This may be my favorite Katherine Center book yet. Hutch and Katie are magic from the beginnings. The Coast Guard story as well as documentary filmmaking was so original and well-researched. All of the supporting characters were great and very memorable. It was a lighter book than her most recent ones, and the tone shift was welcome. I really enjoyed this book!

THE LOVE HATERS ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Release date 5/20/25. This one missed the mark for me! Center’s last 2 books were 5⭐️ for me, but this one just wasn’t my cup of tea. Katie, on the cusp of a layoff, is assigned to produce promotional film of the Coast Guard off Key West, when she finds out her boss sent her there for other reasons. This book had a great message of body acceptance, it was evident throughout the struggles of the main character, and the chemistry with Katie and Hutch was clearly there. I felt like the timeline of the book was rough to understand, like it felt days passed but all of a sudden it was weeks. Also, Katie’s ex-boyfriend I felt either they needed to make it a bigger plot or erase it all together. Cole her boss is terrible and you can’t convince me otherwise. Some parts just felt silly and clunky. Overall, the characters of Katie, Rue and the girls made me enjoy it more than I thought. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this more than I did, but it fell into the just meh category for me. I haven't read a lot of Katherine Center, I've only ever read the Rom-Commers, and liked it ok. There was just something about that one that didn't click fully with me. I gave this one a go to see if it was just the story I wasn't connecting with, but I'm afraid it's just Katherine Center as an author. Which is fine! This book will be 5/5 stars for plenty of people, I mean she is so successful for a reason! I may try future books of hers if a particular plot calls out to me, but for now I think I'll put my interest in Center's books to rest.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Wow!!!

For anyone out there struggling with self love, this is one you HAVE to read!! I found myself learning new ways to see and love myself while still emerging in a great work of art.

Koodos to Katherine for making me feel all types of ways. Happy with a smile on my face others asked about, crying sad tears when feeling my heart breaking for Katie, and feeling anger that one man’s lie almost ruined a great chance at love.

Katherine Center never disappoints. I gobbled up this book while on vacation. Katherine not only weaves a beautiful love story but you always learn something in the process. It was interesting to learn about the Coast Guard rescue swimmers. The struggles that both main characters deal with, how they see themselves really shows you cannot take someone at face value. They were both imperfect people beyond their attractive outer shells. They have insecurities, they have struggles like the rest of us. But we all want to love and be loved. I didn’t give 5 stars on this simply because I would have liked a stronger ending for the two main characters. That is my only complaint.

3.5 stars and boy that is so hard for me to write. I am a huge Katherine Center fan and love her books but I just couldn’t get into this book as much as I enjoyed her previous books. It was enjoyable in some areas but I didn’t find myself totally invested. Main character struggled with body acceptance and while she was able to overcome some struggles I felt the story focused too much on it. Appreciated all the research Katherine did with regards to the US Coast Guide and came away appreciating their service and dedication. The supporting character of Cole left me frustrated but did enjoy Rue and her gang of friends. I realize this book will appeal to others looking for a light hearted romance. Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy.

Katherine Center is the queen of deeply emotional, yet light-hearted romance reads. Her FMCs have beautiful emotional growth arcs that feel relatable, inspiring, and full of vulnerability. In The Love Haters, Katie is struggling to grasp with her multi-facted self-worth issues. When faced with the possibility of losing her job, she lies to go on assignment to the Florida Keys where she will be called upon to swim - something she never learned to do. Throughout her journey, she encounters people who equip her to heal herself, rather than doing the hard work for her - something I LOVE when writers do. It is so much more satisfying when the FMC puts in the hard work.

I fell in love with Rue and her endless optimism, seize-the-day attitude, and choose joy mentality. Center found the perfect balance between encouragement and toxic positivity with Rue. Katie was both vulnerable and inspiring as she stream-of-consciousness'ed her way through the work assignment, allowing me to find glimpses of myself and my own journey in her. My only wish for this novel is that we had more time with Hutch to get to know him, his vulnerabilities, and who he is at his core. I found myself left wanting more even at the end of this one. Overall, though, this was yet another heart-warming, laugh-inducing, beautiful novel by Katherine Center.

3.5 stars rounded up to a 4.

This book was on my list of anticipated releases this year, and I had such a fun time reading it. Seriously, I couldn't put it down and sacrificed sleep because of it!

Something I always love about Katherine Center's books is how complex and flawed the protagonists are while being fully aware of what they need to work on, and Katie is no different. Her insecurities around her body and not wanting people to perceive her were too relatable, and I loved watching her slowly come out of her shell and learn to appreciate herself and her body just as she is. It felt almost like a second romance because she had to really fall in love with her own self after spending so many years listening to critique and taking it to heart, leading her to damage her own body in an attempt to "fix" herself to fit someone else's idea of what she should look like.

Now what kept me from giving this one a 4 or higher was, unfortunately, the romance itself. Hutch was adorable, and I appreciate that he wasn't a jerk to Katie (I'm still a little salty about how much I hated the love interest in The Rom-Commers last year), but the love story just fell kind of flat for me. I feel like we didn't get enough of the actual spending time together and falling in love part, especially when you had the brother, Cole, coming in to separate our characters for several chapters. Cole was the worst.

But yeah, you could see the beginnings of a connection but it felt like the weeks that Katie was in town went by so quickly because most of them happened off-page, and it felt like we were told more about how Katie and Hutch spent time together than we actually got to see. It was still cute and I was rooting for them, but I just didn't care as much as I could have.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

I was so excited when I was approved for an ARC copy of this title! I am a huge Katherine Center fan! Thank you Net Galley.

