First, a big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s publishing group for this amazing eARC.

Katherine Center has done it again — she made me laugh, cry, fall in love, and remember how much good there is in the world. The Love Haters pairs a journalist with a rescue diver, two surprisingly relatable characters, and takes place in the Florida Keys, a location as gorgeous, quirky, and surreal as the novel itself.


Here are some random thoughts that I had while reading The Love Haters:

I’m like ROYALTY getting to read this book early!

These characters are delightful. The quirkier the better IMO.

I want to live in the Keys with all of my besties.

Katherine Center is not particularly worried about keeping things realistic.

Rescue swimming is incredible.

I love that her books always go deeper— this time we get themes of body image and grief, along with how social media can be toxic..

This is going to stick with me.

The ending is EPIC. I honestly think nobody in romance does an ending as well as KC.

I think she said she considers all her readers friends, so I just want to congratulate my friend Katherine Center on another incredible, deep, heartwarming work of art.

I give it 10/10 stars and recommend it to all readers of fiction and romance. Read it and be delighted.

If someone was ever taken hostage and told you that ransom was a laugh out loud romcom/the most perfect book ever, GIVE THEM THE LOVE HATERS.

Katherine Center has the kind of writing that allows you to see the scenes playing out in your head like a movie. Quite a few times I had to remind myself that I was just reading words on my Kindle and that I wasn’t in Key West with an a hundred and sixty pound Great Dane barreling towards me. To my dismay, in the fourth hour of one of my read a thon days of this book while I was ripping through it, my Kindle decided to stop working. I cannot describe the panic I felt at being separated from these characters for more than a of couple minutes. Luckily, once I restarted it (the first thing I do anytime something isn’t working), I was able to dive right back in. I joked that my Kindle had gotten tired of hearing me laugh at words on paper and turning off was basically its way of saying “go touch grass, you weirdo”. I did not listen.

Not only was the romance in this story screaming and kicking my feet kind of adorable — as in, smiling and blushing by myself in my bed at midnight — there were so many layers to the story that really bonded me with the characters and got me invested in the story. Also, when you find yourself highlighting THE AUTHOR’S NOTE in a book, you know it’s good. Specifically, that the author genuinely is one of your favorites ever (I love you Katherine Center). It really resonated with me when she said that not only was this book a love story between Hutch and Katie, it was also a love story between Katie and herself. Katie’s journey of self love and acceptance was truly inspiring and real and I would be lying if I said that it didn’t change my perspective about quite a few things.

I came for the romance, and I stayed for the sneaky life lessons that Katherine Center wove in to this story… and for the romance. To those who say that the romcom movies of the 90s and early 2000s are dead… THEY WOULDN’T HAVE TO BE IF WE JUST HAD KATHERINE CENTER WRITE THEM ALL. I would give this book six stars if I could.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and, of course, Katherine Center (the romcom queen herself) for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is an absolute gem—witty, heartfelt, and impossible to put down.

The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer with a knack for dodging risks, who lands in over her head when she profiles Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a charming and heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer.

I loved how Katie’s journey, filled with laugh-out-loud moments and emotional discoveries, felt so relatable and inspiring. Center’s writing shines with warmth and depth, making the romance between Katie and Hutch sizzle while exploring themes of vulnerability, courage, and self-acceptance.

This book is a perfect reminder of why love, no matter how messy, is always worth the risk. I couldn’t stop smiling while reading it!

As always, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest thought.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is magic! There’s a tremendous amount of substance in this text. It’s not just about love between a man and a woman but love and forgiveness between friends, family, and one’s own self. These characters and this story resonated with my heart. Katherine Center delivered, as always, a deep yet light-hearted, whimsical yet thrilling, beauty of a tale that was the dopamine hit I was expecting from one of her books. As many books as she has written, her plots are always fresh and her characters endearingly charming.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book!

I love the way Katherine Center puts a little bit of herself in all of her books. She has a way of describing seemingly mundane actions, like a FaceTime, and making it so relatable and real. I giggle at the characters and their reactions nonstop. There is a certain realness to her books that not a lot of authors can capture.

