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adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-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
⭐️ 5/5 | 🌶️ 0/5
Romance, Women’s Fiction
First Person POV | Single Narrative | FMC - Katie
Setting: Key West, FL
How dare Katherine Center write this masterpiece. She has a way with writing stories that are both lighthearted and deeply meaningful. This is such an entertaining and delightful story that beautifully balances themes of self-discovery, family dysfunction, friendships, romance, and career challenges. She doesn’t shy away from exploring complex family dynamics or mental health obstacles, and she does so with a level of depth, realism, and humor that make the characters so much more relatable.
The romance between Katie and Hutch was slow burning and swoonworthy, mixed with tension and misunderstandings. Their chemistry was great and definitely had me wanting more of their passionate moments.
There’s also the love story of Katie and herself. This is a huge theme in the story, with big emotional revelations and a bff who only wants the best for her. Everyone needs a friend like Beanie!
Lastly, the Author’s Note at the end was absolutely beautiful and took the words right out of my mouth.
Oh and how could I forget Lucky?!? I love the little side stories that add to the main storyline and make it all the more entertaining and relatable. The random tidbits of information was fun to read and learn about too. I learned so much from this book, on so many different levels.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing me this advanced reader copy of the book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
Romance, Women’s Fiction
First Person POV | Single Narrative | FMC - Katie
Setting: Key West, FL
How dare Katherine Center write this masterpiece. She has a way with writing stories that are both lighthearted and deeply meaningful. This is such an entertaining and delightful story that beautifully balances themes of self-discovery, family dysfunction, friendships, romance, and career challenges. She doesn’t shy away from exploring complex family dynamics or mental health obstacles, and she does so with a level of depth, realism, and humor that make the characters so much more relatable.
The romance between Katie and Hutch was slow burning and swoonworthy, mixed with tension and misunderstandings. Their chemistry was great and definitely had me wanting more of their passionate moments.
There’s also the love story of Katie and herself. This is a huge theme in the story, with big emotional revelations and a bff who only wants the best for her. Everyone needs a friend like Beanie!
Lastly, the Author’s Note at the end was absolutely beautiful and took the words right out of my mouth.
Oh and how could I forget Lucky?!? I love the little side stories that add to the main storyline and make it all the more entertaining and relatable. The random tidbits of information was fun to read and learn about too. I learned so much from this book, on so many different levels.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing me this advanced reader copy of the book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Infidelity, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is a heartwarming rom com that delivers everything you’d want in a feel-good read. The story is centered around the relatable heroine, Katie, who is navigating personal insecurities, particularly around her body image and past relationships. Thanks to her best friend and cousin, Beanie, who challenges her to think positively about herself, you can’t help but root for her while she rediscovers her confidence and self-worth.
At the heart of it all is Hutch, the absolutely adorable and swoon-worthy male lead. He is a true gentleman and honestly, his kindness, patience, and unwavering support make him the kind of book boyfriend you can’t help but fall for. Alongside them is Aunt Rue, a delightfully quirky and wise lady who adds humor and warmth, offering sage advice and a touch of mischief to keep things interesting. She brings the chaotic and colorful to Katie’s “beige” life.
While the novel is mostly a cozy, wholesome romance, it does have just enough drama to keep things engaging—especially toward the end. But in true Katherine Center fashion, everything comes together in a way that feels satisfying and genuine, leading to a perfectly happy ending that leaves you with a smile. The balance of humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of tension makes The Love Haters a standout, especially for readers who love stories about love, self-acceptance, and personal growth. It’s the kind of book that feels like a warm hug—charming, uplifting, and impossible to put down.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
At the heart of it all is Hutch, the absolutely adorable and swoon-worthy male lead. He is a true gentleman and honestly, his kindness, patience, and unwavering support make him the kind of book boyfriend you can’t help but fall for. Alongside them is Aunt Rue, a delightfully quirky and wise lady who adds humor and warmth, offering sage advice and a touch of mischief to keep things interesting. She brings the chaotic and colorful to Katie’s “beige” life.
