Katherine Center does it again with this deeply emotional romance. I went into this book blind as I do with authors that I love, and boy was I surprised. The last book I read by her was The Rom-Commers so I expected this book to be similar to that one based on the title.....wrongo!

Katie is a video producer that is facing a downsizing at her company. When she is offered the chance to go to Key West and film a video about a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, she is all in. Did she know what a rescue swimmer was? Did she know anything about the Coast Guard? Could she locate Key West on a map? No to all of the above, matter of fact she didn't even know how to swim. Fake it till you make it right? Go big or go home.

Katie finds more than just love on this trip. I want to buy this book and give one to every woman that I know. We could all use a book like this in our life.

I loved Katie and her quirky nervous chatter. Of course we have to talk about Hutch, my new favorite book boyfriend. The banter and chemistry between these two were so good.

The side characters were just as good as the main characters. From Aunt Rue and all of her color and her belief that people do not need mirrors and that you should dress in what makes you feel good. To Cousin Beanie that never stops trying and supporting. We all could use a Rue and Beanie in our life. I also cannot forget about the adorable great Dane George Bailey! I had a large dog just like this one, the scenes with him were so accurate to a very large dog.

My only complaint. I did not want it to end. I could have read many more chapters filled with all of these characters. Such a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this title. This is my very honest review.

Katherine Center's The Love Haters is more than a rom-com; it's a heartfelt journey of self-love, courage, and second chances, wrapped in a beautifully written, laugh-out-loud romance set in the sun-drenched paradise of Key West. This book is a testament to why Center remains a favorite for readers who want their romance with depth, humor, and a touch of magic.

The story follows Katie Vaughn, a video producer who's had a rough couple of years— thanks to her viral rock-star ex-fiancé, cruel internet trolls, and lingering body image issues. Now, to save her job, she's assigned to create a Coast Guard recruitment video featuring the ruggedly handsome rescue swimmer Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson. There's just one problem: Katie can't swim, and Hutch has a reputation as a grumpy, love-averse loner.

The setup for Katie and Hutch's relationship is filled with tension, charm, and plenty of laughs. From Katie's awkward swim lessons to splinters-in-embarrassing-places mishaps, the humor is delightfully balanced with deeper themes of vulnerability, bravery, and healing. Hutch, while initially aloof, reveals himself to be a golden retriever in grumpy-guy clothing— loyal, kind, and deeply thoughtful.

One of the book's standout features is the supporting cast. Rue, the wise and eccentric motel owner, and her vibrant group of friends,
"The Gals," bring wisdom, humor, and heart to the story. Hutch's Great Dane, George Bailey, is a scene-stealer, and Katie's best friend Beanie is a guiding light of self-love and positivity. The relationships among these characters-platonic, familial, and romantic-add richness to the narrative.

The Love Haters is not just a love story between two people but also a celebration of self-acceptance. Katie's journey to love herself after years of criticism and self-doubt is as empowering as it is relatable. Katherine Center handles themes like body positivity and overcoming trauma with sensitivity and hope.

The romance itself is a delightful slow burn, filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and swoon-worthy moments. The chemistry between Katie and Hutch is electric, and their love story feels earned, genuine, and deeply satisfying.
True to Katherine Center's style, the book also delves into heavier topics-grief, unresolved family tensions, and the courage it takes to confront the past. Yet it never loses its sense of humor or warmth, making it a joy to read from start to finish.

Highlights:
* A vibrant setting in Key West, which practically becomes a character itself.
* Laugh-out-loud humor balanced with emotional depth.
* Themes of bravery, self-love, and forgiveness.
* A lovable supporting cast, from the quirky Rue to the adorable George Bailey.
* A powerful Author's Note that will leave readers reflecting on love, vulnerability, and the romance genre.


In summary, The Love Haters is a must-read that will have you laughing, crying, and falling in love alongside its characters. Whether you're a longtime Katherine Center fan or new to her work, this book will leave you with a full heart, a smile on your face, and perhaps even a fresh perspective on yourself.

Verdict:
Pre-order this one, add it to your TBR, and prepare to devour it in one sitting. Katherine Center has done it again-delivering a story that's as entertaining as it is transformative.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and while I loved the book and was sad when it ended, there were some areas that fell short. This is still a great romance read and loved how Katie felt like a friend that was telling me the story directly (not like I was reading something an author wrote).

