There’s something about a completely over the top, kind of unrealistic rom-com that I just love so much!

I really enjoyed all of our characters, and especially our FMC, Katie! While her character does have some serious body-image and self-esteem issues, I appreciate her development over the course of the book. I will say, if you have a hard time reading about these topics, including mentions of disordered eating, you might want to skip this one.

Even though the romance is a little insta-lovey, I still enjoyed it because it was still pretty subtle! And while Hutch isn’t the most memorable MMC, he’s still pretty great!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 🩵

Overall Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Throughly enjoyed this read! A great book to kick of the summer season and perfect to read at the beach and by the pool!
Also I enjoyed the audiobook a ton. Loved the narrator.

I have enjoyed most of Katherine Center's books and while this wasn't a favorite I still enjoyed it. It was a bit too predictable to bump it up into the 4's for me, but still a solid read.

This was the first audio that I did of Katherine Center and it was cute! I think that there were some quirky characters, they were more or less relatable and it was an interesting story, but it wasn't absolutely amazing/the best that I have ever read.

Katie is unexpectedly, expected to cover a feature for the Coast Guard, where she has to pass a swimming test, in a bathing suit, and out of a "helicopter simulator." The problem being that Katie doesn't know how to swim and she definitely has some body dysmorphia going on! It was interesting to see the character development and hear about her insecurities and the thoughts that she was having from a psychological standpoint. The scenarios that Katie and her cohorts ended up in were a little far=fetched but they were definitely entertaining. Overall, I think it was a witty, fun and quick listen and if you're fans of Katherine Center, I think you'll like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for the Advanced Listeners Copy of the audio of The Love Haters in exchange for an honest review. Publication for The Love Haters by Katherine Center is set for 20 May 2025.

I love a romance that has a deeper message to it and Katherine Center's The Love Haters was just lovely! Theres zero spice if that's something you need to know but it was delightful and heartwarming!

If you’ve read Katherine Center before, then you’re familiar with her quirky heroines, seemingly starchy but surprisingly approachable heroes and her brand of romance that is comedic and low angst. The Love Haters is exactly what readers will remember about Center’s novels. This one hit the middle of the road for me. It was more on the light end of romance than others of Center’s. I laughed, I smiled, but there are also more serious topics at hand here.

Katie is about to embark on an adventure for work with the Coast Guard and for that she must pass swimming tests and be dressed in swimming attire for a good portion of the trip. This book played heavily into Katie’s self-acceptance of her body. Her struggles with loving her body and loving herself were forefront for much of the book. The way she handles her insecurities isn’t healthy (and she realizes that), but readers sensitive to discussion of body acceptance should be wary. It doesn’t help that she’s faced with Hutch, the perfect specimen of masculine virility, someone whose job it is to stay fit. And for as little as Hutch considers his self-worth through his body, it makes Katie more hyperaware of her own. I think these are considerations many women have and struggle with, but I perhaps was not expecting this to be the leading foot for Katie’s personality.

The chemistry between Hutch and Katie is tender and believable, but I’m not sure I was as connected to them as I was to other characters Center has written. I was also thoroughly frustrated with Cole (Hutch’s brother and Katie’s work superior) who expects Katie to pretend they’re dating, and then later basically wants to auction her off to a room full of drunk men. Fortunately Hutch is the man to save this disaster, but I just didn’t feel that the reason Katie went along with Cole’s agenda was worthy. I did, however like the houseboat twist at the end and this brought back some of the swooniness I typically read Center’s book for. She’ll continue to be an auto-read author for me, even if this wasn’t my fave.

Patti Murin always does a wonderful job of narrating, and this was no exception. Her voice lends itself to male and female characters and she can pull off humor so easily. I received an ALC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟.5️⃣
Steam: 🪭
Humor: 🤡🤡

Katherine Center has a gift for creating a story that gets you hooked and wanting more from the characters and the romance they get caught up with. The main character struggles with being body positive and this often takes over the story and takes away from the overall plot. There could have been less of this as it got to be too much at times and more of the romance or character building in other ways. I would love to see the story from the perspective of Hutch. Crazy at times, this story did have me laughing out loud or shaking my head. Overall, it is a cute love story that makes you dream of love and sunshine.

This book is the perfect summer read! So sweet and fun. My only note is that it desperately needs content warnings at the beginning regarding the potentially triggering mention of ED and body image issues. It would also be great to see resources for these types of struggles at the end. Otherwise, it’s five stars from me.

This was a fun and lighthearted book for the summer! It would be perfect for the beach, an airplane, or just before bed reading. I loved the interesting main character occupations. Hutch, the leading man is a member of the coast guard. Katie is a video producer and documentary filmmaker. It had all the typical romance book tropes, in the best way! The only negative was this weird body image storyline of Katie's, it just was a little weird to me. I wouldn't go crazy recommending this to people, but it was certainly enjoyable!

Thanks to Netgally for the advanced copy of the audiobook to listen and review.

THE LOVE HATERS
● Katie & Hutch
● Documentary filmmaker / Coast Guard rescue swimmer
● Katie is doing a “day in the life” article featuring extraordinary people — only problem? She can’t swim.

