I listened to the audiobook in one sitting it was great. Please purchase this audiobook or Book. The narrator gave different voices to all of the characters. This is a great story of love and being body positive. This is my favorite book of the author's. I definitely will be listening to this again especially if I'm feeling down it is a great romantic comedy book.

Katherine Center has always been a go-to author for me, and this is yet another delightful read. Her stories are always more than just romance—they’re clean, funny, and filled with heart. At first, I wondered if I had read this one before. The setup felt familiar: a grumpy hero who keeps his distance, a heroine who’s eager to please—inevitably, they’ll fall in love and become the perfect couple. But this story surprised me.

Thankfully, it didn’t follow the expected path. The characters truly made it shine—the dog, the frog, the aunt, and, of course, the main leads. They brought so much depth and charm to the narrative. There was an emotional pull I didn’t expect; at one point, I even found myself getting teary-eyed. Everything came together beautifully, and the typical “miscommunication” trope wasn’t even between the main characters, which was refreshing. The authors message on body positivity and weight was also a subtle, unique take that made me love the character and her BFF even more.

Center has once again delivered a story that is so much more than it seems, making this a truly enjoyable read.

This was not my favorite Katherine Center book. I liked the body positive story line but I think the romance lacked chemistry. The narrator did an excellent job with the many characters and she made the book better by her performance. But I thought it was little too sugary sweet and a bit OTT with silliness. Not the best but not awful. It's a cute, fast summer listen.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio. Opinions are my own.

Loved it enthusiastically. I didn’t have the highest hopes at the beginning. However, the story quickly progressed into an adorable story with not only a cast of loveable supporting characters, but a great lesson, too. The scene on the roof made me cry. Perfect audio.

Advanced listener copy provided by Macmillan Audio but all opinions are my own.

I loved the audio narration! Patti Murin always elevates the reading experience, and this story was no exception.
What worked for me here: Hutch's character was really likeable. He was a great male MC! I also loved the relationship he had with Rue, and her group of lady friends. They added humor and sweetness to the story.
What really didn't work was all the body positivity content. I wanted less of that and more romance. I understand the importance of that message, but it was overkill.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity! This was my first Katherine Center book ever and I devoured it, I couldn’t put it down. Our main character Katie deals with a lot of issues that any girl in her 20s can relate to. From broken relationships, self image, to trying to keep your job. I loved how much I could relate. Don’t get me started on the romance and the found family it was very heartwarming. I picked up this book wanting a palate cleanser and I’m so glad I did, it was everything and more!

Self love 💗 & body positivity
Forced proximity
Relatable FMC
USCG Rescue Swimmer MMC 🛟
Found family 🏠🌴
Lovable side characters 👩🏼‍🦳👯‍♀️
Fast paced 💨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Patti Murin did a fantastic job bringing all of the characters to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review ❤️

The perfect “beach read” - enjoyable characters (and a really good variety too), a new topic I was able to learn more about in a non-boring way (Coast Guard water rescues), and a closed-door romance. The first-person narration was easy to listen too, and the min character’s moments of inner- and self-dialogue was incredibly realistic.

I do kinda of wish some of the author’s notes were actually part of the book as she had some of the best quotes in that part! “We can train our own eyes to look with kindness and pay attention to what’s beautiful and focus on what’s right instead of what’s wrong.” <— GOLD!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook. All opinions are 100% mine.

The delightful romance, The Love Haters by Katherine Center, follows a videotaping of a U.S. Navy promotional video. Engaging and enjoyable, the story is well-written, especially the audiobook narrated by Patti Murin, who skillfully portrays all characters.

Another lovely book by Katherine Center. I always enjoy her books and this was no exception. It was a cute story. The supporting cast of characters (friends, family) made this story shine-- the support system that embraced a new member and took her in as family, as well as the long-distance best friend (captured the nature and value of this type of relationship so well). Several themes of self growth and reflection throughout, that create more well-rounded, relatable characters.

