Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. Hutch just cannot be real and I do not care. He is a wonderful romantic hero and Katie is lucky to have found him, as she knows, I was not prepped for the hurricane and boats scenes but it follows with Hutch being in the Coast Guard. It was a somewhat quick read but still had a lot of plot to keep engaged with twists and turns. 3.5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

TW: Eating Disorder/anorexia
Y’all. I loved this book so much!!! It made me laugh out loud, it made me bawl my eyes out, it just gave me such a warm fuzzy feeling!
The “love haters” were honestly so relatable and I felt like I really understood them and their complexities, and I really loved the way this story was written. All the trauma and life experiences of the characters intertwined, and they felt like real people.
I felt very seen by the FMC, Katie, with her struggles with an eating disorder, and it was written so well that I must give kudos to the author. I felt as if it was an accurate portrayal, and I felt her struggles and was so proud of her growth.
This was such a fun read and I highly recommend that everyone gets their hands on a copy of this book!!

Rating: 4.25
Spice level: Low (kissing only)

The Love Haters is a chaotic summer romance in Key West, FL. This book covers some heavy topics so please check the trigger warnings before reading! Katie needs to save her Video Journalist job and her coworker Cole gives her a project that he didn’t want to do. Following his brother, Hutch, the viral hero who saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog! Katie and Hutch start hitting it off until Cole comes home and tells everyone that him and Katie are dating. This sends Katie into a lie she doesn’t even want to go along with but she needs to, to save her job. This messy summer romance will keep you on the edge of your feet to the very end.

Thoughts:

Katherine Center wrote this book for me. I am the target audience. This book was so a roller coaster of emotions, unnecessary lies, family trauma, the coolest dog, and the most unrealistic man to ever exist but you’d like to wish he did.

Tropes:

🩷 Found Family
🧡 Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer x Video Journalist
💛 Grumpy x sunshine
💚 Forced Proximity
🩵 Single POV
💜 Self Love Discovery

Heavy Topics / Trigger Warnings:

🛟 Body image / self hatred
💥 Death in car accident off page
🫀Heart Disease
🌊 Hurricane / Potential of drowning at sea


🚨SPOILER 🚨Character opinions:

Katie - Katie is the type of woman that triggers me. I had an unsettling time at the beginning of this story hearing all the self harm this girl did to herself. Unfortunately she was too relatable lol I felt like I was being called out!

Hutch - we love fictional men written by women! Hutch is an anomaly of a character and a man. This man has star power but he’s private, doesn’t give a fuck what people think about him, and is a good humble man. Like this man simply does can’t exist 🙂‍↕️ say thank you Katherine Center!

George Bailey - we love a good boy! I always love it when books have adorable animal friends who really add so much value to a story. George Bailey is such a good boy & a hero!

Rue - Rue is a magnificent woman! Her story is so heartbreaking yet so loving. This is a woman who needs to be praised. Losing her husband, planned to not have children in her life yet when she saw two orphaned children in her proximity she stepped in and took them in. Women are just so amazing. The acts of service they do on the accident anniversary is just so touching and beautiful I teared up. Aunt Rue is such a legend 🫶🏼

Cole - Cole, Cole, Cole…. What a MESS you created for no fucking reason even though he thought he was helping. This is such a typical man lol creates so much drama because their feelings are hurt. His lies were so ridiculous and expected Katie to go along with his lie just to hurt his brother. Like I was yelling at this man… pathetic 😭

Sullivan - The most unprofessional boss lady I have ever seen…. girl…. Anyways….

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the early access in exchange for an honest review.

Though I haven’t read her entire bibliography, I have read a fair number of books by Katherine Center. I have enjoyed most of them (really, all but one), and I can confidently say that The Love Haters is another great read that I would recommend to those who love rom-coms. Was it a bit far-fetched at times? Sure. But the way Katherine Center writes banter is almost unmatched.

What didn’t work for me

The title: It’s very strange, because this is the second time in a row that I haven’t connected with the title (I thought The Rom-Commers was a bit uninspired.). But this time, I found the title almost misleading. Neither of the main characters really were love-haters—not really. And I feel like the mention of “love-hating” was squeezed in a couple of times to connect to the title. Don’t get confused, this isn’t a book about two people who mope around talking about how much they hate love.