While the novel is mostly a cozy, wholesome romance, it does have just enough drama to keep things engaging—especially toward the end. But in true Katherine Center fashion, everything comes together in a way that feels satisfying and genuine, leading to a perfectly happy ending that leaves you with a smile. The balance of humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of tension makes The Love Haters a standout, especially for readers who love stories about love, self-acceptance, and personal growth. It’s the kind of book that feels like a warm hug—charming, uplifting, and impossible to put down.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, Grief
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my digital advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.
I love Katherine Center because her romance books are so much more than romances. They include very real, authentic characters who are well rounded. They go through hard times and have challenges they need to overcome. They learn about themselves throughout the book and yes, they do end up having a happily ever after with the male love interest. But they grow so much in that time as well. I think romance books like these are so important because of the authenticity and how much readers can get from the story. Katherine Center shares so many words of wisdom within her books that I always come away from them feeling like I've learned more about myself.
*I love the author's note at the end of the novel and one quote in particular really encapsulates what Katherine Center's books are all about: "Stories take us out of ourselves and deeper into ourselves at the exact same time. They are specific and universal. Big and small. Something and everything."
The Love Haters is no different than other Katherine Center books in this regard:
Our main character Katie is a video producer but is in danger of being laid off from her job. Her coworker Cole asks her to take a job following and documenting a Coast Guard rescue swimmer "Hutch" (who happens to be Cole's brother) in Florida's Key West. This is the perfect job to show the boss that she deserves to keep her job. The only problem is that she will need to undergo specific safety training as she will be filming on a helicopter over the ocean as "Hutch" and his team are sent out on rescue missions. Katie doesn't know how to swim, but she can't let this job opportunity go. So, she pretends. She also has major body issues that she is actively working through throughout the novel. Her best friend sets her a challenge to name 1 thing she loves about her body every day. At first, these are small things and Katie doesn't seem to take it very seriously. But as the story progresses and Katie is faced with different instances where her insecurities are really put to the test, she starts loving bigger parts of herself for very real reasons. Her growth with this was incredibly healing for me as a reader with similar insecurities too. Katie of course starts falling for the handsome Hutch as she gets to know him better and spends most of her time with him while "on location". While flawed, Katie was a really strong character and I was really rooting for her throughout the novel.
Aunt Rue was colourful and vibrant and just so lovely. She and her gal pals were quite the side characters and I would love to read a book just about them and their dynamics honestly.
Hutch is gorgeous and also hates love. I swooned for him. Some of the things he said, the looks that he gives Katie... I was a goner.
"'Because every time I'm around you- and today was the worst of all- I want...' He shook his head. 'I just want...everything.'"
Key West is such a perfect backdrop for this novel. It is picturesque and so atmospheric within the story. At times, the setting felt like a character.
One aspect of the novel that I really didn't love was a lie that Katie went along with even when it felt like there was another way out of the situation. I don't want to spoil anything for other readers, but this part of the book really didn't make sense with who Katie was becoming at the time. I just really didn't understand why she went along with it instead of using her own agency to stand up and say no. That said, I'm glad it was resolved the way it was. The book started one way and then it took a turn with this lie and it went in a direction I wasn't expecting. Katie was put into some wild situations, including a hurricane and it started to feel a bit over the top. However, I think Katherine Center still managed to create a relatively believable love story and one that included a lot of growth for her characters.
One quote I loved:
"I won't say that one kiss fixed every broken thing in my life. But I will say this: having someone stand up for you and then kiss you senseless by the water at sunset is a hell of a thing. Something quiet and forgotten and neglected in my soul got an undeniable dose of healing."
I love Katherine Center because her romance books are so much more than romances. They include very real, authentic characters who are well rounded. They go through hard times and have challenges they need to overcome. They learn about themselves throughout the book and yes, they do end up having a happily ever after with the male love interest. But they grow so much in that time as well. I think romance books like these are so important because of the authenticity and how much readers can get from the story. Katherine Center shares so many words of wisdom within her books that I always come away from them feeling like I've learned more about myself.
