The Love Haters by Katherine Center ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

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

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2025; ‎ St. Martin's Press; 978-1250283825
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); romance

The Love Haters is not just a romance novel - it's also a story about learning to accept yourself and forgive yourself for your past.

Katie has finally gotten her life back together after a difficult break-up and is putting a lot of energy into her job as a video producer.  When she finds out that there will be lay-offs, she's sure that she will lose her job.  Until one of the managers asks her to take on a job filming a promo for the Coast Guard.  The star of the promo will be Hutch.  He doesn't like the press or talking about some of the rescues that he's done, but the world knows him as the person who rescued Jennifer Anniston's dog.  To do her promo justice, she has to train with the rescue group and go on a rescue with them.  She is so desperate to keep her job that she agrees to go to Key West and film Hutch and be part of the team despite the fact that she doesn't even know how to swim.  The other important thing about Kate is that she has a terrible body image problem.  She feels that to look her best, she needs to wear all black, and she hasn't owned a bathing suit for years.  When her luggage gets lost, Rue, the person who is renting her a home for the filming, takes her to a boutique and buys her a bright and colorful outfit.  When she finally meets Hutch, there are instant sparks between them.  One thing that Katie and Hutch agree on is that they both hate the idea of falling in love and want to avoid a relationship at all costs.  When Hutch realizes that she's lied about knowing how to swim,  he gives her swimming lessons, and the more time they spend together, the more they realize that they might not really be haters of love.  But when he uncovers other lies, it may be the end, and it will take a hurricane for them to realize what they really mean to each other.

This book was an interesting read.  Though it was basically a romance novel, it touched on a lot of other issues -- mostly Katie's self-confidence and her body image issues.  But it isn't all serious -- there is also a lot of humor in this book brought on by George Bailey, Hutch's Great Dane, and by Aunt Rue and her group of friends who just know that Katie and Hutch will be a perfect couple.  Will Katie be able to learn to accept herself and realize that she doesn't hate the thought of falling in love?  Will Katie and Hutch get their happily ever after?

This book is a perfect summer read!

Buy The Love Haters at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

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