Katherine Center wrote a good old-fashioned EPIC rom-com! This book really has everything: an adorably grumpy love interest (normally, I don't love this, but Hutch is such a softie it worked for me!), an enormous dog named after Jimmy Stewart (SWOON), and a delightfully eccentric auntie! Not to mention a colorful (literally) location. I loved it throughout, but certain scenes really sang. As always, the dialogue popped...I couldn't stop laughing and giggling. More so than in her other books, this couple seemed so authentically made for each other. It's hard to explain, but I felt like the way they fell in love was invisible and inevitable in the best way possible. Katie's journey to self-love was a rewarding one to read; the themes that are present in this book are evergreen. I highlighted so many lines that have imprinted on me. Also, the author's note was really the cherry on top of this! Thank you, Ms. Center, for writing such meaningful love stories; I DO feel like I'm getting better at love just by reading your stories and so many others. It's truly not an escape, it's the opposite. You will ALWAYS be famous.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Honestly, I dropped everything in my life to binge read this book, and I have no regrets. I ADORED IT.

Katie’s life is a hot mess. After getting engaged, her fiancé becomes an overnight TikTok sensation, and the fame quickly goes to his head. As he drifts further away, Katie is left to deal with the fallout—public humiliation after a red carpet moment sparks brutal online trolling about her appearance, leading her to have toxic body image struggles. The cherry on top? She discovers her fiancé’s infidelity… through social media.

Just when things couldn’t get worse, Katie’s job is on the chopping block due to company restructuring. Desperate to keep her position, she agrees to a wild assignment: heading to the Florida Keys to create a recruitment video for the Coast Guard alongside a officer famous for saving Jennifer Aniston’s dog. Cue tropical chaos, unexpected turns, and a story filled with heart, humor, and healing.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so seen by a book. As a millennial who survived the *Jessica Simpson is fat* era5, body image struggles have always been part of my story. Reading about Katie’s anxieties felt like reading my own inner dialogue. Through her journey and her heartfelt moments with Beanie, I found myself asking the same question: *What do you like about your body?* Oof. This book was such an emotional ride.

The romance between Katie and Hutch? AMAZING 😍 Hutch is the ultimate mix of grumpy(ish)/sunshine/golden retriever vibes, and I couldn’t get enough of him. His constant support and the way he showed Katie what real love looks like? Absolute perfection.

The found family element WOW. Rue, Cole, and Hutch share such a profound and beautiful bond, transforming their shared darkness into something truly inspiring. (Rue might just be one of my all-time favorite characters EVER.) Their annual ritual? I cant copeeee.

I thought Rom-Commers was unbeatable, but this one might just steal the top spot. Katherine Center delivers again with a story that’s equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. I’ll read anything she writes because every book is a stunning, emotional and hilarious journey. 💕

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchnage for an honest review <3

This book is the warm fuzzy sweater, a cozy blanket, a lovely fire in the fireplace, curled up in a reading chair vibe. I was immersed in the book immediately and didn’t come up for air until it was done. Katherine Center books always deliver- when I start her books, I always know I’m in for a great time and can forget about the real world for a bit.

As usual, I absolutely loved this book- characters and character development was wonderful, the story was highly unique (first book I’ve ever read with a Coast Guard rescue swimmer!) and I loved every minute.

Also- the toad storyline is hilarious and adorable. And also- is it true about the poisonous ones? I must google this…

Highly recommend- 5/5 stars!

Katie’s personal growth as she faces her fears, builds connections, and finally comes clean about her lies adds depth to the romance and turns what could have been a simple story of love into a thoughtful exploration of bravery, honesty, and second chances. A delightful escape that’s lighthearted, yet packed with emotional resonance.

