The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Narrated by Patti Murin

Standalone Womens Fiction with Romance

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing an advance copy for review purposes. The Love Haters by Katherine Center releases 5/20/25. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links

I’ve really enjoyed the other Katherine Center books I’ve read, so The Love Haters was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I’m happy to say it lived up to my expectations—mostly. Just know going in that this story leans more toward one woman’s journey to love herself than it does a traditional romance. And honestly, I was okay with that. It helped me reflect on my own journey.

Katie grew up with a stepmother who shamed her body and a rockstar ex whose fame brought a wave of cruel online comments. After that, she ditched color for black and disappeared into the background.

Ninety percent of my clothes are black. I only wear my hair down because it’s the one thing I like about myself, and I can hide behind it. I TOTALLY related to Katie. Her self-loathing is a big part of the book—bigger than the romance—but while it may frustrate some, I found it raw and honest.

Katie makes documentaries, and when her company starts downsizing, she volunteers for a project she’s completely unqualified for: filming a deep-dive doc on the U.S. Coast Guard, specifically one viral rescue swimmer who saved Jennifer Aniston’s dog. Katie is great behind the camera, but the job requires training with the Coast Guard. She can’t swim. Also, she hasn’t worn a bathing suit since childhood.

Her assignment takes her to Key West, and after a travel day from hell, she arrives at the rental cottage and meets Rue and her group of lively, colorful old ladies. Rue was a standout—I adored her and the way she forced Katie out of her all-black shell. She and her crew were exactly what Katie needed, and Katie’s best friend Beanie (who we only hear from by phone) added even more tough love in the best way.

Katie was warned that Hutch, the viral hero, is broody and quiet. He is. But he’s also one of the best men I’ve ever read. His dog, George Bailey (yes, named after It’s a Wonderful Life, my all-time favorite movie), steals every scene he’s in. That said, the love story with Hutch is very much a secondary plot. Still, his quiet, grounding presence mattered.

“When he came back, he had a whole tray of coffees. He walked up to the reservation desk and set the coffees down, and said to the ticket agent, ‘I know it’s been a tough day, and I know you’re all working so hard. Thank you for everything you’re doing.’ Then he left the coffees there for them. Rue said the whole area went dead quiet. Everybody witnessed that one act of kindness and had to confront the humanity of those ticket agents in a whole new way. The man who was mid-rant lowered his arms, closed his mouth, and went quietly back to his seat.”

I also appreciated how much I learned about the Coast Guard. But what knocked this down from a 5 to a 4.5 was the subplot with Katie’s co-workers. I hated Cole and their boss, and I think their scenes dragged the story down. I even considered rating it lower because of how much I disliked the part involving them—but the rest of the book had too much heart to ignore.

Likes:

The Key West setting was brought to life in the narrative.
Rue and all the old ladies who lived at the cottages.
George Bailey the dog (and scene stealer).
Learning about the Coast Guard.
Made me laugh several times.
Made me think about myself in a much more gentle way.
Relatable heroine.
The exciting end scenes.
The message of loving yourself was so strong.

Dislikes:

Cole and their boss and the ruse she went along with.
There was way more time spent on the phone with her bestie than with Hutch.
I wish there was more romance with an extended epilogue so there is more couple-time.

The Narration:

Patti Murin was fantastic and perfectly matched the character. There were a few mispronunciations of Florida locations, but you’d only notice if you were local. Patti definitely elevated the story and I recommend the audio version.

The Down & Dirty:

When I finished The Love Haters by Katherine Center, my immediate thought was how much I loved it. As I sat down to write my review and thought about my likes and dislikes, it lost a bit of that lustre. I still loved it, but there was a part that I really disliked in the second half, and I do wish there was a little more chemistry and romance. The opportunity was there, but there just wasn’t enough on-page together time for the couple. Though we have a couple with an HEA, I don’t think I could classify The Love Haters as a romance as much as a Women’s Fiction and personal growth book. Luckily for me, it was personal growth I needed and I can still say I loved the book. I look forward to picking up the shelf trophy when it releases on May 20.