*I love the author's note at the end of the novel and one quote in particular really encapsulates what Katherine Center's books are all about: "Stories take us out of ourselves and deeper into ourselves at the exact same time. They are specific and universal. Big and small. Something and everything."
The Love Haters is no different than other Katherine Center books in this regard:
Our main character Katie is a video producer but is in danger of being laid off from her job. Her coworker Cole asks her to take a job following and documenting a Coast Guard rescue swimmer "Hutch" (who happens to be Cole's brother) in Florida's Key West. This is the perfect job to show the boss that she deserves to keep her job. The only problem is that she will need to undergo specific safety training as she will be filming on a helicopter over the ocean as "Hutch" and his team are sent out on rescue missions. Katie doesn't know how to swim, but she can't let this job opportunity go. So, she pretends. She also has major body issues that she is actively working through throughout the novel. Her best friend sets her a challenge to name 1 thing she loves about her body every day. At first, these are small things and Katie doesn't seem to take it very seriously. But as the story progresses and Katie is faced with different instances where her insecurities are really put to the test, she starts loving bigger parts of herself for very real reasons. Her growth with this was incredibly healing for me as a reader with similar insecurities too. Katie of course starts falling for the handsome Hutch as she gets to know him better and spends most of her time with him while "on location". While flawed, Katie was a really strong character and I was really rooting for her throughout the novel.
Aunt Rue was colourful and vibrant and just so lovely. She and her gal pals were quite the side characters and I would love to read a book just about them and their dynamics honestly.
Hutch is gorgeous and also hates love. I swooned for him. Some of the things he said, the looks that he gives Katie... I was a goner.
"'Because every time I'm around you- and today was the worst of all- I want...' He shook his head. 'I just want...everything.'"
Key West is such a perfect backdrop for this novel. It is picturesque and so atmospheric within the story. At times, the setting felt like a character.
One aspect of the novel that I really didn't love was a lie that Katie went along with even when it felt like there was another way out of the situation. I don't want to spoil anything for other readers, but this part of the book really didn't make sense with who Katie was becoming at the time. I just really didn't understand why she went along with it instead of using her own agency to stand up and say no. That said, I'm glad it was resolved the way it was. The book started one way and then it took a turn with this lie and it went in a direction I wasn't expecting. Katie was put into some wild situations, including a hurricane and it started to feel a bit over the top. However, I think Katherine Center still managed to create a relatively believable love story and one that included a lot of growth for her characters.
One quote I loved:
"I won't say that one kiss fixed every broken thing in my life. But I will say this: having someone stand up for you and then kiss you senseless by the water at sunset is a hell of a thing. Something quiet and forgotten and neglected in my soul got an undeniable dose of healing."
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Swimming lessons, a hot coast guard rescuer, Key West charm, plus a 160 lb great dane? The Love Haters by Katherine Center has a recipe of elements perfect for a sweet and bubbly summer cocktail of a read. Featuring a fun and light-hearted plot with a bit of added substance from heavier topics like body image and public scrutiny, The Love Haters delivers a solid romcom experience, despite being a bit formulaic and predictable. Although I had a few minor nitpicks regarding the overall pacing and how the novel executed some of its more dramatic moments, I still found it very entertaining and worth reading.
Mixing the tropes of a fish out of water (or in this case, surrounded by water) with the disheartened and romance skeptic, Katie’s story is one that’s both fun to read as well as one that’s quite relatable. Apart from the main plot involving Katie trying to produce a promotional film featuring an unwilling real-life hero in an effort to keep her job, there’s a secondary storyline involving body image and self-acceptance. While the former serves as the main hook, it’s the latter that I found pleasantly surprising and effective. While the two storylines seemingly have little to do with each other on paper, they both gradually begin to play off and eventually compliment each other, providing great character development as Katie discovers her own self worth next to the unsmiling yet perfect Hutch. Rather than merely settling with just being funny, Katie’s time in Key West quickly becomes a journey to self-appreciation and love, adding additional intention and depth to the story, albeit executed in a casual manner without the ambition or finesse to make it a standout feature. I went into The Love Haters having previously read Center's The Bodyguard which I considered to be an excellent romcom, and unsurprisingly got a few good laughs in this book as well, though the humor isn’t quite as funny here (Hannah is a more amusing and entertaining MC). However when compared, The Love Hater’s back-half definitely had a bit more substance while The Bodyguard was mostly just a good fun time.
