Cassie Hanwell is tough as nails. She's a firefighter; she risks her life to save others and does it in field that's dominated by men. She's found her place in a firehouse in Texas, where she's respected and often thought of as "one of the guys." This all changes when Cassie's estranged mom, Diana, asks her to leave this all behind and move to her home in a beach town in Massachusetts. The firehouse in MA couldn't be any more different than what Cassie was used to in TX. Where the firehouse in TX had the latest and greatest equipment, the firehouse in MA has radios that barely work and nonexistent supplies that are essential for emergencies. Of course, the firefighters in MA aren't too keen on having a female in their house. Can Cassie prove to them that she belongs? And then there's the extremely good-looking rookie who started on the same day as Cassie. Can she stick to the rule to never date a firefighter?

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This was such a great read and I really enjoyed it. Somewhat of a predictable ending, but that's OK with me because it was pretty much the ending I was hoping for. The theme of forgiveness really stuck with me. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Cassie Hanwell has always been calm during emergences. Thats probably why she decided to become a Firefighter. As the only female firefighter in her Texas firehouse, she has become a pro and a highly valued team member. But when her estranged mother is begging her to come live with her for a year, she has to give up everything to move. Her fire captain gives her some guidelines. Don't be girly, be the best at the job, and do not sleep with any of her coworkers. Moving to the new firehouse in Boston, her new coworkers are not too fond of the idea of having a female on the team. Which means she has to work that much harder to prove herself. But on the first day Cassie has an emergency of her own: The Rookie. Cassie tries her hardest to ignore him but the captain has pared Cassie with him to help him learn the ropes of being a Firefighter. The rookie seems like he is the only one who doesn't mind having her around. Through all the hazing, lack of funding, and almost a dangerous lack of equipment, Cassie has yet to show emotion or feelings like her old Captain said. But Cassie feels her self slipping, and possibly risking it all. The only job she has every loved, and her hero image might be at stake.

I have been seeing this book everywhere and the hype did not disappoint! I loved Cassie and her strong character, though at times I wanted to yell at her for being so stubborn. I started to get invested when she starts loosening up. I love love loved the rookie and how sweet he was. Don't let this fool you though, this book has some heavier subjects that I was not expecting! I'm all about forbidden love stories and this one did not disappoint! The ending though..... OMG. Just read it so you can find out!

Cassie is a female firefighter who has properly carved out a place for herself at her station and with her crew. On the night she’s meant to receive a commendation, everything changes when she has an aggressive encounter with a horrible ex. The only solution to the unexpected turn her life has taken? To accept the opportunity to relocate to another firehouse… that also happens to be closer to her estranged mother, who has requested that she come and stay for a year to help her out. Overall, Things You Save in a Fire was a decent read. Center did a commendable job depicting the life of a firefighter (and particularly a female firefighter) in a fascinating way. The themes explored – especially love and forgiveness – were equally interesting and inspired some food for thought. But I did struggle with getting into the narration style, which goes hand in hand with my difficulty in clicking with Cassie’s personality. The pacing was also uneven; the first 70% feels even-keeled only to be followed by the 30% that felt like a very dramatic series finale (and this is something that personally does not do it for me). While Things You Save in a Fire is not a new personal favorite, it was a diverting and quick read.

I finished Things You Save in a Fire a couple days ago. I loved it...it tore me up and put me back together. When it ended, I wanted more of the main characters. It was easy to read and I didn’t want to put it down.
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Check out this one & How To Walk Away. Don’t wait to discover Katherine Center like I did!
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I also received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cassie Hanwell has spent her life making her dream of coming a firefighter true, she works at a firehouse in Texas and all seems to be going well in the world she has constructed for herself. When she learns that her mother is sick and needs her help Cassie just wants to ignore it and continue living her life. She has never really been close with her mother and she has never been able to come to terms with the choices her mother has made. After an incident at her firehouse leaves Cassie with few choices she decides that the best thing she can do is go help her mother out and work at a fire station near her. Cassie soon learns that this new firehouse is totally different from the one that she was working at. The other firefighters don't believe women belong in the job and she is constantly trying to prove them wrong, it doesn't help that there is a rookie who joined at the same time and the others seem to love him. When feelings start to develop between the rookie and herself Cassie pushes them aside. She has a past that keeps her from even dating men much less loving one. She has built a wall around herself that makes it hard for anyone to get through, including her own mother. Follow along in this tale of a woman who has been hurt by the past and who doesn't know how to open herself up to the future. Does she stay closed off? Does she let the past dictate her future? Will she deal with all the feelings she has spent years hiding from? This was such an emotional read, Cassie touched my heart from the start and I just wanted her to come out the other side open to new beginnings. She is such a lovely character you can't help but want her to be able to turn everything around and have the life she deserves not just the one she is living. I cried so much throughout this read but they were empathetic tears. This was story telling at its best and I look forward to picking up more books from this author.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also received a paperback copy from St. Martin's Press (definitely enjoy an actual book in my hand). I would give this book 100 stars if I could. It is one of the absolute best books I've read this year! The plot, the characters, the events - nothing could have been written any better. Katherine Center has done a FABULOUS job writing this book! #thingsyousavebook #tysiaf Enjoy! 📚📚

