3.5/4 stars. As a lover of Katherine Center, I found myself riding a reader's rollercoaster while consuming The Love Haters. To begin, The Love Haters is about a female filmmaker - recovering from an eating disorder and a broken relationship - who's sent on assignment to make a promo video for the Coast Guard. On the job, she meets the star of the promo video, who is - to nobody's surprise - the love interest. Throughout their time together, both characters grow increasingly fond of each other only for - again, to nobody's surprise - something to go wrong... only for them to get together in the end. Conventional rom-com, but let's not fix what isn't broken.

Overall, this is a very cute story with funny dialogue, great tidbits, and an enjoyable ending (especially the epilogue!) I absolutely loved several aspects of this book and continue to be a fan of Katherine Center for a great feel-good beach read.

However, I do feel like the "frumpy girl meets hot-hero-man" trope is both overdone and does a disservice to women. This critique is compounded by the way Katie's non-specified eating disorder is described throughout the story. During the current-day plotline, Katie is in recovery from the disordered eating, but remains plagued by her body image issues. Most notably, I took issues with the one scene where, when Katie is telling Hutch (hot-hero-man) about her eating disorder, she manages to explain that her cousin burned the bathroom scale one day and this magically healed her. Perhaps I'm grasping at straws here, but I felt that the way this particular story equated Katie's unattractiveness to her alleged weight was... frustrating. Further, the ENTIRE plot line with Katie's boss, Cole, lying (which is, in essence, the problem section of the book) was CRAZY. This is not to say it wasn't creative or well-written but I did NOT see that one coming.

To end this review on a good note, because I did enjoy most of this book, the final section of the book during which Katie drives INTO a hurricane to save Hutch's dog was my FAVORITE part of this book. This was crazy, hilarious, and 100% relatable as it's absolutely something I would do too (hot-hero-man or not). All this to say... yes, I would recommend this book to someone else - especially for a lover of rom-coms.

I'm more specifically giving this book a 3.5 because I didn't really enjoy the whole "lying" scheme cooked up by Cole. It felt rushed, harried, and incredibly clunky in the story itself. But this story did speak to me in a lot of ways when it comes to thinking about one's own body, and the kindness we need to give ourselves every step of the way. Not Katherine Center's best, but I do think this is a story worth reading if only to understand that body neutrality is probably the biggest gift we can give ourselves, far beyond love.

This book is exactly what I would expect from Katherine Center. If you also enjoyed The Rom-Commers and The Bodyguard, this will definitely be the book. We have a slightly quirky FMC, a seriously hunky MMC, and a full cast of lively side characters. There is no spice, but a whole lot of tension.

Katie was sent to Key West believing her subject would be a silent, grumpy guy with a hero complex. Hutch's rescue dog, George Bailey, unexpectedly breaks the ice and instead they have almost instant chemistry. Katie goes through a lot of personal growth and healing throughout the course of their acquaintanceship. Cole, Hutch's brother and Katie's colleague, shows up and causes quite a bit of chaos. Rue, Hutch and Cole's "aunt" is a delight. There are some heavier topics discussed, but Center's writing keeps things light without being flippant.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to SMP for the ARC. I had literally just preordered this book ☺️

TW: body dysmorphia, past struggles with ED, digital self-harm, parental death (past)

Miss Katherine. This book completely altered my brain chemistry. It was funny, and sweet, and just everything I needed in life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I will automatically buy anything you write.

Massive thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Katherine Center has done it again! This book is a masterpiece and I will accept not criticism of it.

I got everything out of a Katherine Center book that I want, a sweet story, witty banter, and self-reflection. I couldn’t wait for this one, my husband is a USCG veteran so I got to cast him as Hutch. This book made me laugh out loud, tear up, and yell “wait, what?!” There were also a couple “awwwws”.

I was able to relate with even more of the story than I anticipated. As someone who has struggled their entire life with their body image, Katie’s story really hit home. Her inner monologue could have been my own. Katie’s growth in this book was inspiring.

