The Love Haters by Katherine Center

A NOTE REGARDING CONTENT/ TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sometimes these can be “spoilery.” Mine are found at the end of the review so you may easily choose to read them or avoid them.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT
“The Love Haters,” by Katherine Center, is a perfect summer rom com. Need a beach book – this is a great go-to! Katie has been burned by love, drug through public scrutiny (leading to a very serious need to relearn to love herself), and now is on the edge of losing her job. The take it or leave catalyst: go film a story about a Coast Guard swimmer. So, she packs up her cameras, heads to Key West, and finds a quirky band of Golden Girls to shack up with. Then enters Glenn Powell or “Hutch,” as the book likes to call him. She not only has to profile him but take swimming lessons from him all while the geriatric band of biddies watches. Oh, and did I mention there is a gigantic dog, who is scared of thunder…don’t worry that is absolutely, definitely not going to be quite the plot point.

So, the story has a great set up and great chemistry but does not stay surface level. While we are definitely vibing with some familiar themes and tropes (found family, a weird love triangle, forced proximity, and definitely some grumpy/ sunshine) it is beautifully endearing and woven together. All the main characters are very real, relatable, and familiar – the girl who only wears black is dropped in fantastically colored Key West, Aunt Rue is quirky but a fully fleshed out character. She’s not just there to provide some comic relief and get the characters together – though she does love doing that too!

The Cover is fun and in the style that screams “Katherine Center,” however I would say it’s not my favorite style and certainly seems like more of a snapshot from after the HEA.

Overall, I love Katherine Center’s style and if you do too, you’ll enjoy this ride. If you’ve never read her, she writes very fun page turners. Where every character is a real person with their own motivations, baggage, and purpose for being written.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Patti Murin, who does a beautiful job bringing distinct characters to life.

WHO SHOULD READ IT?
Fans of Katherine Center and romcoms.

*I finished the book in May and gave it an initial review of 4 stars, however I did not write my in-depth review until July and after I had time to sit with it, some details may have faded but the feeling I have when I think about the book is all positive, so I bumped it up.

GRATITUDE & DISCLOSURE
Thank you NetGalley @Netgalley and Macmillan | Audio @macmillan.audio for early access to this ARC in return for an unbiased and voluntary review.

CONTENT WARNINGS (not exhaustive, but what stood out to me):

• Eating disorders / Disordered eating / Body dysmorphia / Fatphobia
• Mental health crises / Panic attacks / Anxiety attacks
• PTSD / Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) / Trauma responses
• Grief / Mourning
• Parental death / Loss of a loved one
• Terminal illness
• Cheating / Infidelity (in relationships, if a significant plot point)

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