Loved this book - it had me from page 1 all the way to the end.
The characters were great.
I would definitely recommend this book !!!

I absolutely loved this! Things You Save in a Fire is one of those very hyped books that actually lives up to the hype. It's sweet without being saccharine, it is kind and thoughtful in all the best ways, even if those ways are sometimes a little painful. It's hopeful without being unrealistic, and in the end it's a celebration of what makes us--through all of life's ups and downs. Very highly recommended.

here has been a lot of hype and publicity for Katherine Center's latest book: The Things You Save in a Fire and there is a good reason for that - it is a wonderful book featuring a strong, interesting, intelligent woman who also is a firefighter.

When Cassie is first introduced she is receiving a medal for valor and bravery. This really isn't something that she wants but she deserves it. She's with her department family having a great time when she becomes aware that the person is handing out her award is someone with whom she has a traumatic past. Things do not go well after that, to the point that she is giving the choice of being fired or transferred. She takes the transfer which is back her hometown, a new station, the need to prove herself once again and to a mother with whom she has a difficult past.

Through the remainder of the book we see Cassie as she grows into the person she was meant to become - strong, capable, funny and even loving. The transformation is poignant, heartfelt, hard and very relatable. Things You Save in a Fire is one of my favorite books of the year. With impeccable writing, believable characters and a story line that is captivating and heart-felt, this is a book you will not want to miss.

5 Stars!

"The best revenge is flying kites on the beach with your chubby toddlers." Or "The best revenge is dancing to oldies in the kitchen with your goofy friends." Or maybe "The best revenge is to love like crazy." "

If you've never read a Katherine Center book, I highly recommend that you do. They take you through an emotional journey that you can't even imagine but they always end with amazing life lessons and resolutions.

Cassie is a firefighter and a fierce one at that. She has worked hard her entire life, never given a hand out and has become one of the best. She's a woman in the force so she has to work even harder. One night she is presented an award and is very excited until her worst nightmare shows up. The man who took advantage of her when she was younger is the one who is presenting this award to her. The man who she thought was love but was cruelty instead. The one who left her out to dry, took what he wanted and left. He took more from Cassie than just physical things, he took her ability to really love.

Cassie ends up getting a phone call from her estranged mother to come help her and she is having trouble seeing. Cassie ends up getting relocated (for more than one reason) to a new firehouse that does not think women should be in the force. She ends up proving herself, gaining a family and falling in love within the force, which her previous female captain said you should never do. Little did she know, Cassie's mom has also been hiding some secrets. They start to come out and we unravel in a journey of Cassie and her Mom's forgiveness.

I don't typically get emotional with too many books but this one hit me hard. Maybe it was because of what was going on in my personal life but forgiveness is the main theme in this book. Can we forgive those who we've done wrong? Can we understand why they did the things they did? Why do we let the things that happen in our past scare us from the future? Is holding a grudge worth losing out on great memories

What I truly love about this book, besides the theme, is that Cassie was a female who worked hard on her own and was in a position of power in her career. I think as a women myself, I find it hard to find the balance of being too nice and too aggressive. I found myself in parts of Cassie with her internal struggles. I was continuously rooting for her and in the end I was happy when she found a lot of peace.

Definitely pick this one up - it's such a wonderful story. Katherine Center is an amazing writer and this is one of my favorites this year!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book!

Last year I picked up How to Walk Away by Katherine Center and found myself completely blown away. Categorized as contemporary romance the story was way more than your ordinary romance since that side of the book was really hidden in the so much more emotional content the overall story contained. Ups and downs and all around I’d found an author I knew I’d want more from.

Now here I am with Things You Save in a Fire and I was a little nervous picking this one up that my expectations were going to be way too high. Thankfully instead of disappointment I found that same formula of a completely emotional roller coaster wrapped around a whole new story that just immediately pulled me in.

In this book we have Cassie Hanwell who is a female firefighter who has had to not only battle the fires but also the male dominated world she finds herself in. Cassie had more than proved herself again and again at her job but when she finds herself suddenly uprooted and having to start over in a new station she needs to dig deep and prove herself once more. The only problem in her way this time, the handsome new rookie that catches her eye even though she’s determined she doesn’t have time for love.

