I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book. It had a strong female character that I loved. I don't have the right words to express how much I loved this story and I know I stayed up way too late to finish. I could not put it down.

I loved this book so much that I started and finished it in one day! This was a definite 5 star book for me. I really enjoyed the main character, Cassie. She's tough and gives her all in a male-dominated profession. She relocates from Texas to Massachusetts to help her ill mother (from whom she's basically been estranged from). The story focuses on Cassie's relationship with her new coworkers at the firehouse that has NEVER had a woman firefighter (until Cassie) as well as on her strained relationship with her mother. Cassie has a never-give-up attitude when it comes to her work, but that mentality does not carry over to her personal life (she actively avoids even having a personal life). I really enjoyed how the plot unfolds and thought the author did a fantastic job with this book!

Thank you to St.Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

I love fire based shows (Chicago Fire, Station 19) and my dad has been a volunteer fire fighter for over 30 years, so you can say I am a fan of firefighters and their lives. I was really excited to read this book. I really liked how strong of a character Cassie was, and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. I work in an industry that is male dominated, having been the only female in the office more than once, and know how boys club works. Though, not quite to the extent that I am sure other industries are. After reading this and How to Walk Away, this author has quickly risen to my must read list.

I liked Katherine Center's 2nd book Things You Save in a Fire more than I did her 1st How to Walk Away !
I enjoyed Cassie's story and her triumph in overcoming a tumultuous past. It was interesting learning details about working in a Fire Department, however, I'm hoping the sexism scenarios were exaggerated scenes.

I absolutely adored Things You Save in a Fire! I read and loved Things You Save in a Fire by @katherinecenter! I really liked How to Walk Away last year - I believe I gave it 4⭐️ - so I was excited to learn about her upcoming release. I went in not having seen many reviews nor knowing what to expect, and this one blew me away! Yes, it’s a romance. Yea, you can expect certain romance elements/tropes, but this one just felt so much deeper than many I’ve read recently. First of all, the main character, Cassie, is a badass female firefighter. And she’s seems like a real person and not a caricature of a female firefighter. She is strong and still feminine and I loved her pretty much immediately. Throughout the novel she deals with some pretty real issues (abandonment and forgiveness to name a few). Yes, there is romance, but it’s somehow sweet and a little hot at the same time. And there’s lots of other drama so if romance isn’t your thing, then I think you’ll still find something to love here. Best romance I’ve read in quite a while! Put this on your radar. Preorder it. Cross your fingers it’s a @bookofthemonth pick. Then come discuss with me once you’re finished! I’ll still be gushing then! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book for me!
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There are definitely some trigger warnings here - sexual assault, all sorts of medical things (Cassie’s an EMT), and somewhat obvious fire related things. DM me if you want more specifics before deciding on this one!

Read this book and was amazed by this author, highly recommends this book to anyone who would enjoy this super easy novel to read!

This was a difficult book to read due to its heavy subject matter. Cassie is a young firefighter who has to overcome not only being the only woman on the team but all of the put downs of those around her. She suffers a horrific, traumatizing event in her youth and yet she's brave enough to face a fire house of men under the condition that she downplay her femalinity. I'm glad she finds love in the end but I still felt that she had to sacrifice a lot to get where she is. Not exactly the happily ever after I imagined.
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Things You Save in a Fire
Katherine Center
August 13, 2019


The Austin, Texas Fire Department held their dinner and award ceremony with Cassie Hanwell knowing she would receive the prestigious honoree award for the year. She was under the assumption that the mayor of the city would be the VIP to give her the medal. She was the youngest recipient in the history of the city. Cassie was feeling very special yet was nervous about the speech she was due to make. As she waited for the host to announce the mayor, he spoke the worst possible news that anyone could have given her. The mayor had business that he had to attend to so Heath Thompson, an assistant in the city, would be handling the job. For Cassie, this was the worst possible position she could be in. During high school, Heath had been the worst of many who bullied Cassie. What he did was unmentionable. She could not forget the fear and pain of that night. When Heath appeared on stage and gave the plaque to Cassie with one hand, he was cupping her behind and pinching simultaneously. Anger arose in Cassie. Without thinking she turned toward Heath and bashed him in the face with the award she had just received. Chaos consumed the hall and dinner theater. Cassie and Heath were both quickly taken off stage. Heath needed an ambulance to take him to the hospital while Cassie was taken to the Fire Dept Office to speak with her top administrator.
Cassie’s life in Texas ended at this point. She was given a chance to redeem herself by apologizing to the Fire Dept staff as well as Heath Thompson. There was no way she could do that. Her actions were rash and should not have happened but her feelings about what happened to her in high school could not be resolved by an apology. He should be asking for forgiveness from her. Instead of receiving awards and being promoted to Lieutenant. Cassie was asked to leave the department in Austin and work in a small town near Boston. It wouldn’t be easy. The men and their captain did not want women in their department. The town of Lillian had a small department. She would be one of two rookies working with vetran firefighters. Cassie would also be living and helping her mother battle an eye disease. Their relationship was toxic. Her mother left Cassie and her father when she was 16. Since, they rarely spoke but a recent call from her mother challenged her anger. When a parent is ill, how can one not help regardless of a bad relationship? Each night and morning she helped her mom down the stairs or up them. She did the shopping as Diana could not drive. Diana’s long time friend Josie was the go between, as her husband was gone for business often. Josie was able to help pacify the situation.
When I first began to read Cassie’s story I found it difficult to fall immediately into her journey. It became almost like a biography as the tale spoke of the ways and means of the department and many of the runs she and her partner made as EMTs. Yes, I became very interested in her relationships with her family as well as the men the fire department. It was interesting and compelling to read.
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center will be published August 13, 2019 by St. Martin’s Press, New York. I encourage other readers to look this one up. It is a gem!

Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center was exactly the kind of book I needed today. Cassie’s story had me hooked right from the start and I finished the book in less than 24 hours. This is the story of a tough as nails firefighter making her way through the difficulties of both everyday life/love and her job. I love the confidence she has in her skills and how she uses them to save lives, even of those who do her wrong. While I found the story slightly predictable, this took nothing away from my enjoyment of it.

From the very first chapter of Things You Save in a Fire, Katherine Center captured my attention and piqued my curiosity. She describes anxiety so well that I began to feel anxious for Cassie without even knowing the reason why. The book begins with Cassie clobbering a guy while on stage getting an award. He turns out to be from her past and definitely deserved what was coming to him.

Cassie a tough and spunky firefighter who lives in Texas. Her estranged mom gets in touch with her and asks her to move to Massachusetts to take care of her because she is going blind. They have a bad relationship and Cassie “doesn’t believe in love” because her mom cheated on her dad. She does not want to go, but because of the backlash of giving someone a concussion on stage, she ends up moving in with her.

There are many challenges to being a woman firefighter which are discussed. I found it very interesting and intriguing. Personally, I related a lot with Cassie because I feel that women have to prove themselves in many situations. When her Fire Chief is giving her tips on how to succeed in a male dominated profession, it was a harsh reality that women do need to deal with.

I loved the character of Cassie. She is bold and and was rooting for her from the very beginning. She is such a badass and is not afraid to be tough. Katherine Center did a great job of capturing the complexity of human emotion and I LOVED the book. I laughed, I cried, and I was rooting for the characters.

Things You Save in a Fire is about love, pain, loss, and forgiveness. It is something many people need to hear and it made me take a look at my own life and those I may need to forgive. Center is an excellent writer and I will definitely pick up more of her books!

Wow!
First off, this was definitely not what I was expecting and kept me on my toes the entire time. (Which is hard to do) Most authors tell a story and you can already get a feel on where the story line is going and can guess the ending. Katherine did not disappoint me! I would try to guess what was happening and then the next page would quickly give me a reality check to stay patient.
To read a book from what happens on the inside of a firefighter’s perspective was also incredibly refreshing. I have never read a book like that and everything Katherine wrote intrigued me and was making me root for the department to succeed!
I had been wanting to read this book due to the hype everyone in my club gave it but after reading it, I feel like not enough hype was given. Great read!

On the night Cassie is to receive a top honor at her firefighter banquet life throws her a curveball and changes her career path.

Things You Save in a Fire is about forgiveness. As Cassie’s perspective evolved about events that happened ten years earlier, it was easy to hope that some well-deserved happiness would come her way. But first she would need to learn to forgive.

Katherine Center succeeded in making me feel the frustration of being new and female in a formerly all male firehouse and she had me flying through the pages of the breathtaking firefighter scene near the end of the novel.

A quick and enjoyable read which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Center.

A poignant and absorbing story that suggests that for many women, the serious work of “coming of age” doesn’t occur in adolescence, but in our twenties and thirties – and perhaps even later.

Although this novel started slower than some of Katherine Center's more recent efforts, it was equally as engrossing and rewarding by its end. The plot is somewhat familiar: a woman is asked to leave her career to care for an aging/sick parent. What is fresh and new is the protagonist’s life and career: Cassie is a strong Texan woman, a one of the best firefighters in Austin, utterly independent. Her move to New England, the new firefighting job, the mother-daughter relationship, and the casual gender discrimination that is just the air she breathes are treated with sympathy, humor and insight.

But where the novel really hits its stride is in its examination of anger issues: dealing with injustice, responding to hate, letting go of bitterness -- while in no way minimizing the difficulties of forgiveness or the seriousness of damage that has been done. This is a novel I hated to see end (even though I was up until 2:00 am finishing it) – I will miss my time with the book’s characters.

Katherine!!!!! You did it again. I binge read your books every time. This book took me back to how your first book made me feel, The Bright Side of Disaster. Cassie is thrown not just one but several tough, life changing moments. As the reader, we get to walk through how she learns about forgiveness and what it means to believe in yourself. Not that she isn’t confident. But, more of learning to allow herself to be herself. Yes, we get to know the “Rookie” but he isn’t the answer or cure. He is one of many characters that bare witness and contribute to the changes that take place in Cassie’s life. I loved the humor in this book. The loyalty that is unique to firefighters and other service citizens. I loved the growth and self awareness that Katherine put into her character. I will definitely be sharing about this book with others.

