I needed a light refreshing romantic comedy and this new Katherine Center book delivered, but there was also a good message about being kind to yourself. The Love Haters was a very entertaining story. I loved the main characters, Katie and Hutch. Katie had some real issues with loving herself, but transformed throughout the book. Hutch didn’t need any transformation, but there was some unfinished family business in works. I listened to the audiobook and it was really well done. The voice was perfect for the characters inner monologue. I laughed out loud and cried. I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, St.Martin’s Press, for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading via audiobook. All opinions are my own. Publication date: May 20, 2025.

This wasn't my favorite Katherine Center book, but I did really enjoy it! Loved the setting, loved the representation of eating disorders/body image, loved Rue and her girls, loved George Bailey of course, and loved the friendships. Center writes such lovable characters and all of her books just feel so warm. Some plot things like Cole + some details at the end weren't my favorite, and I wish I had seen more of Hutch and Katie's relationship develop at the very end, but that's about it.

The audio is very well done, and I found myself sitting outside in the sun to simply listen often!

A nice cozy summer read that is perfect for the beach --- if you're not scared of the ocean...

This is exactly what you would expect from a Katherine Center book: funny, lighthearted tone with the exploration of heavier topics.

The audiobook: I enjoyed the audio! I would recommend and definitely think it helped me get through this book quickly. The perfect book to listen to on the beach, while traveling in the summer, etc. The narrators were good and it was generally a fun book to consume.

The story: I liked the romance, pacing, setting, their unique jobs, found family, and the cute scenes. Big TW for body image and disordered eating- these topics are discussed in depth and at length, but I appreciate the overall message.

Overall, The Love Haters is not my favorite from this author, and it didn't make/ leave a lasting impact on me, but I did have fun listening to the audio.

4.5⭐️. Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin’s Press for the 🎧 arc! It was well loved and appreciated.

Katherine Center is an auto buy for me. I love how real her books are and how the people in her books deal with the same things we all deal with. I enjoyed the story overall. Would have liked a little more passion, but the story and the journey was still good and well worth the read. The brother was absolutely insufferable. All of the other characters were multilayered and beautiful. I love George Bailey the Great Dane and all his adorable antics so much!

Content Warnings: eating disorder, body dysmorphia, body image struggles, grief, loss of parents, loss of spouse, alcohol intoxication, hurricane, natural disaster
Spice: none (kissing only)
Tropes: coast guard, military, forced proximity, journalist-interviewee, miscommunication, enemies to lovers

LOVED:
- As always, I love KCʻs writing style. Makes the story fly by and feels like having a chat with a bestie.
- The body image storyline. I had read a few reviews saying that it was waaaay too much, but I think Katieʻs struggle with her body was very realistic and social media bullying is REAL.
- George Bailey!! I will always love a dog in the story :)
- Aunty Rue and "the girls"
- Both Katie and Hutchʻs jobs were super interesting. I have a friend in the Coast Guard and rarely see them represented in fiction. I also have a few videographer friends and I love how Katie highlighted their creativity, their ingenuity, and their sponteous sides!

LIKED:
- Katieʻs journey getting more comfortable in the water!
- The beige to color plotline. I am a chromophilia nerd and color is my JAM. I know everyone has a right to their own preference, but people who donʻt prefer color make me sad haha.
- Hutchʻs penny jar *cue the bittersweet tears*
- The brother dynamic (Iʻm a sucker for sibling plotlines in fiction). They went through something so traumatizing as children but because they both had different perspectives on it and didnʻt unpack it until they were adults, they missed out on so many years they could have had in a healthy(er) relationship.
- The wiiiiild ending, my heart was definitely pounding lol

MEH:
- I wish we got a little more of just Katie and Hutch together at the end, but nothing major!

*Audio review: I petition to never let anyone else narrate KC books but Patti! Her narration style PERFECTLY matches Katherineʻs writing style!! She makes the main characters talk right to us.

4.5 Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC. I really loved the setting in Key West, the primary characters and the secondary characters as well. This story was so atmospheric that I am now planning a trip to Key West but no rides in helicopters please. I met the author at a book signing event today and she is absolutely lovely. Her enthusiasm for her story and her generosity in sharing a few details and background information further enhanced this experience. Thank you @katherinecenter !!

MY MOST ANTICIPATED READ FOR 2025! 🌸💛

I loved EVERYTHING about The Love Haters! I will reread this story next week because I want to tab most of the book if I’m being honest! 🌸

If you haven’t read books by my fav author: @katherinecenter PLEASE DO! She is the QUEEN 👸🏼 of laugh-out-loud romcoms with deep emotions and HEAs that leave you feeling so hopeful! 💗🌸

I would rate it 6 stars ⭐️ if I could!!!!

