Katherine Center has done it again with The Love Haters. It is a romance novel that somehow remains fun and light, with heartwarming and tender moving moments. There is substance with the characters each dealing with their own pasts, while trying to find love and happiness. I especially loved George Baily the dog and Aunt Rue adding color to everything! This is a must read for any Katherine Center fan!

Prepare for a delightfully charming and hilarious read with The Love Haters, a story that gracefully tackles loss, celebrates the bonds of friendship, and emphasizes the importance of self-love.

With her career on the line, Katie's decision to produce a documentary on Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch, despite her fear of water, sets the stage for laugh-out-loud situations. Her arrival in Key West introduces a cast of delightful characters: the warm and welcoming Aunt Rue, her supportive circle of friends, and the captivating Hutch alongside his rescue dog, George Bailey. There was a real found family aspect to this book, which I greatly enjoyed.

Katie's struggles with body image, stemming from a critical upbringing and exacerbated by cruel online scrutiny after a photo with her celebrity ex emerges, resonates deeply with me. Although this book has an exceptional emotional depth to it, Katherine Center’s signature humor also shines through, making this a truly enjoyable and uplifting read.

🎧 Audio Review: Patti Murin did a fantastic job of narrating this story and bringing the characters to life! Her voice inflections were so vivid and helped convey all the emotions of the story. I’d definitely recommend the audio for this book!

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the #gifted digital ARC and ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martins Press (along with MacMillan Audio) for this eARC and ALC.
Another sweet and refreshing experience with Katherine Center. I always feel like I'm going through a therapy session when I read her books, and this was no exception. And I mean that in the best way possible. I always come out of the other end with a fresh perspective on issues that I always seem to struggle with myself. Do you have cameras in my house ma'am!?
The story revolves around a video producer who is doing a piece on a day in the life of a "hero" from the Coast Guard. I appreciated the attention to detail regarding the training and day to day operations. The author did her research!
I enjoyed the grumpy MMC. It's always so fun when you finally get to see that frown turn upside down couldn't help but grin too!
The third act "drama" that made me want to reach inside the book and knock someone out...well, I was patient and karma did its thing

Loved the narrator, she did a great job!


The Love Haters comes out TOMORROW! Make sure you check it out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10/10 read

It follows a video producer and to keep her job, she agrees to go to Key West and film Hutch a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and participate in swimming exercises however to get the job, she keeps the secret that she can’t swim.

It is such a great book so well written Katherine Center never disappoints. It is such a good read and the audiobook is done so well. It is such a funny and cute book and would highly recommend it to anyone. Love the dog he's the best wingman in any book by far.
I received a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley this in no way affects my opinion or review.

I love Katherine Center with my whole heart, she writes with so much wit, her characters are very lovable, Katherine write the most heart warming stories with pure intentions, her cover artwork is always so beautifully detailed, so when I saw she had a new book coming out I was jumping with glee, I was so excited to get my hands on it, but unfortunately it missed the five star mark for me. The Love Haters was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025, but this wasn't the authors best in my honest opinion. Katherine has the biggest heart, I absolutely love that she wrote a book about body positivity and loving yourself. I appreciate this trope so much, but I feel like there was just too much body image insecurity instead of the main character actually truly loving her body. Women don't need a man to feel beautiful and to love their body image. I know many women will resonate and love this book, I know I resonated with it a lot, but there was just way too much body image insecurity for me. Even though I didn't one hundred percent love this book, I still recommend it to my girls who struggle with loving themselves, so please do yourselves a favor and mark your calendars for May 20th, 2025. The Love Haters was so deeply inspirational in it's own way and it spoke to me on a personal level. Okay, before I get emotional again, it felt like Katherine wrote this book for my younger self, but again there was just way too much body image insecurity instead of teaching women to love themselves.

💖 Book Review: The Love Haters by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars

This was my first Katherine Center novel—and definitely not my last! The Love Haters is exactly the kind of feel-good, cheesy romance I didn’t know I needed. Sometimes, a little over-the-top charm is just what the heart needs.

The plot felt refreshingly original (a helicopter rescue swimmer? Yes, please!), and the story was filled with both heart and humor. I especially loved the perfectly ironic name of the Great Dane—George Bailey. The characters are layered and real, each carrying the weight of past trauma or heartbreak, and you can’t help but root for them to finally find the happiness they deserve.

