I really enjoyed this! I haven’t read a Katherine Center book that didn’t make me smile, laugh, and touch my heart and this is no exception. One of my favorite parts was Katie’s relationship with Aunt Rue, who was sunshine personified. She embraced her without knowing anything about her and as we see later on, that’s just the type of person she is.

I was pleasantly surprised by Hutch after Cole made him sound like a total jerk and “love hater”. He was welcoming and helpful right away and just an overall sweetheart. He seemed enamored with Katie, (hello, noticing something about her eyes that no one had before) and I thought they had great chemistry. My main issue is that I wish we got more of THEM. I felt like most of their time together was implied and the weeks where they really connected (her swim lessons and dinners) were glossed over.

The events/conflict in the latter half of the book surprised me, but also brought the excitement. I hadn’t anticipated what would happen and was pleasantly surprised at how it came full circle. Healing and growth for all involved.

I’ve seen some criticism of the focus on Katie’s issues with body image and I think if you’ve been someone who has struggled with that, it might be triggering. I felt like it illustrated the importance of how we feel about ourselves being most important and to try our best to not let the opinions of other’s determine our worth or value. While falling in love with Hutch was part of the story, the larger focus was on her loving and appreciating herself.

This book was maybe not for me. I had trouble getting into the characters, and the story felt forced.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martina's Press and Katherine Center for an ARC of The Love Haters.

4.5 stars!

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a sunshine-filled romance set in Key West, where video producer Katie finds herself reluctantly accepting a career-saving assignment: filming a profile on Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The twist? She can’t swim (something she conveniently omits.) To make matters messier, Hutch also happens to be the estranged brother of Katie’s coworker, and emotions quickly get tangled in more ways than one.

Katherine Center continues to deliver near-perfection romance for me. I loved the tropical Key West setting (it transported me right back to my own trip) and the unique career paths for both Katie and Hutch felt refreshing (I knew next to nothing about the US Coast Guard). Hutch is the definition of swoony, but what really hooked me was Katie’s internal struggle with body image. While some might find it repetitive, it made her character feel incredibly real to me. The vulnerability she showed was relatable, and Katherine’s Author’s Note at the end genuinely moved me to tears. Also, George Bailey tops the list of likeable characters in this book!

This book started really well. Katie gets sent to interview a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hutch. There was good banter, fun side characters and activities. But then I didn't like where the story went near the end - a fake relationship and a hurricane. I just felt it went off the rails a little bit at the end. I didn't enjoy quite as much as her other books.

Cute sweet cheesy romance! I feel like she was trying to be a little Abby Jimenez and make this have a deeper storyline but this one fell a little flat there. Nothing to write home about and prob won’t stick with me forever but def enjoyed listening to this audio. Plus I always love a Katherine Center authors note at the end, where she always captures the joy of reading so perfectly. Thanks netgalley for the early copy!

I loved this story; it was fast paced and character driven and I could not put it down. I loved the self image/body image issues that came along with this romance. As someone that has struggled with myself, it felt real and authentic. Another solid romance from Katherine Center! Reading her books always bring me a great level of comfort and this one was no different!

Famed Rescue swimmer Cole and Journalist Katie were doomed before the interview even started. Cole did this as a favor for his bother, but his brother ent Katie. So now introvert Cole has to open up to someone new. The spark though is what neither of them saw coming. This was an epic plot of love, suspense, and weather that you cannot get enough of. Katherine Center knocked it out of the park again with this book. I have not read a book of hers I did not instantly love.

I am always so happy and excited to read a new Katherine Center book! Her writing hooks me in right away and I love meeting her new characters.

I loved reading about Katie and Hutch and seeing their relationship develop. I also really enjoyed reading more about their professions! I absolutely loved the fun group of side characters and how they were able to draw the fun out of Katie! There was a bit more miscommunication than I usually like in a romance but the well rounded characters and Center’s writing definitely make this a great read!

I received an advance ebook copy of The Love Haters by Katherine Center from netgalley.

I loved this book! Its in my top 10 overall favorites!

The characters are likable and relatable. The descriptive setting makes me want to head to Key West ASAP.

This story is heartwarming and funny. There's blooming love and friendship. But also, learning to love ones self.

I definitely recommend!

Really enjoyed this. It's a little different for Katherine Center after the body guard - a little more serious but still a great read!

I love the drama and the thrill of this book, as well as the romantic (awkward) comedy. I love that this was a strangers to friends to lovers read. I also absolutely love the ending.

