I have a little bit of a love hate relationship with this book but my overall thoughts were that I enjoyed it. The first part of this book, I wanted to sit Katie down and shake her. She has so many insecurities that she struggled with day to day and it was painful to read for a bit but at the end of the day, there are people that struggle with low self esteem and while it was hard to read, I enjoyed following Katie's journey. I looooooved Hutch. I don't know why but I did. I never really felt like he was a love hater either. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON GEORGE BAILEY. I just wanna hug him. There were some eye roll moments in this book for me... mainly every single thing Cole did at any time lol.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for the incredible opportunity to review an advanced copy of The Love Haters by Katherine Center.

Thank you netgalley for an ARC of this book

I always love Katherine Center's books. They are always the correct women's fiction to romance ratio for me. This one was no different. A huge dog named George Bailey, and Hutch are a great duo. Hutch is a great book boyfriend. He was really kind and patient with her.
There are some trigger warnings so make sure you check those before jumping in. She struggles with her self confidence. But she never let it get in the way when respecting and loving Hutch.

This was such a cute book. I loved Hutch's grumpiness and George Bailey's incessant need to jump on Katie!

The cast of characters was so entertaining…I mean, who doesn’t love a bunch of old ladies making a hot man perform tricks for them in the pool?

I really loved how Katie came into her own and confronted her insecurities whether she wanted to or not.

This was a great listen!

As someone who thoroughly enjoyed Katherine Center’s <i>The Rom-Commers</i> and <i>The Bodyguard</i>, I was actually pretty eager to dive into <i>The Love Haters</i>. My goodness, I did not expect to feel so incredibly MEH about this book overall. From contrived and recycled plot elements that didn't quite seem to fit into the story to unfortunate character dynamics and unnecessary miscommunication (or I guess this is omission, more so) to create conflict, I found it exceedingly difficult to connect with this story.

It is inherently unfortunate that Katie, from the start, felt deeply unlikable and her actions throughout the book only exacerbated this. The subplot involving Beanie, Katie’s friend, felt uncomfortable every step of the way, involving friend "therapy" sessions about body dysmorphia, which seemed insensitive at best and problematic at worst. Readers get precious little time with the lead couple, Hutch and Katie, getting to know each other before Center just throws us into a left-field "twist" with the fake dating trope. This plot seemed to exist solely to create unnecessary drama, something that could have been easily resolved with reasonable communication and therefore did nothing but create frustration. In a book where we have been introduced to a main character's integral desire to resolve a disconnect between himself and his brother, creating a situation in which he feels so betrayed by both his brother and Katie at best and views them each as insensitive, horrible people at worst was honestly horrifying.

It's difficult to root for any protagonist who acts in such an emotionally detached manner, which makes the whole thing even worse when everything is finally revealed and Katie, for some reason, seems to just expect that Hutch will immediately come to her all thrilled that she's single, actually! My goodness, could she be any <i>less</i> self-absorbed?? Not to mention the fact that Katie’s supposed promise to help Hutch and Cole reconcile was never fully realized, and instead, we were left with a chaotic fight that, somehow, managed to resolve everything between the two? As if that makes any sense at all. And since we've got to tie everything up with a bow, let's also add in the deus ex machina of a sudden and implausible romantic development of Katie and Cole's boss with the man, himself, coming out of nowhere and adding to the overall disjointed nature of the story.

There seems to be a recurring theme in Center’s works involving a character’s fear of or struggles with water, which I ironically enjoyed in both <i>The Rom-Commers</i> and <i>The Bodyguard</i>. However, in <i>The Love Haters</i>, this felt more like a recycled plot device than an interesting development for Katie’s character. Katie, who can't swim, takes a job that requires her to be in the water—but I couldn’t quite understand why swimming was a necessary part of her job or the stakes of this particular quirk of hers, especially when it only seemed to serve as an excuse for her to attend swimming lessons with Hutch. The swimming scenes themselves felt awkward and unnecessary, and the moment where Hutch had to “medically” attend to Katie’s injury was both bizarre and completely out of place.

