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Sign up todayThe Love Haters
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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Great storyline that is very relatable. So many great words to take away and take to heart. This is one not to miss.”
— Sherry • Roaming Pages & Blooms
Bookseller recommendation
“This romcom's plot is exciting with some deep, impactful issues and is filled with so much love, kindness, and happiness. It’s situated in the most gorgeous tropical environment! It is captivating through its entirety. I LOVED Katie and Hutch's journey!! Katie starts a new job she’s not quite qualified for, which adds to its hilarity. Hutch’s selflessness and heroism are very admirable. This is a definite must-read! ”
— Sandra • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Immersive and ideal romance novel for summer. Love all around in this book. Katie learns to face fears in love, with her body, and with her career. It felt real. I knew every character. ”
— Carrie • Interabang Books
Bookseller recommendation
“The Love Haters is pure joy from Katherine Center as expected! This would be a fun beach or pool read as it is quick and easy to read. That being said, in true Katherine Center fashion, the book is so much more than a summery rom-com! This is an exploration into self-love and healing. KC has no issues writing characters who develop beautifully. Also, we allll will want a Hutch after reading this. 😍”
— Bianca • Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews
Bookseller recommendation
“An absolute laugh-out-loud good time—I could not stop listening to this one! When life feels like it’s falling apart, why not take a job that puts you in the water (even if you can’t swim) alongside a broody hot hero with some serious family baggage tied to your boss? Katie and Hutch were perfection—their banter was sharp, funny, and full of heart. Every single character in this book brought something special, from the legendary Aunt Rue (can she be my aunt, too?) to the adorable Great Dane who totally stole my heart. This story was filled with warmth, wit, and just the right amount of swoon. It was everything I love about a Katherine Center book and more!”
— Courtney • Love Stories at The Formal Niche
Bookseller recommendation
“I loved getting to know all of the characters! My opinions about some of them were not solidified until the very end. Katherine did a wonderful job of weaving all of their storylines and revealing bits and pieces at the perfect time!”
— Elna • Curious Iguana
Bookseller recommendation
“This is now my favorite book by Katherine Center. Hutch is the dream book boyfriend and Margot is a hot mess. While their love story drew me in, it was Kate’s growth and epiphany about herself that made this book a great read for me. ”
— Kristen • Dragon Tale Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Filled with vibrant colors and a sense of fun, this new Katherine Center book presents an adorable love story featuring Katie (our chromophobic heroine) and Hutch (the titular Love Hater). In this story, Katie does find love, but more importantly, she learns to love herself and how to let go—both in life and in swimming! Throughout her journey, Katie overcomes her fears and embraces new beginnings, all while navigating the challenges posed by a clumsy pup and her own anxieties.”
— Sarah • Cavalier House Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Once again Katherine Center delivers a sweet, funny, I can't stop listening audiobook experience. I love her stories because I always learn a little something. This time it was about rescue swimmers off the coast of the Florida Keys. ”
— Allison • The Book Wyrm
Bookseller recommendation
“Another great Katherine Center book!! I always love Katherine’s storytelling, which is only enhanced by the wonderful narrating skills of Patti Murin! I loved the very real talk of body image and the relationships we have with ourselves. Katherine Center always makes me laugh, shed a tear or two, and be inspired to be a positive force in this world. This book was no exception! Highly recommend for a book to give you all the good feels. ”
— Melia • Saltwater Bookshop
It’s a thin line between love and love-hating in the newest laugh out loud, all the feels rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center.
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 pretends that she can.
Plus, Cole and Hutch are brothers. 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 maybe 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.
“[Patti] Murin's portrayal...is captivating—a blend of sass, humor, and empathy with impeccable timing and nuances.” —AudioFile on The Rom-Commers
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of over half a dozen books, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, and What You Wish For. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless Best-Of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2019, Goodreads' Best Books of the Year, and many more. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls her summer 2022 book, The Bodyguard, “a shot of pure joy.” The movie adaptation of Katherine’s novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and her novel Happiness for Beginners is now a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.
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Audiobook details
Author:
Katherine Center
Narrator:
Patti Murin
ISBN:
9781250395061
Length:
10 hours 33 minutes
Language:
English
Publisher:
Macmillan Audio
Publication date:
May 20, 2025
Edition:
Unabridged
Libro.fm rank:
#31 Overall
Genre rank:
#5 in Humor
Reviews
“Katherine Center’s latest romance is madcap, laugh-out-loud, and adrenaline-packed—but with a tender center: the reminder that our first love story always needs to be with ourselves.” —Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT bestselling author
"A documentary unites two people who are jaded about love in the sparkling latest from bestseller Center (The Rom-Commers). Fearing impending layoffs, Texas-based videographer Katie Vaughn gamely agrees to an assignment from her supervisor, Cole Hutcheson, to fly to Key West to film a profile of his brother, Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The assignment is complicated both by Katie’s inability to swim, which she failed to disclose to her boss and which makes joining Hutch on rescues impossible, and by her intense attraction to her subject, who, like her, has been burned by romance. The pair grow closer as both open up about their pasts, but their budding romance is forestalled when Cole shows up and ropes a reluctant Katie into a fake dating scheme. Add in the threat of a severe hurricane, and Center builds to a dramatic grand finale. She also surrounds her lovers with a colorful supporting cast, including Hutch and Cole’s Aunt Rue, who’s on a mission to add color to Katie’s dull wardrobe, and Great Dane George Bailey, who smothers Katie with affection. Striking a perfect balance of comedic moments and emotional authenticity, this may be Center’s best yet." --Publishers Weekly