Can Katerine Center write a bad book? No!
Love Haters is her latest novel and it doesn’t disappoint. I was smiling and laughing the whole way through.

Katie Vaugh is a video producer who is on the cusp of being laid off. Her coworker Cole throws her a bone and sends her to shoot a documentary of his brother Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who just so happens to hate love. That’s fine with Katie because she too has been burned by love. Katie arrives in Key West and meets Cole and Hutch’s aunt Rue (my favorite character) and her gang of retirees (the gals). Things in paradise get a little murky but you can smell the love in the air. If you are looking for a good beach read this summer or just an escape from the winter blues, this novel will do the trick 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this delightful novel.

Huge thank you to Net Galley and St. Marten’s Press for the digital arc!!

The Love Haters is quintessential Katherine Center! Katie is a multifaceted character that I could really relate to. I really saw myself in her and I think that made me love her character progression throughout the book that much more! My only hold up (and the reason I only gave it four stars) was that I missed the relationship development between Katie and Hutch. There’s a point where Center tells the reader they had these great conversations where they learned about each other and I would have enjoyed witnessing those conversations. There could have been less rumination by Katie and a little more of Katie and Hutch.

Overall, though, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartfelt contemporary romance!

At first I thought it was a pure romance and when reading it like that I found it lacked a bit - there were some moments that in a pure romance I found were missing. However upon further reflection, I think the book is more about learning to love yourself and how doing that can brighten the whole world for you. For that, it was beautiful! So while it was light and fun, it also packed an unexpected punch.

I have read quite a few Katherine Center books at this point. I can't say that this one was one of my favorites. Don't get me wrong there were still a few places that really got me in my feels. But there was a little too much going on. I did like Katie and Hutch as characters. Katie was a very relatable character. Her self esteem issues were understandable but I did not like the way discussions surrounding weight and food were handled I loved Aunt Rue and her friends. My favorite part of the book by far was the best boy, George Bailey. Gigantic dogs that don't realize their size will always grab my heart. In the end the story got a little complicated and we didn't get as much time with our leads together as I would have liked.

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

This beautiful story of complex characters turned out to be a romance in a way that is more than just ordinary. This book is, indeed, a love story between two captivating characters; however, it is also a story about learning to love oneself, being happy and proud of one's identity, and loving one's perceived flaws as much as one does the things that one believes are beautiful.
FMC Katie embarks on a journey of self-discovery without even realizing it, while also finding friends and the love of her life. MMC Hutch is the perfect blend of grumpy and sunshine (golden retriever) vibes, and I was completely enamored with him.
His constant support and how he showed Katie what true love looks like are absolutely perfect. I can strongly recommend this book to everyone who loves Katherine Center books as well as everyone found of classic and deeply emotional love stories.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center (who pointed out that eARC was free to grab) for an amazing read!

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

Katherine Center did an incredible job at handling themes of confidence, body image, self-love (or lack thereof), grief, and coping mechanisms.

Not only did we get a wholesome romance story, but we were nourished through reading and experiencing Katie’s journey of healing and self-love. (read Authors Note please)! Katherine mentioned that the act of self love is not so simple and not a “linear” thing, but a big project. As someone who struggles with the topics mentioned in the book, I found this to be immensely healing and it happened to be a book I needed at this very moment.

This is a story I would highly recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- 𝙲𝚘𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙶𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙼𝙼𝙲
- 𝙱𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚢
- 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢
- 𝙵𝚞𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜
- 𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢 𝚡 𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
- 𝚁𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚞𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚐 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝙱𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚢* (𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖)

*Mentions of past animal cruelty. Present natural disaster danger.*

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is a sweet, lighthearted rom-com by a modern master of the closed door romance. I had a ton of fun reading about the turbulent romance between Katie and Hutch, and I absolutely loved the senior citizen side characters who meddle in everything with the best intentions possible. I appreciated the added lesson that is obviously one of the main points here. If you find yourself love-hating yourself, this would be a perfect read to serve as a reminder or gentle rebuke for you. The focus on body image might have been even a little over-the-top if it hadn't been completely balanced with the humor in this book. There are laugh-out-loud moments here that are not to be missed. If you're looking for a feel-good romantic comedy that's sure to make you smile, check this one out.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Katie goes on a journey as much with herself as she does Hutch. I feel like I could see a lot of myself in her and her views about her body and I think that will be a common feeling for many readers. I think we could all use a Rue and a Beanie in our lives to guide us along and take the brave steps we want but might be too nervous to take on our own.

