It has been a bit of a mixed bag for me when it comes to Katherine Center novels. A few were good but had some issues, while others were absolutely stunning. So coming off of The Rom-Commers (5 star!), I was really excited to get approved for The Love Haters.

I’m happy to say it was a great read. I loved Katie and Hutch. It had the same quick and witty humor I associate with Center’s writing, while still focusing on heavy topics such as grief and body positivity. However, you really have to suspend your belief towards the end, and I would have preferred a bit more of a payoff when it came to the romance. Overall though, great concept and well worth the read.

I absolutely love Katherine Center’s books and consider her to be one of my favorite authors. The Love Haters was a fun read, and while it’s not my favorite KC book it’s still worth picking up.

As with all of Katherine’s books, there’s an underlying message beyond the romance storyline that delves into topics of grief, body positivity, and self worth. I really liked Katie’s journey of learning to love herself and see her body in a positive light. I think every woman can relate to this in some way.

I also liked the general plot of the book. Coast Guard MMC, videography of him doing his job, a brother who messes things up, a few instances of miscommunication, a fun aunt and her posse of old ladies that like to meddle…there was so much fun and just the right amount of angst to keep me wanting to read and see their story unfold.

I think the reason this wasn’t a 5 star read for me is because of a few instances where the book “jumped the shark” a bit. Katie’s reaction to being in a houseboat in a hurricane was really unrealistic to me. Feeling like you’re about to die and using that time to become enlightened on body positivity is not how a typical person would react. I was also disappointed in the culmination of Hutch’s and Katie’s love story. For such a dramatic situation they were in it was really anticlimactic, Hutch seemed unaffected by Katie’s near death experience, and I just didn’t feel like he was a man in love. Where’s the protectiveness? Where’s the relief that she’s ok? Where’s the emotion?
Like I said, it was still a really fun read, full of humor and heart, and Katherine Center really can’t write a bad book. It just wasn’t my favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Key West, Katie is sent to create a promotional video for the Coast Guard's rescue swimmers, focusing on Hutch. Katherine Center has been an auto-read author for me since The Bodyguard, and this didn't fail. This rom-com had me genuinely laughing out loud plus some real tender moments. There are twists and turns in this book that maybe I should have seen coming but got to enjoy along the way!

Things I loved:
🌴 Forced proximity
🌴 Aunt Rue and The Gals at The Starlite
🌴 Thunder-phobic George Bailey the Great Dane (is the real star of this book)
🌴 Body positivity
🌴 Military - Coast Guard
🌴 Chromophobia (do I have this too?)

5/5 stars

Closed door / kissing only

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc! I love Katherine Center and her characters. Her romances always have humor, love, and her characters are real, and have real struggles. In The Love Haters, the main character Katie is dealing with a lot in her personal life. Her ex, is not exactly a stand up guy, some might call him a douchebag. Her job is in peril due to cuts, and finally she is at war with herself, and her body. As the author states she is in an enemies to lovers relationship with herself.

As always KC tackles all of these with humor, a bit of fun and of course a few twists and turns that keep you wondering what will happen. In her latest novel her main character Katie, has a tough work assignment, but that's nothing compared to the personal assignment she's embarking on, to love herself as she is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This was sweet and cute summer goodness. Hilariously written with multiple laugh out loud moments that had me cackling at the craziness. Major body positivity (or lack thereof) theme which was nice to see represented. This was an easy quick great afternoon read and will be perfect for beach and pool time.

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Pub Date: May 20, 2025
How I Read It:📱

Synopsis
Katie is on the chopping block at work, so to save her job, she agrees to take a job that could literally kill her. She’s assigned to film a promotional video in Key West, where she’ll be following around a Coast Guard hero named Hutch. The only problem is, she can’t swim, and she lied to her boss, Cole, to get the gig. She flies from Texas to Key West, finding herself needing to learn how to swim ASAP, meeting a quirky cast of characters, including a Great Dane named George Bailey, and ends up on a houseboat during a hurricane.