Immediately obvious from the get-go, one of The Love Haters’ highlights is the sunny and pastel-tinted portrayal of Key West and its far-removed, relaxed feel. Despite only one sentence of the synopsis advertising the story’s setting (along with the Coast Guard, another element incorporated well), I found Center’s choice of Key West to not only be a great narrative choice given its proximity to NAS Key West, but also for flavor and quite literally extra color. Having lived in “paradise” for the majority of my life, I’ve become accustomed and quite tired of how generic and all-encompassing tropical vacation locations like Key West are often portrayed in media. In The Love Haters however, Center’s approach and descriptions of Key West goes much further than what I was expecting for the story. Obviously romanticized for the feel-good nature of the novel and genre, I consistently found the descriptions and movements around the island to feel truly lived-in and well-researched, particularly Key West’s signature building style and distinctive colorful fashion. While not necessarily being the most lyrical or poetically beautiful descriptions I’ve read, Center captures the lifestyle and image of the island perfectly and many important plot elements simply could not work without the Key West location and warm portrayal.
Another aspect of The Love Haters that I enjoyed was the portrayal and inclusion of the Coast Guard rescue operation that was cleverly integrated into Katie and Hutch’s story. Although it provided a lot of great slapstick comedic material and a narrative reason for pairing them off outside of “work”, I was impressed how Center was able to connect the military angle back to Katie’s personal demons. Aside from the obvious and overdone inability to swim element (providing plenty of Hutch eye candy scenes), I found a particular rescue helicopter flight protocol requirement very cleverly utilized for Katie’s self image storyline, particularly it’s takeaway message. While stereotypical, Hutch’s Coast Guard background also worked in the story’s favor as an understandable layer to his resistance to initial attraction, rather than merely being another generic standoffish aloof love interest. And while completely predictable and almost obligatory for the genre, the rescue motif near the conclusion also provides excellent romance opportunities if you know what I mean.
While I enjoyed reading the novel which went by very fast, upon completion I felt that pacing and the overall focus of the story to be a little misplaced. While the first two thirds of the story was entertaining enough and Katie/Hutch had good chemistry, it mostly felt like fun in the sun slapstick fluff. That may seem like an odd thing to point out considering some of Center’s other novels mostly consist of quality, yet still slapstick content. However, once the novel hits the 60% mark, the real meat of Katie’s character story begins. The final third of the story abruptly shifts the tone and focus, which felt quite jarring compared to how relaxed the rest of the story felt. Additionally, the “lies” highlighted in the book’s synopsis and character relationships honestly started to feel quite chaotic, particularly nearly all of Katie’s coworker Cole’s character motivations and the conflict with his older brother Hutch. Their strained relationship, uncomfortable reunion, and all the conflict that follows felt quite manufactured and unusually forced due to a lack of foreshadowing or context clues (the exact same note I had with the love interest and familial discourse featured in The Bodyguard). The deceptions and plot progressions felt progressively more over the top, not to mention rushed and out of left field. To Center’s credit, the progressions were unexpectedly twisting and certainly amped up the story, invoking the worst thing that can happen trend. I fully believe that the plot and developments in the back of the story could’ve completely worked if more of Hutch/Cole/Rue’s backstories were incorporated into the first half of the story instead of revealing all of the cards in the moment, or if this narrative shift occurred far earlier in the story. Its current placement causes the chapters before it to feel like wasted pages underutilized while everything afterwards rushed and excessive.