Another winner by Katherine Center! Unlike her previous book, The Rom-Commers, which I liked but felt was a bit "clunky," this one is smooth sailing all the way. Katie, a lower level videographer, is coerced into traveling to Key West to film a promo for the Coast Guard. In doing so she meets Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, who is scientifically perfect in appearance and extremely good at heart. With some fun supporting characters in a great setting, plus a 160 lb Great Dane named George Bailey, this was a terrific romp that had me rooting for the main characters from the beginning. I loved it from start to finish.

first and foremost, thank you to st. martin’s press and netgalley for this gifted arc. anything katherine center to me is an automatic read, so getting to read this early was a joy.

this was completely different to me from her past books. while it’s obviously romance heavy, it very much focuses on katie’s relationship with herself (which is mentioned in the authors note.) i felt what katie was feeling and i kinda adored her. i think parts of it spend too much time on it but then i also get it?

hutch is a character i completely adored. i don’t even know how to explain it, so i’m not. just know i loved him a lot.

romance wise, it was good. it felt fast paced and sudden at certain times, but i was still in it the entire time. i didn’t care for the “fake dating” with cole, i wish there was a different conflict if there was going to be one, but it wasn’t the end of the world. i just genuinely wish we got more of them because i really enjoyed the dynamic.

overall plot wise, it was good. i loved the setting how katie being in key west making a promo for the coast guard and this day in the life with hutch. the ending bit (hint, hurricane) was really good too. george bailey and rue were very fine additions to this cast of characters.

overall, i must give this a 4.25 but im rounding it up to 5 stars because even with these little things, i absolutely devoured it. finished it in only a few hours, and to me, that’s a perfect sign of me loving something.

Being stranded in the middle of ocean is one of my biggest fears. Katie in the Love Haters handled this situation so calmly. I would have panicked immediately. Katherine Center has another hit book on her hands. This book was a super quick read with short chapters and great characters!!

Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite romcom authors. The stories she crafts are always magical and make you feel as if you're sitting in a room with her characters instead of reading their story. Her latest work is no exception.

When I first picked up "The Love Haters", I wasn't sure what to expect, especially when I read that it would center around an MMC who was a rescue swimmer with the US Coast Guard. Within the first few chapters, however, I was immediately hooked. From Katie's love-hate relationship with herself to Hutch's strict professionalism, and Ruth's laid back approach to life, each and every character within "The Love Haters" deeply resonated with me. It just goes to show that Katherine could run a Master Class on the art of character creation.

The story itself is also extremely well done. Without giving away too many spoilers, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will sigh in contentment when you get to the end. "The Love Haters" has all the tropes and story beats fans of romcom books will love.

What really stood out to me in this particular book is the sheer amount of research Katherine put into learning about the US Coast Guard. Learning just a little bit about rescue swimmers, their intense training, and the conditions these brave men and women go through has me viewing the Coast Guard with a whole new respect and appreciation.

"The Love Haters" is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. I can't wait to go back and experience Katie and Hutch's journey all over again.
If you're thinking about picking up this book, do it. You won't be disappointed!

10/10 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this book!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Love Haters is romantic comedy perfection, teamed up with a journey of self-love, and lovingly adorned with a Great Dane named George Bailey and one vivacious Aunt Rue. The Author’s Note at the end is quite possibly the best I've ever read ( I really do read them all). Katherine Center has filled this story with so much authenticity and heart, and characters who will stay with you long after the story had ended.

I can always count on Katherine Center to deliver me a feel-good rom com that also had fully fleshed out characters that you can't help but root for. As usual the cover is also staining and I can't wait to add this one to my shelf.

One note- I get sprayed edges are all the rage now, but just spraying the edges a single color isn't it. I'd honestly prefer them not sprayed at all. If you are going to make the edges "fancy", you at least have to have a design!

Dive into a world of swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses. This book promises a whirlwind of excitement and heartfelt moments. Amidst the chaos, the characters find themselves with opportunities to tell the truth, confront old fears, and ultimately discover their bravery.

Another super delightful romance from Katherine Center, whose mantra is “Read for Joy”!

