I always look forward to reading the latest Katherine Center book every summer... but unfortunately, I had to stop reading the love haters. the body image issues were seriously mishandled & it was very hard to read about the toxic relationship she had with herself. as the love haters is pitched as a romcom, (& comes across that way in the blurb) with no content warning for the deeper issues at hand, I was unaware that the body issues was going to take such a front seat in the storyline.

Books by Katherine Center are always so healing! They always make me feel good and I can't get enough of it. The audio version of this is also so fun and digestible. I am always so appreciative of the full story that Katherine Center gives. Definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced copy.

Katie's body image insecurity is pushed to the limit after her famous boyfriend breaks up with her. Meanwhile, while on a video production assignment, she meets Hutch, the hunky and heroic Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer that she's tasked with interviewing. He's the perfect guy and his attraction to Katie makes her realize that she needs to love her imperfections. Packed with funny mishaps and embarrassing situations, this book will make you giggle while also hoping that Katie will finally let herself be loved - just the way she is.

While I enjoyed the storyline about loving yourself before you can love others and related to that a lot, the rest of the story just okay. I'd like a full complete story about Rue and her marriage and the day that connected her with Cole & Hutch through found family.

I love this audiobook from start to finish. It is perfection and exactly the book I needed in the moment I needed it.

I love the characters - especially how relatable Katie is as she’s thrown into all manner of situations. I love Rue and the ladies of the rental place. I love the entire story - the giggles, the anticipation and excitement and the slow burn- even the twists and turns that kept me listening, albeit sometimes frustratingly so. Also I love an animal companion, and George Bailey is the goofiest giant of a dog you could ever want, despite the mayhem.

I love the journey that Katie is on. Not just the crazy scenarios she finds herself in all in the name of saving her job. But her insecurities as well. Maybe I saw a little smidge of myself in her, and found myself reevaluating a few things about me as a result.

Also there are some hella exciting events I was not prepared for.

I love the performance of Patti Murin as she immersed me within this story. I felt everything, and there was a lot to feel, quite frankly. There’s a comfortable rhythm to Katherine Center’s writing that I absolutely connect with, and Patti embellishes that rhythm beautifully with her storytelling. For me, The Love Haters was an incredible experience. BRB while I go listen to it again.

I really loved this one! It was so fun and witty and had me giggling the whole time! I don’t know that I have ever bookmarked so many spots in an audiobook before. I also loved the underlying theme of self love and acceptance!

This was classic Katherine Center—warm, funny, and full of heart. The enemies-to-lovers setup was charming, and I appreciated that the heroine had a strong voice and real stakes beyond just the romance. It’s hopeful and sweet, with just enough emotional depth to keep things grounded. Definitely a comfort read.

“And we’ve spent all day, every day together for weeks now—and it already feels like it’ll never be enough.”

“But I just love all of my . . . everything . . . because it’s mine.”

Love Haters is, at its root, a love story. Not just a fabulous rom com, but a lovely reminder about self love and acceptance.

Katie is a storyteller. She gets an assignment to do a promotional video for the Coast Guard and to specifically tell the story of Hutch, a heroic rescue swimmer. The book is chock full of cute banter, zany situations, miscommunications, some untruths, a sibling rivalry, a fun loving group of senior women, traumatic back stories, glorious color, and a larger than life Great Dane.

This is the perfect dose of Katherine Center to make my day turn around. It’s literally sunshine on a cloudy day!! I smiled my way through with hope and expectation that things would work out. The characters are lovable and the dog is lovable and the situations are cute and funny and at times serious but always with joyful anticipation for a happy ending. I had to slow down because I didn’t want it to end. And I waited a bit to read it because I knew it would be a guaranteed hit! Thank you Katherine Center!

I also listened to the audiobook and was so so happy to hear Patti Murin’s voice in narration. She is the perfect complement to Center’s writing and sets a tone that really delivers. Keep this partnership, it really works 🩷

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
#netgalley #theromcommers #romcom #katherinecenter #pattimurin #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was my first book by this author and I loved it! I’ll definitely be giving more of her books a chance. However, it was a little disheartening in one chapter, the mfc went on for 10 minutes talking about her weight in regards to wearing a swimsuit and I was so fed up with it after the first five minutes. Once those 10 minutes were up I was happy again. Will definitely recommend this to the others

*Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for early copy for review*

4.5 rounded up

I love romance books that features a main protagonist that has to learn to love themselves ad they fall for someone. I also love a big cast of characters that becomes their family. Throw in a loveable pet along with it and you have a perfect book for me. I have never read anything by this author before, but I will definitely be rectifying this because there was so much love and care in these pages. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator also dod a great job bringing the characters voices to life. If you love love then you should read this!