My Thoughts
Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw a new book was coming out, I squealed with joy! This book was hilarious, heartwarming, sometimes unrealistic, and sometimes chaotic. I’m a huge fan of banter, and the banter between Katie and Beanie and Katie and Hutch was so much fun. You could only hope to have a friend like Beanie in your life- she was such a great character! I really loved ALL the characters, with the exception of Cole. There’s one part in the book that was a little outrageous to me, when Cole flies to Key West, but Center had to throw a wrench in Katie’s life somewhere - Cole was just an awful, awful person. With the book being set in Key West, Center also did a great job of making you feel like you were in a tropical paradise with the characters. All in all, this page turner was fun and had me cracking up, and it’s the perfect book for summer. If you loved Center’s previous books and you love some great banter and a sweet, heartwarming love story that it’s at your heartstrings, you’ll enjoy this one!

Themes
Body Positive
Self-love

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 5 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 4 ⭐️

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I think I went into this book with too many expectations. I previously read Hello Stranger by Katherine Center and loved it so much I gave it 5 stars. So, I was expecting the same kind of insta-love I had. It wasn’t the case. Many parts of the story bothered me : the whole persona of Cole, Kathie’s ex and the self hating. Cole was a central character because he brought a whole plot line with him, but he is such a hateful man that I was easily repulsed by him (The bar scene???). Also, I understand the author wanted to show how important loving yourself is but I think it wasn’t done in the best way and came up out of nowhere at the beginning. Based on this you might be wondering why 3 stars? Well, the ending, although highly unlikely, was pretty damn good and saved the whole thing. Hutch and Kathie’s relationship was organic and I loved the tension between the two. Also, adding a dog into the story was a great move and got me from the start because who wouldn’t love George Bailey?



Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange of my honest review.

I’m a big fan of Katherine Center’s and I’ve read several of her books but this one didn’t really do it for me. There were too many crazy scenarios thrown into one book. The coffee and the luggage at the airport, the butt splinters, the boss that can’t stop lying, and then being stuck with a Great Dane on a houseboat in the middle of the ocean. Also the body issues took up too much space. I get that was her thing to overcome but there was too much talk about ankles and earlobes. Rue and the gals were the best part and I did like the hurricane ending.

Sometimes there are books that come into your life just when you need them. The Love Haters is that book for me. This was not only the journey of Katie and Hutch learning to love each other, but also the journey of Katie learning to love herself again.

I got to read this as an eARC from Net Galley, and I can’t explain how happy I am that I didn’t have to wait until release day to read this.

I can’t explain the anxiety I had when Katie was on top of the house boat with George Bailey just waiting to be rescued. Then Hutch rescues her!? And then kisses her!?

This book definitely wasn’t a slow burn because right away you felt the chemistry between hutch and Katie, but it took them to almost the very last page to finally be together and now I want more.

This book is for the reader who wants a FMC who is finding her joy again with an emotionally distant MMC who loves his family and friends. A giddy romance that has you smiling with every interaction.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is about a video producer who happens upon a job, too important to pass up, making a documentary. I liked that the story wasn’t just a typical romance, but also explored friendship, self love, loss, and grief (but in a way that doesn’t completely break you). Without saying too much about the ending, I was a little concerned with the direction it was heading and the events taking place; I actually thought it was going to ruin the book for me. I’m glad to say that wasn’t the case. Four stars for a cute romance with tropical vibes.

Rounded up from 4.5 stars. Would have been a 5 if not for the lying situation with Cole, it just didn’t feel realistic for Katie to go along with that.

First of all, trigger warning for anyone actively struggling with disordered thoughts about their body. The overall theme is extremely body positive and loving yourself and your body, but the character for sure struggles with this in the beginning and needs to overcome it. If you are triggered hearing someone talk about themselves in a negative way, even if you know it’s going to come around, skip this one. Because it’s a major theme.

All of that out of the way, I really did enjoy how Emma came to value herself, and the role Beanie played in making her really think about it more. It’s something I am sure a lot of people can relate to, and I loved the idea of having to name things you specifically love about body parts.

