How To Walk Away by Katherine Center is a beautiful book about loss, love, courage and hope that has a lot to offer to its readers apart from an exceptional story.

I am so glad that I read this book! It is a really, really good book and has taught me a lot of things about forgiveness – which definitely doesn't come easy, loss – which does hurt a lot, and hope – which, even though difficult to hold onto, can turn around one's life.

This book had a delightful mixture of a well thought-out storyline, a string of not only believable and realistic but also very relatable characters, very engaging yet simple writing with an exceptional sense of humour and an excellent ending.  

What I really loved about this book was that the author didn't sugarcoat things, she put things forward the way they are in real life, but she did it so without being overdramatic. I generally shy away from reading books with illness/medical situations because most of the authors present the pain in such horrific (sometimes honest, sometimes not) details and the overall experiences, more often than not, leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. That said, if done right, these books are nothing short of magic because they have a lot of lessons and takeaways along with a good story (which, as a reader, is always the main thing for me.) For example, I loved John Green's The Fault In Our Stars, but I didn't really like Nicola Yoon's Everything, Everything.

I'd recommend this book not only to all the contemporary fiction readers but to anyone and everyone who wants to read a really, really good book.

3.5 lovely to read stars

There was so many things to like about this tale of a young woman, Margaret, who has everything going for her. Unfortunately life was about to hand her a basket full of lemons. Sometimes when everything seems so very sweet, things can and do turn sour in a heartbeat. For Margaret that moment has come when the sweetness of life becomes a nightmare of tragedy.

Magaret Jacobsen has it all, a gorgeous fiance, a soon to be dream job, and a loving family. She is beautiful, successful, and the world as they say is her oyster .What could be better really? The one thing Margaret (Maggie) fears is flying but when her soon to be fiance decides to pop the question while taking her flying, she acquiesces and reluctantly boards the plane. Chip is a new pilot, well almost a pilot but he is confident, he knows what he is doing and he has a plan. Things seem to be going ever so well and then turn and as life often does, and this dream becomes a nightmare.

Margaret finds herself in a hospital and as time progresses, she learns the extent of her injuries. It is devastating but her missing for three years sister. Kitty, arrives along with her free spirit nature, and endeavors to help Margaret cope. There is heartbreak in this journey for Maggie, a long road to recovery, a secret within the family , and a person Margaret felt was in a corner deserting her.

She is helped by not only family but also the hospital staff. In rehabilitation she to assigned to a therapist, Ian, a Scottish young man who is unfriendly, evasive, and bordering on mean. However, there is something about him that makes Margaret or as he calls her Maggie look to him for guidance and help. The sparks fly between them and one of the very positive things about this novel is the dialogue, attitudes, and feelings, and wit that are displayed by Maggie, Ian, and her sister. They make quite a trio! Her mother, a take charge person, tries to lead and direct, but Maggie's sister, a definite asset in the story,, wants Maggie to take charge of her own life, no matter which way it goes. We all need a sister like Kitty in our lives! She is the spark that ignites Maggie into action and Ian is the man who makes things come together and gives Maggie a reason to push forward.

Told with humor and a spirit of I can do, this story is a quick, fun read, one that surely will be a hit. My one criticism for this book which I truly did like is that the medical issues that Maggie went through seemed to be painted in a trivial manner. I know this was suppose to be lighthearted fun story, but at times the suffering, that one could be sure Maggie was going through, was pushed to the background.

However. I did enjoy this book and want to thank Katherine Center, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this touching novel.

This book wrenched my very soul with the persistent, hard line look at the emotions the3 main character felt and experienced. Imagine being cajoled into flying when you deathly fear it and then being seriously injured in a fiery crash and the cajoler walks away unscathed. Plus, he is your just new fiancé and he cannot cope with your injuries or prognosis. Imagine your utter and complete devastation and then try to find a way to recover and regain some semblance of normalcy. This is what faces Margaret and this heart hitting book paints no rosy picture but one of grit, determination, desolation, and, ultimately, a form of success and new normalcy.

My Review of “How to Walk Away” by Katherine Center St. Martins Press Publishing Date, May 29,2018

“How to Walk Away” by Katherine Center is an amazing, captivating, riveting, intriguing and intense novel. I appreciate Katherine Center’s detailed descriptive writing, that makes this story feel so very real.

The Genres of this story are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, with an essence of Romance. The timeline for the story is mostly in the present, and goes back a few years when it pertains to the characters of events.

