May 2025 | Book Nerds Across America

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Book Review: The Love Haters by Katherine Center

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

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.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

The Love Haters is the first book I have read by Katherine Center, despite having at least one sitting on my shelf! I am not sure why I haven't picked one up yet; my TBR shelf is just intimidating, and I spend a lot of time staring at it, finding a book to read elsewhere. I will say, if all her previous books are like Love Haters, I am sorry I haven't picked it up yet, because I did enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed Kate. I am not saying she was without problems, but I liked her. I understood her shyness about her body. I think a lot of us would relate to that. She was charming and flawed, so she felt relatable, and I really like that in a character. It was fun to see her growth throughout the story.

Key West is one of those places I have always wanted to go, so I liked that the story was based there, but honestly, this beach-raised girl now living in the middle of nowhere near water, would enjoy any beach setting.

I liked Katie's reluctance to get involved with Hutch. I think anyone with a bad dating past would be, or at least should be. Relationships are hard, and I think I would be the same after a string of them. I also liked the fact that even with her reluctance to have a relationship with Hutch, she still appreciated the finer points of him. The author also peppered in some great secondary characters that really added to the story.

Despite my really enjoying this book, it seems to have gotten mixed reviews from people who have read her before, saying this wasn't her best. If that is the case, I am truly looking forward to picking up some of her past books.

Grab this for your beach bag, it's the perfect summer read.

Book Review: The Thrashers by Julie Soto

GOODREADS SUMMARY

Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.

TEE'S THOUGHTS

BOOM... The Trashers start right off with a suicide. Emily Mills, 17, takes her life in her bathtub on prom night, wearing her formal gown. THIS is the right way to catch readers' attention and pull them into the story. No building up...straight to the problem, and the reader is left NEEDING to know how it happened.

The Trashers are the " it " crowd in their school. They are privileged and popular. They get their name from the group's presumed leader, Zach Thrasher, the guy every girl wants to be noticed by, especially Jodi, another member of the elite group. Jodi is different from the rest of the Thrashers; she does not come from money, and she isn't as beautiful as the other girls in the group, Paige and Lucy. In fact, she lives with her truck-driving father, who is an alcoholic and at times abusive to her. The only way she secured her spot in the Thrashers is that she has been best friends with Zach long before high school, because of that fact, she definitely does not feel secure in her spot and fears being " thrashed " by her friends for that reason.

Emily has always wanted to be a Thrasher; she wanted Zach to like her, but the only one of the group who seems to give her the time of day is Jodi. I think Jodi gave her attention more out of pity than actual friendship. Maybe deep down she understood the draw to the group since she herself is a bit of an outsider, but I did not like the way Jodi stood quietly while the rest of the group teased and bullied Emily.

The police who are investigating the suicide zero in on the Thrashers after they find a diary of Emily's. In the diary they find an entry where AEmily claims she was raped by one of the Thrasher boys, along with relentlessly teased and bullied by the rest of them. At this point, Jodi feels uncomfortable and begins to question some of the group's actions.

I really enjoyed The Thrashers, which has kind of a Cruel Intentions vibe going on with the group. None of the characters are particularly likable, even Jodi, but like me, I am sure many of us have known these people in high school, so the book can be very relatable, no matter which side you were on at the time.

It is a slow burn, but the realism of the characters keeps you turning the pages, plus, I won't lie, I wanted to see their downfall; you could feel it coming, there were just a lot of twists before you figured out the actual facts.

I feel like this book gives you a lot to think about, but there are also many triggering subjects, as you can imagine. Despite that, it is well written, keeps you engaged, and oh, the ending! All together, this is a solid YA thriller