I wish there was more back story of the characters. We hear Katie mentioning her body image is due to her step mother, but we never really experience where their relationship is now. This book could have explored themes of needing to cut toxic family members out of their lives and new found family. This could have given even more depth to Beanie, who seemed to be a supportive sidekick that was just waiting for Katie to call and talk off the ledge. Exploring heavier themes in rom-coms are what makes me love Katherine's writing so much. I feel like this book could have gone a bit deeper.

Additionally, I despised Cole's character. It seemed like he was confident that he wouldn't be laid off and that it was up to him on who to cut/save, but nothing said that was correct. In the end it even pivoted where he could have been on the chopping block. Let alone his involvement with the project that he technically turned down when passing it off to Katie. As the book progressed he just kept getting worse and worse. His character really took me out of the story.

Overall, The Love Haters was a quick and easy read that had me wishing I was in Florida.

I love how Katherine Center writes. It's amazing how she can portray her characters' emotions well. Every single book of hers I've read, I've loved. Katherine makes reading so enjoyable. She makes her books fun which makes them easy to read, and easy to connect to. I liked the main characters a lot. Their actions with each other, and how they balance each other out were super cute and rewarding to see. However The Love Haters was super similar to her last book: The Rom-commers, But since I liked her last one I also liked this one.

Katie Vaughn has a LOT going on. Whether it's the layoffs at her company or ex-boyfriend who has exposed her to public humiliation, she's just trying to keep her head above water (yep, that was a pun). So when her colleague Cole passes on an opportunity to her to make recruiting video about the Coast Guard, who cares that she can't swim? Or that she instantly has a crush on the Coast Guard swimmer she's filming?

I recently read and loved the Romcommers, so I was incredibly excited to open the Love Haters. The two explore similar themes (believing in love), but while The Romcommers focused on loving other people, The Love Haters is more intersted in how people learn to love themselves. Katie is a heroine who I think a lot of women can relate to - when asked to describe a feature she loves about herself, her first thought is her earlobes. The Love Haters really covers how Katie learns to love her own body and find comfort in herself - and of course, find a guy as well.

I really enjoyed all the relationships between characters. Not just between Hutch and Katie, although I do appreciate that Center writes relationships where characters actually seem to like each other and have fun together, but between Cole and Hutch, who have some brother stuff to work out, and between Rue and the boys. I would kind of love to see a version of this written from Cole's perspective - where he works through his brother issues and finds love - because it was fun to be immersed in this world, and I wanted to keep hanging out with the characters in the Florida Keys.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the Romcommers or any of Emily Henry's books

Every book Katherine Center publishes just gets better and better and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This was a clean, yet full of chemistry romance between a videographer and a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer that had me laughing out loud and at points shedding some tears. Definitely worth the read!

3.5

I love Katherine Center books but this one wasn't my favorite of hers. Was it still enjoyable and did I read it in 2 days? 100% but it fell a little flat for me.

The romance didn't give off as much chemistry as I wanted. I also really didn't care for the side character Cole and the conflict he brought.

Trigger warning: generational trauma with body insecurity

Katherine Center always draws interest through the careers her characters have. They are always unique and captivating. This time, Katie, is a video/documentary film maker who is sent to follow Hutch, a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer for a USCG promotion video. Problem is, Hutch has been labeled a “Love Hater” by his brother Cole Plus Hutch is very matter of fact with little to say and frowns, a lot. Plus he doesn’t ever do interviews. That won’t make Katie’s work hard, right?

I loved the character development of Katie and Hutch from start to finish. Although, you will fall in love with other characters: Rue (Hutch’s mother figure) and George Bailey, the aloof and toad-loving Great Dane (Hutch’s-men with dogs are always a win in my book).

One little note that bugged me, is that Katie was sent there by her work, but she had to pay for her rental and accommodations. That was weird to me. Not sure why I got hung up on that little part!

Thanks to NetGalley (my first ARC and experience with them) and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Digital Copy.

Katherine Center is a hit or miss author for me, some of her books I can't put down and others I struggle to finish but The Love Haters was one I couldn't put down. The love story between Katie and her body is so touching and thoughtfully written with sincerity and delicate. The characters are lovable and I truly felt like I was in Key West with them all. There is the boss/brother and he was as arrogant as can be but somehow pulls the story together. This was a 5 star read for me.

This was my first Katherine Center book. I’ve got a few on my shelf, and thank goodness, cause I need more of this. The Love Haters was quirky and charming - I loved the mix of humor and wit, trauma and drama, and the big summer vibes (despite it taking place in Autumn).

