I am a big Katherine Center fan and was excited to grab an ARC of The Love Haters! I did enjoy the overall book, but felt that it was lacking some character depth overall. It seemed like we had barely touched the surface level of Hutch in particular. I did enjoy the Author's Note at the end and it helped to clarify some of the plot of the book for me personally. Overall it's what one expects from a rom-com and I was left happy at the end, as one should be.

I really love Katherine Center books. You can always count on a light, contemporary romance that explores an important topic. The Love Haters’ focus is on body positivity and the challenges facing the book’s main character.

The Love Haters starts off strong. I loved the premise, the characters (especially Aunt Rue), the humor and especially Great Dane, George Bailey. Even the “hot topic” was an important exploration of an issue that many (most?) women face. The first half of the book was exactly what I needed . . . an affable, sometimes laugh-out-loud story to escape from the challenges of real life.

The second half went off the rails a little bit. It was still entertaining, but didn’t have the same magic as the first half. I won’t get into specifics. But let’s just say the "lies and secrets" trope makes me cringe.

The Love Haters is still a fun read when you need something light-hearted to get your mind off the world.

Thank you Katherine Center and Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Love Haters.

I really went into this story hoping to love it, but unfortunately I couldn't get as into the book as I would have liked. I'm someone who doesn't need romance or steam when I'm reading books, but I did feel like our characters lacked passion or chemistry throughout this story which made it a bit challenging for me to follow along and connect with them.

Thank you for the ARC! <3

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for allowing me to read an eARC of this book! I absolutely loved this story, and Katie’s journey of not only romantic love, but also of self-love and self-acceptance! The characters were so relatable, and I wanted to go to Key West and be a part of the experience at the Starlite! What a phenomenal book!

I love love!This book has it in spades! Cole and Katie are coworkers. Cole, who is trying to save Katie’s job and not have to do a video story on his “hero” brother Hutch in Key West, sends Katie in his place. Katie is coming out of a bad relationship. She agrees to do the story even though she can’t swim and hates the idea of herself in a swimsuit. The story is on Hutch, who is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. He jumps out of helicopters to save people. My favorites in the story are George Bailey, a rescue Great Dane, and Aunt Rue and the Gals. Comedy is ahead as Katie goes to Key West and faces her fears head on. This book has it all; forced proximity, family dynamics, grief, body image, Coast Guard hero, tropical locale, and a slow burn. Get ready to be charmed by this story! 5 stars

I love Katherine Center books. This was a great book. It kept me interested I loved the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book and all her other books

I had fun reading this book!! Definitely had to suspend some disbelief but that’s why we love fiction.

Loved this book!! It has a little action and suspense, romance, and lots of personal growth for the FMC. I love how Katherine Center’s books almost feel like an autobiography, kinda like her main character is telling her future kids about her life. It’s a really fun style! This book has some insta-love which I personally don’t mind, I just know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea! :)

I don’t DNF often, especially not this far in, but I had to call it at 40%. I enjoyed The Bodyguard but didn’t love it, so I was curious to give this one a try. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hold my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun read that leaned more into comedy than romance—which surprised me as I was expecting a lot more romance. There are a lot of slapstick-style moments (ripped bathing suits, rogue dogs, unexpected chaos) that give the story its true rom-com energy. It’s very physical comedy—not so much clever banter or wit—and while that might not be for everyone, I found myself laughing out loud more than once.

Katie’s personal arc was actually my favorite part of the book. Her complicated relationship with her body is front and center, and the way Katherine Center described it as an enemies-to-lovers story between Katie and herself really resonated with me. Some readers might find parts of that journey uncomfortable or even a little triggering, but I appreciated the honesty of it and think a lot of people will see themselves in it.

The romance, though, was where this didn’t fully hit for me. Hutch is great on paper, but I wish we had seen more meaningful connection between him and Katie throughout the story. It’s a very slow burn, but so slow that it almost snuck up out of nowhere. And while I loved the Key West setting, I didn’t totally buy the setup—Katie’s assignment to film a promo video, and the idea that the shoot would take a month, didn’t really make sense. A project like that would usually have a tighter timeline and smaller budget, especially if funded by the government. Still, this is a heartfelt, entertaining story with plenty of emotional layers.