Katie struggles a lot with body image. It wasn’t a main plot point, more of a subplot, but I think it was handled well without making the book too serious. Even when discussing her insecurities, the book never lost the underlying upbeat tone. I loved when Katie and her friend point out things they like about themselves because that is something my sister and I have done.

Also any book with a dog immediately has me. George Bailey has my heart.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance authors, but this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The romance felt rushed, relying on the “insta-love” trope, which left me feeling disconnected. When the male lead confesses his feelings around the halfway point, it stripped the romance of any tension, making it hard for me to stay invested in their relationship.

That said, the book shines in other areas. The theme of self-love is thoughtfully explored, and Katie, the protagonist, is a relatable and well-developed character. Her personal growth throughout the story added depth, even if the romance didn’t live up to expectations.

Fans of Center's heartfelt storytelling may still enjoy this book, but those looking for a more gradual, layered romance might find it lacking.

Another beautifully written story by Katherine Center. I don't even know where to begin, this is not only a love story but a story of Katie falling back in love with herself, as well two brothers, Cole and "Hutch" coming back to a reconcinliation of sorts. And who does'nt love a story with a great dane rescue dog and a band of golden girls living their best life?
And even though it does not have anything to do with the actual book, I always appreciate extra effort Katherine Center puts into her authors note at the end of each book and make sure I read each one.

This book had my attention from the first page. There were equal amounts of romance, comedy, and character growth. I related so much to the FMC and her body image issues. If you’re a fan of the movie The Guardian, you will appreciate the MMC’s job. I love all of Katherine’s books and this one didn’t disappoint!

I enjoyed the book and finished it in two sittings — Hutch really stood out for me, while Cole honestly felt a bit underdeveloped / confusing. Katie’s early inner dialogue dragged and was a bit painful to get through at times, but I loved the conversations between characters in the book (especially between Hutch & Katie - very grumpy x sunshine lol). The story kept me engaged, but it didn’t necessarily leave me with that lingering pull after I’d finished.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I loved this book. Katherine Center is a popular author for good reason!
I went into it expecting a cute and silly summer romance, but it was SO much more than that!
Themes of family tension, loss, body image, and self love & acceptance are all wrapped up within the pages of this book along with a very sweet and silly romance plot line.
My favorite character is Rue, she's so adorable!
Also, the setting was gorgeous and I want to visit Florida again lol
I highly recommend this book, Katherine Center never disappoints!
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy!

Another fun romance by Katherine Center. When the main character is sent to do a video report on a Coast agiard rescue swimmer she comes alive to color, to the power of swimming, to the love of a Great Dane and to a burgeoning relationship with Hutch. Loved the plot, the wit, the adventure.

5.0

The Love Haters by Katherine Center
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you for the ARC!

Katherine Center has done it again with The Love Haters! This heartfelt, captivating story had me hooked from start to finish. Our main character, Katie, is incredibly relatable,vulnerable, self-deprecating, and hiding herself from the world. Watching her journey of self discovery was both heartwarming and inspiring, especially as she slowly allowed herself to find love with the charming heroic Hutch.

The chemistry between Katie and Hutch was beautifully written, and their relationship felt authentic and tender. The final scenes on the boat were absolutely riveting.
I couldn't read fast enough to see how it all played out! It’s one of those scenes where you’re so immersed in the story, you forget the world around you.

The supporting characters added so much depth to the narrative. Rue stood out as one of my favorites she was wise, kind, and always there to push Katie.
On the other hand, Cole was an excellent foil to Katie’s growth, annoying in the way he seemed to stand in the way of her win. I couldn't help but be frustrated with him appearing at the worst time.

Overall, Katherine has succeeded writing characters that feel real and a story that resonates deeply, her ability to balance humor, heartache, and hope makes this book a must read.
I'll be thinking about this book all year.

Highly recommended!

I’m a huge fan of Katherine Center and was excited to read this book early. 3.5/5 stars.