I enjoyed this story and was intrigued by the premise. I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance featuring a Coast Guard rescue swimmer before, and that made it feel fresh and unique. The dynamic between Katie and Hutch was fun to watch unfold!

I adore Katherine Center’s books, and this story was great. It had some heartwarming moments and made me laugh out loud.

Katie is on a job-saving mission to video Tom ‘Hutch’ Hutcheson in Key West, Florida. He doesn’t know she’s coming (It’s supposed to be her coworker/his brother), and she also doesn’t know how to swim, which is a requirement, so this is about to get a little wild.


Katie and Hutch were so likable, and I rooted for them to be together. I also loved Hutch’s dog and his aunt. His brother Cole, eh. But I guess there has to be some drama, amiright? As a whole, this book pulled on my heartstrings and was a lot of fun. The ending had me smiling so big! Another win for Katherine Center.

Katherine Center romances have been hit or miss for me, but The Love Haters was just the RomCom I needed! Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for this ARC. I absolutely loved the characters, storyline, and the hidden messages about loving yourself, your flaws, and truly coming into your own confidence. Perfect narration and such a fun listen!

The Love Haters had some good representation when it comes to being insecure. The FMC definitely had a lot of insecurities that she needed to work through and that is something that most people can relate to on some level. It was very funny though in some parts (such as the first encounter of Katie and Hutch). Overall this was a good read, though I did feel like I wanted more of a stronger romantic connection between the FMC and the MMC.

3.5 stars- The Love Haters was an enjoyable book with characters you just want to root for. I liked the character relationships and the banter between them. I loved how the author really showed the character growth in Katie. It moved a little slow at the beginning but it did pick up a little over halfway through. Overall this was a cute read! The narrators were great and easy to listen to!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Another fabulously fun romance read by Katherine Center. Meet Katie Vaughn a video producer who’s reluctantly pushed into a high-stakes assignment to hopefully save her job: profiling the charismatic and attractive Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer based in Key West.

From their rocky first meeting, sparks fly—not just romantic ones, but plenty of witty, fast-paced banter that keeps things entertaining. Their relationship develops with great tension and tenderness, but hits a snag when Hutch's brother, Cole, joins them in Key West.

Katie’s struggle with body image and insecurity adds a layer of realism to her character that many readers will find relatable. It’s handled with honesty and care, without becoming the whole story. And let’s not forget Aunt Rue—a colorful, free-spirited presence who steals every scene she's in and adds warmth and wisdom in unexpected ways.

Patti Murin’s narration is a stellar! Her voice is expressive, intelligent, and completely in sync with Katie’s charm. Her voice brings the story to life with an easy, upbeat tone that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Special thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The narration was great! I loved the different voices they narrator used for the characters and they only held me to the story. I also was able to listen to the audiobook at varying speeds and the narration was well done that I feel like it sounded great at every speed level I listened to.
*I did notice that there was an edit from the eARC that didn't make the ALC and I preferred the Hutch's fame name as Pup Daddy versus what it ends up being Puppy Love. Pup Daddy just fit so much better with the story in my opinion.

Enter Katherine Center with another fantastic rom-com! I always love a KC character and even more so I feel like the setting of this novel was a character in and of itself. It has been a long time since I wanted to go visit a place based off a book I read, but if a real life starlite cottage existed I would be there in a moment. And hopefully it would have the Aunt Rue we all need.

Katie's job is on the chopping block and her manager in order to "save" her puts her up for an assignment creating a recruitment video for the Coast Guard in Key West Florida. Katie's biggest hurdle... she is a bobber not a swimmer. So when she arrives at her destination, the woman who runs the rental cottage offers to help Katie find someone to teach her. And that just happens to be the subject of her work project who now knows her secret inability to swim which could get her fired even quicker.

I feel like the biggest love story in this novel was between Katie and her need to love herself as well as Great Dane extraordinaire George Bailey and Hutch. I know it is actually between Katie and Hutch but goodness did those side love story lines take up a lot in my brain while I read. Hutch truly is book boyfriend material and I am with Colin in Hutch's perfectionism eclipsing everyone else. Which is not Hutch's fault in any way. He is just very godlike and we should worship him.

There was so much amazing found family (or tragedy led to found family) dynamic. I loved the relationship between Rue and Hutch as well as Rue and her gals. Honestly, that is a future that would be such a beautiful one to have. It gave Golden Girl vibes in the best possible way. I also enjoyed the varying levels of drama even the weather induced ones. Katie needed to be put in such a position to truly grow as a character and I was so happy that she had George Bailey by her side (well she was in fact the rescuer-er or attempted one) oh and we can't forget Lucky the toad!

