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funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do not generally like romcoms, but reading this book, I realized that was largely because those romance books don’t focus enough on the comedy. This book was laugh out loud funny! I loved Center’s writing style. It made all the tropey things feel believable, or at the very least self-aware. I appreciated the deeper themes throughout this book, including eating disorders, cyber bullying, and survivor’s guilt, which definitely elevated this book to more than just your typical, forgettable romcom
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Fatphobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Terminal illness, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“I should have loved all of my everything. Because it was mine.”
- Ahh so real
- I would absolutely pass away
- The nervous commentary is too good 😂
- HE NOTICED HER EYE!
- Okay, he’s actually just a sweetie
- Oh man 😂
- I love this slow and gentle healing that’s happening for her 🫶
- Oh, Hutch 😭
- This just went downhill REAL fast
- Don’t do it!
- No WAY!
- Awww yay!
Every time I read a Katherine Center book, I just come away with so much… hope. And a new outlook on myself or the world. And I love it!
“No one’s born fearless. You have to earn it.”
While I’ve never dealt with body image issues as severe as Katie, I definitely related to a lot of her feelings. And it was so healing to experience her healing right alongside her.
“…the most unusual thing about me was something you could only see if you were really, really looking. And none of us were. Myself included.”
Katie was such a fun character. She was quirky and completely herself, even with her insecurities. I absolutely loved getting to see her learn to love herself and the beautiful life she was living.
And Hutch? Yes, please! Love him. He’s so sweet and also a man in uniform so… what’s not to love, really? He certainly had healing of his own to do, but I loved how just genuinely good he was. How he loved to help people, Katie included.
“…every time I’m around you—and today was the worst of all—I want. . . I just want. . . everything.”
I also really enjoyed learning so much about the Coast Guard and getting a closer look into that!
Basically, if you want to read about learning to love yourself and love other people? This might just be the book for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Minor: Cursing
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexism, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the gifted arc and Macmillan Audio for the alc.
I’ve always loved Katherine Center’s writing, and The Love Haters was no exception. Her storytelling just flows, making it super easy to get lost in the book. The humor really stood out—I actually laughed out loud when Katie pretended to be a mannequin to avoid Hutch seeing her. That moment was gold! The supporting cast was fantastic, adding even more charm and depth to the story. And Patti Murin’s narration? She was spectacular! Her delivery was hilarious, expressive, and made listening to the book an absolute blast.
I’ve always loved Katherine Center’s writing, and The Love Haters was no exception. Her storytelling just flows, making it super easy to get lost in the book. The humor really stood out—I actually laughed out loud when Katie pretended to be a mannequin to avoid Hutch seeing her. That moment was gold! The supporting cast was fantastic, adding even more charm and depth to the story. And Patti Murin’s narration? She was spectacular! Her delivery was hilarious, expressive, and made listening to the book an absolute blast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Car accident
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so much fun! The perfect summer/beach read, with plenty of funny moments throughout, and a charming cast of characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Car accident, Dysphoria
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve read all but one of Katherine Center’s books and I have to say this is my absolute favorite! I appreciate that she writes closed door romm-comms. It’s rare to find a solid closed door heartfelt funny romance novel.
I feel like Center’s writing has really evolved. The Love Haters tackles multiple serious issues as her previous novels while still keeping true to her humor and lightheartedness and of course pulling at your heartstrings.
This particular story focused on self love which, seriously, we can all use more of. The FMC, Katie, is so critical of her body she struggles with naming a body part she loves or even finds beautiful. She is “scared” of wearing swimsuits and covers her body as much as she can. Her wardrobe consists of black clothing to draw the attention away from herself and hide. She meets a woman named Rue who is a free spirit, showers Katie with colorful clothing and shows her how to enjoy life. There is also a male love interest, Hutch, who appreciates Katie and helps her with her self discovery.
Katie is such a relatable character with the dark wardrobe and the constant struggle of loving and accepting herself which is difficult due to the criticism woman experience on their figures daily. Center seamlessly weaves the combination of self discovery and humor. I love that the story wasn’t focused on Katie changing her body but rather loving it.
4.5 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center and St Martins Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail