I love Katherine Center, but this one wasn't my favorite. It's still a fun listen with a great narrator and it kept me good company, but I really miss the stronger female leads she's written in the past and felt she undercut her MC's intelligence here.

You'll find:
- Body positivity
- Fake dating
- Workplace romance

This was not my favorite KC 🫣 I didn't love how the body positivity was handled. I felt really hit over the head with it. And the conflicts were all caused by straight up lies. I did love the setting (Key West) and all the stuff about both main characters jobs - she is a video producer and he is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer.

The narrator did a great job. No complaints there.

Book review ✨

The Love Haters by Katherine Center
ARC from @macmillan.audio
Release date: May 20th 2025
-Katie is hilarious, she is the definition of rolling with the punches. It makes me want to get out of my comfort zone
-I love an anti-romantic and romantic trope and grumpy x sunshine
-I liked Hutch and Katie’s conversations
-this was a fun and funny but I couldn’t truly feel connected with Katie and the story if that makes sense but still a nice read
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#thelovehaters #katherinecenter #antiromantic #romancebooks #booklover #bookreview #arcreview #bookthoughts #booksbooksbooks

TW Disordered eating and negative body image talk -- warning is not present in audio or description

3 Stars

I have read and really enjoyed a few of Katherine's books, so I was very excited to listen to this one! I loved the setting and the storyline's potential and most of the side characters (Ru, The Gals, and George Bailey -- hate Cole so much). The romance was good, nothing super special but cute at its baseline.

Katie and Hutch felt underdeveloped to be the main characters. Hutch was very much one note and the attempts at complexity fell flat. Katie made every bad decision possible in regard to her relationships with everyone.

Katherine's books normally have a good balance of lighthearted and serious but this one kind of missed the mark for me. The main issue with Katie is her negative body image which didn't have the best execution. I hated the way the peer pressure surrounding Hutch's sobriety was handled, especially from Katie knowing the reason behind it and ending up rooting for it. The ex-boyfriend plotline felt unnecessary to the story outside of setting up why Katie feels the way she does. The ending conflict was completely avoidable and just frustrating to read about since it wasn't even miscommunication, just plain lack of communication.

The audio narration was really well done. Patti Murin did a great job of bringing Katie to life.

Big thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

This was a SIX star romance for me... which basically never happens. I was obsessed with Hutch. I laughed out loud, teared up, and even gasped at a few moments. The convo around body image and learning to love your body felt so real and honest, and the author’s note at the end? Yeah, that hit me hard in the best way.
I haven’t read anything by Katherine Center before but now I want to binge her entire backlog.
😭💖
Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC - it was super well done!

Thank you SMP and MacMillan for the audiobook of The Love Haters!

The Love Haters is a perfect summer read and has Center's signature slow burn chemistry filled story, charmingly flawed main characters to cheer on as individuals and as a couple, and in this book also a delightful and insightful ode stories and storytelling, the power of telling stories and hearing/sharing them. The Love Haters though is a big win for me not for the romance, though that is great, but for the story about Katie and how she has to navigate a lot of past relationships that still are in her head and in the way of her finding true joy in life. I loved how the plot explored, gently but meaningfully, those themes and how her cousin was such a fantastic secondary character who, along with the other wonderful background characters, really made the book fun and filled with the richness I like in a romcom.
Katherine Center works best for me when I can be immersed in the narration of her stories, so much fun to listen to and be in her world and characters' heads.


There is a lot to enjoy in this read and I know it will be a win for fans of the author but I also hope this one reaches new audiences as perfect poolside, beach bag summer book. A win!

Listen, I think it may be this author but I just can’t do this one. I wish there was a bit of a disclaimer that there would be discussions of poor body image and disordered eating. This was very triggering and is why I’m not continuing.

Thank you SO much to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

2.5. This one unfortunately wasn’t what I thought it would be. There was some pretty heavy body image issue theming that I don’t feel the author executed that well. Some of the side characters and their conflict were just uncomfortable to read. The romance felt like it was overshadowed by those two things. Was it cute? At times.
Thank you to NetGalley for an audio ARC.

Very cute closed door romance with a lot of good side messages that were very meaningful and relatable. Very enjoyable characters and perfect amount of humor and emotion

This was a cute romcom. I always know I’ll enjoy a Katherine Center book for the story and plot line. There’s no spicy romance, just wholesome and cute, and every once in awhile, it’s exactly what I need.

Katie is a hot mess. With her love life and her job wreaking havoc in her life, she makes a quick decision to accept a job she had no business taking, but it might just be the best decision she ever met.

Of course we have a hottie, swoon worthy, and overall wholesome man in the story…Hutch. He really is the perfect man…a hero in every way possible.

I loved watching their story. I loved seeing them get to know each other, the ups and downs. And I absolutely loved Rue. The whole story just makes me melt.

It was a bit slow at times, like I just wanted SOMETHING to happen. But it makes sense when you get to the plot twist for sure. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

If you love a romcom with a slow burn, tragic pasts, swoon worthy heros and a quirky FMC, you should add this to your tbr!

