I loved this! It was fun and flirty with a strong, believable female character with such a great personality! The other characters were quirky and realistic too. The plot was cute and the writing was solid. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I really hope someone makes this into a movie!

I have read two more of Center's books since reading this...really love her humor, characters, and writing voice.

Packed with quirky characters, tropical chaos, and just the right dose of emotional depth, this story balances hilarity with heartache as Katie navigates not only hurricane season, but also her own fears and feelings. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren, it’s a feel-good, slow-burn romance about finding courage in the most unexpected places—even the ocean.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Love Haters was such an enjoyable read—I found myself genuinely excited to come back to it each time.

I loved following Katie’s journey. Knowing her backstory made me root even harder for her growth, and I really appreciated how she came to accept and love all parts of herself. That kind of personal evolution is a powerful process—and honestly, a trope of its own that so many of us can relate to.

Katie and Hutch’s romance was heartwarming, full of charm and sincerity. And the author’s note at the end? Just beautiful. It was the perfect closing touch.

I was excited for this one as someone who hasn't read Katherine Center yet, but sadly I ended up DNFing. By 18% I felt like I wasn't vibing with the FMC whose whole personality seems to be her paralyzing body image issues. I could already tell this theme was going to get beaten to death over my head for the next 80% of the book and I wasn't looking forward to it. Katie just isn't my type of romance book heroine.

That being said, I would still recommend this book to people who enjoy Center's other books. While I didn't connect with the characters, I found the writing engaging, quick and easy to read.

Set against the breezy charm of Key West, The Love Haters is equal parts heart, humor, and chaos. Katie Vaughn is still reeling from a public breakup with her now-famous ex when she’s sent to profile Coast Guard heartthrob Hutch—a man who recently went viral rescuing Jennifer Aniston’s dog. The catch? She can’t swim, that’s just the first of many lies she gets caught up in.

In true Katherine Center fashion, the book is full of laugh-out-loud moments, layered emotions, and banter of the wittiest variety. Hutch is dreamy but almost suspiciously perfect, and the real scene-stealers are George Bailey, his lumbering rescue Great Dane, and Aunt Rue, the vibrantly dressed island auntie who reads your soul like a tide chart and won’t let you leave without confronting at least one hard truth.

Yes, it’s a love story—but it’s also about choosing honesty, showing up for yourself, and maybe fibbing just a little to stay employed. The self-love journey resonates, though I do wish Katie’s struggles with body image and disordered eating were explored more deeply rather than wrapped up quite so neatly.

Bonus points for Patty Murin’s narration, which is chef’s kiss. Her voice brings the story to life—I’d happily listen to her read a grocery list.

While The Love Haters isn’t my all-time favorite from Katherine Center, I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who loves rom-coms with depth, dogs with personality, and a setting that makes you want to book a flight immediately.

And yes, I was so excited for a new Katherine Center that I requested both the eARC and the audiobook. Because obviously one format wasn’t enough. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for feeding my obsession with early access to both! All opinions are my own.

This was super cute. Not as good as the Rom-Commers, which was INCREDIBLE, but I very much enjoyed this. I wasn't exactly sold on the romance when it initially started, but once I bought in, everything else was great. The POV is a little distant so it's a bit harder to connect personally with the emotion, but I enjoyed how it felt like a friend gossiping about her romantic life. Also I had expected some twists and they ended up going in a totally different direction which was fun!

Slow to start, but then I was hooked. I enjoyed how it was both a love story between the FMC and MMC, but also a love story for oneself. Katie's journey towards self-love was beautifully written! Would consider this an easy summer read - other than the body image portion, it was more of a feel good read and the plot moved along as you'd expect. I will say there were plenty of cute moments that had me smiling!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I have had this book on my shelf FOREVER and I patiently waited until closer to the publication date to read it but I couldn't wait any longer. I love Katherine Center books. She has a way of portraying her characters that just makes me fall in love with them.
I loved the idea of a book that takes place on Key West because tropical backgrounds always make me happy. I loved the little cottages of Starlight and I loved Rue and The Gals that take Katie in. I even really liked Hutch and I loved their meet cute where the dogs clobbers her and he has to pick splinters out of her butt!
I do not like miscommunication or lying and this book seemed to have a lot that - yes it was mostly by Cole but Katie went along with it. Rue didn't tell Hutch she was sick. They were all lying to each other. I am never a fan of that as a vehicle for the main problem of the book.
I just wanted Katie to stand up and tell Hutch what was going on.
My biggest pet peeve about this book is Katie spent all this time over coming her body image issues, and her fear of color and learning to love herself but the stupid ex boyfriend that was still in love with her that caused so many issues for her just kinda was left hanging. Like did he ever get in touch with her? I mean he wrote an epic love ballad about her - what happened there. I kept waiting for him to come to Key West.
The ending with the hurricane seemed a little weird, little contrived but kinda romantic with him rescuing her.
Overall while this wasn't my favorite Katherine Center I still love her quirky side character, her fun and imaginative writing style and an overall cute story.