4 ⭐ 0 🌶️ 5 🎧

I just adore Katherine's stories and The Love Haters was no exception. I loved Hutch and Katie (and George Bailey too) and I really loved Katie finding herself and learning to love her body. As someone who feels similarly about herself, her body journey really resonated with me and I found myself hoping to be more like Beanie too.

Aunt Rue is such a beautiful human and I loved her so much. From our very first meeting with her until the epilogue, she was just the sweetest. Especially after leaning her story... The found family in this one was vv strong and so well done.

The third act was exciting and suspenseful and I really enjoyed it. Just a perfect cherry on top for this story.

The audio was great. Patti Murin did a wonderful job narrating this and I really enjoyed this listen. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy.

STOP IT!! I don't even know where to begin except to say that I am in love!! The Love Haters has all the elements of the perfect book. With the well-developed and rich characters, the story was like a warm hug and had me hooked from start to finish. It made me laugh and yes...it made me cry. Something I certainly was not expecting when reading a Rom Com!

Katie is getting over a very public breakup while at the same time the company she works for is in the process of doing a significant downsizing. In an effort to save her job, she agrees to go to Florida to film a video for the coast guard as well as a "day in the life" profile piece on Tom "Hutch" Hutchinson, the rescue swimmer who had gone viral for saving Jennifer Aniston's dog. When she arrives, Katie meets Rue who puts her up in one of her cottages and sets her up with swim lessons with none other than her nephew, Hutch.

This book is about family, second chances, facing your fears, self-discovery and embracing and loving yourself. It is filled with a mix of witty banter, comedy as well as heartfelt moments that leave the reader wanting more. There is so much I want to say about this book, but I could not begin to do it justice. I gave this book 5 stars, but if I could, I would have given it more. While it was my first by Katherine Center, it will not be my last!

A huge thank you to Macmillian audio for the ALC of this book. The narrator Patti Murin was outstanding. She did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. The story flowed so well, and her voice and portrayal fit so perfectly. I did not want it to end.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC.

Katherine Center is one of my auto-buy authors so I was so excited to get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook before publication.

Katie has to make a spur of the moment decision regarding her career and ends up assigned to a job that requires her to be able to do something she never allowed herself to learn, swim. She flies to Key West and meets her subject, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, but it turns into more than an assignment as she processes her life and the things she’s been through while finding a community of people to fall into at the same time. Lines get blurred and Katie is forced to overcome her fears and figure out what is worth living for.

This was a heartwarming read about self discover and finding your place in the world. I felt as though the romance was more of a subplot and the focus was on Katie and her view of her life and I enjoyed that so much.

I loved a lot about this one.

I loved the main characters (not you, Cole)
I loved the whole Coast Guard promo video plot.
I loved the Key West setting.
I'm OBSESSED with George Bailey.

While I found the discourse around negative self-talk and body-image a little clunky, I'm just so glad we're HAVING the conversations.

Next steps: Get away, from "They're wrong! You're BEAUTIFUL! They're just jealous!" and move to "Beauty standards function to uphold capitalism and the patriarchy and what you look like is the least interesting thing about you."

Homework: Listen to Corook's "If I were a Fish" on repeat.

A quick and easy light-hearted rom-com, that fell flat on the chemistry between the characters and an ending that felt...far fetched.

The main character, Katie, is likable enough, as she is finding her path of self-acceptance and independence of fighting for her job. Hutch is a swoon-worthy male main character. And Cole, Katie's coworker and Hutch's brother, is very irritating!

Overall, the book was easy to get through, but nothing about the story or characters hooked me in where I was excited to pick up the story again.

The author's note at the end of the audio was thoughtful and lovely, and may have influenced the rating from 2/2.5 to 3 stars.