And George Bailey, what a perfect name for Hutch’s dog. It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie of all time and having that subtle reminder throughout the story was heartwarming.

Katherine Center - your book is like a literary hot fudge sundae or something.

Thank you Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this ARC. This reflection is my own and I’m more than happy to share it!

Katherine Center is the romance QUEEN! I love all of her books! She writes the best romance novels. They are always so fun to read. I really enjoyed this one!! Can’t wait for the next book!

When I get invited to read an early copy from my absolute favorite author, it's inevitable that I will cancel plans the rest of the day and read it in one sitting!

This book had me laughing, crying, on-edge with tension, and contemplating. Katherine Center has really mastered storytelling in the sense of delivering an entertaining plot which is as much thought-provoking as it is uplifting. The Love Haters may be her best work yet, although that is a tough statement to make because I love them all! I devoured the romance between Katie and Hutch-and between Katie and herself. I enjoyed the Coast Guard details and the thrill and adventure of Katie being stuck out in the storm. The amount of growth and self-love that Katie develops is heartwarming.

I enjoyed my afternoon/evening of being lost in this story, which was so easy for me to do. Releases May 2025 and this is not one to miss!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy of this ARC! I read this book while sick at home recovering from Thanksgiving break (really hoping it’s not Covid!). I really enjoy Katherine center’s books and this one was no different. However, the first thing that I wanna be clear is that this book is definitely more of a women’s fiction novel and less of a romance. That’s basically my only criticism because the title and the cover are really misleading because you go and expecting a little bit more romance than you leave with.

The story follows our main character, Katie, who I’m just now realizing has basically the same name as the author, who is a filmmaker and gets sent down to the Florida Keys on assignment.

I really enjoyed the unique premise of the book and was surprised by the heightened emotions I felt during the climax at the end. I recommend this book to any readers who’ve enjoyed this author’s previous works. It’s an overall light read that is enjoyable and should be a huge hit in the warmer months!

3.5 rounded up. I was a little concerned at first about the main character’s body image issues - I feel like books often magically cure these or brush them under the rug but Katherine Center handled it well. The major conflict between the FMC and MMC wasn’t my favorite, hence why this isn’t a solid 4 star for me. Some of the FMC choices seemed ridiculous, which she immediately acknowledges but sticks with. Otherwise, Center’s writing flows so well and is hard to put down.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to receive the arc for The Love Haters. For the most part, I enjoyed the story and characters. The female lead character, Katie, was well developed throughout the story. I enjoyed her storyline and liked how the author stressed the importance of self-love. Katie’s inner-dialogue gave great insight to her struggles with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. The story seemed to have a lot of telling about how Katie and her love interest, Hutch, got to know one another. There wasn’t a lot of showing them getting to know each other, just a few key scenes. I felt like I got to know Katie’s best friend and cousin, Beanie, better than I got to know Hutch. While I found the love story between Katie and Hutch lacking, I would recommend this book because I enjoyed Katie’s important journey to self-love to be so inspiring and the real love story of The Love Haters.
Other bright lights in The Love Haters -Rue, the fun-loving stand-in guardian of Hutch. She was a bright light in a sometimes heavy story. The location of The Love Haters was also a hit. Key West is an absolutely beautiful and fun place to set a book. With a setting like Key West, Jimmy Buffet should definitely be playing in a tropical clothing store (not Bob Marley!).

Katherine Center always delivers an amazing rom com. I absolutely loved her past books like The Romcomers and The Love Haters had me laughing soooo hard! I constantly was laughing at the dialogue and quick witted responses especially by Katie our FMC. The absolute drive and unhingeness she provides in order to save her job is comical yet so relatable. The book also touches on elements and themes of self love, body image, and fears/anxieties about appearances that women are subjected to in society. The romance was also top notch. The relationship building is organic and fleshed out. There is initial attraction from both sides, but nothing extremely insta love. Overall I loved reading this and I breezed through it so fast because it was that captivating that I wanted to keep going. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an early copy for my honest opinion and review.

