"Love stories make us better at love. In all directions. And getting better at love, of course, means getting better at life." -- Katherine Center

It boils down to this: Katherine Center is a phenomenal author. I have yet to read something that I haven't enjoyed! I feel like her characters are very easy to connect with; there always seems to be something that is relatable and "real life".

Katie Vaughn doesn't know where Key West is on the map, she doesn't know how to swim, and she knows next to nothing about the US Coast Guard. When her work colleague, Cole, presents her with a career opportunity that involves all of these things and might save her from getting laid off from her current job, those will just have to be minor details for the time being. The other small problem is that the job is to film rescue swimmer, "Hutch", who just happens to be Cole's brother, who is expecting Cole to come do this project and has no idea that someone else, who can't swim and doesn't know what his job entails, will be taking his place.

Sound like fun? IT IS! Full of found family, love of animals, grump + sunshine, witty comments that will have you snickering out loud, great side characters (Beanie, Rue) and of course, your much-loved HEA.

When you meet George Bailey, you'll realize why he's my favorite character!

"Yeah. It's like, I know what a supermodel is...and I know that I don't look like that. But I just love all of my... everything... because it's mine."

Katie does have some body image issues that she will be working through, and this may be triggering for some. I think this is the portion of the book that is very relatable. Romance is wonderful and beautiful but it's not perfect. Yes, Katherine gives us some of those "perfect" scenes, but she also gives some reality. Many women struggle with body image, and I think it was worked into this story very appropriately.

Thank you, Katherine Center, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio & St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC (kindle and audio) in return for my honest opinion!

Synopsis: Katie Vaughn travels to Key West to film a profile of Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson for the U.S. Coast Guard. There just happen to be a couple of issues - Hutch turns out to be her boss’s brother. And Katie can’t exactly swim. Though their attraction to each other is undeniable, there may be too many roadblocks to overcome for their happily ever after.

Thoughts: Okay you guys, I really really love Katherine Center, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. I ended up giving it four stars because her writing is phenomenal, and there are definitely aspects that I enjoyed. Hutch is a really great MMC, and his Aunt Rue is fabulous - their whole backstory is really intriguing. And of course George Bailey the dog is a real standout character. The tropical setting is also well done. What didn’t work for me was the intense focus on Katie’s body image and eating disorder. While I love to see this representation, it was dealt with a little heavy handedly. That being said, this is not a bad romance at all and I still recommend checking it out! A note on the audio: I read the physical book for this one mostly, but I did want to check out the audio so I could let you guys know how it was - and it’s great! Patti Murin never misses!

Read this if you like:
🛟 workplace romance
🛟 forced proximity
🛟 found family
🛟 self-image
🛟 adventure
🛟 dogs

Ok- in true Katherine Center fashion, this was a sweet, fun romance with a lot of heartwarming moments!

Katie Vaughn, a videographer & documentary film maker, gets a career-changing opportunity to profile a Coast Guard swimmer named Hutch. The catch? She can’t swim and isn’t qualified for the job, but she decides to fake it. It’s clear from the start that a romance is bound to happen between Katie and the swoonworthy, “perfect” hero Hutch.

From the upbeat, quirky old Aunt Rue and her friends who love swimming & sangrias, to the sloppy and loveable Great Dane George Bailey, to a caring best friend, you know we’ve got a cast of unforgettable characters!

While I really enjoyed the setting in Key West and the behind-the-scenes look at documentary filmmaking, the focus on Katie’s body image and eating disorder struggles felt a bit too heavy and wasn’t essential to the plot. I appreciated Katherine Centre’s explanation in the end, about why she writes her stories & characters the way she does, and I felt it did bring a “why” to why this topic was explored so heavily. It’s something to be aware of for readers who may be sensitive to these topics.

For fans of:
💙Fake Dating
💙Miscommunication
💙Forced Proximity
💙Tropical Setting
💙Quirky, loveable supporting characters

Be sure to add this one to your Katherine Center collection - it arrives May 20!

Thank you to the author & publisher for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version early!

