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.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Love Haters by Katherine Center, This was the first book by Katherine Center I have read but it definitely won’t be my last. I loved the story between Katie and Hutch (and George Bailey) but even more I loved the story of Katie opening up to herself and learning to appreciate herself without judgement. Add in the Key West setting, Rue and all the fun adventures with The Gals and this may be one my favorite books ever,

Katherine Center writes such relatable characters, and I loved the overarching themes of appreciating life, your body, taking risks and to live fully. I thought Katie's struggles with body image and history of disordered eating was extremely relatable, and especially loved the exercises Katie engaged in to help shift her mindset like identifying specific things she loves about her body, and stating something positive after being unkind to herself. There was a good balance between humor and positivity alongside more serious topics, which includes toxic cyber bullying. I loved Katie and Hutch together, and Katie's relationship with her cousin, but I couldn't stand the immaturity and lies coming from Cole's brother. I don't agree with the reasoning behind a major lie that created unnessary conflict and hurt toward the end of the book, which was ultimately why I didn't give this five stars.

🎧Audio Review
Patti Murin delivered a flawless performance. No notes. Highly recommend

The audio was done so well on this one! I also love a Katherine Center story. I love that I never know what to expect. This one was unique and I loved it.

I love Katherine Center books (The Bodyguard being my fav). The Love Haters would probably be ranked closer to the middle for me. It's got the cozy romance vibes you'd expect from one of her books, but I don't think it blew me away. I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

It starts off pretty slow. I am glad i pushed past the slow part, and was happy with the HEA. I think I would have liked a little more remorse from the ex... or a little less success in the end like a "he hasn't had a hit since"
I actually really liked Katie's character and all of her growth. I think Hutch fell a little flat for me, but i love his dog haha.

Overall I think it was the perfect cute summer read!

🌴𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲
👙𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
🌴𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

✨𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈✨
"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬" is another charming romcom by Katherine Center. The story centers around Katie as she faces the threat of losing her job. However, a unique opportunity arises when she is tasked with interviewing the internet sensation hero, Tom "Hutch" Hutchenson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Despite Hutch's reluctance to return to the limelight, Katie and Hutch find themselves in a sweet and unlikely love story.

𝐀𝐬 Katie moves on from a very public breakup and Hutch copes with the loss of a loved one, they discover a connection that neither expected. Their romance blossoms gradually, serving as a journey of self-discovery for Katie. I loved Katie's transformation as she learns to embrace her true self and cultivate self-love, all while finding a partner who truly values her. And what can I say about Hutch, he’s a swoon fest, the best man in the world!

🎧𝐍𝐨𝐰, let’s talk about the narration. Patti Murin delivers a stellar performance in this solo narration, capturing the author's vision and effectively conveying the range of emotions in the story.

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 a perfect blend of romance and humor, "The Love Haters" is an engaging listen for fans of forced proximity and heartwarming love stories.

Special thanks to the author and 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 and Netgalley for providing the audio copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟐𝟓 ⭐️
𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝟓🎧

🎧 Audiobook Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lover Haters by Katherine Center

“It’s a thin line between love and love-hating”—and The Lover Haters proves it with humor, heart, and just the right dash of chaos.

I listened to this one as an audiobook and loved how the narration brought Katie’s inner monologue and the vibrant Key West setting to life. The premise is delightfully absurd in the best rom-com way: Katie, a video producer who can’t swim, is sent to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer—cue the panic, the fake-it-til-you-make-it energy, and the slow-burn chemistry.

Hutch is a swoony, broody hero with a complicated past (and bonus points for a giant rescue Great Dane), while Katie is quirky, flawed, and easy to root for. Their banter is sharp, their tension believable, and yes, the swim lessons were as awkward and hilarious as you’d hope.

The side characters—especially Aunt Rue—add charm, and the pacing kept me hooked through hurricanes, helicopter rides, and some seriously heartfelt moments. The emotional beats land well without getting too heavy, and the romance builds in a satisfying way.

If you're in the mood for sunshine, second chances, and a love story with both spice and substance, The Lover Haters delivers. 🌴💙

This was a fun read. A very clean romance which is just my kind of rom-com. It was a little far fetched in a lot of areas but I think that added to the charm. I loved Hutch. He sounded pretty dreamy to me. It was the perfect book for escaping into when I wanted to escape real life. Katie had me laughing out loud. I would definitely recommend this book. It will be the perfect summer read.

