Katherine Center has done it again with a wonderful novel about relationships and love…not just with others but loving who you are, body and soul. Throw in a wonderful dog by the name of George Bailey who adds so much to the storyline and you are instantly captivated not to mention a brooding male lead who is a hero but modest enough not to claim his rescues. A not to be missed adventure through pages, The Love Haters is a five star read that will leave you holding your breath until the final pages.

It's hard to find the words for how much I LOVED this book! It is now on my list of top reads for 2024, and will likely be on my top reads for 2025 once I re-read after its release!

Mark my words, this WILL be the summer read of 2025!

Katherine Center never lets me down. Whenever I get her newest book I drop everything and start reading. This one was no different! I loved Katie as the protagonist and her story about coming to terms with her body is going to be relatable to a lot of women.

I have read and loved every book by this author. This book was no exception. Most of the characters were likeable and the plot was unique. I rated it down one star, though, because quite a few things were predictable. Also, a lot of events that happened seemed unrealistic. Still a good read overall!

Reading a Katherine Center book is like getting a warm hug - and this one is no different! The story focuses on Katie who has had a rough couple of years with a not so flattering social media video go viral, broken engagement topped by being on the verge of losing her job.

As a last ditch effort to save her career, she heads to Key West to film a video promo of Hutch, a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard. But - she can't swim! Sparks fly between the two leads and the story is rounded out by a cast of loveable side characters who are fully fleshed out.

Overall, it's a great read that I highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the sneak peek!

As usual, Katherine Center provides a page turner that I loved not hated. The title perfectly depicts the characters' relationships with love, self-esteem and traveling outside of their comfort zones.

Facing corporate downsizing, Katie accepts an assignment that pushes her mental and physical limitations. Fearing that she won't be able to rise to the challenge, Tom proves to be her greatest obstacle. Will being thrown thrown into the deep end force Katie to tread water or face her fears?

I will love everything Katherine Center writes until she decides to put down her pen (may she never), and her latest release, The Love Haters, is no exception. This is not only the unlikely love story between our MC’s Katie and Hutch, this is the story of a woman learning to find the freedom to love herself. Set against the incredibly lush backdrop of the Florida Keys, Katie’s journey of self exploration includes some fabulous secondary characters that teach her about the power of friendship, the strength women find when they band together, and the beauty that comes from speaking to ourselves with kindness. Action packed, laugh out loud funny, and filled with swoon-worthy moments, The Love Haters is a glorious read! Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martins Press for my gifted ARC.

Can one truly embody the concept of a "love-hater"?

Hutch, despite his rugged, humorous exterior, is surprisingly down-to-earth and compassionate, which often catches Katie off guard. Katie is a sweet and determined individual who possesses a clear vision for her future. Even after experiencing heartbreak from a past relationship, she remains resolute in her pursuit of progress. Although she secured her current job under false pretenses, she is committed to proving her capabilities regardless of the circumstances. Although she lacks swimming skills, she is confident she can master them within days—just in time to prepare for the challenges of surviving a helicopter crash. While Hutch may be skeptical about love, could Katie be the one to change his perspective?

Katherine has done it again with another banger of a story! The characters are amazing and the story really makes you feel like you are with them at all times. There are amazingly funny moments and very heartfelt ones, and I feel like Center really wanted you to love all the characters and feel what they feel on all levels. Going back and forth with the characters and dealing with real life consequences is very real in this story and having a disaster strike really gives you the edge of your seat feeling!

Katherine Center doesn't write a *bad* book. That said, this one was way more action (it's about a rescue swimming Coastie in Florida, so you do the math) than I am used to from her. And the HUGE EVENT at the end had me way too stressed, which is definitely not a word I typically use to describe KC's books. It wasn't bad, just...different.

In true KC fashion, many moments made me tear up and I find myself highlighting quote after quote. I will of course be buying it and recommending it to everyone, but you just need to know it definitely felt different.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I love Katherine Center's novels. The characters leave me smiling and their adventures keep me turning pages.

Katie Vaughn's video0grapher career is on the line to unemployment when her boss, Cole Hutchinson, sends her to do a recruitment video for the Coast Guard featuring rescue swimmer Hutch, his estranged brother. Lies build on lies and Katie finds herself learning to swim once she gets over her fear of swimsuits. The situations are surface funny but emotionally life changing. I'll be reading this again when I need a reminder to choose to succeed and to ask for help when needed.

The author's notes expressed exactly how I felt reading her novel. Take the extra minute to read it!

Katherine Center does it again with The Love Haters. This is the smartest book I've read in a while in addition to being my favorite. I fell in love quickly with all of main characters. I loved the rich storytelling in this book. As always she leaves me laughing, crying, and falling in love. Kate is so likable and relatable. Hutch is a dream of a leading male golden retriever boyfriend. This books gets 5 stars from me. A MUST READ! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the free advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own

Katherine Center can do no wrong! I was thrilled to receive the email from St Martins granting me early access and I dove right in. This might be my favorite KC yet!