One word: Hutch…

He’s officially my new book boyfriend. Rescue swimmer (gorgeous, killer body but not conceited) who loves his rescue dog, elderly aunt and nature documentaries *swoon* I think I need to read more Coast Guard romance novels…

I loved the characters (I wish Hutch was my BF and Rue was my aunt) and the setting (I want to visit the Keys now). Body image was a HUGE topic in the book (almost too much at times) and a couple parts were a little over-the-top, but I don’t care. It was 100% entertaining and I couldn’t put this book down. I can’t stop thinking about the part where she’s upset about the article/comments and Hutch follows her. Ugh, loved it!

Somehow this was my first Katherine Center book, but it won’t be my last! Time to start reading her backlist!

Reading Katherine Center’s books is like having a conversation with your best friend. Warm, inviting, always hysterical, and much needed. The Love Haters definitely falls into all these categories as well. Her dialogue is just so witty and real. Nothing is ever over done or fake. The story is beautiful and the characters are unique. The twist at the end was so good and the epilogue has my heart. She got every single detail right as always. This is a phenomenal deep rom com. I loved every page!

I love Katherine Center but this was not my favorite. I can usually finish one of her books in a day and this took me almost two months. I just didn’t want to pick it back up.

I appreciated the storyline and the overall all message (especially after reading her author’s note which I loved more than the book) but it felt like there was way too much going on, between the love hating and color and body image and swimming and natural disasters and lies and familial loss and disease, I couldn’t keep up. It needed one less storyline and/or message and it would’ve come together a little better for me.

you can truly never go wrong with a Katherine Center book (at least only once I've been deterred by her book). This one was no different love story that she excels at writing. Hutch, Katie, Cole, and Rue you'll find yourself gravitating towards. *mainly Rue, Katie, and Hutch; Cole didn't quite warm my heart*

I laughed out loud, teared up a bit, and found myself cringing at the events that played out throughout the story. There are a bit unrealistic parts that left me *ehhh* but not enough to where it takes away from the story.

also I love the books that end with a nice wrapped bow helping to put everything together with no loose ends

HIGHLY recommend this one for a cute beach read or even weekend book to getaway into

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced reader copy of The Love Haters by @katherinecenter ❤️. The Love Haters publishes on May 20, 2025.

I’m relatively new to Katherine Center’s books, but I now have the urge to read her entire backlist. This book was perfection. Katie and Hutch (and George Bailey) were nuanced characters, and Katie’s journey towards self love was so incredibly relatable. The story was heartfelt and funny, and I tore through this book in about a day 😂. If you love romance with emotional depth, please please pick up The Love Haters!

#netgalley #thelovehaters #romancereads #bookworm

This was my first and last Katherine Center book. I really did not enjoy the continuity, cliche/trope characters and lack of engaging story.

The book begins with the most insufferable protagonist getting shipped off to Florida to do a story on her bosses brother. The whole story of why her boss and his brother don't get along is lost on me and didn't find the reasoning strong enough to remember. The protagonist on the other hand deals with her fair share of body image issues but as someone who has dealt with that, it seemed extremely abhorrent and unrealistic - it honestly seemed like the author was poking fun at people who are not happy with their bodies and I found it incredibly distasteful. We get it, she hates herself. How is this contributing to the story?

