The Love Haters — Books, Beauty, & Buys

By: Katherine Center
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 320

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 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.

First Impressions

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. I immediately knew I wanted to read this one. The cover is fun and colorful and definitely would’ve caught my eye. I do still prefer the floral covers from her earlier novels. But this one is fine. I also am a sucker for grumpy people who don’t believe in love, so I knew this would be right up my alley.

What I thought

This book was so cute.

Katie is about to get fired when one of her superiors asks her to take a job in Key West filming a Coast Guard recruitment video of his brother. Cole tells Katie that taking this project could save her job, but just don’t tell his aunt or brother why she is in Key West until the video shoot starts. When Katie gets to Key West, she meets Rue, Cole’s aunt, and Hutch, Cole’s brother. Katie has to overcome body image difficulties, past traumas, a bad breakup and an inability to swim. Hutch has to overcome his own past traumas and fear of connection. While overcoming these obstacles, they end up connecting more than they thought they would.

When I first read the summary of this book, I was unsure whether or not Hutch or Cole were going to be the love interest of the story. I thought maybe it was going to start out with one and end with the other, but when you start to read it, it’s pretty obvious Hutch is the love interest.

Katie’s storyline of dealing with her body image issues is really interesting. I felt like Center did a nice job of balancing it seeming realistic without seeming whiney. Katie didn’t come off like a “pick-me”, but more like she was truly insecure about certain parts of her body and her life and she was learning how to cope.

Katie and Hutch also had immediate chemistry. He does come off a little bit perfect, but he’s still endearing. I think because of his job it does make him spear like a genuinely kind soul. His brother on the other hand is a piece of work. I didn’t love the conflict that was thrown in about 2 thirds of the way through the book. There is a second conflict a little later that I liked better, but could’ve done without the first. I did also love Rue and her friends. They made for a fun little side story and entertaining characters.