Katie is fighting to keep her corporate videographer job amidst company-wide layoffs. At the strong urging of her manager, she accepts an assignment to go to Key West to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Hutch is a heroic rescue swimmer of some fame (much to his dismay), who reluctantly agrees to be the subject of a promotional video. Earnest and gallant, he seems too good to be true. Katie is neurotic and very relatable, and Hutch is a frowny "still waters run deep" kind of guy who blossoms around the right person. I really liked Katie and Hutch, both apart and together, and I genuinely enjoyed their story. There was a sweetness to them both that was so comforting, and this read was just what I needed. It's pretty trope-heavy, which I ordinarily don't enjoy, but it was fun in a "don't over-think it" kind of way. Plus, some authors let the tropes do the heavy lifting in carrying the plot, but that's not the case here. There's high meet-cute energy and great supporting characters (especially George Bailey!). There's also a nice amount of humor, I wouldn't exactly call it a rom-com but there were enough comedic elements to make it fun. The book had great messages about self-acceptance and the profound joy of choosing to love yourself. I highly recommend you read the Author's Note at the end, she has some wonderful views on the healing power of love stories. :) I have read this author before and I have always enjoyed reading her books, and this one is no different. If you're looking for a closed door workplace romance with an HEA, this is the book for you! 4.5 stars. Publishes May 20, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Katie’s barely hanging on to her videography job when she lands a dream assignment: filming a Coast Guard recruitment video in sunny Key West. The twist? The star of the shoot is viral hero (and total dreamboat) Tom “Hutch” Hutcherson-who also happens to be her boss’s brother. Oh, and Katie can’t swim.

Cue the awkward-but-adorable lessons… taught by none other than Hutch himself.

It starts with a mix-up-Hutch was expecting his brother Cole, not Katie, but what begins as a surprise quickly becomes something much deeper. Katie’s carrying body insecurities, past wounds, and the pressure to prove herself, but Hutch sees right through all the noise. Their chemistry is instant, their banter is sharp, and their slow-burn romance? Total swoon.

Hutch has a giant dog, a grumpy exterior, and the softest heart-and Katie sees him in a way no one else does. Add in Rue, his warm and wise aunt who helps Katie begin to heal, and Beanie, Katie’s bold, ride-or-die cousin, and this becomes more than just a romance…it’s a true found-family gem.

They’re sunshine and storm, sparks and softness—the perfect recipe for a movie. There’s heart, humor, a lie, a rift, a rescue…and a love story that makes you want to flip back to page one the second it ends.

That said, there’s one moment near the end that gave me pause. I checked with someone in the field, and while it’s not impossible, it would only happen under very rare circumstances-which didn’t seem to quite fit here. It stood out in an otherwise heartfelt, grounded story. If not for that, this would’ve been a solid five stars. Still, it’s an absolute gem that deserves all the love.

I really liked the message behind this book! I loved the FMC's journey to self love and acceptance, it was very relatable! Hutch was also great, there were just times where I was confused about what they liked about each other? Other than he's hot and a hero? I enjoyed reading this but wish we got to see more of their relationship, especially in the epilogue. Also wasn't a fan of the fake dating the brother side quest. Felt icky.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a good summer read. I liked the supporting characters a lot, would love to see more of Rue! The body dysmorphia topic was a little overdone for me. I feel like it overshadowed the characters chemistry. Overall this was a good book and I would recommend!

I read my first Katherine Center book three years ago, and since then have read her entire back catalog. I really enjoy the thoughtfulness of her romances and always by myself rooting for the main couple. In her latest book, the main struggle between our leads is miscommunication. If you do not enjoy the miscommunication trope then this is not the book for you because whether knowingly or unknownly miscommunication comes between our leads finding their happily ever after. Katie, the female lead character suffers from major body image issues, which I think are very delicately addressed but important to know about before you go into the book. Also, Hutch sounds fantastically attractive!

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katie Vaughn has recently broken up with her now-famous boyfriend Lucas. With lots of hate from the media, she struggles with her body image and self-love. When her job is on the line and her last shot to keep it is filming a promo for the Coast Guard in Key West, she has no choice but to face her fears of wearing a bathing suit. She is tasked with filming Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tom "Hutch" Hutchinson, who is described initially as a grumpy, love-hater. She tackles her biggest fears while trying to keep, but she gets tangled in a web of lies and family drama.

The relationship between Katie and Hutch felt underdeveloped, with a lot of their relationship-building glazed over or left out. When it comes to the side characters, Hutch's brother, Cole, was brash and unlikable. However, Hutch's dog, George Bailey, was honestly the star of the show for me. The book also covered a lot of heavy topics, including: a car crash, grief, terminal illness, and body image issues.

With all that being said, this book was a quick, easy, fast-paced read perfect for the summer!

Rating: 3/5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy.