Read if you enjoy:
- tropical settings
- forced proximity
- dog playing a main role
- a quirky, sweet, match-maker
- miscommunication

Thanks to St Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and Netgally for the ALC.

Katherine Center delivers another great rom-com just in time for summer!

FMC Katie is a videographer whose job is on the line. She is sent on a career saving assignment to a Coast Guard station in Key West. Hutch is an intense, quiet guy who is Katie's next hero to feature in her YouTube series. Katie is not at all what Hutch expects when she arrives. First and foremost, she is not his brother. Second, she can't swim. Third, she is a magnet for bad things. Lost luggage, bathing suit mishaps, and a billion splinters included. The book centers on two main relationships. First is Katie's relationship with her body. The other is the family dynamics of Hutch, his brother, and their aunt. Tension abounds and can everyone come out unscathed?

I enjoyed the progression of all relationships in the book. Katherine Center is excellent, as always, at writing a relatable story. No, not everyone is filming a promotional video for the Coast Guard. But everyone deals with family issues, lies, and baggage from previous relationship.

The book unfortunately only gets 3/5 stars from me. I had issues with a majority of the characters. The aunt, Rue, is lovable and eccentric. Hutch is an all around great guy. These two pass the muster. The FMC Katie, however, is not exactly likable. She seems to have a victim mindset and isn't able to take control of her own life. Her constantly doubting herself makes the reader really question how she is qualified to do the job she's been tasked with. Her co-worker and Hutch's brother, Cole, is deeply unlikable. He is a liar who pulls others into his chaos. Katie's best friend is questionable. She's a bit harsh to Katie, and we don't get to see any witty banter you'd expect between the FMC and her best friend. I would've liked to have seen their relationship fleshed out more. After reading the book, I'm still not sure if Beanie wanted Katie to get back together with her ex-fiance or not.

If you are a vibes reader, this one is for you! A fun, summer beach read with plenty of drama.

Huge trigger warning for ED/body image issues

This is an entertaining, fun, emotional, powerful read. Hutch and Katie are interesting, relatable, wounded, strong, caring, tough, complex, intriguing, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. I loved spending time with these characters and seeing Katie’s growth throughout the course of the story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrator.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Love Haters is an entertaining, funny, heartfelt novel about facing your fears and loving yourself. Katie has struggled with her weight and her body image for her entire life. After getting dumped and losing her job, she realizes how unhealthy her relationship to food and her body has become, and starts to work on fixing it. She also gets a new job as a video producer. However, her co-workers start to get fired left and right, and to keep her job, she has to film a recruitment video featuring Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

There’s a few problems with this: first, Katie can’t swim and lies on her paperwork about it, and second, Hutch is the older brother of Katie’s co-worker Cole, and Hutch is expecting Cole to be the one filming the video about him. As Katie gets trapped in the increasingly tangled web of lies, she finds herself drawn to the handsome Hutch, his sweet Great Dane (named George Bailey) who is afraid of thunder, and his eccentric Aunt Rue.

What follows is a chaotic rom-com filled with forced proximity, heartfelt longing, adventures, emotional growth, and body image struggles. It was relatable, honest, and very sweet. I listened to the audiobook, which was performed by Patti Murin, and I highly recommend it. She did a great job of blending humor and vulnerability and really brought Katie’s story to life.

Thank you to You Had Me At HEA, St Martin’s Press, Macmillan, Macmillan Audio, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. And thanks to BookSparks for the gifted copy.

📔The Love Haters
✏️ Katherine Center
📆 May 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🐾journey of self-love
🐾body positivity
🐾Coast Guard rescue swimmer
🐾mutual pining
🐾forced proximity
🐾found family

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
While I understand that Katie was dealing with body image issues, the constant stream of self-loathing quickly became repetitive and frustrating. The inner monologues dragged, making it hard to stay engaged. The romance with Hutch also felt underdeveloped, there was little build-up, and their connection didn’t feel natural or believable.

That said, I do appreciate the character growth Katie experiences by the end, which added a redeeming layer to her arc. Overall, though, this book just didn’t land the way I hoped it would.

I loved this audiobook! I have seen several reviews that say this is a different story from Katherine Center but it follows similar tropes as her other books. I love it every single time! I also learned so much about the Coast Guard from this story. I love a fun, feel good rom-com and that’s exactly what I got from The Love Haters!