Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book. I’ve previously read a novel by this author and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to dive into this one.

Katie is a filmmaker based in Dallas who’s given the opportunity to shadow a Coast Guard member named Hutch in the Florida Keys. She’s at risk of losing her job if she turns it down—her coworker Cole warns her that the company is laying off most of the staff, and if she doesn’t take this assignment, she’ll likely be next. Cole also lets her know that Hutch is his brother—and that he’s grouchy.
One small problem: Katie can’t swim. That’s kind of a requirement if you’re going to be flying with the Coast Guard. So, she lies about it and decides she’ll figure it out once she gets to Florida—maybe even take a few lessons.

Katie ends up staying at the Starlight Motel, run by Cole’s aunt. The motel is home to a close-knit community of elderly women, each living in her own cottage. They’re vibrant, fun, and full of personality. Katie is quickly embraced by Rue, who shows her an incredible amount of warmth and generosity. And when Katie finally meets Hutch, she realizes he’s nothing like Cole described.

I enjoyed this book! I liked learning small details about the role of the Coast Guard, and I had more than a few laughs thanks to the “Gals” at the Starlight. Rue, in particular, was so endearing. I also appreciated the portrayal of Katie’s body image struggles—it felt relatable and thoughtfully handled.

One part that didn’t quite work for me was Katie’s rapid progress with swimming. As someone who’s struggled with it myself, I found that aspect a bit unrealistic. It’s not something most people can overcome that quickly, and that shift didn’t feel entirely believable.
That said, I’m really glad I had the chance to read this! It was a sweet, heartwarming story that brightened my chilly Saturday. This would be a perfect book to bring on a weekend getaway or vacation.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - 3.5

“Maybe it was the island breezes. Or the sangria. Or the warmth of the sun. Or the lovely feeling of being surrounded by the easy chatter of friends. But there was something special going on that I couldn’t ignore. It felt like a different way of living that had something good—and something long overdue—to teach me.”

I really wanted to like this book more, but it lost me at about 65%. The setting was great and the plot had potential, but some of the decisions made by the main characters made me want to smack myself on the forehead. I’m glad I kept with it, because the ending was really well done and made up for the things I found a bit annoying in the middle half of the book.

I really appreciate Katie’s self-growth and development throughout the story. Her struggle with having confidence in her body was definitely relatable, and I loved that we saw all the mental work she did to help find that love and appreciation again for herself. Katherine Center always does a great job on touching on really tough subjects while keeping the overall story lighthearted, and this book was no exception.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I absolutely adore Rue and The Gals! I want to be them when I grow up.

Overall, while this one was not my favorite, I do really enjoy Katherine Center’s books and will definitely pick up her next one!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love everything Katherine Center writes!! The Love Haters was so enjoyable, the main characters were flawed but loveable. The dog and the older aunt swooped in stole the show in the best way possible.

Katie has been assigned a huge career making opportunity, she will record a documentary on Hutch, the Coast Guard hero. Hutch is not having it, but you know he falls for her in the end.

My only dislike was Katie's body image trauma and Hutch being a military macho man health fanatic. I'm sure this resonates with many people but was off putting for me..

Nonetheless a great read. 4 star read!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center does it again with The Love Haters! This book is a perfect blend of humor, heart, and irresistible romance. Katie and Hutch are wonderfully relatable, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the emotional depth makes it impossible to put down. Center has a way of making you laugh, cry, and swoon all in one story. If you love feel-good, empowering romances with strong character growth, this is a must-read. Would definitely recommend!

I loved this book much like every other Katherine Center book I’ve read, but I was not prepared for the amount of inner child healing I would experience. I could certainly relate to the amount of body insecurity that Katie had. When seeing others stating in their reviews that it was unrealistic, I have to say that I disagree. I was able to relate and I felt quite seen. I loved the story and I absolutely adored the side characters and what they brought to the story. I thought that the story was quite deep and developed as well!! I loved George Bailey, the dog, and he added another fun level to the read! I had a LOT of “laugh out loud” moments!! I definitely suggest this read!