After reading this one I do know I will try to be the first in line for any more books from Katherine Center. Any book that can captivate me so quickly with all the ups and downs from laughter to tears is an A+ in my book and I’d definitely recommend checking this one out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A good contemporary novel that’s a little different than what I’d normal read, but still enjoyable. I think this would be filed under chick-lit. At times there was too many descriptions and fillers, but the overall story was touching and real.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

To be honest, I was more than a little irked by this book at first, but it did grow on me. The hero was excellent.

I did not expect this book to turn out the way it did, but I loved it!

Cassie is a badass woman and her story was very thought-provoking, even though it was still a light read. Her story was indicative of the need to allow people to tell their side of a story, even if when you think you know everything or when it may seem too hard for you to relive.

FINALLY!!! A book I absolutely fell in love with. Cassie, being a woman firefighter in a mans world, has a lot to prove. Prove that she is capable, competent and efficient enough for the job. Moving to Boston to help her health ailing mother that she has not spoken in the last 1o years to, has left her struggling ever before. Through trials and tribulations, she has come out ahead and is now a better version of herself. This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions. Through laughing and ugly tears, I recommend this book to everyone!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love everything I read by Katherine Center. This is a book about forgiveness and love. Cassie needs to move on from the past so that she can have a future with someone she loves. Oh and this is also a story about being a firefighter.

I started <I>Things You Save in a Fire</I> without really knowing what it was all about. If you told me I was about to read a romance novel, I wouldn't have believed you (strictly from the title and book cover), but that's exactly what it was. It was a quick, light read which was welcomed after having just finished a heavier book. A great palate cleanser.

I admired Cassie's strength and not letting any social conformities to sway her. Being the only female in a male dominated profession and fire house, she makes a name for herself being the best firefighter she could be. The underlying story of female strength and working hard for what you deserve was a real life lesson.

DNF at 49%. I loved this author's previous book, How To Walk Away, but I couldn't connect with this storyline. I found it extremely cliché, predictable and cheesy.

Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center is my first read from this author. Katherine Center has written a heartwarming story that will touch everyone who has the opportunity to read this charming story. Sometimes a book can touch you deeply and this one did for me. The character development is done phenomenally. You really feel you know these characters. There are many different relationships to be found in this book. There are friends, parents and children, co-workers This book had me smiling and crying which is something I haven’t done reading a book in a long while. There are so many wonderful moments in this book. I feel the book is written for the readers heart from the author’s heart. One of the biggest plots in this book is forgiveness. Many readers will relate to the struggle to forgive or to be forgiven. I think that I walked about away learning a little bit about forgiveness. I am so looking forward to reading this author’s other books. Do not miss this read! Delightful. Well Done

I would like to thank the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love love this author and this book was just all the emotions and a total 5 star read! Highly recommend it!! I think I may reread it again soon! I will recommend this to anyone

This was a fun romantic story that will appeal to women of all ages. It was nice to read about a woman fighting for her career in a mans world. Will recommend this.

Loved this book! Officially adding Katherine Center to my list of must read authors. How to Walk Away was one of my favorite books last year and this one will surely make the list this year. The perfect summer read. Sweet but not too saccharine. Funny but with emotional depth. I thought she captured the first responder experience really well and I loved the badass protagonist. Recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a bit longer to get through and was my first book by Katherine Carter. I loved how it took the role typically thought of as a "men's role" and gave it to a woman. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to dive into more books by Katherine Carter.

Amazing story of being brave and forgiveness! A little slow in the beginning but it was a great read!

Sad to say, but I wouldn’t save this book in a fire

Thought I’d like a light read, but man, this one took “light” to a whole new (low) level. Trite, predictable, and ultra-simplistic, I also found the book, in spots, embarrassing. Picture a Hallmark card that shows a female firefighter flexing her gigantic muscles while smiling and shouting, “Happy forgiveness”!

