3.5 stars.

A story about love in its many forms: romantic, friendship, and self-love.

The main character, Katie, was very likeable and her issues with self-doubt and self-image resonated with me. The story was told from her point of view so we didn’t get to see her love interest’s (Hutch) perspective which I think would have fleshed out his character more. The romance was sweet but not a central part of the story, in my view. The focus was more on Katie learning to deal with her self-doubt and learning to love herself.

The secondary characters were a nice touch, especially Hutch’s aunt, and his dog, George Bailey. The writing was very easy to read and the pacing was generally even. I would have liked to see more of Hutch in the epilogue.

Overall, a cute summer read with a message about self-love that I enjoyed.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Let me preface this by saying this is my first Katherine Center book, but certainly will not be my last.

I am in no way a manly man, so the idea of a book centered around the Coast Guard and rescue swimmers, did not sound like my cup of tea, but boy was I wrong.

This book is full of charm, wit, and characters you love, and those you love to hate.

From the very first chapter, it was evident that Katie was a FMC that you can root for. Her wise cracks and her fake it till you make it attitude about things really shone through, especially as we get to learn more about her and her body image issues. And Hutch perfectly compliments Katie as that “himbo” with substances.

Both Rue and Cole played perfect side characters that helped keep the pacing of the book fun and chugging on.

I did start listening to the audiobook along with the book about halfway through, so that did take a bit of an adjustment, but by the book’s end Patti Murin was the perfect narrator to help bring Katie’s voice to life.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine. Publishes 05/20/2025

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an E-ARC of this one, unfortunately the main character, plot, and writing turned me off which sucks since I tend to love Katherine Center's books.

You can always count on Katherine Center for a strong contribution to Summer reading, and this one did not disappoint!

After Katie gets dumped in a spectacular fashion by her boyfriend, who just got famous, she' trying to put the pieces of her life back together. But the universe seems to be conspiring against her. She's about to lose her job as a video producer. She has to agree to take a job given to her by her jerky supervisor, Cole. She has to travel to Key West to make a promo video for the Coast Guard Rescue Divers, focusing on Hutch, who just happens to be Cole's estranged brother. The only problem is, Katie can't swim, she just doesn't let that detail slip out. When she arrives, she meets Rue, the brother's cool aunt. She lives at and manages a group of cottages and lets Katie stay there. She meets "The Gals" while staying there also. I loved these older ladies. They meet up every night for dinner and a whole lot of gossip. Their dynamic was so fun and I loved they way they took Katie in and cared for her. Then we meet Hutch, he's just about the perfect specimen of a man, who just also happens to own a big, loveable Great Dane, named George Bailey. Katie gets entangled in Hutch's life, as she has to follow him around everyday to film his life. And things take off from here, swimming lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, dinner, dancing kidding and hurricanes. She manages to get caught up in some lies also when Cole comes on the scene and things get messy. This was definitely a fun Summer read. You have to suspend a little disbelief, but if you just go along for the ride, I think you will enjoy it a lot, I know I did.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this #gifted copy. Publishes 05/20/2025 get your preorders in for Summer reading!

The Love Haters AUDIO by Katherine Center. Center has it dialed in. She knows how to write a romance that is unlikely and yet, obvious. There is no spice. It is all personalities and situations. In this example, we are looking at a documentary film maker, Katie, who is in danger of getting laid off when she is sent to the Florida Keys to shoot a Coast Guard recruiting video. The catch is that the “star” will be her boss’s brother. He doesn’t want to go. And the brother, Hutch, is hurt and annoyed when Cole doesn’t show up. They have a very complicated relationship. Cole has fed Katie information about Hutch, not all true, and so she walks into the whole situation pretty much blind. The men’s aunt Rue, who raised them, owns an old motel which she has remodeled into small apartments and vacation rentals. That is where she will stay. And a bunch of retired ladies live there as well. And Rue seems to have taken her on as a project. There is so much more to this book. You have to read it or listen to it. It’s so worth it.

Katie is a messed up young woman. She has no self-esteem and she hates her body. She is a great character. She has lusted after Hutch since the moment she saw him but has been burned and is not ready to be burned again. He is unfailingly kind. He teaches her to swim, a fact she left off her resume but is necessary for this assignment. His dog loves her, running and jumping on her every chance he gets. Then, all of a sudden, he stops talking to her. Of course, that feeds right into her self esteem issues. It is all so complicated, based mostly on the people and their own issues. It is funny. It is poignant. It is frightening. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I love romance, but I do get tired of the sameness of it all. This is not the same. And, it is definitely romance.

The narrator is Patti Murin, who I did not love at first. She was too aggressive and so did not seem to fit the role, but she grew on me and ended up doing a fabulous job with this story. She became Katie and it was a most enjoyable listen.