Katherine Center consistently delivers heartwarming stories with genuine characters, and The Love Haters was no exception, confirming her talent for blending humor with emotional depth. I received the audiobook ARC and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the talented Patti Murin's narration of the story. The unique choice of a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer as a main character was a refreshing diversion from more typical first responder roles, adding a layer of authenticity and high-stakes adventure that truly elevated the story. The vibrant and often hilarious interactions with Rue and "the Gals" provided wonderful moments of friendship and comic relief, enriching Katie's journey of self-discovery. And speaking of charming characters, George Bailey, a rescued Great Dane, stole my heart from his very first appearance, adding an extra layer of warmth and delightful chaos to the narrative.

If you're searching for the perfect beach read that offers more than just sunshine and romance—a story that blends genuine humor with heartfelt emotion and a dash of adventure—then The Love Haters is absolutely for you. Fans of authors who masterfully blend romance with comedic flair will find themselves thoroughly charmed.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Did I immediately feel hooked? No. Would I recommend it? Also yes.
Although I did enjoy this read, I felt like Katherine Center tried to pack too many topics into one book, ultimately taking away from the story. The last 1/3 of this book was great and I felt like the romance finally took the spotlight. George Bailey, the Great Dane, really stole my heart!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

The Love Haters - perfect title for this audiobook! Katie is possibly on the verge of losing her job, so she takes on this weird assignment - profile and make a video about Tim "Hutch" Hutcheson - a hero Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. Only problem is Katie can't swim. Oops! But she needs her job and will figure it out. She stays at a bungalow owned by Hutch's aunt and the adventures pretty much start on day 1. Oh, did I forget to mention that Hutch's brother was the one who assigned Katie this job - yes, her supervisor! Something is always happening, and I didn't stop listening to this book until it was done. I just needed to know what was going to happen to these two! Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for giving me early access to this audiobook!

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for my ALC of this book; all opinions are my own!

I would like to note that I am a Katherine Center STAN so this one pains me, but I fully believe this is a case of “it’s not the book, it’s me.”

I thought the overall message of self love and acceptance in this book was really great. I loved the way Katie went through several different phases of learning what that looks like, and how she ultimately decided, with the help of her best friend and Hutch, that it was up to her and her alone to love herself. Everyone needs a best friend who will relentlessly love and support them.

Unfortunately I just wasn’t invested in the details of the story. I think it might’ve been that Hutch was military (personal ptsd) or that he never really seemed all that invested in Katie. I know his whole thing was that he was a goner from the very start, but it came across as indifference almost the entire time and I just wanted him to show more. I got it, he’s military and a recluse, but it just didn’t work personally for me.

Overall, as with any book, I think you should give it a try to see if it’s for you, this one is just not for me.

The Love Haters is a fizzy, funny, feelings-forward rom-com with a sharp edge and a gooey center—basically, the book equivalent of a chocolate-covered jalapeño. Katherine Center once again delivers a heroine who is smart, stubborn, and emotionally arm-wrestling with the idea that maybe love isn’t the enemy.

The story leans into the “we can’t stand each other, or can we?” dynamic, delivering banter that crackles, characters with real emotional depth, and just the right amount of romantic tension. Expect smart dialogue, swoony moments, and a satisfying dose of self-discovery that gives the book more substance than your average rom-com fluff.

This is my third book by Katherine Center, and she's become an author who consistently delivers for me. I once again enjoyed the characters and their development, plot line, and the way the story kept me fully engaged. I was not familiar with the narrator, Patti Murin, but she did a fine job. Center writes books that are a relatively quick and easy read. I would recommend her.

Thanks to Netgalley for an audio version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I know I’m in for a treat when it’s time for a new Katherine Center book, and The Love Haters did not disappoint! We went on a journey with Katie, from an unlucky in love monochromatic water-phobe to…. well, you’ll have to stick around to see! The characters in The Love Haters are likable and easy to root for (most of them, anyway!). Though being a Center novel, I knew a happily ever after was about guaranteed, the journey there was joy, largely based in Katie’s transformation.

I listened to The Love Haters in just one day - and while the story had a bit of a slow start, once it got going, I was hooked! Set in sunny Key West, this rom-com is full of charm, humor, and heart.

Katie Vaughn is a video producer who’s faking it till she makes it - literally. When she’s offered a career-changing opportunity to film a profile on Hutch, a broody and ridiculously attractive Coast Guard rescue swimmer (who just so happens to be her coworker’s estranged brother), she says yes. The only problem? She can’t swim. Cue the lies, the chaos, and the flirtatious banter!

I loved the banter between Katie and Hutch - it was adorable and had me over here grinning. That kind of slow-burn, flirty tension is my jam. Hutch is 100% book boyfriend material.

