The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a heartwarming yet emotional journey that explores the complexities of family, loss, and personal growth. Katie is on the brink of losing her job when her manager, Cole, offers her a lifeline. He presents her with an opportunity to save herself by interviewing a hero—a Coast Guard officer—for their company, and even encourages her to create a video on the side. The twist? This task was originally supposed to be Cole’s responsibility, but since the hero happens to be his brother, Hutch, Cole conveniently pushes the responsibility onto Katie.

As a result, Katie finds herself flying to Key West, Florida, to meet Hutch, a man who is none too pleased that his brother is passing off the interview to him. Initially, Hutch is reluctant, but after some tension, he agrees to go along with the interview. As the days unfold, Katie and Hutch spend time together, commuting to work and, most notably, Hutch teaching Katie to swim—an act of kindness that genuinely melts your heart. 🥹

At first, I struggled to get into the story. The business opportunity felt a bit odd, and I wasn’t sure where the plot was heading. However, once I delved deeper, everything clicked into place, and I could see the intricacies behind the strange setup. Hutch was such a strong and masculine character, and every time he and Katie shared a scene together, I felt a rush of excitement. There was something so magnetic about their connection, and I loved how Katie’s insecurities and her journey to overcome them made her feel real and relatable. Her personal growth added depth to the story and made it all the more rewarding.

What truly stole my heart, though, was Hutch’s swimming lessons for older women—it was such a sweet, tender gesture that made him even more endearing. But The Love Haters isn’t just a romantic story; it’s also an emotional exploration of grief and family. The narrative touched me deeply as it depicted the siblings’ struggle to reconnect after a tragic loss, particularly the moving tension between Cole and Hutch after the anniversary dinner. Rue’s role as a mother figure, stepping up after the accident to raise them, added another layer of warmth and emotion to the book.

This book truly tugged at my heartstrings and felt so real. The relatable themes of overcoming personal struggles, navigating family dynamics, and healing after loss made it a story that will stay with me long after I finished reading. The character development was impeccable, and I knew from the beginning that Cole had some questionable motives, which made the unfolding of the story even more compelling.

Overall, The Love Haters is an emotional rollercoaster with fantastic character development, heartwarming moments, and a deep exploration of family bonds. I absolutely loved it!

This was a great read! Not my favorite by this author but overall really enjoyed it! I loved the dynamic and banter between the characters and the ending wrapped up great! I rated it 4 stars :)

This is the 4th novel I'd read by Katherine Center now, and it lacked the charm and emotions her other stories contained. The FMC was super annoying and inside her head constantly regarding body image. I can understand where Katherine Center was trying to go with this, but it fell flat for me. It was not a rom or a com. The comedy felt forced and not funny at all. The FMC talked about MMC's body constantly but kept describing it the same way..... just was not for me dude. And felt SUPER insta-lovey.

3.5 stars Katie Vaughn has to save her job during a mass layoff. Cole Hutcheson says he will help her with their boss to save her job if she films his Coast Guard brother's promotional video in the Florida Keys. Hutch is already a media sensation after saving a celebrity's dog. Katie agrees to go to paradise for the project. Hutch is the most scientifically perfect person she's seen, which is a wild contrast to her body image issues and chromophobia. Add in the Great Dane scene stealer George Bailey, Rue and the Gals, bright tropical prints and water adventures, and you have a great beach read!

Critics have said this is very different from Katherine Center's previous books. I really enjoyed this one and loved that it was unpredictable. I thought that Katie learning to love herself added depth to the overall story. I do wish that there was a little more together time for Katie and Hutch. Most popular beach reads I give three stars to, so this is a high rating from me in this genre. If you want a romcom, beach read, or just want to laugh and read something lighter, I recommend adding this to your summer TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Katherine Center for the advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I've read every single books of KC's and I've liked all of them a lot, but I also loved some of them. This is in the love category! This was somewhat of a departure from her last books and it was so much fun! I was over the moon when I received an advanced copy because she is one of my favorite authors and this turned out to be one of my favorites. I love to read book about characters that are a little more mature and have made their share of mistakes. It's so easy to always see myself in them. This is definitely another winner for KC and I can't wait to take it to Book Club in June!