To no one’s surprise I continue to adore Katherine Center’s writing! I was entranced from the beginning and the book never let go. I adored Katie’s journey of learning to love her body. It was extremely relatable and very touching. I loved Beanie’s continued encouragement.

I did have a moment where I wanted to throw my kindle at the wall, which is when Katie agreed to temporarily go along with Cole’s scheme. I wanted her to call him out, which she does eventually. But the end brought me back to loving the book. 5⭐️!

WHAT IS THIS IN MY EMAIL? An invitation to read an advanced copy of Katherine Center’s new book? BRB, I have some reading to do!!

Thank you SO MUCH to St. Martin’s Press (via NetGalley) for not making me wait until May to read this!

There is something about opening a Katherine Center book that just brings a smile to my face. I know that I can look forward to a strong, relatable FMC, a swoon-worthy MMC, and a story that has some meat to it. I have been divorced for over a decade now and have no desire even to dip my toe into the dating scene, but I devour romantic comedies like this one, and once again, this author has delivered.
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Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past―now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim―but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue―along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.
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Less than seven hours have passed since I got the email offering me the opportunity to read The Love Haters, and I just finished it. To say that I accomplished nothing else today is an understatement. I carried my Kindle around the house with me as I did what little I did get done so that I could just keep reading. I loved Katie and found her so relatable, as she struggled with some of the very same things that I have in my past, and I enjoyed so much the dance that she and Hutch did around each other. The supporting cast of characters lent so much to the story, and as always, the research into the details was impeccable...I even learned a little something! All in all, this was an amazing way to spend my afternoon, and the only downside is that I now will have to wait over a year to have another new Katherine Center book to enjoy!

like all previous katherine center books before this, i sincerely loved this book. it gave me such a gooey, warm, yummy feeling inside and i just enjoyed it so thoroughly! the writing, as always, was so good and had so many beautiful quotes.

my only bone to pick would be the ending - the plot with cole felt a little random and i wish we got a little more of a HEA and less of a HFN! i also wish their reunion when he saved her from the boat was a little more heartfelt. maybe it would have helped if we got to see his POV in this moment. I know hes a professional so canonically it doesn't make sense for him to be freaking out over her safety, but maybe an internal monologue of panic would have been nice lol. i also would have appreciated some kind of long term commitment i.e. them living together or being engaged, but it didn't take away from the story as a whole! i still loved both characters so deeply and rue was such an amazing side character.

as a side note, the authors note at the end of this book is truly wonderful. katherine center really puts something so profound into words, the beauty of reading love stories and what they can do for us. i never skip an acknowledgements page or an authors note because i truly believe after spending so much time inside their mind, it's a nice thing as a reader to hear what an author has to say about the story, or who was involved in making it come together. this authors note is my favorite i've ever read ever, in my hundreds of books read. love stories really are special <3

This was my favorite Katherine Center book yet and I have loved them all! I couldn’t put the book down and fell in love with the characters. It was the perfect mix of funny, relatable and romantic! Will be highly recommending it.

