I wanted to like this but it just didn’t work for me. I felt like I’ve read it before. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Content warning: body/weight issues for the heroine, I’d describe her as recovering from an eating disorder. I don’t want to spoil the ending but if getting lost at sea is your worst nightmare maybe pass on this (she lives obviously). And the DOG IS OK!

This is Katie’s POV. She’s a young videographer that’s about to get laid off. The only shot she has is to take a job she’s mostly unqualified for in Key West, doing a Coast Guard marketing video featuring her co-workers very hot hero brother. She can’t swim and she knows nothing about the Coast Guard, but she’s in.

I liked a lot of this book, and struggled through other parts. As a whole it was an entertaining read. Sometimes single POV is hard, but in this case it was for a good reason.

I went back and forth with my rating as I read this. 3 stars because of the FMC’s body issues and internal monologue filled with self doubt and dislike for herself. She has reasons for sure and this is probably a very normal reaction to her experience, but it wasn’t fun to read through. But … Hutch and Beanie make up for it in a lot of ways. So 4 stars.

But then… a big lie, which is my kryptonite. 3 stars. Ah, but its not Katie’s lie, she’s just stuck in it for #reasons. And I was interested to see how the author was going to navigate around it. 4 stars.

THEN! Completely unexpected third act that I did not see coming. What is happening? Did I love it or hate it? I’m torn. I think 5 stars because it was such a wild ride in some ways.

So I settle on 4 stars to average it out.

The meet cute is as usual, a little too convenient, but I was able to roll with it. I enjoyed the description of the bright colors of the Florida Keys and appreciated as more of the nuance and backstory unfolded for the main characters. I laughed out loud quite a bit. I was telling myself "oh this is so predictable" and yet I stayed up late to read the last 60% of the book, so I guess we can call it propulsive! I think that Katherine Center is officially my favorite romance writer.

The Love Haters was really cute and had Katherine’s usual humour and style. I always find I learn a lot in her books, and she adds in a lot of inspirational stuff.

So many of her characters have such interesting careers that I love learning about, and I have never given much thought to coast guards and what that job would look like and how dangerous it is! I found Katie one of the less relatable FMCs of KCs but overall enjoyed the story.

Also the acknowledgements were some of the best / most inspiring I’ve ever read and highly encourage reading those as well!!! Katherine is an inspiration 🥰☺️

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for receiving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED the setting of Key West, Florida. It’s somewhere I didn’t even know existed, but have now added to my travel bucket list. (Outside hurricane season of course)

Our FMC struggles with her body image. But she tries to pull herself out of the trenches with the help of her cousin Beanie’s constant encouragement. I think every woman can relate to Katie on some level. Sometimes what we see in the mirror can really mess with our heads. I liked seeing the way Katie overcame that!

I love Hutch’s good nature, and how he sees Katie! He’s a bit of a grump at times, but he will do anything to protect those he loves! He takes his job seriously, and is very humble about his accomplishments!

Rue was such a great addition to the cast of characters. She is the glue the pulls this book together! She is the sweetest least judgmental character in this book. I really love how she accepted Katie and took her under her wing!

I would have liked some of the montage scenes to be expanded upon, I felt like they passed by too quickly- just to serve the purpose of building relationship. But I felt like we could have been more in the moment with some scenes.

There were some moments I really disliked some characters who acted completely shellfish and self centred. I don’t know who Katherine Center wanted to punch when she wrote this book, but some characters were absolutely punchable!

Overall I think this is the perfect summer read! The poolside setting, the swoony romance, the lovable characters, it’s all there!

Releases May 20, 2025

🖤🖤🖤✨
3.75/5

First off, I blew through this book like no other & I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. Secondly, I have a few things to touch on…

I usually would put my objections after I say what I loved, but I have to explain a few things…so I need to do the opposite.

TW: mentions of ED ahead. Fictional & nonfictional.

