Welp, this will be one book of hers I do not recommend. The biggest issue for me was how body positivity was handled. I’m all for self-love and celebrating different body types, but something about the way it was portrayed here felt off. It came across as performative or awkwardly forced. There were events and statements mentioned (I don't know how to word this without giving any spoilers) that were just a big no-no for me. It actually made me uncomfortable at times, and not in a good “this is challenging my perspective” kind of way. More like it just didn’t feel genuine. The romance didn’t help either. There was no real chemistry between the leads, and I never felt invested in their connection. Everything felt very surface-level and overly predictable. The characters were walking clichés rather than real, believable people. I kept waiting for that spark or emotional depth that she usually delivers, but it never came. I do recommend her other books if you haven't had a chance to read them!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC! Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance authors and I'm always so grateful I get to read early.

I thought this was just fine, I didn't love it. Maybe I've read too many books in a row where the FMC has body image issues and consistently talks about it and not in a good way. It was too repetitive for me to gloss over.

The romance was fine - I didn't love the love story as much as I normally do in her other books. I liked the setting - it gave me The Guardian vibes and I think the coast guard bit was fun and it was a setting I've never read before. I really loved Rue - the aunt was a refreshing side character and I loved those parts!

I'd still recommend this to Katherine Center stans - but it won't be the first one I recommend to new readers of hers.

This was on the list of book releases I was most looking forward to this year and typical of Katherine Center it did not disappoint! This was a fun, bingeable read perfect for summer. I loved the premise of a documentary filmmaker making a video about a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. Aunt Rue and The Gals brought color to the story, the perfect supporting characters, while I strongly disliked Cole. The MFC and MMCs had immediate chemistry and I was rooting for them right from the beginning. The MFC had some personal issues that felt redundant at times (the beauty list got a little out of hand in my opinion) and the big love gesture at the end was pretty predictable but I overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other! Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

I have absolutely loved Katherine Center's last few romances and was so excited to receive an early copy of this one! It did not disappoint -- I loved the characters and the setting and did not want to put it down.

Hutch was so dreamy and swoony and I really enjoyed his character. I loved the friendship between Katie and Beanie, and would happily read a book about Beanie!

I loved the setting of this one especially -- I loved the small community and especially Rue and the Starlite.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves swoony rom coms with a little stress. I'm such a fan of Katherine Center and can't wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

If Katherine Center writes it I’m reading it! She always delivers a funny but heartfelt romance and this was no exception. I loved Katie and Hutch, the Coast Guard angle, small town Key West, the side characters (not you, Cole), and of course the big lovebug Great Dane, George Bailey. Katie’s self-love issues are a large theme in the book. A bit much at times for me but overall I really enjoyed this read! Grab it for your summer TBR!!

ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖:
🌺 tropical setting
☀️ found family
🌊 forced proximity
🌺 workplace romance
☀️ overcoming fears
🌊 learning to love yourself
🌺 summer/beach reads
☀️ amazing author notes

Thank you St. Martins Press, NetGalley and Katherine Center for the digital advanced copy!

The Love Haters definitely had the charm that I’ve come to know and love from Katherine Center but I had a hard time really loving this book. Again, the charm was there, it was so well written but I couldn’t stand the lies and the fact that Katie just went along with them. I appreciated the commentary on body image and self esteem and found that very relatable. While it wasn’t my favorite book, I will continue to read Katherine Center for years to come!

Katherine Center is back to the writing I love. I wasn’t a huge fan of her last two but she captured my heart again with The Love Haters. The body image talk was a bit heavy handed in my opinion, although I appreciated that it was included. Other than that I was all in on the story and the characters!

3.5/5

I liked this one, just not as much as the other two books I’ve read from Katherine Center (The Bodyguard, The Rom-commers). In The Love Haters, FMC Katie heads to the Keys to produce a video on Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, to help save her job. Pretty soon, Katie starts chipping away at Hutch’s grumpy exterior.

I thought the build up of Katie and Hutch’s relationship was sweet and there were definitely some laugh out loud moments. I always enjoy KC’s writing. I also loved Rue’s character and of course George Bailey, Hutch’s dog. I think what kept this from being a new favorite of mine was a) in the beginning of the book you as the reader are really thrown full force into Katie’s body image issues which can be tough to read (still there throughout the book as she works through them, but a little more toned down) and b) didn’t love one of the side characters that actually had quite a bit to do with the story. I think I also would have loved to have Hutch’s pov!

While not a new all time favorite I did like it overall! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much potential for me. It had a lot of good aspects, with the mental health aspects and the past family trauma aspects. The side characters with the Gals, however something just didn't land with me. The writing just seemed a little immature for me.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

YES!!!!!!!!!! Great summer read! SOOOO GOOD! I love Katie and Beanie. Hutch might actually be perfect. When I grow up, I want to be Rue. Oh George Bailey. This book has it all ... romance (No spice!), friendship, family drama and love, finding yourself, twists. I really enjoyed this book. Get it added to your beach bag now.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy.

