I absolutely loved this charming, witty, uplifting story! This is the story of Margaret, a young woman on the cusp of her dream life. Until a tragic accident, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, turns her world upside down. Margaret's world will never be the same again and she must figure out how to move forward. While this is a heavy topic, this book covers it in a light and witty way. I loved the characters, I loved the witty rapport, I loved watching Margaret find her way. This was my first book by the author and Ive already put library holds on her others. This was a fantastic, heart warming story. For me, this was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. A truly delightful read. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

this book tells the story of Margaret (Maggie) Jacobsen who has had a lifelong fear of flying. However, one fateful day she allows her boyfriend talk her into taking a short flight with him. The flight goes smoothly until it’s time to land and a weather event causes the plane to crash. While her boyfriend walks away without a scratch, Maggie is left paralyzed. We are then taken on the high and lows of of her adjustment to her new life; a life of grueling physical therapy and moments of despair, thoughts of suicide and the loss of the man she once thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Ultimately, she is able to triumph and create a new life for herself. I could not put this book down on e I started it.

To say that I enjoyed this book would be a major understatement. How to Walk Away had my complete attention right from the first page and didn’t let me go until the end. Actually, that’s not quite true, I continued to think about the story, the characters, and the inspiring message that this book had long after I finished reading it.

How to Walk Away was the whole shebang. It was tragic, heartbreaking, hopeful, witty, and romantic. A good book is an enjoyable diversion for an hour or so, but a great book pulls the reader in, immediately invests them in the lives of the characters, and doesn’t let them go. This was a great book! I was in Margaret’s corner right from the beginning. I felt as though I was right beside her, feeling all of the emotions along with her, rooting for her, and cheering her on. The life that she knew was pulled out from under her. She was on a new course, a bumpy path to learn her way down, and it was anything but easy.

When Margaret gets paired up with a less than encouraging physiotherapist to help her in her recovery, he is nothing but distant and all-business. He certainly wasn’t blessed with the warmest bedside manner. Despite his cool, standoffish demeanor, they end up establishing a rapport that seems to benefit both of them. And I’m sorry, but it doesn’t hurt that he has a Scottish accent!

I can best describe this book as being well-rounded and multi-layered. The author did a fabulous job of tapping into the relationships in this book. Along with Margaret’s story, we also get an understanding of her family dynamic, and we get to know her fiancé, Chip. From the easy-going dad, the pushy, perfection-driven mother, the outcast sister, and good old Chip, there was never a dull moment with this cast of characters, and the story propelled forward at a very quick pace.

How to Walk Away is an addictive reading experience that is filled with so much heart, hope, and healing. It made me take pause to reflect on my own blessings in life. To, perhaps, enjoy some of the smaller things that we all tend to take for granted on a daily basis.

This book has definitely earned a spot on my list of favorite books for the year. This was my first novel by Katherine Center, and I’ve since added all of her other books on my to-be-read list.

*5 Stars

I quite enjoyed this new novel from Katherine Center. I read Everyone is Beautiful a few years ago and was blown away by her ability to tell realistic, human, and hilarious stories. How To Walk Away displays that same humanity and humor. Margaret is sure that today is the day her boyfriend is going to propose. She’s ready for romantic evening out, but instead she is faced with her fear of flying. And when her worst fears become reality, she has to learn how to rebuild her life. I devoured this book, rooting for Margaret (and her family) the whole way.

Katherine Center will take your tender heart and wring it like a wet dishrag in this book. So prepare yourselves for that.

Maggie loses everything, yet not quite all at once. You sense, before she does, that everything she thought about and planned for is over and that she needs to find new thoughts and new plans. There will be times when you wonder why she ever had those first thoughts and plans in the first place.

There are some tender moments in this book, some sweet, some hilarious, and some that are hopeful. Katherine Center forces Maggie to face facts, and some of those facts are painful and require honest self-examination. How much do we choose to believe what we want to believe? What happens when we stop believing? What happens when we find something new to believe in?

The title is a play on words, one with several levels. Maggie desperately wants to walk away, but she can't. And when she finally decides she will, she does so because she thinks she has something to walk toward. What she has to learn, though, is that she must walk away for herself and toward herself.