That said, I really wish we got a dual POV. I wanted to know what Hutch was thinking throughout! And while the story is cute and cozy (no spice, for those wondering!), there was a lot of repetitive body image talk that became a bit much after a while. It definitely could’ve been dialed down without losing impact.

Overall, this was a fun, feel-good listen that mixes heartfelt moments with lighthearted humor. If you’re in the mood for sunshine, a swoony hero, and a heroine learning to brave the truth, this one’s worth adding to your TBR!

This book did not disappoint. Laugh out loud funny. Katherine Center is a new author for me and I will definitely be reading her back catalog. Thank you to the publisher, author and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5 ⭐️

Katie takes on a weird but fun mission to save her job: head to Key West and film a promo video about her co-worker’s brother, Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who’s gone a bit viral. She’s no stranger to the internet — her ex is a pop star, and she learned quickly how cruel people can be behind a screen. Now she’s left that life behind and is trying to stay afloat (literally — she can’t swim) while hiding the real reason she’s there from their aunt, learning the ropes of her job, and not falling for the moody guy teaching her to swim.

I loved Katie—she is a delightful disaster and her intrusive thoughts are served up with sarcasm, dark humour, and full-body cringe, and I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times. The audiobook narrator absolutely nailed her voice.

But let’s be real: Hutch had the personality of a soggy sponge, and the fake romance setup plus sibling rivalry subplot? Just too juvenile for me. I kept waiting for it to evolve into something a little more mature, but it stayed stuck in sitcom territory.

That said, I still enjoyed it. It’s chaotic, dramatic, completely over-the-top—and exactly the kind of escapist nonsense I needed. More self-love journey than love story, and honestly, I was here for that. Also, the author’s note about falling for your characters? Same. Katie, you weirdo, I adore you.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

The Love Haters follows Katie Vaughn, a Texas-based video producer facing potential layoffs. To save her job, she accepts an assignment to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The book also features characters like Hutch's spirited Aunt Rue and a lovable Great Dane named George Bailey, who add some fun and color to the story, but overall, I feel this story left something to be desired.

I will preface this by saying this is the first Katherine Center book I have read, so I don't have anything to compare it to when it comes to her work, and I did end up liking this book a lot more than I initially thought I would. But I also think this is one of my lowest-rated reads so far this year.

Not for a lack of adorable side characters, though. I want my own George Bailey, and I LOVE It's A Wonderful Life, so nostalgia points for the name. Aunt Rue also reminded me so much of my aunt, giving such wise advice, much of it coming from having lived through hard things herself and just wanting better for others. I also thought the narration for this book was good. I'm pretty picky when it comes to audiobooks, and I didn't have any issues with this one. The tone, pacing, quality - everything was great.

My bigger issues came with that, on a surface level, I did enjoy the book and it's concept but there was also a lot that just made the book fall short for me, from the odd pacing and plot holes at the end of the book to the overall underdeveloped "romance" and characters. For example, the two main characters felt one-dimensional - I wanted to like Hutch so bad, but I feel like, beyond one story about his family and that he's in the Coast Guard, I didn't know much about him by the end of the book. And Katie felt reduced to nothing more than her trauma and body image issues that stemmed from a shitty relationship. Not that it wasn't completely valid trauma, but not something that should define a character. I understand what Center was trying to accomplish and convey. Still, it focused a lot more on body image issues and trauma than I was expecting (lol trigger warnings for ED, body dysmorphia, the works).

Overall, the book had great themes; they just weren't as developed as I was hoping they'd be, making the book border more on self-help rather than rom-com.

Katherine Center writes such cute closed door summer romances. Was this anything groundbreaking? No, definitely not. That being said, I did have such a smile on my face while reading this book. It is a perfect light hearted beach read. The setting of Key West could not be any more ideal. I fear I have to visit simply by getting the vibes from this book. Our main character obviously had body image issues, and it is a bit knocked over your head by the end, but I did appreciate the author's note and how it related to her and helped her write this book. Sometimes the insta-love troupe makes me want to cringe into oblivion, but this one was done well. The premise was a bit unique, kind of got a bit clunky in the middle, but ended up satisfactory. I did very much enjoy learning more about the Coast Guard, and found the rescue aspect to be quite interesting and created a perfect amount of tension. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life and I really enjoyed the audio version of this book! Overall, while the story was far from perfect, I did enjoy my time reading and found it to be a great summer book! 3.75/5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I laughed my way through most of it and there were parts that made me angry, parts that made me sad. It was truely an emotional rollercoaster and I was here for it. This book was narrated by Patti Murin and she did a great job. It isnt often that I listen to single narration anymore, but this was well done.This book is for fans of Fake Dating, Meddling Family, Workplace Romance, and Touch and unalive vibes. A big thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.