This book was amazing! I like to recommend a fun read section to my adult students (so they have suggestions for books outside of educational material) and this one is going up ASAP!!

Great summer read! Discouraged at times with the main character, but that's when you know you're invested! Dare I say, I liked this one even better than How To Walk Away, and looking forward to reading more titles by this author! Thank you netgalley!!

Okay, yes. I’m another one of the millions of people to rave about this book. It’s completely justifiable because it’s that good. Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire is all a reader could hope for in summer reading and more:

LOVE
A ballsy, heroic protagonist
A major conflict that we all can relate to
Humor
Adorable minor characters
Atmosphere

Is this book was a meal, it would be fried chicken, butter beans, mashed potatoes, and peach cobbler. Classic love story, but with just enough pizzazz that it feels brand new.

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress

This is my second novel by Katherine Center and while I loved How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire spoke to me on a special level. Female firefighter Cassie has always held her own in her Texas firehouse and when she's being awarded a medal, she learns a guy who she has a less than stellar past with is presenting it. Now, we really see just how Cassie can hold her own. Unfortunately, this earns Cassie a one-way trip to Lillian, Massachusetts where she will care for her mother and become a new recruit at an old-school firehouse.

Cassie is such a strong female character and has spent her life putting up walls to avoid getting hurt. What happens when those walls come down and she starts to let people in? Center does such a fantastic job of portraying someone who is afraid to let her guard down and all the emotions that come along with living a life in that manner.

As a huge fan of firefighter shows on television (I'm looking at you Kelly Severide #chicagofire), it was really fun to see these dynamics depicted in a novel as well. There is a love story in this book but I wouldn't classify it as an overall romance, more along the women's fiction line.

I'm glad that Center has a few books in her backlist to keep me busy while I wait another year to see what she does next!

Another fantastic book by Katherine Center. This book is packed with all kinds of emotions. I loved Cassie and her growth as a character. She learned to forgive, love, move on and stand up for herself.

Who doesn't love a strong female lead? Plus, I interned at the Austin Fire Department one winter, so that's fun. However, I felt that the idea of a strong woman in this book was a bit superficial and nothing that I hadn't seen in a superhero movie already. That said, I keep watching superhero movies and am still entertained. This book was no exception.

At the beginning of the book, Cassie and her superiors list off everything she, as a woman, can't do, in order to maintain her credibility at the station. You already know that the rest of the book involves breaking every single one of those rules. The most obvious of which? To not get involved with another firefighter. No matter how hot, how good natured, how perfectly dreamy he is. So waddyaknow??

It was super predictable and reads like a YA novel except for a traumatic experience in Cassie's life that is alluded to throughout the book and revealed at the end. I loved her mother Diana and Diana's best friend Josie, and loved seeing how Cassie and Diana's relationship developed throughout the book.

What I think would be interesting to explore is this whole "I'm not a girl"/"I'm not like most girls" thing.

This was the first book that I have read by Katherine Center and I can guarantee you that it won't be my last. Things you save in a fire was a very quick read for me, BUT it had all of the emotions and feelings that I love. There were some amazing takeaways from this book and I always love a book that leaves me thinking about it long after I've read it.

Some parts I kind of guessed, but others really took me by surprise. I really, really enjoyed the author's style of writing and her way of telling a story. Fantastic read!

A thoroughly satisfying read about learning to love and forgiveness, not only towards others but also ourselves. Center is now added to my list of authors that I’d buy without reading the book jacket. Her stunning covers are an added bonus.

Cassie is top notch firefighter, and has worked hard to be one of the guys. While receiving a special award, old memories come back to haunt her and derails the life she is living. At the same time, an unwanted call comes her way and she has no choice but accept it. Now she needs to start over proving herself all over again to a much tougher crowd! Throw in a hot rookie, an intimidating stalker and a massive fire and you have a book that you will read from cover to cover in one sitting!

