Out of Katherine Center's latest books, this one is a top contender for me (though Hello Stranger is my favorite). Her writing is always funny and heart-tugging. I didn't particularly identify with the MC's body-image struggles, but I thought they were done sensitively. I also think there were times where Katie's inner dialogue was just too much. There were parts I skimmed completely trying to get to more action. I loved George Bailey and dreamy Hutch - top tier MMC! I wish there had been more done with the anti-fake-dating with Katie and Cole, I actually really liked reading that after being inundated with nothing but fake dating tropes the last few years. The hurricane felt like it came out of nowhere, but I really enjoyed its conclusion.

katherine center has become an auto-read author for me, and I always jump to read go read her books, especially when I receive an ARC. unfortunately though, this one missed the mark a little for me. i’m always going to enjoy center’s books, but this one focused a little too much on body image (she mentioned how this was healing for her, so nothing against her for including it, it’s not not something I particularly enjoy having so much focus in a book), cole was insufferable, and the ending quite honestly just seemed absurd. I still enjoyed this and would recommend to katherine center/romance fans, but it was not my favorite by her.

The Love Haters is Katherine Center’s newest novel and it’s sure to be another hit. We follow Katie as she tries to save her job by taking on an assignment to film a promotional video of Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. The problem is that she can’t swim, and the assignment requires her to go through some of the safety training involved, in the water.

As with all the author’s books the writing is quick and witty but she’s not afraid to take on some hard subjects. This is one of the things I really admire about her writing. The tone of the story is fun and light, but Katie is also tackling some past serious issues with disordered eating and struggles with her self-confidence and body image. I appreciate the harder subjects that are handled with respect but also a lightness. I thought the author handled the subject well and loved the growth that she goes through. A content warning for readers who are sensitive to this subject.

I loved the two primary characters in this as well as so many of the side characters, especially George Bailey. There are themes of found family which were very well done. The only slight issue for me was the third act setback, which felt pretty contrived. The ending was very exciting and I loved how the whole story wrapped up.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press, author Katherine Center, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC to review in exchange for my honest review.

When love-hater Katie faces the possibility of being fired, she accepts colleague Cole’s offer to film a promo video for the Coast Guard. The catch? The subject of the promo is Cole’s rescue swimmer and fellow love-hating brother - Hutch. To save her job, Katie jets off to Key West with a bag full of black on black clothing that is lost in transport, and has to allow Cole’s Aunt Rue to clothe her in the best of the tropics.

You see, Katie has body image issues. Her ex is the latest singer to take the world by storm, and due to the exposure, Katie has found herself the subject of gossip sites. She has been ripped apart by strangers for what she wears, how she wears it, and every hill and valley of her body. She’s learning how to love herself while training with the Coast Guard - which is challenging for her because it means she must spend a lot of time with hottie Hutch while wearing a bathing suit.

The Love Haters is an adorable romcom with a powerful message - can you love another when you struggle to love yourself?

Heartwarming and healing, this is a book you don’t want to miss!

Another home run for Katherine Center. I was so excited to get a preview copy of this book and really enjoyed it. Her characters come to life and the little details are great right down to the little toad.

Have you heard the outdated word “Apricity”? It’s the feeling of the sun's warmth on a cold winter day. That joy is the same kind I feel every time I read a Katherine Center book.

Every time I think she can’t possibly make her new book as good as the last, she proves me wrong.

And “The Love Haters” was quite possibly my favorite book to date, perhaps because I related to the storyline so much.

Military love. Check. Great Dane. Check. In an “it’s complicated” relationship with myself and my body. Check.

And I adored Rue and her group of friends as supporting characters.

Let’s look back at some things I’ve said about KC's novels over the years because they continually prove true with every new story she writes.

“I loved every funny, sad, silly, cheesy, heartbreaking, empowering, heartwarming, and sometimes all too-relatable moment of this book. Five fantastic stars!”