⋆.˚✮ 4.5 stars ✮˚.⋆

⤿ Thank you to St. Martins Press for the arc through netgalley and a physical arc in exchange for an honest review!

thrilled to say that i really loved my first Katherine Center book, who i've been seeing all over forever and have been wanting to pick up! i don't know much about her other books, but i requested this one as it seemed like a really fun summer romance, but it turned out to be much more than that. this story heavily involves discussions around grief and loss of family members, how families deal with learning about illnesses, as well as eating disorders and mental health. while i was again, expecting a light fun romance, i actually ended up really enjoying how the author discussed all those things in this book. i saw some people mention how the eating disorder part didn't have a lot of context, and took up so much of the book...but that's kind of how mental health works. you can absolutely have your preferences for books, but eating disorders don't always have context to develop, and often take up LOTS of people's lives. i thought it was well represented, and really enjoyed seeing that representation here.

the writing style was also really fun for me too, i found myself laughing at many scenes and feeling that the humour was right up my alley. it helped that both main characters Katie and Cole had wonderful chemistry, and were both enjoyable people. while Cole was a little grumpy, he was so caring for others around him especially his family even after everything they'd been through, and everything his brother did to him. Katie herself was also very funny, it was hard to see her struggle with her eating disorder and body image, but it was so fulfilling to see her become so loved by Cole and his family- it healed my heart watching this happen for her.

one thing that i didn't really like though was the whole plotline with Katie's coworker Hutch, who initially sent her on this trip that could save her job. i won't spoil, but it was just a lot of drama that i am not interested in reading about and honestly found really frustrating. there wasn't any real point to it, other than making more drama at the end of the book, which i felt could have been fine with the plotline that involved the hurricane. so while the book was a REALLY fun read, and i highly recommend it, this was just frustrating for me a little bit and i wish it had been different.

↬ trigger warnings: death of parents/loved ones, animal in danger, body shaming, depiction of an eating disorder, hurricane, character being stranded, almost drowning, illness of a family member, and car accident mentioned

I love Center's books, but less and less the newest ones. They feel like they're trying too hard to be comedic and I miss her previous books with more depth and heartbreak. This one I struggled to connect with because the heroine was too hyper-focused on her body type and image. It made the FMC lackluster and hard to root for. I also felt like I just didn't know the hero well until we were too far into the novel that I just didn't care too much. The book was entertaining, but not my favorite of Center's.

i did not like this book, and i feel bad about saying that but it’s true. the characters did not have good chemistry, and my favorite character wasn’t even a main character (shout-out to rue). “the love haters” was all over the place, and the extra talk about body image or grief lacked maturity in my opinion. thank you to netgalley and the author for this ARC, though!

In The Love Haters, Katherine Center delivers another heartfelt, emotionally layered romance that blends humor, personal growth, and just the right amount of suspense. The story follows a video producer tasked with creating a feature profile on a heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer — a job that unexpectedly turns into a transformative journey of self-discovery, vulnerability, and, of course, love.

The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, with Center expertly weaving moments of tension and intimacy. The romantic arc is sincere and slow-burning, giving readers a satisfying emotional payoff. What elevates the story is its depth: the main character grapples with body image issues in a raw, relatable way. Center doesn’t shy away from portraying the internal battles many women face, and she handles the topic with compassion and honesty.

At its core, The Love Haters is about learning to love yourself just as much as you love others — a message that hits home without ever feeling preachy.

The Love Haters was a cute read filled with lots of fun moments, lovable characters, and weird conflicts—all typical of a Katherine Center read. I laughed out loud at a few points and I was rooting for the George Bailey (the dog) throughout.

Loved this until the fake relationship (IYKYK). I completely didn't believe that Katie would go along with it and that shadowed the rest of my experience with the ending.

I typically love Katherine Center's books and couldn't wait to get my hands on her latest. That said, this one somewhat missed the mark for me.

I found the FMC, Katie, to be somewhat annoying and make some really bad choices. I might have been able to get past that if the relationship was more believable between she and Hutch. However, I found it to be a little too forced or lacking chemistry?!? I adored Rue and all of her friends.....especially Rue. Rue was such a breath of fresh air. Additionally, I loved Hutch's dog and his interactions with Katie. Those brought the comedic relief.

I wouldn't discourage someone from reading this book, as there are still lovely moments in the story, and as always, Center's writing is still wonderful. I would just not go into it expecting a typical rom-com.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

Katherine Center does it again—The Love Haters is equal parts sunshine, swoon, and soul. This isn’t just a rom-com about a quirky videographer faking her way through swim lessons while falling for a hot Coast Guard rescue swimmer (though yes, that does happen and it’s delightful). It’s also about grief, courage, body image, and learning to believe in yourself when it feels easier to hide.

Katie is charmingly chaotic and completely relatable, and Hutch—well, let’s just say if there’s a signup sheet for a rescue mission of the heart, he’s leading it. Add in Key West, a giant Great Dane, a conga line or two, and some laugh-out-loud moments, and it’s classic Katherine Center magic: big feelings, deep truths, and a love story that’s worth the risk.

Whether you’re a love hater or a love believer, this book will win you over.

I didn’t think Katherine Center could do it, but she did. I’m not a rom-com reader. I read gory stuff in horror and thrillers. That being said, I adored The Rom-Commers. I fell in love with her writing, humor, and each character's growth throughout the story. Now here we are, thinking she could not convince me that another book could be better, and it was. The Love Haters has a story, but it also gives us a peek into each character's struggles with their own personal issues. Center has gone beyond just a story. She makes us fall in love with each of her characters and root for them to face their demons in fun, personal ways.
This story is also about immense love, friendships, trust, distrust, personal tragedies, self-awareness, and personal strength, all wrapped up in one beautiful package
Katherine Center, so you have done it again. You have become one of my favorite authors.