few character arcs. But they also made me feel ick in the moment, which wasn’t fun.

Luckily, those questionable moments were brief and the final act was top-notch romance! On top of everything I loved, there was also a gorgeous Key West setting and an adorable dog named George Bailey, who stole my heart. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end! As a long-time reader, and recent romance lover, it touched my heart.

This is my first Katherine Center read. The story follows Katie, a videographer dealing with self-doubt and body image issues, who is assigned to create a promotional video for the US Coast Guard. Hutch is a rescue swimmer dealing with his own familial scars and reluctance to be in the spotlight. Of course there is George Bailey, a dog who plays a pivotal role in this story.

This is a heartwarming romcom that centres around body image, self acceptance, taking chances and the healing power of love. However, I feel too much of the story involved Katie feeling insecure about her body. I also felt the message this book portrayed that a woman needs a man to make her feel beautiful and that changes how she feels about her self. It really took away some of the positive aspects of the book for me.

Thank you St.Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

“So you really do hate love,” I said, smiling bigger.
Hutch nodded. “A lot. So much.”
Love me a title namedrop, and the quintessential Katherine Center warm fuzzies. I get them every time I pick up a book of hers, and the Love Haters did not disappoint. Last year I had the sweet opportunity to see Katherine Center for the release of The Romcommers (my personal favorite of her back log), and I remember the easter egg she dropped about The Love Haters-that she was doing some field research with the coast guard. Well the research was thorough and lovely because this book was a *treat*. I’ve been in a book slump since the beginning of February-this was part of my ascendence out of said slump.

Anyhow, the Love Haters.

Things I *loved* about it:

* Classic Katherine Center prose-the tone, the pacing, the plot feels like a hug from an old friend on a casual afternoon at coffee. Warm. Comforting. Familiar.
* The underlying theme: body image, loving and giving your body the space that it needs.
* The setting—Key West
* Rue, of course-the coziest, loveliest side character. I would frequent Vitamin Sea. I want to stay in the cottages by the ocean-ugh.
* Broody MMC who fights for our anxiety prone FMC
* George Bailey, ofc.

Anyhow, this was lovely. Give me ten more.

Enjoyable!

Katie Vaughn is worried about being laid off from her job. Then, she’s given the chance to create a video about Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, already internet-famous for saving a famous actress’s puppy. Katie is told that Hutch doesn’t do interviews, but she might convince him for a “Day in the Life” segment after filming the Coast Guard video. Determined to keep her job, Katie will do whatever it takes.

Katie arrives in Key West without her suitcase, but Hutch’s Aunt Rue helps by providing clothes from a store and a place to stay in one of her villas. Katie is deeply grateful. While shopping, she bumps into Hutch himself. She’s instantly attracted to him but unsure how she’ll manage the assignment, as it requires swimming—and Katie doesn’t know how.

Aunt Rue helps with this, too, arranging swimming lessons with her and the gals. Katie is ready to try until she discovers the instructor is none other than Hutch.

Despite learning Katie can’t swim and that she’s filming the video instead of his brother Cole, whom he expected, Hutch agrees to teach her as long as she puts in a good word with Cole.

A fun, fast-paced romance with characters you wish were real, especially the Great Dane, George Bailey. Narrator Patti Murin does a great job bringing these characters to life. Though I loved the characters, I found the romance took a backseat to Katie’s body image struggles.

Will I read Katherine Center's next book? Absolutely!

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. Rounded up from 3.5 stars. I am not personally a fan of the main character talking directly to the reader. It feels awkward and weird to me but I’m sure some people enjoy that. Overall though, I found it easy enough to push through those parts and focus on the story. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. I loved seeing Katie’s growth throughout the book. I loved the side characters. As a Floridian, I have to say that I hated the Hurricane scenes and it frustrated me to no end. Like yes I know she was stuck with the dog but just letting yourself drift out to sea instead of attempting to jump out and swim to shore and not knowing that emergency personnel don’t rescue during the storm? I do wish we got just a little more for the ending but that’s okay. It was still a really great summer romance!

Love Haters is a cute love story centered around Katy and Hutch. She is a videographer sent to the Florida Keys to film a promotional video for the Coast Guard, with Hutch being main subject in the movie.
Hutch also has a gaggle of silly older ladies in his life who are playing matchmaker between the two. Basically, there are lots of funny rom com style mishaps, and a healthy dose of classic miscommunication that makes this book really work.
The book reads like a movie and engages the reader all the way through. She touches on a few social topics like cyber bullying and body shaming. All done very well and relevant in society,

Would recommend this book to any ROM COM lovers .

Another win by Katherine Center. I love her writing style. This story was funny, sweet, romantic, emotional, and full of loveable characters. It has great vacation vibes. I definitely recommend adding this to your beach read/summer reading list! Make sure to read the authors note at the end! It's beautiful!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the ARC!

I have been on a Katherine Center kick lately, so I was very excited to read The Love Haters! This book follows Katie a video producer who gets talked into shooting a promo video for the U.S. Coast Guard by her boss so that he can avoid his heroic brother Hutch. The only problem is... Katie can't swim. Hilarity ensues as Katie moves to sunny Florida to film the promo and take swimming lessons before Hutch realizes she is the video producer for his promo. Katie braces for a surly love hater, but once she meets Hutch she starts to learn more about him and his complex family dynamic with his brother and Aunt Rue. Aunt Rue is THE BEST!! I really enjoyed the banter between Katie and Hutch as they both begin to open up about their past. Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more books by the author!!

I adore Katherine Center's novels—each one wraps you in a warm hug of love, joy, personal growth, and emotional discovery. The Love Haters is no exception. Yes, there's a charming romance (Katie + Hutch = swoon), but the heart of this story is really about Katie falling in love with herself. #selflove

Read this if you like:
✨Body image struggles
✨A touching grief journey
✨Found family dynamics
✨A lovable Great Dane named George Bailey
✨Romance tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and a sweet, closed-door vibe

🎧Narration Note: Patti Murin absolutely shines as Katie. She brings every ounce of self-doubt, humor, and heart to life in a way that makes you feel like you're right there with her on this journey. The audiobook is a total winner!!!

👍 Final Verdict: Funny, deeply emotional, and full of heart. Whether you read or listen, you’ll walk away smiling, with a little more love for yourself, too.

Caught between unemployment and deep water, Katie makes a split-second decision to fake a skill she definitely doesn’t have—swimming—only to fall for the very Coast Guard rescue swimmer she’s supposed to be filming.

Katie tells her co-worker at a small video production company that she can swim in order to get the gig of filming his brother Hutch on the job. Not only does Katie have to conquer swimming, but she’ll also need to successfully escape from a simulated helicopter crash—and keep her crush on Hutch a secret, especially since she’s been told he’s a “Love Hater.”

The Love Haters is a cute beach read featuring an awkward woman dumped by her fiancé once he got famous, a taciturn rescue swimmer who earned internet fame after saving Jennifer Aniston’s dog, and a bunch of senior citizens living their best lives in Key West. It has some laughs and poignant moments without being too corny or overly dramatic. I enjoyed the dialogue between Katie and Hutch, although the various lies Katie gets wrapped up in can be frustrating as a reader. I also thought the title was cute, though not a particularly apt description of either character.

Overall, this is a fun romance novel with chemistry, humor, and a lovely sense of found family.