Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I have read other books by Katherine Center and I was looking foward to this one. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. It enjoyed the beginning but then I had a hard time getting through this book. Maybe for others they would enjoy it and I don't want to deter anyone from reading it.

Also, this will not stop me from reading Katherine Center books in the future.

AHHH! Katie and Hutch! They had me kicking and giggling my feet at times. Katie's feelings towards her body felt a little too familiar to me and i am sure. for many women. I love the ending, it felt so strong and empowering. I enjoyed this read! Writing was fun and quick.

Had many ups and downs with this book as I read. This is my first Katherine Center book, and I will say I loved her voice throughout the story. Her writing is very descriptive and easy to breeze through. However, I was not a fan of Katie. In the beginning, chapter after chapter detailed her issues with her body to the point where being deeply insecure was her only character trait. The first few chapters were difficult to get through for that reason. But overall, the story was cute, light, and easy to read.

It was sweet and the message about body dysmorphia and self-image was very genuine. It did a great job of providing romance that wasn’t just fluff but also substance.

I wanted to strangle Cole by the end. Although I am sure that is a collective and intended sentiment.

Now on to the criticisms, because when can I resist?

I felt like the ending gave the necessary drama but fell short on the romance. The epilogue was somewhat dragged out. Like a bunch of afterthoughts to tie everything in a happy bow.

<b>Overall, </b>it was definitely an enjoyable read and I would recommend if you’re looking for a more serious romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story hit way deeper than I was expecting. It's part of the reason why I adore Katherine's writing so much! She took this adorable romance story and filled it with life lessons about self-love. The kind that smack you right upside the head and open your eyes at the same time.

You know what else it's full of? Brilliant characters! From the love haters, Katie and Hutch, right down to Lucky the toad- you can't help but love every unique character along the way.

I was soooo intrigued by the book description. A fun romcom with two "love haters" in Key West ? Sign me up!! I really enjoyed the beginning, but then Katie's insecurities took over the whole plot and I was getting really annoyed. I kept going since I actually really liked Hutch. But unfortunately I felt no chemistry between the characters.

That being said, I was so glad to have Rue and the Gals to bring some lightness and fun. I also really enjoyed getting to know Hutch and loved his character arc.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book 🫶🏽

Katie, Cole, Hutch, Aunt Rue and a dog named George Bailey will have you laughing, getting angry and falling in love. What a fun story. Another hit by Katherine Center. I went from reading the book to listening to the audiobook. I so enjoyed both formats.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, #StMartin’sPress, #KatherineCenter, #PattiMurin and #TheLoveHatersANovel for the arc for my honest review.

4.5⭐️
As someone who has suffered from BDD her whole life, I very much related to Katie. This is a story about love from so many angles. Loving partners, friends, animals, and at the end, loving yourself. Was the plot absolutely silly and unrealistic? Absolutely. But for me it was a relatable rom com and another great read from Katherine Center. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Katie, a videographer who is on the verge of being laid off, gets assigned by her coworker Cole to make a video about the Coast Guard in Key West. Specifically highlighting a hero (who also happens to be Cole’s brother) named Hutch. There’s one problem: she can’t swim. She lies and Hutch teaches her. She starts falling hard for Hutch, and then Cole shows up and turns everything upside down. Chaos ensues.

I really enjoyed this! I have loved every Katherine Center book I’ve ever read, and this one is no exception. Katie was so great, and I loved her (colorful) growth throughout the story. Hutch was the perfect love interest. I feel like I’m half in love with him myself! I definitely recommend this book.

It feels like spring is coming when a new Katherine Center book is around the corner. I was really looking forward to The love Haters. I enjoyed the book and think it would be a wonderful beach read. The book follows Katie, a woman who is learning to love herself, as she goes on an assignment in Florida where she falls for Hutch, a charming Coast Guard. I did find that there were a lot of things going on in the book. However, it was a quick read overall and one to put on the spring/summer reading list.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

2.75/5 stars

I was really enjoying the first 2/3 of this book, but we completely lost the plot in the last third. What happened to the documentary Katie was filming on the coast guard? Why all the lies and frustrating miscommunications?

I would have enjoyed this book so much more if it stayed on track with its initial course. The tension between Katie and Hutch was building at a nice pace. I was fully on board with their compelling character development regarding past traumas with body image issues for Katie and a tragic loss for Hutch. But unfortunately, all of this halted with the unnecessary and really jarring third act conflict, and the plot never managed to get back on course from there on.

I nearly DNFed at 70%, but Patti Murin’s vibrant narration made me finish the book. The ending, sadly, was not any better.

This was my first Katherine Center read and I was really looking forward to reading The Love Haters after hearing her other novels being spoken so highly of by others. Unfortunately, I didn’t love it but would give her other work a chance in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this book before publication. If you’re a fan of Center’s other work, I recommend giving The Love Hater’s a chance as it will probably be a hit for fans of her other work.

