The Love Haters by Katherine Center: My Review

Katherine Center’s latest romance novel features a U.S. Coast Guard swimmer, and man, oh man, was it a stunner. Check out my full book review of The Love Haters!

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Love Haters Summary:

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can. Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

The Love Haters: My Review

Katherine Center is an amazingly talented author and that talent shines through with The Love Haters, which was one of my most anticipated new romance books of 2025, and it did not disappoint.

Katie is a mid-level video productionist who finds her job on the possible chopping block until she’s offered an opportunity to make a recruiting video about Coast Guard rescue swimmers. This gig puts her front and center before Hutch, a rescue swimmer who’s already “famous” for rescuing a celebrity’s dog and who truly appears to be the most perfect hero in the flesh.

Their forced proximity at work and at the cottages where Katie ends up staying created the sweetest tension as these two came to know and fall for each other. But while I adored Hutch and became obsessed with his job, this story is truly about Katie’s transformation.

Katherine took a topic that probably resonates with many women (and even men) – body image – and approached it with care, love and a happy ending that felt real and hopeful.

Hurtful comments can impact anyone but to have a ton of internet trolls spew hate about your body and looks totally derailed Katie to the point she spiraled into an eating disorder (calorie restriction – trigger warning). Now she is someone who still hides from the world in her black clothes, and is someone who really struggles to find the love for her own body.

You don’t know how badly I wanted to reach into the pages and give her stepmother a piece of my mind. But while body image and lack of self love is a major theme, I didn’t feel hit over the head with it but really enjoyed her journey toward more self acceptance.

Hutch was a fabulous book boyfriend and how could he not as someone who rescues people for a living, has a rescue dog, and who doesn’t ever react negatively or let his emotions get the better of him. How refreshing. I loved how he noticed Katie and got upset that she would let strangers’ opinions influence her.

He also didn’t hesitate to give her swim lessons. If anything I just wish we got more of their actual lessons which were prime opportunities for innocent touching that would have made their connection burn even brighter.

Was I annoyed with Cole’s character and irritated by (and slightly confused with) his role in the third act drama, yes, hence I didn’t give this 5 stars but I understand how Katherine was using him to flush out the overall theme of the untenable strive for perfection and impossible standards and how it’s our own perceptions that ultimately need to be changed when we feel like we don’t measure up.

Rue and the Gals were a fun addition as side characters to enjoy. Oh, how I would love to find my tribe like that one day.

I also loved references to the Gottmans and their relationship advice. So good.

As someone who’s read many of Katherine’s books, I’ve become obsessed with reading her acknowledgements because I often feel like they are these super special little life lessons to remember (she needs to put them all together in a book of short stories explaining why love stories can save the world!).

In this book, she writes that the best stories are those that make you feel like you’re a part of it, in it, and I absolutely felt “in” this story. For one, I became obsessed with Coast Guard rescue swimmers and kept trying to envision their training, the missions and how it all worked. I also really wondered if Katherine had to go through her own helicopter training since she flew with them for research which she shared with us last year in the She Reads Romance Books Book Club (you are a brave badass!).

The takeaways that I so loved this round:

“Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time.”

Appreciate your life as you live it – without needing a life-altering event to snap some sense into you. It’s best just to really let yourself go 😊.

Katherine is an auto-read for me, and I highly recommend The Love Haters.

*I received an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

More Books From Katherine:

• The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
• Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Related Book Lists:

• Most Anticipated New Romance Books of 2025
• Top 10 May 2025 New Romance Book Releases
• Best Forced Proximity Romance Books

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