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.

Hutch and Katie, Key West, and coast guard rescuers broke my reading rut and gave me a lift to my spirits this week.

The Love Haters is for you if you like...
* An exploration of body positivity
* Friends to lovers-- but truly!
* A beautiful cast of supporting characters (made even better by them being octogenarians)
* the Florida Keys

For Fans of...
* Swept Away by Beth O'Leary (if you know, you know-- if this is a new plot device, I am here for it!!)
* Carley Fortune
* Sarah Adams

Katherine Center and feel good rom coms have become synonymous over the past few years, and now The Love Haters is ready to grace our shelves and our hearts! Katie is fighting and lying to save her job, with help from her boss. The assignment? Film a promo featuring the coast guard’s hottest hero, Hutch. The problem? Hutch thinks his brother, aka Katie’s boss, is the one coming to film him. While Katie tries her best to get the stoic, love hater Hutch to do the video, she finds herself questioning her own value and thoughts on love. Of course, love never runs a smooth course, and it’s a rom com! There are missteps galore in this heartwarming tale.

I have to admit that this was not my favorite from the author who I love (I think that’s a tie between The Rom-Commers and What You Wish For). The pacing was off for me. A lot of the book was spent on Katie’s body image difficulties, although I felt this was very well handled and encouraging. But because so much internal dialogue was spent on this, the other issues felt rushed. The big plot twist came in at about 65% of the way through the book, but I would’ve loved more time to develop this. That’s where the book finally picked up for me. Nonetheless, The Love Haters was still a fun summer read that I wholeheartedly enjoyed!

3.5 stars! This book was so fun! The setting is perfect for summer with plenty of sun and beaches, as it is set in Key West, Florida, making it such a good beach read! The story was more than a rom-com, being a self-discovery love story just as much, which is such an important message! While this wasn’t my favorite by her (The Bodyguard still has my heart), it was entertaining and kept me interested! The dynamic between the main characters threw me off a little bit in the middle, due to the tangle of lies, but the ending pulled through. I will say that there are modern references throughout, as she is a video producer and she had a famous ex-boyfriend, so beware if you aren’t interested in this type of thing. Overall, this book was enjoyable and one you should pick up this summer!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review and thank you Goodreads for the giveaway copy!

I feel like all the books I've read of hers always have a moment where the feels get you and this was no different. Interesting twist to hear about coast guard rescue team. This was a fun, moving book, with some messages to really love yourself and the body we are given. A few twists and turns, very entertaining! And easy, fast read since you get into the characters.

Once again I enjoyed for the most part another interesting read from Katherine Center. This time around we get the rapid-fire brain of Katie Vaughn and her drive to be not only a good documentary filmmaker but a great one. Sent to Key West to film a training video for the Coast Guard, this unsure young woman not only finds herself falling for her chief subject but slowly embraces her own in the process. That being said, I have to admit that the storyline is much less romance than I first thought and truly more about finding one's self after a tumultuous time.

Center's characters never fail to entertain and with the likes of Rue and the gals at the Starlite complex along with Katie's bestie Beanie, the moments of true comic relief definitely added to the book. Katie can be all over the place with her emotions and her love life but when she's at work, she is a master and never fails to figure out the best angles and scenes to make her videos shine. Her penchant, however, for embarrassing herself seems to come naturally as her second encounter with the stoic Hutch is one she'd soon rather forget.

And despite all the mayhem and crazy that seems to follow Katie with this assignment, chemistry somehow seeped through albeit in a very subtle way, as she and Hutch get closer with each passing day. Even the adorable George Bailey became a fast fan of Katie and I loved how their relationship endeared herself to Hutch even more.

With the underlying secret that Katie's workmate, Cole, has been hiding from her when setting her up for this gig, when he arrives in Florida, things go sideways a bit but it does help explain all the whys of Hutch's demeanor. There is plenty to uncover as the brothers come to grips with their shared loss and the missteps they needed to fix. Those scenes were very poignant and were filled with raw emotion.

But, sadly, there were many things that felt off for me while reading this book, like why Katie's famous boyfriend never tried to contact her? Especially after he wrote a song about her?? I would have thought for sure a showdown between him and Hutch would have happened. And why Center didn't have us privy to many conversations between Katie and Hutch that would have solidified their mutual attraction. Yeah, there was a subtle chemistry between them but there wasn't enough interaction to make me understand just how much they had fallen for the other.

