10* stars. I devoured this book in a few days and stayed up way to late to finish it last night. This book made me cry and laugh so very much. It was beautiful and relatable. And as always this author leaves me feeling like I received a great big hug when I finish reading her stories. She gives you such hope in life and love. A definite must read for 2025 for all.

It's always a good day when a KC novel drops!! THE LOVE HATERS centers on Katie, a videographer in danger of losing her job, and Hutch, a coast guard rescue hero. She is ordered by her boss, Hutch's brother Cole, to take the gig because he does not want to. Hijinks ensue, chiefly the appearance of a great dane named George Bailey.

This book was really good. Katie reckons with body positivity after being dumped by her famous ex and body shamed by his fans, and she is on a journey of loving herself just as much as falling in love with Hutch. You do get glimpses of the past where she was far less kind to herself, though, for any friends to whom that might be sensitive. There is a lot of emotion in Hutch and Cole's backstory that charges the animosity between them, but it did not feel quite as gut wrenching as some KC books have in the past.

Potential ending spoiler/trigger: The book ends with a hurricane and the heroine in the middle of it (all ends safely!) but just FYI for gulf coast friends who have gone through hurricanes.

4.5 stars! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Heat level: just kissing

Another winner from Katherine Center. This story make you laugh and cry. Katie is pitted between two brothers and on top of it all she is about to lose her job...or so she thinks. The story will have you laughing and feeling all the "feels" . Katie finally finds her true self after some harrowing experiences and true love finds Katie. Everyone in this story will grow as you learn their stories (even the story of George Bailey). Read on and enjoy the ride its worth your time...

Another 10/10 by my favorite romance/women’s fiction author. The amount of detail she includes about the location, and both Katie and Hutch’s careers is fascinating and adds so much to the story; I love the way I always feel like I’ve learned something in addition to reading a fantastic love story. Cole is a menace and those characters can be so frustrating, but there was enough background and justification for his actions that made it believable. My only complaint is that now I want to vacation in the Florida Keys!

If it’s possible, Katherine Center has topped herself again. The Love Haters is a lovely, poignant, and delightful story of falling in love—with someone else, with life, and especially with yourself. It treats topics like disordered eating, loss, grief, and insecurity with the all the kindness you could ask for. And then it asks you to turn that inward. This is one I’ll come back to, again and again.

Once again, Katherine Center creates a story that I’ve fallen in love with. I absolutely loved the characters and felt that their development was perfectly detailed. I loved the one liners and the ode to Casablanca at the end 🩷

3.5 stars rounded up -- let me start by saying I LOVE Katherine Center's writing. She always puts together the most interesting characters and storylines. This was a fun, light-hearted read but the romance just wasn't there for me. I loved these characters individually but it was too insta-love and almost rushed in the end.

Katie is a videographer that hasn't dated anyone seriously since her ex-fiancé got famous and cheated on her, making her the subject of unkind internet speculation. She is dealing with a lot of negative feelings about herself (tw: disordered eating) and now may be losing her job due to layoffs unless she nails this next assignment: a recruitment video for the Coast Guard. Her subject is the intensely private Captain Hutch, who became an internet sensation in his own right after a dramatic rescue of a celebrity dog.

So despite not knowing how to swim and being afraid of bathing suits, Katie travels to Florida to get the footage. She is expecting a surly and grumpy Coast Guard captain, but finds Hutch to be incredibly considerate, warm, and fun to be around. He may just be the man to break her out of her slump --if the lies she told to get the assignment don't get in the way.

Overall, a fun beach read but would have loved more oompf between these characters. Would have loved it to be dual POV too.

Oh how sad I am to only give The Love Haters three stars. I was so excited to read this gifted copy, especially after Center’s previous book The Rom-Commers. Don’t get me wrong I still liked it, I just didn’t love it.

Katie is a relatable character, in that she struggles with body and self-esteem issues, it’s mentioned a lot and therefore might be triggering for some. Hutch is, well, he’s perfect which makes him kinda “vanilla” as a romantic leading man, but he has a super cool job - U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer - and looks fantastic in aviators.

