This was a strong 4-4.25 for me. I’ve been in a bit of a slump, but her novels can always break me out of a rut.

But some important notes:
1. DONT EVER SKIP THE AUTHORS NOTE IN KATHERINE CENTERS BOOKS
2. This definitely feels more women’s fiction and romance takes a bit of a backseat. The FMC struggles with body image, probably body dysmorphia, and so that takes up a lot of real estate in the beginning/first half because it takes up a lot of real estate in her mind. But then you read the authors note and it’s like….ok I see you KC.
3. I did NOT like where it was going with Cole and the lying but it didn’t go as far as I thought so thank you for sparing my heart
4. I loved the USCG aspect. Like THE GUARDIAN but make it happy and comforting.
5. The ending felt a little rushed on the hurricane and how she had no idea…like some chapters got cut by her editor that shouldn’t have.

In the end, I did want more of the romance BUT this is a book strongly about self love too. You know what you are getting with a KC novel, and that is so comforting. It felt a little insta-lovey (my least favorite trope), but authors can’t be writing the same tropes over and over again so I deal lol

Cute! Fun! A lot going on! It felt a little chaotic & kinda all over the place, but overall it was a good read. I just felt like she tried to do too much and too many tropes in one book? It felt a little like whiplash trying to keep up.

Mostly, I wish there was more romance. I wanted more of Hutch and their relationship and the progression of their falling in love. It almost felt instant and too quick.

But I did love the elements of love-self & acceptance & conquering fears. I just wanted more of the actual love story. But another great book from this author!

Loved this book. It could’ve been longer! I feel like we were just getting to know the characters and it was ending. Loved the coast guard element as well!!

Katherine Center can do no wrong. I have never read a book of hers that wasn't an immediate hit. I love to read these to get me in the mood for summer. She really knows how to write strong characters that you care about their journey, not just the plot of the book. I sped through this, but didn't want it to end. Now I know I have to wait a whole year to experience her magical writing again.

Another great summer read from Katherine Center. As always, it's well-written and funny with a cast of characters that makes the story so enjoyable. Katie is dealing with grief and body image issues, and doesn't want to lose her job, so she takes up an assignment she really doesn't qualify for in Key West. When she meets Hutch, she already has a picture of who he is but slowly starts to discover that Cole, her co-worke and his estranged brother, misrepresented him.

I feel the romance fell a little flat in this one and the body image issues took up so much of the story, but it's still an overall nice read from this author. Absolutely adored George Bailey! Not my favourite of her books but worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center does it again! She’s become an Autoread/buy author for me, I always have the best time reading her books! This one took us down to key west where Katie was tasked with filming a promo video for the US coastguards.. easy right? Of course not! First problem.. she can’t swim 🙃

I loved the characters in this one. Rue, George Bailey and of course sweet Hutch. Katie was a great FMC and I enjoyed reading her journey to loving the skin she was in a bit more. Rue was so wise beyond her years and I got the warm fuzzies with the community they had. Totally recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced read copy of Katherine Center’s newest book!

Video producer Katie takes an assignment following Hutch, a Coast Guard member that’s gone celebrity status after a famous rescue involving an actress’s golden retriever. Hutch wants no part of the lime light but agrees only because he thinks his estranged brother, Cole will be the one completing the task. To Hutch’s surprise, Katie shows up in his place and the two begin to form a friendship and perhaps a little more than that too! With vibrant Aunt Rue, a massive Great Dane, and a hurricane thrown into the mix, this book made for a perfect light-hearted beach read. An adorable love story without all the spice.

I really struggled with what to rate this book - it may be more like a 2.5 stars for me. It had moments of very sweet potential and there were times I didn’t want to put it down, but there were also a lot of little things that I didn’t love. The body image stuff didn’t feel that overwhelming to me, although I can appreciate how that might be triggering for someone in the midst of that journey, and think there should be trigger warnings around that. Initially, Katie’s insecurity and almost meek nature was difficult for me to read but as she grew as a character it got better. Cole’s character was very abrasive and annoying during the middle of the book. But Rue and George Bailey (🐶♥️) really touched my heart. Overall just an okay rom com for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this story in exchange for my honest feedback!

First of all, I am a huge Katherine Center fan. Love, love, LOVE all her novels! However, this is definitely not in my top three favorites of hers.

Katie’s job is on the line. Her company director has came in a decided to lay off HALF of the videographers on payroll, and Katie’s on the chopping block as one of the newest employees. She needs this job. It helps supplement her income while focuses on what she truly loves to do: make hero documentaries. Enter Cole, the middle manager, asking her to go to Key West and shoot a promo video for the Coast Guard featuring his “heroic brother”. What can wrong? So what if Katie doesn’t know how to swim?

Hutch, our main male character, doesn’t think he’s a hero. It’s his job to jump into the icy open ocean to save people. He’s only going to do this video shoot as a favor to his brother.

Although the premise of this book was good and the banter was funny in some spots, I didn’t feel like the romance was very believable. No sparks between the FMC and MMC made the story drag, and the obsession with body positivity for the FMC drove me insane.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St Martins Press for the advanced copy of this novel out May 20th!

