
Member Reviews

The Love Haters is a wild ride from Katherine Center following a video producer and her reluctant Coast Guard subject. This book is humorous, sexy, and thrilling at times. The author thoroughly researched the Coast Guard and does an amazing job of accurately representing this hardcore heroes. I highly recommend this book for spicy adult romance lovers, as long as you're willing to suspend your disbelief at some of the likely coincidences and ridiculous situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Love Haters by Katherine Center.
This book delivers all the heart, humor, and emotional depth that fans of Katherine Center have come to expect. It blends romantic tension with themes of self-worth, personal growth, and second chances in a way that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking. The main character’s voice is relatable and sincere, and the setting adds a breezy charm that enhances the story’s warmth.
While the pacing felt uneven in spots and some emotional beats could have landed stronger, the overall journey was engaging and satisfying. A solid read for fans of contemporary romance with a meaningful, empowering core.

This is my 3rd Katherine Center read and she has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors! And Patti Murrin narrated and next to Julia Whelan she is my top audiobook narrator!
This book is a cute summer read while also tackling difficult issues like insecurity and family conflict. It takes place in the Florida Keys (which, as a born and raised Floridian I was super excited to have my home state as the background of this story) about a video producer (*who can’t swim*) who is tasked with profiling a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Honestly, I was sold at ✨Coast Guard rescue swimmer 😮💨🤪
Anyways, I loved this book! It was cheesy at times and a little predictable, but I still had fun reading it and felt touched by the internal struggles of the main characters. Katie’s difficulties with self love were so relatable and while other reviewers have said she comes off as whiney and too insecure, I felt that she expressed feelings so many women experience.
Be sure to check this one out when it releases May 20th!!
And big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy 🫶🏼

If you are looking for a closed-door book that you will totally pull you in, this book is for you! The narrator draws you and keeps you entertained from the beginning till the end. You will fall in love with Hutch. He is such a great cinnamon roll MMC. I loved that Katie is a strong FMC also. Katherine Center wrote her so well! Katie's self-loathing turns into self-love, that resignates with this reader. Personally, it made me look at my own self-loathing.
Thank you MacMillian audio for allowing me to listen to and leave feedback for this book.

I love Katherine Center and this book was exactly what I’ve come to expect from her. Fun, thought provoking, and fun facts learned along the way.

I absolutely loved this one! Yet another great Katherine Center read! The characters had great chemistry. The plot was fun and different. I loved the back story and listening as the whole story progressed and developed. Her work is so healing to me. Love it and will be sure to recommend to others!

Being rescued by a handsome Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer was not what Katie had planned when she attempted to evacuate during a Hurricane.
Stubborn dog, complex Man, a documentary and a ton of second hand humiliation earns this Katherine Center title 4 stars. I took away 1 star for predictability.
Wildly entertaining and laugh out load funny! Another hit for Katherine Center. This could happen to any of us! I like that the story is relatable and could really happen!

Any review I write will not come close to the author's note about this story. Katherine Center talks about why we benefit from reading romances with happy endings, why we bond with certain characters, and why we need to stop the self-loathing and love ourselves, faults and all. Yes, this story has a unique magic, as the author says, and is so not real life, but we can still involve ourselves in their lives as they struggle with the things we all struggle with. 'It's healing to read stories about healing, it's nourishing to read stories about people finding nourishment....' and so on and so on. The narrator for this story is perfect for the part of Katie.

This story was fun. Katie & Hutch & Rue are such great characters. I wish Beanie had been in the story more since she was great. I liked the addition of George Bailey & the exposure to the topic of puppy mills. The build up of the friendship between Katie & Hutch was fun to read and then when it deepened into something else Cole wrecked it. Hutch’s jealous brother was pretty annoying but he brought Sullivan and I liked her. There were a few things that I didn’t enjoy. When Katie was talking to the 911 operator when the boat came unmoored she was annoyed that the operator wasn’t nicer. That person was sooooo busy in that moment & Katie was just chattering inanely. But…..did I love this book & was I grinning like a fool from the rescue until the end of the book? Yes, 100% yes. Katherine Center knows how to write a great romance book with some serious issues thrown in. The narrator was amazing & helped make the book even more fun.
Thanks to NetGalley, Katherine Center and MacMillan Audio for St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was a cute listen and I always enjoy Katherine Center’s writing. I liked the story between Kate, Hutch and Cole and was intrigued until the end.

