“The Love Haters” is a swoony, salty little rom-com that shows up wearing flip-flops and ends up tearing through your chest like a Category 2 hurricane of feelings. There’s a literal hurricane, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer with movie star genetics, a dog the size of a Buick named George Bailey, and a whole subplot about swimsuit trauma that is somehow both devastating and deeply relatable — like crying in a Target dressing room but with better lighting and actual narrative closure. Katherine Center came for the body image crisis, the sibling rivalry, and the face-punch anxiety of being seen in a swimsuit by some of the fittest people on the planet — and she wrote it all in sunshine-soaked sentences that feel like a hug and a dare.

Katie Vaughn is spiraling, and clinging to her job as a video producer like it’s the only working phone charger at an airport during Mercury retrograde. So when the maybe-kind-of-terrible owner of the agency allows her boss to offer her a lifeline assignment filming a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, she says yes — even though she can’t swim. Minor detail! What’s the worst that could happen? Oh, right. Saltwater, awkward lies, and falling for a man who looks like the dictionary definition of "complicated dreamboat." Enter Hutch: literal hero, Coast Guard golden boy, and also her boss's estranged brother. Because of course.

And yes, the setup is rom-com chaos — secret identities, tropical storms, forced proximity, and a dog with the emotional range of a Shakespearean lead — but the heart of this book is Katie's slow, aching, sometimes-funny, sometimes-painful unraveling of years spent hating her body. Katherine Center doesn’t tiptoe here. Katie’s not insecure in a quirky, Zooey Deschanel kind of way — she’s been through public humiliation, bullying, and the kind of relationship that makes you apologize for taking up space. And now she’s got to film a video in a swimsuit, while pretending she's not a walking pile of doubt in waterproof mascara. Hutch helps — he’s steady and kind and the kind of man who notices when you’re drowning even before you do. But the real love story isn’t about being saved. It’s about choosing not to disappear. It’s Katie learning how to show up for herself.

She gets there thanks to Aunt Rue, the eccentric hurricane of color and chaos who could charm a crab out of its shell. And George Bailey, the disaster pup with the loyalty of a golden retriever and the spatial awareness of a wrecking ball. And Beanie — Katie’s cousin, hype woman, and voice of reason in a world full of weirdos. The supporting cast in this book is sunshine wrapped in sarcasm, and they carry Katie through when she can’t quite do it herself yet.

Is there a romance? Yes. Is there a dog who knows exactly when to knock over the heroine for a hug? Absolutely. But what lingers is the ache of watching a woman remember how to like herself. And the way Center writes it? It’s not self-help, it’s not a lecture — it’s a love letter. It’s “I see you” in fiction form. It’s not preachy, it’s honest. And it’s fun. There are jokes and helicopters and conga lines. And through all of it, this story quietly asks: “What if you were never broken to begin with?” It’s sunshine and seawater and emotional repair disguised as a rom-com — a solid four-star read that nails the tropes you want with the emotional payoff you didn’t know you needed.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early access to the audiobook — and for pairing Katie’s chaos with a narrator so good, I nearly Googled “how to apologize to your inner monologue.”

I’m obsessed with this book! I loved the audio! It is the perfect summery book and such a fun listen!

Katherine Center can do no wrong in my eyes ! I was truly in need of a refreshing Romance read thats closed door, lets get to the point !
This book needs to be a pick up for this summers tbr
The banter-Check
The laughter-check
The ambiance- check
And the end of book crisis-check
Ugh I absolutely couldn’t get enough!
Slightly miscommunication but not in a terrible way that I want to throw the book at my wall
Ohhhhh and you guys there’s a dog !
The book takes place in key west Florida and as a Floridian myself I was truly impressed .
Yes yes yes and yes
Not only will u truly enjoy this book
The physical copy is going to be absolutely beautiful on that bookshelf !
This audiobook had me on my toes and I think it’s a book you’ll need to dual read !

All the hearts and stars for this amazing book! 😍😍🤩🤩 I love Katherine Center books but this one swept 🌊 me away to warm sunny beaches 🏖️, you could see the bright happy colors 🌺 and see the beautiful story unfold like a movie.

I love Katherine’s author notes almost as much as the story. I will 💯 read anything KC writes and know I’ll find a love story for everyone, shining light on an unknown or known mental or physical condition and how everyone deserves to be seen and to be loved.

I loved Katie’s journey of loving herself and the found family with Rue, Hutch and I guess even Cole.