If you’re in the mood for a heartfelt, cheesy romance that still manages to say something meaningful about love and healing, this book will hit the spot.

Highly recommend for romance lovers who enjoy their swoons with substance!

I normally love Katherine Center's books but this one gave me several icks... First and foremost, there should have been content warnings for body dysmorphia and eating disorder with flashing lights around them and there was none to be seen. These are sensitive topics and it was disappointing to see it play such a central role for the FMC and yet, readers weren't warned. Actually, the fact the FMC has an eating disorder wasn't even acknowledged as such. I wish I could say she worked through her issues and found peace and love for herself but I think the "resolution" is even worse - she ends up feeling beautiful because a man tells her she is... Really? 😅

I also absolutely hated the scene where Cole offers her up as a reward to whatever sick games he was playing. The red flags with this guy and Katie's underwhelming reaction was just disappointing. I wish she would've stood up for herself more at that point.

The side characters in this book were great - George Bailey (a super cute great dane) and the Gals totally stole the show. The MMC, Hutch, was also a sweetheart. Other than the two aforementioned issues, the pacing and plot were good and I enjoyed the narration of the book a lot, so I ended up mainly listening to the audiobook.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

This is my 4th Katherine Center book and I think it may be my favorite? Is this a perfect book? No. Does this book's plot feel wholly realistic? No. Did I have a blast? Yes.

We meet Katie whose job is on the line as she's sent on a mission by her coworker Cole to go film a promo for the Coast Guard, specifically highlighting his brother Hutch. The thing is that Katie can't swim (she says she can) and Hutch doesn't want her there. Katie and Hutch have such fun banter, there is a perfect level of hijinks adjacent activities and I think this book is served well in its narration. This book is also served well by Aunt Rue. I loved her. She's exactly what you want in a charming and meddling elderly aunt. Also, the freaking dog. Don't want to give too much away with that one but you will understand once you're in it.

A summer read if I've ever met one!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this free audiobook arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let yourself have fun with this one. 4.25 stars.

This was an adorable love story, not only between the two main characters, Katie & Hutch, but between, siblings and even yourself. We are often our own worst critic, and sometimes it takes a best friend to show us what we are capable of and that we are worthy. I will admit at times I did get a little annoyed at the self body talk, but in the end it really pieced the story together. Also Cole is like the worst, but he is trying his best. I know guys like this and I'm glad his friends and family stick with him even though his ideas/lies are horrible. I really enjoyed the Coast Guard aspect of the story as well. The narrator was great,, I loved her voices and I never had a hard time knowing which character she was portraying. Overall the story was a feel good laugh out loud rom-com we have come to expect from Katherine Center.

This is a RomCom after my own heart! It is not just about finding the love of another but finding love for one's self. Katie carries a lot of insecurities about herself that I think a lot women can relate to, and the fact that she is able to work through those insecurities and truly see that beauty that is herself is heart-warming. The fact that she also finds love with a truly good guy, - who also happens to be a drool-worthy coast guard diver with a lovable Great Dane named George Bailey of all things - well, that's just the cherry on top of the sundae.

There is also the analogy of the color coming into her life as she begins to open her eyes and see who she truly is and not who her insecurities have made her think she is. The fact that her life is all blacks & whites and then explodes with color once she truly loves herself is awesome.

I will definitely be recommending this one for my friends looking for a feel good RomCom.

What a sweet and twisted story!

Katie is a producer, who is worried about getting fired after many at work have been recently. Cole, one of her co-workers, asks her to interview and film Hutch, basically as a ‘day in the life of’ kind of thing. Hutch is a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard, and is known to be a love hater…. Oh, and did I mention? Drop dead gorgeous.

Katie had recently broken up with her newly minted fiancé, a singer who made it big, RIGHT AFTER HE PROPOSED…
And then, well, things took a turn for the worse…

So, as she’s trying to work through her recently ripped apart life, and facing backlash from his huge on-line following, she decides to take on the challenge and meet up with Hutch.

But, there are MANY things that Cole did NOT tell her…
And soon, she’s finding herself in a web of deceit….

Alternatively, she finds a group of older women who bond with her and take her in as one of their own… and this might just be the sweetest thing ever! ❤️

I’m 🛑🛑 stopping right here 🛑🛑, as there’s a lot of ‘meat’ to this book, but I don’t want to give much away!