I was invited to listen to The Love Haters by MacMillan Audio and to read by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #PattiMurin #St MartinsPress #KatherineCenter #TheLoveHaters

Katherine Center has a real knack for writing closed door romances that don't read like young adult. There's so much tension and pining. I like Katie and Hutch's characters and thought they were good together. Loved the flirty swim lessons. I liked the body image theme and personal growth on Katie's part.
Spoiler! Hide your eyes.
I was not a fan the book's conflict. I was definitely expecting it to involve Katie's ex because of the setup earlier in the book with his new song. I think it would have been interesting to see more on this story line. I was not a fan of the conflict caused by Cole.
Spoiler over!
Overall, a quick and enjoyable read for me! Not my favorite Katherine Center book, though.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

I loved this new novel by Katherine Center about love, loving yourself and forgiveness. Kate has been thru the wringer with her fiancée turned over night music sensation and the unrelenting tabloid stories that new found fame brings. Those tabloid headlines sent her down an unhealthy path of self loathing stemming from childhood comments by a stepmother. If that’s not enough for Kate to handle she is now at risk of losing her job due to budget cuts. Which leads her to accept a job that is going to push her physically and emotionally.
Katherine Center has creates great characters that we become invested in and this new book is no exception. I loved this book right down to the incredible George Bailey! A must read for the summer!

I loved this book so much. Katie’s struggles with body image were relatable and written very well. I loved her and Hutch so much!! And George Bailey of course !! I also loved the exploration of complicated family dynamics.

🅣🅗🅞🅤🅖🅗🅣🅢: Heartfelt. Self-love journey wrapped in charm, humor, and rich emotions. This book really✨shined✨in personal growth and genuine romance. The 🎧audio was great and added to reading experience. ✨

🌴Grumpy x Sunshine
🌴Forced Proximity
🌴Summer Romance

Amazing Romance Romcom. It was my first book by Katherine Center and this won't be my last.

I fellin love with the caracters it was simply amazing,

Katherine Center is amazing and I love everything she does. An unruly Great Dane, a hurricane, and a lying brother made for a fantastic story

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Katherine Center’s latest, The Love Haters. I’m giving it 3.5/5 stars (rounded up!)

This story followed Katie, a videographer/documentarian, and Hutch, a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, who meet while she’s on assignment. Of course there are obstacles in the way of their happy ever after, and they have to come to terms with these obstacles separately. I’ve noticed some complaints about the self image issues the FMC has, but I thought that Center handled them fairly delicately and managed to give her character some decent growth in that area as the story progressed.

Ultimately, this wasn’t my favorite KC book. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just prefer some of her others more. I still enjoyed it, and if you enjoy KC, I recommend this one as well!

One of the best things about Katherine Center is that reading her books always feels like coming home for a warm hug. There's comfort, and then there is Katherine Center level of comfort, and well - it's just really, really good. Her characters are always a mixed bag of people trying to do the right thing and struggling, mixed with tender romance, and sensitive subjects that are always handled with so much care and respect.

Katie - the FMC is facing some serious stress; there are layoffs in her company and honestly she just wants to keep her job as a video producer. So, off she goes to Key West to make a Coast Guard promo video and to film the mmc, Hutch. Hutch is supposed to be some standoffish grumpy man that hates the camera - but oh, finding out his true personality is just so enjoyable.

The body image struggles, surrounding wearing a bathing suit especially, feels incredibly relatable. It's so well done; and slowly working on recovery from so many years of body hatred? I really loved how that was handled. Also - we all need to work on listing things we actually like about our bodies I think, as wouldn't it be nice if we all showed ourselves more kindness?

Overall this was cute - it was fun, it was an easy and fast read, and it was perfect for summer. Just be mindful of body image discussions if that is a trigger for you!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to SMP for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Katie Vaughn is a documentary filmmaker in desperate need of her next gig. So when a co-worker offers her a chance to shadow a Coast Guard rescue swimmer for a new project, she jumps at the opportunity. The catch? It’s in Key West — paradise to most, but a nightmare to Katie, a self-proclaimed chromophobe who only wears black. Oh, and she doesn’t know how to swim… which she conveniently forgets to mention.

Enter Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson: rescue swimmer, local hero, grump, and (surprise) gorgeous. He’s not thrilled about being shadowed for a documentary, he just wants to do his job and do it well. But his Great Dane, George Bailey, immediately falls for her, and soon Hutch might be headed the same direction. Can Katie keep her secrets hidden long enough to finish the film and save her career—or will it all crash and burn (or sink)?