The only character I didn't enjoy as much was Cole but I understand his behaviors and actions. I just felt like he was kind of a lot for a person who didn't really have any kind of existing relationship with Katie before sending her on this journey. Obviously, in true KC fashion, things work out but for a minute, I was questioning why Katie would want to keep her job if it meant continuing to have to work with him.

I'll definitely reread this one when it gets released and look forward to telling friends about it so they pick it up too.

My favorite funny line was, "You're like a human hot fudge sundae or something."

My favorite 'ohh, now it makes sense' line was Hutch asking Cole, "Why are you keeping score? It's like you want to be angry." It showed that my thoughts as a reader were consistent with the awareness the characters had of each other.

3 stars. The writing felt very choppy and didn’t flow so well. The romance was lacking. Not my favorite.

Katherine Center is always a must read for me and the Love Haters didn't disappoint. I truly loved all of the Coast Guard and documentary film content and learned a lot. The love story was a little light for me this time (and I hated Cole) but a solid read overall.

Loved this book!! Super cute fun read. Rue and George (the Great Dane) make the book even better. Highly recommend.

I've never met a Katherine Center book I didn't love. I'm so glad I got to read an ARC of this one through Netgalley. What a fun story. The FMC was SO loveable and also incredibly relatable with her insecurities and body issues. What woman hasn't felt that at some point? Her realization that she can be her own champion and she doesn't need the world's validation was so moving. Her transformation from someone who isn't brave enough to put on a swimsuit to someone who will face an actual hurricane was inspiring. And the MMC was an absolute hero in every way. Totally crush-worthy book boyfriend material! The only thing that could have improved this for me was more detail in the epilogue- I wanted a few more moments of banter between Hutch and Katie, I just wanted ready to say goodbye to them yet. This was a great book that I will definitely reread and recommend to others! Thanks for another delightful story, Katherine!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down

(This review is based on my reading of an arc copy)

This story had some plot points that felt a little outlandish, and I wouldn’t typically care how outrageous a story gets, but it sort of seemed like it was being held back at certain points, which sometimes left me feeling a little deflated. However, I loved how much the author allows the reader to experience what Katie sees and feels as each event plays out—big and small. The epilogue put a nice little bow on the story that read to me like the end credits rolling on a 00s feel-good movie in the sweetest way.

Solid 4 stars…I really enjoy KC. So easy to slip into her world…laugh and enjoy the story. I really liked this story but felt a little bit shortchanged on the ending with the romance. Would’ve like more of a wrap up for the main characters. Absolutely LOVED Katie’s story with her relationship to her body and her growth by the end. Thanks NetGalley and author for this early read!

Katherine Center is an automatic yes, every time. If she wrote it I’m reading it. I have just a few left before I have read everything she has published. All of them are good. I can’t say I love them all. But this one…I did!!

George Bailey -had me laughing to the point I had to put the book down a couple of times!!

Rue- I want one!!! (The Gals and all)

Cole and Hutch- the relationship between them was very real. Being a sibling is tough and not always a beautiful, loving, picture-perfect relationship. Things happen and brothers and sisters don’t always see eye to eye.

Sullivan- well there is always one you don’t like.

Katie- she was very likable and relatable. I’m glad the body image issues were brief and superficial. It’s a real thing and should be taken seriously but not diving too deep into that worked well for this story.

Beanie- we all should have a person like this - or close!!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

In my eyes, Katherine Center can do no wrong. Another beautiful love story that included body positivity and self love. I loved the connection Katie had with Hutch and their ability to ‘heal’ each other. I can’t wait for this to get published so others can enjoy this read. *chefs kiss*

I'm so sad--I just couldn't get into this one! I just love Center's work, so I plan to try again. I had a similar experience with another one of her books--that I had to really push to get invested and then I LOVED it. But this one has been even more of a struggle. I think I'm about at the 50% mark where I'm DNFing/pausing.