Parts of this book are utterly delightful, and parts are a bit predictable. I did tear up more than once, despite Maggie occasionally really getting on my nerves. You just care about her, and you want her to learn how to walk away.

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center was a pleasant surprise of a read! I am not sure what I was expecting, other than an interesting read by a newer author to me. What I found was a book full of promise and challenge. The main character was Margaret Jacobsen. She has been the hard worker; the child who always succeeded. She went to college, business school and just was within a whisper of the job she wanted and an engagement to a man she loved. That’s when it happened and her life changed totally. It is then she as she struggles to understand what happened and what the new normal is, that she truly finds what makes her happy.

There are some characters that everyone will love to hate! One you would like to just strangle. Some you will love, but mostly it is all about Maggie. She is stronger than she thinks and has plenty of gumption!

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center was a great read!

5 Big Brilliant Beautiful Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

BEST BOOK of 2018 so far.... WOW! This book had all the feels.... I was absolutely captivated from first page to last... my emotions went on an amazing rollercoaster.... sorrow, anger, hope, elation, frustration, happiness, sadness, love, Hate, and so much more....

Margaret was a remarkable and inspiring character... she had a bright future and then tragedy struck and it was all taken away from her.... this book was about Margaret’s struggle and journey to the other side of tragedy... along the way she found out who the true people in her life were....

Margaret didn’t always do things how I would have liked, but who am I to judge? I’ve never fortunately been in this situation.... there were also some people in her life that frustrated me quite a bit, and some of the things said were mind blowing.... there were also some people in Margaret’s life that exceeded both her and my expectations.... I realize I’ve been pretty vague.... but I want you to go on this journey without too much information and enjoy it as much as I did.... something beautiful that was touched on in this book is the deeper the sorrow you have felt, the greater the joy you will feel....#Truth

Strongly encourage you to read this beautiful book filled with hope and resilience and love.💕

*** thank you so much to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this brilliant book ***

• Goodreads 5/15
•Amazon 5/15
•Blog 5/15?8??;7

I received a copy of this book for review. I received it via ebook format, and I must say I am so upset. I love this book so much that I wish I had received a hard copy so that I could pass it on to everyone! But, I guess that means I can buy a copy to support the author, and pass it along that way!  If you like romances with a bit of tragedy, I highly recommend this book. If you enjoyed Me Before you and have wanted something with a similar feeling to fill that void, I would also recommend this book. Basically, read this book!!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book! After being seriously injured in a plane crash she didn’t want to take, Margaret’s perfect life falls totally to pieces. But as she works to heal she starts to learn “How to Walk Away” from her old expectations. I read this book in 2 (school) nights, because although I was pretty sure I knew what would happen, I was so drawn in by the characters that I couldn’t stop reading! I think this would be a great summer read, but maybe not on the plane!

Really loved this book. It starts out as fairly predictable, although the author does a great job of reflecting the rainbow of emotions: from depression to elation and back again that the main character goes through.
Maybe people as a whole are pretty self-centered, but I was kind of astounded at exactly *how* self-centered that Chip and his entire family were about all of this. It made me doubt his mother's relationship with Margaret's mother could be sincere.
I also liked the ultimate resolution of the story because it definitely took a different turn than I would have guessed, and I love it when that happens.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book! Maggie is a terrific character but equally good are her sister Kit (I wish I had a sister like Kit), her parents, and Ian. Then there's Chip and Evelyn. Watch for an amazing conversation with the latter. For all the horror of what happens on her engagement day, Maggie emerges whole and with purpose. That said, this isn't as sugar coated as it could be and that's what makes it special. There's a terrific scene in Bruges that actually made me smile = a lot. The epilogue goes ways I didn't expect it to. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is just terrific.

I loved this book. Well written with a great plot, cast of characters and setting. The author is new to me and I enjoyed her writing and look forward to reading more of her books.

Entertaining from the first page. I loved the protagonist's voice and her spirit. An uplifting, heart-happy read. Certain to be seen in beach bags everywhere this summer and as sure as sunny days and changing tides, HOW TO WALK AWAY will be a well-loved hit.

