I am obsessed with this book! My favorite Katherine center book, no question. I love hutch so much and I loved every second learning about the coast guard and of course George Bailey. Katie was so easy to like and relate to. It was honestly the perfect romance book 10/10

I got 75% in and just could not deal with the repeat of her body image and insecurity. While usually that would not bother me much in books- but I felt KC was very irresponsible when it came to writing about this topic and ED as a whole. Not a good representation of the sensitivity around the topic.

I'll need you to bear with me for a sec because I can’t not be the type of person who’s gonna complain about how one of her most expected five-stars-read of the year turned out to be… idk, WHAT THE HELL HAVE I JUST READ?!

Girl, pick a side. Pick a battle. Pick a trope.
And stick with that!

But between all the changes of direction and barely developed topics, the thing that I can't stop thinking about is the almost complete lack of… romance.
I mean, that's pretty essential, right? And it’s not even the miscommunication’s fault, it just barely exist — if you consider her falling for him because he's apparently stunning and them kissing twice, only one of which was actually good, the bare minimum for still considering this story a romance.

Rip “The Rom-Commers”, you would have hated this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Center never disappoints and this one was wonderful as well. She always has a way of finding something not often talked about and making it important. For this book it was body positivity.

Katie is sent to the Keys to follow around Hutch, a Coast Guard rescuer, and create a documentary on his skills and rescue missions. Katie, who never learned to swim, becomes his first mission. Throw in some deception by Hutch's brother (who was Katie's colleague that sent her to video his brother in his place) this makes for a sweet Rom-Com.

I really really loved this! I could tell that Katherine Center did a lot of research to accurately depict what being a coast guard rescue diver entails. I loved getting a peek into that, and after seeing the Blue Angels air show recently, I had been vying for a love story story that involved some kind of military personnel with high stakes involved. This totally delivered, while 100% still being a perfect rom-com beach read!

Small complaint- I wish the cover was different. Chilling on pool tubes was not the vibe of this book. I would have loved to see Katie with her film camera and Hutch in his rescue diver gear or in a helicopter.

Hutch (truly such a sexy nickname) is reluctant to have to spend time with Katie, but as they open up to each other, we see that he’s just a softie with a lot of buried trauma.
Katie is insecure about a lot of things and he never once makes her feel silly or less than. He protects her and lifts her up.

I loved the authors note at the end- Katie went through an enemies to lovers trope, but with her body. I loved this journey for her. As Katherine Center said- “It’s healing to read stories about healing. It’s nourishing to read stories about people finding nourishment. It’s life-changing to read stories about people changing their lives.” This book, followed by her authors note, felt like a big hug!

TLDR: set in Key West, emotional back stories, body image struggles, loss of a parent, a great dane who thinks he's a lap dog, slow burn with no spice, just kissing but really sweet!

Out May 20!

Thank you SMP for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. This book reminded me a lot of her last book... I remember that character also couldn't swim. However, I didn't like the body talk in this one... it was jarring.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I have two settings with Katherine Center. Either I really love her book, or it's just okay. Thankfully, this one was in the former camp. I read it WAY too late (when I should have been sleeping) but she nailed the tension and excitement between the new characters. I also loved a new kind of love story, one that deals with falling in love with your self.

I do think that it was a little unreasonable that the new characters didn't realize how attractive they were to other people. I think her characters shine more when they are just ordinary people. Besides that, loved it.

Overall this was an enjoyable read but the whole plot felt a little disjointed and unbelievable. But I did appreciate the main characters growth through out the book.

Rating: 5.0⭐️

Katherine Center has done it again—and dare I say, The Love Haters might be her best yet. I devoured this book the moment I clocked out of work. Laundry? Ignored. Dinner? Popcor . Social life? Sorry, I’m booked (pun intended)!

Katie’s journey is funny, heartfelt, and empowering—but let’s be honest, the real star here is George Bailey. This goofy, lovable Great Dane rescue absolutely steals the show. Whether he’s launching himself at Katie with overexcited affection or just existing with his giant, chaotic presence, George brought so much joy to every page. I would die for him. Or at least let him knock me over in the name of love.

Yes, there’s swoony romance. Yes, there’s personal growth. But there’s also a woman facing her fears (including sharks—very relatable), learning to swim, and rebuilding her confidence in a way that feels real and hilarious all at once. And the emotional payoff? So worth it.

Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Love Haters. I adored every minute—and George, if you need a forever home, my couch is open 🐶

🎧 Audiobook +📗 E-book: The Love Haters

✍🏾 Author: Katherine Center-an auto-buy author for me

📃Page Count: 320

📅Publication date: 5-20-25 | Read: 5-12-25

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:33

🌎 Setting: Texas to Key West, FL

👆🏾POV: 1st person single

Genre: Rom-Com/Contemporary Romance, Women's Fic

Tropes: body image, fake dating, sibling rivalry, found family

⚠️TW: h cheated on (not by H), online bullying-h, death of loved ones, heart failure-not h/H, parental abandonment-h

🗣️Narrator: Patti Murin voices all the characters with standouts from Katie, Cole, and Rue. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.


Summary: Facing a layoff, Katie takes on a profile gig and "Day in the Life" with "Hutch"-a coast guard rescue swimmer. Katie can't swim but will fake her way through it to save her job.