Will there ever be a Katherine Center novel where I will rate it no less than 5/5?!?! I don’t think so! Each and every KC book I’ve read was pure winner in my humble opinion! I’ve swooned, cried, laughed out loud, giggled in giddiness, sobbed then sighed in contentment! The Love Haters is no exception. I love love loooove it right from the start! The characters were interesting and endearing. From the moment I got introduced to Katie I wanted to hug and befriend her! And let’s not forget to mention her bestie Beanie, who I would vote for the best book bff in a pinch!!! And Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch? Hello?!?! Book boyfie alert!!!!! I won’t delve much into their romance because we all know if it’s not HEA ending I won’t be gushing about this book so much🤭 but I definitely need to mention that this is more than just a love story between romantic partners. It’s also about loving oneself, literally though thick and thin (IYKYK), love between lifelong friends, aaaand, love among family and found family. TBH, this was such a comfort read for me that if I weren’t reading an arc thru my ereader, I would have hugged this super duper tightly after finishing it. It’s just…perfect. Periodt! It’s going to be out on May 20th so please, do yourself a favor and GRAB THIS ASAP! Hands down deserving of all the 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 in the world! Katherine Center, you can do no wrong in my eyes!!!!

***Thank you @smpromance @StMartinsPress for my arc. You made me scream in delight when it landed in my inbox!

4 ⭐ 0 🌶️ 5 🎧

I just adore Katherine's stories and The Love Haters was no exception. I loved Hutch and Katie (and George Bailey too) and I really loved Katie finding herself and learning to love her body. As someone who feels similarly about herself, her body journey really resonated with me and I found myself hoping to be more like Beanie too.

Aunt Rue is such a beautiful human and I loved her so much. From our very first meeting with her until the epilogue, she was just the sweetest. Especially after leaning her story... The found family in this one was vv strong and so well done.

The third act was exciting and suspenseful and I really enjoyed it. Just a perfect cherry on top for this story.

The audio was great. Patti Murin did a wonderful job narrating this and I really enjoyed this listen. Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy.

I'm a newer Katherine Center reader, but I tend to enjoy her books overall. They don't always wow me, but they have some great characters, good chemistry, heart and a message. The Love Haters was no different.

Katie is sent on a mission to video a day in the life of Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, who is a coast guard rescuer in Key West. Only catch? She can't swim. But she NEEDS this job and she NEEDS to know how to swim in order to do this job. So, of course she lies her way to get in. Luckily, Cole (a co-worker of sorts) is Hutch's brother and sends her in his place. When Katie arrives, her luggage is lost and hilarity ensues from the moment she steps foot in the keys. Enter Rue, Cole and Hutch's aunt. She honestly steals the show with her brightness.

This was a cute little love story with some heavier topics and some amazing characters. I really liked Katie and Hutch. Katie is light and funny with a past love disaster and some major body issues while Hutch is the more subdued, but stand up guy that is there to do his job. He is a literal dream. But the two characters that stole the show for me were Rue (I love an older lovable character that comes in with the best advice) and George Bailey. While I really liked Katie and Hutch and the way Hutch slowly opened up to Katie, I did not like the way Cole came in towards the last quarter or so and messed with so many things. He was my least favorite, but ya gotta have a villain, right?

Overall, this particular Center story did not wow me, but it was cute. It was enjoyable. I liked (most of) the characters and I liked the way the story wrapped up with a high stakes, heart palpitating rescue. I appreciated the first 2/3 of the story and the growth of Katie and Hutch as characters and their feelings toward one another. I just had some strong feelings about the last 1/3. And most of my issues were with Cole and his appearance in the Keys.
And as always, Patti Murin was a great narrator. She does a lot of Center's FMC's and she does an amazing job bringing the comedic flair. I just wish we got Hutch's POV. This story especially would've benefited since Hutch and Cole were such big parts to the overall arc.
And Lastly, I have to add that if you tend to finish the book with the story alone, I'm here to say to keep on going. Read/listen to the authors note. She brought some tears to my eyes and shed light on the story. The extra bit had me bumping the story up a half star for that reason alone. It made me appreciate the journey and the flaws of the characters that much more. 3.5 stars

I simply ran out of time to read this in a timely matter, but I did skim it and will be reading soon. I think it's more of a summer reading feel for me and that was part of it. I normally don't gravitate to this author in the winter months- she has always been a summer read for me and this felt the same. Quick read and mostly light hearted.

The Love Haters was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it kind of breaks my heart that I'm rating it one star. I am extremely disappointed that the publisher and author didn't include a trigger warning at the beginning of this book. The first 40% of the plot is very driven by Katie's body dysmorphia and toxic relationship with herself. The focus was very off balance for a romance novel but it the topic of eating disorders was treated flippantly.

I can always count on Katherine Center for a beautiful story of romance with a heart-warming side of self-discovery. I especially loved Katie’s journey of loving herself & overcoming her fears. Hutch was a great MMC, but Cole bothered me at times. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy!

