Very cute read! Heavy on former eating disorder, but this tells the story of journalist Katie going to make a feature about Hutch, a coast guard rescue swimmer who supposedly "hates love." There's a little bit of everything in this -- suspense during a hurricane, cute dog, annoying brothers, lies lies and more lies. Really fun!

It seems like the last few Katherine Center books have had very strong themes to them. This time she’s tackling body image. For the most part, I didn’t mind the internal body talk. It felt realistic and like something many women struggle with. But by 30% in, I was ready to move on. I quickly tired of the self help portion of the story. I was ready for the romance.

I really loved the Coast Guard rescue swimmer aspect of the story. It was interesting and not something I’ve seen in a romance. The romance had some great moments and some funny ones. I was embarrassed for our main character Katie. She had some bad luck.

In addition to enjoying the romance, I really loved the dog. I found him charming as he snuggled his way into my heart and into people’s beds.

What kept this from being a book I loved was when a side character took over and derailed everything. His actions had me so annoyed, and the reaction to his poor behavior left me so frustrated. I just wanted to focus on the romance not the side drama.

If you love Katherine Center’s recent books, you’ll probably really enjoy this.

I listened to the audio of this. It was narrated by Patti Murin who is the quintessential sound of a Katherine Center book. I found it enjoyable.

This book contains scattered moderate profanity and has kissing.

First of all, I adore Katherine Center. I think she's an incredible author and I love that her stories always have deeper themes/experiences sprinkled in amongst the humor and swoon. However, this book hit a bit different for me. I feel like it's definitely more women's fiction versus the emotionally charged, but romance all the way vibes of Katherine's more recent books. Don't get me wrong...Women's literature can be amazing. But Katie and Hutch's story was left a little more open-ended than I prefer in exchange for an epilogue that focused more on Katie's revelations about herself. Again...not a bad thing, just unexpected. I also struggled a bit with Katie's negative view of herself. I know many women experience feelings similar to Katie's and I can see how her character arc is probably extremely meaningful and empowering to them. My body is far from perfect, but I also prefer to try my best to not focus on outward appearance so I think that's why I had a hard time connecting to that aspect of the book.

Even with a couple of personal hangups, I still really enjoyed this book. Katherine's writing style is honestly like coming home for me at this point and I loved Patti Murin's narration in the audiobook. As always, I can't wait to see what Katherine has in store for us next!

Things I loved:
❤️Beanie (what an absolute hype woman)
❤️Rue (who seriously must be protected at all costs)
❤️"The gals" (I want these ladies to be my besties too!)
❤️George Bailey (just everything about him really)
❤️The nickname "Hutch" (it really is the coolest)
❤️Coast Guard rep (so interesting!)
❤️Katie and Hutch's meet-cute
❤️Swim lessons
❤️SWET training (the wardrobe malfunction in particular 😂)
❤️Some of the absolutely swoony things Hutch said to Katie
❤️Katie's thoughtfulness and sacrifice during the hurricane
❤️Beauty lists (Katie and Beanie's)
❤️Katie's successful character arc
❤️Overcoming chromophobia
❤️Katie's life changes

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

3.5 stars rounded down

This was actually my introduction to Katherine Center as I have heard about her but have never read her books. While the book had an intriguing premise—a mix of humor, high stakes, and a vibrant Key West setting—the execution didn’t fully deliver.

The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer who, to keep her job, takes on an assignment profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The catch? She can’t swim but keeps that detail to herself. The assignment is further complicated by Hutch’s strained relationship with his brother, Cole, who is also Katie’s boss. When Katie arrives in Key West, she stays with Hutch’s quirky Aunt Rue, whose lively presence adds charm. However, once swim lessons begin, the humor veers too far into slapstick, and the chemistry between Katie and Hutch feels more told than shown.

The novel’s handling of deeper themes, such as body image and grief, was uneven—important but often overshadowed by the book’s lighter tone. Some supporting characters lacked depth, particularly Katie’s friend Beanie and Cole, whose abrasive behavior was frustrating.

Despite its shortcomings, the book still had enjoyable elements, including the tropical atmosphere, adventure-filled plot, and Katie’s personal growth as she learns to embrace her body. The author even describes this as not just a romance between Katie and Hutch but a self-love journey for Katie and her body.

