Katherine Center became a must read for me after How to Walk Away. I absolutely loved that book. This book was also great, but I didn't relate well to Cassie, the lead character. I enjoyed her and her strength, both physical and emotional, but it wasn't until I finished the whole book and reflected that I liked her more. The biggest positives to the book was the unique fire fighting perspective. I loved learning more about the ins and outs of fire stations around the country and just like schools how differently they are funded and that can affect morale and outcome. The mother/daughter relationship was realistic and done well, both carried feelings from many many years and I enjoyed seeing that unfold.
Overall I will recommend this book to others and will look for more books from Katherine Center.

This book is a straight forward romance between two firefighters and some of their personal baggage. I was hoping for something more thought provoking so perhaps my expectations marred my reading experience. It looks like many people enjoyed it so take my review with a grain of low sodium salt. The book was provided by St Martins Press through NetGalley.

Things You Save In A Fire is an elegantly written story which flows beautifully from the first word to the last .As the book opens, shining-light firefighter Cassie Hanwell is being honoured with an award for valour, but from that point on her world tumbles into free-fall in terms of both her career and her personal life.
I admired Cassie for her lateral thinking when faced with challenges. Here is a strong heroine with a brain and a half and the willpower to use it when she needs to. While she might be strong on the outside though, Cassie has a soft underbelly and there were times when I was utterly appalled with how events early in her life had shaped her as this story unfolded.
Throughout Cassie’s journey I felt for her. There were times when I cheered and times when I cried. I loved the way Cassie learned the healing power of forgiveness, of others and also of herself. This book has been such a pleasure to read! I can’t recommend it highly enough.

A feel-good tale of forgiveness. personal and professional growth, and always, love.

This is the fourth book with the premise of a female mc-facing-inequality-in-the-male-dominated workplace that I've read in as many weeks and I can say Ms. Center's version is my favorite. Cassie proved herself by fair means and without getting hardened, showing her worthiness of the valor award she won in the early part of the book.

I really loved Cassie's growth from beginning to end. How she started as cold to her mother. stubbornly holding on to past grudges, and being anti-love, then slowly opening her heart and mind to accept and learn and take chances.

This quote resonated with me: "Choosing to love--despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love anyway ... That's not weakness. That's courage."

Cassie's love interest Owen is adorable and he's perfect for her, but this is Cassie's story all the way. I teared up when she realized that love could heal her. Not necessarily the rookie or anyone, but love itself. Once she's chosen love, everything else was sorted out - her relationship with her mother, the confrontation with her stalker/work enemy, and her romance with Owen.

Happy sigh. Five stars.

Cassie Hanwell is happily working at a very progressive Austin Fire Department. She is a rising star in the department and is being presented an award for Valor for saving a group of children who had been in a bus accident. She is expecting to be presented her award by the mayor, but when he goes out of town, she needs to accept her award from a sleezy yet charismatic City Councillor. When he puts his hand on her butt, she sees red and reacts putting him in the hospital. She is told she must apologize or be fired. She comes up with an alternative, transfer me. Her mother lives outside of Boston and has asked Cassie to come and stay with her due to her health problems. Cassie does not want to go, her mother left her and her father ten years earlier, but she has no choice. She heads off with a new job lined up in Lillian Mass. at an all male fire department. How will she fit in? She needs to prove herself while dealing with her mother. The last thing she expects is "The Rookie."

I loved Cassie. She was tough, smart, strong and damaged. We don't know what happened in her past, but we get in inkling. When she meets Owen, aka, The Rookie, she is shocked at her reaction to him. She does not want to get involved, especially with a firefighter, especially a firefighter she works with. Dealing with her mother and her anger at her is another thing she needs to deal with and she doesn't deal well. As the story progresses we see Cassie change. She begins to listen to others and her heart begins to thaw. She starts to forgive, a little, and realizes once she listens and verbalizes, it makes things better. And Owen, oh my. He is the perfect man, handsome, caring, thoughtful, loving and he can cook! He takes it one step at at time with Cassie, but it was obvious to this reader how he felt about her. The rest of the guys at both fire stations were hilarious, yet the kind of guys that supported Cassie. I loved all the characters in this book except one. I was pretty sure who was doing the rotten stuff to Cassie and what happens at the end of the book showed me I was right.

There are a lot of hurdles for Cassie to get over and the huge twist at the end of this book had me flipping the pages quickly. When we finally learn what happened to Cassie when she was 16, my heart broke for her. As she grows, changes, finds love and learns about forgiveness, this reader was rooting for her to find her happily ever after. This was a well-written and plotted story with great character development. This is a romance, it is a second chance story, it is about forgiveness of yourself and others, it is about family and love and most of all it is about finding yourself and what makes you happy. I definitely recommend this story to just about anyone, it is a great story and I will look for more books by Katherine Center. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I devoured this book! Finished it in 24 hours, 2 ½ of which were on a plane ride home. I could not put this book down and loved it from beginning to end.