"'The Love Haters' has a deliciously romantic love story between Katie and Hutch, but it also has a different type of love story - one between Katie and herself - specifically between Katie and her body in an enemies-to-lovers trope." - Katherine Center

Video Producer Katie Vaughn has had her heart stomped on by love... in the worst way. Previously dating a social media music sensation, all eyes were on her...because they were on him. She's never considered herself worth looking at, but when she tried her best to achieve the look she needed for her boyfriend's music award ceremony, she got ripped up in the comments. Finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her was the last straw. Fast forward to a few years later, Katie is on top of her game in her career. Cole, her co-worker, has just given her the assignment of a lifetime - profiling Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson - a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West, FL. The main problem is that Cole and Hutch are brothers and don't exactly get along. When arriving in Key West and meeting Hutch, Katie isn't exactly welcomed with open arms. Hutch was expecting Cole to arrive, and to top it all off, doesn't really want to do the project, save his allegiance to the Coast Guard. But as Katie and Hutch learn more about one another, attraction stirs the water. Forces are pulling them apart, though. One is Katie's self-esteem. She's mortified that she has to be in a swimsuit for this project and learn to swim! She just doesn't see herself as worthy of love. But, with the daily peptalk from her best friend, an absurd drinking contest, a few stolen kisses, helicopter flights, a great dane named George Baily, a hurricane, and an extraordinary new friend that just happens to see all beauty in her, she learns to be brave and love herself, flaws and all.

This is the second audio book I've heard "Frozen" Broadway star, Patti Murin, narrate. She is incredibly brilliant, funny, and radiant in her interpretation of this book and its characters. She knows exactly how to capture the moments needed to catapult this book into reality. I adore her voice acting.

I found this story and its characters to be applause-worthy. The central theme of body positivity, in learning to be grateful for our fleshly imperfections by seeing them as gifts, is articulated authentically. I was caught up in the honesty and dishonesty of the characters - how they managed to get themselves out of the messes they were in. It's a beautiful story - finally, a love story where sex isn't at the center of the narrative.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Patti Murin, Katherine Center, and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have liked Katherine Center's other books, but from the very begining of this one, the immediate refrences to disordered eating and body image were very triggering for me and I will not be finishing it at this time.

3.5 Stars ✨

Adult Romantic Comedy

“The funny thing about the internet is that it is basically a collective hallucination. If you don’t join in, it doesn’t exist. I mean it does, but in another very real way, it doesn’t. “

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced audio copy of The Love Haters, in exchange for an honest review.

Narration 🎧 5/5 Stars ✨
Narrator : Patti Murin

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes that she can.

This authors books are usually hit or miss for me. I did enjoy this one more than her last. The characters were likable and the storyline felt cheesy, but also fun. I really appreciated how she incorporated body image for the FMC. The ultimate goal for this character was not to focus on others value of her but to love herself fully first- all of her. I think the message overall will be good for woman who deal with it and there are a lot of us out there! The romance was sweet and there definitely were some laugh out loud moments.

As far as the narration, I personally think Patty Murin did a fabulous job. Her voice was perfect for each individual character. I would recommend the audiobook. The length was a little over 10 hours.

Content ⚠️
-mild language
-no spice - kissing only - couple mentions of sex
-big focus on body image

TW: disordered eating

I listened to the audiobook and Patti Murin always does a great job. The setting of Key West made this feel like the perfect summer rom-com. Maybe I felt like I was escaping on a tropical vacation on my Spring Break instead of folding laundry 😂

I didn't find Katie to be the most likeable main character (whyyy did she put up with Cole?!) but she did have a lot of personal growth by the end. Hutch was the best, even if he didn't come across as an actual "love hater".

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

I really enjoyed previous books from Katherine Center, but this one didn't sit right with me. There were a few big things:

1. The female main character, Katie, had severe body image issues. Nothing wrong with that, but something that should be handled with care felt out-of-place in an otherwise light-hearted book. Plus, it felt hypocritical when she ogled Hutch and described all of his muscle-y parts over and over throughout the entirety of the story.
2. One of the characters egged on a known non-drinker to enter into a drinking competition, despite his many refusals. No one tried to stop him with any level of seriousness. This part just felt so gross to me.
3. This was very much a "big strong man steps in to save the damsel in distress" book.
4. The romance between Katie and Hutch felt forced to me. I didn't understand their connection and where it came from.

Despite my critiques, I'm sure others will enjoy this book. The narrator did a great job voicing Katie, and she sounded exactly as I'd expect her to. There's also an enormous, bouncy Great Dane named George Bailey, so there are definitely elements of this novel that will make you smile.

This book may be for some, but it was not for me.

Katie takes an assignment creating a Coast Guard promo video in Key West, despite not being able to swim. Hutch, the rescue swimmer Katie is filming, ends up helping her learn to swim and sparks fly between these two "Love Haters".