Ultimately, while this book wasn’t my favorite, I do acknowledges Center’s talent and remains excited for her next release. If you are looking for a lighthearted rom-com book, this is a great suggestion.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Read this if you like:
•dogs
•complicated family relationships
•forced proximity

George Bailey (the dog) stole the show and saved the book for me. The best Great Dane there is! Katie is jaded and has body image issues. The body image issues run DEEP and parts of this felt like a self help book for body issues. Katie lies to get a job, lies that she can swim, and the job involved being able to swim. Hutch is a coast guard hunk with a complicated relationship with his brother (Katie’s coworker). Katie felt immature at times but overall a cute story and the dog was the best part of the book! This is also a great reminder that everyone should learn how to swim. Thank you Macmillan audio for the ALC

I absolutely loved this book! What an adorable plot with characters I felt like I knew! Thank you for allowing me an arc! I will be recommending this book to my friends!

There’s a fine line between love and love- hate, and this book walks it perfectly.

I absolutely adored this novel! It’s my second book by Katherine Center, and I’m already eager to dive into more of her work. I went in blind, and I’m so glad I did—this book did not disappoint. It’s the perfect blend of rom-com charm and heartfelt women’s fiction. The main characters were fantastic, and the supporting cast added so much depth to the story. The small-town setting was wonderful, capturing that cozy, laid-back vibe that makes for the ideal summer beach read. I listened to the audio in 2 days and the narrator was great!

What really stood out for me were the discussions about family, body image, and love. (Please be sure to check the trigger warnings.) I really enjoyed following Katie and Hutch on their personal journeys—they both grew in such an authentic and moving way. The only aspect I didn’t love was the conflict— the brother. I had such a great time reading this, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a story full of heart. 4.5/5

Tropes/Notes:
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Rom Com
- Only her POV
- Slow Burn
- No Spice
- Small Town

This is the second book I’ve read of Katherine Center and I really enjoyed listening to it! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC audiobook. I really liked all the voices of this audiobook and kept me wanting to continue listening on.

The story is about Katie, who travels to Key West for work, and her co-workers brother Hutch. Katie is to follow him around and figure out this mysterious love hater while learning to overcome her fear of swimming, since Hutch is in the Coast Guard.

I enjoyed listening to their relationship blossom and became annoyed with Hurch’s brother, Cole. I also didn’t care for all the body image issues, but still enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars.

📖The Love Haters is another heartwarming, empowering story from Katherine Center, and I loved how much this one focused on a character’s relationship with herself just as much—if not more—than the romance! Katie's journey through insecurity, body image struggles, grief, and bravery felt so real and relatable. There is a beautiful way a character memorializes someone he lost that was honestly one of the most touching and original things I have ever come across in a book!!

🎧Now, onto the narration: Patti Murin did a great job bringing Katie’s insecurities and anxious moments to life. Her voice fit the character so well—it felt authentic, vulnerable, and never overdone. I did have to bump up the speed a little to match the pacing I like, but the flow of the story itself was easy to follow. Chapter transitions were clear, and the vibe stayed consistent, even as the story moved through emotional highs and lows. No distracting sound effects or music—just a clean, heartfelt narration that matched the spirit of the story.

🧡One thing that really stood out was hearing Katherine Center herself read the author's note at the end, talking about the power of stories. It added such a personal and emotional layer to the listening experience.

💛 If you are a fan of character-driven contemporary romances where emotional growth is just as important as finding love, you will enjoy this! Readers who loved Book Lovers by Emily Henry or Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez would definitely vibe with this story. I would recommend the audiobook if you enjoy heartfelt, thoughtful narration—but if you prefer a faster pace without adjusting the speed, you might like the print version too!

❤️Overall, The Love Haters is a funny, moving, and inspiring story about facing your fears, embracing who you are, and finding unexpected love—within yourself first.

Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favourite authors, and The Love Haters is yet another reminder of why I adore her work. With her signature blend of humour, heart, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting, this book was a joy to listen to from beginning to end.

Katie Vaughn is a video producer whose career is teetering on the edge—her company is laying off staff, and she knows her number is likely up soon. When her coworker Cole offers her a career-making assignment profiling his estranged brother, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, Katie jumps at the chance. There’s just one problem: the job requires strong swimming skills… and Katie can’t swim. Not that that stops her—she simply fakes it.

What follows is a chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt adventure. Katie’s time in Key West is far from relaxing. Between swim lessons, helicopter safety training, and a budding romance with Hutch, Katie’s in over her head—literally and figuratively. Add in a massive Great Dane, the delightfully eccentric Aunt Rue, a hurricane, and the surprise arrival of her boss, and things spiral in the best possible way.