In the end, as is shared in the Author's notes, this is a book about finding your groove. Finding that confidence to be colorful and not get lost in the gray. To embrace how those closest to you truly see you and that you should realize you are more than special. That component was apparent but again, the whole romance aspect seemed to get lost in the shuffle.

I skimmed a ton of inner dialogue which seemed to overtake the story a bit too much for my liking. Katie very easily got lost in her head and I get that but she seemed to ramble on too long too many times. I will say that the epilogue is wonderful and that in the end, there are a ton of great moments, both big and small, that made me very happy everyone found their unique kind of forever. Such a crazy good crew deserved that much.

The Love Haters is certainly a book fans of this talented author will devour. It just missed the mark for me far too often.

3.25 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed The Love Haters! While I didn’t feel the chemistry between Katie and Hutch was quite as strong as in some of Katherine Center’s other books, I still loved both characters individually and the minor characters were great. Katie’s journey was heartfelt and relatable, and Hutch was a charming, steady presence. The setting, humor, and emotional growth made this a fun and uplifting read. Another great story from Center!

This was not my favorite of hers. It focused too much on body image issues and it became the main theme of the book. The ending did redeem this book for me - I can’t imagine a house boat floating in the ocean in a hurricane none the less.

Set in Key West, this is a story of Katie, a film maker whose job is on the line and Hutch, a closed off "love hater" and resident hot guy rescue swimmer with the USCG. Due to family drama between Hutch and his brother, Katie gets sent to Florida to create a promo video and hopefully, a "Day in the Life" with Hutch to prove her talent and value. As the story unfolds, so do stories of complicated family relationships and trauma.

I could not put this book down! I love when a romance novel intertwines important life lessons and this one is full of self love and self realization themes. I found Katie and Hutch to be completely relatable, and who couldn't love Rue?! She's the adult female role model and champion we all wish for. Highly recommend!

“And we’ve spent all day, every day together for weeks now—and it already feels like it’ll never be enough.”

“But I just love all of my . . . everything . . . because it’s mine.”

Love Haters is, at its root, a love story. Not just a fabulous rom com, but a lovely reminder about self love and acceptance.

Katie is a storyteller; she brings her stories to life in video. She gets an assignment to do a promotional video for the Coast Guard and to specifically tell the story of Hutch, a heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The book is chock full of cute banter, zany situations, miscommunications, some untruths, a sibling rivalry, a fun loving group of senior women, traumatic back stories, glorious color, and a larger than life Great Dane.

This is the perfect dose of Katherine Center to make my day turn around. It’s literally sunshine on a cloudy day!! I smiled my way through with hope and expectation that things would work out. The characters are lovable and the dog is lovable and the situations are cute and funny and at times serious but always with joyful anticipation for a happy ending. I had to slow down because I didn’t want it to end. And I waited a bit to read it because I knew it would be a guaranteed hit! Thank you Katherine Center!

I also listened to the audiobook and was so so happy to hear Patti Murin’s voice in narration. She is the perfect complement to Center’s writing and sets a tone that really delivers. Keep this partnership, it really works 🩷

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
#netgalley #theromcommers #romcom #katherinecenter #pattimurin #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress

I always love grabbing a new Katherine Center book. This one started off a little slow, and I'm not sure if it was my mood, or if it was truly a bit dragg-y to start with.
But when Katie started hanging with Hutch, it got so much better. The last 25% was VERY dramatic, and I ended up really liking it.

This is an entertaining, fun, emotional, powerful read. Hutch and Katie are interesting, relatable, wounded, strong, caring, tough, complex, intriguing, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. I loved spending time with these characters and seeing Katie’s growth throughout the course of the story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Katie is a documentary maker. She unfortunately- gets duped by her more senior co-worker, Cole, to take lead on a documentary about the Coast Guard in the Florida Keys. She learns her focus is actually Cole’s older brother, Hutch, and from that moment on things are never the same. Katie’s time in the Keys shakes up her black and white world, forcing her to embrace color in all ways- in herself, her fears, change, and love.

This was such a fun read @katherinecenter . There’s laughter and love- but more importantly the truth around mental health and the too large role of media and social media has in shifting the opinion of ourselves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@netgalley and @stmartinspress -thank you for this #advancedreaderscopy - pub date is 5/25/25.

