REVIEW: The Love Haters by Katherine Center

In The Love Haters by Katherine Center, Katie Vaughn thought she was back on track to feeling like her normal old self after a couple of years of hits to her self-esteem and a relationship that ended badly. She’s fine with her mediocre job producing videos for a mid-size company in Dallas, Texas. And she’s definitely not looking for any excitement. Nope, Katie just wants to do her work, talk with her bestie–and cousin–Beanie on the phone, and make her own mini documentaries for her YouTube channel. But then she finds out her job is on the chopping block. And the best way to keep it safe? Unfortunately, it’s to go to Key West, Florida, to film a recruitment video for the Coast Guard with the heroic Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson as the main subject. Who just happens to be her direct supervisor, Cole’s brother.

“You can’t even swim!”
“Shh!” I said, looking around. “You could get me fired.”
“Maybe I should get you fired. You lied to get this job.”
“I didn’t lie,” I said. “I just didn’t volunteer the truth.”
“Also known as lying.”

The problem is that Katie can’t swim. At all. And the thoughts of wearing a bathing suit in front of hottie Hutch and the other Coasties? Eek! So, she does what she has to and lies about her proficiency in swimming. Surely, she can learn quickly once in Key West, right? Only, once Katie is there, her days and nights are spent bouncing between the Coast Guard base filming and interviewing and hanging out with Cole and Hutch’s aunt Rue and her lovely band of friends, lovingly called The Gals. Katie has never had so much fun. Or felt so at ease in her own skin. It’s when Cole butts his nose in and then a hurricane bears down on them all that things go completely off the rails. Will it turn out to be a blessing in disguise when the truth comes out? Or will Katie’s newfound romance with Hutch crash and burn?

‘The story of your life is always full of mystery. You can unfold it on a table like a map, and study it, and understand it in new ways. It’s not different, but you are.’

With a plot that flew by at breakneck speed, an outstanding cast, and a relatable heroine overcoming body image problems, THE LOVE HATERS was an insightful, entertaining new novel by Katherine Center.

‘You couldn’t hate love, could you? Was that even allowed?’

CW: View Spoiler »Cheating (historical), online bullying, serious body image issues & restrictive dieting, terminal health condition, fatal car accident (historical, some details) « Hide Spoiler

There was a whole lot going on in Katherine Center’s THE LOVE HATERS. We had the heroine, Katie’s career woes as well as her personal journey to accepting herself exactly as she was. There was her fledgling romance with Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch, the ultimate good guy. His family saga that pulled Katie into the middle of it all. An excitable Great Dane intent on constantly tackling her to the ground. And even a hurricane barreling down on Key West. It was the lies of omission–and sometimes outright lies–that, while it made for some funny (and frustrating) scenes, distracted me from the true bond Katie made with Hutch, his aunt Rue, and Rue’s local friend group, The Gals.

I think I will always be drawn to Center’s characters not only because she puts them through their paces and forces them to truly look at themselves and make improvements, but also because the way she portrays each person is so absolutely raw and honest. Katie was a great example. She had reasons to feel as though she wasn’t worthy of love and to look down on herself physically–which we learned about piece by piece. But her best friend (and cousin) Beanie was always there to talk her off a cliff in the most hilarious and loving of ways. And Katie’s growth by the ending was nothing short of amazing. She learned to love herself as she was while also becoming an honest and caring partner who knew her worth in a relationship.

Hutch was another swoony hero by Center. He was kind of a Dudley Do-Right, white knight guy with a tragic past who threw himself wholly into his career. I thought he behaved respectfully and with great care when it came to his friends and loved ones and that definitely included Katie. Every time Hutch pulled away, there was a legit reason. Much of it in response to the lies she and his brother Cole told to mainly keep Katie’s job intact. But somehow it worked out for all involved with a dramatic ending that tested their strength as well as their bond.

QOTD: Do you know how to swim? If so, do you prefer pools, the ocean, a lake, or a river?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: May 20th, 2025 | St. Martin’s Press |

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

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.