This book is life changing. I’m not even exaggerating that this book shifted the way I view the world and myself. It was beautiful and lovely and there was not a single moment I didn’t enjoy. I have already told family and friends about it and will continue to recommend it as often as possible. Maybe I’m just riding a high (I finished a few minutes ago…which should add credence to my comment about already telling people about how amazing it is haha) but also it was just everything I could have wanted. I’m sure more specific commentary will come in time but I wanted to put this review out there while it’s fresh. If you’re seeing this and wondering whether to read it—just do it. You won’t regret it.

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

Let me preface this by saying that Katherine Center is one of my favorite rom com authors and I will always be biased when reading her books.

Katie has no choice but to accept a job filming a Coast Guard promo in Key West, Florida, centered around her colleague’s brother Hutch, with her job on the line. But there’s one problem: she can’t swim and Hutch is the only one who can teach her. But as she spends time with Hutch, she realizes his brother’s perception of him does not match the kind, selfless person she spends every day with.



Ahhhhhhh!! I loved this so much. Not only is it a love story between Katie and Hutch, but it’s also a love story for Katie and herself. Everyone should have a friend like Beanie, who pushes you to see the potential in yourself and all the beautiful things that make up you.

The subplot with Hutch and Cole was so unexpected but I feel like it was the perfect conflict. It really showed all of Hutch’s best qualities and how seriously he followed his convictions.

And Rue. Sweet, precious Rue. I wish I had a Rue in my life.

All in all, I loved this book. I love the way Katherine Center can make me laugh on one page and cry on the next. I love how real the issues the characters face are. It’s such a beautiful cross of romance and human stories.

Very cute read! It gave me all the feels. Katherine Center really paints a picture of a beautiful beachy setting where the two main characters- with their own flaws- meet and fall in love. Center goes deep by exploring more serious issues-.grief and loss through a tragic car accident- and how it affects relationships for decades. She also digs into body image issues in a touching way. This is a sweet escape I would recommend for those yearning for warm weather, salt air, and a love story where people overcome pain to find themselves, their family, and each other. Oh, and dogs. Loved George Bailey. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for an advance copy via NetGalley.

Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Rating: 0
Publish Date: May 20th 2025
Will I purchase a physical copy? Yes. Once it is released in paperback.

The first word that comes to mind when thinking about Love Haters (which I have been doing constantly since I finished the book and while reading is.. juxtaposition in what I believe is the best way)

We start out with a quirky and lovable FMC with some character hold ups that felt so realistic in writing it almost looped back to unrealistic. On the other side we have the typical swoon worthy MMC in a very 90's golden age Rom-Com that the more you read the deeper you understand his choices and actions that both feel very Fiction rather than Rom-Com.

It felt like on the surface, in the shallow water, and deep in the ocean it was all a romantic comedy, but at the same time in all those layers it is laced with real world tangible issues and relationships which as I said before feel so realistic that you start to question whether or not it can actually be realistic.

Add in some additional side characters to love and hate and round it out with the cutest dog and you have a book that is very hard to put down and harder to forget.

This would is a solid 3/5 for me. Largely because I went in expecting a cute Rom Com and got a Rom Com/Self Help. I do enjoy a good self help book on the side however, this felt like I got more self help out of it than the romance itself.

That being said, it was still a cute story line that kept me intrigued. Plus, it did have a lot of good lessons for any reader.

Also as a side, please read the authors note at the end. She manages to PERFECTLY describe what it feels like reading an all encompassing book ❤️

Quote: “Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time. That’s what life is for.”

I am a Katherine Center fangirl for life, so I was thrilled to have the chance to read this one via NetGalley and it did not disappoint. It’s Katie and Hutch’s love story, but also a love story between Katie and herself. It feels like a vacation in Key West and I loved every minute. I’ll be dreaming of sitting by the pool at the Starlite in a glorious caftan for years to come. When this one publishes on May 20, you need to grab it.

This story drew me in fast. As someone who was raised in the toxic diet culture era, I related to Katie’s inner struggles. This book had me hopping online to plan a beach vacation. It really captured the island town way and vibe. As my first KC book I flew through it and will be going back for more. It was filled with banter and emotion and kept me hooked.

Another KC gem. With current events highlighting the sacrifices and hard working first responders, it seems timely that our brooding MC is a Nat’l Guard rescue swimmer. He was fantastic. Katie’s growth is mainly a journey of self acceptance and love, especially with her physique. The negative influences we see in society and social media, and even with loved ones is addressed. Usually I don’t care for this theme in large doses, but KC writes so well and I really enjoyed Katie’s story and the healthy connections she made who helped her heal. I love how KC gives such endearing, meaningful support stories to pets. The Great Dane, George Bailey had my heart!

Katherine center can do no wrong. This book is full of banter and emotion that I was not ready for. Chapter 22 iykyk. I love a summer romance and Katherine center delivered so hard.

