This book was a delight. Even if I set aside my bias for Key West and Great Danes, it would still be the fun, laugh out loud book I didn't even know I needed. Katie took a gamble agreeing to an assignment to shoot a promo video for the US Coast Guard featuring Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson to save her job and to say that it paid off would be an understatement. But honestly, how could you not fall in love with Hutch and his stubborn, goofy rescue dog? And then there was his Aunt Rue - a true gem of a human being bringing color and life and spunk to the story (and to Katie). I could feel Katie's heart mending as she slowly learned to love herself and then ultimately learned it was okay to love someone else.

Unfortunately, there was also Hutch's brother and Katie's co-worker, Cole. I realize that he had a relevant role in the story, but I could have done without him and all the frustration he caused with his short visit. He was constantly trying to meddle to force situations to work in his favor and really brought down the whole vibe of the book which is why I deducted a star.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early!

Rating: 5 stars
Katherine Center blessed us with the perfect blend of a military man, family drama, self-help, and a savior complex.

Katie, our main protagonist, has a lot to overcome. Then a job-saving opportunity pops up in the Florida Keys and she does what she needs to do. Traveling to the Coast Guard’s military base to shadow the perfect specimen, so his brother doesn’t have to, could only create an incredible plot.
The setting was perfect for a fun beach read. As a Florida resident, I’m usually not a fan of books taking place in my home state, simply because I know it too well. But, Katherine Center absolutely did her research in all aspects of this book. Plus, the compound of cottages with some extra grandmotherly figures made it feel like she ran away to a remote cottage in the Sims 4. As for the military base, the casual atmosphere (outside of disaster scenarios of course) was so soothing in comparison to the chaos of our main character’s inner thoughts.

Katie deals with a lot of inner turmoil that she causes for herself, though not her fault. Her journey throughout the book is well-paced, as goes for the entire book, and her progress gave me hope (Honorary mention to Beanie who carried the self-help regime on her tired back.). As for Hutch, with his chin dimple, he was a dream man and his devotion to helping anyone in need was impressive, if not a wee bit concerning. Not to mention, he’s got a Great Dane.

The only even slightly negative thing I can say is that I wish we got to see more of the filming and interviews. But, if my only complaint is that I wanted more content, I’d say this is a win.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this Arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

In this book, we follow Katie who makes films for her job. But she’s on the verge of potentially losing her job, so Cole, her supervisor, offers her a project that she can’t refuse. She is to go to Florida and make a documentary about this super sexy, grumpy, now-famous coast guard who saved a famous person’s dog. And this guy happens to be Cole’s brother (named Hatch) who he doesn’t have a good relationship with. And in order to follow Hatch around, she needs to be prepared in case an emergency happens, so she needs to learn how to swim and how to act in this emergencies. Fun!!

I quite loved this book. Yes, it’s a romance, but I actually loved seeing Katie come out of her comfort zone. Katie had an eating disorder (or was very close to having one, I don’t know how these disorders get diagnosed) and was practically starving herself. She used to be engaged to a musician who got famous (therefore everyone on the internet judged her). She became really self conscious and did not eat right. So this book, while it is a romance book, is really about Katie learning to love herself as well. For example, she only wore black because that drew Elsa attention to her; now she wears colors.

I also loved how the side characters were there for the romance but were also there for her character development. Her cousin and best friend Beanie was so supportive and encouraged her to label one thing ahe liked about her body. Aunt Rue saw that Katie was struggling and decided to be extra kind and helpful to her in her own way.

In terms of the romance itself between Hutch and Katie, I liked it. It wasn’t my favorite part of this book, but the relationship felt organic and thoughtful. The little wrench in their romance that happened with Cole was a little weird, but I can get over it. Also, I love hatch’s dog.

Overall, this was a really good book and I would recommend it to people! But obviously if you have a trigger for ED, approach this with caution.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy of this book.

I truly enjoyed it and it was just the sunshine-y (mostly!) light, thoughtful, hopeful read I needed in January. I enjoyed learning more about the Coast Guard and traveling with Katie to the Keys.

Hutch, Katie, Beanie, and Rue are all likeable characters while also showing capacity for change and growth. George Bailey and Lucky provide comic relief and the entertainment that comes from animals in a plot.