The romance is fun, and just like previous Katherine Center books, witty and quick. Sometimes I feel like she is inside my head and can imagine my internal dialogue saying the exact same things.

It’s a love story, but not just a romance, a self love story as well, and I really enjoyed 95% of the book. I know there needs to be some conflict, but I just was not a fan of Cole’s role in this story and the ability he had to shake everyone up.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I got what I expected from a Katherine Center romance. It had humor, some serious issues and a perfect romance. Couldn’t put it down!

"The Love Haters" by Katherine Center offers a light, predictable romantic comedy with charming characters. While the writing is engaging, the plot feels formulaic and the character development could be deeper. Fans of the genre will enjoy the familiar tropes, but those seeking a more nuanced exploration of relationships may find it lacking. Overall, an enjoyable read for romantic comedy enthusiasts.

Katherine Center has done it again! This book has everything one could hope for: swoony MMC, FMC full of wit and self awareness, and a big goofy dog to bring them together! I found myself laughing out loud while anxiously awaiting the HEA.

Thank you SMP for my copy! Another joyful, heartfelt, emotional read from Katherine Center. I absolutely adore the way her books just shimmer with hope, heart and healing. They make me feel so seen and connected to humanity when I read them. It's always a struggle to read as quickly as I can because I can't get enough of the story vs. slowly savoring it because I don't want it to end.

Katherine Center is an AUTOMATIC BUY for me, every. single. time. I'm obsessed with the way her rom-com books aren't really about the romance, but really about a Bigger Thing that doesn't usually have to do with the male love interest. The male love interest is just a bonus story line.

HOWEVER! I could have really appreciated a big fat (pun intended) content warning for the ED coded talk that went on in here. The main character, our hero, Katie, has long since suffered from body image issues due to the comments from trolls on the internet when her boyfriend/fiance gets tiktok famous and lands a record deal and because the music scenes next heart throb. Assholes on the internet make horrific comments about Katie's image/weight and lead to a long battle with, what it sounds like, starving herself to drop down in weight.

While I still enjoyed this story for what it was, I'm sure hundreds of readers might immediately want to put this book down with an intro like that.


OTHER THAN THAT, it was fun, silly, chaotic, and that ending was very very very unpredictable. A little outworldly? Probably, but I had a hell of a great time reading it.

I love it when Katherine Center makes me cry.

Another perfect romance from Katherine Center that once again pulls you in and makes you care for the characters. Although this story has parts that feel a little far fetched, it was still endearing and full of resilience, heart, and depth. The novel follows Katie who is trying to keep her job as a video production editor who enjoys making "real life" documentaries on everyday heroes. She is assigned to follow Hutch, a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer for a promotional video and lies about knowing how to swim. The story is set in Key West which Center really brings to life. I loved the setting and all the characters from Rue, Beanie, Hutch, and don't forget about George Bailey the Great Dane. The main character, Katie, not only has to overcome her fear of water but she must face her love hate relationship with her own body and her relationship with herself. The story is really more than a romance as there is no spice. I love the afterwards by the author were she takes about how loves stories are therapy and not shallow but deep. A quick and easy read that I quickly devoured to see how it would all end and I was not disappointed.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC for my honest opinion.

This book! I laughed, I cringed, I cheered on Katie as she did hard things. It wasn’t just a romance but an inspirational story of overcoming other people’s opinions and your own self sabotage. One of the best romance books that I’ve read in a long time

Thank you to netgalley for the arc! Things a very light romcom, and fans of Katherine Center will devour this book. It carries the same conversational style with the reader, funny moments, and a bit of suspense at the end. If you’re looking for more complex, authentic character development, this is on the lighter end, and you may feel left wanting more. Hallmark lovers will love this!

Charming, well-written, and entertaining. The Love Haters takes you away to Key West and introduces you to an engaging cast of characters. This could have easily been a 4+ star book if not for the self-hate the FMC felt about herself.