Im normally a huge Katherine Center fan but this one just didn’t do it for me. I put it down and came back to it multiple times hoping it was a mood thing but then I realized I just wasn’t into the story. Maybe it’s because it’s less of a romance than I expected? Then on top of that imo the fmc and mmc had 0 chemistry which was disappointing. I do think others will really enjoy this. Again it was just not for me.

I was so excited for this book and expected a five star read and I think I was the victim of too high expectations.

I struggled with Katie the main character at first because I found her tone annoying, and I dislike reading about body shaming ourselves. I did feel in the end that her growth through the story and how she learned to love her herself and her body was great, it was just not my favorite thing to read at first.

I loved Hutch (and his dog) instantly. He was perfect (seriously!) but I didn’t feel their chemistry. I liked how the relationship progressed but I wanted to feel it more.

In the end, it’s a fun romance story with growth for the main character, and some cute storylines. Unfortunately it is not a new favourite but it was still a fun quick and sweet read.

I loved the first half. Hutch is a dream man, and I loved seeing him warm up to Katie. I loved the filming aspects, and the banter was great too.

The second half made me see red. So frustrating. Lying in that situation is NOT OKAY. Miscommunication is the DEVIL. And then in the climax, Katie felt overly dramatic. I was so disappointed because the first half was so stellar.

Content: kisses

I love Katherine Center’s books! I was so excited to get a ARC of The Love Haters by NetGalley. I loved Katie’s story l, it is fun but also about self love/worth. Aunt Rue and George Bailey were loveable characters. I didn’t feel a crazy connection to Hutch but I still loved him as a character. I recommended reading The Lover Haters to Katherine Center fan’s or if you’re looking for a well written spring/summer book.

Katie is a video producer who has the options to wait to get laid off or her boss, Cole's offer of a gig in Key West to interview the famous "Hutch". The problem is, Katie can't swim and Hutch only wants Cole, his brother, for the job. Needless to say, he's not pleased when Katie shows up. The messy situation was not what Katie was expecting but she quickly fell for Hutch, his eccentric Aunt and the island.

Katherine Center is always a must read immediately for me and this one did not disappoint. Though it was not my favorite KC book I still enjoyed it. Mixing Key West and an adorable giant dog added at least a star from me. I loved imagining lounging in the Keys while reading this.

Thank you Net Galley for this e-ARC!

Katherine has done it again. A book filled with love , hope and learning to love yourself again. I dove right into this book and could not put it done. A book that grabs you and makes you feel all the feels.

I’m gonna start off by saying I LOVE Katherine Center. I find all of her books so well written.

This one wasn’t my favorite but it was still good, I feel like this one was less rom com and more about the character development. The main character Katie goes through the most development by being able to overcome her body image issues. I also loved all of the side characters.

One thing I will say is this should also probably include a trigger warning due to the discussion of extreme body image issues.

Katherine Center is an auto-pickup for me, so The Love Haters was for sure one of my most anticipated reads of the year! Katie Vaughn has been burned by love and she’s one step away from being let go from her downsizing company. A career-making gig at her coworker Cole’s request through has her traveling to Key West to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer—the only catch, she’s not qualified since she can’t swim. Plus Cole and Hutch are brothers and they don’t get along, but nothing will stop Katie, even though paradise is messy. Overall, I enjoyed this read, but it also definitely isn’t my favorite Katherine Center. There is a romance plot, but this is more women’s fiction I would say. There is a lot of conversation of self love and growth for Katie to love her body after a very public breakup put her under intense online scrutiny and bullying. I really rooted for Katie and I enjoyed her journey a lot. And Hutch is so swoon-worthy. He’s sensitive and funny, and I adored the chemistry of him and Katie. I did not, however, enjoy Cole or the conflict he set up. It set up too much miscommunication that felt pretty frustrating. I did love the side characters—Rue’s quirky aunt was such a ray of sunshine in the story. And I loved the setting and Katie’s interviews and adventures. The swim lessons were my favorite. The Love Haters has a lot of charm and heart, and while it might not be my favorite, it’s still a really enjoyable read!

I love Katherine Center and this book is a really great example of why. I resonated with Katie and her self image issues and I rooted hard for her and Hutch! I thought the narrator was excellent in relaying the story! Thank you for allowing me the chance to review.

