Wow, wow, WOW! I loooooved this book. It's been awhile since I've found a title that does the 'body positivity' thing in a way that I find to be both healthy and memorable. This was both. And HUTTTTCHHHH! The man was (ironically, and as he explained) a hot fudge sundae. KCenter is one of my favs all the way around, but this very well may be my new favorite by her.

No notes. Just perfection!

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

5 STARS⭐

The Love Haters is a charming read that has it all—friends to lovers, a touch of suspense, and characters that will stay with you long after you finish. The chemistry between the Katie and Hutch is electric, making their journey both heartwarming and captivating. With its well-developed characters, each with their own complexities, the story pulls you in right from the start It's impossible not to cheer for these two. The romance is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of tension to keep you hooked. Ideal for a vacation read by the pool, The Love Haters is the kind of book you won’t want to put down!

As a longtime fan of Katherine Center, I was excited to listen to her latest, The Love Haters. While the characters—especially Hutch, Katie, and the delightful Aunt—won me over, the overall story fell a little flat for me.

The central conflict just didn’t click, and the deception by brother Cole left me more frustrated than entertained. That said, the message around self-love and body positivity was a bright spot and gave the book some heart.

Patti Murin’s narration was once again a highlight. Her familiar voice brought warmth and charisma, and she nailed the emotional beats. I always appreciate her ability to distinguish characters with ease.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy via NetGalley. I’ll always show up for Katherine Center’s stories, even if this one didn’t land quite as hoped.

I can always count on Katherine Center to deliver me a feel-good rom com that also had fully fleshed out characters that you can't help but root for. As usual the cover is also staining and I can't wait to add this one to my shelf.

One note- I get sprayed edges are all the rage now, but just spraying the edges a single color isn't it. I'd honestly prefer them not sprayed at all. If you are going to make the edges "fancy", you at least have to have a design!

Dive into a world of swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses. This book promises a whirlwind of excitement and heartfelt moments. Amidst the chaos, the characters find themselves with opportunities to tell the truth, confront old fears, and ultimately discover their bravery.

I looooooved The Love Haters! Katie, a videographer at a floundering media company, is sent on assignment to Key West to profile Coast Guard rescue swimmer and hero extraordinaire Hutch. He's acerbic and she can't swim, so what could possibly go wrong? This had such a fun premise, and I absolutely love the way Katherine Center develops a story - her characters and plot are top notch! I usually prefer a dual POV romance, but this one was so well done, I didn't even mind not having the male POV. The Love Haters is going to be a total slam dunk summer beach read. I especially loved the audiobook narration by Patti Murin. She is flawless, phenomenal, and absolutely nailed the characters and tone of the story. I highly recommend this book and anything else by the author!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book! Immediately I was connected to the FMC and her story. I loved that it was told as if she was telling a story from the future. The MMC was mysterious, protective, and dreamy in all the ways you want an MMC to be. The character development of the MMC from the beginning to the very last line was extraordinary. I loved getting to follow along as she fell in love with herself.

If you’re looking for a book that’s the perfect beach read with a relatable, “rootable” FMC, an MMC that is nearly perfect, and an engaging plot to match the pace of the romance, this is your book.

Katherine Center does it again with her newest rom com that has a lot of heart! Katie works as a video producer, and - in order to not get laid off - takes a gig in Key West profiling her coworker Cole’s brother “Hutch” as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. He’s saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog, so this is a big deal. ;)

Once she gets to Key West, Katie has to confront two big fears: her body image issues (wearing a bathing suit) and not being able to swim as she makes a documentary about a swimmer. Hutch is swoon-worthy, but will he be able to help Katie confront these fears in a way that supports her?

There’s a fun cast of peripheral characters in this novel, like Aunt Rue and Hutch’s dog George Bailey. The story is fun and light with some heart - a delightful combination. The only part I wasn’t a fan of is when Cole came to check on them, and it sent in motion the part of the novel that separated Katie and Hutch. It felt a little too forced (but yet unique) although I get that rom coms always have this separation.

I really liked the audiobook narrator Patti Murin. She was a great choice to narrate Katie. It was easy to empathize with her, and she had a perfect balance of emotion without being too over-the-top.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for an Advance Reader and Listener Copy in exchange for an honest review.

It publishes May 20, 2025.

Katherine Center has done it again—The Love Haters might just be my new favorite of hers! This book had everything I love: heart, humor, personal growth, and a swoon-worthy romance that left me grinning from ear to ear.