Posted to Instagram on April 26,2025. And if I purchase the book it will be from Indigo in Canada.
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This is my fourth Katherine Center book and definitely won't be my last. I enjoy her writing style immensely, and her FMC narration always has me laughing out loud. What I also appreciate about her books is her characters have real problems and real stories that most of us can relate to.
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The Love Haters follows Katie Vaughn, a film maker, who accepts a job to go and create a commercial for the US Coast guard that features Hutch (or Tom Hutcheson if you prefer) who recently saves Jennifer Anniston's dog from a cliff. Not only is Katie looking to capture the essence of the day to day for the US Coast Guard, she is also hoping that our MMC hero Hutch will be a part of her YouTube channel that interviews heroes. The catch is that Hutch is her colleague Cole's brother who has his own agenda, Katie can't swim, and Hutch is a love hater 😅. What could possibly go wrong?
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This book is sentimental and heartfelt. It does tackle self-esteem and body issues (which might be a trigger for you). It does lack some spice, but it is a cute romance! A bonus is I liked all the characters in the book, especially Aunt Rue and the Gals. 🤍
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Reasons you could love this book:
✨️ Forced Proximity
✨️ Found Family
✨️ Self Love
✨️ Hutch is an endearing mmc 💕
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Page & Pour Rating: 3.75✨️ (rounded to 4)
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Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for providing me this arc to read, review and enjoy. Preorder now for May 20,2025 release day!
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#katherinecenter #theloverhaters #fiction #bookreview #booksbooksbooks

No clue what was going on in this book. I'm a long time Katherine Center fan and have loved her work for years. This didn't feel like a romance book or even women's fiction book to begin with.

This book was hilarious!
I had so much fun reading this book about Katie & Hutch. It follows Katie on her adventure to make a documentary about Hutch, rescue swimmer. I loved all of the characters in this book and read it in about 24 hours, I couldn't put it down. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the end felt rushed?? I wanted more about Katie & Hutch. Overall a fun quick read!

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinion are entirely my own.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is an absolute blast from start to finish! It’s packed with hilarious banter, irresistible chemistry, and just the right amount of chaos.
The characters are stubborn, messy, and totally lovable — basically the kind of people you wish were your real-life friends.
Katherine Center nails that sweet spot between laugh-out-loud funny and seriously heart-melting. If you love a good slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers vibe with a big dose of feel-good magic, this book will be your new obsession.
Warning: you’ll want to hug it when you’re done. It's that good!!

Katie is a videographer trying to keep her job. In an attempt, she does co-worker, Cole, a favor. She goes to Key West to film a documentary on his hero, Coast Guard brother, Hutch. She is unlucky in love and Hutch is focused on his job and aging aunt. In this forced proximity love story, there is a twist and dramatic ending. A great summer beach read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. I love it!

thank you so much to netgalley for sending this ARC!

i really am such a katherine center fan, but this was not my favorite book by her and i’m so sad. i’m all for a plot about discovering yourself/body positivity and getting over an eating disorder/body shaming issues, but that’s about all this book was about and it wasn’t done well. katie just was hard to be okay with considering how insanely her emotions plummeted and sky rocketed. i really dislike deception plots and this didn’t have to be one, honestly — cole was such an obnoxious brother and hutch deserved so much better. it disappointed me that katie could not see that in the moment and they just hurt him over and over again. one thing, is i also feel we didn’t even get to know hutch that much personally since all the page time was dedicated to katie’s body image crisis. that was a bummer to me because he felt one dimensional. the connection between the two of them was weak and they basically weren’t together the whole book until the epilogue (even then sorta?) which is crazy! i do love katherine’s witty writing and this book didn’t disappoint there. closed door too which is great🫶🏼

to wrap up, i’m a sucker for a military romance and loved that aspect of it🥹 i have never read a book about the coast guard, as well, so i’m glad they got some love — a great touch for a gal who lives in FL and had a grandfather that served in the coast guard for many years. i know 2 stars seems low and it really wasn’t the worst book ever, but there was just too many misses for me to rate it higher even considering the wins.