This was such a fun love story! I loved Katie, Hutch and especially George Bailey! I am also a sucker for military/coast guard guys. The meet-cute was absolutely hilarious. I really loved the character development. The family drama made this one more interesting. The ending was a bit predictable. My favorite quote in this one was "Love is what happens when you're busy making plans." Solid 4 stars!

I love Katherine Center and loved The Love Haters. I laughed out loud, I swooned, and I love their story. All of the characters are perfect additions to the story. And the toad!!! I devoured this book. Def must read!

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! What a treat!

Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors. After my obsession with The Rom-Commers last year, I heard her speak at a local bookstore about this new book. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer? Yes, please!

The first 20% of this one dragged for me a bit. I found myself not loving the FMC, Katie, although I was intrigued by the plot. Oh no, I thought. Well, at around 25%, things changed. From 30%-70%, I smiled a lot. The last 30% is a real roller-coaster.

In the end, I love Katie, and I understand - and relate to - the growth she needed to experience. I loved the MMC, Hutch, from the beginning to the end. New book boyfriend? Plus anytime a dog is a main character, I am happy, and George Bailey the Great Dane does not disappoint.

I have been a big Katherine Center fan for awhile but was disappointed with her release last year. The issue I had with the RomCommers was I really didn't love the main characters, which was the total opposite for me in this one. I also REALLY loved Rue. She was like a fairy godmother and knew just when to meddle and when to watch it all play out. This book had Katherine's trademark wit and banter and swoon worthy romance and I really liked it. I read the author's note at the end and she wrote this book had many different love stories including self love which was every evident. My only critique would be that I think at times the body issues and learning to love your body parts were a bit much. It was like big stop marks in the flow of the story and got preachy. I think we all have our insecurities and could stand to accept ourselves better but it was like reading a self helpbook in the middle of a love story. I, overall, liked this book and would still highly recommend this book. 3.5 stars

Funny, cozy, sweet! Made me laugh out loud so many times. I really loved Katie, and Hutch was so swoon-worthy. (Also, major shoutout to the real star of the book, George Bailey.) The kind of read that feels like a warm hug.

First off, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! Starting off with the main thing I enjoyed - the setting and atmosphere! I think Katherine Center was able to create such a summer vibe, you couldn't pick this book without wishing you were on a beach with a drink in your hands and I truly commend her for that. I also loved the writing style, it's what made it feel like you were flying through the book! I liked our FMC, I think the issues she was dealing with are relatable to a lot of women and truly my reasoning for rounding up my rating of 3.5 is because of her. Now, I did like our MMC, but not a lot. A lot of his actions left me confused and I think something about him just didn't mesh well with me. Overall, I'd still recommend this book, especially if you already are a Katherine Center fan. This was my first book by her - despite some grievances, I still enjoyed - so it won't be my last!

A book set in the Florida Keys, yes!! Katie has been sent to make a video of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers for recruitment purposes. Her colleague has sent her and set her up in his aunt's hotel. I have to say Rue was my favorite character. I loved the color. I loved the joy. A lot of the story centers around being happy in your own skin. Oh and there is a Great Dane!!!

*ARC review*

The love depicted in this book is so tangible and warm and comforting… wrap me up in ittt! KC, as usual, does an excellent job with these characters. Their insecurities, quirks, growth arcs: all A+. I wanted to bask in this lil world as long as I possibly could.

That being said, I had some issues with the book plot-wise. The beginning felt incredibly stilted, and throughout the rest I found it pretty unbelievable that this cast of characters who care about each other *so deeply* would succumb to petty conflicts. It was as though the plot was unfolding in a completely separate timeline from the one where the characters were self-actualizing.

One scene in particular (at the bar) was so outrageous to me - every character was behaving in a way that was antithetical to who I thought they were/becoming. I genuinely think if this one part had been deleted, the book would’ve been 5 stars for me.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a gooey love story that includes not just romantic love, but also self-love and unlikely friendships. Just try to block out those few scenes that feel incongruous with these lovely characters!

Thank you, Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy (ARC) of The Love Haters.

Having read all of Katherine Center's works, I consider myself a huge fan! However, this was NOT my favorite book by this author. To be honest I struggled through the first few chapters. But as the story plot progressed, I found myself more and more drawn in. I didn’t love the main characters the way I normally do with her books. Ok, Maybe Katherine Center has me spoiled because I started to think if this was any other author, I would have raved about it. It’s just not her norm. But it had enough good things in here to keep me guessing and about halfway through I binged the rest of this rom-com like it was a bag of chips and I hadn’t eaten for a week. Strong finish and a solid 3.7 starts for me!

What I love most about Katherine Center's novels is how they always include some element you're not expecting. Here in The Love Haters, I was not at all prepared for the deep self-introspection that these characters face, and it was this aspect that made me love the book even more. The characters seemed completely believable in their interactions and feelings, which certainly isn't the case for many romance novels. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to share it with my audience.

This book made me cry.

It hit the spot, it reminded me that even a 34 year old, divorced, single mother can do hard things and find beauty within herself. Katherine Center just knows how to say all the right things where you are reading a romance novel but, you are also getting a healthy dose of self-help without even noticing.

This is my favorite by her and I have read them all.

Oh my word. Katherine Center does it again.
I love this story so much. It pulled me in from the start, and I could not put it down.
This is the story of Katie, who is a videoagrapher who is about to lose her job when her superior offers her a way to save it. She needs to go to Key West and interview her superior, Cole's perfect, heroic older brother. His brother, Hutch, is a Coast Guard rescuer who famously saved Jennifer Aniston's dog. One big problem, and lie later, and a woman who doesn't know how to swim and has a phobia about wearing a swimsuit is off to document a rescue diver.
What ensues is the perfect story of self-acceptance and love. The characters are so real that I want to Google them. I love this story so much. Get it now!