As someone who has had a long relationship with ED (more OCD tendencies than body image) & my body in general, I am thankful I read a review of this book that gave warning of this being a big aspect of this book. I really wish the publisher would have added a trigger warning to the beginning of this book. I truly think it is necessary. You’re in the characters’ mind & it could be a lot for someone newly in recovery.

I will say I think that the author did a really good job at writing this aspect of the book. I related to Katie a lot in general, but also because of her body image issues. And I loved watching her grow throughout this book to build a better relationship with her body. I also really appreciated that Katherine Center did not make her overcome this because of the MMC, but all on her own. He helped reinforce her improvements, but she did that all on her own.

I absolutely loved the relationship between Beanie & Katie! I am an only child & have super close relationships with my cousins. Beanie & Katie’s specifically reminded me so much of mine with my cousin Becky. Becky is also my cousin, my sister, and lifetime bestie all rolled into one! Those of us with Beckys & Beanies in our lives are very lucky!

Overall, I really liked this book! I felt like the summer vibes were great. It’s a light on the romance book, which I usually don’t go for, but I felt like it was done well. There was only one part that really got a bit dramatic, but overall it was a good book! I really enjoyed the writing style a lot & plan to read her other books.

I did a combination of reading the digital copy and listening to the audio copy of this book. The narration by Patti Murin was spot on and really helped me immerse myself into the story.

I haven't been a Katherine Center reader for all that long, but I have loved every book that I've read by her. This one fell right in line. Her characters all seem so real. They are quirky, vulnerable and flawed. I really wish they were actual people, because I would love to hang out with them.

This story of a video producer who is doing her very best not to get laid off from her job. Apparently, that means signing on to do a story on a guy who is a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard. It's a pretty immersive job, but she takes it out of desperation despite the fact that she can't swim. Hutch and his great dane, George Bailey instantly try to worm their way into her heart and she's immediately in over her head. Good thing Hutch is teaching her to swim!

The underlying messages are of positive body image and learning to love yourself. All I know is I loved this book. Katie, Hutch and George Bailey all made me very happy!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NeGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoy Katherine Center books -so I was stoked to get a chance to read this book early! Admittedly, this book started out a bit rough for me. We meet Katie Vaughn and she is worried she's going to get laid off so she fakes it that she can swim and takes an assignment that lands her in Key West. I really struggled with her body issues. When you address an eating disorder/body dismorphia type issue, it's gotta be done right - so I immediately found myself more concerned with how that would be handled than the rest of the plot. I trusted the author and continued reading.

I appreciated side character, Rue. Katie stays with her while in Key West and I felt that she was a shining light in the storyline. I liked the slow character growth for Katie. I almost feel like the romance took a bit of a back seat in this book and it was more about Katie learning to love herself (not a love-hater). Although, the MMC - "Hutch" is handsome and broody and gives you a bit of that romantic angst we often love.

The 3rd act of the book is a bit wet & wild but I think it wrapped up the book in a way I felt content. And I do enjoy Katherine's acknowledgements!

4⭐

🌴Key West/Tropical Vibes
🌴Uncommon/Unique Job(s)
🌴Only One Bed/Forced Proximity
🌴Closed door romance
🌴Meddling Family
🌴Body Positivity
🌴Banter
🌴Loveable Side Characters

“Every time you have to be brave, you get a little braver the next time.”

Katie is dealing with a very public breakup from her rising star fiancée and being raked over the coals in the media. Her body positivity has never been very good, but now is even worse. On top of it, her job as a video producer is in jeopardy. Her boss gives her an option, either interview a popular Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer or face a layoff. What happens next will make Katie face her worst fears and be brave.

I love Katherine Center books and will read anything she writes. Her books make me smile. There is always a character or situation I can relate to. This book is no different. I flew thru the first part of this book, loving the characters and situations. The second part took a different turn for me after Cole showed up. From there, things stalled a little. So many extreme situations. The ending felt rushed. But…it held my attention, made me laugh, kept me turning the pages. Favorites were Rue (and Crew) and George Bailey, who totally stole my heart. I was happy to see the character development of Katie and Hutch. I enjoyed this early summer escape.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and The Love Haters is the eighth book I've read of hers!