Beautifully written, and pulled me in like I was living there right with them! And… feeling every emotion too!

5 big, beautiful 🌟⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this one!

#TheLoveHaters by #KatherineCenter and narrated nicely by #PattiMurin.

*** RELEASE DATE is tomorrow, 5/20/25 ... SO LOOK 👀 FOR IT SOON!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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I can't not give a Katherine Center book five stars. I'm just not physically capable. I binged almost the entire book in one day. I loved Katie's growth and how she fell in love with herself. (Side note: I have a giant and ugly scar running up the back of my arm that I absolutely hate for many reasons, so the message of this book felt like I was being personally attacked with a warm hug. The author's note was right about getting lost and finding ourselves in books.) The bit of action was great as well! And there were so many swoon-worthy moments and funny moments that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also LOVED George Bailey and his overenthusiastic approach with Katie. 4.5/5 stars

I gave this book 3 stars. Too much focus on the FMC's body image. I wanted more from the romance storyline. It was like the author kept dangling the romance, but it was never fully realized. I usually enjoy Katherine Center, but I did not enjoy this book. Thank you for the ARC copy.

This wasn’t quite what I expected, but still fun! I love Katherine Center’s work, and I was so excited to listen to an ARC of the audiobook (this narrator is fantastic)!

I loved Katie and Hutch’s love story! The climax/dramatic ending was a perfect, cinematic rom-com moment, and these characters are very funny. I especially loved Aunt Rue and how her group of friends just welcomed Katie in, no questions asked, but I wish Katie’s cousin/BFF was present more in the story, not just in a few phone calls. I really felt like I was transported to Key West, and Katie’s time on the Coast Guard base and missions felt very serious and believable. You can tell the author did a lot of research to fully capture the setting.

I really admire the author’s efforts to write about real issues like insecurities, negative body image, and grief, but it was a lot packed into just one book, on top of the documentary plot line and the love story. If even one person begins to heal their own body image issues based on Katie’s confidence journey, then that is amazing, but personally it did not quite land for me. I think this book should come with a disclaimer/content warning, as the discussion of disordered eating is very detailed, not just mentioned in passing. Also these characters should all be in therapy! I wish therapy had been mentioned at any point in the story! The author’s note definitely provides some helpful context for this aspect of the book, but the execution of this just missed the mark for me.

While this isn’t my favorite book by this author (that would be The Rom-Commers!), I look forward to reading her other books in the future.

Loved this book!! It was a good/fun destination happen-chance romance. Some of the plots/subplots of the book were a bit silly but I figure that’s the point. On a more serious note, there was an internal insecurity the main character consistently thought about. It was a bit much but overall a plot point of the book. I was glad she was able to overcome it somewhat by the end of the book.

I really loved this book and recommend it for anyone who loves the rom-com category.

Hutch and Katie’s story is a perfect summer romcom! As the title eludes to, Katie and Hutch are love haters. They are not interested in happily ever afters. But when Katie comes down to the coast to film Hutch doing heroic deeds AND he is her swim instructor, they just can’t help falling in love.

I will now be accepting all your coast guard rescue swimmer romance recommendations.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center has a special gift. Many of her stories although are romance, there's also a very important theme. For Love Haters, she focuses on acceptance of the self. Both of the main characters and a few others go a self acceptance journey that is absolutely heart warming.

This was such a sweet book. The romance was super sweet and was a delicious slow burn. The underlying premise of body dysmorphia was poignant and seemed handled well. KC always picks such fun “jobs” to include in her stories and I loved the way these jobs were portrayed. The narrator was good and it was an enjoyable listen.

3.5⭐️
This was a quick and pretty easy read with a couple harder topics…check the triggers! I found the characters enjoyable but would have loved more growth and depth. There were several instances that I laughed out loud and a couple that really hit my heart. Katie was very relatable and some of the things she said I have found myself saying also. There were some cheesy and cringey moments but overall I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the audiobook and felt Patti Murin did a great job narrating.

I really enjoy this author’s work, however this was not a favorite. I really enjoyed the scenery descriptions and I learned a lot about what the Coast Guard does. That made for an enjoyable reading experience. However I didn’t fully buy in to the romance, it felt a bit insta lovey and forced. Although I understand what the author was trying to accomplish with the body image, it was just too prevalent in the plot.

While this was just a good (not great) read, I will definitely continue to read what this author produces in the future.