This book was just SO sweet 🥰💛 I can totally see why everyone’s been raving about this author, and I was so excited when I got approved on NetGalley for this upcoming release on audiobook 🎧📚

It was light and fun 🌴😄—but it also had just enough drama to keep me fully engaged 🌀👀. I loved how naturally everything unfolded… nothing felt forced, and the pacing was perfect! 🕰️✨

Katie’s self-confidence struggles were so relatable 😔💬 and made me want all the good things for her. Watching her find and love herself was so fun. 💘🛟 Hutch was the perfect MMC... just like I like 'em -- grumpy, guarded, but totally soft underneath 🥵🧊🔥 Their chemistry was just the right mix of tension + sweetness 💋🫶

This book also reminded me how much I love it when people who don’t start out as your people slowly become your people. ❤️🏡 This was my first from this author, but it definitely won’t be my last!! 😍👏

#bookstagram #thelovehaters #audiobook #ARC #netgalley #romance #grumpysunshine #foundfamily #selflove #upcomingrelease #comingsoon #booklover

Was this an ad for the coast guard? Either way, I loved it. Katherine Center can do no wrong. Much more than a traditional romance, but learning to love yourself. Absolutely loved it.

4.5 Stars!

This book was great in so many ways, and was just what I needed to read after a streak of psychological thrillers.

This book is a good clean romance novel with a meaningful and powerful message and relatable characters in a dreamy setting. I appreciate a romance that I can unabashedly recommend to anyone who comes into my library: from teens to grandparents and everyone in between.

This is a love story about falling in love with yourself as well as a classic girl-meets-boy. The book takes place in the Florida Keys amongst a group of colorful retirees who are always cheering on our MCs.

I loved the side story of body positivity and learning to be your own biggest fan. All-around feel-good happy ending love story with plenty of tension, excitement and uncertainty to keep you flipping those pages!

I flipped back and forth between the audio book and ebook, and enjoyed the book in both formats. Great narration. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this more than I did because I love Katherine center so much BUT I did feel like this had more potential than what we were given. Rue was the star of the show 100%. I didn’t love the insecurities of the FMC but it was nice to see her come full circle in the end. It just didn’t hit the spot or have the cute quirky banter we usually see with KC’s books. But I will also say, they are all living the dream in the keys and I’m so jealous of that!

The audio of this book was very well done and I enjoyed the narrator’s style.

This book was very cute and sweet, the romance took awhile to get going. I like the style of this author and this book made me giggle and it was deeper than the cover makes it out to be.

The relationships between all the characters is what makes this book. AND THE DOG. If you don’t love dogs you may not care for some major plot points.

Overall I only took away one star because the MCs refused to communicate AND spoiler
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They don’t get together UNTIL THE EPILOGUE. I needed more time with them actually together.


Anyway. I read the audio really fast and enjoyed it

Rating: 5⭐️/5

Such a perfect, meet-cute, rom com. I loved Katie as a main character and her internal dialogue was relatable and refreshing. Not the perfect “it girl” but a wonderful character arc with Katie finding her confidence with a little encouragement from Hutch and a wonderful cast of support characters including some older gals, especially Rue.

The Love Haters had me laughing, crying and feeling warm inside. A little mix of military man, he saves her, brotherly dynamics and the FMC overcoming her internal battles, The Love Haters is a fabulous new romance.

Specifically for the audio, the narrator was fantastic for this with the perfect wit and how I imagined Katie being! Well done.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"The Love Haters" is my second Katherine Center book (in a row!) and I gotta say, girl knows how to write unattainable yet down-to-Earth MMC's. The concept for this one was fun: documentarian (Katie) ends up going to Florida to try and save her job by working with an notoriously private but heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer (Hutch) despite not knowing how to swim. Both of our main characters have sworn off love and/or are considered "love haters" yet manage to find love and community in the Keys, with the help of Hutch's colorful aunt Rue.

This book was full of twists and turns -- a lot of meddling side characters (and one very stubborn dog!) helped give this book it's fair share of drama and intrigue, I read/listened to most of it in two long sessions because I wanted to find out how everything came together.