“Katherine Center books are always on my TBR list. They’re witty, charming, insightful, and leave you feeling hopeful.”

“She accurately portrays trauma, tragedy, and grief so that you feel hopeful and inspired. Every time. Every story. That is what I love most about her work. I always take away some nugget of wisdom for this beautiful mess we call life.”

Fun side note: This was my 10th Katherine Center book and 100th read of 2024!

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

I just love Katherine Center's books!! They are so sweet, wholesome, funny and romantic. They always leave me smiling and giggling while I'm reading them, but I also definitely shed a tear or two as well. She is the queen of writing relatable and lovable main characters. I could not put this book down and flew through it in a day. Absolutely recommend this book if you are into the nice guy and no spice romance.

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for an advanced reader copy!

To start, this cover is playful, colorful and fun.
Overall I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up. Not my favorite of Katherine Center but still a dang good read! Dropped everything I had and flew this to the top of my TBR!

What I absolutely love about reading any Katherine Center book is the tension and build and The Love Haters was no different. Add in a love triangle our main character momentarily finds herself caught in, with two brothers who have lost connection with each other. A personal growth in body acceptance and finding what makes us happy doesn’t always align with our career path and add in a big dopey sweet dog. I can’t wait for this book to hit shelves in May. Fun summer read!

Everything about this book is amazing. The characters, the flow of the story, the twists, and most of all, the uplifting message of learning to love yourself.

“She loved all of her everything because it was hers.”

Just saying…we all would be better if we can get to this point. This book is going to stick with me for a long while.

#romance #womensfiction #TheLoveHaters #KatherineCenter #smpromance #StMartinsPress

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this book. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

After loving The Rom-Commers, I could not wait to get my greedy hands on this book! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for Mr honest thoughts. It PAINS me to say this, but this was a miss for me.

Unfortunately there were just many aspects of this story that didn’t work. First, our FMC is recovering from an eating disorder, and omg the focus on her weight and struggle with her body image was just over the top. As someone who has personally done a lot of work in this area, reading her negative self talk (Katherine even goes as far as giving an example of a calorie tracking journal page from when she was starving herself) was sort of triggering for me. I wanted to skim every dialogue about her body, but gosh there was a lot.

Next, there is a whole MESSY story line with her job and the will she won’t she lose her job was exhausting. Additionally, her co-worker (and brother to coastguard) Cole is a piece of trash. His entire story line and all of the lying was so ridiculous and downright CRAZY and frustrating. Seriously, I CANNOT with lying. Just tell the truth!!

Ok, and now for our love story. She and Hutch seemed to build a good friendship, but I really felt the chemistry was lacking. Again, there were moments. But no butterflies. It just wasn’t believable. And it didn’t help at all that Hutch didn’t have much depth. Like, he sort of felt like he was just made out of cardboard. Does that even make sense?

There were parts I enjoyed and dialogue that made me laugh, but overall this book was just not it for me. There was quite a bit of this book that just felt sort of unbelievable, but nothing will top the ending for me. It took a turn I should have honestly expected, but could not help but feel SO annoyed by.

The best parts of this book were Rue and The Gals and George Bailey the dog.

Katherine Center is a master at tackling heavy, difficult topics in a sensitive, heartwarming, and slightly humorous manner. I loved how she approached Katie’s negative relationship with her body image, putting her into situations where she was forced to confront her feelings, but providing her with emotional and loving support. Rue and Beanie were the perfect balance of tough love and cheerleaders - they both jumped off the page with their very first lines.

The side characters alone could have carried this story, but the relationship between Katie and Hutch was full of everything you’d want in a romance novel. Full of tension, laughter, and extraordinary circumstances. I loved the situations they found themselves in and how well they complemented each other!

George Bailey was by far my favorite character, not in the least because of his name. I loved his matchmaking antics and the levity he brought to every situation! The Love Haters is exactly the heartwarming read you need in your life!

