The enjoyable characters in this one kept me reading. The plot was more ridiculous than most of Center's other books and less believable. I felt the connection between Katie and Hutch was forced, but I did laugh out loud at some of the unexpected moments. Overall, not my favorite by Center, but a worthwhile read.

Note about the narration: Patti Murin did an amazing job at conveying the silliness and emotion in the book.

✨Review - The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Katie Vaughn has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or take a gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim―but pretends that she can.

I had a love-hate relationship with this one. (See what I did there??)

Things I loved:
🏝️ The dreamy Key West setting
😂 The over-the-top comedy scenes
🥰 The way Gottman relationship therapy tools were used to promote self-love

Things I didn’t love:
🪞The way body image and eating disorders were handled - it felt very shallow (i.e. you’re beautiful just the way you are!) rather than looking deeper at qualities such as personality and talents to see value in a person (i.e. you’re beautiful on the inside!)
🙉The overuse of the miscommunication trope. It felt excessive and frustrating, and was just too much for me.

A huge thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was another great read by Katherine Center. I really appreciate all the details included, makes it seem so realistic. Thanks NetGalley for the audio eArc.

One word to describe this book? CHARMING.

Loved this story of a documentary filmmaker who is sent to film a day in the life of a US Coast Guard.
Katie is funny, and relatable. Hutch is serious, and shy. The story is a good one. So many layers, it’s a love story between friends, and siblings, and parent figures. It’s a love story between a woman and how she sees (and learns to accept) her body.

The narrator was perfect. She really brought Katie to life.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for a gifted copy of this audiobook.

🌺Read if you like:
Workplace romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Found family
Mental health rep
Self love
Sunny Florida setting
⚠️Triggers: body image struggles, death of parents

Katherine Center is easily one of my favorite romance authors. Her books always are so cute and have such relatable characters with actual depth. The Love Haters was no exception.

My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Katie was such a relatable FMC—her battle with body image and loving your body the way it is, is definitely something that spoke to me. Hutch was such a great MMC. He was so genuine with everything in his life- his family, his job (coast guard rescue diver), his community and his sweet giant dog, George Bailey. The way he loved Katie and made her see herself as beautiful was honestly the greatest. Rue was also *chefs kiss* she was the most fun, outgoing and passionate character I’ve read in a while. I loved her backstory and the little found family she created.

I had the privilege of listening to the amazing Patti Murin narrate this audiobook and of course it was amazing.

This was such a cute and fun read! I loved the main characters and thought their relationship blossomed in the best way. I found myself swooning and laughing out loud constantly!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Katherine Center's books always bring the romance with a heart-tugging story and this one fell right in line with the rest. Her characters and their outgoing personalities bring novels to life, but while enjoying this book I developed an especially soft spot in my heart for Aunt Rue, she was so wholesome and kind. Cole on the other hand... I could not stand him!

The book was easy to listen to and flowed well, cheesy at times but overall a solid rom-com novel with a lot of depth. The characters grow by the end of the book which gives it substance and makes it enjoyable.

I’ve never met a Katherine Center book that I didn’t like. They all do exactly what I expect from them — her books make me root for the MC, pull on my heartstrings, and end like a warm hug. The Love Haters is no different.

I do think it’s important for readers to know that Center writes in detail about disordered eating, including sharing a day’s food complete with calorie counts. It’s in service of writing about the main character’s growth, but I think it could be triggering to many readers.

Oh this book. It was just the sunshiney escape to the keys that was needed in my life! Loved the journey that Katie goes on, the total perfect boyfriend Hutch was and of course the found family along the way. Rue and "the gals" were an utter delight. It true Katherine Center fashion, it's full of hope, lessons, love, some tears and lots of laughter!

The audiobook was SO well done and made the story even BETTER! Highly recommend for a delightful Summer Read!

Should you lie about being able to swim when you are asked to video the coast guard? Probably not. Did this start make for a cute story? Yes.

Katie is on the verge of losing her job as a video producer and takes a job for a coworker. This turns into a bit of trouble as she meets Hutch, the main person she is filming, who expects his brother to be the videographer. I love how Katie and Hutch worked through this (grudgingly of course). Hutch and Katie both did a lot of learning and growing throughout the book, which is much appreciated.

However while I enjoyed it, it was missing a bit of the spark that Katherine Center's other books have made me feel.

