Thoughts on Kate? (season 2 spoilers)

I'm watching the show for the first time (Currently in season 3) and Kate is now gone for good. Personally, I didn't care for her at all. She fell flat and the angst between her and Angel wasn't interesting or enjoyable for me. I actually kinda liked her in that first episode she was in (where Angel meets her in the bar) but I didn't feel like she ever really developed into a character I cared about or who really added anything positive to the show for me. I guess, for me, she lacked personality. I'm all for more "toned down" or "normal" characters (see: my love for Tara on Buffy) but Kate just didn't work.

At first I thought maybe her character got kicked off the show due to unpopularity but looking her up it looks like the actress chose to leave because she was offered a bigger role on Law & Order. So now I am curious, did you guys like her? Did you miss her when she was gone? Or did you feel similarily to me?