This book had all the elements I usually love: an opposites-attract setup, a sunny setting, and a big lovable dog. But for a rom-com, it didn’t quite deliver on either the rom or the com. Katie’s body image struggles were an important and very real part of her character, but they were mentioned so frequently that they started to overpower the rest of the story. We also got a lot of backstory on her past relationship, which slowed the pace without adding much depth.

As someone who honeymooned in Key West, I was hoping for more local flavor. While I appreciated the insight into the Coast Guard and Hutch’s profession, the setting didn’t feel as vibrant as it could have. And while Hutch was a solid character, I honestly kept forgetting Katie’s name—at times she just felt like a random narrator. A dual POV and more emotional tension (give me some pining!) might have helped the romance hit harder.

Overall, this was a cute read, but it missed the mark for me as far as summer romances go.

Katherine Center is an immediate buy for me. I dare you to read one of her books and not feel absolutely sensational afterwards. Her characters and their hijinks are some of the most HILARIOUS ever written, and there's a deep hopefulness to her books. They are what we need right now, and always.

In The Love Haters, Katie goes to Key West to make a promotional video about the Coast Guard in a last ditch effort to save her job as a videographer. She's secretly there to film a hero video about Hutch, a rescue swimmer who once saved Jennifer Aniston's puppy. Does this seem bananas? That's because it is! But in the best way! Add in a sweet auntie named Rue who takes Katie under her wing, swimming lessons, sibling rivalry, a hurricane, and lots of actually fascinating information about the Coast Guard and helicopters, and you've got this smash hit.

This one does have a serious side in that Katie has historically and still struggles with her body image, but I appreciate the way Center writes about Katie's efforts to love herself. It felt real to me.

I couldn't recommend this book more.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center, queen of the feel-good-est books! This story took me some time to get into (lots of tropes and setup right out the gate) but once I did it was swoony summer vibes all the way. I always love the way Center creates flawed, lovable characters who are on a journey of personal growth as well as romance. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Florida keys setting and I adored our dog friend George Bailey! Ideal summer read.

Katherine Center delivers another charming rom-com with The Love Haters, blending humor, heart, and a splash of tropical chaos. Katie’s journey from career uncertainty to unexpected romance with the brooding-yet-dreamy Coast Guard swimmer Hutch is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, quirky characters, and a lovable Great Dane named George Bailey who steals every scene. While the setting sparkles and the banter delights, the story occasionally leans too heavily on Katie’s body image struggles, which detracts from the romantic development. The book’s themes of bravery, vulnerability, and second chances shine through. With conga lines, hurricanes, and heartfelt revelations, The Love Haters is a breezy, feel-good read perfect for fans of messy, meaningful love stories. 3.75/5 stars

Quick easy read - not my favorite but not my least favorite. I feel like the authors books are starting to lack depth that they used to have though and are just trying to be more cute and quirky than anything. Perhaps if I hadn’t read anything else by her in the past I would have loved it more but it unfortunately doesn’t have the typical style of hers I’ve grown to love.

“That was a specialty of mine, for better or worse: making people cry.”

I am such a sucker for a Katherine Center book. Her writing and story telling just always get me and The Love Haters was no different. Right off the bat every dang character is likable, even when they do stupid shit like create elaborate lies to save themselves, figuratively and literally 😅

“Love is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Katie is a woman in (social) hiding after having her previous relationship come to a very painful and very public end. Hutch is someone who doesn’t let people in but will do anything for his brother so when he’s asked to star in a recruitment video he agrees only if Cole will film it. So naturally who shows up? Katie.

“And we fell asleep there, in the darkness—as alone as two people in the same bed can be.”

These little cutie babies are just so incredibly real in the pain and the baggage they carry and yet still maintain their vulnerability. They’re constantly pushing each other to see themselves, and others, differently. And it doesn’t hurt that sweet ol George Bailey, the goofiest Great Dane that there ever was, is completely obsessed with Katie.

Read if you like
🛟forced proximity
🛟meddling side characters
🛟goofy rescue pup
🛟found family
🛟self love journey

“What on earth must it be like to just live in your body so comfortably and just enjoy it like that?”

Katie is hard on herself, and the public shaming she gets online is rough, but the self love journey she goes on, with the thanks of her cousin Beanie, is beautiful and empowering and life altering. Cole, Hutch, and Rue are also tied together in loss. So, if you’re someone who might be triggered by thoughts on weight, beauty, image, societal standards, or death of a loved one, take care when reading ♥️

“Isn’t that how it always is? The thing you’re afraid of is never the thing you should be.”

Katie, a video producer, was dumped by her boyfriend when he became famous. In an attempt to save her job, she goes to the Florida Keys to film a story about a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who is trying to lay low after becoming famous for rescuing Jennifer Aniston's dog. This was probably my least favorite book by Center, as there were too many implausible situations.