The latest rom com from Katherine Center. This one is about Katie who is afraid she is about to lose her job as a videographer and Hutch Hutcheson who is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Katie flies to Key West to film the profile on Hutch. One thing that Katie didn't tell her boss was she could not swim kind of a requirement for filming the rescue swimmer. Another issue that has come up is that Hutch is the brother of one of Katie's coworkers. And the brothers don't get along. As you can imagine there will be complications and misunderstanding along the way. Just like any good rom com. A great summer read.

Not sure this was the right book for me. I think any book that deals with body image, weight loss and/or eating disorders need to handle correctly and I'm not sure this one was. I loved the best friend but I really did not like the FMC. That just through the entire story off for me, I only made it half way through the book and just have not wanted to go back to it. Maybe it's not just for me.

The way I LOVED this book. Katherine Center never, ever fails to deliver and this one hit deep. I have struggled with body issues and the comments that people who are supposed to love you and build you up make without thinking about the long term effects was so clear in this book. Hutch is such a lovely man, and Cole is the man we love to hate (which was hard, as my son's name is Cole!) You feel Katie's pain as she works to love herself the way other people love her. Excellent, excellent book and have already recommended to several friends!

"It’s a thin line between love and love-hating in the newest laugh out loud, all the feels rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but pretends that she can.

Plus, Cole and Hutch are brothers. And they don’t get along. Next stop: paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good-looking man she has ever seen . . . but maybe a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last."

**What I enjoyed about this book:
I found Katie to be a very relatable character. She struggled with body issues and low self-esteem, which can be difficult for women and men alike. I also found Hutch to be a very intriguing character. I love when characters resist love so much and then something happens to change their opinion, whether a sudden change or a slow change of heart. I loved the underlying themes of self-discovery, self-love, etc throughout the book as well. I also found the narration of the book very engaging as well.

(4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5/5 stars)

This is not my favorite of this author's books. I struggled for the first quarter or so with trying to like the main character, Katie. It's not that I didn't believe someone could be insecure about her body or the other self esteem issues that Katie seemed to struggle with, but that I didn't buy into the way those things impacted this specific character. It was less relatable and more annoying. But Katherine Center is a favorite author, so I stuck it out, and that was the right call. The second half of the book really picked up for me, and I was completely invested in the couple from then on. I did really like the hero, Hutch, and the coast guard stuff was fun to read about too. As far as the narrator of the audiobook, Patti Murin, I thought she did a great job, as she has with all the Katherine Center books she has narrated. She is part of the reason I didn't DNF the book. Her engaging narration got me through the parts of the story I struggled to connect with.

Katherine Center always writes the most fun rom-coms that then punch you in the face with some seriously deep emotional baggage to work through. The Love Haters is no different. This book has plenty of charm and laughs, but also delves deep into issues of body image, self worth, and moving on after toxic relationships. This book also touches on topics of alcoholism and the death of a spouse/parent. Most of these topics I felt were written extremely well, though I sometimes struggled with Katie's self-talk relating to her issues with eating and body image. Overall, I really appreciated this book and thought Hutch was one of her best MMC's yet. Aunt Rue and George Bailey were exceptionally great side characters (Lucky too, IYKYK!)

Patti Murin provides her signature style on the audiobook which I thought fit Katie's personality well. For some reason, I always picture Ellie Kemper when I hear Patti Murin's voice in a rom-com.

The Love Haters by @katherinecenter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for the ALC, even if I did technically finish it after pub day 🤦🏼‍♀️ BUT it was such a good read! I could see myself in Katie, which I think is why I liked her so much. And I also want a Hutch 👀 the tension, the bonds between characters, the self discovery — I loved it all. 👙🐶🐸🚁⚓️💕

Katherine Center's books are always such fun reads and like all the others this one doesn't disappoint!

This was such a heartwarming, feel-good read, exactly what I’ve come to expect from Katherine Center. I especially loved George Bailey, the Great Dane. He totally stole every scene he was in! And Hutch? Absolutely swoon-worthy. Highly recommend for fans of cozy, character-driven romcoms.

One of my most anticipated books of the year and it was such a delight! I thought Katie was so funny and relatable and I especially appreciated the mental health/body image representation! It also has a fantastic cast of supporting characters- though George Bailey 🥺🐾 easily steals the show! It was hopeful, emotional, and heartfelt with the perfect summer setting! 4.5⭐️