A lot of other early reviewers share my sentiments with where TLH goes sideways. It’s when Cole, work colleague/superior of Katie and the younger brother of Hutch, arrives in Key West. The last third of the book becomes too unnecessary (the lies) and fantastical (the ending). However, that being said, The Love Haters is an engaging story in which you learn some facts about the USCG. It’s also an homage to [learning to] loving yourself.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted digital ARC. The Love Haters will be available on May 20, 2025.

thanks to st. martin’s press for an advanced copy! this was such a cool premise. i did not have learning about the Coast Guard rescue swimmers on my romance bingo card. this was a fun cast of characters, and i really liked katie and hutch. interesting third act - not at all what I was expecting. i also wanted more hutch lol, i kind of think we didn’t get enough of them

usually I like this author. This book was a romance and loved that she fell for hutch and made some friends with the gals. she goes to key west to do a video about her boss's brother . They do end up falling in love but this book also dealt with self love and loving your body. She had some body issues and in the end becomes okay with herself. There was some romance .

This book was Katherine Center once again proving that she's one of the top romcom writers in the market. I LOVED that this story had so much character development both individually and as a pair for Katie (!) and Hutch, and specifically adored Katie's arc coming out of a bad relationship and grappling with her own sense of self-worth. It felt very real and genuine to me. I could have done without the Cole subplot, but I still felt like it was relevant to the story as a whole. I would definitely recommend this book!

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

Katherine Center knows how to write a story that just tickles the exact part of my brain that loves romance. This one had me hooked 20% in and I couldn't put it down. I am sad it's over. I cannot wait to reread it again.

I would, frankly, lay my life down on the line for Hutch. Katie would too, even if he'd have to come rescue her but THATS THE POINT, RIGHT

The deeper emotional aspects of the book were beautifully dealt with(grief, healing familial trauma between brothers, ED) by Center. I'd easily read another 20 pages of Hutch wrestling in the grass, tbh. That moment after, though, when he gives his younger brother the gift of their mother's last words? Catch me SOBBING.

Also, a very important moment for Beanie and female friendships. For knowing your secrets and loving you through them. We all need a Beanie in our lives.

I loved this book. Thank you SMP and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for the ARC of this book! When I got it in my email, I literally let out a squeal of delight! I absolutely LOVE Katherine Center and I knew that I would love this one! It immediately moved up to the top of my TBR! She just has a way of writing that sucks me in from the very first page and I devoured this one in a day! This book is definitely a love story, but I actually think it is more about self acceptance and love than anything else. That is a little bit of a departure from her more recent books, but reminded me of her 2009 book, Everyone is Beautiful.

Katie is a documentary film maker who works for a company that is struggling financially. She takes a job covering a Coast Guard rescue swimmer on Key West in a last ditch effort to save herself from being laid off. She has semi recently ended an engagement to a now famous singer and her self love is at an all time low. Hutch, the rescue swimmer, is the brother of her colleague, Cole, and though he's closed off at first, they forge a really strong bond. As they fall for each other, Katie gets tangled in a lie that she can't get out of ans she worries that it will ruin her long term chances with Hutch. As Katie learns to love herself and to be true to herself, she finds love along the way. As a bonus, Hutch and Coles Aunt Rue is a very fun character and Hutch's Great Dane, George Bailey, is also a really bright spot!

Five stars from me and you should definitely pick this one up!

Katherine Center is starting to become one of my FAVORITE authors - literally dropped everything to read this book as soon as I received the ARC and it was well worth it.

The Love Haters follows Katie, who is a video producer sent to Key West to film a promo video that involves her knowing how to swim....which she doesn't. But since her job is on the line, she takes it anyways and that leads her straight to Hutch. He's the guy she's sent to film for the promo video, and he also happens to be her boss Cole's brother. What can go wrong?!

I related to Katie on such a deep level - as someone with my own body insecurities I felt so seen in the way Katie views herself. It was incredibly well done watching her grow so much in her own body image through the book, and the ending had me in tears. I also loved Hutch as our FMC - he perfectly matched Katie and watching their romance grow through the book was such a joy.

I literally couldn't put this book down, it was SO good. Such an easy 5 star for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is way more than a romcom. This book is about falling in love with yourself, how to look at yourself and see that all of you is beautiful.