This time we have Katie, a videographer who can’t swim, doesn’t know a thing about the military, and only marginally knows where Key West is, accepting an assignment to film a training video for Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Recruiting her is her sort-of supervisor Cole Hutcheson (who doesn’t want to go to Florida). Both of them are working for the same video company that is about to layoff half of its employees. Cole’s offer to Katie might keep her from being fired and might help her with her side gig of creating 6 minute documentaries of everyday heroes. But there’s a catch: the Coast Guard hero she would be profiling is reluctant internet sensation “Pup Daddy”, rescuer of Jennifer Anniston’s golden retriever who fell off a cliff, and Cole’s brother Tom, known as Hutch. Hutch is absolutely gorgeous and ogle-worthy, but he’s a terrible interviewee, and Cole has warned her that his brother is devoid of close relationships, that he’s a “love-hater.” She initially observes “He’s all rules and no heart! He’s all action and no reaction! He’s all body and no soul.” But Katie keeps observing — those shoulders, those arms, that chest, and also that all-around kindness.

Katie is also, self-admittedly, a love-hater, too. She was jilted by her fiancé after he became a YouTube-famous singer (who is now, via a new song, regretting dumping her publicly) and is still feeling the jealousy of his awful fans who once mocked her before, contributing to anorexia and body-shaming (which she is still conquering with Aunt Rue also working on Katie’s chromophobic black wardrobe.)

As her assignment proceeds, Katie feels that there is also something not quite right between the estranged brothers and she no longer feels comfortable about doing her “Day in the Life” documentary about Hutch that might save her job. And when Cole does arrive in Key West, everyone’s lives get messy.

Oh, did I mention George Bailey, Hutch’s thunder-phobic Great Dane who keeps launching himself onto Katie and picks up cane toads in his mouth?

Katherine Center writes the absolute best rom-com dialogue — you’ll hate it when Hutch goes into one-word responses and frowny faces. But, as usually, this is a delightful, joyous story that you’ll wish doesn’t end! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): MAYBE There’s a long discussion about eye colors, and Katie seems to think she has brownish-green hazel eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The brothers have a nice tradition of handing out flowers on the anniversary of their mother’s death.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Full disclosure - I adore Katherine Center. I’ve read everything she’s written and she is an auto-purchase author for me. The Love Haters is a clear example of precisely why that is! This will now be the book I suggest to anyone who hasn’t read her stuff before, to get them sucked in.

This book had everything. All the feels of a much needed Key West vacation when it feels like the world is on fire. All the leg kicking, pillow squeezing and squealing of having your first crush confirm they like you back. A warm hug of a book. As refreshing and delightful as that first dip in the pool on the hottest of summer days.

Hutch is the ideal cinnamon roll book boyfriend. A sexy, heroic coast guard swimmer with a heart of gold? Yes please.

Katie is that dear friend, when all you want is for them to see how wonderful they are, and to love themselves half as much as you love them. You will root for her every step of the way.

Aunt Rue is all of our favorite sweet angel baby grandma, and must be protected at all costs.

If I had to find any fault at all, I wanted more about Katie and Hutch in the epilogue! But even without it, this book is truly lovely. I devoured it, and I’m sorry - I’ll brb, because I need to go immediately read it again now!

The Love Haters by Katherine Center is a beautiful novel that’s cheeky and funny and doesn’t appear to be about love but really really is.

It’s about Katie, a videographer who agrees who agrees to shoot a video about a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Hutch, for her boss, Cole Hutchinson, his brother, who has requested Cole for the job.

When she gets to Key West, Florida from Dallas, Texas for the job she is treated like a Princess by Rue, their aunt, and like a pariah, by Hutch. Hutch is furious that Cole isn’t there.

But he agrees to give her private swimming lessons and not tell anyone that she doesn’t know how to swim which could cost her the job. Also to not use Rue’s car, they commute together to the job site and get to know each other.

Katie learns about the Coast Guard, passes an underwater test, interviews Hutch, and films him from a helicopter doing an ocean rescue.