Katherine Center books are like my favorite comfort foods. I know I can always count on them to fill me up and make me feel good.

The Love Haters did not disappoint. I was intrigued by the plot and was pulled in from the first page. The story was fast paced and engaging with a (mostly) lovable cast of characters. I read the last 20ish percent in one sitting (because once you hit a certain plot point, you will not be able to put it down). While the love story was (of course) a hit, underneath it all is a journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-love.

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

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the ebook.
My first 5 star read of 2024! I absolutely loved it. It made me laugh out loud, delight in the witty nature of the writing and the main characters' banter, year up with it's impactful message regarding body image and self esteem--and so much more! Highly recommend.

Katherine Center does it again!

LOVED this one and think it was my favorite of hers since "The Bodyguard"! Just such a great story, loved the characters, loved the romance, loved how the story went and the side characters also. Just delightful and cozy and romantic.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This I maybe such a good read. It’s Katherine Center at her finest. It’s a nice light romantic rendezvous that takes us to Key West. I appreciate her tackling body acceptance issues too. I loved it and will recommend!

Witty, charming, feel good and actual laugh out loud! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and all the characters within it (Cole, kind of pissed me off, though not gonna lie, like there had to be a better way for him to do what he was doing).

I loved how this book not only had the main relationship, but it also explored many different types of relationships, siblings, foster parents, boyfriend, and girlfriend, and friends. How each of these relationships brings something new to a person and how they can help them grow and change.

I think Katherine has found a way to write books where there’s no stupid third quarter trauma for no reason she writes really really well and I will continue to read all her books

Katherine center is one of my top authors, so I thank you NetGalley for giving me the arch of this book!

While this wasn’t my favorite Katherine center, it was still fast paced, and quippy. Definitely excited for this book to come out

This book was an enjoyable read especially for romance fans. I read it in 2 days! I liked all the characters and loved the setting. George Bailey the Great Dane was my favorite character. It had hilarious moments and poignant ones. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Katherine Center never disappoints!!!!

This book was no different.
Katie has been jilted in love and is trying to save her career. She gets sent to Key West to make a promotional video for the Coast Guard. She meets so many interesting people and gets tangled in her higher ups crazy lies.
This was an entertaining read but also real. Katie deal with a lot of body dysmorphia that was hard to read at times but also at the same time incredibly relatable.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and her strong sense of voice always shines through in her writing. While I laughed, smiled, and got teary-eyed at certain scenes, I was slightly underwhelmed.

Trigger Warnings for an eating disorder and an intense scene with a natural disaster.

Katie works at a video production company and decides to take a job on location in Key West to film a promotional video for the U.S. National Guard. The only problem is, she can't swim. And is terrified of wearing a swimsuit. She packs her camera bag and all her trepidations and heads to Key West. She gets the chance to shadow Hutch, a rescue swimmer who seems perfect on the outside, but is labeled a certified love hater by his brother. After hours spent together, will Hutch retire his love hater title?

What I loved:
- The message of body positivity throughout was fantastic, and very realistic. Her conversations with Beanie always made me laugh, while touching on the issues. Katherine's books always have a level of depth that feels so relatable and touches on the human condition with humor and grace.
- The level of research that went into the book was evident, and as someone with a film background, the video elements cut right to the heart of working in video production. Also, the U.S. National Guard elements were very factual and it was interesting to learn about a branch of the military I haven't seen covered often.

What wasn't for me:
- For some reason, I struggled to connect with Katie and Hutch the way I normally do with Center's characters. Maybe the other elements in the story slightly overshadowed the romance?
- I felt like the pacing never picked up. Even though there were intense scenes in the book, I felt like I was waiting for her normal spark and I didn't find it in the book. I was enjoying it because I love Center's writing style, but wasn't overly invested in the story, which sounded so interesting from the blurb and hearing her speak about it.

I highlighted too many items on my Kindle, giggled, and smiled too much to rate it anything below four stars, but overall, there was something missing from this release. I am still a huge Katherine Center fan and look forward to her next release!

My Thoughts

A smooth, easy read for me as my last book because it was a different kind of intense read with so many characters to keep straight it took me a long time to get into the story and finish it.