The body image stuff: I’m all for body positivity as a plus-sized gal, and I’m happy for authors to mention when characters aren’t comfortable in their skin, because it’s very relatable, but in this case I felt that we dwelled almost a little bit too much on it—to a point where it was a bit overboard (excuse the pun). Maybe I’m just sensitive being five months postpartum.

Cole: What a weird guy. He created weird conflict between the characters. That’s all I really have to say about that.

What I liked

Rue and The Gals: Rue is the absolute best—and her group of gal pals, too. They added humour, sensibility and fun to the story. And when you learn the story about her relationship with the Hutcheson brothers, it really makes her unique (and amazing).

The Coast Guard stuff: One of the things I love about Katherine Center is how a lot of her books take a deep dive (again, no pun intended) into a profession that I find fascinating. Here we learn a lot about the Coast Guard (specifically the rescue divers)—and I loved it.

The writing: As always, Katherine Center’s writing is formidable. She writes realistic, fully formed characters; she is the queen of witty banter and takes me straight into her world. If you haven’t read anything of hers yet, this is a great one to start with.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I normally love Katherine Center but she missed the mark here for me. The whole book was about the FMC's ED, and did not paint it in a bad light. It felt like there was no healing done and then she just loved herself due to trauma. Idk and Cole is a pathological liar!! Anyway that's enough of that.

Quick read! I love Katherine Centers work. This book was cute but some of the premise was overly predictable. Still a good read & I’ll continue to read Katherine Center’s books!

Katherine Center does it again! Another swoon worthy romance! I could not put this one down! I felt all the feels. The topics and issues were so relatable, as a woman who has had issues with my image felt like it was just written for me! The friendships and dynamics were also so amazing! Loved every minute of reading!

This was my first book by this author. It follows a video producer as she goes on an assignment to make a promotional video for the coast guard. I loved the secondary characters that she stays with and the hero. The heroine has body image issues and is afraid to speak up for herself until the end of the book. This book was just ok for me.

This was a really sweet book. It was a little over-the-top at times, but I think that's what romance readers are looking for. I always love Katherine Center's books and this one did not disappoint.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from Katherine Center. She is an amazing author who never fails to hook me with her characters and have me cheering for them to get together and make it work. I loved the setting in this one and the supporting characters. The only frustation I had with The Love Haters was with her boss and how he bulldozed everything. I wanted the two main characters to figure things out on their own and having someone else come in just to stir everything up, especially when I wasn't convinced she would actually go along with all of his lies, annoyed me. But I absolutey loved the two enough and the story to get past it.
The main thing with Katherine Center books is that no matter what the characters might be dealing with or growing through, whatever their past trauma might be, they are also always super relatable. The situations themselves, the Coast Guard and documentary filming, the hurricanes and dogs and crazy bosses might be way out there, but the emotions and the inner growth and the chemistry are always gripping. I need to know what's going to happen to them and they need to end up together.
This is a perfect book for fans of romance, big chemistry between the mains, great supporting characters, and all of the rom-com feels.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. While I have loved other novels by this Author this one kind of fell flat for me, it was cute but the story felt like it could have been more developed.

I love Katherine Center books. Love! This was not my favorite. By a long shot. I felt the FMC kept repeating everyhh to ing everyone else said. Like she was a puppet. It was so terribly annoying. DNF

✨ Publication date: May 20, 2025✨

The Love Haters is the latest romantic comedy from Katherine Centre. I have read soooo many from this author and this one is definitely up there in the favourites!

Katie has been burned by her famous singing ex-fiancé and now she’s facing being laid off from her company. In a Hail Mary attempt to keep her job she agrees to take on an assignment for a work colleague Cole and now she has to shadow the coast guard and film them in action.

The problem is…..Katie doesn’t know how to swim.

Katie arrives in the Florida keys and meets the subject of her video, Hutch who happens to be her colleagues brother. They haven’t spoken to each other in years and Katie starts to understand she was sent here under false pre-tenses.