rereadable? no:(

This was a tough decision, as I really enjoy Center’s other books, but I didn’t really like this one. There was a romance and chemistry felt forced and rushed. I didn’t like the way body image was portrayed and I could see it being super triggering. It was a quick read, but not as good as other books by Center.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a heartwarming and uplifting read that’s hard to put down. Center’s writing shines with her signature blend of humor, hope, and emotional honesty. The characters are lovable, their struggles feel real, and the romantic tension is both fun and believable.

I loved the overall message about choosing love even when it feels risky, and the story’s mix of lighthearted moments with deeper emotions worked beautifully.

The only reason it’s not a full 5 stars is that a few moments were a little predictable — but honestly, that’s part of the comfort of reading a Katherine Center novel. If you’re looking for a romantic, feel-good story that leaves you smiling, The Love Haters is a great pick.

I really liked this one! I’m a big fan of Katherine’s work and this one was no exception. She always writes books with unique settings and storylines. The majority of the book is set in Key West, so it immediately has an escapist vacation romance feel to it. I also ended up way more invested in the Coast Guard setting than I thought I would be…but perhaps that’s because Katie was profiling the swoon-worthy Hutch!

Katie is a video producer who’s given the task of profiling Hutch as part of a Coast Guard recruitment video to save her job. Although she’s heard Hutch isn’t much of a talker, she has to get him to open up so that she can produce a good video with her job on the line.

This book had one of my favorite tropes, found family. When Katie arrives in Key West, she’s immediately taken under the wing of Hutch’s loveable aunt Rue. Plus, there’s Hutch’s giant dog, George Bailey, who stole my heart from the moment he was introduced. I won’t spoil the ending, but George Bailey plays a huge role in one of the most unique, cinematic scenes I’ve ever read in a romance novel. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a romance novel that's not run-of-the-mill!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This was my first book by Katherine Center and most definitely won't be my last! First of all, the Florida Keys setting sounded fantastic and I wish I could go stay at the Starlight and meet Rue, Hutch, Katie and George Bailey. I also loved that this book wasn't just a romance, but was also about learning to love yourself. And how adorable was George Bailey the Great Dane?! There was one point in the story that I really wanted to smack some sense into Katie but by the end, I was glued to the page and couldn't wait to see what happened. Definitely a fun summer rom com! Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's for my copy!!!

Five glowing stars for Katherine Center’s new book, The Love Haters. This book would make a great movie, especially the last quarter of the book. The story was a little nutty, but in the best way. I loved Katie and Hutch’s characters so much, you can’t help but root for both of them in their own ways. And Beanie was a delight. This book was just what I needed to get myself out of my reading slump. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t get enough of the MCs. Some of the ending felt like it was being dragged out but overall a cute read.

Katie takes a gig profiling a rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, in Key West, despite not being able to swim and not getting along with Hutch’s brother. As she gets to know Hutch, and his Great Dane, she gets wrapped up in lies as well.

What to say about this book other than its Katherine Center? Another hit from a non-romance reader. Could I call myself a Love-book hater? Maybe… except for Katherine Center. The characters are all great, especially the dog. It’s witty and humorous, but also emotional and gets into some heavy topics like body image and sibling rivalry.

“We’re here to be alive. To feel the sun on our skin. To breathe deep in the wind. We’re here to feel it all. To love and cry and love some more. We’re het to rescue ourselves - and everybody else - in every way we can.”

The Love Haters comes out 5/20.

3.5 stars

i always have fun reading Katherine Center's novels, and her latest work is no exception.
i didn't enjoy this one as much as her other works; The Love Haters felt really fictional and not realistic at all at certain points, but a fun read nonetheless.

thank you Netgallery & St. Martin's Press for this e-arc!!

I live Katherine Center’s books. This one wasn’t my favorite of hers, but still great. I wish the book had more time with the characters being together however I loved the yearning and build up. I will always read this author.