I really loved this story, I’m not sure if it was the body positivity message or the handsome grumpy hero, but I was sold. Katie is a talented videographer who needs a win to save her job. So she agrees to make a recruiting film for the Coast Guard in Key West. Saying yes was the easy part, then there was the swimming and the bathing suits and a lot of her personal demons to confront. Aided by a cadre of retired seniors, her best friend via telephone and just maybe a giant dog, Katie starts maybe loving herself. This book is not perfect, there may have been some lost opportunities to explore( like her famous cheating ex ) and maybe it wraps up a little too neatly…But I’ve read many of Katherine Centers books and this is certainly one of my favorites. Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced reader copy.

Quirky characters and plenty of misunderstandings make this a light and cheeky beach read. My only critique was a heavy emphasis on body-dysmorphia. While I know it’s not an uncommon thing for women especially, and brought another element to the story, it was hit very hard for such a “light” romance novel. The author literally gave this woman an eating disorder, never acknowledged it for what it truly was (just called it self loathing), and made it seem like her and her bestie could work it out. It was a bit irresponsible.

A love story, not simply romance, but one of friendship and self-accepting. Come for the budding love-hate relationship, stay for the amazing dog and vibrant aunt.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Katherine Center will always be one of my go-to authors for romance and this book just proved why. I loved the premise, the setting, and the cast of characters (particularly Rue). But, this was more than a love story. It dealt with grief, body image, found family, and more. I will say that I felt this had less romance than normal, but I didn't mind that because I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and wanted to see how things would play out for them.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing the e-ARC and ALC for me to review.

2.5⭐️

This book had so much potential!! But sadly, it fell short. The plot itself was interesting- woman goes to Florida to make a video profile on a somewhat-famous Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The writing style was also addicting but that’s just about where the love for this book ends.

There were many things I disliked about this book. First of all, I didn’t really love or connect with any of the characters. Can I say my favorite character was the dog? Cause he was pretty much the only likeable/not annoying character. I did like Rue too but even she couldn’t save the story for me.

The FMC has major struggles with body image/body dysmorphia/ED, which is fine but it was mentioned literally every 5 minutes, especially for the first half of the book. It was very “a man told me I was beautiful so I’m gonna believe him & like myself now” instead of her overcoming her issues on her own. But yeah, major TW if that’s something that triggers you.

Cole was also insufferable! First of all he has this 20 year beef with his brother for literally no reason & he thinks that he stole his girl even though he showed no interest in her whatsoever & she was the one that liked him. But what really got me was when he pressured Hutch into having a drinking competition with him when he knows he doesn’t drink! Like what?? If he doesn’t drink, HE DOESN’T DRINK. Why are we pressuring/basically forcing people into doing things they don’t want to do??

There was also hardly any romance. They didn’t get together until basically the last chapter & I felt like there was hardly any chemistry between them. The only things that saved this book for me were the dog & the writing style. That’s really the only reason I didn’t DNF it & also why I gave it a higher rating. I was very disappointed because I really liked the last Katherine Center book I read but this one was just not it.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC.

I cannot say enough about how much I loved this book. This is a fun, quirky romantic comedy which keeps you turning the pages. If I didn’t have to work, I would have finished it in one day. The main character, Katie, was adorable, relatable and engaging. She is given an assignment by her boss, Cole, to do a story on Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hutch, who also happens to be Cole’s brother. Something has gone wrong between the brothers, but Katie needs to get on with the assignment to save her job and her journey in Key West brings her deeper into the family’s history and drama. She can’t help but become more enamored with the people she meets along the way as she tries to complete her assignment and not get herself in more trouble than she can handle. Katie has her own drama as a year ago, her fiancé, a rock star, cheated on her in a very public way and she’s been trying to run from the humiliation and self-doubt. This is a book of fun, of reflection and self love. It is AMAZING!!!

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a funny romance with a lovable cast of characters.

After a messy breakup, Katie Vaughn is struggling with self-esteem issues. Her cousin Beanie is her closest friend and biggest cheerleader. Katie likes her job as video producer but the owner of business is downsizing. In order to save her job, Katie agrees to fill in for her supervisor when he asks her to go to Key West to film a project for the US Coast Guard.

The star of Katie’s film is none other than her supervisor Cole’s big brother, Tom aka “Hutch”. He is a rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard and he is nothing like Cole described him. Although Hutch would rather not be the focus of attention, he has no choice to cooperate with Katie.

The Love Haters is a laugh out loud romance that also touches on serious issues. Katie is dealing with body issues because of internet trolls. Hutch is a wonderful man who has a sad past and troubles with Cole. The side characters are absolutely darling! The storyline is engaging but Cole’s shenanigans are a little silly. Key West is a beautiful setting and serves as a lovely backdrop for the unfolding story. Katherine Center brings this marvelous romance to a heartwarming conclusion.