The author describes the characters, their problems and their emotions vividly. A few of the characters are not likable, but shallow, and capable of betrayal. A few of the characters are courageous, strong, loyal, and brave. There are some deep secrets that can destroy everyone involved.

Margaret Jacobson, seems to have everything in life that she has wanted. Margaret has recently graduated college, and has a fantastic job, a fiancée, and all great things to look forward to. Until she doesn’t. The night that her boyfriend proposes to her becomes the best and worst night of her life.

After a tragic accident, Margaret realizes that nothing is the same at all. As she fights for her life, she realizes that she will have to have hope, faith, and be strong in her journey to get well. I love the way the author describes the importance of family , love, emotional support, hope, faith, and forgiveness. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. I would recommend this heart-breaking , and heartwarming novel for readers of Women’s Fiction.

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4.5 stars for this one.

When you can accurately predict nearly the entire plot of a book, yet you still can't tear yourself away from it—that's when you know you've found a good one.

Margaret Jacobsen has always been an overachiever. She worked tirelessly to get good grades and succeed in school. She has been dating her handsome, steadfast boyfriend, Chip, for several years now, and she just landed her dream job, even though she wasn't quite qualified. Everything is leading her up to the moment she's been waiting for—she knows Chip is going to propose and they'll begin their journey to happily ever after.

Yet how often does everything turn out just as you've planned it? In a split second, perhaps the most magical moment in her life to date turns into her biggest nightmare, and she's powerless to stop it. The next thing she knows, she wakes up in the hospital, having to face obstacles like she'd never imagined.

"We were the very definition of helpless, and as I realized that, it also hit me that everything I'd been looking forward to was over before it even began. Chip and me—and the lakeside wedding we'd never have, and the rescue beagle we'd never adopt, and the valedictorian babies we'd never make. They say your life flashes before your eyes, but it wasn't my life as I'd lived it that I saw. It was the life I'd been waiting for. The one I'd never get a chance to live."

Suddenly, the woman for whom everything has worked out perfectly has her whole life turned upside down. Yet at the very moment when all she wants to do is wallow, she has to deal with those around her as well. Chip is drowning in self-pity and wants Margaret to forgive him and give him the easy way out, without an ounce of sacrifice on his part. Her mother has taken on this challenge as she's taken on every other obstacle in life—full steam ahead—and will stop at nothing to make her daughter fight to get every ounce of her life back and believe that is possible. Margaret's sister Kit returns after a three-year absence, and tries to help her with her quirky sense of humor and her unflagging sense of enthusiasm.

And then there's Ian, Margaret's physical therapist. The one the hospital staff thinks is too mean for Margaret's wounded psyche. The only PT who doesn't encourage or laugh with his patients, but instead just pushes them harder. The one who seems as if he feels nothing for anyone, except rage for his boss and the situation he's found himself in.

Margaret wants some semblance of her life back, but doesn't know what that entails, and she doesn't know how to handle those who purportedly know better than she does. How can she look forward to a life that will never be the same, never be what she had dreamed of? Will she even be able to have the things that "normal" people want—love, a family, a job, a future?

"I kept things calm, I stayed pleasant, I took my medicine—but the truth is, I had woken up in a dystopic world, one so different that even all the colors were in a minor key, more like a sour, washed-out old photograph than anything real. It looked that way, and it felt that way, too."

From the very first pages, How to Walk Away drew me in. As soon as I figured out what was happening, I knew where the plot would go, and while at first I was a little frustrated, this book won me over almost immediately. These characters seem familiar yet they are so appealing, even when they're acting selfishly, headstrong, impetuous, or insensitive. It didn't matter that I knew what would happen from start to finish—I cared about these characters and needed to be part of their story.

This is a book about finding hope and courage where you think you have none, about how you need to be the person to motivate yourself and buoy yourself through tough times—you can't depend on those around you. It's also the story of how it's always great to have family and supporters and loved ones around, but you have to learn to do things for yourself, too.

I'm being a little evasive with the plot even though many reviews explain just what happened to Margaret. I thought it was better to let the story unfold for you, even though you might very well predict it, too. This is tremendously appealing and so winning, that even when you wonder just how likely it would be that certain things would happen, you tell yourself to stop overanalyzing and keep enjoying.