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for the advanced reader copy. This book was a pure delight! I immediately formed a connection with all the characters. I loved that the story was told looking back. The plot was really good and easy to follow. It’s one of those books that you can’t wait until you get to the end but at the same time, don’t want it to end. Such a good love story! This has been one of my favorite reads this year!

Cassie is a firefighter who likes her routine, structure and lack of a social/dating life. She has reasons for this which are hinted at in an unrealistic over the top opening scene. When her mother calls and asks her to move home to help her Cassie heads back to Boston and a more old boys network of firefighters. She has to prove herself again and While I liked finding out some details of firefighting, the level in this story was excessive and sometimes repetitive. I never really connected with Cassie who started to feel like a trope and her budding romance with nice guy Owen felt rushed and not all that authentic. The story was predictable and cliche to me although the author did try to tackle sexism in the story. I will say the pace was fast but I felt like I've read this story before.

Preface let me say this. If you will only read one book, this summer read this one! I will be as spoiler free as possible. I cannot review the book without giving away some plot elements. Things You Save In A Fire is a must read if you loved How To Walk Away. The book follows Cassie the firefighter who saved Margret after her plane crash in How To Walk Away. I read this book in about 5 hours it was that good!

Things You Save In A Fire is a first-person point of view novel. The protagonist is Cassie Hanwell. She is a twenty-six-year-old firefighter who made a bad decision for a good reason. Cassie goes from having what should be one of the best days of her life to one of the worst days.

As they say timing is everything. Cassie’s impulsive actions and the consequences happen at the exact right moment. Forcing Cassie to give up a job and life she loves. Timing is everything in this book. Cassie realizes she has no choice but to move across the country and move in with her mother. She learns her new life will be a hard one. Cassie also realizes if she had let go of the past she would not be in her current predicament.

Cassie has a strained relationship with her mother Diane. The two barely speak and Cassie must face the past. Specifically, the event that caused the estrangement. Many of us who have an estranged relationship with a parent can relate to Cassie. Cassie and her mother’s attempt at reconciliation weaves this story together. The relationship and the reunion are the catalyst for many changes in Cassie’s life. Cassie’s mother Diane introduces her to the concept of forgiveness. Which is an important theme. So is risk taking but not in the way we normally perceive risk. Saying yes instead of no. How those minor risks can transform the way you think. Even your life.

After I had read the first hundred pages the idea struck me this book was much like a movie. Like the ones they made in the 1980s and 1990s. Those movies where everything goes wrong, and it turns the leads life upside down.

There is some thinking followed by some personal growth. Then in montage fashion the lead works hard to better themselves and their situation. Things To Save In a Fire is like that up to the third quarter of the book. You feel elements of those wonderful movies and think the happy ending is near.

Then Katherine Center does the unthinkable. Yup, she threatens that happy ending in true chick flick fashion. Which without this threat Cassie would not get her happy ending. Sorry not sorry for that minor spoiler. You need to know this book has a happy ending. Yes I had to peek. I could not handle it if Katherine Center Game of Thronesed me.

I could immerse myself in this book because Cassie is so damn relatable. If you are not a Cassie, you know a Cassie. This novel is the right balance of drama and characters you can relate to. I wanted to keep this review spoiler free. I do not mention many characters. Because some characters are spoiled if you attempt to describe them. Also, some characters will surprise you when you finish the book.