Katie is caught between a rock and a hard place. She is finally healing from her breakup, but now she’s about to lose her job in another round of layoffs. Her coworker presents a proposition for her to cover his gig in Key West profiling a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, who is, of course, one of the most attractive humans to exist. Despite being unable to even swim, Katie accepts. When she lands in Florida, she meets the swimmer’s eccentric Aunt Rue and lovable Great Dane, George Bailey. With lots of laughs and tribulations, Katie learns to finally face her fears.

It is no secret that I adore a Katherine Center novel, and this was no exception. I was hooked so fast, and I lowkey want to move to the Starlite and live with Aunt Rue and The Gals now. All of the characters were such a delight, but George Bailey takes the cake as my favorite. I was so invested in their adventures, and this was such an endearing read.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re looking for a summer romance, this is a fun one. There is a cute “perfect storm of job requirements, physical proximity, removal of clothing, and . . . Hutch.” Ch 8

And also, there is an even deeper romance, “Specifically: Katie and her body—in a kind of enemies-to-lovers trope,” as she mentions in the author’s note.

It was this romance, I loved the most.

I loved all these parts of chapter 12:
“I remembered an article about bullying that said onlookers often didn’t stand up for bullied kids for fear that they would become targets themselves.
…
I could choose to be that one other kid. For myself. I could stay with her, and help her up, and we could turn to watch the sunset, side by side. I could keep one arm around her, and we could watch the sky darken until the moonlight sparkled on the waves, and listen to the water lapping the dock, and be okay together. What if I showed up like that every time?
…
If you don’t reject the harsh things people say to you, then I guess, at some point, that means you accept them.”

It was this part of the book I loved most. And also her friendship with Hutch’s grandmother Rue (who was fun-loving and quirky in all the best ways). And her relationship with Hutch’s dog.

Katherine Center’s writing always makes me think she would be the best kind of friend in real life. I have heard her talk about her husband being a middle school teacher and some of his students read her books, so she keeps them clean. I could imagine parts of this book she is saying to all women, but maybe especially young ones, these truths about loving your body.

Hutch was a great book boyfriend for sure. I also love how Center finds unique careers to write about. He is a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and all the facts and information about these heroes was interesting.

“Isn’t that how it always is? The thing you’re afraid of is never the thing you should be.” Ch 14

“He’s a love hater.” “What does that mean?” “He’s all rules and no heart! He’s all action and no reaction! He’s all body and no soul.” Ch 3

“that feeling of suppressed hope you get when somebody else might think the thing you also keep wanting to think.” Ch 11

“It was about the deep, enduring comfort that comes from looking at your life for exactly what it is, and exactly how it’s unfolded—and really seeing it. The past can’t hurt you now like it did then. The story of your life is always full of mystery. You can unfold it on a table like a map, and study it, and understand it in new ways. It’s not different, but you are.” Epilogue

Thank you libro.fm for providing audiobooks to librarians. This one was fun to listen to! And also thank you to NetGalley and

Katherine Center has done it again with another heartwarming and hilarious rom-com that gave me all the feels. The Love-Haters is the perfect blend of laugh-out-loud moments and emotional depth set against the enviable backdrop of Key West.

Main character Katie is a classic Center character—quirky and flawed yet so lovable. Watching her stumble through lies, and her own fears was equal parts entertaining and inspiring. And Hutch! With his deep sense of goodness and loyalty, he completely stole my heart. He’s one of those quietly heroic love interests you can’t help but root for. Add in a rescue Great Dane and a whirlwind of adventures (helicopter flights and hurricanes!) I was hooked.

If you’re looking for a funny, feel-good romance with heart and a little tropical chaos, this book is it.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Whether you are new to Katherine Center's books or a long time reader, you will find many mixed reviews about this new book. Please read it for yourself and form your own opinion just as I have.

A sweet laugh out loud romance that's sure to warm your heart.

Katie's job as a videographer is on the line. Her boss gives her a great opportunity to prove herself. She is sent to Florida to work with the Coast Guard, but she struggles with self doubt and... she can't Swim.
Along comes Hutch, who is handsome and heroic....
Can Katie learn to love herself and let people in? Can she fulfill her duty to save her job? Can she fall in love? But most importantly can she learn to SWIM?

Pre-order your copy today for a May 20th release date to get the answers.

A woman who lies about being able to swim to save her job, has to travel to Key West to do a film on Coast Guard rescue training because her boss is the younger brother of the film subject and the brothers don't speak? This should make for a fun book.

One of my favorite parts of this book was how utterly relatable the self-deprecating FMC Katie is and her growth throughout to loving herself. I loved her cousin Beanie pushing her to find the things she loves about herself.

Hutch was such a good guy. I mean he's a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard which takes a lot of courage and heart to do well it seems. He has a rescue Great Dane, George Bailey, who he does so well with helping when things get tough for the dog. George is such a great animal character who has a sad backstory.

The side character of Rue, Hutch's Aunt, was a beautifully tragic story once it's told. She was just an amazing soul taking on what she did out of her tragedy and just making the best possible world after it.

The ocean scene at the end had my heart in my throat. I would have been so terrified and not much scares me but .... whoa. I would not want to go through THAT.