Ultimately, this book was just a frustrating amalgamation of meandering plot that juggled multiple themes which probably should have been explored separately. In the end, it didn’t feel like a cohesive narrative but rather a collection of three half-baked ideas stitched together with minimal or contrived resolution. While <i>The Love Haters</i> had its moments, it fell short of delivering a satisfying or believable storyline and struggled with pacing, character development, and plot structure.

I will say, however, that the narrator was phenomenal. Honestly, she very nearly saved the story for me if only because she actually did such an excellent job of keeping me engaged. I’m fairly certain she’s a good part of the reason why I, in the end, decided to finish the book rather than DNF.

First Katherine Center did not disappoint.
Such a fun, sweet, and darling rom com!
The characters were charming, the plot was believable, and the chemistry was totally there, without a sickening amount of spice.
Katie is sent to Key West to do a story on Hutch, a hater of love and extremely attractive Coast Guard rescue swimmer.
Will these two hit it off, or will Katie drown in drama?
Loved this one. Will totally read her others.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I thought this book was cute. Heavily body positive. Which the entire book was based on this girls body image issues. The romance was cute but felt too easy for someone who is struggling internally. I love a romance books where you feel push back but this was instant connection and both knew it. Overall I liked the narrator and it was a decent book.

I received a gifted ALC of THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center from Macmillan Audio.

Rating: 4 / 5
Publication Date: 5/20/2025

THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center follows Katie, a videographer who's job is on the line. With tons of layoffs at work, Katie can't exactly confess that she's not qualified for the job her coworker puts her up for, one that might save her employment. Sure, knowing how to swim would be helpful when it comes to following a coast guard rescue team, but surely she can fake it?

Katie is tasked with following hero Hutch, a man who has been labeled by his brother as a 'love hater'. Katie herself has had a rough go of it when it comes to romance, and she's still dealing with the aftereffects of her broken engagement. Entangling with Hutch, her story subject and her coworker's brother surely can't cause any problems, right?

Katherine Center was my first #bookstagrammademereadit author and I've read all of her new releases as they came out. I dropped everything to start the audiobook for this one as soon as it came in and I'm glad that I did! This book had me laughing along and I flew through it. There are some moments of tension that had me on the edge of my seat as well. Miscommunication did have me a bit frustrated in places, but overall I had so much fun with the main characters' relationship and the side characters and of course the pup!

This book takes on some serious topics, including body image. Katie has had a rough go of it after her last relationship put her in the public eye. Internet trolls have had her very conscious of her weight and looks, and being sent on an assignment which requires weigh ins and a bathing suit has her worried. I think the topic was handled very well.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I'm instantly drawn to Katherine's covers and enjoy the story she tells. There were parts I felt repetitive like her weight early on and like it was on a loop. It didn't really fit with the rest of the story. I am not a fan of miscommunication/ making decisions for other folks and felt some of the characters drove me nuts. The part about the saving in the sea seemed to me inaccurate.

4.5/5☆

Lotsa LOVE for THE LOVE HATERS:

❤️ LOVED this witty, character-driven, and engaging rom-com that focused on self-discovery, taking chances, body positivity, bravery, and, of course, LOVE!

❤️ LOVED the book's deeply flawed protagonists and atmospheric Key West setting.

❤️ LOVED the female protagonist's "fake it until you make it" attitude when she accepted an assignment to produce a video documentary about a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, even though she did not know how to swim.

❤️ LOVED George Baily, the male protagonist's "larger than life" Great Dane.

I always eagerly await Katherine Center's releases.

WHY?

When it comes to rom-coms, Katherine Center is in a league of her own.
❣️🙌🏆🏅🩷💛🩵💙

I listened to the audiobook read by Patti Murin. As always, Patti Murin's narration was brilliant.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All the stars!

