This was a great, quick romance read! I really enjoyed the listen and I definitely recommend this book!

Another perfect summer romcom by KC! The Love Haters follows Katie as she tries to save her career in a dreamy, sun-soaked setting. Her task? Convince the charmingly stubborn Hutch—a swoon-worthy hero with a serious savior complex—to open up about one of his daring rescue stories.

I was fully on board and loving the story until a major miscommunication plotline showed up, which dimmed the spark for me a bit. (Just a personal preference—I’m not a fan of that trope in romance.) Still, if you’re looking for something fresh, fun, and fast-paced with great chemistry, this one is worth adding to your summer TBR!

I’m hanging my head here, but this is my first Katherine Center book! Where have I been? I really enjoyed both the digital copy and the audiobook.

What a story. The journalist has to film a video of a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Katie is fighting hard against being laid off, and her coworker Cole has asked her to film a video profile of “Hutch” Hutcherson in Key West, Florida. There’s just one problem - Katie can’t swim, and that’s a requirement for doing this. It the whole story is about much more than learning to swim! It’s about learning to love yourself, about opening up to the people in your “neighborhood “, about working through your fears of others actually getting to know you.

The narrator was good and I loved the way she kept us waiting at the end of the story to see how it all might turn out. But Katie and Hutch are the real stars, with a supporting cast of Aunt Rue (I’m really dying to shop in her store!), Hutch’s lovable Great Dane who has a really cute name, and all of Aunt Rue’s fun friends.

This one definitely earns four sparkly stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC and also digital ALC via the publisher and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This book gets all the stars! It was such an enjoyable story and I absolutely loved the characters and growth. Such relatable characters and funny banter. Definitely recommend.

The Love Haters is my second book by Katherine Center - and it was equally as cute. I loved the Key West setting, and how much the island became part of the story.

I also adored Aunt Rue - she stole every scene she was in. At times, I wish Aunt Rue and her gals were the main characters of this book.

There was a lot of emphasis on body image issues, as well as ideation of an unhealthy, model-thin body shape. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a safe or healthy resolution to Katie’s body image issues or eating disorder.

I did enjoy this, probably more so because I listened to it as an audiobook. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the #gifted audiobook copy!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

★★★★☆

The Love Haters is a charming, witty, and emotionally satisfying rom-com that delivers everything you’d expect from Katherine Center—with a little extra sparkle. The audiobook, narrated by the always delightful Patti Murin, brings the story to life with warmth and humor, making it a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

The banter between Katie and Tom is a highlight—sharp, funny, and full of that delicious slow-burn tension. Their chemistry crackles from the start, and watching their relationship evolve from reluctant co-conspirators to something deeper is incredibly satisfying.

And then there’s Aunt Rue—an absolute scene-stealer. Her wisdom, sass, and heart add so much depth to the story. She’s the kind of character you wish you had in your own life, and her role in nudging Katie toward love and self-discovery is both touching and hilarious.

Patti Murin’s narration is pitch-perfect. She captures Katie’s inner voice with just the right mix of vulnerability and strength, and her delivery of the dialogue—especially the banter—is spot-on.
If you’re a fan of smart, feel-good romance with strong female leads and a touch of family magic, The Love Haters is a must-listen.

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillanaudio #macaudio2025 #thelovehater #katherinecenter #pattimurin

This was fun! I love Katherine's books and was so excited for this one. It did not disappoint. I loved the plotline around rescue swimmers and the grumpy/sunshine romance.

I loved seeing Katie fall in love with herself and her body again. As someone who has struggled with their self-image over the years it was nice to see a character, I could see myself in.

Hutch is the definition of grumpy in my opinion. He's not about to take credit for doing his job and has spent years denying anyone from interviewing him. When Katie shows up his whole world tilts.

Hutch's "grandma" was the absolute best! She was so hilarious and I loved her little friend group. She instantly took Katie in and pushed her to love herself. The swimsuits she picked out for her and all the other outfits were great.

The great dane!! I freaking loved the great dane. Highly recommend!

The audio was fantastic and well produced. The narrator did great and I binged this in two days!

I absolutely loved this book and related to the not being able to swim part. I don't know how Katherine does it, but somehow she comes up with a brand new idea for a book that hasn't been used every single time.