This is the story of a feisty and expert firefighter named Cassie who falls in love. Other crew members include a Mr. Wonderful, a mom with an eye patch, and a firehouse full of men who are nervous wrecks because they have to work with a woman. Mostly we’re inside Cassie’s boring head.

Oh, don’t get me started! Almost everything about this book annoyed me. Okay, I’ll play nice and put a few little things in the Joy Jar.

Joy Jar

-Even though Cassie bugged me, I have to say she’s a good person, which makes her likeable. And she’s a superstar firefighter with a great track record for saving lives.
-I liked the surprise scene at the awards ceremony at the beginning of the book. It was underplayed, though. I wanted more.
-Loved the scene where the firefighters were putting out a tough fire. It was well-written and exciting, and I was glued to the page.

There are some big turn-offs, though. Sigh, I must drag out the Complaint Board.

Complaint Board

Stop showing off! Cassie is as strong as an ox. Okay, that’s pretty cool (if you’re into people being physically strong, which I am not). Cassie gets busy showing off to the guys just how much better she is at, well, everything. Damn straight! She does 11 one-handed pull-ups (!) and that puts those men in their place all right. Oh, and she puts them to shame at basketball, too. She truly is a wonder woman. Showing off is so obnoxious to me, I don’t care what gender you are. The vibe here was, of course, girls are just as good as boys, so there! Cassie seemed like a 5-year-old, yelling, “I’m just as good as you are, Mr. penis head!” I like it when females KNOW they’re just as good, when they don’t feel like they have to prove anything, when they aren’t pitting themselves against the opposite sex, when they’re just doing their own thing. I don’t like wars. Cassie showing up the guys at work isn’t going to raise the men’s consciousness, I don’t believe.

Oh, god, please don’t go all girly! Cassie was supposed to be Ms. Independent Woman who “didn’t need no man,” and then suddenly she turned all girly girly when Mr. Dreamboat appeared. Who would have thunk it? Oh, he’s so cute. Oh isn’t their silent and secret love adorable? Oh aren’t Cassie’s giggly thoughts, her fluttering heart, her jelly-ness, just oh so precious, too? Gag me with a spoon! It was sickening to watch her swoon. Cassie herself doesn’t like it that she’s all girly, but she apparently can’t help herself. The fact that a grown woman turns into a hormonal preteen is beyond obnoxious to me. Some guy turns you on, great. Go for it. You don’t have to fall apart and act silly. (She did hide her feelings, but we had a front-row seat to watch what was going on inside her silly head. Lucky us.) To make it worse, there’s a puke-worthy scene when she’s getting dressed up to go on a date. I don’t want to read about primping for a date, I really don’t. Doesn’t interest me in the least.

Come on, can you really forgive? I know you’re supposed to forgive, but in most cases I think it’s unnatural. I just can’t get with the forgiveness program, I just can’t. Telling me to forgive is like telling me to calm down—not a chance in hell. (And the poor person who suggests that I do? I may not ever forgive them, lol). I have trouble believing that forgiveness works for anyone, but I’m probably just jaded. Cassie forgave two people in her life. I did understand her forgiving one of them, but forgiving the other person was ludicrous, and it really riled me up.

Nope, don’t believe how you acted around the problem firefighter. I didn’t believe Cassie’s reaction to him. I can’t go into details, but I can say this: I don’t believe she figured out the problem, I don’t believe she arrived when she did, I don’t believe she got him to do what she wanted. That storyline felt all wrong.

A non-Cassie-related complaint: The language and internal monologues are just too sophomoric. In fact, I would be curious to learn what the reading level would be for this book. Middle school, maybe?

I know I sound so curmudgeonly. You probably all don’t believe me, but I really do like to read an occasional romance. This one just didn’t cut it; too Hallmark-y and trite. Remember, though, I’m the outlier here. Most people thought it was a decent beach read; I would have buried it in the sand and called it a day.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

4.5 Stars! This author is becoming a favorite of mine! Her books always pull me in -leaving me feeling good & wanting more! It's a wonderful story filled with warmth, romance and forgiveness- what more could you want?