Another KC love story and of course 5 stars! So often I find myself relating to the main character with her struggles and loved getting to see her growth. Again, the wit and story was so fun! I read on my kindle and listened to the audio version, which I could not recommend more!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martian’s Press and MacMillan Audio for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review!

Very cute! This would make a great beach read. I would recommend this one if you like Hallmark movies. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, and I would pretty much read anything she writes.

Katherine Center books are always instant reads for me. I love how her books always have a good plot, and romance doesn’t consume the entire story. This book was even less romance than usual, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just different and a little unexpected. It had a lot of goofy parts which were nice as well. A good, lighthearted read that I enjoyed! I would expect nothing less from Katherine Center.

The Love Haters is very cute and an easy read. I love it when characters feel like they could be real people. Also, why is is that in a cast of great characters that I found the one that makes the worst decisions also somehow very endearing? (Or beguiling?) 5 stars, all day long.

I absolutely loved this one- Katie and Huck are a great combo, but I fell in love with Rue and The Gals! Center is one of my favorite authors because her romance books are so deep- the character development and side stories feel like a warm hug and always make me feel introspective. Her characters are relatable and when you see them healing, a part of you heals too! This story is so deep and the characters work through so many complex emotions and relationship dynamics. This book is my top read of the year and I’m so excited for everyone to get to read this next month!

I adored this book! A film maker who can’t swim gets put on an assignment in Key West to make a commercial for the U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers. The descriptions of the scenes were so good that I felt like I was there & now want a pink & orange caftan & hibiscus hair clip! Katherine Center does such a good job adding deeper issues to her characters, and I loved going on the journey with Katie as she learned to swim & love her body (an issues that affects so many). I also love how perfectly rom-commy Katherine Center’s books are & how I want them all to be made into movies! Was slightly disappointed in the ending, as I wanted more closure with Katie & Hutch’s story. The perfect summer read!

So, this is a hard review for me to write. I absolutely love Katherine Center books. I have met her, and she is such a lovely person. I was absolutely so excited about this one, one of my anticipated books of 2025… but this was kind of a disappointment for me. I give it 3 stars, and her books usually are 5 stars. Parts of it were funny, lol moments, and others were like, “Come on” or too over the top. The comedy was fun at points and then too much “slapstick” comedy that seemed kind of silly. I enjoyed the characters… Hutch sounded so dreamy, but I felt like there wasn’t too much spark between him and Katie. Cole was a dud and annoying. Beanie seemed like an amazing best friend. Rue was such a gem, and her gang, “the gals,” and you cannot forget the dog, George Bailey.
I don’t know… it was just kind of meh 🫤 and I never think that with Katherine Center books.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.
- Read on Kindle.

The Love Haters… cute premise, but it fell flat for me. I loved the idea of promoting body positivity, but it just didn’t come across well for me. The romance portion felt forced, I felt like Katie had more chemistry with the dog than Hutch.

I was looking forward to this after having loved the Bodyguard by the same author, but ultimately this book was not for me.

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

5⭐, 0.75🌶️, 4.5🎧

No notes. I adored this book! So much fun! I loved it! Katherine wrote a heartwarming and adorable romance, as well as a moving journey of growth for Katie. It was just perfect. I loved falling in love with Hutch just from Katie's POV and I just couldn't get over how hilarious and quirky Katie was! She was so relatable with her body struggles and conflicts with her ex. This may just be battling Things You Save in a Fire for my favorite Katherine book! 💚

💚Workplace Romance
🩷MMC: Coast Guard member
💛FMC: Quirky, Lovable Filmmaker
🩷Forced Proximity

Patti Murin did a great job with this audiobook. Her narration included bits of humor and sarcasm while just added to the audiobook perfectly!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillian Audio, and St. Martins Press for an eARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest and unpaid review!

It took me a minute to get into this because i didn’t love the whole hating your body storyline, but the MC grew on me. the plot was truly outlandish (the last 25% at least) but i suspended disbelief and it somehow worked for me. 3 enjoyable stars!

Thank you so much for this arc copy. Unfortunately this one was not my fav book by Katherine center.. it was very enjoyable and I liked the rom-com factor. Hutch and Katie’s characters were not my favorite I guess I couldn’t relate to them although I did like the book it was a easy read it just was not for me