While I love a good internal dialogue (and knew to expect internal dialogue from reading her other books), this book had almost too much. Instead of dialogue between the main character, Katie, and the love interest, Hutch, it seemed to center on a lot of Katie’s thoughts. The romance development felt sacrificed for more insight into the main character and her struggles with body image issues after her split from her ex.

I liked learning about the US Coast Guard and appreciate the depth of the author’s research. Her books always have a deep knowledge of the jobs/conditions present, which is clearly present in this book as she detailed Hutch’s job.

Ultimately couldn’t get into the book like I usually do but still enjoyed a lighthearted romance.

I am usually a 4-4.5 star rating with Katherine Center and while I truly appreciate receiving this ARC and I did enjoy the book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as her others. There was a lot going on with each character and I truly didn’t feel like the two main characters had much “face time” with each other to end up in love and all that jazz. The side characters like Rue and George Bailey were cute. And there was cute little antidotes here and there, but this one kinda fell flat to me and that is why I gave it 3 stars.

Ah Katherine Center, you win again. This was a great book with so much emotion. It’s on part with her past books. There is so much character development and it touched on issues that are important with the climate of today. The characters are quirky and you can’t help but love them. It was such a quick and easy read.

This book is so relatable and absolutely everyone will have moments of self-doubt. It’s unfortunate that the new generation will not only have ‘well intentioned stepmothers telling you ‘to suck it all in’ or ‘insist salads for every meal’ but that their insecurities could be memorialized on the internet. I love a good best friend that reads self-help books and constantly tries to become the best version of herself, we all need one. The chemistry is pretty volatile but the FMC has so many insecurities that she doesn’t see the effect she’s having on him. The MMC is essentially a golden retriever and objectively ‘perfect’ but has some childhood trauma that lingers. Rue is by far the best supporting character in the story and I hope to one day live in a series of cottages in Key West with my best gal pals. George Bailey, the Great Dane was obviously my favorite and his deep love for his new toad friend Lucky.

This book had so much potential. It got me hooked with Katie, Hutch, Rue and of course the loveable George Bailey. The interaction with all the characters was delightful. The sparks with Katie and Hutch made you cheer for them. The way they were put together in situations was funny and captivating. For me there was too many descriptions from the main character and it took forever to get to the point. I always love a story of loving yourself especially in this world where people can be cruel for likes on social media. I am giving it 3 stars since it kept me reading, although I was disappointed with how Hutch reacted with the rescue. I understand he is in rescue mode but if you are rescuing the person you love some emotion is bound to come out. For me he should have been more emotional. He didn’t know if she was alive or dead. Also, the epilogue was unappealing. I skimmed it wanting more of the main characters. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book even though it wasn’t Katherine Centers strongest book. Katie was a relatable and charming character with some body dysmorphia issues. Hutch fit the mark for a coast guard hero, but was also perfectly perfect in a humble way. It’s obviously that someone would need saving and the turn of events wasn’t what I was expecting and that’s where the magic of the story took place. As with all stories from the author, they are such enjoyable easy reads and I would highly recommend this one! Thankful once again for the ARC from Netgalley!

3.5 stars for this one. I love Katherine Center, but this one wasn’t my favorite. The story, location, and main characters were great! The other characters and problem in the book were not so great. It was still a cute read and I’m glad I read it! Especially happy to get this as an ARC from NetGalley.

The best thing about Katherine Center's novels is the joy you feel while reading them, and the worst thing is knowing when you finish you will have to wait until she writes another one to experience that joy again. Center is, for sure, one of my favorite authors, and The Love Haters certainly didn't disappoint. Like her other novels, Center has crafted characters that are perfectly flawed and relatable, and you can't help rooting for them.

This particular novel centers around Katie, a film maker who is sent to The Florida Keys to film an incredibly good looking hero named Hutch, a member of the Coast Guard search and rescue unit. Sprinkle in other lovable characters (Rue! George Bailey! Beanie!) who help Katie learn to love herself as well as Hutch, and you have an amazing novel!