I read it in 3 days, got me hooked from the beginning. At points it was easy to relate with the main character.. at others I wasn't ( I'm just not that chatty myself).This deals with pain ,inevitability and resilience.... Makes you feel all the emotion and strugles... I cried but also laughed. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to read this book.. and definitely recommend it. I gave this 4/5 🌟 because at some points the plot seemed a bit predictable.. but that didn't make it less interesting.
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Fans of Maybe in another life by TJR and Me before you by JM will must check this one out 😍

This story is so beautiful and captivating! The writing is full of eloquence as it describes tragedy, fear and struggles. Along with the struggling is strength and a learning to live with acceptance which brings hope and life. My favorite quote is "But you have to live the life you have. You have to find inspiration in the struggle and pull joy out of the hardship." The story is just that with exquisite writing!

This book was much more emotional than her last book that I read. The subject matter makes it quite a bit more bittersweet, and serious to begin with. Overall I really enjoyed Margaret's journey, her relationship with her sister, and her antics with Ian. I think my favorite parts were the ones between Margaret and her sister. They are really opposite, and have a fantastic banter. I enjoyed that Margaret's journey was not entirely predictable and not completely positive. I liked that her relationship with Ian wasn't the full focus of the book, but it did feel a bit like an afterthought... I would have liked more dialogue if nothing else. I felt like I still didn't know much about him or his feelings after the book was over with. I liked that the book was told in the present starting at the beginning, but I felt like it could have been nice to have a bit more detail on her current life. Overall I enjoyed this one, but wanted a bit more resolution in the ending, or a bit more of a relationship developed between Margaret and Ian.

Happiness for Beginners was one of my favorite books the year it came out and so this one was highly, HIGHLY anticipated. My expectations were beyond sky high and this book completely shattered them all.

This book is a complete marvel. It made me smile and cry and laugh. I love every single thing about it, and I definitely want to read her entire backlist immediately.

Margaret is wonderful. She's completely realistic and while she ends up okay, she definitely is not there the whole time. And all I want is a companion novel about Kit. (Please?)

This is going to be one of my favorites of the year, and ever. Highly recommended.

Where to even start. Well, I loved this book so let's start there.

I just adore the protagonist Margaret, and her sister Kit. Their relationship is so honest to real sisterhood and each is interesting on her own. All of the characters are so true to humanity and lovable even in their most selfish moments. I enjoyed the addressing of the reader as well as it works very well in this story.

There are laugh out loud moments and there is absolute utter heartbreak. You can guess at various points where the plot is going but there are plenty of surprises. The good kind of surprises where you didn't see it coming but it makes perfect sense.

It's a very cinematic novel. Center does so well at describing a scene just well enough that you know where you are as a reader without being distracted by unimportant information.

I love the message of strength in this book. In the end, it's Margaret who saves herself. It's not because she rejected help or didn't have moments of complete despair; it's because she knew only she could do it for herself. (I'm trying to be a bit vague here because I don't want to give any of the plot away.)

I got so much more than I expected from this book. From the description, it sounds light and fluffy with some life obstacles keep it interesting. However, Center really captures the essence of something bigger here: the sheer will of human persistence, the courage to face new unplanned futures, and the grit it takes to pull yourself up from tragedy to live a beautiful, whole life.

Note: I received a free kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin's Press, and the author Katherine Center for the opportunity to do so.

absolutely wonderful, heartwarming, inspirational, wonderful and uplifting. Loved it and highly recommend.

I so enjoyed this book! I must exclaim this statement up front because it made me feel so good and inspired to appreciate what I have and to love the good people in my life, especially today, Mother's Day. Margaret’s life is turned upside down in a tragic plane crash with her fiancé, Chip. Before the accident, she considered her life to be perfect, but when she loses everything she wanted and is forced to face many obstacles, she realizes there is more to life. This story is mainly about Margaret's journey to recovery, but her family and friends also have turmoil to overcome. The experiences are real and the characters are relatable where I found myself smiling and laughing at times. I would consider this a work of romance, but there is much more than a hot Scottish man which is quite nice too. I would highly recommend this to ALL my friends and thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.