That being said... this book felt like it needed another round of edits. I understand this what I read was an ARC, but it went beyond that. The characters spoke very literally and the dialogue often felt stiff. Further, the style of the book, written almost like a journal entry/speaking directly to reader, felt oddly casual. I understand this might be a stylistic choice (and some people may love it) but it wasn't my cup of tea.

(Mild spoilers ahead to ground my critique),
Lastly, there was a lotttt of talk about body image and self-worth in this book. This by itself is not bad -- I'm midsize, and I love seeing "normal" body representation, I just felt like a lot of this book was centered around self-love in a stilted way. At the end of the book, the author described it as a sort of enemies-to-lovers with the main character and her body and honestly that did make me understand the motivation more, I just think it felt heavy-handed. Plus, both of the main characters had a "who could love me and/or find me attractive? Absurd!" moment that just felt a little unnecessary. But again! This is just me!

I love this story and everything about it. I related to the FMC a little too much for my liking (lol), but that made me love the love story even more. Even the side characters are funny and lovable.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance authors so when I received an ARC of her latest book, I was thrilled. Love Haters has KC’s normal blend of quirky characters, great banter, and beautiful writing. I enjoyed the military and documentary themes, and the topical issues of splintered families and body image issues. I also really enjoyed the MC’s journey with self discovery with a friend, which was unique for me. I felt Love Haters was a bit cheesier and predictable than KC’s other books, but it was a quick, enjoyable read that really helped me with a reading slump.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Love Haters by Katherine Center. All opinions are my own.

The Love Haters follows two people that have issues but are such lovable characters. Katie, while good at her job, had such a poor view of her own body. It was beautiful to see others lift her up about her appearance, but I especially liked how she lifted herself up. Hutch was such an amazing character, but he didn’t seem to see himself the way others saw him. Not only did he literally rescue people for a living, but he also was just such a kind person overall and made sure others were taken care of.

One of my favorite aspects of this story was Hutch’s dog. He was such a sweetheart, and I loved his interactions with Katie and Hutch. I also appreciated the story behind Hutch rescuing him.

While the conflict bothered me a bit, I liked that it wasn’t super drawn out. I also liked that the characters were quick to forgive.

I listened to the audiobook, and I loved Patti Murin as a narrator. She did a great job with her inflection and overall tone. I would recommend this format if you like audiobooks.

Overall, I just really loved this story. It was sweet, and I loved the character growth. I’d recommend this book!

i love katherine center. she truly writes my comfort books and has a way of creating the most yummy rom-coms ever!!! there was so many parts of this novel that i loved and then others that i didn’t like so much. katie, our fmc, was the highlight of this novel. i related to katie in such a deep way, especially with her relationship with her body image and how much that effects her. the way KC wrote this character with such vulnerability and real emotion stood out to me. i found myself tearing up at the end when katie has this major breakthrough.

KC will always create a romance that just feels like sunshine and i will forever read her books. unfortunately the romance in this novel just fell a little flat for me. there wasn’t a whole lot of ‘wow’ factor moments that made me feel giddy or even route for this couple. hutch (mmc) was very forgettable for me tbh.

so while the romance aspect of this novel definitely wasn’t my fav and sometimes a little TOO cheesy, i throughly enjoyed katie’s journey!

thank you macmillan audio for the gifted arc!! the audio was very well done and the narrator brought katie to life!!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. There was too much going on in this book! There were too many plots and twists and subplots and subplot twists. However, I read it all the way through because I wanted to know how it ended.

As a big fan of Katherine Center, I always look forward to the heart, humor, and emotional depth she brings to her stories—and The Love Haters did not disappoint. While it may not top my list of favorites from her, it still delivered all the charm and introspection I’ve come to love in her writing.