I did not enjoy the dynamic between her and Hutch. The romantic onset seemed extremely random, especially since Hutch displays no romantic interest until her bathing suit flies off during the test... it really doesn't paint Hutch in the best light and I did not root for them. I did not care about their relationship and found the basis of their relationship insufferable.

In regard to the story, I found the situations and characters extremely cliche, following the trope of colorful, carefree Floridians. Oh where have I seen this before? Everywhere, except everyone has done it better. These cliche characters, The Gals, Rue, etc. were more annoying and unhelpful, ultimately becoming filler characters due to the lack of story. I said it. Lack of story. This story was so boring and bleak. It read like a high school girl embarrassing herself in front of her crush for 300 pages. I felt like I wasted my time on this and would certainly not recommend this to anyone.

Also, Beanie as a name? Please.

This wasn't my favorite Katherine Center book but I still enjoyed it very much. The relationship between the two brothers was a little condescending and annoying to me. The premise of what happened in the past coming back and causing issues was a weird twist. I did love the romance and the witty humor between them. Definitely worth the read and I'm looking forward to another. #netgalley

I am truly so sad for this rating. I’ve read a couple of KC’s books and enjoyed them, but this missed the mark big for me. The concept of the book had potential, but the execution didn’t deliver. Overall felt juvenile, underdeveloped and there was some problematic handling of certain themes I couldn’t get past (sexual harassment). Longer reviews available on Instagram and GoodReads.

Katherine Center always brings a certain charm to her stories, and this one is no exception. Her signature blend of humor, heart, and romance is all over these pages, making it a quick and enjoyable read. There’s a sincerity in the way she writes about love—as something messy, powerful, and worth believing in—that really comes through here.

Katie is a standout protagonist. Her voice is sharp, funny, and full of warmth. There’s a lovely balance between her quirky, lighthearted narration and the more vulnerable moments that give her character depth. Hutch, too, was a pleasant surprise—steady, kind, and quietly compelling. Together, they had great chemistry, even if their “love-hater” labels felt more like mild skepticism than anything truly cynical.

The supporting cast added so much flavor, especially "The Gals," who brought humor and heart to the story. Even the animals had personality—Center has a knack for weaving them in so naturally that they almost feel like part of the emotional landscape.

This book did have a slightly different tone compared to Center’s recent releases like The Bodyguard or The Rom-Commers. The tension ramps up in the final act, with stakes that feel more urgent and emotionally intense than typical rom-com fare. It was a shift that worked—it pulled me in and made the ending feel earned.

One of the more impactful aspects of the story was Katie’s experience with body image. It was handled with thoughtfulness and honesty, offering meaningful commentary without becoming overly didactic. Still, there were moments where that theme overshadowed the central romance a bit, and I occasionally found myself wishing for a deeper connection to the love story itself.

Even so, this book had a lot to offer—charming characters, emotional resonance, and that ever-present sense of hope that Center writes so well. The tropical setting was the perfect backdrop, and it left me feeling refreshed and optimistic. While it may not be my absolute favorite of hers, it’s still a strong and heartfelt addition to her collection. Fans of Katherine Center will absolutely find plenty to love here.

Katie, a video producer with no experience swimming, has been sent to profile Hutch, certified hero. Once Katie arrives in Florida, she falls in love with not just Hutch, but his eccentric aunt and her crew of older women. As Katie stays with them, she gains confidence in who she is and how she looks.

I am a big Katherine Center fan, but I didn't love this book. I enjoyed Katie and Hutch (especially Hutch), but I struggled to connect with Katie. The book was as much about self-discovery as it was about romance, which limited Katie and Hutch's interactions. This book did have the typical "miscommunication that could have been solved in one conversation" gimmick that is always frustrating to me. It was a fun rom-com, but I didn't feel very invested.

The Love Haters was not my favorite book by this author, by far. I loved the relationship between Katie and Hutch (and George Bailey), but the whole storyline with Cole and Sullivan seemed so....silly? I understand Cole needed to be part of the story to shine light on the reasons for Hutch's personality and the whole relationship with Rue, but his ever-growing tower of lies seemed like too much.

This is one of my favorite books! I loved so much of this story. I felt like I was somewhere warm and hanging with The Gals and Hutch. I also enjoyed the relationship Katie had with herself and her bestie. Thanks so much for the advance copy!