The central relationship in this book is Cassie and Diane. Without them coming together many events in the book could have never happened. The theme of forgiveness and reconciliation are everything. Everything else is just gravy. Very delicious gravy. That is why I recommend you pick this book up the day it comes out and stay off social media until you finish reading it. Things You Save In A Fire will be the hottest bestseller of the summer. Just read it.

I rated this book five stars on Goodreads because I could not put it down. NetGalley provided me with a digital advanced reader copy. You can read my review of How To Walk Away here. Click here to read more book reviews.

This was such a beautiful story of forgiveness and healing. Katherine Center truly has a gift for transporting the reader into the story and getting you invested in the characters. I felt so many emotions while reading this book. Some moments were exhilarating, while others were sweet and tender. There were also painful and gut wrenching scenes that left me holding my heart.

Cassie was a fantastic heroine. I loved her drive, tenacity, and confidence. Her struggles to overcome the stigma and prejudices of being a female firefighter only made me root harder for her. Events in her past (that may be a trigger for some) hardened her heart, but I loved how she slowly opened up and began to live again. Her journey to let go of all the anger and forgiving others (and herself) was so powerful. I appreciated that the romantic relationship in the story was just as important as the friendships and familial relationships. Every part was vital in Cassie's journey.

The rookie pretty much left me with a goofy grin on my face every time he was on the page. (The Poo-huahua!!!) I loved his friendship with Cassie and how they each trusted and healed each other. Their chemistry and connection jumped off the page and built up so beautifully and naturally. The supporting cast of characters were also a treat and all of the fire station pranks added some wonderful lighthearted moments. My favorite was probably the ladder and rooftop ;) I also loved getting a glimpse into the inner workings and dynamics of being a firefighter.

I thought the more serious moments were balanced so well with the sweet and silly ones. It made this book unputdownable to me. The epilogue had me smiling ear to ear (even the bittersweet parts) and I cannot wait to read more from Katherine Center!

*Note: There is a bridge novella called The Girl in the Plane that ties this book to How to Walk Away. It is Cassie's POV of the events that open How to Walk Away. Both books can be read as standalones.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Katherine Center is a master at writing what seems like chic lit and weaving in more significant elements. The main character is endearing and relatable. An entertaining read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cassie Hanwell is a shining star in the Austin Fire Department, until a spontaneous reaction to a nemesis from her past and her captain's reprimand result in Cassie agreeing to move to New England to help her estranged, unwell mother. 

Now she's the only female in a small department full of misogynistic firemen. She's one of two newbies with a rookie straight out of the academy who comes from a long line of firefighters. Cassie just wants to keep her head down, follow orders and do her job, so she has no room for her niggling little attraction to rookie Owen Callaghan.

This is my first book by this author and I loved it. It’s one of those books that takes pieces of real life and plays them out in such a way that the reader is an integral part of the story, leaving her with a fondness for the new friends she's made and a sense of satisfaction and contentment when all is resolved. 

Cassie and Owen's story is funny but heartfelt and sometimes frustrating but touching. It’s poignant and inspiring, and it’s impossible not to cheer Cassie on as she navigates all the changes in her life. At the heart of it, this is a story about opening your heart and learning to love, and about letting go of the past and learning to forgive. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year and I highly recommend it.

*I read an early edition of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide feedback and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source.

I picked up Things you Save in a Fire because I really loved How to Walk Away. How to Walk Away had depth and the characters felt fully developed and frankly it had me crying through a lot of it. It was memorable and heartfelt and thoughtful. Things to Save in a Fire was enjoyable, it was sweet, but it wasn’t as impactful as How to Walk Away. The characters felt fairly one dimensional and it was a romance read more than a life drama which How to Walk Away was (although that book also had its own romance as well). I felt that in Cassie we got a finished product of a character and I far more enjoy the journey of watching characters develop. At times she felt like she was too much – she was just good at everything, and had her own emotional struggles but those felt forced or like archetypes more than anything else. I just didn’t connect to her, and felt that the romance was forced on her and us as readers. I guess it just wasn’t what I was expecting from the author after having read How to Walk Away. But overall I thought it was a sweet story and I did enjoy it and read it quite quickly. I’d recommend it as a fluffier read for when you’re in the mood for a feel good story.