The story follows Katie, a video producer with a fresh heartbreak courtesy of her pop star ex-boyfriend. She’s been assigned to film the life and work of Hutch, a rugged, kind-hearted rescue diver (and brother to her coworker, Cole). Both Katie and Hutch carry a bit of a chip on their shoulders when it comes to love, which makes their slow-burn connection all the more satisfying to watch unfold. Add in a big lovable dog, simmering chemistry, and the wild unpredictability of Key West during hurricane season, and you've got a setup where anything can—and does—go wrong in the best kind of way.

What really stood out to me was Katie’s internal journey. She’s relatable, especially in how she grapples with body image and self-worth. Watching her relationship with herself evolve was one of my favorite parts of the book—it felt authentic and empowering. Hutch is the kind of genuinely good guy that feels like a Center specialty: steady, compassionate, and unexpectedly swoony.

If you’re a fan of witty banter, heartfelt growth, and romances that bloom under pressure, The Love Haters is worth diving into. A solid 4.5 stars from me!

This is classic Katherine Center! She knows just how to bring together a wonderful romance with humor, a sweetness that will make you say "awww" and friends who become like family. As Katie and Hutch were falling in love, I was falling in love with their story too! But honestly, I think George Bailey, the dog, stole the show!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this amazing audio book! All opinions are my own... and in my opinion this is one of the best books I've read in 2025! I always look forward to reading Katherine Center's latest every spring!

Publication date: 20 May 2025

A solid Katherine Center read with some shaky parts-I enjoyed the setting in the Florida Keys-the rescue swimmer stuff-even George Bailey-the giant Great Dane with a heart of gold! Loved The Gals and Hutch is pretty much perfect (maybe too perfect?)-a rescue swimmer with also, a heart of gold, and his fair share of family issues and a bit of a savior complex? The shaky part for me was the FMC Katie-her body issues were crippling and extreme in my opinion, and became repetitively painful. I’m all for body positivity but she fought against it and against loving herself til the bitter end, which was frustrating! Also her lying bothered me a lot. So basically I enjoyed most of it well enough, but it was always in the shade of those negative things.

so good!!! Katherine Center is the QUEEN of romcoms and i will die on that hill. this book was cute, funny, quirky, and so much fun to read. Katherine knows just how to capture my attention and i could not put this book down.

A romantic read with heart and healing at its core

*Spoiler alert for the ending.

The Love Haters was such a beautiful, romantic story—full of charm, heart, and unexpected depth. I absolutely loved Hutch. He was one of those rare, honest good guys, and you could feel his warmth and integrity on every page. The way he cared, listened, and showed up was just… swoon-worthy. Katherine Center wrote him in a way that made you believe in the quiet strength of kind-hearted people.

Cole, on the other hand, was a wild one—but even he got his happy ending with a surprising (and satisfying!) little twist. And I loved Hutch’s aunt and her group of friends. They brought so much joy and life to the story. Their friendship, wisdom, and humor gave the book a richer texture—they really helped it shine.

Adding the storm element near the end was such a smart way to show Katie’s growth. And that final moment—when the houseboat sinks and she starts naming all the things she loves about herself and her body—absolutely floored me. It was tender, empowering, and deeply personal. There’s so much pressure in the world to look a certain way, to shrink ourselves, to be “perfect.” Before I became chronically ill, I used to obsess over numbers on the scale, how I looked, and what others thought of me. But now, all I wish for is health. That scene felt like such a mirror to my own journey—reminding me that in life’s most critical moments, none of that superficial stuff matters. We are already enough. Our bodies carry us through so much, and they deserve love and kindness—not shame.

Even now, while being sick, I’m still unlearning those old beliefs and trying to reprogram my brain to love my body as it is now. Katie’s moment of self-love didn’t feel forced or cheesy—it felt earned, and it left a lasting impact.

***The only part that confused me a little was the rescue scene. For a second, it felt like they were leaving Katie behind, and then all of a sudden she was with them. I would’ve loved just a bit more clarity there to make that moment feel as grounded as the rest of the story.

Overall though, this was an absolute gem of a read. It made me laugh, swoon, and reflect—and it reminded me of the quiet power of loving ourselves exactly as we are.