Things I enjoyed
* George Bailey, the adorable dog
* Aunt Ru was well developed and easy to love
* The Gals - a group of retired women who live near Ru

Things I wasn't a fan of
* The third act conflict made no sense
* The ex storyline felt extraneous and unbelievable
* Katie's body image issues felt like they both were too much of the story and treated way to lightly and didn't feel real to life
* Hutch felt barely developed
* Cole - I just hated him as a character
* Challenging a sober person to a drinking contest - who does this? and why was it treated like not big deal in the book??

Tropes
* Misunderstandings
* Tropical Setting
* Teaching someone to swim
* Cute dog
* Family Drama

2.5 stars

This is my first read of Katherine Center and I was not disappointed! I laughed, I cried, and kicked my feet up in the air! This sort follows Katie a video producer giving an opportunity to film the U.S Coast guard because her coworker Cole doesn't want to, but there is a problem she can't swim and is scared of bathing suits. Cole sets Katie up to work alongside his brother Hutch. Hutch offers to help Katie learn to swimming to be able to pass the safety test to go up in the helicopter. Katie and Hutch learn that they both hate love, but feelings start to form. Katie is dealing with backlash from fans of her Ex famous boyfriend, and backlash from her own perception of her body. Hutch is dealing with backlash from his bothers divorce along with family issues which causes some major issues for Katie, Hutch and, Cole. Oh and I can't forget Gorge Bailey Hutchs goofy Great Dane who ends up stealing Katie's heart.

I love Katie and Hutch! They are so adorable! I have never read a book about the Coast Guard and I thought it was such a fun concept. I love how Katie learns to open herself up to love not only to Hutch and her friends but to herself and learnd that she should be comfortable in her own skin and love her body.

This was my third Katherine Center book, and by far my favorite of them.

Katie is a film producer who goes to Key West to videotape Hutch, a rescue swimmer, to make a promotional video for the Coast Guard. There's a lot going on in this book to unpack. Her job situation, and not wanting to get laid off. Hutch's relationship with his brother Cole, and trying to resolve the past around their parents and around Cole's ex-wife. Making two very different videos. Katie's self-image issues. A tropical storm and getting lost at sea. Riding helicopters underwater into the water. Fear of colors. A famous song releasing about you. It's very action-packed.

I could tell there was a lot of thought put into the book on the topic of self image, and I really appreciated all the commentary on Katie grappling with acceptance of herself. The end of the book's author's notes has one of my favorite quotes: about how the book was essentially an enemies-to-lovers between the main character and herself. It just made this book really meaningful.

This book did do my two least favorite things books can do, one of them quite a few times, so while I loved it, it was a bit hard to get through. Namely, that it seems half the dialogue consisted of Person 2 repeating something Person 1 said but adding a question mark, to signify incredulity. That gets really old really fast. And in audiobook form with one narrator playing all roles, it's not something that sounds natural. And this narrator punched those moments and made them stood out even more. And it was just a hard listen anytime a line was repeated.

But still, an excellent book! Would recommend to those who love action-packed romances!

This is my first Katherine Center book that didn’t 100% land for me. I really enjoyed the premise, setting and most of the characters (George Bailey the Great Dane probably being my favorite). I found the chemistry between Katie and Hutch to be lacking mostly due to the fact that Hutch rarely showed insight to his emotions. I almost we had a few chapters to get into his head so it wasn’t so disjointed when he would say romantic things. I was rooting for Katie’s self-love journey more than anything because so many women can relate. Overall it was still a really fun listen and will be recommending as a short summer read!

“…I just suddenly understood in a whole new sun breaking through the clouds way, that even if we do eternally need and long and want to be seen, maybe the most important eyes doing the looking are our own.”

Fun dialogue ✔️
Lovable characters ✔️
Sunny, funny story ✔️

If loving Katherine Center novels is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. The queen of the summer rom com is back with another great story featuring a young woman overcoming personal obstacles and a hunky hindrance in a setting I wanted to stay in.

Dallas based video producer Katie Vaughn accepts a gig to profile Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, who is both a reluctant participant and the brother of her coworker Cole. Cole has inside intel that this could be the only thing to save her from an impending layoff, so off she goes to Key West. There she is met by all-business Hutch, an adorable Great Dane, and his Aunt Rue and her cadre of friends. Her monochromatic existence is suddenly saturated with life and color and fun, but will her limited skill set and her reluctance to face old fears get in the way of a successful outcome?

In the author’s note Center writes one of the most accurate and heartfelt explanations of romance storytelling; why we crave it, why we need it and how it can change us. It’s probably no coincidence that I read my three favorite KC novels during some specifically dark times for me personally. The unapologetic way that she writes about joy and struggle and hope cannot be denied and readers who appreciate how she subtly layers some non-frivolous topics in, will be rewarded with the magic. The Love Haters floats to the top tier of my Best Of KC list… yep, I’ve read them all.

Patti Murin returns to add her impeccable narration to the story!
Especially for Emily Henry fans who are looking for a beachy read many will be dishing about.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.