I love reading Katherine Center's books because she has a quirky and fun writing style and her characters are filled with love. The Love Haters are no exception as both of the main characters in this book are wholesome and kind to a fault. Katie is a video producer assigned to feature Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch in her latest project. Hutch is everything I enjoy in a love interest, hunky, kind hearted, slightly protective, and a dog lover. Katie is cute, loyal, and on a journey to learn to love herself.

The first half of this book sucked me in. While the Key West setting and Aunt Rue made the mood feel a bit over the top, I didn't mind it! Katherine Center has a way of making me smile while reading her books and I felt this during the first half. Around the 60% mark there is a plot turn that made me cringe. Hutch's brother Cole, who is also Katie's boss, returns to the scene. Cole ropes Katie into his web of lies but he also treats her horribly and she never stands up for herself. This seemed out of character for her and there was one scene in particular that involved alcohol that made me feel very uncomfortable.

The second half of the book was filled with conflict with very little reprieve and several of the initial plot points were seemingly pushed to the side. The book resolves almost too quickly but left me feeling like overall Katie and Hutch didn't have a lot of happy moments together. The romance in this book is more of a tell than show. I didn't feel as many happy butterflies as I usually do when reading Katherine Center.

I'm still happy to have read this book and look forward to reading more Katherine Center in the future. I rated this 3.5 stars and rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads.

such a sweet romance ! i’m really excited to read more from her ! the writing is clever and intentional, the characters are real and relatable & i was invested in their story the whole time. love the meaningful messages and themes of self re-discovery.

side note the author’s note is so beautiful 🥹

Putting this down at 8% and happy with my decision after reading a few reviews.

The FMC’s dialogue fully focused on disordered eating, including a detailed description of a particular “diet”, and negative body image. It felt really romanticized and made light of. It also came completely out of the blue with no warning. These topics are incredibly harmful, potentially triggering, and should be handled with care. At the very least, there should be a mention of it in the synopsis or a content warning should be printed at the beginning of the book.

Possibly something to get past if you don’t have a problem with the subject matter, but it’s enough to stop me from wanting to carry on.

Katherine Center does it again with another feel-good story! I love how easy her books are to read and to enjoy! I fell in love with the characters in this book immediately and didn’t want to put it down. Finished this book at the beach and I believe it would make a great beach/summer read!

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

If Katherine Center writes it, I *will* read it and *The Love Haters* was no exception. This book had everything I’ve come to expect and love from her stories: a relatable, imperfect FMC, a vibrant setting (hello, Key West!), strong side characters, and a workplace romance with a forced proximity twist that kept things interesting.

The real star, though? The Great Dane. Absolutely stole the show.

I really enjoyed the main character’s journey toward self-love and confidence, though I do wish therapy had been a part of that healing arc, it would’ve added even more depth to her growth. Still, it was refreshing to see a heroine who’s figuring it out, stumbling a bit, but still showing up for herself and the people she cares about.

This was a quick, fun read with heart, humor, and plenty of charm. Not my all-time favorite Katherine Center book, but still one I’d happily recommend—especially if you love smart, emotional rom-coms with a big dose of sunshine.

I love Katherine Center books, and this was a fun read. I really appreciate how she tries to incorporate some more serious topics with her rom coms, still keeping the overall tone fun. Body image is something most people struggle with on some level. While it’s not been a central struggle in my life so I didn’t identify as closely with the protagonist as in some of KC’s other books, I kept thinking of multiple family members and friends who the story would resonate with on a deep level. Can’t wait for her next story!

Katherine Center has become very hit or miss for me. Happiness for Beginners was good but not great. The Rom-Commers was a miss for me. So going into this book I was very hesitant.