The Love Haters:⁣
⁣
Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2025 for my gifted copies! ⁣
⁣
his book was frustrating to be frank. It’s Katherine Center, so I can’t be too mad. Enjoyable? Yes. Random side plots? Also, yes. ⁣
⁣
Katie has lots of body image issues, and it felt like it was her entire personality. I get it, she’s very insecure and it weighs her down constantly, but that’s all I got from her character. Not kind or loving or funny, just she doesn’t see her body the way others do. I just feel like it is a very sensitive topic and could have been handled differently. Cole was horrible and I wanted Katie to have a backbone when it came to him. ⁣
⁣
But let’s focus on the positive, shall we? I did love the author’s note. The audio was wonderful. Patti Murin kept me in the book for the long ride. Also Rue and crew were perfection. More Rue and sweet George Bailey please!⁣
⁣
Overall, this was a miss for me, but know so many will devour this fun romcom! Out the 20th!

Thank you @youhadmeathea @netgalley for the arc and @macmillian.audio for the alc 💖

✨What it is about:
Katie Vaughn fakes knowing how to swim to land a career saving assignment profiling Hutch, a grumpy Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and her coworker’s estranged brother. Katie is forced to face her fears and maybe fall in love again.✨

💭My thoughts:
I’m a big Katherine Center fan, so I was excited to dive into this ARC. The cover promised a fun, summer rom-com, and while the setup delivered, the story went in a different direction than I expected.
The Key West setting, swim lessons, family tension, and hesitant romance had potential. Katie was a relatable FMC, but the chemistry with Hutch felt underdeveloped, and the romance didn’t quite land for me.
I appreciated the deeper themes like body image and grief, though those moments were sometimes overshadowed by the over the top humor. Some plot twists, like Cole showing up with the boss didn’t really work for me.
Still, there was a sense of adventure in the story that I did like. What really stood out to me were the core themes: being kind to yourself, facing fears, speaking your truth, and embracing who you are. That message meant a lot to me and ultimately boosted my rating. It’s important to see that kind of self-love and honesty represented in books. LOVED the author’s note at the end💖💖💖.
🎧The story was narrated by Pattie Murin and she is a super star. Katie’s internal thoughts felt authentic almost like a friend was telling me her story. She was a great choice as narrator for this story.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Read if you like:
🛟Key West setting
🚁Strangers to lovers
🛟Forced proximity
🚁Complex family dynamics
🛟Dogs (George Bailey 🥰🐾)

⚠️CW: Body image issues /body dysmorphia, disordered eating, death of a parent off the page, car accident of the page, grief.

Center writes great characters. Katie is a complicated character with a realistic backstory. Her previous relationship and her body image issues were well crafted and carefully dropped into the story to enrich Katie as a main character, but never let the book become an “issue” book. The characters around Katie at the Florida hotel were fun and added adorable and fun side stories. Plus, George Bailey, the Great Dane, was a comic character unto himself. Then there is Hutch, a good-hearted and dreamy rescue diver who makes the reader swoon along with Katie. In a nutshell, it had all the aspects to make it a fun rom-com.

This book was surprisingly lacking in spice. I appreciate a slow burn, but his burn was a little too slow for me. Also, the entanglement with Hutch’s brother that causes conflict in his romance with Katie was a little too predictable and convenient for me.

The Love Haters is a fun rom-com with a dreamy male love interest and a kick-ass female main character that makes it worth reading.

“Love stories are the best kind of therapy.” – Katherine Center

After too many dark, twisty thrillers and heavy historical fiction reads, I often find myself reaching for a romcom to lift my spirits. Like Emily Henry, Katherine Center never disappoints. Her novels are filled with memorable characters, sparkling dialogue, and familiar tropes that never feel overdone.

In The Love Haters, we meet Katie Vaughn, still reeling from a traumatic breakup with her ex—who also happens to be a YouTube-famous musician. The relationship and its very public fallout left Katie grappling with body image issues and a belief that she was unlovable. With the help of her cousin Beanie, Katie slowly begins to rebuild her self-worth, confronting her body dysmorphia, and learning to show herself grace.

When her company is acquired and her job is suddenly on the line, Katie takes on a high-stakes assignment she's not exactly qualified for: filming a recruitment video for the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West. One small problem—she can’t swim. Another complication? Her subject, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, is her boss’s estranged brother, and Katie quickly finds herself in the middle of their unresolved family drama.

Caught in a lie not of her own making, Katie must navigate awkward misunderstandings, face her deepest fears, and trust her instincts to untangle the mess—while also nurturing a budding romance with Hutch and connecting with the unforgettable Aunt Rue.

Packed with charm, wit, and warmth, The Love Haters is a lighthearted romcom that delicately tackles body image, self-worth, and the complexity of family dynamics. It’ll make you want to book a trip to the Keys—and maybe do a little personal growth of your own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course the author Katherine Center for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Love Haters is out on May 20th. All opinions are my own.

Let me preface this by saying this is my first Katherine Center book, but certainly will not be my last.

I am in no way a manly man, so the idea of a book centered around the Coast Guard and rescue swimmers, did not sound like my cup of tea, but boy was I wrong.