I'm a sucker for a Katherine Center book, and will read everything she writes, always! She never disappoints. She writes tough themes so thoughtfully. I really enjoyed the story between our main characters Hutch and Katie. Katie is a video producer who is tasked by her coworker, Cole, to profile Hutch who works for the Coast Guard as a rescue swimmer. Hutch happens to also be Cole's brother.
There is a lot of family drama that comes up. I didn't love Cole's character, and his storyline fell flat for me. The rest of the book was really good. I loved the dynamics between Hutch and Katie.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I received this as an early release from NetGalley, and was so excited. Our main character Katie works for a video publication studio in Texas and currently has a boss who is on a firing spree. Katie reveals she's had a tough year while her ex-fiance cheated on her shortly after he got famous & the internet trolls had plenty of negative things to say.
Cole, Katie's supervisor, offers to "save" Katie from being fired by sending her to Key West to shoot a promotional enrollment video for the Coast Guard. Katie learns that she will be filming Cole's brother Hutch & staying with their Aunt but is under instruction to not explain who she is outside of working for the production company.
Katie accepts the rolex but we learn quickly Katie has some self image issues that are being quickly brought to the surface having to go to Key West (thanks to a stepmother from her early childhood & the relentless internet) and wear color/swimsuits, Oh - & Katie doesn't know how to swim!
Katie quickly becomes accepted and jumps out of her comfort zone in the Keys, with Aunt Rue, the Gals, & Hutch. We learn of brotherly competition, beautiful friendships, taking each day as a blessing, while laughing as Katie has splinters removed from her "raunch". As the book closes we have more than just a romance between Katie and Hutch but also between Katie and herself, Katie and her best friend Beanie, and new found family in the Keys.
(I personally am from SWFL and found the depiction of the Keys accurate which I can really appreciate!)
Thank you to @NetGalley, @StMartinsPress and the author for this ARC in exchange for my thoughts.
Publication Date: May 20, 2025
Genre: Romance

I’ve long been a big Katherine Center fan; finding her books both lighthearted and full of emotion. I eagerly anticipated THE LOVE HATERS and was prepared to love it from page one … and I did not. The early part of the book was a struggle for me as I found Katie, the FMC, to be one dimensional. The constant negative body image references were off putting and Katie didn’t seem to have much depth beyond this issue.

But, then Katherine Center worked her Katherine Center magic and all the pieces came together in a way that rewarded me for getting through the slow start. Katie is damaged. There are many factors that contributed to her insecurities and hatred of her body and she’s fighting hard to overcome them. The MMC, Hutch, is the silent, brooding hero type. He seems to have it all, but is also harboring a heartbreaking past. These two have instant chemistry, but there’s a lot of healing that needs to happen for them to find happiness.

I loved, loved, loved many of the side characters. Rue is as vibrant as her caftans and proves that broken hearts can find joy again. Beanie is trying her best to drag Katie out of her self-hating spiral. When you toss in a massive pup with a fear of thunder and fondness for toads, I’m all in.

There are two love stories here. Katie and Hutch are obvious, but the true journey to love is between Katie and Katie. That relationship is the one that makes everything else possible. This book is heavy on body image references, so be forewarned if that’s an issue for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center is an auto-read for me because her characters are well-developed, clever, and relatable. They often are just the slightly more witty and quicker version of the people in your own life. The Love Haters, true to form, included some delightful characters, namely Rue and her band of colorful retirees. While Katie and Hutch's burgeoning relationship was fun to follow, and I loved Hutch's uncomplicated good soul, ultimately, it's not my favorite of Center's. However, it's a fun, hopeful, and lighthearted read that I would recommend to others.

I don’t know how to say this nicely ... but I kind of hated this book.

Now before starting this, I was excited, the premise sounded fantastic. That excitement however didn’t last very long. To be precise it lasted until chapter 1 when they referred to Hutch, the mmc, as ‘Pup Daddy’ because he rescued a dog once. Is that supposed to be like hot or something? I can’t describe to you how hard I cringed when I read that, and continued to cringe every time it was mentioned after that. And honestly, that was just foreshadowing for what was to come: a fucking cringe fest.

There were so many moments when I wanted to dnf. This book read like a low budget hallmark movie script, Katie was such a dumbass, and the only reason I kept going was because I normally love Katherine Center books. But then again, her last two books really didn’t work for me so..
By the end, I was forcing myself to finish it just so I could write a review about this mess.

And because I can’t think of anything I liked about this book, I’m just going to talk about the things I didn’t like.

Starting with Katie. I said it already, but she was the dumbest person. Like what are you saying, should I salute you? What do you mean you don’t know what a rescue swimmer does? English isn’t even my first language and I know what they do because it’s right there in the name?! It was infuriating to read from her POV and I couldn’t understand how anyone liked her. Which they did. So much so that when she arrived in Florida, everyone was immediately extremely fond of her? And for what? She’s been there a week and people kept buying her shit and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why she inspired that sort of behaviour from them, it made no sense to me. Because again, she was an average person at best and a dumbass at worst.