This book had a lot of potential. There were things I really liked. The characters of Rue and Hutch. Katie was insufferable. The body hating was done very poorly in my opinion. There needs to be trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. Please include. Because of that, I give this book a 2.5 star. Also, it kept including her ex fiancé, Lucas, saying how he wanted her back, but never made an attempt at getting her back? Seemed like a missed opportunity. A little unfinished maybe. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early and give my honest opinion on this book.

Releasing May 2025, the book is the perfect beach read and sure to be on your summer TBR!

A beautiful Coast Guard rescue swimmer? Check. A video producer who has been burned by love and doesn’t see how amazing she is? Check. Throw in a dog, a quirky yet lovable maternal figure, and a story set in paradise and you have the perfect ingredients for a romance.

One thing Katherine Center can do is write an easy-to-read romance, and The Love Haters is no different. However, this one seemed to focus more on self-love rather than romantic love (although there was plenty of that as well). Katie is a video producer who’s ex-fiancée became a full on celebrity after one of his songs went viral online. When that happened, the internet started ripping Katie’s looks apart in such a way that she is left with a poor body image, something that she must learn to overcome throughout the book. When Katie’s supervisor, Cole, assigns her to film a promo for the Coast Guard, Katie takes the job in an effort to save herself from getting fired. Except Katie can’t swim, and the subject of the promo turns out to be Cole’s brother, Hutch who seems too perfect to be real.

Katie travels to the Florida Keys for her assignment, meets Hutch and Cole’s aunt Rue, an adorable and quirky older lady who you can’t help falling in love with, and of course ends up falling for Hutch and his Great Dane George Bailey. Katie and Hutch must overcome lies, manipulation, and natural disasters on their journey to love, but it wouldn’t be a romance without some obstacles!

While I enjoyed this book, the romance between Katie and Hutch left me wanting more and to be honest, the aspect of Katie’s ex-fiancée being a singing sensation felt a little far-fetched. While many women must deal with body image, I think Katie would have been more relatable if her body issues were not exacerbated by the whole internet commenting on her looks. Her issues stemming from her step-mother’s words in her childhood were much more realistic.

I think my favorite parts of this book were actually Rue and George Bailey the Great Dane. Rue is the type of woman everyone needs in their lives: kind, compassionate, and bold. And who doesn’t love a big dopey dog? The Florida Keys setting was also perfect and had me craving a trip to the beach (and I’m not even a beach person!).

Overall, I enjoyed this book as I do with all of Katherine Center’s books, and would recommend it for anyone looking for a quick read that will make you feel all of the feelings while checking all of the boxes for what you want from a romance. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall 4 stars. The first few chapters felt a bit slow but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. I loved Rue and of course George Bailey. I do wish Katie and Hutch would have gotten together before the very end of the book, I was eagerly waiting to hear some of their story together so I think that’s what was missing for me. Otherwise I really enjoyed this read!

Just when I think Katherine Center can’t get any better she goes and writes this gem of a story. What you think is going to be a love story ends up being a story about reframing the mind and loving yourself. It’s exactly what I needed at this moment in life and a great reminder for us all. Couldn’t recommend this more.

This is a book for the girls who were indoctrinated into diet culture when they should have been playing with Barbies, who learned to suck in their stomachs before they learned to braid their hair.
In The Love Haters Katie is sent to Key West to film a promotional video for the Coast Guard, where she meets the subject of said video: Tom (Hutch) Hutcheson. Hutch is semi-famous for having once saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog but would really rather stay out of the limelight, which puts a snag in Katie’s plan of working on a side project highlighting “A Day in the Life” with Hutch, which she hopes will save her job that’s on the line due to downsizing within the company.
Katie has also lied about one very crucial part of being in the field with the Coast Guard: she can’t swim. And due to some step-mother trauma, she’s also terrified of bathing suits. “…A bathing suit…it’s like being a knight with no armor. It’s like being a quarterback with no helmet. It’s like being a hermit crab with no shell!”
Can she get over her fear of swimsuits, pass a swimming test, and save her job, all while falling in love with Hutch, whose brother calls him a “Love-Hater”?