Center undertakes many different relationships in this book; family, love, work, friends. She captured the workings of a firehouse (the work, competitiveness, friendship, chain of command and pranks) but also the mindset of what it takes to be a firefighter.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

5 Amazing, Emotional, Fireworks Stars!!!! 

I read Katherine Center's book How to Walk Away and absolutely loved it. So I was literally doing backflips when I got this book to review. So, let me tell you - Things you Save in a Fire - the first thing is this book!!! It's that good! Katherine Center has done it again, hit a grand slam with this book. This book is red hot, we need Cassie to help put out this fire!!!! 

The family dynamics are incredible (with so many of the characters). They are ones you will either see in your own family or your friends. This makes it so easy to connect with several of the characters and so relatable. The characters the author chose for this story are simply perfect! She developed them at just the right pace throughout the book, along with adding new characters the same way. Some authors just throw everyone at you in the beginning and then develop a story. Not Katherine Center. She masterfully builds the storyline to where you are so invested in everyone, I didn't want the story to end. I was even rooting for one of the bad guys to turn his life around. 

There are so many powerful faucets to this story that one might think they would be competing for your attention. But the author is so talented in her writing abilities that she beautifully weaves these all together to make perfect sense and harmony, it's a well balanced novel. You will stay engaged from beginning to end. There is Cassie, who is strong and independent and needs to learn how how to love again, open her heart, let go of past hurts and forgive. You have the extremely strained mother/daughter relationship that needs a medic to revive it. You have the Rookie, who let's just rename him McSteamy because he is so hot he will catch your heart on fire. You have the all boys club fire department who constantly underestimate Cassie. You have a sickening Heath who gets a good dose of his own medicine. And then a whole cast of secondary characters and the whole story fits together like a perfect puzzle. I am truly in awe of the writing chops Katherine Center has. 

This is a story about love, moving on, strength, courage, forgiveness and healing. It will grab ahold of your heart and squeeze and leave it full of wonder. Wonder of how all of these elements can be applied to your own life. I can't brag enough on what a beautiful story this is. But it's also fun, silly and light natured in parts. I laughed just as much as I cried at times. This book (and to me author) is addicting. You won't be able to put this book down. 

Katherine Center has fast become a favorite author of mine. If you haven't read this book, stop what you're doing and go get it. I love, love, LOVED it!!! It ranks as one of my favorite books of 2019. Then check out her other books. I promise you will not be disappointed. 

My thanks to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After I heard that Katherine Center was writing another book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Things You Save in a Fire. I adored How to Walk Away and Get Lucky, and Things You Save in a Fire featured the same elements that I loved from Center’s other works. 

Things You Save in a Fire follows Cassie, a heroic Austin firefighter. After a desperate call for help from her estranged mother, Cassie reluctantly agrees to move to Rockport, Massachusetts. She takes a job in nearby Lillian, at the Lillian Fire Department, where she is not only the only girl, but is actively despised for being the first woman in the department. With the help of the new rookie, she learns to navigate the department and learns about herself in the process. 

The story is told in first person from Cassie’s perspective. Cassie is a great character. She is strong, smart, and incredibly funny. She loves being a firefighter and she’s good at it. She intelligently deals with the sexism and childish antics of the other firefighters in her department, and rises above the drama that they cause her. While Cassie is great, my favorite character by far was Owen, the rookie. He’s immediately accepting of Cassie, never questioning her ability to do the job, and tries to befriend Cassie, even though it makes things harder for him in the firehouse.

When I started the book, I did not know that the story was set in Rockport. Growing up, I spent every summer there, and it has a special place in my heart. That, coupled with the amazing character of Owen, the rookie, and I was immediately sold on the story of Things You Save in a Fire. I flew through this one in two nights and cannot recommend it enough.

Katherine Center has become one of my new favorite authors. Her books are feel-good and I find it so easy to connect with the main characters. The situations the characters deal with are so relatable, and make the story that much easier to love. Things You Save in a Fire is no exception. Cassie is accepting an award of valor for saving kids from an overturned bus when she is forced to face the man who caused her harm in the past. She takes the opportunity to kick his butt in front of everyone, then loses her job with the fire department. She works out a deal to move to another fire station where her estranged mother lives. She gets a job at a firehouse that has seen better days, has no women, and where she fears she will be an outcast. Until she comes face-to-face with "The Rookie" and she cannot seem to keep her eyes off of him. Things You Save in a Fire is a modern story of facing adversity, finding forgiveness, and re-imagining love. I absolutely loved it!