First off, I loved that the hero, Hutch, is in the Coast Guard! I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance with a Coast Guard main character, and now I need more! It added such a unique and exciting element to the story. Plus, grumpy-sunshine romance? Sign me up! Hutch is officially a top-tier book boyfriend, and I have a serious crush. My new “puppy love!”

The heroine was incredibly relatable, especially in the way she worked through her struggles with body image. Katherine Center handled this with such care, making her journey feel personal and inspiring. It was the best kind of therapy—one of those books that makes you better at love and life while also making you laugh along the way.

And let’s talk about the narration! Patti Murin absolutely nailed it. She’s now on my list of favorite narrators because she brought the story to life so beautifully. If you’re an audiobook lover, this one is a must-listen!

This book gave me all the feels, and I genuinely wish I could go back and read it for the first time again. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply satisfying romance, The Love Haters needs to be on your list. Don’t miss it when it releases on May 20th!

I just finished the audio version of The Love Haters by Katherine Center. And I LOVED it. I read the book a while ago and gave it 3.5 stars, however this audio book is at a minimum 4.5 stars. 🤩🤩 The narrator is great. The story is great. I adored it!!

It was a sweet story. Katie, a journalist, heads to the Florida keys to write an article and ends up meeting and befriending an older lady name Rue. Katie is renting a cottage in Rue’s property and is supposed to write an article on Hutch, the brother of Katie’s boss, Cole.

Hutch and Cole have a complex past. Rue wishes the two boys, her pseudo nephews, would make up, as she has news to share with them.

Katie develops feelings for the hunk that is Hutch, but Katie’s relationship with Cole complicates things.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Love Haters by Katherine Center.

I am overwhelmed with emotions after completing this story! This author did a fantastic job of bringing this story full circle and providing us with a much deeper message. These characters provided so many layers. I feel this is a love note to self love.

I felt the narrator, Patti Murin did a great job in voice these characters. I felt more connected to our main character.

I highly recommend picking up this book!

As a romance book, the story was a bit underwhelming and didn’t tug at my heart like how I usually hope for in a romance book. However, I loved how it explored themes of grief, friendship, family and self love.

I really wanted to love this. Especially after loving The RomCommers but man I did not. There were pieces I loved for sure but overall there was too much that bothered me with this one. It also felt like there was just too much going on that it kept me from connecting to the characters and their journey to love so it just didn't make me feel their connection to each other either. I am all for body positivity and realism when it comes to body image, but for some reason the way it's handled in this one just rubbed me wrong. And the place of work... what a mess. I will definitely be reading more Katherine Center but this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access

I have read several Katherine Center books and usually enjoy them. This one didn't have quite the romantic connection that I was looking for.

The Love Haters starts off with Katie (FMC) agreeing to take her coworker's place filming a Coast Guard promo starring said coworker's estranged brother Hutch (MMC). Hutch is described by his brother as being too perfect and boring. While as the book evolved, we got to know Hutch more intending to give him more depth, I still thought he was too perfect and boring. Katie's storyline heavily focuses on her relationship with her body, which was nicely done and I think a lot of readers will relate to. Overall, The Love Haters compelled me to keep reading, but I wish that the romance and Hutch's personality were more substantial.

The narration and audio production were nicely done and kept me engaged.

I absolutely adore Katherine Center and was super excited for The Love Haters. While, this book had glimpses of the same feels as the rest of her books hold, this one was harder to fall in love with. Some of the character traits of the main character and the building romance were beyond realistic and it made the story line too far fetched to be able to connect completely.

I still hold Katherine Center on the top of my favorite authors and anxiously await future releases! The narrator, Patti Murin, does an exceptional job, as always!

Thank you to Katherine Center, Patti Murin, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic and audio copies of The Love Haters!

Katherine Center's books are on my auto-read list - I love her way of telling stories. The Love Haters was a good reminder for anyone who needs to hear it that we need to love ourselves for who we are and that will allow us to shine love on the rest of the world. No spoilers on other details. I loved the dog George Bailey, Rue, and Hutch as well as the supporting characters. The setting made me want to travel there and spend a nice, long vacation. Patti Murin did a fine job with narration. She kept me listening for several chapters at a time which isn't my norm.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ALC. All opinions are my own.

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.
Patti Murrin does a wonderful job narrating the audiobook!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I unfortunately had to DNF this one at the 50% in mark. I just felt zero connection to the characters, and in turn, the romance. I also do not enjoy instalove and this one had major love-at-first-sight vibes, which just personally, is not for me. The narrator was good, but the story itself was really lacking for me.

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.

Patti Murin captures Katie’s insecurities with authenticity. Her voice brought life to this story and kept me listening through the uneven start.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy. All opinions are my own.