I usually count on Katherine Center for layered, heartfelt rom-coms with a strong emotional payoff. The Love Haters missed the mark. Billed as a romantic comedy, it’s neither: the romance is thin and the comedy nearly nonexistent. According to the author’s note, this is a story about a woman learning to love her body—which is a worthy theme, but here it completely overshadows the romantic arc.

Katie is stuck in her head, spiraling about earlobes and swimsuits in ways that are too serious to laugh off but too breezy to feel respectfully handled. Hutch, the so-called “love hater,” is flawless, supportive, kind, emotionally available, universally adored, and conveniently obsessed with Katie for reasons never quite made clear. There’s no spice—not even closed door—just a vague suggestion that attraction exists because we’re told it does. Their chemistry? Questionable. The romantic payoff? Nonexistent. Even the grand crisis moment at the end is fundamentally unrealistic and disappointingly fails to support the assertion that Hutch is madly in love.

That said, readers who enjoy gentle fiction with perfect male leads, zero spice, and a loveable dog might find less to hate here than I did. Me? I needed more tension, more authentic emotion, and an actual romance.

Katie finds herself worried about losing her job when her company begins a major restructuring. Amid the uncertainty, her supervisor, Cole, assigns her a seemingly straightforward task: interview a local hero known as Hutch. She soon learns that Hutch is actually Cole’s older brother, Tom Hutcheson, which sheds light on Cole’s ongoing struggle to measure up to his brother. Cole has compared himself to Hutch since their parents’ tragic car accident.

Instead of the larger-than-life figure Cole had painted, Hutch turns out to be refreshingly genuine, handsome, and kind-of perfect. As they spend time together, Katie develops a crush on Hutch, but soon becomes entangled in the complications arising from Cole’s string of lies.

Throughout the story, Katie’s journey becomes one of self-discovery. As she navigates complex family dynamics and budding feelings for Hutch, she also learns to confront her past and embrace self-love. The romance unfolds with subtle humor and moments of awkward charm that gradually tie the characters together. However, the development of Katie and Hutch’s relationship feels a bit rushed toward the end, leaving a desire for more depth in their romantic journey.

Overall, the novel offers personal growth, understated romance, and family drama, making it a satisfying read despite a slightly underdeveloped conclusion to the love story.

3.75 - I enjoyed this one, but also felt like there was a bit too much happening.

The story follows Janie who travels to Key West to interview/film a clip of a Coast Guard rescue swimmer - Hutch. This man happens to be her coworker’s brother.

Through the course of the her time in Key West. Janie has to confront her feelings about herself. She has dealt with a history of body shaming and questioning her self.

Janie learns more about Hutch including his relationship with his brother and his history. They also catch some feelings of course.

There was a lot more that occurred in this book - including Hutch and his brother confronting their feelings about each other, Janie floating out to sea after a hurricane, and Janie dealing with her ex writing a song about her (he’s a singer).

I think there was a bit too much thrown in and it didn’t all need to happen. It just wasn’t integrated well enough.

I still enjoyed it and did find myself laughing at some scenes. But overall it just wasn’t my favorite of hers.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listeners copy.

Having read every book by this author I am impressed with how she continually manages to surprise me with a completely original story every time. I have had mixed feelings about those books, with some that were just ok which is probably because there is a high bar to judge them against the other books of hers I’ve really loved. This book is really good and in many ways more fun than her usual books but be warned it might look like a fun rom-com summer read but it’s deceptively heavy as well. Katie has a lot of baggage that frankly I wish had been played more for laughs than the very serious subject it was. I usually mock the modern content warnings on books but this could be a lot for someone not expecting such serious body image and eating disorder material. I wanted the fun story myself so it’s a lot more than I was expecting. It really is not much of a romance. The author is really working on a finding yourself and self love thing which is not what I’d frankly choose but I still found myself engrossed in the story and it moves well. This author always manages to find a way to make even what looks like a light read gripping and emotional so be warned.

I will never get enough of reading Katherine Center. Her stories are unique and heartwarming. The Love Haters is no exception. Katie and Hutch are a dream. I laughed out loud too many times to count. And don’t get me started on the ladies! Oh, my word would I love to hang with them. All the laughs, love and found family we all need and deserve. Run don’t walk. The Love Haters is a must read.

Loved how cute this was and I always enjoy a good rom com by Katherine Center! This was such a powerful and emotional read for me and I absolutely adored it! I love me a good slow burn and this gave me all the vibes of building that up!

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for his ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was a really cute romance. The writing was excellent, and the story kept me hooked until the end.

This story is the most relatable and the most non relatable I’ve ever read in my life!! I know sounds confusing but it’s not I swear! This was enjoyable to read and so therapeutic in a way.

Katie struggles with self love, body image, and acceptance of herself in general. She takes a job hoping to be amazing and not get fired from the looming downsizing of the production company she works for. She ends up in the Florida Keys spending all her time filming with a real life US coast guard hero of a man with a giant lovable dog and a group of women who bring the party to every situation their in. So here’s the relatable part, I swear Katie’s inner monologue I have said to myself multiple times and I hate that. I hate that we as women have a picture in our head of what we should look like or should be and if we fall short we berate ourselves. Here’s the non relatable part, I’ve never met a hot coast guard that’s an amazing man and loves dogs….unfortunately 😂

This drops next month and if you want a summer read with a side of therapy and a hot, wounded coast guard MMC this one’s for you❤️‍🔥

Please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was SO cute. Katherine Center did such a fabulous job developing her characters. Katie was a character that I think many women would relate to (even if you haven't dated a famous singer)- not necessarily unhappy but definitely feeling a bit lost and insecure. Cole: while he seemed decent at first, he ended up being such an irritating character. Rue: how could you not absolutely adore her? And finally, Hutch: dreamboat in every way.

I loved the plot and how it unfolded, but what I loved most of all was the strong underlying message: stay true to yourself, do what you love, live the life that makes you feel true joy.

5/5.

Unfortunately The Love Haters did not live up to The Rom-Commers to me (the only other Katherine Center book I've read and can base on). I really wanted to like this one but I really found myself not caring about really any of the characters except maybe Rue. I didn't really feel any chemistry between Katie and Hutch. I did like the overall story and did have some moments I enjoyed. But I wish it had just a little more.

The Love Haters didn’t fully live up to my expectations. The story revolves around Lucy and Cole, two people who believe love is overrated, yet find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other despite their reservations. Lucy, dealing with past heartbreak, crosses paths with Cole, who has his own emotional baggage.
While the concept was promising, the execution didn’t quite hit the right notes. The chemistry between the characters felt forced, and the plot didn’t offer much in terms of unexpected twists. The back and forth dynamic wasn’t enough to keep me hooked. It’s a quick read, but if you're hoping for something deeper than the typical romantic storyline, this might not be the one.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher for the chance to read this book in preview in exchange for my honest opinion.

OH MY GOSH!! Could I love this book more?! Katie was such a great MC and I loved her point of view. And Hutch... was he perfect or what? I loved them together and enjoyed their banter so much. I think my absolute favorite character, however, was Rue. She was sweet, and loving and she provided the voice of reason throughout (as did Beanie). Cole and his relationship with Hutch irked me and he was my least favorite and the last part of the book seemed a bit far fetched, but it totally worked in the end. Overall, I loved this book and Katherine Center can do no wrong! I devour everything she writes!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

The Love Haters starts with a fun setup—fake swim lessons, family drama, and a swoony Key West setting—but it didn’t fully live up to its promise for me. Katie is a relatable, spirited lead, but her romance with Hutch felt more told than shown, lacking the spark I was hoping for. Some side characters, like Rue, added charm, while others felt underdeveloped or frustrating.

The book touches on meaningful themes like grief and body image, but they often got lost in the mix of humor and over-the-top moments. Still, I enjoyed the tropical setting, adventurous touches, and Katie’s journey toward self-worth.

I'm excited to read more from Katherine Center!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the early read opportunity!

Unfortunately this book wasn't a good fit for me! It lacked the depth of her previous romance novels and all of the plot twists and turns felt chaotic.

I just adore Katherine Center so much. I think that she does such a wonderful job of writing in a relatable, real world way that makes my heart flutter. I adore how she makes me feel, how true her characters are, and how unique her stories are. love love love love love.

Katherine Center's books are always an automatic read for me! I was so excited for the opportunity to read "The Love Haters". The Love Haters didn't disappoint. I loved the characters, setting, and the body image points in the story line. You are sure to love this read!

Katherine Center’s books are very hit or miss for me, but when they’re a hit they’re fantastic. This wasn’t one of those times. I think body image struggles are a common theme that many people can relate to— however this was over-exaggerated and not handled thoughtfully. All of a sudden she meets a man who thinks she’s a human hot fudge sundae, and is healed?? Ick. Katie didn’t feel relatable and came across a bit annoying. There was no chemistry between the MC’s. It felt like a lot of tropes thrown together in one book, and it didn’t work. Like the fact that this same person who has horrific body image issues dated a famous person?! It just felt so far fetched, and like a book that was trying to be too many different things.

Thanks to Netgalley + St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is yet another fun and engaging read that will keep you turning the pages, especially if you're a fan of her previous works like Bodyguard, which I absolutely loved! This new book starts off strong and only gets more intriguing as it unfolds, with a perfect mix of romance, humor.
Katie Vaughn’s life is a bit of a mess when the story begins — facing the possibility of being stuck in a job she’s not sure she wants anymore, she’s given a shot at something big: profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The only problem? Katie can’t swim. Not exactly the ideal qualification for the job, but as with most of Center’s characters the FMC is strong and capable of anything.
The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is a lot of fun — they’re both full of surprises, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop in unexpected ways.
What I really appreciated about this book was how Center brings together humor and deeper themes of fear, bravery, and honesty. It’s a story about facing your past and confronting uncomfortable truths, all while navigating new relationships and embracing change. The setting of Key West is vibrant and adds an extra layer of charm to the story.
Katherine Center does what she does best — creating lovable characters, throwing them into slightly ridiculous but entirely endearing situations, and making you root for them every step of the way. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.
Thanks to Netgalley and the writer for this book, it was a delight!

I enjoyed the overall storyline of The Love Haters. A hunky Coast Guard helicopter rescuer is profiled by a documentary filmmaker who can’t swim? You know there are going to be lots of mishaps and laughter involved. The plot gets a little far fetched at the end but if you’re able to suspend disbelief, you can have a bit of fun with it. The message that it’s just as important to be a gentle, loving friend to yourself as it is to show up for other people came through but I didn’t like how much the book focused on Katie’s body image issues. I think it’s important for readers to know this going into the book because the way it is brought up will be uncomfortable for many women. Besides Hutch, my favorite character was Aunt Rue. I love that she made Katie feel good about herself and brought a bit of color back into her life. At times I forgot about Katie’s previous breakup, even when Hutch’s drama with his brother Cole was brought up. All the characters in this story are dealing with various levels of grief and that sometimes overshadows the romance. While I struggled with certain elements of the book, it was still an entertaining read and the Key West setting make this book a great summer beach read!

I really liked this one. I think it might be my favorite book by Katherine Center. The setting made a perfect spin for summer read. Katie was very relatable and cute. Hutch was sweet and strong. I gave it 4.25 stars because I wanted more about how much Hutch actually liked Katie. Overall, loved it and would recommend.