This book taught me how to look in the mirror and see someone who is worth looking at; and that is something that is more valuable than you could ever know.

So read this book friends!! Read it and enjoy the love story between the guy and the gal (and the guy (Hutch) is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 WOW!! 🥵) But really friends, read it not just for that, but to learn how to love yourself the way that you are because you are perfect just the way that you are. I will forever be grateful for Katherine for writing a book that reminded me of that fact. 💖

The Love Haters by [author:Katherine Center|409113]. Release: May 20 2025

Thank You NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Katherine Center for the e-ARC copy of [book:The Love Haters|217387810]

I was SO excited to get this ARC as I LOVED 'The Bodyguard' and 'The Rom-Commers'.
I really enjoyed 'The Love Haters'.
The book started out a little slow for me, but then picked up and I couldn't put it down. I stayed up late or woke up early to read because I needed to know how this was going to play out. It made me laugh, and fall in love with the characters.

I really loved Katie & Hutch and their interactions, but wish there had been more of their development and interactions. Too much of Katie and her internal struggles and monologues and conversations with her BFF. I wanted more of the car conversations or poolside convos. (I get now why it was this way...but I would have enjoyed more interactions).
I liked the video production and Coast Guard aspect of this book.
I really loved and appreciated the Epilogue and Authors Note.

I already can't wait to re-read this once it releases, but I'm looking forward to listening to the audiobook for my 2nd read through.

Things I enjoyed - favorite parts - Katie's epiphany about herself, Rue, The Gals, the parts that gave me the warm fuzzy feelings, George Bailey, The Coast Guard, the Epilogue, Authors note.

"Love stories are the best kind of therapy. Love stories make us better at love"

I loved that this book was a lot of focus on the main character really learning to love herself more than the romance. The characters were fun, loved the aunt and Hutch was great. the brother was a bit much, but we knew that going in. The key west setting made me want to go back there. I liked the main characters being friends first and always love a dog.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She has a way of writing romance tropes without making them feel tropey. It's a Hallmark book without the extra cheese and I love that.

Katie finds herself forced to accept a job in the Florida Keys filming a promo for the Coast Guard to save her job. The kicker? She can't swim. Enter a hot rescue swimmer who happens to be the brother of her coworker and son of her landlord and you've got yourself a romance novel.

Another win by Katherine Center!

I love getting early Christmas presents, and an ARC copy of @katherinecenter newest book is exactly what I wanted for Christmas.
I absolutely meant to try and read it slowly and make it last, but once I started all of a sudden I realized I was over halfway done and there was no stopping at that point.
Love and fame are two things documentary filmmaker, Katie, is wary of. Burned by both she has now perfected the art of blending in. Her newest assignment, filming a recruitment video for the Coast Guard, featuring camera and fame shy, Hutch, seems straightforward enough. Except Hutch is the estranged brother to her supervisor, Cole. And her boss, Sullivan, had been making personal cuts left right and centre and Katie might be next. With her job on the line Katie needs to make sure this is her best assignment yet, and lying about being able to swim to get the job might not have been the smartest course of action. With a few mishaps and a few strokes of luck this assignment in the Keys may or may not save Katie’s job but it will change her life.
I adored this book. I might not be totally impartial because I am a huge Katherine Center fan, I think reading her books is like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket. This book shines a light on how easy it is to get wrapped up in hating our bodies and hiding them away, and the freedom that comes with challenging that way of thinking. Katie is incredibly loveable, Hutch is the perfect combo of brooding and sweet, and the Florida background provides some great colour.
Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for letting me have the privilege of reviewing #thelovehaters
Look for it May 20 2025
#readforjoy #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #romcom #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booklover

I became a fan of Katherine Center after reading The RomCommers. I had high expectations for The Love Haters. Katie, a videographer, travels to Key West to film the handsome rescue diver Hutch. She meets Hutch’s Aunt Rue who owns a motel where Katie stays together with “the girls” a group of full time residents. An inevitable romance between Katie and Hutch ensues. The characters are likable and cute but a storyline at the end of the book was a bit too far-fetched for me. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.