Katie Vaughn had the right idea when she chose to accept an assignment to fly to sunny Key West to interview a hero rescue swimmer, nicknamed Pup Daddy. It may have taken her forever to get there, but as she approached the crushed-shell parking lot of the brightly colored Starlight Cottages, she knew her life was about to change in a big way. Was she ready to break free from her past and embrace the warmth and sunshine of this magical locale? She wasn’t sure, but she did enjoy the big hug she received from Rue, the owner of this magical oasis. Besides owning the Starlight Cottages, Rue was also the proprietress of the trendy boutique, “ Vitamin Sea.” Tropical colors swirled around throughout the shop causing Katie to wonder if she was dreaming. But no, reality quickly set in as Katie soon found herself wearing a flowing caftan and a hibiscus in her hair. Things got much worse when a tall, handsome stranger came into the shop looking for Rue. Katie wanted to hide when she realized this hunk of a man was the one and only Pup Daddy, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, the subject of her interview. She fell in lust with him after one brief glance of his chiseled jaw, sexy eyes, and smiling, but frowning face. “Can you smile and frown at the same time?” This thought would be on Katie’s mind throughout the book as she got to know the real man behind his media sensation persona. She followed him to work, to his houseboat, and when he walked his dog. She found out more about Hutch than she ever thought she would, but still felt like she didn’t really know him. His constant sadness and worrisome look haunted Katie late into the night. Spending time in Florida, getting to know Rue and her friends and being with someone as special as Hutch allowed Katie to shed her past and look forward to a colorful future on her own terms, because she was finally happy with who she had always been!

THANK YOU to St. Martin's Press for the early copy of one of my most-anticipated books by one of my most-loved authors.

One thing about me is that I LOVE a Katherine Center book. I think I've read all but one and I have never not enjoyed them. This one was no different, her writing ultimately just makes me happy. She shouts her goal creating the perfect HEA (happily ever after) from the rooftops and I truly think everything she touches turns to happiness. I've had the absolute honor of meeting her and she is a truly wonderful person.

Right off the bat, I was sold by the adorable cover and the title. The Love Haters? Sign. Me. Up.

I already knew that if these are Katherine Center characters that think they hate love, they won't be hating it for long! As is typical with KC books, there were quirky characters, deeper-than-the-surface themes, complicated character pasts, and an ending that made me smile.

If I had to be picky with this one, the one complaint I'd have was that there was SO much going on. Usually this is something I love about her books, because they're never boring, but I always want details and trauma of the past to be fleshed out and to serve a purpose in the story other than dramatic effect. While an argument could be made for most things, some of it just felt too over-the-top for me personally. Some will struggle with the lack of believability in this story, but I'm not one typically bothered with that since I'm reading for enjoyment solely and am more than happy to turn off my brain for a rom-com.

Overall, a fun and short read you'll be able to fly through in a day!

I absolutely LOVED this one but no one should be surprised because KC is one of my favorite authors of all time. She's just got a way with words! Her books make me feel literally every emotion. I loved this one and am so grateful to NetGalley for my early copy! 5 stars!

X♾️
What a fantastic book. I loved this book. Once I started reading I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop. The story and the lessons within the story really resonated with me. Doing things you are afraid of is good exposure therapy. Loving the body we have. George Bailey and Rue are definitely my favorite characters. KC is the champion of deep romances.

✨Katherine Center continues to remind us that romance - with all its longing, aching, swooning, overcoming, hoping and happy ever afters - is a balm for the weary soul. This one was an emotional roller coaster ride that had me laughing, saying bad words, crying, biting my nails then happy crying all over again

✨The supporting cast of characters – a modern-day Golden Girls group of ladies who call themselves “The Gals,” best friend/cousin/personal cheerleader Beanie, and a rescue dog named George Bailey – stole my heart from the start. Throw in the setting of a rehabbed vintage motor court where the aforementioned “Gals” reside, and you have a Florida Keys dream.

✨This book is an ode to loving yourself and discovering those things about yourself that are beautiful.

✨With that said, I have to confess this is not my favorite Katherine Center book. I feel like there is one element of this book that is perhaps not handled as responsibly as it could have been. There is also one insufferable character and some blatant dishonest centered around that character that almost ruined the book for me. In addition, there is an entire section that is so NOT believable that I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I did really like this book, don’t get me wrong, but I promised to always be honest – so there it is. 3.5 stars for the book – rounded up to 4 stars because I just love Katherine Center and her earnest desire to spread hope and joy.

✨Overall, an entertaining book, and I’m glad I read it.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Florida keys setting
✨Coast Guard stories
✨Lovable cast of characters
✨Themes of grief and healing
✨Found family

My thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.