Katie learns on the internet that her former fiance has written a song about her saying he still loves her and there’s an old photo of her with negative comments by other women. Feeling awful, she runs away and ends up in Mallory Square at sunset. Hutch follows her and tells her those other women are just jealous of how pretty she is. They end up kissing and it’s glorious.

Cole wants her to do one of her Day in the Life videos that she posts on YouTube and is well known for so she spends 24 hours on Hutch’s houseboat filming him doing his laundry, walking his rescue George Bailey who is taller than he is when he puts his paws on Hutch’s shoulders, cooking dinner, and other everyday activities. Hutch is not as friendly as he has been but Katie doesn’t know it’s because Cole told him Katie was his girlfriend.

Cole and his and Katie’s boss Sullivan come to Key West and Cole pretends Katie is his girlfriend and Sullivan tries to go after Hutch.

It doesn’t work. Cole and Hutch and Rue go out to dinner on the anniversary of the death of Rue’s husband and the brothers’ parents and invite Katie.

Afterwards the brothers who are quite competitive get into a fight and iron out some things. Hutch finds out Katie and Cole are not a couple.

Then Hutch disappears. But a Category 4 hurricane forms and everyone evacuates the island. She tells Hutch goodbye at the Coast Guard station and has driven to Islamarada when Rue (who is on the way to Phoenix)
calls and says George Bailey is alone on Hutch’s houseboat. So she turns around.

Will she and the dog and the houseboat survive?

Will Katie and Hutch fall in love?

What happens to the videos?

I guarantee that this funny sad happy quirky incredibly love filled novel is definitely worth reading!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 📚
4⭐️
𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃: 5/20/25

@katherinecenter when I checked my email a few days ago to find this book it was the best early Xmas gift ever. Thank you😍. I really enjoyed the crazy plot. There were so many deeper subject matters here as well such as body shaming, savior complex, cyber bullying and grief to name a few. The old saying opposites attract should be the logo for the two main characters. They couldn’t be more different. Katie is withdrawn. If self hate and sabatoge was person it would be her. Huck is the poster child for the good ole American boy. Handsome, dog lover, military and genuinely nice. Fate steps in to save them from themselves in the form of a dog named George Bailey. I swear I think this dog was smarter than most of the people around him. Kate is a film maker and huck is a swim rescuer. Chaos explodes when Kate takes the job to do a film on the coast guard with huck as the lead. Everything starts spiraling bc the strings of this operation are being pulled by hucks younger brother Cole. I really didn’t like Cole. If selfish and absorbed was a person he’s it! The family element of the story was so heart warming and gave me all warm fuzzies needed. Rue and her girlfriends are living my dream of retirement. Rues character was one of a kind. The chemistry between Katie and hutch was great. At times I wanted to knock some sense into both of them but luckily they figured it out.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my ARC.

🏷️#booklover #bookstagram #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #readingtime #ilovebooks #bookblogger #bookblog #booknerdigans #bookishfeatures #bookphotography #yalit #yabooks #currentlyreading #igreads #instaread #bookworm #booknerd #bookdragon #romance #coastguard #swim #greatdane #beachlife #christmastree

The Love Haters by Katherine Center was like catching up with a good friend. Easy and good for the soul. The book manages to cover some heavy experiences while keeping a light hearted tone. I also appreciated the lesson on self love, which as a woman can be hard sometimes. I’ve loved all of her books and this is no exception. The characters were so well developed and I adored every single page. Katherine’s writing is so consistently wonderful. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 is a classic Katherine Center novel, featuring a character at a low point and growing through her struggles with a mix of humor and a dash of romance. It's short and sweet, and it leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Katie is desperate to retain her job amidst vast company layoffs, so she jumps at the chance to film a hype video for Hutch, a coast guard swimmer in Florida. But she can't swim, and her colleague, Hutch's brother, didn't exactly fill her in on details - especially the reasons why Hutch doesn't want her there.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 is a story of self-acceptance, unexpected friendships, and an adorable Great Dane who is terrified of thunder. It's an adventure of swimming lessons, surviving a hurricane in a houseboat, and choosing the red dress over the black dress.