The ending felt a little rushed (and honestly not one of my favorite tropes with the 'misrepresentation of truths'), but still a very enjoyable read.

Read with my ears and enjoyed the lovely narration that Patti Murin always delivers.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the advanced access to the audiobook.

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅'𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑰'𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒕.

The Love Haters by @katherinecenter
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: closed door romance
Release: May 20

let me start off by saying this is my first katherine center novel and it will not be my last!!!

katie is a media journalist who specializes in filming “day in the life” interviews and her next project is hutch, the brother of her boss who is a rescue swimmer for the coast guard.

katherine center nailed it with this book. i love that there were some topics discussed, that i personally have not encountered a lot in other works. there is discussion of eating disorders, fat phobia, body shaming, and body positivity. all of this makes katie more relatable because as a female in this day and age i can relate to all the feelings she had.

if you are a fan of abby jimenez or emily henry put this on your tbr because i know you will eat this up!

thank you @katherinecenter @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this ARC.

What was this 😭 I think I'm giving this a 2.5, and I'll round up to be generous because it pains me to rate Katherine Center any lower.

The narration by Patti Murin was wonderful, as usual, and helped to elevate my review a little bit.

I was simultaneously immersed in the story while not feeling a damn thing. Katie's body image issues were relatable but I don' think they were approached in an organic or authentic way. It didn't flow naturally in her thoughts or in dialogue. I also think the "why can't you see yourself the way I see you" idea is so meh and predictable. It isn't like a few words of affirmation from one swoony man are going to immediately cure insecurities from past ED trauma and lingering body image issues and I hate how that's always the way that romance novels approach this topic. There was so much opportunity for positive reflection and self-growth alongside a potential partner who can actively support and reinforce positive body image talk but it wasn't executed in a way that made it believable for me.

There wasn't a whole lot of chemistry between Katie and Hutch, Cole was an utter nuisance and the whole story line was utterly unrealistic.

Also, not to judge a book by its cover (but I'm doing it anyway) -- the depiction is a wildly inaccurate representation of what happens in the pages of this book in my opinion. I love the bright and bold colors but this was not the vibe for 90% of this book.

Disappointed in this, I need to go re-read the Rom-Commers for some redemption.

I loved this book, which is exactly what I predicted. I love Katherine Center every time I read her books and this was another winner for me! I ate it up.
I'm so pleasantly surprised by how funny yet genuinely emotional it was. I absolutely loved it. Both Katie and Hutch were such endearing characters and the supporting cast of characters was great and unique. I loved the way Ms. Center told the story and how it was in no way predictable (at least not for me) and I was there for it all. There was just enough angst and sadness to offset the silliness and humor that I enjoyed so much. The Love Haters was perfect for me. It made me swoon, made me sigh....and made me smile. This cozy, cute, and self-reflective novel delivered on all fronts. All in all a very satisfactory reading experience!
I guess Katherine Center can do no wrong for me! I love everything she’s written so far, and this was no exception. Overall, a 5 star read for me and probably one of my favorite reads of this year so far.
(Adding a note here to say there is zero spice in this book. I don’t mind it, but I know people tend to ask the spice level).
Last but not least, I listened to an audio version and the performance of the audiobook was marvelous. All in all a very satisfactory reading experience! HUGE Recommend.

Katharine Center is an author whose books I will always read, so I was really excited to check this book out.

And there’s a lot going for it - cute older ladies, a swoon-y protagonist, villain who’s just a male with a fragile ego, a lovable dog, some scenes that made me LOL, a message about loving one’s body, some family drama that meets a sweet resolution. Lots of good stuff.

All that said, this wasn’t my favorite book of hers. Katie was an interesting person but was written a bit ditzy, and not in a way that I think was intended. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch was a little off, and the hurricane part of the book just left me with a lot of logistical questions. I think with a bit more editing, this book could have been stellar.