I will probably try again, as I just lover Center's stories--but this one did not grasp me. I think, also, the focus on image and diet culture just isn't one I've dealt with. I think it's needed and a valuable exploration--one of my favorite things about Center as that she'll tackle hard issues in a romcom. But I didn't relate to the character, at all. I do think she will resonate with many readers, though.

So, I still would recommend this book! Her books are such a lovely force in the romcom genre--so read!

I absolutely loved this book! Katherine Center is a master at weaving together an intriguing and unique love story. The story centers on Katie (a documentary filmmaker) and Hutch (a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, aka Pup Daddy, an internet sensation who rescued a certain celebrity's dog) and their journey to creating a promotional video for the Coast Guard. The only problem is Katie can't swim... I had such a good time reading this book, and I think it would make an excellent beach read. I would throw in a trigger warning to those who struggle with Body Dismorphia or ED to be cautious when reading this story as that is a prevalent theme.

Thanks to Katherine Center, Net Galley, and to St Martin's press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Can we all just agree that Katherine Center is one of the best romantic fiction writers of our time? Yes? Great - moving on...as a surprise to no one, Center hit it out of the park again with The Love Haters!!! Katie was such a fun and honest heroine, especially when it comes to body image and the constant pressures and insecurities that women are facing far too often these days. Many of the battles she's fighting are against herself throughout the book, and Center wrote about these with such grace and understanding. I loved Hutch and the way their story came together, but I loved seeing Katie's relationship with herself grow even more! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I'd give it six if I could!)

I'm not exaggerating in any way when I say that I dropped all of my responsibilities to read the second half of this book in one sitting. And that's a big deal, y'all. <i>I skipped brushing my teeth for this book.</i>

Katherine Center is known for her humor and fun characters, and that combined with the delightful tropical setting made this book exactly the break from reality that I, for one, needed right now. Was I a little biased in favor of this book because <i>I</i> wanted to be on assignment in the Florida Keys with Rue and her gals? NO COMMENT. We're allowed to love books for any reason, and the vacation vibes of this book were immaculate.

While often the self-effacing-but-funny "doesn't know she's hot but is actually secretly so stunning every guy she's ever seen is ready to fight for her" heroine + hottest guy ever who's super macho and (what??) actually has DEPTH oh and also KINDNESS IN HIS HEART combination can tend to feel overdone (I feel like I read 12 books with that formula last year), Katherine Center made it work this time around. Because Katie...is <i>actually</i> funny, and her awkwardness is <i>actually</i> believable without being over the top, and probably most importantly, she's not just a doormat—if she ends up heroically swept up in some strong Coast Guard arms every once in a while, that's not because she didn't try to save herself first. And, maybe <i>because</i> Katie works so well as a lead, her romantic interest works even better. He's respectful! Kind! Funny! Very into dogs! As a certified Book Grinch™ who is more likely to pronounce "she could do better" than to swoon over a romantic lead...I reluctantly pronounce Hutch swoonworthy.

THE GOOD
• A romance that's actually really cute
• Hijinks with an adorable giant dog
• Unconditional love from an aunt character obsessed with fluorescent colors (why is this my favorite trope?)
• You'll learn SO MUCH about the Coast Guard (fun at parties, probably?)
• No bad sex scenes (because there are no sex scenes)

THE NOT-SO-GOOD
• Really, really questionable depiction of an eating disorder—definite trigger warning there
• As always with romance, if ya like the tropes, you'll like the book. If ya don't like the tropes, it won't be for you. I'm not a trope expert, so I'll probably miss some, but this book contains: <spoiler>miscommunication, some mild fake dating and forced proximity</spoiler>

The last Katherine Center book I read was 2 stars, so know that this 5-star rating was well earned. I'll consider this a redemption.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are, of course, my own.