Being a Contemporary Romance, this story could have been read in a day but I purposely broke it up so I could give Hutch and Katie the attention they deserved.

Both characters brought certain strengths and vulnerabilities with them in their relationship, a relationship that I enjoyed as it evolved in a natural way despite its rough beginning.

A bit of humor mixed in with a lot of soul searching along with the best pet sidekick named George Bailey and this was a read that was hard to put down but very easy to pick up the rhythm again when one went back to reading it.
[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

When I heard about Katherine Center's 2025 novel I KNEW I had to read it as soon as possible, I just didn't expect to be able to get my hands on it five months before its release! Katherine writes books that I cannot put down and The Love Haters was no exception! It does have elements that are a little heavier - body image and grief, but they were well done and relatable for me.

Katie has recently broken up with her douchebag of a fiance and is facing downsizing at work. Her boss, Cole, sends her off to Key West to produce a video about a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer which is sure to help save her job. Cole's Aunt, Rue, greets Katie in Key West and introduces her to 'the gals' and help her feel welcome.

Katie learns a lot about herself, and her phone calls with her bestie (Beanie) resonated with me and reminded me of my own best friend!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my own thoughts and feelings.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of “The Love Haters” in exchange for a review.

I’ve been with Katherine Center from the beginning. I love the wholesome vibe of her books. Some of her recent titles haven’t hit as much, for me. The Love Haters though was very entertaining. I finished it in 24 hours.

While I didn’t *love* some of the story choices made. It was sweet, lighthearted, and included an adorable dog.

“Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time.”

There is a reason that Katherine Center is a must-read for me. She is brilliant, and this may be one of her best yet. Katie and Hutch are so insanely likable, and I loved watching their love story unfold. The emphasis on self-care and self-care was also deeply moving for me.

In truth Katherine fashion, there is a heartwrenching, emotional storyline that will bring tears to your eyes, as well. I love that there is always so much more to Katherine’s characters and this book was no different.

I highly recommend adding this to your TBR and picking it up when it releases on May 20, 2025!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Katie Vaughn is a video producer who really, really, really wants to keep her job. And she'll do just about anything. Like film a promotional video for the National Guard when she has no idea how to swim. This job she takes happens to be her supervisor Cole's super handsome and all-around perfect hero of a brother, Hutch.
So she decides to travel to Key West despite her lack of capability in the water and ends up staying with Cole and Hutch's Aunt Rue. During her time there she gets swimming lessons from Hutch who has suddenly realized his video producer cannot swim. Despite how hilarious Katherine Center's books always tend to be, they always focus on and center around a emotional journey within a character. Katie struggles with body image issues that are severe enough she does not own a swimsuit.
The Love Haters is a story about self-confidence, the relationships we develop, and the joy that can come from just grabbing the opportunity. Center continues to bring us joy in her writing and this story is no different, her books are an auto-buy that you will not regret!

Book Review: The Rom-Com That Missed the LOLs

Katherine Center’s latest novel delivers charming characters and an engaging setting but falls short of its promise as a “laugh out loud” rom-com. The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer with a career on the line, who takes on an assignment to profile Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson—despite being unable to swim. Cue the inevitable deception, romantic tension, and Key West adventures.

The book shines in its character dynamics, particularly the endearing Aunt Rue and Katie’s best friend, who add warmth and depth to the story. The setting is vibrant, and the emotional arcs are well-developed, making for an enjoyable read. However, the central romance hinges on a frustrating trope—Katie lying to the love interest for the sake of an irritating secondary character—dampening the chemistry and tension.

While the novel delivers a sweet romance with heartfelt moments, the humor feels overstated, as it never quite reaches “laugh out loud” territory. Fans of Center’s previous works may still enjoy the journey, but those looking for a truly comedic rom-com might find this one a bit underwhelming. A solid 3-star read with charm but a few too many missteps.

This read was so so charming, yet incredibly emotional and unique. In many ways, this one felt like an entirely fresh Katherine Center read, while also retaining the writing traits that I love so much. Nothing that happened in this plot was expected and I loved it. The romance in this story was extremely compelling but the focus of loving yourself/body is what truly sets this story apart. While this read has some deep rooted, emotional moments, I found myself chuckling on multiple occasions! Katherine Center never ceases to amaze!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book! All opinions are my own!