A book that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you talk to yourself: how can you ask for anything more? I can see a lot of people really loving this one.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

3.5 stars
I wish I could break my rating up for the first 85% of the book...5 stars...and the last 15% 3.5 stars because I really enjoyed almost the whole story. Almost. I was immediately drawn into the story when we are first introduced to Margaret and quickly discover her intense fear of flying along with her inability to say no to those she loves. That's how she ends up in a teeny tiny plane with her boyfriend Chip, who doesn't actually have his pilot's license yet. I'm not sure that's entirely realistic but it's definitely pertinent to the plot. If you've read the blurb, you know the plane crashes and while Chip walks away with barely a scratch, Margaret isn't so lucky.
This is her story for sure and it's one of resilience, recovery, love and forgiveness which I thought made for super engaging storytelling. This is a very fast paced read and honestly I couldn't put it down. I felt bad for Margaret, yet at the same time wanted to shake her often for not to standing up to her mother and Chip. I can't imagine being in that situation though and the author did an amazing job of putting me right in the room with Margaret. The supporting characters were all awesome as well...I really enjoyed her sister, dad and of course Ian, her sexy, Scottish Physical Therapist. I've seen many other reviewers on Goodreads mentioning their issue with the ethics of the relationship between Ian and Maggie, as he called her, but I didn't find it troublesome and It didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. Now, I know I can't and won't give away spoilers so all I'll say is the plot left the rails for me in the last 15%. The characters did some things I just can't believe based on what we already knew about them and I spent the majority of my time eye rolling and wishing the author wouldn't have taken that path. It ruined what otherwise would've been a 5 star read. I do still recommend it and a final positive thought, I'm so glad we got an epilogue.

I highly enjoyed this book. My heart broke for Maggie as she went through such a devastating event. Center did an amazing amount of research, so all of the life altering changes Maggie had to made were well written. The supporting cast of characters was also well done and I did not feel bogged down with plot lines or characters. Highly recommend!

One of the best books I’ve read. Story was written with such emotion. I loved some characters, hated some. Excellent interaction of family drama.

This story brilliantly depicts the fact that nothing and nobody is perfect and the trek to seek that perfection is a lesson in futility.

How to Walk Away had everything you could ask for in a book. The plot was at times sad, funny, heartbreaking and wonderful. The writing was so good that you didn't realize you were reading, but felt like you were sitting there with Maggie and her parents, Ian, Kit, Fat Benjamin, Chip, the whiner and all the others who help round out the story.

Maggie has always had a fear of flying, or rather crashing, but agrees to go up with her about to be fiance just in time to realize her fears. Life after is nothing like how she had planned her life. At some point she gives in to the realization that this IS her life and works to get better, physically and emotionally.

I loved the dialogue, especially with her sister Kit, but also with Ian. I just can't say enough good about this book and the author, Katherine Center. Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy of this novel. All opinions are my own. 

Wow, I think this is going to be one of my favorite novels of the year. I couldn't read quick enough. This is a story of strength, courage, and overcoming. Margaret's struggle after her accident was so real. This book didn't sugar coat recovery, it made it seem like a real process. The reader was able to feel the depression and despair that comes with a life-changing injury. 

Center wrote a real family with real problems. Each character felt like a normal person, which made it so easy to become involved in all the different conflicts in the novel. Her writing made it so that I rooted for Margaret the entire time. 

I also loved the way the narrator is talking to the reader in this book. This style isn't seen often, and I think it added an extra enticement. This also is why the novel felt so real. It felt so personal, which made it so that you want nothing but the best for Margaret.

I read the first chapter of this book as part of Bookish First and when I got to the end of that I was hooked. Luckily I was able to pick up a copy on Netgalley and won a print copy from Bookish First. This book is incredible and is a must read that needs to be on everybody's list.

Margaret had everything she ever wanted within reach and one fateful night and a plane crash is all it took for it to be gone. Now she has to face her new reality and put everything back together. But how well do the pieces fit when literally everything has changed, including yourself?

How to Walk Away is well-written and will give you an emotional ride. It was so good that I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. The amount of research the author did was obvious in how well she covered the topics. This will be a book I will talking about for a while.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this novel. I loved it! Beautifully written!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, thank you so much to Katherine Center and her publisher for being at TLA in Dallas this last week, where she spoke about the book and I was able to get a signed ARC as well. The book moved right up to the top of my must read list after hearing Katherine speak.