If you’re a Katherine Center fan, I think it’s still worth reading. Just know that it likely won’t rank in the top compared to her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Love Haters
By Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

I absolutely loved this book! I am a big fan of Center’s writing but this one exceeded my expectations!

This novel is about Katie a young videographer who is tasked with shooting a video of the coast guard… but she cannot swim! She flies to key west to start the job and realizes she did not have all the information from her colleague. There she develops a beautiful relationship with a fun group of ladies and Hutch, the star of the coast guard shoot she must complete. The story has everything romance, a huge dog, family drama and so much more! I just couldn’t stop reading/listening to it!

For me, the relationship Katie had with herself and her body really resonated with me, a few times through the book I found myself tearing up a bit! It is something I did not expect to find in a romance novel but am so happy I did!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the digital advanced readers and listeners copy!! The narrator of this audiobook - Patti Murin was amazing to listen to! I seek audiobooks she reads because I love her expressive her voice is! This novel will be published May 20, 2025! Add it to your TBR!!

I received an advance copy of Love Haters and absolutely loved this book. Another winner for this author that tells a unique love story while also being a book about friendship, found family, self-love - and bonus, there’s a dog! The story about Katie and Hutch contains plot lines I never saw coming, and valuable lessons you didn’t realize you needed right now. It helps that Katie was so relatable - I feel just like her in so many ways. So, as her new and old friendships grow and she continues to learn to love herself, I’m right there beside her experiencing the same thing. I would wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone looking for an enjoyable story that will heal your heart a bit while you simply enjoy the love story the author has created for us.

The Love Haters follows Katie as she is handed a job by her coworker that involves interviewing a hero of the US Coast Guard for a promo video. There’s just a few problems. One, she can’t swim. Two, she unknowingly gets caught in the middle of some long held drama between her coworkers that gave her the job and his brother, the hero. Three, the hero, Hutch is pretty irresistible.
The narrator for this book was great! The characters were always easy to pick out, each voice was so distinct. She really helped bring extra layers of emotion to the story.
The story itself was perfect. Katherine Center does no wrong. The theme of loving your body unconditionally was so relatable and heartwarming. You just wanted to root for Katie as she navigated complicated feelings and trauma from her childhood. Hutch was such a stand up guy. He didn’t seem too perfect, even though he was perfect, but he seemed real. Their story was so much fun and so emotional. If Katie is anyone out there, I really hope you give your thighs permission to touch.

This is definitely my favorite Katherine Center book so far! I love Patti Murin as a narrator, which was what originally got my hooked on Katherine’s books. This story is about love, but not just romantic love..family and self love are at the center of it. There’s excitement and fantastic storytelling and I can’t wait for her next novel!

Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is a great light read that hooks the reader early on. Her books with dynamic relationships on multiple levels including sibling issues, grief and loss, breakups, romance, and the love from family by choice. Engaging, funny, and a delight to read amongst all the heaviness the world is dishing out right now.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the AudioArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Love Haters is new Romance from Katherine Center.

"Katie's marketing firm is talking about reducing headcount (aka layoffs) She has two choices - wait to get laid off or head to Key West to shoot a recruitment video for the Coast Guard ... with a rescue swimmer named Hutch ... who happens to be Cole's (her boss) estranged brother ... and once saved Jennifer Aniston's dog. Katie can't swim but she says yes anyway.
Katie gets entangled with Hutch and his rescue dog - a Great Dane named George Bailey - Aunt Rue, swim lessons, helicopter rides, a hurricane and stolen kisses. And a chance to be truly brave."

I love KC's characters - regular people with some quirks and insecurities. Patti Murin is so fantastic narrating this book. She is perfect as the bubbly voice of Katie, even when she's climbing out of the water. There are male and female voices of several ages - Murin nails them all.

There are always hilarious moments in a KC story. There are several here but especially when Katie meets George Bailey for the first time. I love how Katie and Hutch both change and grow.The ending may not be what you expect - KC gets kind of wild with the weather - but
I like where Katie ends up.

Fabulous, entertaining story from Katherine Story.