It would be a five star read, but I loved Katie and Hutch so much that I would have enjoyed more of their development and interactions. There was a bit too much of Katie's internal struggles while we were being told about car conversations, workplace interactions, and dinners with Rue, but we weren't able to be a fly on the wall for those crucial moments of their relationship, and I would have loved to experience those moments along with them. For this reason, I'd categorize it more as Women's Fiction over Romance, but it is a wonderful blend of both genres.

Katie is a film producer working at a rinky dink agency in Texas. Recent cuts have put her job on the line, but Cole, her superior not boss gives her an opportunity to prove herself. The catch? It’s supposed to be his assignment but he doesn’t want to go for personal reasons. So Katie takes off to Key West to film Cole’s coast guard brother for a promo video. But she can’t swim and hates wearing bathing suits… But maybe Hutch will prove to be a good enough distraction that Katie won’t even mind?

This book was full of twists and turns. And pacing was good, a little fast but I enjoy that. I thought the characters were all super sweet. Minus Cole he was a turd. But Hutch, the mmc, was very sweet. Katie was funny and a bit of a head case. And then the old ladies were a fun crew. While I absolutely adore Katherine Center, this wasn’t her best work. It was still a great read, fantastic writing and super fun plot. But some of her other novels are much stronger.

Great Dane
One bed
Forced proximity
Lost at sea
Hot coast guard man

Thanks netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley, and especially Katherine Center for the early chance to read and review “The Love Haters.”

As soon as I received my copy of this book, I immediately dropped *everything* to read it and it was totally worth it. I loved the characters - Katie and Hutch were both so likable and the reader roots for them from the first minute. The secondary characters were also memorable and multi dimensional - especially Rue and Katie’s BFF Beanie. The setting and premise - the Florida Keys and the Coast Guard background - was interesting and set the book apart. And Katie’s emotional personal journey, apart from her romantic one, was moving and powerful. I laughed and cried throughout this one and I completely whole heartedly recommend it! 5 stars!

I loved The Love Haters (punny) and how unexpected and unique this book was for me. I never expected the action scenes that this book gave. The fact that she was literally stranded in the ocean was a WILD plot turn that made the book that much more intriguing. Rue and the gals also kept me laughing the whole time and was such a nice touch. There were also heartbreaking elements to the story like the story about what happened to bring Hutch and Cole to Rue and what actually happened in the crash that had me in tears. Katherine Center is always so good at mixing comedy with romance with a sprinkle of emotional elements with this book showcasing that perfectly. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to have been able to read this early and think it will be a hit come its release in summer! Also the gorgeous physical copy is going have to end up on my bookshelf once it’s published, the design is so good!

Genre: Romance
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 0/5 🧼

Summary: Katie was betrayed by her fiancé and now her position at work is in question with layoffs looming. So, she takes a gamble and accepts an assignment she’s not exactly qualified for, filming a promo video for a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Katie conveniently forgot to mention one small detail: she doesn’t know how to swim. She takes on some swim lessons and is shocked to find out her instructor is the rescue swimmer she’s supposed to be impressing.

Thoughts: I immediately knew, chapter one, that I was going to love this book. The only thing that could have ruined it for me was if there was no happily ever after but Katherine Center would quite literally never.

Katherine has the most unique and refreshing approach to writing. The banter is so quick, the humor is so dry but the stories have such a warmth to it. There are just no other books out there like hers.

This book was truly a treasure. It provided me a chance to laugh, a chance to cry and a chance to evaluate how I treat myself on so many levels. There were so many important lessons brought forward in this book but it never interrupted the entertainment.

I am so honored I was sent this book. My thoughts are shared voluntarily and with complete honesty.