I loved this book with every fiber of my being. It kinda shattered me then put me back together. Margaret, the heroine of the book, is someone I connected with immediately. I especially loved her sense of humor and related to how she handled her situation. She is relatable and just real. The situations presented in the book and relationships between the characters are very realistic. So many things that could be overdone or veer into being cheesy by a less skilled writer are done just right in this book. The book brought me to tears a few times, but it was often more from hope and joy than from being utterly destroyed by the book. I do love a good tearjerker, but I think I much prefer this blend of bittersweet and comedic that this author is known for.

I very highly recommend this book, especially for those who love Jojo Moyes, Emily Giffin, and similar authors. I have found a new-to-me author to watch, and I am looking forward to reading her backlist now. The book will be out May 15th, so be sure to pre-order or put on your must read list and watch for it.

How to Walk Away is a poignant and emotional story of accepting one's life after a devastating accident. The book is beautifully written, it's an emotional roller coaster ride that will break your heart at first and will mend it back together by the end. The characters of the story are complex and interesting. Margaret is such a great heroine, she is honest and funny. I loved her sense of humor, which she used quite a lot as a coping mechanism during her recovery. And, of course, there is Ian, a brooding Scottish physiotherapist, who works with Maggie after the accident; Maggie's funny and eccentric sister, Kitty, and their parents. I loved these characters so much and I loved following their journey of healing and acceptance, not just Maggie's but her whole family.

If you are looking for an incredible story of courage and resilience that will make you cry and laugh from one page to next, pick up How to Walk Away immediately.

Katherine Center’s novel, How to Walk Away is a great romantic comedy on making the best of life in all circumstances. It encompasses not just one character’s experiences but the entire family. Center provides memorable characters and a story line that keeps the reader engaged until the very end. How to Walk Away is a must for the beach bag this year! Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this novel, as evidenced by the fact that I read in a single day. Maggie is such a great protagonist, who is very easy to relate to. A lot of her feelings about her situation were similar to mine when I was an a similar, but significantly less serious, situation. I also really liked Ian, both when he and Maggie first meet (when he's a grumpasaurus) and as their friendship progresses.

There are several side plots, so there is a lot going on, but I never felt like it took away from Maggie's story.

I’ve enjoyed all of Katherine Center’s novels and her newest, How To Walk Away, was no exception. The story is about a young woman dealing with life after a plane crash in which the pilot, her fiancé, walked away without a scratch and she was left unable to walk. It’s about learning to deal with a new normal, learning to look for hope and joy in places you wouldn’t have expected to find them. I loved all of the characters and how Center brought them through their challenges. Recommended to fans of novels about families who aren’t as perfect as they might seem to the rest of the world. I love those novels.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but with the first chapter I felt like Maggie was my friend. Various aspects of a tragedy are addressed and it all came together beautifully. There was only one storyline towards the end that I thought likely would not have happened (no spoilers.....why did the whole family travel to that event?), but overall the book was well researched and I enjoyed reading it.
I think so many families in Maggie's situation would have done the same thing and I can only imagine how much a traumatic injury affects life for all involved. I also liked Ian's character and how he grew and changed with her through her PT. Kit sounds like an amazing sister and I liked seeing the growth in that relationship as well. Overall a great book that I highly recommend. While it deals with a tragic topic, the book isn't a depressing book and I enjoyed the bits of humor too. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Neutrally for the opportunity to read this book.

"You can't fix everything. Not even close. But you can look for reasons to be grateful."

This is one of those books that you won't put down once you start reading it. It's extremely well written with characters that are easy to love (and a few who are easy to dislike). The author did extensive research and I learned new things as well as enjoying this novel.

Margaret has the perfect life - a new MBA, a great chance at a dream job and a wonderful boyfriend, Chip, who she is sure will propose to her any minute. The only sad part of her life is her estranged sister but she refuses to think about her. Margaret's perfect life is torn away from her in a tragedy that almost kills her. She has to learn to negotiate a completely different world than the one she had planned for. As the reality sets in, her moods change from hopeful to despair over and over. How she handles her new life and how the people in her life help her will cause some tears (have tissue close) and you'll be rooting for her success on every page.

I loved Margaret and Ian and the way they worked together. I didn't like Chip or his mom and at times, I didn't like Margaret's mom but realized that she was trying to fix things for her daughter, even when she was being difficult.

This is a fantastic book and one of the best that I've read all year. Thanks to Bookish Firsts for a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.