The Love Haters by Katherine Center

A Four-Star Book

Katherine Center hits all the right notes with her contemporary romance novels: quick-witted main characters who are fun but flawed, a well-crafted plot in an atmospheric setting, and a fine balance between cute romance and raw emotions. With her newest novel, The Love Haters, Ms. Center delivers grumpy vs sunshine, Florida beaches, and a heartfelt look at why loving yourself is just as much a journey as a romance.

Summary of The Love Haters (No Spoilers)

Katie’s about to lose her job as a videographer when she’s offered a chance to produce a video about a Coast Guard hero in Key West, Florida. She takes the assignment immediately, but there are a  few problems: Katie can’t swim and is terrified of being in a bathing suit, and Hutch, the video hero, is her boss’s estranged brother who expects to see his sibling, not Katie.

In a fake-it-til-you-make-it move and bolstered by her cousin and BFF Beanie’s self-help tips, Katie arrives in Florida ready to do her job and make a splash with her own Day in the Life documentary, provided she can convince Hutch to participate. She’s immediately welcomed by Rue, his aunt who envelopes Katie into her vibrant enclave of Key West life, but has more to tackle with Hutch. Despite her best efforts, she’s developing feelings for Hutch, and the forecast is predicting an unexpected bond between the two.

What I Loved About The Love Haters

Katherine Center brings all the feels with The Love Haters. Here are a few reasons that this book is memorable.

• Katie: As the narrator of The Love Haters, Katie’s point of view is quirky and lively. She is determined to complete her project and keep her job, even if that means learning how to swim and climb out of a capsized helicopter. But water isn’t Katie’s only challenge. Her body issues run deep. Her ex-fiancé is a famous musician and fitting into the life let Katie to anorexia and hypercritical bullies on social media. Once Lucas’s career started soaring, he left Katie in the dust, and she’s still recovering. Her one champion, cousin Beanie, insists that it’s time for Katie to start loving herself, even her body, and start living. Katie doesn’t just go to Key West to film a cute Coast Guard member, she goes in a journey of self-acceptance and reckons with the naysayers on her own.
• Hutch: Tom “Hutch” Hutcherson jumps out of helicopters to rescue people in the ocean, he humors his aunt Rue and her gaggle of retirees who live a cocktail hour and a peak at Hutch swimming, and he saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog from a canyon emergency, thus earning the nickname Puppy Love. When the Coast Guard named him the spokesperson for their new recruitment video, Hutch saw a chance to repair his relationship with his brother Cole, Katie’s boss. Instead, he gets Katie. Hutch would be a golden man, except he is grumpy and stoic with plenty of emotions telling him that falling for Katie is not a good idea.
• The Story: There are twists throughout The Love Haters that keep you invested in Katie and Hutch’s potential love match. Both appear to hate romance, but with plenty of awkward situations pushing them together, love is what they find.

My Final Thoughts about The Love Haters

While I did think that the book was just a smidge too drawn out, I enjoyed it all. It’s funny from the instant Katie needs Hutch to remove splinters from her rear end. It’s touching because of the growth Katie experiences not just with Hitch but in loving herself. It’s endearing because the message is that romance and love can be amazing, no matter how tender your heart.

Also, Katie’s cousin and BFF is an exceptional side character, one of the most memorable I’ve read in Ms. Center’s books. A full-length story about Beanie would be a great read.