Cassie is a rising star firefighter in Austin, Texas. When her mom, who abandoned her on her 16th birthday, calls and asks her to move to Boston to help her out for the next year it’s the last thing she wants to do. Until a conflict forces her hand. All of a sudden, closed off all work Cassie is thrown into a new firehouse with a firefighter who makes her feel things she’s never felt before.

Cassie is a strong, independent, female character and I loved her. She is easily someone that other women could look up to and an example that things can happen to you and they can mold who you become but that you can change and continue to grow. Who you are is not set in stone and I loved that message.

There is a lot that goes on in this book but it never felt overwhelming. There were some slow reveals that I think only once I got irritated and wanted to have the reveal already, but for the most part it wasn’t annoyingly dragged out.

All of the characters were my favorites. Cassie, like I said, was great. Her mom was a lot of fun and even though she was greatly flawed she had so much to teach. The Rookie (I cannot refer to him as anything else) is 100% swoon-worthy. And the rest of the firehouse is handled so well. I don’t personally know much about firefighters besides what I’ve learned from watching Chicago Fire, but this made it so easy to picture and to understand.

While the main plot points aren’t necessarily mind-blowingly unique, I have never read a story about a female firefighter or a story that mostly takes place in a firehouse. Also, without giving too much away, I was very thankful that something I was scared was going to happen did not, so thank you for that!

Five stars! I mean, what else can I give a book that I couldn’t put down? I loved this book. There is no other way to say it. If you are a fan of Chicago Fire, get your hands on this book now. If you’re a fan of Center’s previous novels, why aren’t you already reading this? If you’re just looking for a good book to read, I recommend this one. I for sure will be recommending this book left and right over the next few weeks and I hope that you will pick it up!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "Things You Save in a Fire" by Katherine Center. I truly love this book! Cassie Hanwell is a heroic firefighter that we can all cheer for. I felt every defeat and triumph that Cassie endured. I have never read a book about a female firefighter before but I was in awe of everything Cassie went through because she was a female firefighter. Cassie is the definition of girl power. Another brilliant novel from Katherine Center! I am looking forward to all the future novels that Katherine Center writes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that deals with the themes of grieving and forgiveness. As I grew to know the characters, I also learned a great deal about the life of a modern-day firefighter. I thought it was quite clever the way the author managed to tie the main character to her previous novel How to Walk Away. You can be sure I will be seeking out more books from Katherine Center. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advance copy to read and review.

3.5 stars for a warm, funny novel that takes the reader on Cassie’s voyage in forgiveness, self discovery, and romance. While I enjoyed the dialogue, and the writing is well paced, I felt the ending was a little contrived and predictable, although the characters are endearing. At the end of the day, it didn’t stand out for me as anything special, but it is one to pick up for a beach read or a rainy day.

I was expecting more dealing with a mother-daughter relationship and dealing with being a female firefighter fighting sexism and less romance. Guess not! I was also hoping against hope that the book wouldn't turn out as predictable as it did. At so many points could Ms. Center taken a different and unique path but chose not to. Sometimes finding out you are reading fluff when you expect substance is a good thing. In this case it wasn't. I had hoped for something a bit meatier.

This book was a romantic, hopeful, joy-inspiring delight!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Cassie pretty much had her life planned out. Everything was going according to plan, everything was in a nice neat box, everything was good. Until it wasn't anymore. Suddenly everything was coming undone.

I was immediately taken by Cassie's strength and resolve to be strong, no matter the cost. She'd shut down all of her emotions many years ago, the night her whole life changed. As she struggles with the changes that are happening in her life now, will she be able to open her heart and accept the feelings that she has kept suppressed for years?

Cassie is a strong and compassionate person, someone who is able to work through the myriad of issues with a number of people in her life, a person who should be able to forge ahead. The relationships in this story are complicated. Those complicated relationships are what drive this wonderful story and kept me reading.

Things You Save in the Fire, and Cassie, captured my heart from the very beginning. I could understand why she was the way she was—how her past had closed her off to others. It was heartwarming to see her finally forgive and to be able to move on. This is a story that I devoured. I found myself engrossed in the story-line and the character's lives. This is definitely a book that should be high on your TBR list.

This book - wow! I stayed up all night reading it Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for my copy of this book.

It is a poignant tale of self-growth. This book has so much depth, and so much heart, and it is written with such eloquence. I loved every single thing about it, and particularly loved the fiercely strong, independent female protagonist. This is the first Katherine Center book I’ve ever read, and I will definitely be reading more.

This is not a book to miss out on, it’s a gem.

Trigger warning: this book deals with sexual assault and mild reference to some of the types of scenes first responders attend and the things they see everyday, which may be upsetting to some.