Katie reminded me of a modern-day Lucille Ball—her antics had me laughing out loud, but beneath the comedy is a story of growth, courage, and healing. Hutch isn’t just a love interest; he’s a fully developed character with his own emotional weight to carry, and the relationship between him, Cole, and Aunt Rue adds real depth to the story. Rue, in particular, is the kind of character who restores your faith in humanity—wise, funny, and full of heart.

The Narration:

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Patti Murin, and I can’t recommend it enough. Murin’s performance was spot-on—her comedic timing, emotional nuance, and ability to bring each character to life made the experience even more enjoyable. If you enjoy audiobooks, this one’s a must-listen.

Final Thoughts:

The Love Haters is a feel-good romantic comedy with depth, heart, and a whole lot of charm. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, cheer, and maybe even tear up a little, this one delivers.

I received an ARC of this audiobook but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Honestly if Katherine Center writes it – I’m going to read it. And I was lucky enough to get some advanced copies of her newest release (thank you so much @stmartinspress | @netgalley | @macmillan.audio | @raincoastbooks for the advanced physical, digital and audio copies 🤍🥹).

This book was similar to her others due to the way they are not only romance books with a silly-goofy time, but also feature a deeper message about some area of life. And boy oh boy did this one hit home for me. The depictions of disordered eating and body dysmorphia were heartbreaking and will likely leave a mark on many women who read this book. The way we’re able to watch Katie grow in her self-love was wonderful, however it should be noted that for some people it takes significantly longer to work through these areas of life in real-time.

I genuinely think that the romance took a bit of a backseat in this book and I didn’t hate it! I thought that we could have even had more of a slow burn between Hutch and Katie due to the short time period they had to get to know one another, but hey it’s a romance book, it doesn’t have to be realistic because how else would I get to escape reality??? And a small sidenote; George Bailey was the true star of the show.

⭐4/5 Rating

📖Genres: Romance | Contemporary | Contemporary Romance

The Love Haters was such a light-hearted, feel good story that made me feel giddy. From the very beginning, I was drawn in by the easy chemistry between the characters. Katherine Canter has such a fun, natural writing style that made the story incredibly easy to sink into.

The premise itself was adorable, and it played out like a classic romantic comedy... the kind of story I could easily imagine becoming a Netflix movie (and honestly, that's now my personal benchmark for an automatic 4-star rating!). It hits all the right notes: funny, heartfelt, a charming small-town setting, an adorable dog, and a hot coast guard hero. What more could you ask for?

The banter between the main characters was one of my favorite parts. It felt authentic without ever being forced. I appreciated that while the story stayed light and entertaining, it also gave enough character depth to make me care about their journey and root for their happily ever after. The pacing was just right for a romance like this. It was steady, with enough tension and sweet moments to keep me engaged without dragging.

I always enjoy Katherine's stories. She finds just the right balance of quirky and fun, without making it seem juvenile and this was no exception. I enjoyed the banter and slow build Katie and Hutch had, and the supporting crew added some good laughs. And the dog. Can never go wrong with a dog.

I also enjoyed the narrator. Patti always does a great job infusing each character with their own life.

This was a really sweet romance. I enjoyed the characters Janie & Hutch with their own complicated backgrounds. Janie use to date a now famous music artist who decides to write a song about her as she is finally making steps to find confidence in herself and undo that stress and eating disorder she took up after their rocky breakup. To add to her personal life drama, she is in a real mess of lies at work, notably that she can swim, to try and save her job. She has to nail this interview of Hutch, the hot coastguard and brother of her colleague who has his own sad and complicated history.
I was also a HUGE fan of George Bailey- the giant great dane <3
The narrator, Patti Murin also did a great job, I felt like the pacing was great and added life to this great story by Katherine Center.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC, all opinions are my own.

The Love Haters is the first book I have read by Katherine Center, despite having at least one sitting on my shelf! I am not sure why I haven't picked one up yet; my TBR shelf is just intimidating, and I spend a lot of time staring at it, finding a book to read elsewhere. I will say, if all her previous books are like Love Haters, I am sorry I haven't picked it up yet, because I did enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed Kate. I am not saying she was without problems, but I liked her. I understood her shyness about her body. I think a lot of us would relate to that. She was charming and flawed, so she felt relatable, and I really like that in a character. It was fun to see her growth throughout the story.