She also struggled with an eating disorder/body dysmorphia, which was depicted in such an unserious way that it really bothered me. Reading about her and her friend make their little beauty list where Katie had to choose a body part and then talk positively about it was a strange experience. Like Katie would tell her friend Beanie how she liked her pinkie and then her friend would ask her why she didn’t like her thumb. Leading to Katie trying to come up with reasons as to why her thumb is also something to admire? That was so weird and the topic as a whole lacked the serious tone it needs imo, it read more like a joke than the serious issue eating disorders/body dysmorphia are.

The romance in this book was non-existent for me. There was no chemistry or tension between them, I felt nothing for them as a couple because the relationship wasn’t developed in any meaningful way, just insta-love for no discernible reason. They had a really awkward first encounter, then their second interaction was at his office where they had their first real conversation, half of which was for the documentary. And then they’re just friends? Texting and calling each other? I felt like I missed a chapter or ten. Like you don’t know this man, why are you acting so familiar with him? Everything felt rushed, and I still don’t get what Hutch saw in her, they barely even talked to each other about anything significant.

Halfway through the book, Cole, Hutch’s brother and Katie’s colleague, showed up and just pretended that Katie was his girlfriend. For the insane reason that it would somehow save her from getting fired if they are together? And she fucking goes along with it?! Because their job hinged on them being in a relationship? So they then lied to everyone. Including Hutch, who Katie was kind of involved with at that point. This whole situation was crazy and everything that happened because of it was insanely stupid and misogynistic (the bar scene?!). And Katie, being the dumbass she is, went along with his lies after hearing his absurd explanation.
Like yeah this whole charade lasted only a week or so but explain to me in what world anyone would then hear Katie’s explanation for it and be like sure ofc I still want to be with you, you’re obviously a catch.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book by Katherine Center. From the very first page I was intrigued as to what was going to happen and there were so many parts even at the end that I didn’t see coming. I loved that it wasn’t just a rom com and wasn’t just an enemies to lovers premise, but it had other elements woven within like self love and finding your own inner strength. The struggles that Katie goes through during the book can be real life struggles for any person. There were a couple of times I got frustrated with the situations at the end and felt myself screaming inside saying “just tell him the truth and it will be fine!” But that all added to the anticipation of the situation with Cole and Hutch and built up the anger and frustration to the point that caused them to fight. The story was great, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened as quick as I could.

I think this a great addition to the emerging subgenre of hopeful & romantic journeys of self-development. There's no spice but a romantic HEA.

Katie's going to lose her job unless she can wow her boss with her latest project creating a recruitment commercial for the Coast Guard's rescue diver program. Just one issue - Katie can't swim. But she won't let that stop her, so she signs up for a weekend of swimming lessons when she arrives in the Florida Keys. What does give her pause is having to wear a swimsuit in front of strangers. Katie is her recovery era after a lifetime of negative body image and an acute episode after people online attacked her looks. There are several elements to this story but body hate and body acceptance are a huge part of it's core essence. Katie is focusing on the acceptance part at this stage, but reader's with personal histories should be mindful. I can't handle stories in the active stages of body issues, but I felt this was more about the healing part of her journey so I enjoyed it in the end.

When Katie arrives for her first lesson, a massive dog pushes her into the pool and the arms of her new instructor. Which happens to be the star of her current project, rescue diver Hutch. Instead of alerting his bosses, Hutch agrees to help Katie pass her swimming tests. When she joins him on base to film the B-roll, they become very close. If you read "Variation" by Rebecca Yarros then you're going to enjoy the insight into Hutch's career. And it's not for nothing. When family secrets and Hutch's scheming brother threaten Katie and Hutch's new friendship, a storm hits their town and you get to see everything Katie learned in action.

Some of the family drama got murky in the third act, but I genuinely enjoyed getting to know these two characters. Hutch is an honest guy who is the go-to-guy for the elderly ladies living in his Aunt's neighborhood. He comes over for Sunday dinners, leads their weekly swim class, rescues dogs and shies away from attention. Katie adores people! She is so observant and encourages the light in those around her. Her admiration of Hutch makes him even more attractive. There's a scene where she finally practices acceptance of her body and it was really touching.

I loved this book! So many stories within the story.
Katie is on the chopping block at work and her boss, Cole, gives her an opportunity to make a Coast Guard promo video in Key West. Of course she takes it but omits that she doesn’t know how to swim. When Katie meets Hutch, the swimmer she is doing the promo on, his dog, George Bailey, tackles her and Hutch ends up removing splinters from her bottom. They end up having feelings for each other and then Cole, Hutch’s brother and Katie’s boss, shows up and it all goes up in smoke. With an expected hurricane on the way, everyone is told to evacuate but when Katie finds out the George Bailey is still on the houseboat he lives in with Hutch, she decides to turn around and go get him. George Bailey doesn’t budge and they end up being adrift in the middle of the ocean in the middle of a hurricane. Katie is able to get a 911 call out and just as the houseboat sinks they are rescued by none other than Hutch himself.
The story line of Hutch and Katie is a feel good romance with a slow burn. Katie’s insecurities with her body brought on by her past is very relatable and she’s lucky to have a friend, Beanie, to help her embrace herself and she wins in the end. The family dynamic of Rue and Cole and Hutch was very unexpected but a nice twist. I absolutely would recommend to all readers!