This book releases this week and as always Patti Murrin nails the audiobook! Thank you Net Galley, MacmillanAudio and St Martin’s press for the ebook and alc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Make sure to get your copy and to get one to give to someone you love. 🥳

I had a really good time with this book, and didn’t want to put it down! 🏝✨

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press and Raincoast Books for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

✦ tropes & stuff:
✨ self love/body image
🛟 coast guard rescue swimmer
🎥 video journalist
⛅️ grumpy sunshine
🔗 forced proximity
🏝 tropical setting - Key West
🫶🏼 family + found family
💖 single 1st person pov

📝 mini blurb:
Desperate to not lose her job, Katie, a video producer, agrees to an assignment profiling Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hutch.
Unfortunately, Katie doesn’t know how to swim - thankfully she ends up with a very good teacher 🤭

Katie’s has many adventures in Key West, and finds herself (and love) in the process.

•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•

⭐️: 4.5/5
🌶️: closed door, kissing only

Just want to start my review with a bit of a content warning - I’m not sure if this has been added in the final version, as I had an uncorrected proof.

This book has a heavy focus on body image & disordered eating. Katie, the fmc, spends a lot of the book learning to love her body. In the author’s note at the end, Katherine mentions how it’s an enemies to lovers story between them.

Personally, I found a lot of her thinking to be very relatable, and I connected well with the character, but I can see it possibly being triggering for others.

💭 what I loved about this one:
- their meet-cute(ish - technically the 2nd time they met)
- their banter, and Katie’s thoughts, had me laughing out loud often
- why Hutch collects pennies 🥹
- “You’re like a human hot-fudge sundae or something” 🥹
- how both really didn’t know their appeal, and were able to show it to one another
- George Bailey 🐕 mischievous pup
- the hair clip 🌺
- I adored Rue & Beanie as side characters, their roles in the story & their wisdom

🙃 what didn’t quite work for me:
- Hutch giving into drinking, when he doesn’t drink for a very valid reason
- some of the lying made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t appreciate Cole’s lack of consent in the way he treated Katie

🎧 audiobook thoughts:
So cute, Patti Murin did a fantastic job and made this so fun & unforgettable!

📖 The Love Haters by Katherine Center
💜: contemporary romance
🎙 narrated by: Patti Murin

Oh she is SO BACK!! Katherine Center came back STRONG with this amazing romcom. I’m ngl I was a little disappointed with the last read because it reminded me too much of “How To End a Lovestory”. But this fresh romance novel is to die for, or to swoon over. Katie got dumped by her freshly viral pop star boyfriend and is trying to stay employed as a video editor amid her company’s mass layoffs. In order to avoid getting fired, she takes a strange assignment to film an advertisement for the US Coastguard featuring “Puppy Love”, a dashing young coastguard who went viral for saving Jennifer Anniston’s dog. While spelling the main plot out in a couple sentences might make it seem far fetched, the story is incredibly grounded in found family, growing old, and friendships. LOVED this one.

Katherine Center's books are always such a treat to read. In The Love Haters, we witness the budding relationship between Katie, a video producer and Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue. With Katie filming the way Hutch works, it's inevitable the two will get closer however obstacles get in the way of their love and the two find themself being pushed apart. 

This was such an engaging read. I had an ebook copy as well as an audiobook copy and loved the way the narration brought the characters to life. George Bailey stole the show for me though! What a cute pup! Peppered with humour and banter throughout, I am so glad this book lived up to my high expectations.

Katie’s story is a powerful look at body shaming and how it affects self-worth. It really opened my eyes to the real struggles people face, especially with the pressure of modern technology. Katie starts off with almost no confidence, but throughout the book, we see her grow, heal, and learn to love herself and her life. It definitely gave me something to think about—like, what is my favourite body part?

Now, Hutch... he’s totally swoon-worthy. But I’ll be honest—their relationship had its cheesy moments. A little too corny for me at times, and yes, I did cringe here and there.

The true star of the book? George Bailey—the Great Dane with a frog obsession and a habit of knocking Katie over. He completely stole the show!

Katherine’s writing is so vivid, witty, and funny when it needs to be. I always feel like I’m right there in the moment with the characters.

I really lied this book. Katherine Center s quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. Her books are entertaining, heartwarming and ones I don’t mind sharing with my mom (tension more than spice). Really liked the narrator for this book too!

4.5 stars, rounded up for netgalley

My Quick Takes:
- 4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
- Language 🤐 strong
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 closed-door
- Content 🤔 past affair/divorce, past death of parents, body dysmorphia, cyber bullying

Katherine Center always manages to make me laugh and tear up in the same breath. I love her balance of humor and emotional turmoil throughout the plot. It gives her characters relatable depth while also allowing the reading to slip away into the romcom world.