This book is full of charm, wit, and characters you love, and those you love to hate.

From the very first chapter, it was evident that Katie was a FMC that you can root for. Her wise cracks and her fake it till you make it attitude about things really shone through, especially as we get to learn more about her and her body image issues. And Hutch perfectly compliments Katie as that “himbo” with substances.

Both Rue and Cole played perfect side characters that helped keep the pacing of the book fun and chugging on.

I did start listening to the audiobook along with the book about halfway through, so that did take a bit of an adjustment, but by the book’s end Patti Murin was the perfect narrator to help bring Katie’s voice to life.


Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listener copy.

"I love all of my everything because it's mine." -- Bini

What a cute story with all the feels! The narrator did a fantastic job reading this book, she's very emotive and I felt all of Katie's emotions: insecurities, doubts, falling in love, the sense of belonging she feels with Hutch.

As for Hutch, what a guy! I love how he's simple and straightforward even when he started developing feels for Katie. I love how he made Katie realize she's complete and beautiful just the way she is.

This is a wonderful beachy/Summer read. Very light, a little fluffy, a dash of sibling conflict, and lots of family love, it will definitely leave you feeling good and happy.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is another romcom hit for this author. I absolutely loved the combination of challenges (both external and internal) for the main character, and the growth she finds while falling in love (and because of falling in love).

This story is told from a single POV, following a woman who says yes to a job far out of her comfort zone because of the opportunities it presents, and the possibility of not being laid off. She finds more than career growth along the way. This story is full of love, friendships, and self discovery.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, with is incredibly well done by a single narrator. It will pull you into the story and keep you listening at every chance you get. I listened at 1.5-1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75x).

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy.

I'm at a point where I'm about to build Katherine Center a shrine in my office. Idk what addictive substance she puts in her books but I am obsessed. This is my 4th book of hers and they have all been 5 stars and favorite reads. The writing, the vibes, the characters, the romance is all pure and utter PERFECTION. Literally so good it almost de-throned The Bodyguard as my favorite Katherine Center. It's been 2-3 days since I finished this and I cannot stop thinking about it. The book was very well researched in my opinion. I could talk about this book for hours on end but I fear I will spoil plot points without meaning to 😂

It was incredibly fun to read, it had the perfect mix of everything, I loved the romance but my favorite was the character growth. Katie grows so much and I loved following her along her journey.

This book does have a few triggers so I would highly recommend seeking a full list before diving in. Absolutely want to re-read this in the near future!

The audiobook was great I really recommend it, I loved having Katherine Center explain more about her time writing and researching at the end of the audiobook.

🅣🅗🅞🅤🅖🅗🅣🅢: Heartfelt. Self-love journey wrapped in charm, humor, and rich emotions. This book really✨shined✨in personal growth and genuine romance. The 🎧audio was great and added to reading experience. ✨

🌴Grumpy x Sunshine
🌴Forced Proximity
🌴Summer Romance

Throughout enjoyed this book. This was my first time reading this author and I will now be reading other books by her. I also now want to go to FL and find myself a coastal guard man 🥵

Katherine Center is a must-read author for me. I absolutely adore her books, and was so super excited to listen to the audio version of her newest book, THe Love Haters. All in all, I found this book to be a sweet read about relationships (both family and friends, but also the relationship you have with yourself) and facing your fears and demonstrating bravery and courage to let love win. The love story between Katie and Hutch was not what I was expecting, but it was original and felt genuine. I really bought their relationship, especially the ebbs and flows as the story progressed. No one is really what they seem (in the best of ways), and that is why I adore this author. She takes stereotypical characters/situations and adds a spin to them that feels authentic and real. The drama of the book in the last 25-30% of the story was a little far fetched and out there, in my opinion, but it was so sweet. And I loved the ending and epilogue!! As a side note, I adored Aunt Rue and would love a spin off about her story. What a fun and fascinating lady!

When you read this, be sure to listen/read the author's note at the end where the author shares her feelings about reading and healing and mental health. So so good! I love that this book, like her others, reads like a beach read but with so much wisdom, depth, and insight. I am constantly thinking about how I can apply some of the lessons the characters learn to my own life. In this book in particular, I can't stop thinking about some of the ways that Hutch and his brother misunderstood each other for years and years....makes me wonder who/what I misunderstand and how I can figure that out.

Lastly, I would absolutely listen to the audiobook again. Patti Murin did an awesome job and really added to the experience. What a wonderful story narrated with such passion, emotion, and enthusiasm!

Thank you to the author, publisher, narrator, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Quick easy read - not my favorite but not my least favorite. I feel like the authors books are starting to lack depth that they used to have though and are just trying to be more cute and quirky than anything. Perhaps if I hadn’t read anything else by her in the past I would have loved it more but it unfortunately doesn’t have the typical style of hers I’ve grown to love.