I LOVED this book! I loved How to Walk Away and I was honestly worried that The Things You Save in a Fire could not live up to that--but it did!! Cassie is a badass female firefighter. Her mom abandoned her and her father on her 16th birthday, the same night something went horribly wrong in her life. When her mom calls and asks her to come and stay with her, Cassie doesn't want to, but her father convinces her to do the right thing and she goes to Massachusetts. She joins a new firehouse that is more old school and she meets a rookie.

This book is about forgiveness and about the ties that bind us. It's a love story and a family story and a story about being a woman today. It's the story of a woman in a man's world and the story of friendship. There is just so much in this one that you have to read - it's so good!

Being married to a firefighter and being a firefighter/medic myself I was instantly hooked! I could tell that the author had done a lot of research on firefighting, which made me enjoy the book even more! I loved the storyline of Cassie and the Rookie and loved how in the end, love and forgiveness trumps everything!

I really enjoyed this feel good story from cover to cover. I could totally relate to Cassie, a physically and emotionally strong female working in a male dominated field. This was the perfect light read on the start of my summer vacation. I’d recommend this author as this marks the second book I’ve read by her that I’ve rated 5 stars. It will not be my last by this author. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved How to Walk Away by @katherinecenter so when the opportunity to read and review her newest book came along I jumped at the chance! I was trying to wait until closer to publication date to read it but I just couldn’t resist any longer. Things You Save in a Fire exceeded expectations and lands firmly in 5⭐️ territory for me. ⁣⁣
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Cassie is one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse. She’s worked hard and risen to the top, gaining respect and admiration from her fellow firefighters. Her estranged and ailing mother needs her to return home to help care for her so Cassie returns home, albeit begrudgingly. Here she needs to start at square one in her new firehouse and gain the respect of her fellow firefighters, most of whom think this is not the place for women. Not only does she need to build her reputation with these firefighters from scratch, she needs to rebuild her broken relationship with her mother.⁣⁣
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I loved this heartfelt, addicting novel! Cassie is a scrappy, funny, spitfire of a character and I loved the character development throughout the book. The author does a fabulous job tacking tough subjects in a lighthearted, witty way. This well balanced novel was beautifully written and solidified its spot in my top reads of the year. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Five well-deserved, positive, hopeful, when you read it, this book gives you hope, joy, not only warm , definitely heat your heart, gives you tunes makes you dance and sing -at the end you feel like you’re watching Gosling and Stone’s favorite LaLaLand dance scene on your mind over and over again- stars!

What an inspirational, fantastic book with those beautiful characters, I wish they were real so I could HUG them and tell them I love you 3thousand !

I start to read this book on my lunch break, but lunch turned into let’s have dessert and coffee break, too and coffee break turns into oh look at the look, let’s also have some chai tea latte, it’s 5 pm, (thankfully I’m self-employed )! As you can imagine I had the longest lunch of the history!

My counted sighs during this reading: 216

My counted giggles: 34(they were embarrassing, my advice , don’t do at the restaurants crowded with the businessmen with serious faces, one of them already gave me his card, you guess right, he’s shrink!)

My counted teardrops: More than 1000, last pages are really hard to survive, good news, a small boy around 6 years young (!) who was sitting at the next table, gave me his chocolate chip cookie ( my favorite)! So I ate it and continued to sob. (At least my ugly cries stopped!)

I loved Cassie, she’s achiever, fighter and also survivor, smart, competitor, tough but she’s lonely, hides herself by building concrete walls around her feelings. Till he met the ROOKIE! ( Nope we don’t talk about Nathan Fillion and his TV-series, but let’s imagine 20 years younger version of him, I think Cassie is not going be the only one who is gonna fall in love with rookie! )

The Rookie,( only mentioned few times his real name but this nickname stuck with him),is the sweetest, nicest hero that you can ever imagine. He’s natural born charmer, but as a big plus, he can really cook! He can sense something happened so bad to Cassie in the past but he is really patient enough to win her heart.