As Katie learns how to swim and shadows the coast guard, she gets close to Hutch and starts to believe there may be a possibility of love for her until Cole shows up and tells everyone they are engaged.

As Katie tries to navigate the family dynamics between Hutch and Cole and try to convince Cole to tell the truth, a hurricane hits the Keys and Katie is forced to evacuate before anything is resolved. The problem is, she doesn’t quite make it out and is forced to evaluate everything while she waits for rescue.

This is a very cute and funny closed door rom-com. Very typical Katherine Centre, making you think through relationship dynamics and waiting for the happy ending! This is another 4 star read for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #katherinecenter #thelovehaters

The Love Haters is about Katie who takes a job profiling Tom aka “Hutch,” a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. Unfortunately, she’s not exactly qualified for all aspects of the job. As the story progresses, Katie gets entangled with Hutch, along with a cast of colorful side characters, and gets trapped in her lies. Tropical adventures ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, face old fears, and open up to each other.

This one was just okay for me. I loved the summer vibes and tropical atmosphere as well as the adventure aspects. I wish I would have known that there was a heavy focus on disordered eating and body image issues with the FMC. I would probably not have picked it up. That was a heavy load to carry for a rom com and I don’t think the book was always successful at balancing the heavy topic and the romance. The pacing was a bit slow for me as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. The Love Haters released on May 20, 2025.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is the rom-com queen at her best!! It's a witty, big-hearted romance set in vibrant Key West. When ocean-fearing Katie is paired with charming Coast Guard swimmer Hutch, sparks fly through swim lessons, hurricane chaos, and laugh-out-loud banter, plus one scene-stealing Great Dane. A joyful story of love, courage, and embracing who you are.

🎧Patti Murin is the perfect narrator for The Love Haters, bringing lighthearted charm and emotional depth to every scene. She captures Katie’s wit and vulnerability with an easy, natural delivery that makes the character feel real, while her spot-on pacing and effortless comedic timing keep the humor lively and engaging.

Murin moves seamlessly between playful banter, moments of tension, and heartfelt sincerity, infusing the story with warmth and authenticity. Her inviting, feel-good energy beautifully matches Katherine Center’s signature blend of romance and heart,

Katherine Center’s books are like a warm hug. I just love her brand of humor and the joy that fills her books. Sure, some of the comedy is slapstick and, sure, sometimes the plot is unbelievable but who cares??? Her books are funny and heartfelt and they make you smile.

I have read reviews from some readers who didn’t like the main character’s fixation on her body. I will admit it got a tad bit repetitive but I think it will resonate with readers who have struggled with body image.

This is a perfect beach read. Pick it up if you want a page-turning beach read featuring a hot coast guard rescue diving male lead!

I've enjoyed every Katherine Center book I've read, so was psyched to get an early copy of The Love Haters! This was a quick, easy, beachy read with a few heavier themes (death of loved one, body image struggles, health issues). I loved the Gals, the setting in the Keys, and Hutch <3 Katie was a little bit grating but with the author's signature banter, I flew through the book. Nothing groundbreaking and definitely went a bit off the rails towards the end, but overall an enjoyable story! I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars but will round up due to sheer readability. Can't wait to see what the author does next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Katherin Center books are always a hit with me and The Love Haters did not disappoint. I finished it in 2 and a half days and kept thinking about it. Katie takes off for Key West Florida - an area very dear to my heart. The storyline was heartwarming. There were maybe too many other characters to keep track of but it did make for a nice storyline. I am kind of a cynic and felt there were some unrealistic moments, but overall it was adorable. I can't wait for her next one!

DNF at 17%. I cannot get over how much body image issues there are. This has not gripped me yet and I just can’t keep at it. I love Katherine Center books usually and I wish this one was gripping me. Maybe it’s a wrong timing book for me and I’ll come back to it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this fun feel good novel. Everyone loves a roller coaster that ends with you smiling. This book had just the right amound of twists and turns to keep you engaged and wanting to keep reading and left you with a happy heart. Highly recommend.