I simply loved this book! It's my second Katherine Center book (or audiobook, I suppose), and it certainly won't be my last. Katie and Hutch are so good together, with their top-notch banter and chemistry. And this story has so much depth while also being sweet and witty, I can't recommend it enough.

Katie is a FMC to root for as she gains confidence and overcomes her past. I really appreciate walking through her growth in self-accentance and learning to love her body as it is (and I love Beany and her influence on Katie in this journey). Plus, being entirely unqualified for the project she has to do to save her job leads to some truly hilarious situations.

And Hutch was such a perfect MMC. The way he fights his feelings for Katie while trying to mend his relationship with his brother was so good. He is somehow both a grump and a golden retriever, and he's so very attractive, both in being the "most scientifically good-looking man" and in being incredibly kind and selfless. And being a talented Coast Guard rescue swimmer doesn't hurt.

Along with Beany, there are so many wonderfuly supporting characters. I simply adore Rue and her friends, as they encourage Katie in her personal growth, as well as in her relationship with Hutch. And George Bailey with his toad-loving, Katie-tackling, storm-fearing was the best dog wingman.

Thank you, Netgalley and Katherine, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Love this author and love this narrator- just an all around great audiobook! The author is descriptive and her books always have a little bit of everything- humor, romance, intrigue and suspense. Highly recommend this one!

I really enjoyed The Love Haters by Katherine Center! I also think it’s the first audiobook I’ve listened to where the MC is also named Katie. It kept surprising me when the other characters would say her name. 😂 There are many heartfelt moments and positive messages. I got a little nervous when family things got very complicated (iykyk), but I’m glad I kept going. If you’re a fan of The Romcommers, I think you’ll enjoy this one too!

Other things to note: The audiobook narrator is so good. There’s no spice but there is some swearing.

The Love Haters was a fun story that had some dramatic flair, sweet banter, and a bit of character growth.

However, this story didn't do it for me the way The Rom-Commers (also by Katherine Center) did. The MFC kind of annoyed me, but her character growth was good. Katherine Center has a way of making characters grow without you really noticing it until the end.

I also loved the inclusion of the Coast Guard and the story being centered around Key West during hurricane season! As a child of a Coastie and a Floridian, this was a weird comfort read!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the Audio ARC! All thoughts are my own!

Katie travels to Key West to shoot a promotional video for the Coast Guard. She follows one rescue swimmer and forms a connection with him and an extended group of found family as well. Along the way learns to accept and love her own self/body image as well.

Things I loved:
- Katie is a fantastic character that I could easily relate to.
- Hutch is easy to fall for also.
- side characters that are fantastic - a sweet, funny group of older ladies and Katie's best friend Beanie are all great!
- awesome setting!
- a plot that moves along at a reasonable pace and I kept wanting to go back to it to know what was going to happen
- Katie's struggles with internet bullying and her own body image and learning to accept and love her own body was so understandable and encouraging
- a sweet dog character
- Katherine Center's author notes at the end have become a fun part of her books. I love how she writes to "defend" the value in reading romance.

What I didn't love -
- nothing!

There were so MANY things to love about this book. I'm not sure how Katherine Center does it, but she manages to continue providing sweet and fun love stories. But in this book, there isn't just love but wonderful characters. Hutch is probably one of my favorite book boyfriends - - but he isn't alone in being a draw to this book - - let's not forget about his fantastic rescue pup.

I have to say I may have enjoyed this book so much because I was fortunate enough to see Katherine Center at a book signing and heard her explain much of the background for the book. I especially enjoyed hearing the information surrounding the Coast Guard and rescue swimmers. There are so many facts about them that I didn't know and found it fascinating.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I absolutely loved the audio version. The narration really was fun and pulled me right in.

Thank you to NetGalley for copies of both the audiobook and ebook.

I thought The Love Haters was such a cute and feel-good read! The FMC was super relatable—her insecurities were so real, and I think a lot of women will see themselves in her. I loved watching her grow and learn to love herself by the end. There were definitely moments that had me laughing out loud, and the happy ending made my heart so full. It’s one of those books that leaves you smiling after the last page. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something sweet, funny, and uplifting!

(Audiobook review.)