Katherine Center, you've done it again! You sucked me in, and I fell in love...with the plot, with THREE of the characters, and with the depth of the message. I absolutely loved Katie, Hutch, and Katie's best friend Beanie. Beanie is the epitome of best friend. She challenges Katie to see herself in a different light. They discuss body image throughout the book, and for me, it all comes together in chapter 25 (no, I won't spoil it!).

I also ADORED Rue, "the gals," and the beloved great dane George Bailey. Katherine wrote a super cringy side character that I loved to hate (Cole), and all of this came together to create a beautiful message about self-love and found family. The language was relatively mild (a few curse words); there were references to sex, but the scenes were closed door. This was primarily a swoony, lovely romance with so much depth as Katherine does so masterfully.

I had the absolute honor of receiving both the print and audio ARCs of "The Love Haters." If you choose the audio, the narrator is phenomenal and so accomplished at navigating multiple characters. It was easy to determine POV, and she brought the characters to life! Don't skip the author's note at the end, read by none other than Katherine Center herself!!!

Release date: May 20, 2025

I am so grateful to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with both the print and audio ARCs in exchange for my honest opinion.

4⭐️ - I have yet to read a book by this author that I didn’t like/love! This was no exception. I absolutely adore the way she weaves humor, romance, and deep topics together in this beautiful stories.

I loved the lessons the FMC, Katie, learns in this story about loving yourself. What she went through with her ex and his fame, I would have probably ended up the same way she did. That would be so awful to deal with!

The MMC, Hutch, was a classic swoony character who sees his girl for who she is on the inside and loves everything about her on the outside. He was so sweet to her.

The audiobook was very well done! Patti Murin did a phenomenal job telling this story, and kept me engaged. I felt like she told the story with the same inflections as Katie would in the book. It was 10.5 hours which is a good length for a romance book!

Overall, this was a cute, swoony, funny romcom perfect for the summer or the beach!

I'm a big fan of Katherine Center, and ultimately this is a 5-star read for me. I loved the setting, many of the fabulous secondary characters, Katie and Hutch's sweet love story, and especially the toad-loving Great Dane, George Bailey.

All that being said, I struggled with the body issues theme. It was triggering for me personally, but it also felt like it took up too much space within the narrative. Be warned.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

A delightful rom-com, a kooky aunt, a wise bestfriend, and a big lovable dog...what more do you need?? Katherine Center hits it out of the park with this story about Katie, a video producer, and Hutch, a Coast Rescue swimmer. Thrown together by circumstances out of their control (Katie is fighting to keep her job and Hutch's brother has thrown him a bait & switch) the two end up working together on a promo video for the Coast Guard. While in the Florida Keys, Katie meets Hutch's lovable Aunt Rue and his energetic rescue Great Dane, and also finds that Hutch may be more than just a promo prop. As their relationship escalates, Katie finds herself entangled in a lie for all the right reasons, but that doesn't make getting out of it any easier. It's a love story that will make you laugh out loud, but also make you think about your own fears, your own moments of bravery, and how important it is to love yourself.
One of the best parts of this audiobook was the Author's Note at the end when Katherine talk about how important self-discovery is AND how powerful romances are. She says, "Reading love stories isn't frivolous, it's profound." And I will say, I must agree!

I set the bar higher for some authors- and [author:Katherine Center|409113] is one of them. Is this book better than others I've rated 4 stars. You betcha. But it isn't perfect. And if I used certain authors to rate all books, there'd be a lot of 1 and 2 star reads. So I rate books based on the author and/or genre.

[author:Katherine Center|409113]'s characters have depth. The plot could be terrible and the characterization alone could make her books better than one with a great plot. This is no different- though I would have loved more of Rue and her gals.

Now, the plot wasn't perfect. I didn't love all of it and some of it was a bit of a stretch. I also wasn't a fan when Katie would break the fourth wall (is it still a fourth wall in a book? Or a third wall? Lol)

There are some trigger warnings- Katie deals with a lot of body/self image issues. This comes up frequently. There is also the death of parents.