Katherine Center does it again. Though this book felt different in a sense, it still left me with that signature Katherine Center happy hug at the end. If you want a happily ever after, read Katherine Center books. End of story…literally! 5 stars!

Book summary from Amazon: “ 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 pretends that she can.

Plus, Cole and Hutch are brothers. 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 maybe 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.

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.”

Review:
I loved the FMC in this book, especially in the beginning. I have never felt a character so reflective of my inner thoughts as I did Katie. Having always struggled with body image, my relationship to food, and my self confidence, she was so relatable for me, and it was really nice to see myself in a character with almost word for word, my thoughts about myself. I loved how the feelings developed between Katie and Hutch, but the second his brother showed up, I felt like it was a completely different book. It still was very much about Katie working through her demons and her connecting with Hutch, but I felt like this strain between Hutch and his brother kind of took over the book and overshadowed what was important. I hated that Katie went along with the lies, I hate Hutch because cold and cut off and their chemistry went totally awry. I wish that part had been cut off, their relationship development was more a main part of the story, and the hurricane was less funny, more serious, and him rescuing her was more dramatic. I felt let down by the last 40% of the book, but loved the first 60%. 3.5/5 stars

This book made me so sad, because I genuinely love Center’s books but this one just did not hit. At all. The struggles of the main character were real and raw, but the way it was portrayed fell so so so short. There’s an authors note, but honestly, I felt the story was so badly done that the authors note though lovingly written just didn’t add anything to it.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I'm torn on this one; the main female character had instances where her inner monologue (dialogue?) and the way she acted were just plain dumb which really irritate me in a book, so I think that jaded me a bit. I did appreciate some of the banter between the two main characters and I did really love the relationship and how it evolved. I would love to read another book with Katie and Beattie because my favorite chapters were their conversations. Overall, I did like the book, it made me laugh and I liked the characters and storyline.

First and foremost I think this book would greatly benefit from a content warning about eating disorders. Take this as your warning.

I fear that this book just has no idea what it wants to be. There was surprisingly little romance and instead the story got caught up in some sort of action/drama/personal growth combination. The characters and plot are just simply all over the place. Katie, our main leading lady, is so wildly immature and insufferable I came very very close to DNF-ing around 60%. Side character Cole is an actual war criminal and I think my rating of this book would’ve gone up a whole star if he had died at the end. I will admit I liked Rue and I thought her relationship with Hutch and Cole was sweet. Hutch was fine as a romantic lead but he was definitely a bit of a cardboard cutout. Like what do you mean his only personality trait was that he was “too perfect”?

In terms of actual writing things, I have a couple of issues. Number one, and the most blatant in my opinion, is that Katherine Center has a tendency to show the reader a scene in such painfully specific detail and then two pages later make Katie explain that exact same scene to another character with the same amount of detail. I’m so serious, this book could’ve been half the length if she cut out the repetitiveness. Also the strange conversational tone of this book where Katie addresses the reader in second person POV is very odd to me. Maybe it’s the fact that I found Katie to be a deeply unlikable narrator, but I hated when she addressed me as if we were friends. Lastly, every female character in this book sexualized and objectified Hutch to an extent that felt problematic.

All that to say, this book was not for me and will likely be the first and last Katherine Center book I pick up.

Katherine Center does it again! I can always rely on her to give me a warmhearted, laugh at times and cry at others reading experience that I crave. What I wouldn't give to stay in one of Aunt Rue's rentals and hang out with the girls! Hutch is the type of hero I adore, not too sappy, but also head over heels for our girl. I'll be picking up another of Center's backlist as I wait patiently for her next new release as she is an auto-read author for me. Can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve next!

I love many of Katherine Centers books so I was very excited to read The Love Hater. I did really enjoy this book, but it was probably to my disadvantage that I’ve read a lot of her books because I compared them to this. You get a lot of talk about struggling with body image and trauma, which is very relatable. They try and show you how Katie worked through her body image issues but It felt to me like one day she kinda just “got it” and was better? I don’t know, maybe that’s unfair. The love story is good, but it’s not quite as much as some of the other books. And the ending was intense! Had me anxious but also hooked in to staying up late and finishing. All in all, a really good book. The writing is great. Just not in my top 2-3 of her books.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!