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

This one was a rare Katherine Center miss for me, I'm afraid. I usually LOVE her releases, but this one fell a little flat. I appreciated what she's trying to do, especially when it came to Katie's struggles with her own self-love/body image issues, but I think overall this one was a little shallow.

I liked Katie as a character overall. I think it's okay to have a FMC who is as lost as she is, and I appreciated that despite her struggles, she is good at her job and knows it!

My biggest character issue was Hutch. He felt like a template of a book boyfriend, rather than a real book boyfriend. He had all the hallmarks of a great guy, but with very little depth, so I was being told to love him rather than actually loving him. I didn't get much of a sense of his character at all, even when he's getting more vulnerable with Katie about his childhood.

My biggest issue over all was the lies that Cole was telling - are you kidding me??? It required a much bigger suspension of disbelief than I am used to even in romance novels, and I couldn't really get past it. To have that insanity be the motivator for the third act issues made it really hard for me to enjoy it.

Overall, it's an enjoyable enough read, and Katherine Center books are always feel good, but this was a letdown compared to some of her more recent reads that have been five star reads for me! 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

*Love on the Line* is a fun, heartwarming romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud and swoon at the same time. Katie Vaughn, a video producer on the verge of being laid off, faces a dilemma: she can either wait to get axed or take a risky career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in the sunny paradise of Key West. The catch? She can't swim—and she's about to pretend she can.

Things only get more complicated when Katie discovers that Hutch’s brother, Cole, her coworker, is the one who asked her to take the job. Katie and Cole don’t exactly get along, adding an extra layer of tension to an already tricky situation. But what starts as a job she’s not qualified for quickly becomes a whirlwind of mishaps, lies, and unexpected chemistry.

Hutch, a seemingly perfect but emotionally guarded man, challenges Katie in more ways than one. Despite his aloofness, there’s an undeniable attraction between them that grows as they spend more time together, navigating through swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, and stolen kisses. Meanwhile, Katie’s web of lies starts to unravel as she faces her own fears and learns what it means to be truly brave—and perhaps even to love again.

With a colorful cast of characters, including Hutch’s quirky Aunt Rue and his lovable rescue Great Dane, *Love on the Line* is a delightful escape into a tropical paradise. The story is filled with humor, heart, and a dash of adventure, making it impossible not to root for Katie and Hutch to find their happily ever after. If you love a romance with a touch of humor, a bit of deception, and a whole lot of chemistry, this book is definitely worth the read.

4/5
Katherine Center is an always read for me, and this one didn’t let me down. Great story, a little drama, a little romance, a lot of humor. Loved the setting and the characters. It wasn’t in my top 3 of her books (but that’s a hard list to crack) but overall it was a warm, pleasant, well written story.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

I laughed, I cried, I was anxious in suspense and I fell in love with all of the characters! Katherine Center is always a delight to read and this was no different. The story was fun and the epic side quests were a good time.

10/10, all the stars, must read for light romance with tough topics and vulnerable revelations.

Katherine Center has done it again for me. Her cute, romantic, slow-burn romances always do me in. The plot was incredibly fun and unique. I really enjoyed Hutch when he got out of his shell and flirted with Katie. I wanted so much more of that but understood that his character wasn't really meant for that. Overall, this book was so enjoyable and extremely fun to read. It's a closed door romance with lots of swoon worthy moments and epic kisses and rescues! 100% would recommend.

Things I loved:
- the setting: it's unique! A rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard and a videographer in the Florida Keys. Cool.
- slow burn romance
- men who love imperfect bodies
- George Bailey... aka the Great Dane: he was perfect and even the toad was perfect.
- the ending that left us wanting more (like in a good way). I love when books end without a wedding or a proposal or (heaven forbid) a baby. This is no different. Sure, it's a HEA but it's also just real life and people don't need to get married right away.