I enjoyed this story. It took me a bit of time to get into it. In this book I actually felt a bit more connected to the side stories and characters more than the romance between the main characters. I still enjoyed how the story developed but I wish we would have seen more time and chemistry between the main love interests. The setting of the little resort village and the cute elderly ladies was really fun. I personally love Rue! Plus I always enjoy the addition of any puppy, especially a giant great dane :)

Katie is a video producer who has two choices: wait to get laid off or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The catch? Katie can’t swim and swimming is a requirement for this assignment. Cole is Hutch’s brother and they don’t get along. Katie takes the job (fake it til you make it, right?) and soon gets entangled with Hutch, his colorful Aunt Rue, his rescue dog, George Bailey, and a lie… or two.

I’m a sucker for Katherine Center’s writing. I’d read anything she writes, including her grocery list. I’ve loved each book I’ve read by her to date, and THE LOVE HATERS is no different.

Katie is the protagonist of THE LOVE HATERS and she’s much like any of the other FMCs I’ve read written by this author – she’s experiencing some type of personal (and professional) crisis, she’s messy, she’s flawed… but most of all, she’s relatable, authentic, and genuine. You’re sure to find pieces of her within yourself, and if not, at the very least, you’ll be able to relate to her in some way.

I loved the personal growth journey that Katie takes throughout this story while on her work trip to Key West. I don’t know much about being a video producer, but seeing this type of work through Katie’s eyes was really cool and very creative. Body positivity is a key theme in this book and I really liked the techniques that Beanie, Katie’s best friend, uses to help Katie see herself in a more positive light.

Hutch is the male lead for this romance, and he’s so handsome and swoonworthy. He comes off as standoffish and a bit cold, but at his core he has a heart of gold, is sweet, kind, and caring.

I love the romance that blossoms between Katie and Hutch. It’s a fairly clean romance with no spice. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt read with some conflict and tension, which admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of. I can’t write this review without mentioning George Bailey – he’s one of the best pets I’ve read about in awhile and a show-stealer whose antics I couldn’t get enough of! I also loved The Gals who are a wonderful group of retirees who make for the best of friends.

THE LOVE HATERS features themes of loss, friendship, and learning to love yourself, and the vibes are perfect for summertime reading. It’s a feel-good read that kept a silly little smile plastered to my face that was only broken up by some laugh-out-loud moments.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

This rom-com throws a documentary filmmaker and a hero Coast Guard rescue swimmer together, on a rom-com love story that's sweet but predictable. I did enjoy the cast of supporting characters, especially Rue and George Bailey. While I appreciate the author’s attempt to touch on some heavier topics, I feel like the body image issues were really overdone and too much of a focus. In the end, I enjoyed the setting and the story overall. It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall, this was a nice easy book to read through. The ending for me left me confused as I’m not sure what happened still. Maybe it is meant to be that way and the ending is different based on the reader?

I enjoyed a lot about this one.

I loved the main characters (not you, Cole)
I loved the whole Coast Guard promo video plot.
I loved the Key West setting.
I'm OBSESSED with George Bailey.

While I found the discourse around negative self-talk and body-image a little clunky, I'm just so glad we're HAVING the conversations.

Next steps: Get away, from "They're wrong! You're BEAUTIFUL! They're just jealous!" and move to "Beauty standards function to uphold capitalism and the patriarchy and what you look like is the least interesting thing about you."

Homework: Listen to Corook's "If I were a Fish" on repeat.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I have read quite a few Katherine Center books and this one was by far the weakest. The characters were not particularly likable other than dog (who honestly stole every single scene he was in!), there was less than zero chemistry between Katie and Hutch, and the “real life” type of issues (body image, grief) the author tried to integrate were so unbelievably heavy-handed. This was a pretty big miss for me and it’s really only getting two stars because of the dog.

Katherine Center is an absolute queen and this book is no exception. Katie, a video producer, takes a (hopefully) career-saving job in Key West to shadow CoastGuard rescue swimmer, Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. This book will fully immerse you in the thrill, love, and sunshine within its pages. Wisdom, friendship, love, laugher, bickering, family.

Center writes with such detail and accuracy. Her dedication to research is clear, while also creating such passion and depth between her characters.

Thank you Netgalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for my eARC!

A quick and easy light-hearted rom-com, that fell flat on the chemistry between the characters and an ending that felt...far fetched.

The main character, Katie, is likable enough, as she is finding her path of self-acceptance and independence of fighting for her job. Hutch is a swoon-worthy male main character. And Cole, Katie's coworker and Hutch's brother, is very irritating!

Overall, the book was easy to get through, but nothing about the story or characters hooked me in where I was excited to pick up the story again.

The author's note at the end of the audio was thoughtful and lovely, and may have influenced the rating from 2/2.5 to 3 stars.

Read if you enjoy:
- tropical settings
- forced proximity
- dog playing a main role
- a quirky, sweet, match-maker
- miscommunication

Thanks to St Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and Netgally for the ALC.