Things You Save in the Fire is my third Katherine Center novel and while I do genuinely like her books, nothing has quite wowed me the way Happiness for Beginners did. I still admire the off-the-beaten path stories she chooses to tell in each one though and this was no exception. Cassie Hanwell is one of the few female firefighters in her Texas firehouse and considered one of, if not, the best. But an unexpected incident paired with her estranged, ailing mother's request that she come home to help her for a year, turns her hard work and life upside down. And her new job at the Boston firehouse is the opposite of everything she's used to – they're out-dated and old-fashioned with no signs of improvement. But Cassie didn't let that stop her from showing these men what a "lady" could do (and do it better), which was my favorite quality about her. Even though at times her antics and speeches felt a bit too PSA for my liking at times, I did appreciate the positive-feminist message overall. But something was missing and I just couldn't connect to Cassie either. The book shined the most when it focus on the interpersonal relationships, whether it was Cassie with her mom, with the rookie firefighter she finds herself attracted to, or little moments with her coworkers. There wasn't enough of that and instead went a bit too crazy, in my opinion, with one huge drama right after another.

This was not my first novel by Katherine Center but this was a super quick read for me. I felt as though the book was a mash up of Third Watch, with a little romance thrown in and some good old fashioned family drama.

Cassie is a tough as nails EMT firefighter who has her world turned upside in one evening. Everything she knows is changing and she has to really roll with the punches that are coming. This was a great feel good book and I recommend it for anyone who read Center's first novel. You will enjoy this one as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Things You Save In A Fire 🔥

“The best revenge is to love like crazy.”

A huge shout out to @stmartinspress for sending me a free copy of this book!
This is the first Katherine Center book I’ve read and my god it was worth alllllll the hype.

This book was centered around finding yourself, learning to love and most importantly learning to forgive. It was so so so well written, it was hysterical and deep and light hearted and heartbreaking all in one.
I loved that the author produced such a bad ass female character and made her vulnerable and hard headed all at the same time. And of course I loved the romance aspect of the book!
I flew thru this book in a day and now I just want to go back and read it all over again.

This book is absolutely deserving of all the five star reviews!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I looked the sheet over. “So, to succeed in my new job, I basically need to be an asexual, androgynous, human robot that’s dead to all physical and emotional sensation.”
She sat back in her chair and nodded, like, yep. Simple.
I nodded.
“Just be a machine,” she said. “A machine that eats fire.”

Things You Save in a Fire has cemented Katherine Center as one of my very favorite authors. This hit all the perfect notes for me: a tough heroine with a vulnerable center (I can’t remember the last time I cheered so fervently for a character!), deep themes of what it means to love and the nature of forgiveness, and of course a perfect love story (with the one guy she shouldn’t fall for, but you know, it sure makes for fantastic reading!)

After an incident at an awards dinner that lands someone in the hospital (can I just say I fell in love with Cassie during this scene), Cassie is transferred from a progressive fire station in Texas to a small-town fire station about an hour outside of Boston – one that has never had a woman fire fighter in it. She goes to this town because her estranged mom, who is going blind, needs her help for a year while she figures out how to live life without vision. On her first day, she is paired up with the rookie – whom she has a very surprising and unwelcome attraction to, and she’s forced to prove again and again (pretty much my favorite scenes) that she’s “not just a girl” there to bring the station down.

When I closed this book, I just felt so good about life. In fact, I reread the last page a couple times because of how perfect it was. One of my favorite reads of 2019!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Things You Save in a Fire is a beautifully poignant read that no one should miss! Katherine Center is a new-to-me author and I'll be diving into How to Walk Away asap. This book focuses on Cassie Hanwell and her love of firefighting. She has a past full of tragedy, some that she's never discussed with anyone, but through it all, she's determined to be the best firefighter she can be. When her mother calls with a desperate plea for Cassie to come help her for the next year, it requires putting her career on hold, but comes at a time where she could either lose her job entirely or transfer and start over.
Her estranged relationship with her mother is awkward, mainly due to a lack of miscommunication, but when certain things come to light, it puts things in a whole new perspective. Still reeling from life changing news, Cassie must also deal with a stalker who wants her out of the firehouse, as well as growing feelings for the rookie, which is against the rules. Throughout the book, you get to experience her personal growth throughout the many trials she faces, and I found myself glued to each page - demanding answers, justice and closure. This is definitely one that I'm immediately adding to my bookshelf and recommending to anyone that'll listen!

Having never read any of Katherine Center's books, and after hearing many reviews of this book, I had to read it for myself. And I'm glad I did! This book gave me all the feels!!

Cassie is a young firefighter who uproots her life in Austin, TX and returns to Massachusetts at her mother's request, who is ill. She joins a local fire department nearby and finds that she's not as welcome as she'd like to be. It only makes her more determined to prove to them, and to herself, that she can do the work just as well as (if not better than) her male counterparts.

The main theme of this book is about forgiveness. Cassie found that she had to learn how to forgive her mother for her past transgressions. But mostly, she had to learn how to forgive herself in order for her heart to open up to love.

Highly recommended!!

I really enjoyed this book for the most part. I would say that this is more women’s fiction. There is a strong romance part, but I wish there was more to the romance aspect of the story. It really hooked me in and took me on a ride.


I voluntarily read an early copy.