While Katie is given good character growth potential which culminates in a dramatic and unexpected ordeal with Hutch’s great dane George Bailey (while the good, it could’ve been great with more time), Hutch on the other hand didn’t feel as developed. While there’s a lot of interest revolving around his Coast Guard career and image-breaking moments with his dog and Rue’s gal pals, I was a bit disappointed that his character ultimately ended up simply being Mr. Perfect and morally flawless. The novel’s entire setup revolves around the world finding him attractive and perfect after a rescue video he’s in goes viral (much to the ire of Cole), but I was surprised that the story didn’t actually capitalize or twist that public image for narrative purposes and greater depth. While that’s slightly to be expected given the story’s feel-good tone and genre, this is again another point of criticism I had with The Bodyguard and its love interest Jack Stapleton; both male love interests felt too perfect and by extension, bland and forgettable.
The side characters are another area that I felt hindered the novel’s enjoyment and the author’s ambition to be more than just a romcom (see Center’s extended author notes). While I found Rue to be lovely, decently developed, and having great character moments with Katie and her worries, Katie’s relative and friend Beanie (forgot what their relation was, perhaps a sign of what little impression she left) felt noisy and distracting to the story. Their girl talk gossipy phone calls about Katie’s time in Key West constantly felt like interruptions to the flow of the story and didn’t feel like they added anything of value. I realize how this sounds given I’m a male reader criticizing gal pal banter, however other reviews by female readers also share similar opinions of Beanie and her phone calls. Beanie’s narrative purpose in the story was clearly intended to be a foil to Katie’s self-image doubts and to help her reframe her opinion of herself, but the execution of their conversations felt underwhelming and lacking depth, given the weight of the topic. This is made all the more noticeable when Katie finally has her “ah-hah!” moments which feel less than satisfying when her support from Beanie all feels so trite. I almost would’ve preferred if Beanie was axed completely and her contributions to Katie’s growth were left solely to Rue, or less predictably, maybe even Katie’s boss Sullivan (the one who may fire her constantly). There’s a perfect opportunity near the end of the story where Katie and Sullivan have a brief heart to heart that could’ve strengthened both Sullivan’s character and the story considerably had it been fleshed out more. The same could be said about Cole whose lies and motivations felt all over the place. While the plot developments and conflict technically make sense on paper, the actual execution and my reaction to them while reading ranged from bafflement to confused amusement due to the lack of setup. The ARC version obviously may be different from the actual published version, but the ebook copy is not very long and certainly could’ve been longer if it allowed greater development to make Cole’s actions more believable. As it currently is, Cole becomes the scapegoat for every plot twist that feels like a narrative stretch under the guise of “I had to do it for you to keep your job”. The story falls back on this explanation far too many times, particularly since the initial reason for Katie taking on the Key West job in the first place is for that same repetitive reason.
Despite some concerns about the pacing and side characters, I found The Love Haters to still be an entertaining read and an above average romance novel that’s awfully close to being an excellent one. The vibe and content is very much on-brand for what readers have come to expect from Katherine Center’s novels. The vibrant Key West setting and constant swimming-related events paired with a sexy tall Coast Guard also makes it a perfect summer vacation read, likely intentional given its announced late May publication date (also on-brand for me reading the summer story in Winter much like my Xmas themed reads in July). Overall, The Love Haters is a very easy book to pick-up and is a safe recommendation for most romance or chick lit readers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Infidelity, Alcohol
Minor: Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
emotional
funny
reflective
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
Listen, Katherine Center books just get me. Every time.
When we meet Katie, she's recovering (emotionally/mentally) from a very public breakup from her now very public fiance. She's been hard on herself, she's been mean to herself, and worst of all, she's listening to those few nasty trolls on the internet. When there's a notice of layoffs at work, she's handed a project by Cole Hutcherson in an attempt to save her job - all she has to do is pretend to be able to swim, make a fantastic video on the US Coast Guard and Cole's brother, and try to squeeze in her own side project while she's down there. Easy peasy!