I confess, as I read a few pages, I thought this is a chic lit meets rom com kinda book. The girl had incident with the city council member who squeezed her butt when she was getting her award for her achievements as a firefighter at the time she’s about to get promoted. So she refused to tell she was sorry to the council member so she was transferred to her new work place with full of biased, Neanderthal meets cavemen, suspicious coworkers. But the other main reason of her move is her sick estranged mother’s need of her urgent help.

So we think, okay classically Cassie will make them eat their statements about a woman cannot be good firefighter and beat them up with her spectacular efforts and achievements. She’s gonna learn how to forgive her mother and after longtime she’s gonna learn to open her heart for real love at first sight( a big applause for ROOKIE! Or let’s chant! IN WE ROOKIE WE TRUST)

But it’s not simple like that. There are so many issues sensitively told on this book starting with abuse, abandonment, early death, drug addiction, fatal diseases, miscarriages, vandalism etc. And the most interesting thing, the author meticulously deals with these matters and at the end she shows us there are still starts shining above us at the darkest times of the night. She gives us hope, guy and helps us meet with our own happiness! It’s all about to change your point of view and learn how to forgive, starting with yourself!

You got it why I gave five stars! Because I have no choice! Good news! Most of the people at the restaurant who just witnessed my reading, already started to give their pre-orders for this book ( Okay, I make them do it by yelling HEY WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! READ THIS BOOK!!!! But this is irrelevant !)

I hope everybody enjoys this as much as like me!

Thanks to the publisher for ARC COPY and my special thanks to NetGalley! But mostly thanks to the author for creating this amazing work!

I truly enjoyed this author's novel, How to Walk Away, so immediately requested this e galley when I saw it on NetGalley. I had a bit of a wait before I was approved but luckily I was!

This book is about Cassie, a seemingly tough, no nonsense, keep all emotion at bay firefighter. Cassie has been hurt and traumatized in the past. Her mother left the family on Cassie's 16th birthday, a high school boy violated her; she does not believe that she wants more than work and routine.

The plot takes Cassie from Texas to Rockport, MA where she agrees to help her ill mother, but only for a year. Cassie vows not to get close. She gets a job in a new firehouse. The antics within in terms of initiations are vividly described. The author credits her husband, a volunteer firefighter for their authenticity.

Cassie joins the fire station on the same day as "the rookie." Their relationship forms the core of the novel, along with Cassie's evolving relationship with her mother.

The book is a good, quick read. There is some philosophizing by Cassie's mother that adds dimension to the novel. If you are a reader of this author's novels or enjoy women's fiction, give this one a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book much better than How to Walk Away. It reminded me of Backdraft meets Rescue Me meets chick-lit, but I mean that as a compliment.

It was a quick read—I finished it in about 4 hours— so the plot and writing were engaging enough to keep me going.

I am not generally a fan of these kinds of books but I liked it well enough and would definitely recommend it to a ton of my reader friends.

Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center... so very excellent. If you want a really great, feel-happy kind of a love story about friendships and family and forgiveness then you need to read this book. It’s so well brought-to-life. You are definitely going to be seeing a lot of fantastic reviews about this book all summer prior to release date 8/13/2019, and probably well into the fall months as well. I can’t say enough good things about Things You Save In A Fire, it really was such an engrossing book about a woman who excels at her job as a paramedic and firefighter, but needs immense help when it comes to building close relationships and letting go of the hurt and pain from the past. This story just comes together so beautifully and is written with so much feeling.

This was my first time reading this author after a patron recommended her. It was amazing! Another review said it read like the TV show, Chicago Fire, and I completely agree, but it was also so much more than that! The story line and the way the characters connected was so real and based on how things really are in the fire service, especially for women. I highly recommend this book to anyone who works in or volunteers with a fire department or related form of emergency services.