I always love Katherine Center's writing and never want the book to end. In this case the only thing I wished for was more of Katie and Hutch romantically together as opposed to all the drama that kept unfolding that kept them apart. I needed like an extended spicy epilogue or something.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an audio copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Every book I read by Katherine Center is better than the last. And this one definitely fit that bill. She takes some that may appear ordinary and makes it extraordinary.
Kate Vaughn needs to save her job. So when the opportunity to follow famous coast guard Tom "Hutch" Hutchinson presents itself through her coworker Cole, she takes the leap. Never mind she can't swim and the assignment requires her to learn what coast guard rescue swimmers must endure to become part of, she'll do anything to make sure she keeps her job. Even present just a few lies Hutch and his family/friends. She'll need to face her fears to do well but can she also open her heart to be happy?
I loved Kate's character. She grows so much during this book. She starts out trapping herself in lies to get where she needs to go. But as she progresses she learns the things she needs to learn in order to survive her assignment. She also learns to open up and let her heart feel things she never thought would come up on an assignment with the Coast Guard. She creates relationships with those around her and finds a found family she was never looking for. Her biggest change is the confidence she gains about her body. Eating disorders are no joke. They literally become your entire personality and without therapy can overtake your life and become all you are. Center does really good job of showing how this disorder forms who Kate is. I could feel her anguish over this throughout the book. Often times these things come across as not realistic for me but I could feel just how hard it was for Kate's character to grow and change in this area. Center promotes body positivity in a realistic and relatable way.
Hutch, oof. Definitely a new book boyfriend for me. He's so much more than what he seems on the surface. His sibling rivalry with Cole is just what I would picture happening with two brothers who always seemed to be competing with each other. Though I think the competition was more on Cole's end than Hutch's. I appreciated Hutch's wanting to be out of the spotlight and just do his job. After all, his job is to save lives and that is what made him famous. But why should he be any different than the others who do the same every day?
I always worry about single POV romances. So many times I am wishing I could see what is going on in the other character's mind. But Center does a good job showing all the characters through Kate's POV. And of course Kate's insecurities are so much easier to understand when you're in her mind. The experience of the story through Kate's POV is perfect. I loved the banter Kate showed us with all the characters. Plus we got a great perspective on Hutch's found family and how they care for him.
The romance was a little bit of insta-love for me, thus the drop in my rating from 5 to 4 stars. There was some good organic growth but I feel like it happened too quickly.
As for the side characters, there is nothing like being in the middle of a bunch of older ladies talking about men, love, and so many other things. And Rue, gah, she cares so much for Cole and Hutch despite the circumstances under which they came into her care (won't give spoilers here but it will make you tear up). I low key hated Cole. I still can't forgive him for how he acted and I'm not sure how Kate and Hutch do!
The show stopper was George Bailey, Hutch's Great Dane. This dog is full of personality and fun. I just could not get enough of him and I loved how he formed a relationship with Kate.
But let's talk about Patti Murin. I absolutely adore her and will listen to anything she narrates. I love her inflection, her tone of voice, how she voices all the characters so distinctly, and the pace she sets. She really is perfect for Center's books and I hope she will always be the narrator for them.
As with all of Center's books, I was sad to be done with this one and almost immediately wanted to pick it back up and start again. That is the sign of a good book that burrows itself into your heart and makes a home there. If you are looking for a feel good book that promotes self love, digging into who you are, and learning to accept your perfect imperfections, Center gives it all!

I enjoyed this book. I could relate to Katie and how women are pressured to look a certain way. I also loved the dog!

📖 Bookish Thoughts:
This was such a fun romcom—but it also didn’t shy away from tough topics. Our FMC, Katie, really struggled with body image, and it was painfully relatable. I appreciated how the rep wasn’t just magically “fixed” by the end. Instead, we saw Katie gradually begin to accept herself, which felt real and honest. I know some readers may not connect with how she processed those feelings, but for me? I felt nothing but compassion. Our brains can convince us of a lot, and not everyone navigates those thoughts the same way.

Katie and Hutch? Loved them together. They had a friend’s first chemistry and their banter was so hilarious. I really, really wish we’d gotten Hutch’s POV though!

Okay, but a quick rant: COLE. I lowkey hated him. He was manipulative, shady, and used Katie in ways that really upset me. Yes, he had trauma—but that didn’t excuse it. I wish Katie stood up to him sooner.

On the flip side? RUE. My queen!! She was such a loving presence and just the right kind of chaos. I loved that she “adopted” Katie as her project. Honestly, Rue—if you’re taking applications, I volunteer as tribute.

The real stars of the book? Lucky the toad. And George Bailey the dog. I would die for them.

💬 Favorite Quote:
“I should have loved all of my everything because it was mine.”

🩷 Read if you love:
• Friends-to-lovers
• Body image rep
• Found family
• Ride-or-die besties
• Pet sidekicks

⭐️ Book Rating: 4.5
🎧 Audio Rating: 5 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy! All opinions are my own.
Pub Date: May 20, 2025

Katherine Center does it again. The Love Haters was beautifully written, witty and engaging. I love getting lost in Katherine Center’s stories. It is always a therapeutic experience.
So many positives:
The setting-fabulous, the Florida Keys.
Promoting body positivity- yes, girl!
The main characters, Katie and Hutch were adorable and had the sweetest banter.
The importance of self love

This book reminded me of a warm cup of coffee and a hug.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.