This is the 2nd Katherine Center novel I've read, and I plan to go back and read her earlier novels. She has a unique voice with stellar female leads.

Things You Save in a Fire is my first “done in 24 hours” book of 2019. Stories centered on strong characters, living their lives with all their imperfections and flaws on display, are my weakness, and this one has it in spades. Cassie is a female firefighter, working in a small-town fire department, and fighting all the stereotypes. She knows her job, and does it well, but her protective shell is stopping her from living her life to its full potential. And then she meets the Rookie... all bets are off now.

Katherine Center has written a beautiful story of love and loss, grief and anger, power and empowerment, and the healing balm of forgiveness. And it’s all wrapped around a strong, bad-ass female lead who gets to figure it out with the help of her mom, and coworkers.

I loved Center’s How to Walk Away last year... and appreciated the brief reference to Margaret’s accident in this one. Highly recommend this book for the moment when you want to fall in love with characters, and read about realistic efforts to live their daily lives, flaws and all.

Though I didn’t relate with Cassie’s character at first, she definitely grew on me, and I respected her from the start. The beginning was a little slow but once I could see where the plot was heading I got excited to keep reading. I loved the camaraderie between all the firefighters, as well as Cassie’s quirky Mom. Though I didn’t enjoy it as much as How to Walk Away (which I absolutely loved) I really enjoyed this book. I would love a book from Josie’s point of view. I adored her character.

When you devour a book in under 24 hours it deserves all the stars~
"A beginning, a middle - and, most importantly, an end."

I loved everything about this book. To love Cassie is to know her. I cried, laughed, yelled and cheered for Cassie all the way until the end and then I cried some more cause if that ending doesn't get ya... Who are you?
A story about betrayal, love, loss and a whole lot of forgiveness.
Everyone needs to pick this up.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wouldn't mind living in this world that twenty six year old Cassie lives in, being a neighbor to her, her mother, and her mother's friend, Josie. But before firefighter Cassie goes to live with her mother in the Boston, she is living in Austin, TX with her dad and getting recognition for saving a busload of kids from drowning when a school bus overturns. When it turns out that the person presenting her the award is a person from her high school, a very very bad person, and he grabs her butt as he hands her the award, Cassie whacks him on the head with the award and then continues to beat the tar out of him.

There isn't much her employers can do to cover over this situation except to transfer Cassie to a fire station that is so very desperate for hands that they will hire a woman (horrors!). At the same time, Cassie's estranged Boston based mom has begged her to come live with her for the next year. All the sudden Cassie can save face and say she will come because she has a new job in Boston, NOT because she is coming because her mom begged her to do so.

This book has romance and this book has cuteness and this book made me smile. I loved Cassie and her very real toughness and natural ability (that she worked very hard to hone) as a firefighter. She is the best of the best and even folks who might not want her there have to admit that she is the best, she is what the station needs. At the same time she is hired at the Boston station, a newcomer is hired who everybody calls Rookie. Against everything she believes in and things she wants for herself and her life, Cassie is instantly attracted to Rookie and this means she must avoid him as much as possible. Instead her boss throws them together all the time, with Cassie being the best person to train Rookie.

One of my favorite people in this book, beside Cassie (and Rookie), is Cassie's mom. She made me smile everytime we see her in the book. She did something on Cassie's 16th birthday that hurt Cassie and that Cassie can never forgive. But this book is all about forgiveness, forgiveness of others and forgiveness of oneself. And the forgiveness isn't for the other person, it's for the person who needs to forgive, needs to let go of all that resentment and hate and hurt that festers for so long and ruins the life of the person holding onto those things.

This was such a feel good book for me despite the fact that it deals with so many difficult issues. But that's the thing, with forgiveness, the issues don't go away but they can lose their ability to hurt someone forever and that's a good lesson to learn. I liked learning this lesson while enjoying the story and the people in the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It was light hearted, relatable characters, lots of charm and a great over all story. I laughed out loud a few times and enjoyed this book so much that I read Katherine Center's other novel How to Walk Away. This a great romance book that kept me hooked the whole way through.

I loved this book! I've been hearing about this ARC for a while, and was nervous that it wouldn't live up to the hype. However, it far surpassed my expectations. It was so good, and I highly recommend