I really enjoyed the topics of this book more than the other two I have read of hers because they were more personally relatable to me. The female main character, Katie, struggles with body dysmorphia and I loved the journey she went on with her body throughout the plot. As a mom to three littles I’ve struggled with being kind to my body post pregnancy and figuring out what I like about it. Going through that process with Katie helped me reframe some of my own opinions I just can’t shake.

Additionally, Katie deals with negative online comments and cyber bullying in the mix of her body dysmorphia. I’ve also been on the receiving end of negative internet comments so that struck another cord with me. Being able to turn those thoughts and interactions off and be with real life people who love you and know you was very relatable.

There were a few plot points I didn’t love, and one character that was a bit too unlikable for me, which is reflected in my star rating. Also, as the story progressed I realized the main love story with between Katie and her body. While her love interest with the male main character had a nice slow burn tension, it came off as a secondary plot point.

I listened to the audio and the narrator did a great job, highly recommend the audiobook! Overall, Katherine Center successfully writes romcoms that provide depth and character growth for readers to connect with. The sunshine state setting of this book makes it a great summer read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Love Haters
By: Katherine Center
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: 5/20/25
When Katie is unexpectedly sent to Florida to film a promo piece on a Coast Guard swimmer everything’s going to change. As she works on the project, she’s introduced to a cast of characters, including the swimmer,she’s following Hutch’s and his aunt Rue and her tribe of girls and also Hutch’s lovable great Dane George Bailey. The longer she is there the more out of her shell she gets. After a bad public breakup Katie definitely needs this time to heal. But when Hutch’s brother, who is also Katie’s coworker, shows up things get messy. Can they all get back on the right page? The cast of characters really made this one fun! Rue the boy's aunt was a hoot!

The Love Haters
by: Katherine Center
narrated by: Patti Murin
Macmillan Audio
Romance/Women's Fiction
Pub Date: May 20, 2025

Spring is even better with a new Katherine Center book. The latest in a string of her books that I adore is The Love Haters, set amid the atmosphere of Key West, Florida. It offers romance, excitement, and humor, as well as insight into the important world of the Coast Guard and search and rescue. Patti Murin narrates in her distinctive and vividly expressive style, bringing to life Center's gem of a story.

The character ensemble of video producer Katie, Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch, his vibrant Aunt Rue, brother Cole, and rescue Great Dane provide non-stop action and adventure, and the intrigue of love vs. hate! Side characters also add color to the story. Center explores themes of body image, bravery, and overcoming fear, in this delightful romantic comedy featuring serious tones. She outdid herself with the suspenseful ending, which had me captivated.

I received a complimentary advance reader's copy through Macmillan Audio Influencer program with Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. My review is my own.

 #MacAudio2025 #NetGalley #Katherine Center #TheLoveHaters #PattiMurin

When Katie, a body-averse video producer, fakes being a swimmer to land a gig in Key West, she’s caught between her fear of water, conflict with her boss Cole, and growing feelings for his brother, Hutch. With secrets, self-doubt, and sibling drama swirling, Katie must learn to trust her body—and maybe even love it.

I was really hopeful I’d love this message of body positivity, but alas… I think millennials will be triggered and Gen Z will just be annoyed. Are we really still needing to rehash this message of self-love as a groundbreaking revelation? I thought we were way past self-hate being considered normal.

Moving along—overall, I didn’t hate the book, but I also wouldn’t say I came anywhere close to loving it. The plot moved along at a good pace and the characters felt really developed. I just didn’t enjoy the plot or the characters. The romantic chemistry felt underdeveloped because of everything else happening—her body dysmorphia, fear of water, work crisis, and the drama with Cole (Hutch’s brother). Actually, I think there could have been a storyline where Katie and Cole ended up together 👀

Anyhoo, if you like Katherine Center’s pointed dialogue and characters who work through a disorder, I think you’ll still enjoy this one overall.

Thank you @youhadmeathea @macmillan.audio for the books! Patti Murin’s narration was excellent, as always.

Perfect for you if you like:
Family conflict
Characters working through body image issues
Florida sunshine, Great Danes, and rescue swimmers

Similar to:
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Rom-commers by Katherine Center

⛔️closed door romance (kisses only)
⚠️frequent mild language, previous death of parents, illness, near death experience, online bullying, HUGE warning for body image/disordered eating

Arc Review
4⭐️
If you're looking for a heartfelt rom com. Where the MCs deal with body image and grief and finding themselves, then this is definitely for you. I absolutely love this authors writing.
If you're a fan of Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry then I highly recommend reading this.