One thing I love most about Katherine Center's book is her character development. Immediately I felt like I knew Katie, I knew her struggles, I wanted to be her friend and help her. Enter the cast of supporting characters: Hutch - who doesn't want him looking out for you? Rue - we would be so lucky to have her bring some color into our lives. Cole - okay, he didn't have me rooting for him... The Gals - give me a group of older lady friends and an occasional congo line and I'm set for life! And Beanie??? We all need a Beanie in our corner, no question about it. The way these people surrounded Katie and were helping her heal her old wounds, some without even realizing it, was really special to read.
Like in most of KC's books, the romance is there but it's not necessarily the pulse point of the story. I loved Katie and Hutch's banter and relationship building, but I really struggled with the Cole interference and justification. Not sure we needed that to add the confusion and take up space because the "being in love" didn't really come across the page to me at that point.
While the ending goes a little over the rail, it comes back around with a good ol' epilogue that I more than enjoyed.
This is going to be a great summer read for all of us looking for a little love and color in our lives. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Katherine Center for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Grief
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so excited to read this from NetGalley, as I am a very big Katherine Center fan.
Katie works as a video producer, and is strong-armed by her colleague Cole into working a project in Key West filming a promo for the Coast Guard filming Cole's brother Hutch--a certified hero who is the Love Hater in question. She stays in a cottage owned by Cole's aunt and discovers a found family there, while slowly developing feelings for Hutch.
What I loved about this book that made it stand out for me is the underlying "self-love hater" that Katie is, as she struggles with body image throughout and is recovering from an abusive relationship with her body. You see her growth throughout the book, as she learns to not only love Hutch but to love herself.
While much of the book is a lovely organic development of the relationship between Hutch and Katie, the "conflict" that comes in between them is a bit heavy-handed and somewhat unbelievable. However, it doesn't last long and is resolved relatively quickly (which some might say demonstrates it was a bit unnecessary to begin with).
Overall, it had what I've come to expect from Katherine Center, a light hearted book that delves into deeper topics such as grief and body image issues. I ate it up.
Katie works as a video producer, and is strong-armed by her colleague Cole into working a project in Key West filming a promo for the Coast Guard filming Cole's brother Hutch--a certified hero who is the Love Hater in question. She stays in a cottage owned by Cole's aunt and discovers a found family there, while slowly developing feelings for Hutch.
What I loved about this book that made it stand out for me is the underlying "self-love hater" that Katie is, as she struggles with body image throughout and is recovering from an abusive relationship with her body. You see her growth throughout the book, as she learns to not only love Hutch but to love herself.
While much of the book is a lovely organic development of the relationship between Hutch and Katie, the "conflict" that comes in between them is a bit heavy-handed and somewhat unbelievable. However, it doesn't last long and is resolved relatively quickly (which some might say demonstrates it was a bit unnecessary to begin with).
Overall, it had what I've come to expect from Katherine Center, a light hearted book that delves into deeper topics such as grief and body image issues. I ate it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Imagine you are working towards your dream job, when you are told that the company you work for is about to layoff half of their employees. What would you be willing to do to try to keep your job and your dream alive? That is the question posed to our protagonist, Katie. In Katie’s case, she’d be willing to lie about her ability to swim, so that she can film a profile of a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Hutch, and hopefully keep her job. One lie is the beginning of a slippery slope and our protagonist eventually finds herself navigating a web of lies of her own making and of others.
I will read everything that Katherine Center writes. I absolutely love her characters and the emotional journeys she crafts for them. I have read several of her published novels and I am constantly recommending her. “The Romcommers” was my go to gift for friends and family that read last year. My excitement and expectations for “The Love Haters” was so high, which is why I was disappointed that I did not enjoy it as much as previous books. I wish we got to see more of their relationship development and I also wish we got to see more of Katie’s own emotional/mental journey.