In the Author’s Note, it says “In the best stories, you’re *in* it. You’re a part of it. It’s happening all around you - and *to* you. You’re not just witnessing the characters, you *are* the characters.” And I was in it. I loved Katie from the beginning. She was relatable, and her backstory was interesting. It was a little random to have the pop star ex-fiance thrown in there other than to add beef to the moments where Katie started doubting herself again. But her journey to start loving herself and her body was beautiful. Hutch was a hottie (probably). Katie’s description of him upon first meeting was one of the best male love interest descriptions I’ve read in a long time. And George Bailey? Stop. This dog is real to me. He’s adorable and his back story and fear of thunder was so sad. The part at the end was tugging my heartstrings for this baby boy.

I finished this book in a day. It’s a quick and fun read, and super funny. The drama with Katie’s boss and “work superior” seemed a little silly and unrealistic - I might have been grinding my teeth at the reasons for not telling Hutch the truth - but it smoothed over quick enough. Overall, really enjoyed the characters and the filmmaking and the exciting search and rescue scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!
Publication Date: 05/20/2025

Let me start by saying Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me. I ADORE her books. That being said, this one fell a little short for me. I feel like I didn't really connect to the FMC Katie or her best friend Beanie whom she only ever talks to on the phone. There were still some funny moments that made me laugh out loud but it lacked dialogue and character development between Katie and the MMC, Hutch. I would have liked more scenes where they're actually talking and hanging out. I did enjoy all the George Bailey scenes but I think the whack-you-on-the-head focus on self love was a bit too much for me. Still couldn't put it down and finished it in a day so would recommend as a quick pool read. The Rom-Commers, Hello Stranger and The Bodyguard are still my favs.

I thought this book was good! This is a rom-com book through and through. There were so many moments where I can see the scene play out in a movie, and I thought those moments were funny. The fmc did annoy me a bit, but it’s a journey she must go through (I guess). The book was still lighthearted while also dealing with a serious submit. Was it the best way to deal with a serious subject? Not entirely, but I personally didn’t think it was bad. Overall, good book and enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-ARC! Didn’t know I needed a Coast Guard romance before reading The Love Haters. Really loved this book, especially the supporting characters of Rue and George Bailey.

Yay Hutch, boo Cole. I don’t love a miscommunication/lie trope so that’s my main dislike of the book. Hope to see it adapted as a rom-com movie. Also, there’s lots of discussions on body image which some may find triggering.

Not spicy.

I absolutely love Katherine Center. Her books have such a mix of fun, poignancy, big feelings, and hard conversations. She always tackles important topics in an accessible way that makes you think while you enjoy the experience. This newest book, The Love Haters, was just as fabulous as all her previous books. It dives into body positivity and eating disorders. It also has a fun beachy Key West vibe- one of my favorite vacation destinations- and she describes it SO well. The characters were enjoyable and layered. I had a challenging time reading this in bed, as is my normal practice, because I kept laughing too hard and waking up my spouse. There were so many fun characters, but the self-help addicted cousin takes the cake!

My favorite quote, "No one is born fearless. You have to earn it."

It is definitely a romance but the strongest and most central relationship to the story is the female lead character's relationship with her own body.

I loved “The Romcommers” I immediately wanted to read Center’s new novel.

I flew through the “The Love Haters”., I loved the FMC body image issues because who hasn’t experienced that? Very relatable. Loved the chemistry between FMC & MMC, I was rooting for them the entire time.

The bar scene where MMC’s brother is treating FMC as a prize to be won and how MC’s acted gave me the ick. Also the follow up when it was over yet FMC alluded to a kiss earned because of it wasn’t my favorite part.

I really enjoyed the book overall, I did want an update on FMC’s ex-boyfriend and a comeback of her new relationship.

I absolutely love this book. The plot was amazing and the characters were so realistic that they felt like people I’ve known my whole life. The book reads like a movie and I was sucked in. I absolutely will recommend this book to everyone!

Katherine Center is the queen of the readable rom-com, and I look forward to her new novel every time. Even The Rom-Commers, which many of the people I follow did not enjoy, was one of my favorite romances released last year. When I saw this ARC was available on NetGalley, I immediately put it next on my TBR. Unfortunately, this novel fell short of my admittedly high expectations. I will say before I go on, I will never hate a Katherine Center novel. I love her humorous writing style and the effortless way in which she tells a story. You really get wrapped up in all of her books, and this one was no exception.