Last year, I read my first Katherine Center book, The Rom-Commers, and absolutely loved it. So I went into The Love Haters with high expectations, and I'm glad to say they were MET!
Katie is a video producer who lands a job making a video for the Coast Guard. Two big problems though, she can't swim and she hates the idea of herself in a swimsuit. But, her job is on the line and she accepts the job.
I found Katie's struggles with her perception of herself and her body to be very realistic, and it was nice to see a slow but strong change in her self-confidence and body acceptance as the book went on. I know though, that this topic could be triggering, so I would go into this cautiously if that's the case for you.
I thought Katie and Hutch had great chemistry with lots of fun banter. I was also thoroughly invested with all of the side characters, who were so funny and brought a lot to the story. As far as supporting characters go, Rue is one of my favorites in a long time.
I don't want to give too much away, but I did not see the final act of this book coming, and was pleasantly surprised! Definitely wrapped things up beautifully.
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a good romantic comedy, or just a feel-good story about love for yourself persevering the bad experiences we all go through in life that can affect the way we see ourselves.

This was a hit for me--the audiobook is fantastic! I typically enjoy Center's books, as the protagonist always has an interesting or unusual career that the author has thoroughly researched, and this leads to an interesting story. Here, Katie is a documentary film maker, which sets up an intriguing scenario in a fabulous location (Key West) involving Coast Guard rescuers. I liked that the story explores body-image challenges and other fears and includes family drama; all of these aspects made the characters seem real. While it is a romance, the book is just as much about relationships between family and friends, and this is always something that I find prevents a story from seeming one-dimensional. Plus, there is a stubborn but lovable dog! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

Katie's job as a video producer is in jeopardary as they have a new boss coming in, who is intent on restructuring the department. Katie's superviser, Cole, offers her a lifeline by sending her to Key West to shoot a promotional video for the US Coast Guard highlighting the handsome Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson.. Sounds perfect - the catch though, is that Cole was the one who was supposed to go because Hutch is his brother, and they are expecting him. Apparently they are estranged, so Cole is refusing to go. Oh, and also, Katie can't swim....and the job requires it. What could go wrong???

The Queen Of Rom-Coms strikes again! This book was so good. This book had so many layers. It wasn't just about Katie going to Key West to shoot the video and falling in love with the "guy who hates love". It was also about her getting over a bad , very public breakup with a musician where pictures of her were splashed all over the internet, then the haters all crawled out from under their rocks and body shamed her. It was about her learning to love her body again. It was about two brothers learning to make peace with each other after a rift that was ridiculous and should never have gotten this out of control. Lastly, it was about facing your fears, no matter what they are, and overcoming them. The narrator did an excellent job bringing this book to life and conveying all of the emotions. thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I think you will too..

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Katherine Center you did it again! My favorite romance author. You are so good at developing your characters! You did it again with this book. Loved the characters in this book. Your characters make me laugh out loud at certain points. There are so many good things to say about your writing. The way you write makes me excited for the next chapter. The topics are interesting and you really do your research. This book is a masterpiece! Also the beautiful advice at the end of the book is so so true! Readers don’t cheat! You gotta read the whole book. My favorite part from the book- “The deep enduring comfort that comes from looking at your life for exactly what it is, and exactly how it’s unfolded, and really seeing it.” Now I can’t wait for your next book!!!!!

a solid 3 stars for me. I've really enjoyed this author and I love the narrator! She does such a good job with the characters.

This book is a solid romance read, it was fun, had high stakes, and good mix of humor. I over all enjoyed the book, but it is not my favorite Katherine Center book. One thing that fell short to me, was how the heavier issues in the book were presented. The heavier issues in the book felt overshadowed by the lighter themes.

Overall, this book is a fun and quick read and has flashes of Katherine's signature charm. I look forward to more books from this author and catching up on her current catalog as well!

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this early arc audiobook!

DNF @ 22%

I emotionally could not continue reading. The constant barrage of talk about disordered eating, body shaming, and negative self image was incredibly triggering and had my anxiety spiking. As someone who has struggled with body image from too young of an age - anyone else recovering from 90s diet culture?? - this brought so many negative feelings to the forefront of my mind.

I am truly stunned that 1) Katherine wrote this, 2) there were ZERO content/trigger warnings at the beginning of the audiobook, and 3) that Katherine’s editors allowed this - did they really think this would go over well?? This was so unacceptable and Katherine has broken trust with her readers.

This was a hard no for me and I will not be recommending this book.