Katherine Center is my go-to for escapist romances. I just know that by the end of any of her books, I'll be having all of the feels. The Love Haters was no exception. Not only did I swoon over the romance between Katie and Hutch, but I fell in love with all of the side characters too (especially the frog loving Great Dane). I also found the Coast Guard angle very interesting since ocean rescue diving is something I know absolutely nothing about. Hutch was a great love interest and the romance was definitely based on friendship first. Katie was ok for me, I definitely didn't vibe with her in the same way as other female leads from Center's past books. There is a ton of negative self-talk and disordered eating, which did feel slightly triggering to me personally. I also couldn't stand Cole and wasn't a fan of the third act conflict involving the brothers and Katie. Otherwise, the book had a lot going for it and will make for the perfect beach read.

I just love K. Center. So naturally when I received a widget for The Love Haters, I pounced like a puma and dug in with unadulterated excitement and a giant geekgasm to boot.
However, starting out, I immediately disliked the FMC, Katie, who initially seemed overtly dense and I wanted to wrestle her in a cage somewhere.

But alas, that all changed as the story unfolds and I ended up apologizing to my new pal, Katie, who turned out to be someone you'd absolutely wanna hang out with & shoot the shiznat with and maybe even some tequila too...

I cannot use enough cutesy words to describe this story. It was positively charming with a healthy dose of rib-tickling. It was endlessly swoon-worthy and I’m willing to wager that it’d bring out the spastic cheerleader in even the grinchiest of grinches. George Bailey, the massive and most adorable great dane, well, he alone will make you laugh out loud and have you petting the pages, hoping against hope that you might feel his fur for even one quick second.
And to anyone who gives a damn: I want my very own Hutch for Christmas, please and thank you very much! Because meowww.

And aside from all that goodness, there’s some poignancy and real life lessons to take with you as well.

For me, this was one of those just-what-I-needed-at-the-exact-right-moment kinda books.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for review!

Pub Date: May 20 2025

"The thing you're afraid of is never the thing you should be."

I said this when reviewing The Rom-Commers, every new book by Katherine Center is my favorite! I love your books, Katherine! And when I get to the end I'm mad at myself for finishing it so fast that I usually read it again. It's the same with The Love Haters. Katie's self-discovery, her journey with Hutch. Rue. Cole. George Bailey! I loved it all!

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

If I get an early copy of a KC you can count on me to drop everything and read it. And I can count on the fact that I’m going to love it. This was no exception. 15/5 stars. If I had to pick a favorite of her books I don’t know what I would do, but I wouldn’t be throwing this one in a fire that’s for sure. Katie was so relatable with her body issues and the way other peoples opinions shaped her actions. Hutch was the sexy search and rescue that’ll make you jump off a boat. This book had family drama and work drama and dog drama. I couldn’t get enough. I was left with the warm fuzzies a KC couple gives you and highly recommend this book.

Katherine Center might be the queen of banter. It was so hilarious and well done. I felt like I was watching a movie. Definitely recommend. Katherine Center has cemented herself for me as an auto-buy author. I love that I laugh out loud and feel good while reading her books. Loved every second and the FMC was amazing.

This is a contemporary upbeat love story that Katherine Center is good about telling. When there’s so much distraction in our world today, it’s relaxing to be able to sit down with a book that takes you away.

As I started, I could picture the beautiful blue water and sunshine where Katie Vaughn was headed. She was creating a recruitment video for the US Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. It’s where people go to relax with cute shops, art galleries, cozy restaurants and bike paths. The description made it seem like the perfect paradise except that this place also comes with unexpected storms and hurricanes.

Katie was filming Tom Hutcheson with his role as Aviation Survival Technician at USCG. He just happened to be gorgeous – well, of course. I could pretty much predict how the story would play out. Yet, there was much to absorb about rescue missions. I would think with climate change, recruitment would be more important than ever.

This story also had some deep issues about body image and how difficult it can be to love ourselves. Sometimes we don’t even realize it until we’re reading about how it may affect us. While I had pictures in my mind of the characters, it would be a fun movie to watch. There’s a reason this author has so many followers. She entertains and grabs our hearts with hopes and dreams.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 20, 2025.

Katherine Center is a MUST read and l've been so spoiled to get advanced copies of all of her latest books. She did it AGAIN! Another 5 star read.
I think what I loved the most about this one was how relatable the struggles our main character Katie went through were! Social media and the body positivity mindset do not go hand in hand and those were represented so thoughtfully!
Would 1000000% recommend this to anyone and everyone. And George Bailey was my favorite of all, iykyk.
Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for my advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Superb writing and storytelling from this author, yet again! This time, readers are treated to Katie, who cannot swim, but finds herself in the vicinity of water and rescue swimmer, "Hutch". She goes to Key West to profile him for work on behalf of her coworker, Cole, who is also the brother of Hutch. Hutch is a stud, but has his own issues, much like Katie.

This book brings all sorts of fun things melded together really well. The characters do not outwardly seem like they'd be a match, but they click and the chemistry is very real. There are also some great themes here, such as confidence and self-worth, and this is applied to both characters. Secondary characters are also pleasant here, and I loved the addition of the dog. Readers will laugh and feel deeper feelings, which is just a hallmark of this author, and that is why she is an automatic read for me and should be for you, too.

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