What I liked: This book literally made me laugh out loud. I loved the FMC’s inner monologue voice. I also loved the relationship with her best friend and how they tackled her body image issues together, like a supportive friend would do! I think the topic of disorder eating and related self-esteem and body issues was handled well. But if this is a trigger warning for you, then proceed with caution. I loved the Gals and Aunt Rue. Gosh I hope to retire somewhere just like that with all my friends by my side!

Hutch is dreamy and a perfect MMC! He remained soo composed despite what came his way. He was almost too perfect!
And George Bailey, the dog, was written with such a great personality!

I actually adored the FMC Katie, I saw a lot of myself in her and found her endearing to me.

What I didn’t like: I didn’t love the false pretenses and ruse that was established and the following story arc. There was a bit that was over the top and felt forced and rushed.

All in all, I did enjoy this one, just not enough for 5⭐️. This was a solid 3.75⭐️ read for me. I would still recommend it for a fun easy beach read.

Thank you to #netgalley and @smpress for this E-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Guys!!! This book was exactly what I needed. It was funny, wholesome and just put me in such a good mood. Katherine Center’s writing works really well for me and her sense of humor in this one was no exception. I had so much fun with this.

I really enjoyed reading from Katie’s perspective. I found her relationship with Beanie to be very sweet and similar to one I share with my best friend. I appreciated the discussion on self-love, it was very comforting to see a character who holds the same mentality as myself at times and so many of the women I love. Her relationship with Hutch was sweet and simple which I appreciated. Hutch is a hottie (confirmed by me reading words on a page). I found his selflessness and calm demeanor to be endearing. I just wish we got some more scenes of them together. I really enjoyed the side characters in this one. Rue was such a sweetheart.

Overall this book had Katherine Center’s typical rom-com style that I absolutely adore. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc <3333

Katherine Center, you have done it again. I laughed, I cried, I was overcome with emotions. Center truly has a way with words that makes her books so easy to read. Not in a comprehension way, rather a timely manner. I consumed more than half of this in one day and technically finished this in about 12 hours. About this book, our FMC, Katie, is truly one of the best characters I ever read. I highly recommend reading this book!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me an arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book.

As a psychologist, I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I found the honesty surrounding Katie's negative body image and external body criticism to be relatable to the experience of many women who have had a tumultuous relationship with their body. On the other hand, some of the ways it was executed could have been extremely triggering (such as outlining a former restrictive calorie regime) to those actively struggling with an ED. While the author alluded to her personal experience in the acknowledgements, I felt there should have been a trigger warning at the beginning of the book to help readers determine if this was the right time for them to read this book. The title of the book was also misleading, as neither the FMC or MMC were really love haters, if anything both characters struggled more with their relationships to themselves than romantic love (maybe Self-Love Haters would have been more apt). I did really like the MMC, although I gotta say I'm not a huge fan of the nickname Hutch (reminds me of a dog name, though he does have golden retriever energy). There were definitely redeeming moments that made me laugh, I loved the best friend Beanie, and I am glad that Katie's relationship with herself grew as the book progressed.

Short synopsis: Katie is sent to Key West in efforts to save her job, to interview Hutch (an Internet famous Rescue Swimmer).

My thoughts: I knew going into this we’d have some silly lighthearted moments, and the female MC was going to be a lovable Hot Mess. While that’s mostly right, there is also a lot of body dysmorphia and an ex boyfriend who totally steamrolled her self esteem. Parts of that did hit close to home for me, so I loved the positivity towards the end when Katie finally sees herself.

I adored Beanie and her friendship, everyone needs a friend like her! Always helping Katie find the goodness in herself, she’s friendship goals for sure! I also loved George Bailey and Rue!

The romance was sweet in this one with the embarrassing situations that had me giggling. This is the perfect Rom-Com for the summer!

Read if you love:
* Coast Guard rescue swimmer
* Florida Keys
* Silly situations
* Dogs
* Quirky Elderly side characters