This one should have come with a trigger warning. I kept picking it up and putting it down because the beginning was so deep in eating disorder territory I just couldn’t get into it.

I did eventually finish it, but if this hadn’t been an advance copy for a review, I definitely would have DNF’d it quite early. The dog was the only saving grace.

Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy!

A true cinnamon roll of a book. If you’re old enough to remember the romcoms of the early 2000’s where you know that in less than 90 minutes you’re going to have a Happily Ever After no matter what sort of shenanigans the leads get into, then this is it in a book form. It reads like a romcom. I couldn’t stop picturing what actors I would want for the characters because of how vivid everything felt.

Now there is a lot of body talk. FMC Katie is going through it, okay. Not that I blame her after her fiance cheats on her after becoming a superstar musician and having the pressure of social media get to her. But this book feels like a love letter to love. Loving yourself. Loving others. Loving love.

Katherine has a way with writing stories that touch your soul. That make you realize you’re not the only one going through this or feeling this way. It’s a wonderful moment of escape while also realizing that life can be unfair but it also has its beautiful moments that make it all worthwhile.

This book was so good. I laughed out loud so many times. I love this book touched on body issues and the resolutions and character growth were amazing. Can we talk about the characters because chefs kiss, the author made it too hard to pick a favorite. I might just have to go with George Bailey. If you know, you know. Iwill be recommending this book to so my girlfriends. Can't wait to read the next book Emily Henry comes out with.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. The above review is completely my own and 100 percent honest.

First of all, let me remind you that a year or two ago I fully binged all of Katherine Center’s books, so when I received a physical ARC, I was super excited.

Katherine Center is an author that I always love. Some books I love more than others, some books make me laugh out loud more than others, but I still love them all.

Her writing feels cozy, safe, and entertaining. This book was no exception. It’s about a hot coast guard guy who recently became internet famous for saving a celebrity’s dog, and a female video journalist who wants to save her job. This means shadowing him at work….and she can’t swim.

This book is silly, fun, sweet, romantic, and enjoyable.

TW: the FMC struggles with body image and it makes mention of previous eating disorder

DNF @ 30%

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I’ve loved the other books I’ve read by this author so I was excited to read it.

I really wish that before starting this that there would be a lot of discussion of eating disorders. While that isn’t a triggering topic for me personally, I know it can be for others and I think it’s important to let that be known before anyone picks this one up. It felt that there was so much thrown at us about it in the first 20-25% of the book that it was getting repetitive and I kept having to put it down.

I can see why others were enjoying this, once we met Rue and Hutch it was starting to pick up but I kept wanting to put it down and pick up other romances. I definitely struggled to get through the first ⅓ of the book.

This book took some time to find its rhythm. I felt like the main character’s story was very compelling and her love story was a nice touch. There were a couple of twists and turns that added to the story. The third act was a bit much but kept me up reading.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I generally love Katherine Center's books and I was so excited to get an ARC of this one.
Her writing is so unique, beautiful and special, however I I didn't enjoy this as much as her others. While the book was fun and lighthearted I didn't connect with Katie as much as I would have liked and I found her to be a bit annoying. I did absolutely adore Hutch and feel like I would have connected better if the story was told in dual.
I hope Katherine Center writes a book with Rue as a main character, she was my favorite!
Thank you to St Martin's Press, Katherine Center and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Uhhh I really hate to do this but I was not a fan. It just seemed really silly and not my favorite. The banter really tried too hard and it just overall was meh.

Love Haters by Katherine Center
Stars: 4.5 Stars

What does a great book have…
1. Amazing characters that are often relatable
2. Settings that create great imagery
3. Fantastic supporting characters who are often the voice of reason
4. Plot twists that came out of left field
5. Personal growth that is inspiring
6. And most importantly slow burn romance that doesn’t leave you disappointed
The words, scenes, and characters created such a beautiful story. Katie’s personal growth as an individual really stood out. Hutch was nothing more than a gentleman who really took his time to learn and read Katie. Rue is probably my favorite supporting character in all the books I’ve ever read. Her colorful personality definitely made the story more vibrant.
Reading the slow burn romance between Katie and Hutch was entertaining and had me smiling half the time. I will probably reread this book a few more times.

⭐️ 3.5 | 🌶️ 1

I enjoyed this book! The banter between Katie and Hutch had me laughing out loud. I use to live in Key West, so the setting had me reminiscing all about the Overseas Highway, Duval Street and Mallory Square!

The book started off a bit slow yet interesting. I wasn’t a fan of Katie’s body dysmorphia but I understand how hurtful comments on the internet can be. I loved the characters especially Hutch and Rue! I thought this was a fun, quick, summer read.