Overall, if you want an adorable enemies to lovers with a wide variety of dynamic characters and a lovable rescue Great Dane set in the gorgeous Key West. Then you should definitely give this book a chance, Center is incapable of writing a bad romance and I cannot wait to grab a physical copy of this and reread it on release day!
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC and the chance to read and review this book early!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Car accident
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a fan of Katherine Center, I'm sad I didn't connect more with The Love Haters. (I think others on here & other reviewing sites have already pointed out that the title of this book is odd at best and doesn't really align with the content). I kept looking for the spark that I usually feel in reading a romcom and I unfortunately have to say that I didn't feel it in this book. Her characters usually feel rich and emotional but they fell flat for me.
The basic synopsis is that our female main character, Katie, is a videographer worried about the latest round of layoffs at her firm. She's given an opportunity that she thinks may hold a layoff at bay - taking an assignment to shadow a U.S. Coast guard rescue diver in Key West, FL even though she, herself, cannot swim and is slightly terrified of anything water related. She meets Hutch and he's well... he's perfect. He's attractive and athletic and though a bit brooding by nature, he thinks Katie is pretty and by the second day he's giving her swimming lessons. As with any other Center novel, though, there's a lot more than is apparent from the surface. Which is when things get a little bit... sideways for me.
Katie and Hutch are both beautiful people who don't believe they're beautiful, so they need a quirky character trait. Katie unfortunately gets my least favorite character trait to convey complexity - body image issues that have been so well honed over the years that she nearly has a panic attack looking at a bathing suit. If you have a history of disordered eating, I imagine this novel would be fairly traumatizing to read, so please heed that content warning. Hutch, while a seeming caring, chill guy, reads hot and cold for no apparent reason all the time.
I really thought I understood the plot of this one until the last 25% - where it escalates into something that felt out of a different novel entirely. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing so much as that it felt completely out of left field and disconnected from what we'd been reading for much of the book.
Writ large, I was entertained (there was plenty of banter and moments of character growth and I did learn a lot about the coast guard) but it felt a little loose and sloppy for Katherine Center, who I consider up there with the best romcom authors. The Rom-Commers was one of my favorite romance novels of 2024, but this book - and these characters - missed some of the magic.
As a fan of Katherine Center, I'm sad I didn't connect more with The Love Haters. (I think others on here & other reviewing sites have already pointed out that the title of this book is odd at best and doesn't really align with the content). I kept looking for the spark that I usually feel in reading a romcom and I unfortunately have to say that I didn't feel it in this book. Her characters usually feel rich and emotional but they fell flat for me.
The basic synopsis is that our female main character, Katie, is a videographer worried about the latest round of layoffs at her firm. She's given an opportunity that she thinks may hold a layoff at bay - taking an assignment to shadow a U.S. Coast guard rescue diver in Key West, FL even though she, herself, cannot swim and is slightly terrified of anything water related. She meets Hutch and he's well... he's perfect. He's attractive and athletic and though a bit brooding by nature, he thinks Katie is pretty and by the second day he's giving her swimming lessons. As with any other Center novel, though, there's a lot more than is apparent from the surface. Which is when things get a little bit... sideways for me.
Katie and Hutch are both beautiful people who don't believe they're beautiful, so they need a quirky character trait. Katie unfortunately gets my least favorite character trait to convey complexity - body image issues that have been so well honed over the years that she nearly has a panic attack looking at a bathing suit. If you have a history of disordered eating, I imagine this novel would be fairly traumatizing to read, so please heed that content warning. Hutch, while a seeming caring, chill guy, reads hot and cold for no apparent reason all the time.
I really thought I understood the plot of this one until the last 25% - where it escalates into something that felt out of a different novel entirely. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing so much as that it felt completely out of left field and disconnected from what we'd been reading for much of the book.
Writ large, I was entertained (there was plenty of banter and moments of character growth and I did learn a lot about the coast guard) but it felt a little loose and sloppy for Katherine Center, who I consider up there with the best romcom authors. The Rom-Commers was one of my favorite romance novels of 2024, but this book - and these characters - missed some of the magic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Blood, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail