The Love Haters

The Love Haters by Katherine Center | 309 pages | 2025

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.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This sweet Florida-based romance is the bright and colorful book your summer needs. With a cast of supporting characters that make you want to hang out with them by the pool, a giant Great Dane who loves toads, and a strong theme of learning to love yourself - it's a warm hug and a cold fruity drink in book form.

The Reformatory by Tananrive Due

 

The Reformatory by Tananrive Due - 570 pages

Gracetown, Florida

June 1950

Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.

Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.

The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.

This wasn't horror in the normal sense, at least for me.  Sure, there were haints, but the true horror was how the boys were treated at The Reformatory.  Based off of the real reform school, Dozier School for Boys in Florida which is a scary thing to read about as well. 

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

 

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki-375 pages

Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar's treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood's biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

Marjorie's journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father's barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post's Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.

And yet Marjorie's story, though full of beauty and grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.
Excellent book...Loved learning about this grand lady and this little snippet of history.

Darkest Night by Kyla Stone

 

Darkest Night by Kyla Stone-333 pages

Nuclear Dawn Series-Book 5

Logan, Dakota and the rest of their allies must prepare for the fight of their lives in order to defeat an enemy more powerful than they've ever faced. The lives of everyone they love are on the line. Who will live..who will die??  Kyla Stone wraps up everything beautifully in the final installment of the Nuclear Dawn Series.

A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux

 A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux--459 pages (LP)

4th in the Medlar Mysteries series.  What is not to love when it involves an author, a love story and a murder or two.  Delightful series, looking forward to the next one!

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks

 Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks, 367 pages

This one seemed confusing at first.  Separate story lines that didn't seem to ever be able to converge.  But leave it to Nicholas Sparks.  He wrapped it all up very neatly in the end.  I enjoyed it very much.

The Guardians by John Grisham

 The Guardians by John Grisham-375 pages

I am not sure what it is about Grisham books, but they grab my attention from the very beginning to the bitter end.  In this book he brings to light the plight of innocent people who are wrongly accused and sent to death row.  A group of dedicated people work at clearing their names and getting their sentences expunged.  He really takes you on some interesting twists and turns.  An exceptional read.

The Healing Quilt by Wanda E. Brunstetter

The Healing Quilt by Wanda E. Brunstetter - 310 pages

Retired Amish newlyweds Emma and Lamar Miller have decided to buy a winter place in Sarasota, Florida. But it wouldn't feel like home if Emma didn't take her quilting materials and offer classes. 

Wounded and hurting people have a knack for finding their way to her classes for some quilting therapy: Jennifer, a pregnant new mom; Mike, a charter boat owner; Erika, a wheelchair-bound teen; Kim, a waitress; Noreen, a newly-retired widow; and BJ, an artist facing illness. 

And when Jan visits from Indiana, romance is also added to the class discussions.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo-182 pages

I watched the movie a few years ago, so I decided to read this book since this month is books about animals. Opal Buloni goes to a Winn-Dixie grocery store in Naomi, Florida where she has just moved and meets a mischievous, friendly stray dog who she claims is hers and names Winn-Dixie after the grocery store. Because of Winn-Dixie she meets and befriends Franny Block, who runs the Herman W. Block Memorial Library. Additionally, she meets and befriends Otis, who runs a pet store. Opal also becomes friends with Amanda, the Dewberry boys, Gloria Dump, and Sweetie Pie Thomas. She makes all of these friends because of her dog Winn-Dixie. Opal also reaches an understanding about her mom leaving her and her dad, the preacher. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, although I was disappointed that the grammar was not better. There are many examples throughout the book of improper grammar usage (i.e. I seen, I brung, etc.). I understand that Opal is 10 and many of her friends are kids, also, but I would like to see more proper grammar.