Well if a book can make me cry , I’m giving it all the stars. If she writes it, I am reading it. Katherine center did it again. One month, one month, 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I LOVE THIS BOOK
Here is my emoji review
😂😂🔥💕🥹🫣😑😏😏🤣🤣🥹🥹🥺🥺🤣😏😏😳😳🥹🥹🫣🫣❤️🤣🤣🤣🥹🥹🥹
I repeat don’t drink water why listening or reading this book,

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advance recorded copy of this title.
Katherine Center is becoming one of my favorite authors. The title of this book is about how the main characters feel about love. The female protagonist was involved with a singer who hit it big, literally the night he proposed do her, and dumped her not long after. The man she is supposed to interview and make a short film of is described by his brother as a "love hater", though the brother does seem to have his own axe to grind. Katie is convinced to take the job, making a movie of Hutch, despite the fact that he is a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer--and she can't swim.
So off Katie goes to Key West, to stay in a cottage owned by the brothers' aunt, Rue. One of my very favorite parts of this book is the female friendships that it highlights--several of Rue's other cottages are inhabited year round by her friends, who have created a sort of septuagenarian sorority, swimming together regularly, sangria and dinner every night, etc. They welcome Katie with open arms.
Hutch is apparently an exceedingly good looking man who isn't aware of his own looks. And he has a Great Dane who is not aware of his own size. Thus, their first meeting is not exactly a meet-cute...
This book was timely for me, as I've just started dating again after a marriage ended badly 15 years ago. It had a lot--female friendship, self-esteem issues, sibling rivalry, trauma history, even a storm. On--and since this is an audiobook review, it also had a great narrator!
Highly recommend!

I'm a huge KC fan, but this book was a bit of a miss for me. I found it just OKAY. very forgettable, and the characters are a little too soft for me.

She does it again! Katherine Center is an immediate must read for me and this book did not disappoint. Her characters, Katie Vaughn and Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson, are real people, going through real life situations that force you to empathize and relate to the journeys without even trying.
I loved the dynamic of the relationships throughout the book and Katherine’s Author’s Note at the end is EVERYTHING! She explains every part of why this book is so important and heartwarming.
Patti Murin does a beautiful job narrating the story with dynamic voices for the character and passionate storytelling through Katie’s point of view.
This is a must read/listen for any Rom Com lover!

The Love Haters
by Katherine Center
5 out of 5 stars
Thank you to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When Katie is asked to produce a film for a Coast Guard project, she jumps in with both feet. Forget the fact that she can't swim. She'll figure that part out later. Along the way, Katie learns what it means to be brave.
I am pretty sure that each of Katherine Centers books gets better than the last. This book had all the elements- sad parts that truly had me chocking back a sob; happy parts that made me laugh; times I wanted to throw the book (well.... my phone since I listened to the audio) across the room from frustration... you get the point. Oh, and there is a dog!
"Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time." Isn't this the truth? There are so many ways this quote applies to the story. I loved the characters and their development. Katie has the fears that haunt a lot of women in today's society and has to endure the pressures of social media.
"Sometimes words aren't quite enough."
I would highly recommend this book to fans of Katherine Center and fans of rom-coms. It is set to be published on May 20, 2025. Put it on your library hold list now because I suspect there will be a long wait for this one! The audio book narrator was great, but I would bet this would be fantastic in any format.