#2025bookchallengebook37of100
#thelovehaters
#netgalley

Perhaps I am a love hater… I was so excited to get an eARC of this book and it was an anticipated 2025 read. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into it and was hoping it would pick up. I think the big reason I didn’t vibe with this book was because of the FMC. Quite frankly, I found her annoying and immature. She wasn’t acting her age and I couldn’t get past it.

A lot of the book focused on her body dysmorphia and although I love the idea and attempt of body image representation, this one was so surfaced level and felt forced. The only process the FMC makes is because the MMC finds her attractive, told her she’s pretty and now she loves herself.

Another issue I had connecting to the characters was with the lack of connection and chemistry. Simply put, it was just missing the spark.

This was a sweet story about learning to love yourself and face your biggest fears. Katie is a documentary film maker and videographer just trying not to lose her job when her sort of boss offers her a lifeline. If she goes to Key West and does a promo video and mini documentary on his brother the hero he can probably save her from getting fired. But to do that she lies about not being able to swim, and needs to lie to his brother and aunt and trick them into accepting her and not him doing the piece. What follows is some crazy antics of her trying to figure out how to swim, and convince this “love hater” of a guy to let her make the video of him. As this is going on and also has to contend with some life long body issues from her stepmother and the internet bullying her when she was with her famous ex. The two main characters are very sweet and have some nice personal growth in their story arcs. And the sweet Great Dane, and old ladies in this book are amazing! I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Again, Katherine Center write another great book. I've noticed people don't like the self love aspect of this book. But I feel that's an important part. Especially with what the main character is dealing with. Also, the hurricane scene was really good and gave some suspense to mix in with the fluffy romance.

A huge thank you to the publishers for an early copy of this book!
This was my first Katherine Center book and it definitely won’t be my last! This book was for any of us that have ever had an insecurity or felt bad about themselves.
Serious topics and struggles like insecurity, body image issues, being your own worst critic, and learning how to love yourself were written so beautifully.
There were multiple scenes that brought me to tears seeing thoughts and feelings from my own brain expressed in such beautifully vulnerable scenes with Hutch and Katie. Ugh Hutch is a real one 💕.
This did take a bit of time to get into but the passages I marked and the life lessons this book holds are worth a 5⭐️ rating.
Loved the romance.. the found family trope.. and really just everything about this!

Katie’s job is on the line as her company just got rid of a bunch of their employees. Luckily, her boss, Cole, is trying to help save her job by giving her an assignment featuring Hutch, who rescued Jennifer Aniston’s puppy from the terrifying waters. Hutch is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and Katie can’t say no because she can’t afford to lose her job. There’s just one little problem. She’s accepted a job where she’s definitely not qualified as she doesn’t even know how to swim!

What happens with Katie is on assignment? Will she be able to learn how to swim just in time to do this piece? Will it save her job?

I really enjoyed this book and there were some funny moments and also some really touching moments. I really enjoyed Katie’s growing relationship with Aunt Rue! I also love learning random facts that Hutch knows and about Hutch’s Great Dane.

First off, I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!! This is now my 6th Katherine Center book, and I still love her witty hilarious writing but also combining real issues with humor. There were some things I didn’t love that the main character Katie did and some things she thought were a little dumb. But overall I did like her character arc in the end and really enjoyed her and Hutch’s romance. So Katie is a documentary filmmaker, and she works for a big company that is laying off a lot of newer employees, including her. So she has to make this big documentary for her boss, Cole. The doc is about coastguards, and the main coastguard she has to film it about is you guessed it, Hutch. Even though that name Hutch made me cringe almost everytime I read it lol, it turned out kinda necessary for his do gooder perfect character to have a super cliche name too. So she’s sent off to film this documentary, but she can’t swim, which I found HILARIOUS. So Hutch has to teach her to swim, but their “meet cute” was freaking hysterical because she gets knocked into the pool by Hutch’s dog, George Bailey, which turned out to be the star of the book. This Great Danes interactions with Katie were hysterical! So overall I’d give it a 4.25, def a fave from Katherine and was so much better then It’s A Love Story. Do check trigger warnings though, there are brief mentions of unaliving and deals with binge eating and body dysmorphia. But overall a really good read. 😁

This was a good story but I wish the ending was a little more romantic should I say. I just felt we didn’t get the full ending with these two. But the whole story is good. Katherine never disappoints! I absolutely love George Bailey! He made the story!