If you love movies like Just Go With It, Fools Gold, or The Lost City, this book is right up your alley!

Everything is Hollywood sized in The Love Haters. These characters do nothing halfway. Except communicate. It’s a fun, exaggerated time. Multi-time hero Tom “Hutch” Hutchinson is easy to love. The hijinks Katie gets herself into would make Jessica Day jealous. Their romance is sweet.

I found all the information about the coast guard very interesting. Katherine did a great job of putting you right in the helicopter with them. From what I’ve learned, I would most definitely not make it through swim school.

Great for readers who are just here for a fun time and don’t get the ick from the miscommunication trope.

What can I say? I loved having an opportunity to read this ARC. Throughout the story I kept finding myself smile ear to ear. I love the way Katherine Center winds her love stories together.
I find it so easy to relate to her characters, empathize with, and root them on! So many moment of giggling at the back and forth between Hutch and Katie. Between the sexy bathing suits, George Bailey’s antics, and hibiscus hair clips I was hooked from the start.

This is a must read if you love Katherine’s books and it was great that the latest after Rom-Commers (one of my favorite books of all last year) was just as enjoyable and engaging. LOVED!!

3.75 This was a cute read filled with really likable characters. The first half was a little slow, but I really enjoyed the second half.

I’ve enjoyed many of Katherine Center’s books and this is no exception. I’m looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of The Love Haters by Katherine Center in exchange for an honest review. It publishes May 20, 2025.
As always, Katherine Center brought us a wonderful story that touches on so much. I especially loved the author’s note, which I really appreciated.
This book was so sweet and inspiring, but also informative! I learned a lot about the Coast Guard, and really appreciated the way things were explained. I loved the setting, the character development, the relationships, all of it! I highly recommend this one!

"Love, Haters" by Katherine Center is a decent read that touches on themes of love and relationships. The story follows a protagonist who faces some ups and downs in her romantic life. While the characters are somewhat relatable, they lack depth at times. The writing is straightforward, making it an easy read, but it doesn’t always capture the emotional nuances.

Overall, it's an average book that offers some entertaining moments but may not leave a lasting impression. It's a light choice for those looking for a simple romance without much complexity.

Katherine Center is one of my go to authors. Her books are light but impactful and I love the romance element. I enjoyed the main characters, Katie and Hutch (and George Bailey!) and the USCG was a unique thing to be incorporated into the story. I am thankful to have been able to early read this book, and while it wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book, it still gets four stars!

I enjoyed it! It kept my attention and I really liked the unique, quirky dialogue/writing. I didnt love the family drama curveball that was thrown in at the end (seemed unrealistic) and the ending was pretty cheesy. But overall, I liked it!

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

I absolutely devoured this book. It showed the true struggle of overcoming issues with body image and loving yourself. Katie’s journey throughout the book of learning to love herself was truly the driving force that had me reading it in one sitting.

I loved the side characters. They were quirky small town beach characters that you do truly find in communities like that. Also, can we give a round of applause for the dog, George Bailey? He was wonderful!

I felt like Cole’s story took away from it all, but it wasn’t terrible. It got Katie down to Florida, but I didn’t think it needed to be that dramatic.

Hutch was awesome. He just was. While the story doesn’t focus as much on them, as it does on their personal journey, I loved that they got their ending, after Katie worked on herself and her love of herself.

I cried. I laughed. I cried some more from the overall inspiration that Katherine Center wrote into this book. As someone who struggled with body positivity, it was so refreshing.

Reviews will also be posted to social media at a later date.

Katherine Center's latest romance novel is a fun, summer read. Katie is a videographer assigned to film a video featuring her co-worker's grumpy brother. She ends up staying with his aunt and fun hijinks and romantic near misses ensue. I enjoyed the storyline and dialogue between the lead characters. Trigger warning: eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Katies has recurrent negative thoughts and comments about her body throughout the novel. At times it was a bit much for me.

I love Katherine Center’s books! This was a fun read. I liked the characters and setting! I appreciate the arc of this book! Looking forward to her next book!