I don't always go back and listen to the audiobook for a book I've already finished, but when I do, it's because Patti Murin is narrating a Katherine Center book. The Love Haters is the fourth book that Patti Murin has narrated for Katherine Center. (The others are "The Bodyguard", "Hello Stranger",and "The Rom-Commers") Patti's voice is perfect for the way Katherine writes, and she brings the characters to life in a way that just creates magic. To be fair, when I read Katherine Center books, I now hear Patti's voice in my head! If you love a great RomCom audiobook with a spectacular narrator, put this one at the top of your list.

Two words that will always get me to read a new book: Katherine Center.

When I was a kid, I would wait anxiously for the new Baby-Sitters Club book to come out and rush to the bookstore to buy it. I'd devour it in a day. As an adult, Katherine Center's books are my Baby-Sitters Club. Needless to say, I was ACHING to read her new book "The Love Haters" after hearing her talk about it when she was on a previous book tour. It was worth the wait. Was it my favorite Katherine Center book? No, but it's easily in my `Top 5.

So here's the plot:
Katie Vaughn is on the verge of losing her job as a video producer, but her boss Cole tosses her a project that could save her. She has to make a video for the US Coast Guard by profiling viral hero US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer (and Cole's brother) Hutch. The catch? She can't swim. But who need to know, really?

In true Katherine Center style, she weaves a romantic, often-hilarious, tale. The relationship between Cole and Katie has plenty of tension, humor, and amazing one-liners. Oh... And there's a dog! A goofy, overly excitable Great Dane with a fear of storms.

This book delved into some more serious topics like body-image and self-doubt. I know this can be a trigger for some, but I appreciated the way she approached the topics.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the Advanced Listen!

A HUGE shout out to @katherinecenter - I won her recent giveaway of her beautiful personalized copy of her recent book: The Love Haters!!!
When Katie goes to Key West on assignment to do a video of “Hutch” - a Coast Guard rescue swimmer - she winds up making friends with his aunt Rue (fantastic character) and his Great Dane (who tackles her on first sight)..and she learns that her boss that sent her is Hitch’s estranged brother. Which complicates things.
Two things you can always count on in this author’s stories:: laughs, love, and depth. This was so fun to listen to on audio (love your work @pattimurin !!!) - Ms Murin alwaysssss delivers on comedic timing and fantastic voice & acting! Now I’m looking forward to enjoying this book again in print and what a pretty copy it is!!
Hope you one joy this song by @officialannielennox from her Eurythmics days! It’s one of my utter favorites and fits the feel of this book set on an 🏝️ island !
Check this book out, it’s the perfect summer read!

#thelovehaters. #thelovehatersbykatherinecenter
#katherinecenter #romance #romcom #bookstagram

This made the Rom-Commers feel like a fluke, tbh, because this did not hit the same for me. First off, this needed a pretty upfront content warning about body dysmorphia and self-hate because that was not what I wanted to read and it set a sour tone in the beginning. The romance was fine, the story interesting, but that kind of hung over the whole thing for me and made it hard to love.

Funny, endearing, entertaining - Katherine Center nails it again!

This was tough though as someone with a history of body dysmorphia and struggles with eating. Katie’s self hatred is painful for me because I understand her, I’ve been there.

But the rest of the story was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Hutch is a dreamboat. I’m so impressed with the US Coast Guard. The Florida Keys are heaven on earth. Rue is a queen! George Bailey is everything a dog should be and more.

Katherine Center’s latest romantic comedy revolves around a troubling romance and sibling rivalry. Katie Vaughn, with a less-than-stellar romantic history, is skeptical about finding a worthy partner. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes inexplicably drawn to a new client.

With Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson as the client that could make or break her career, Katie finds herself in the middle of the issues between Hutch and his brother Cole, who is actually her coworker. Could it be true that Hutch is truly a “love hater”, thus making it very unlikely that Katie’s instant attraction to him could go anywhere? Before she can even think of romance, Katie must play her role as someone who can swim. Between her pretending that she knows even the slightest thing about handling her herself in the water, Katie finds herself living another lie while around Hutch, and she has a lot at stake.

This one-sitting read was easy to enjoy as I loved Katie and her resonant attitude. Hutch was the ideal hero, and was just the sweetest when it came to the devotion that he had for his rescue dog, a very fortunate Great Dane he named George Bailey. Then we have Hutch’s sweet Aunt Rue, who really made a wonderful impression on Katie.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.