I am by no means a Katherine Center expert, but I have read half a dozen of her books and have usually found them enjoyable. Something I love about her process is that she usually chooses a career for one of the main characters that we get to learn a lot about, whether it’s a firefighter, a screenwriter or, in the case of The Love Haters, a Coast Guard rescue diver. I was very excited to be transported into that world and see what kind of love story could come of it.

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 colourful 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.

Though I haven’t read her entire bibliography, I have read a fair number of books by Katherine Center. I have enjoyed most of them (really, all but one), and I can confidently say that The Love Haters is another great read that I would recommend to those who love rom-coms. Was it a bit far-fetched at times? Sure. But the way Katherine Center writes banter is almost unmatched.

What didn’t work for me

The title: It’s very strange, because this is the second time in a row that I haven’t connected with the title (I thought The Rom-Commers was a bit uninspired.). But this time, I found the title almost misleading. Neither of the main characters really were love-haters—not really. And I feel like the mention of “love-hating” was squeezed in a couple of times to connect to the title. Don’t get confused, this isn’t a book about two people who mope around talking about how much they hate love.

The body image stuff: I’m all for body positivity as a plus-sized gal, and I’m happy for authors to mention when characters aren’t comfortable in their skin, because it’s very relatable, but in this case I felt that we dwelled almost a little bit too much on it—to a point where it was a bit overboard (excuse the pun). Maybe I’m just sensitive being five months postpartum.

Cole: What a weird guy. He created weird conflict between the characters. That’s all I really have to say about that.

What I liked

Rue and The Gals: Rue is the absolute best—and her group of gal pals, too. They added humour, sensibility and fun to the story. And when you learn the story about her relationship with the Hutcheson brothers, it really makes her unique (and amazing).

The Coast Guard stuff: One of the things I love about Katherine Center is how a lot of her books take a deep dive (again, no pun intended) into a profession that I find fascinating. Here we learn a lot about the Coast Guard (specifically the rescue divers)—and I loved it.

The writing: As always, Katherine Center’s writing is formidable. She writes realistic, fully formed characters; she is the queen of witty banter and takes me straight into her world. If you haven’t read anything of hers yet, this is a great one to start with.

4.5 STARS

People in good relationships had to appreciate each other—say thank you, give compliments, notice what their partner was getting right—in ways that created a cushion of warmth and kindness that erased everything else. —Katharine Center, The Love Haters

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.