I normally do not read romance books or any type of books where one of the main characters in the military… why you might ask because I myself I’m in the military and this one while I’m not in the Coast Guard I am in the Navy. I work on the same type of helicopters that they would use as the Coast Guard to do the rescue swimming in this. But not only that I work with rescue swimmers! When we got to the beginning of the book, I can say that when it came to Weight and Balance I was a bit annoyed. And this is why I don’t read books with any type of military talk or what I do in it. While they do go for weight and balance of the aircraft and a commercial aircraft, they do average the average person‘s weight for weight and balance. I have flown on aircraft and they’ve never once asked me what my weight was nor do they know my weight so when she started kind of freaking out about that, it made me roll my eye.
Looking past that and trying to take the rest of the story for what it is I found that the book was cute I ended up really liking the characters. If it is a Katherine Center book I am going to pick it up. I like her writing style and how she tells her stories. The personal growth of Katie was great to see and I really loved the Key West setting.

Another great love story from Katherine Center! I loved the behind the scenes look at the coast guard and I always love a Great Dane cameo.

What a fun story! A little over-the-top, which is what I expect from Katherine Center. I love these characters and their personal growth as they get to know each other. This is a perfect beach read - set in Key West and starring a kind, if private, Coast Guard rescue swimmer. As does all of Center’s books, this one addresses a timely, serious topic which lands this story between romance and women’s fiction. Our leading lady deals with body image issues, so please be aware and be kind to yourself when reading. This sweet romance leaves all spice off the page - kissing only! Another wonderful love story from Center and one I highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I really love Katherine Center and I’m so sad that I didn’t love this more… it just felt like a miss for me. It was a very quick, lighthearted rom-com which had focuses on self-discovery and self-empowerment which was beautiful.. but could’ve done without a lot of the rest. Also.. For a title that is about lover haters, I truly didn’t get the vibe that any of them hated love..

That being said, I’ll continue to read future books of Center’s as I do love her writing style, and hope others hit closer to home for me!!

Thank you NetGalley, Kathrine Center, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read / listen to this story.

Katie is a videographer making a promo video in Key West encouraging people to sign up for the Coast Guard, but she has no idea how to swim.

I started this book as an ebook ARC and couldn't get into it, but then I was gifted an audiobook ALC from Netgalley and the narrator made the whole story come to life! I loved her so much and I would definitely recommend this one on audio. She made the antics funny and the banter swoony.

I did not like the body image storyline. It just wasn't enjoyable to read about, but the rest of the story was so good.

I did get misty eyes about some of the trauma the characters have gone through, but it wasn't a huge focus!

Things I love about this book:
The meddling old ladies 🥰
Single point of view - sometimes I just don't need to know what the MMC is thinking. It adds a layer of mystery 😆
Narrator
Banter
Documentary behind the scenes
US Coast Guard behind the scenes
The dog!
Side characters except Cole obviously
The reconciliation subplot

If negative self talk is not an issue for you, you should totally pick this book up (and by book, I mean your headphones).

Katie Vaughn’s job as a video producer is on the line, so she must do whatever she can to prove her worth. Her coworker, Cole, offers her a gig to make a promo video for the Coast Guard following a rescue swimmer named Hutch. Katie jumps at the opportunity even though she has no idea how to swim. Cole also suggests that while Katie is there, she should try to convince Hutch to be a subject in her “Life in the Day Of” series, her side hobby where she highlights female heroes. This is the video she believes will save her job. Katie has no idea that this life changing opportunity will change her life in more than one way.

Love Haters is exactly what I would expect out of a Rom Com. Katie finds herself in hilarious situations while falling in love with. One of my favorite scenes is when Katie shows up to the pool to take a Coast Guard swimming test in a “sexy bathing suit” instead of a more practical athletic swimsuit. She ends up showing a little more than she is comfortable with. My one critique of this book is that there were too many things going on in the storyline. I thought that Katie getting wrapped up in Cole’s lie in the middle of the book was frustrating and unnecessary, it really took away from the romance storyline.

I am a fan of Katherine Center. I really enjoyed The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger. Love Haters did not quite meet the mark for me. As I was nearing the end of the book, I was sure that I would be rating it three stars. I had a change of heart after reading the Author’s Note. Katherine shared that when you are reading a really great story, you are not just watching it from the outside, you are literally in the story. I have to admit that this was true for me. I didn’t love all of it, but I was in it. I was right there with Katie and Hutch. I could see, feel, hear and smell all of it! For this reason, my official rating is a four.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review. My review can also be found on Goodreads, http://goodreads.com/sara_chisholm.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Love Haters in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center is never a miss, with witty banter full of depth. And always bright with laughter “Are ordinary ankles that mesmerizing? That sleek? That sophisticated?”

As universal and relatable as body image issues are, I found it difficult to connect with Katie’s motivations. I closed the book feeling like I needed more time with Hutch and Katie, who it seemed went from flirtatious to loves of each other’s lives too quickly; this reader wanted more build up, more longing. The chemistry was undoubtedly there, it just needed more time to brew.

I’ll always pick up a Katherine Center book and The Rom-Commers is one of my all time favourite reads.

All meet cute and no meat.

The body image self loathing side plot? Garbage.
Awful humans outnumber the good ones. 0 chemistry whatsoever. It ended and I was like do they even actually like each other?

I only finished because of George Bailey.