A review by abandonedquests
The Love Haters by Katherine Center

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I think The Love Haters might be my favourite Katherine Center book yet.

I love that her books are genuinely very funny — I laughed out loud more than once. They’re also hopeful and the characters feel realistic, even when the situations they’re in are a bit silly.

In The Love Haters, video producer Katie is likely to be laid off unless she takes on a project to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer named Hutch. Unfortunately, Katie doesn’t know how to swim.

The peek in the life of a rescue swimmer was fascinating, and I loved the combination of heroic scenes and very silly ones.  Each character also has very realistic trauma to work through.

I read a lot of depressing horror and dark fantasy, so it’s fun to switch things up from time to time with a romance.  Katherine Center’s books are always so optimistic and good-natured in a way that would normally be too sweet for me.  I don’t know how she does it; somehow, I’m completely invested and a little weepy by the end about the goodness of people and the beauty of life.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my review copy.