I really loved this book, and I’m so thankful to have received an ARC copy from Netgalley. Katherine Center does a wonderful job capturing the feelings that come with a deep-seated fear of what others perceive your body to look like. Katie’s cousin Beanie is the friend we all need, encouraging Katie to find reasons to love her body while acting as a sounding board for every part of her life. Did I mention she also once BURNED Katie’s bathroom scale? A true hero.
I also immediately fell in love with Hutch, who notices things about Katie no one else does, even things she herself had never noticed. I caught myself wondering how I could get lost at sea in hopes Hutch would be the rescue swimmer to come save me (jk…kind of).
My favorite quote about Hutch is, “his voice had just the slightest roughness to it. Kind of sandpapery. As if listening to enough of it might smooth you down. In a really good way.”
Hutch’s Aunt Rue is the kind of eccentric, loving, free-spirit, breath of fresh air I hope to be at her age. She immediately embraces Katie as her “project” because she reminds her of herself at her age, and she’s full of wise quotes such as, “every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time.” She loves bright colors and florals and has created a wonderful little “found family” community.
My only complaint with The Love Haters is that I think it ends a chapter too early. The epilogue does a wonderful job at wrapping up all the side plots, but I wanted one more chapter with Katie and Hutch, where they discuss the events of the previous chapter, talk about the lies and misunderstandings that have finally come to light, and just enjoy each other in a way they hadn’t been able to for the rest of the book.

Star rating: 4.5

Hmmmm...I think when I go into a Katherine Center novel I know what to expect, and the Love Haters is no exception. Her books are pleasant, have some dark elements the heroine overcomes, and over the top side characters. But as a romance writer, I don't typically swoon. I'm a little over her heroes where it isn't apparent they are head over heels for the leading lady. I also forgot most of this book already. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

The Love Haters felt like a sunny, warm hug.

When Katie is sent to Key West to film a promo video about a local hero with the Coast Guard, she does a lot more than that! In the end, she finds a community of amazing people (and a dog ❤️🐶) who change her world.

☀️ Yes, this is a love story, but there are many types of love in this story. Katherine Center said it in the author’s note best - one of the tropes of this book is enemies to lovers but it’s referring to Katie’s love story with herself and her body.
☀️ But the cast of characters that Katie meets along the way and supports her on her journey are a complete bright spot too. The Great Dane, named George Bailey, was definitely my favorite character and his love story with Katie might be even better than the story with Hutch - though I loved that too.
☀️The Key West setting didn’t hurt when it came to warm and cozy feels (especially when reading during winter in Wisconsin)!

The thing I didn’t like…
⛈️ The other trope in this book is miscommunication. And at times, it almost sent me over the edge with how annoyed and uncomfortable I felt. I have no love for the miscommunication trope in romance books. And this one led to some particularly cringy moments. Hutch’s brother, Cole, was so incredible unlikable.
⛈️ The journey to self love for Katie included a lot of negative self talk about body image that was at times hard to read and could be quite triggering for some readers.

But thankfully, in the end, love (of all types) win in this one! ❤️

Thank you to @netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, I want to say thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. It was my first Katherine Center book, which I was very excited about. I saw her "Happiness for Beginners" on Netflix and have been meaning to read her books ever since.

I'm giving it three stars. The short of it is, I have mixed feelings about the book.

The good: Katherine Center writes almost conversationally. It makes for easy reading and a good time. It read really well actually. You can tell the author is talented, does her research, and is quite witty. I liked it, and will definitely try some of her other titles.

The eh, I don't know: the main character Katie clearly has or had disordered eating, and body dysmorphia. She explicitly details how many calories she ate at a certain point in her life, and the beratement of herself for going over that allotted amount. As someone named Katie who has had disordered eating and body dysmorphia, I could relate, but it's not necessarily something I wish to relate to. I am several years in recovery, and if I were newer to it, this book would have been very triggering. Even with several years under my belt, I almost stopped reading because of its detail and how uncomfortable I was.The author's note at the end claims that the story is more than a love story between Katie and Hutch, it's also a love story for Katie and her body. While I know that the author understands body dysmorphia doesn't resolve itself within weeks, Katie's acceptance of herself along the story is uplifting and I understand what the author was trying to accomplish. With that said, the responsible thing to do would be to detail the information upfront with a trigger warning.

I am a diehard Katherine Center fan but this one didn’t land for me. It was almost too much grumpy sunshine and the constantly lying brother almost ruined the second half of the book. As always, Center’s messages go beyond romance and I enjoyed the authors note even more than the book itself.

I really enjoy Katherine Centers books and this is another win for me. I was glad to read it thru NetGalley and offer this review. This novel will be classified as a Rom-Com and as in all her books there is a lot of depth to the story. I think I should just use the authors words to sum it up: “The Love Haters has a very specific love story between Katie and Hutch…but it also has a different one between Katie and herself”.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Love Haters - Katherine Center has produced another fabulous book

This book centers around the main character - Katie - who has a love/hate relationship with herself and her body (don't we all) and chromophobia (fear of colors - just like me!). In order to save her job, she goes on an assignment to observe the Coast Guard (while she can't swim, good choice there) and there she meets a fabulous group of people including my favorite character - George Bailey - who help her be less afraid and a love a little more. I did get a little frustrated with one character but I guess that shows the brilliance of Katherine's writing because I wanted to reach into the book and strangle him - repeatedly.

A wonderfully written book that should be read by everyone who loves to hate love - whether its loving the people around you, loving the world you're in or just loving yourself