4.5 Stars!

How to Walk Away was one of my favorite books from 2018. When I heard Katherine Center was releasing another book, I knew I had to read it. Things You Save in a Fire was exactly what I was expecting. The writing was brilliant. the characters were fleshed out and lovable. The story and drama were entertaining and pulled me in. There wasn't much about this book that I didn't love.

Cassie was this tough as nail firefighter who didn't want to stand out in the crowd of firefighters. She tried to blend in as much as could with her fellow male counterparts. While I was impressed with her ability to do so, I was sad that she had to do that in 2019. I know a lot of women do, though, in many jobs. It added a very interesting aspect to this love story. It made Cassie's feelings for the rookie a tad bit stressful and emotional in a way I couldn't have seen coming.

I loved everything about Cassie and Owen's (non-)relationship. The way everything built between them was perfect. I felt their connection. I enjoyed how Cassie tried to avoid it. It was just really cute...and emotional. I won't go into why it was so emotional because I don't want to ruin anything, but Cassie had some healing to do where love was concerned. I enjoyed how she worked through her issues with love.

Part of those love issues for Cassie had to do with her mom. I adored her mother in this book. I get why Cassie had to work on forgiveness. Forgiveness was a huge part of this book, and I liked how it was done -- with one exception.

One of the biggest villains was forgiven more quickly than I liked. The severity of the hurt they caused felt almost brushed over by the rate of forgiveness. I am glad this person was forgiven, but I wanted more legal retribution. This person didn't have to deal with their actions in the way I thought they should have. I did like how they atoned and made a huge effort to apologize, though.

Other than that, this story was perfection in my eyes. It was a great inspirational story that has me eagerly anticipating Katherine Center's next book.

A few weeks ago, I read How To Walk Away and posted a review on my blog. I loved the book so much and I put the book on my favorites shelf. When I saw that Katherine Center had a new book coming out, I knew I wanted to read it! Things You Save in a Fire is quite different, but no less enjoyable. I really loved Cassie Hanwell. I loved that she was brave and independent and a woman in a male-dominated profession. I also liked that Cassie was central to the story. It worked so well that the romance did not dominate the story because Cassie was such a well-written female character. She survived the terrible events of her 16th birthday to become a firefighter. Unfortunately, she almost loses her career in Austin when an incident at an awards ceremony gets her fired. She relocates back East to the small town of Lillian, Massachusetts. She is the only female in her new firehouse. And the men don’t really want her there.

Except for a rookie firefighter named Owen, who is the son of a firefighter. Cassie and Owen bond through the pranks from the other firefighters. Cassie also has to live with her mother in Lillian. Her mom isn’t well and she needs Cassie’s help. So now Cassie and her mom must patch up their troubled relationship.

I really enjoyed this book and I will feature a review on my blog www.henryandbennysbooknook.com and on Instagram and Goodreads closer to publication day!

Such a good book!! Pick it up this summer. You will not be disappointed. Such a life story that will speak to you.

I struggled hard with the first 50% of this book. I don't need to like characters to like books, but I do have a hard time when I think there's a life circumstance they're blaming holding their whole life back on on that is so fucking ridiculous that they a punch...especially if there is an actual life circumstance they've experienced that is much deeper that the author skirts for most of the novel. It's hard to say what I really think without giving away plot points. I liked the second half much better when Cassie's head was un-lodged from her ass and as always enjoyed Katherine Center's writing. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! Cassie is an extremely strong-willed and courageous female lead. I loved how her and Owen’s relationship grew and how patient and persistent he was as with her knowing that something traumatic happened in her past.

The theme of forgiveness is very poignant throughout the novel and was very beautiful to read.

Overall, 4 stars!

If you’re anything like me, you read A LOT. And, while ready, you enjoy strong, intelligent, lovable and bad-ass female characters. Celebration time because the heroine is all of those things and more! Katherine Center is a new favorite, because she masterfully wove this story about love, courage, forgiveness, healing and moving on. You laugh, you cry – you read it all the way though without putting it down. The family dynamics, the love story, the work dynamics it’s all there.

Cassie is a totally bad-ass female firefighter/paramedic. Early traumas in her life leave her emotionally closed off, and she reroutes all her energies into being both physically strong and amazingly cool, calm and collected in emergency situations. As her story unfolds, Cassie learns (as we all do…) that it’s much more difficult to be open and vulnerable emotionally (i.e. strong) than it is to be physically strong. But, it’s worth the effort if one can do it, and Cassie fights hard to do so.

I loved this story. I loved the characters. I loved how relatable and true-to-life many of Cassie’s struggles are, both personally and professionally. Katherine Center, you have a new fan and I cannot wait to read whatever you write next.