👩🏾 Heroine: Katie Vaugh- 27, video producer, can't swim by lies to get the job. She does mini documentaries about heroes.

👨🏾 Hero: Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson- nicknamed "pup daddy" on the internet after he rescued Jennifer Aniston's dog.

🎭 Side Characters:
*Beanie-Katie's cousin
*Cole Hutcheson-production editor and Katie's co-worker, Hutch's estranged brother
*Aunt Rue-raised Hutch and Cole after their parents passed, owns a clothing boutique
*Scarlet-Cole's ex-wife
*Lucas Banks-Katie's ex-fiancé, famous musician-broke up a year ago
*Sullivan-Katie's boss
*Pets: Hutch's rescue Great Dane- George Bailey

🤔 My Thoughts: Another well-written, funny, and heart-warming rom com by Center. I understood all of Katie's insecurities because I still struggle with them at 45, and I can't swim! Hutch was the perfect hero that reaffirmed Katie's evolving self-esteem. I loved Rue as the mother figure of the group and understood Cole and Hutch's complex family dynamic.

*Spice: 1/5 🌶️ kissing only
*Emotion: 5/5 🥲
*Couple: 4/5 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
*Rating: 4/4.5/5 ⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This book felt like sunshine and second chances. I loved Katie’s awkward confidence, Hutch’s grumpy charm, and the way the story balanced laugh-out-loud moments with real emotional growth. It’s more than just a romance—it’s about learning to like yourself again.

A fun, breezy read with a big heart

Thank you netgalley!

Love Haters is more than a romance—it's a love story between Katie and her body.Told through the witty and heartfelt first-person voice of Katie, Love Haters follows her journey of self-discovery after a painful breakup and the pressure of saving her job. More than just a romance, the novel explores Katie’s evolving relationship with her own body and self-worth. As she connects with Hutch, Ru, and a dynamic group of friends, the story blends humor with poignant reflections on body image and self-acceptance. The author’s touching acknowledgment deepens the emotional impact, making this a relatable and empowering read about love in all its forms.

I love the way this author writes characters. They are so relatable. However, this book was slightly off somehow. I’m not sure why it didn’t hit quite right for me but it didn’t.
It was still good because it’s Katherine Center. It just wasn’t my favorite.

YES YES YES! I love that Katherine Center’s books are obviously romance, but her FMC’s always figure something out about themselves apart from the man they’re in love with, and I think that’s fire.

Hutch is actually perfect to me, and I think his entire story is unique for an MMC (I’ve not read a lot, but I’ve certainly never read anything like this). He’s a white man with a mustache in my mind WHAT CAN I SAY!

Katie being a videographer is also so cool (hello me too) and I love her angel on her shoulder! She was a good amount of cringe and real, and I love that for her.

I LOVED this! Keep it real, be kind to yourself, and RUE THE DAY.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Best character = the dog, hands down; followed by Lucky the toad.

Overall I was not impressed with the romance between our two characters - I felt a lot of their interactions were short and seemed less believable that it would lead to love in such a short time frame. I think I was also confused about the requirements for this job she had to do and how realistic it actually could have been? Maybe that’s just me being naive about the journalism world though. A light read with some deeper meaning sprayed in, would still explore more of her novels in the future.

Thank you netgally for a copy of this arc

I was super excited for this one it was an anticipated release for me and it really just flopped for me…it gave huge the major ick for a few reasons the body issues/eating disorder land it treaded on just didn’t sit will with me that aspect was not well written and seemed researched. The whole book felt like it dragged on for me. Still love Katherine’s book but this one is a pass for me 🫶🫶

The Love Haters by Katherine Center was such a fun, heartwarming read. I loved Katie—she’s smart, relatable, and just trying to hold it together while pretending she can swim (been there, faking confidence!). The story had the perfect mix of humor, sweet romance, and personal growth. Plus, the Key West setting and lovable side characters totally pulled me in. If you’re into feel-good reads with strong women and a little emotional depth, this one’s for you.

I wanted to love this book. The start felt very slow. It felt like a book about an eating disorder instead of a romance. There were some underdeveloped plot lines e.g. Lucas coming out with a new song about Katie. The ending just felt too unrealistic. There were definitely moments of great chemistry between Hutch and Katie, but it still wasn’t my favorite read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the overall premise of this book. I really appreciated that it featured jobs that we don’t typically see in books. I enjoyed the humor that was sprinkled throughout and loved most of the characters, especially Aunt Rue and George Bailey. Katie and Hutch had a cute romance overall. The miscommunication and lying that occurred once Cole showed up really didn’t make any sense to me at all, and while I appreciate that body image was included, I personally felt like it could have been handled a bit better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillon, and Katherine Center for this advanced copy. Available everywhere May 20th!

Katherine Center has an incredible talent for taking a book that is a romance on the surface- with all the yummy tropes, looks, kisses, etc, and also making about something entirely separate. Katie's journey of self love and accepting her body was so beautiful for me. I resonated with that piece immensely. While the overall plot and romantic aspects didn't quite reach what I typically associate with KC, the self discovery piece really tipped it over the edge for me.

I genuinely feel like this is the first underlying line of a KC novel that has affected me this much since The Bright Side of Disaster.