Key West is one of those places I have always wanted to go, so I liked that the story was based there, but honestly, this beach-raised girl now living in the middle of nowhere near water, would enjoy any beach setting.

I liked Katie's reluctance to get involved with Hutch. I think anyone with a bad dating past would be, or at least should be. Relationships are hard, and I think I would be the same after a string of them. I also liked the fact that even with her reluctance to have a relationship with Hutch, she still appreciated the finer points of him. The author also peppered in some great secondary characters that really added to the story.

Despite my really enjoying this book, it seems to have gotten mixed reviews from people who have read her before, saying this wasn't her best. If that is the case, I am truly looking forward to picking up some of her past books.

Grab this for your beach bag, it's the perfect summer read.

This book is the definition of cutie patootie, and I loved every minute of it! From the very first pages — all the way to the author’s note — you can feel that Katherine Center set out to write a romantic comedy about good people doing their best, finding themselves, and finding each other, even while life throws absolute avalanches at them. (And by avalanches, I mean not just everyday struggles, but things like the loss of family, body image battles, and, oh yeah, a literal hurricane.) And guess what? She nails it.

The joy and humor in this story are an absolute delight — I’d honestly love to be friends with (almost) every single character. The banter? Beyond adorable. I'm genuinely shocked that our FMC isn’t living her best life in a full-on cottagecore dream, because her vibe is just that sweet and wholesome — while still being sharp and fun. And don't even get me started on the romantic tension! It’s some of Katherine Center’s finest work — swoony, charged, and completely satisfying.

Bonus points for how much I learned about the Coast Guard — their work, their training, and even some real survival tips I feel a little safer knowing now (just in case, you know, I ever find myself in hurricane territory!).

Between the heartfelt topics, the off-the-charts romantic tension, the fascinating plot, and the perfect balance of high-stakes drama meets ridiculously adorable banter, this is a must-read — especially if you’re on the hunt for the perfect summer vacation book. I adored it!

This was a pretty cute listen! The beginning was a slow start for me, getting to know the characters, but once Katie and Hutch started interacting with each other, I was definitely rooting for them!

This was a GREAT audiobook read!

Patti Murin is one of my favorite narrators because she adds so much charm and personality to the characters she voices.

This is a great summer read! I really enjoyed the plot and themes.
I found the main character to be very relatable, especially when she was working through some confidence and body image issues.

Not only did I enjoy the romance between Hutch and Katie, but I really loved all of the other relationships as well. Like Rue, the vivacious, kaftan-wearing, color-loving, older aunt who Katie stays with in Key West, Florida. She reminded me a lot of Blanche from the Golden Girls, and I loved that aspect.

I also loved the relationship between Katie and her cousin Beanie. Even though we only get to know them together through facetime and phone calls, she still felt like an essential character and I loved the way Beanie helped Katie learn to love herself.

The romance between Hutch and Katie was super sweet and I love the way Katherine Center adds tension and yearning without explicit spice.

If you're looking for a fun summer romance, this is the one!

Katie's job is in jeopardy, so she takes a gig profiling a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West...even if she hates bathing suits and had to lie about her ability to swim to land the job.

I enjoyed this one and always love Center's writing — it's entertaining and heartwarming with a bit of adventure. I appreciated Katie's growth as she struggles to navigate her negative body image, and watching her continuously run into Hutch and realizing he's not the grump her colleague led her to believe. I loved the Key West setting and side characters (especially Rue and her crew of old ladies).

There's some unnecessary drama and lying which I didn't enjoy, and I wish we got a bit more of a connection between Katie and Hutch. Overall it's a lighthearted book that's a perfect beach read for the summer.

Thanks MacMillan Audio for the gifted copy!

The audiobook of The Love Haters by Katherine Center, narrated by Patti Murin, offers a charming and engaging rom-com experience that balances humor with emotional depth. The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer who takes on a challenging assignment profiling Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, despite her inability to swim. The audiobook captures the lighthearted yet heartfelt tone of the novel, with Murin’s narration enhancing the humor and the emotional journey of self-acceptance and romance. While not as impactful as some of Center’s other works, it’s a solid listen with enjoyable characters, a warm Key West setting, and a low-heat romance that’s perfect for a relaxed, feel-good experience. Overall, it’s a decent 3 out of 5 stars for those who aren’t typically romance readers but appreciate a well-crafted story with relatable themes.