This review is a rambling mess. Basically, I always enjoy [author:Katherine Center|409113]'s books. I enjoyed this one, too, just not as much as some of her other books. There is a totally different feel when reading her books- I get that when reading authors like Emily Henry, Kristin hannah, Nora Roberts, etc...

Patti Murin does a great job narrating the audobook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read The Love Haters! After loving The Rom-Commers last year, I had high expectations for this one. While I did enjoy a lot of the book, especially the first two-thirds, the ending left me a little disappointed.

The chemistry between Hutch and Katie was strong at the start, but by the end, it felt like it lost some of its spark—especially since their romance only culminates in a kiss. I was also surprised by the lack of steam. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but given the setup, I expected a bit more. And while the title suggests that Hutch is a true "Love Hater," he didn’t really come across that way—he wasn’t all that grumpy or cynical about love.

The introduction of Cole in the latter part of the book felt a little silly to me, and it shifted the tone in a way that didn’t fully work. That said, I still enjoyed Katherine Center’s signature charm and wit. The Bodyguard wasn’t a favorite of mine, but The Rom-Commers was, so now I’m left wondering if that book was just a one-off for me or if The Love Haters just didn’t hit the mark this time.

As for the narration, Patti Murin isn’t a favorite of mine—there’s something about her voice that’s a little much for me—but I have to say she did a great job with Rue and Hutch!

Thank you to Katherine Center, Patti Murin, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐
The Love Haters is a quick, fun romcom that did touch on some more sensitive issues such the impact social media can have on self-image and self-worth. While this wasn't my favorite Katherine Center novel, it was worth the read for the secondary characters, Rue and George Bailey.

The narration was enjoyable and added extra life to the characters.

Katherine Center is easily in my top favorite authors. I typically eat up her stories and can’t put the books down. The Love Haters didn’t grab me the same way. The story was nice and kept me until the end, but it wasn’t her typical work where I am excited to pick it back up to find out what happens. Overall a cute story and well written.

I think this was a super cute book! I enjoy all of Katherine Center's books but I loved this one! Going into the book I was expecting a standard romance with the story centered around Katie falling for Hutch. I was pleasantly surprised when I got further into the book and saw the true story was Katie learning to love herself. Katherine Center wrote Katie's story with love and intentionality without overdoing it into the "cheesy" territory. She managed to keep it light-hearted through it all with the other characters in the book, and her found family.

I do wish there was a little more romance and chemistry between Hutch and Katie as they are on the cover of the book, and the synopsis talks mostly about them. If the cover and description were different I think it could be perfect, the current one just feels a bit misleading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC!

I am convinced that Katherine Center cannot write a bad book and this one, like all the others, delivered.

This is a story of two people who both needed something that neither of them were looking for. Katie, who was cheated on by her ex and is now on a mission to save her career; and Hutch, a US Coast Guard who is semi-famous for rescuing Jennifer Aniston's dog, but who likes to keep his life private. Katie is tasked with doing a Coast Guard recruiting piece and also a "Day In The Life" spot with Hutch. In the process, both of these "Love Haters" face challenges and are forced to confront some things from their pasts. Will they defy the odds and stop hating love?

This book was engaging, quick moving and just fun. I enjoyed the story, the narration and the happy ending that I've come to expect from Center. Was it her best book so far? No. But was it a great read/listen? Absolutely.

I’ve been a big fan of Katherine Center since I read “The Bodyguard" and fell in love with her witty and touching writing style. In “The Love Haters”, we get to know Katie, a woman trying to save her job and rediscover herself in Key West, FL as she films a video on the US Coast Guard (she just might fall in love while she’s at it). This book has the vibe of an early 2000’s rom com, most similar to the over the top humor of “Failure to Launch” or “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. Personally, I wanted to love this but felt that fell short in comparison to Center’s other great rom-coms. I felt like the plot was trying to do too much and never executed any of it very well. But, if you’re in the mood for some over-the-top drama, zany situations, and dash of self-help, this is for you.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing access to this audiobook for review purposes.