The Love Haters follows video producer, Katie, when she is assigned the task of filming a recruitment video for the US Coast Guard in Key West. The video's main subject, Hutch, is the dreamy rescue swimmer and brother of Katie's supervisor, Cole. As with most Katherine Center novels, shenanigans ensue as our heroine must navigate the crazy situations she finds herself in. Her biggest problem - she can't swim! The setup of the novel sounded right up my alley.

As I started the novel, I was quite thrown off by the abundant discussion of our heroine's body image and history of eating disorders. This topic dominated almost the entire first half of the novel. I agree with other reviews that mentioned this topic, so please look at those for a more eloquent discussion.

So what about the romance? I wish that we had more scenes of Katie and Hutch interacting when they were getting to know each other. After the initial meet-cute scene by the pool, Ms. Center spends pages 'telling' us about their relationship through first-person narrative instead of 'showing' us. All of a sudden Katie had been in Key West for weeks and Hutch was in love with her! I wish we could have seen their relationship grow on the page more considering I greatly enjoyed what little we did get.

And don't even get me started on my absolute least favorite plot device that popped up about 65% into the novel. I refuse to discuss it, but it is related to Hutch's brother, Cole (aka Katie's direct supervisor).

I did love our cast of supporting characters including Hutch's Aunt Rue, and the discussions on grief and learning to enjoy life after great loss worked well for me. The 'flowers' moment was a highlight of the novel and provided an interesting view of our place in the world.

As with a lot of Katherine Center novels, the ending did make me cry. The emotion and humor is brimming from every page. We also have a very lovable rescue dog, George Bailey, whose presence throughout the novel raised my rating by at least half a star.

Overall, The Love Haters is an enjoyable rom-com with lovable characters and an interesting premise. I will continue to look forward to whatever is released next from Ms. Center.

3/5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley again for the ARC.

I loved this book. Katherine Center really knows how to deliver these heart felt reads. Totally unbelievable at parts but sometimes that's just what we need. If you are a fan of Emily Henry and Carley Fortune I don't think you will be disappointed with this one!

*+:｡.｡𝓞𝓻 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓾𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓪𝓻𝓶 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓽. 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝔃𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓽𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓱𝓾𝓰, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓪𝔂 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓮𝓪𝓻— 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓮: “𝓘 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂’𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰. 𝓨𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵.”｡.｡:+*

This is the most wholesome book I've read in so long. Oh, how I love Hutch and Katie. They're the most perfect couple in the history of perfect couples. I was giggling the whole time, and if I'm not giggling, I'm swooning. I can't wait to read all of Katherine Center's other books

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
🌸 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝙶𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙼𝙼𝙲
🌸 𝙶𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙽 𝙼𝙼𝙲
🌸 𝙱𝙾𝙳𝚈 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝙸𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙸𝚃𝚈
🌸 𝙹𝙾𝙱 𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I've been wanting to read a Katherine Center book for sooo long and today I got lucky and received the eARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press 💕💕

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of Katherine Center’s latest novel! She is one of my favorite authors, so I was so excited to receive it. I love “the feels” Center’s writing often brings and the balance between rom-com and more serious topics.

Katie is a videographer tasked with filming a promo video for the Coast Guard. She flies to Key West and meets her main subject, Hutch, who is known for being too serious and the ultimate gentlemen. Katie knows nothing about the Coast Guard and lacks the ability to swim, so her assignment is a bit out of her depth. However, she soon becomes immersed in Key West life - making friends with a group of older women and Hutch as her swimming coach and colleague. Things take a dramatic turn when her bosses Cole and Sullivan arrive to stir up her otherwise successful project.

Unfortunately this was not my favorite book by Center. There were aspects that I loved: the setting, aunt Rue, and learning about the Coast Guard. Hutch was a pretty great main character, but Cole was the absolute worst. There were several scenes involving Cole that really rubbed me the wrong way, and although Katie and Hutch did call him out, I didn’t like his behavior at all (and felt it wasn’t pivotal to the plot). The dog parts were mostly heartwarming, though a bit cheesy. The miscommunication trope was used quite a bit in the romance plot, which is my least favorite trope. Though I enjoyed parts of this novel, overall it felt flat and the pieces didn’t feel cohesive.

Though I was a bit disappointed in this one, I hope Katherine Center’s next novel is another favorite!