It's impressive how human beings can sometimes forget compliments received from people, but the negative ones can stay forever, affecting self-esteem.
In this rom-com novel, Katie struggles to accept her physical appearances and embrace the way she really is because of negative remarks she has received about her body and her likes throughout her life.
Katie's job as a video producer is in the line when she is asked by her coworker to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, who happens to be his good-looking brother.
Katie has no choice but to take this job and travel to the Key West even if she doesn't know how to swim, and she doesn't even like to wear a swimsuit. So, with all her fears, she will travel to the Archipelago and find adventure, love, friendship, and herself.
I love that there is romance, but this is more about self-love, healing, and reconciliation with oneself.
The romantic part is full of trope and is spicy-free, so if you are looking for a spicy read, this won't be the book.
Instead, if you would like to read something funny, lively, with parts that you know it only happens in stories but as well with things relatable to real life, this is the book.
Also, there are other themes present in the novel, such as grief, second chances, and courage.
I like how Katherine Center's novels are clean, for some readers like me who don't care about explicit descriptions and character growth have more weight.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Patti Murin, and it was quite amusing. She has the art to transmit so many feelings with her voice.
In the end, the author's notes and acknowledgments are read by the author, and it was very pleasant to hear about her writing motifs and motivations.
If all mentioned above sounds good to you, I will recommend this book in any format.
Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for the advanced audiobook via Netgalley.
Publication Date: May 20th, 2025

First, thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my copy. I enjoy Katherine Center books. They are sweet and feel like a hug in book form. However, this was probably my least favorite book of hers I have read thus far. For me, the body image issues suffered by our FMC were a bit off-putting and the timing of the relationship between Katie and Hutch, plus the third act conflict just felt like a lot. That said, I am sure there are others who will enjoy this story. It just wasn't quite for me. I also found the narrator's read quite a bit immature and detracted from the book experience.

Sullivan is firing a third of the… no, half the staff in the midst of her divorce. Cole gives Kate an opportunity to work on a project that, if successful, could secure her position through this downsizing.
Her assignment? Fly to the Florida Keys and spend a month crafting video showing the heroism and excitement of the Coast Guard for recruitment. She’s going to capture clips of rescuers jumping from helicopters and bringing people home.
First problem? Kate can’t swim.
Second problem, her subject doesn’t do interviews. She’s got to convince him to do a day in the life interview to keep her job. But is that really what’s most important?
Katherine Center creates lovable and relatable characters. I was tempted to look up Jennifer Annistons dog being saved by a very handsome coast guard. I wanted to give the Great Dane all the puppy dog snuggles. I laughed as the older women meddled with Kate and Hutch.
Katie does experience a lot of issues with her body. I grew up in the 90s and can relate to the way she feels throughout the book as she learns to love herself.
I don’t normally read a book more than once. But this one, I went back in and listened again as soon and I finished. These were friends I wanted to revisit.
I 100% agree with Katherine Center and her belief in the importance of romance novels and reading in general. Even if it’s fiction, if it’s written well, you join the story characters. You learn along with them. You feel empathy for these characters. In a time where we so desperately need to remember that we are all just humans, empathy is imperative.
As far as the narrator goes, Patti kept my attention. Cole was my least favorite character just on his voice alone. But it suited him. I often need to increase the speed on a book to keep my focus, but I was able to listen at the default pace.
Thank you to Katherine Center, MacMillan Audio, Patti Murin and NetGalley for the opportunity to go on this journey with Katie and listen to the ARC.

This was SO GOOD. I’m not gonna lie, when I started this, I wasn’t loving it. But the more I got into it, the more I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I related, and I didn’t. I experienced frustration and empathy and entertainment. The mix of the romance, women’s fiction, personal growth, and even the pup made this book come together. I think if you read this, stick with it. You may learn something new about yourself and may even laugh, cry, and experience to the fullest along the way. Katherine Center, cheers to you for this one. It was amazing. And thank you for the research you put into this book. Great job. Can’t wait for what you bring to us next.

Is it possible that the audio book could be better than the actual book?? The narrators were great and really enhanced the story.
There were so many laugh out moments in this book, and they were even better on the audio book. Thank you to NetGalley for
allowing me to listen to this book and relive again. All of the characters were very well developed and adorable. George Bailey
may have been one of my favorite character.