Things that could've been better:
- all the lying: so many lies especially towards the end and I really wish grown adults in books would just talk to one another.
- the "nods" that Hutch kept doing and then Katie's interpretation of what those nods meant. It got a little old.

The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the fact that the book was called "The Love Haters" because I didn't feel like either of the main characters actually hated love. Katie kept saying she was jilted (and she was) but she wasn't all that torn up about it. Mostly, she had body image issues and not a hater of love. Same thing with Hutch. So it was a tad confusing for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this wasn't my favorite from Katherine Center, I still adored and devoured this book. I love the ability to escape into a rom-com, like one would while watching a Hallmark movie.

This story fell a little flat overall, but still had some beautiful moments. I loved that this wasn't only a love story with Katie and Hutch, but also a love story with Katie and Katie. I recognized my younger self in her, and loved the personal journey she takes.

It's a toss-up between Rue and George Bailey as my favorite characters though. I could picture Rue right away, and she was instantly everyone's fun, loving, adoring, and "quirky" aunt. Her and The Gals stole the show.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Love Haters.

THANK YOU Netgalley for allowing me to get my hands on this ARC.

Hutch... SWOON <3 and George Bailey I just love you!

I devoured this book! I'm only giving it a 4.25 because I was really hung up on the body image aspect of the book. In the end it all made sense and pulled together nicely but the beginning was painful to read and kind of gave me the ick, there was too much emphasis on it.

Here's one of the lines that I just loved and thought OMG how did you know I wanted to know what she looked like? (One of the reasons I love reading KC books, she just knows what I'm thinking!) **this is an ARC so this might be changed in the published edition**
"Why did Lucas Banks bring his mother to the Billboard Awards?" and "Who is the frumpy lady with Lucas Banks?" and "Is Lucas dating Mrs Doubtfire?" And, for the record, none of those comments was actually true. I did not-and do not- look like Mrs. Doubtfire. Now you're wondering what I do look like. DARN RIGHT I AM.

Katie works for a video production firm. She's a videographer, loves her job, and is good at it. She's also really insecure, hard on herself, and is living a very limited life. Her boss, Cole, gives her an assignment to travel to Key West to make a Coast Guard recruiting video, profiling a semi-celebrity rescue swimmer named Hutch, who happens to be Cole's brother. Cole tells her that Hutch is a negative person who strongly doesn't believe in love. Hence the title. From the start, Hutch and Katie have a powerful attraction, which is whipsawed by Cole's petty manipulations. At the end of the book, Katie will have to choose between her safe, beige little life and one with more color, and the dramatic question is whether that can include Hutch or not.

This was a good story. The characters have plenty of flaws and original wounds to overcome. I love the funny, smart narrative voice Katherine Center uses. I laughed out loud at times! That was really fun. A few negatives: I would like to have had resolution/revenge with Katie's rock star ex-boyfriend, but maybe that's asking for too much. Next, the fact that Center does tend to pad her books with a bit too much character introspection, Finally, while it was easy to root for Katie, she made two big decisions that weren't very logical or smart. However, that's offset by the majority of the story, including the loveliness of The Gals, a Greek chorus of elder women who reside together at a refurbished motor court, and the fact that the second decision led to a big cinematic finish that deserves its own movie. Overall, another great story by Katherine Center.

I adore Katherine Center! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The first three-quarters of the book were everything I love about her writing—realistic chemistry, lovable side characters, and yes, Hutch is seriously swoon-worthy. It’s classic Katherine Center in so many ways.

That said, the last quarter felt... different. Not bad, just a bit jarring compared to the rest of the story. The twists and turns were a lot—especially the drama introduced by Hutch's brother. It felt a bit over the top and not as grounded as I usually expect from her books. And while I get that certain things needed to happen (hello, Coast Guard plot!), the way it all played out was intense and almost too much.

Still, I’d call this a solid addition to her collection. Not my favorite, but worth reading, especially for the first 200 pages. 3.5 stars from me!