This book was definitely not what I expected and I mean that in the best sense possible. I absolutely loved this book. It resonated with me on so many levels; especially because our heroine clearly has so many demons from her past that she has to deal with and I have been in her shoes.
There were moments of this book when tears were just falling down my face. And they weren’t always sad tears, but happy tears too. I can’t even tell you what points I loved about this book because then I’d tell you every chapter that I loved; and there were multiple chapters that I absolutely loved.
Ms Center has a very unique writing style. I loved the dialogue that Cassie had between her friends, coworkers, Diana and the rookie, but I also loved the self reflections. I loved her inner dialogue and the workings of her mind. I felt like I knew Cassie and at times I was Cassie. That is incredibly talented and it made the book flow so well.
I also loved the interactions between Cassie and the rookie. The way their relationship developed was so sweet. I first thought that this book was going to be a romance read, but it turned out to be so much more. I am so happy that I found a new author to read.
**ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own**

I so enjoyed this book by Katherine Center. It is about a person who has an event happen, plane vrash, that changes her entire course of her life. The author did a great job on the medical parts of the book which made this book so believable. The book is mostly about corage, relationships between sisters, family, and love interests. If you are looking for a great book that will keep you turning the pages, this is it. I even had to write some sentences down as they were so powerful. Also,I reviewed on Goodreads.

This book was so good it is hard to review without giving away the story. The writing is so good it pulls you into the lives of the characters as if they are your long time neighbors. You'll share their highs and lows and be happy for them in the end. The writing reminds me of so many of my favorite authors that I'll be looking for more books by this author. She could certainly write another story of firefighter Cassie and the rookie.

I had heard a lot of chatter and excitement about this book that I decided to give it a try. Now, I don't read romance novels, I primarily stick with thrillers and non fiction books, so I was so skeptical going in. Well let me tell you I LOVED THIS BOOK!

From the first page I knew it was going to be an easy read, and it was, I finished it in a day, because I could not put it down.

Cassie is a firefighter and is strong and fiercely independent, but she has been hurt so she has put up a tough wall. At first it seems like she cannot catch a break, having to move across the country and leave the perfect job behind to help her all but estranged ailing mother. But, this book was not a woah is me story nor is it sappy love story !! It filled me with joy, it made me cry, I even giggled.

Read this book, you will not be disappointed. I'm so happy I picked it up....and couldn't put it down. Thank you NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy.

#thingsyousaveinafire #katherinecenter #netgalley #stmartinspress

Katherine Center did it again.......another wonderful book about life, relationships, family, and love. Family doesn't always have to be blood, as is shown in this book. A family of Firefighters, a broken family needing help, all come together in another wonderful story.

Cassie is a female firefighter, happily working and living in Austin, Texas. She was hurt by people in her life. To deal with the hurt and disappointments, she learned to be tough, strong and put up emotional walls.

When her estranged mother asks Cassie for help, Cassie is forced to make decisions which will ultimately change the trajectory of her life. This is a story about love, strength and learning to forgive.

The plot is interesting and kept me engaged. There is famiy drama, sexual tension and mystery. The characters are unique although some are predictable. The story is told against the background of a fire department and the dynamics of those relationships. I enjoyed the way the author used firefighting analogies to make important points in the story.

If you are looking for an interesting read that is engaging and and also fun, this is for you.

I really liked this book. Although the outcome is predictable who doesn’t love a good romance. Our heroine, Cassie, is so likable and fierce that you root for her immediately. The theme of forgiveness is beautifully woven throughout the book. And the setting in a firehouse is different and interesting! I liked it!

My review is posted on Goodreads now. I'll post it to Amazon and my blog (www.bugbugbooks.com) on the release date. Thank you so much for the ARC!!!

Twenty-six year old Cassie Hanwell is one of the only female firefighters in her Austin fire department. Her career is just beginning, but she’s already proven herself to be a good leader who is quick on her feet and tough as nails. She’s earned the respect of her crew and her chief, and a promotion looks all but certain…until she punches a sleazy politician (who also happens to be her former abusive boyfriend) in the face during an awards ceremony. Suddenly, her future isn’t looking as bright.

Reluctantly, Cassie decides to transfer to a different station to be closer to her sick mother near Boston. The two haven’t spoken in ten years and Cassie is still mad at her mom for cheating on her dad and leaving the family. But she doesn’t have a whole lot of options at this point. And dealing with her mother is the least of Cassie’s worries. On her first day, she takes one look at the decrepit fire station and her BRO-ed out coworkers and realizes she’s facing a long road ahead. The new crew doesn’t like having a woman in the firehouse, and they plan on letting her know it every chance they get. The only one who seems open and friendly toward her is Owen, the rookie on the team. In fact, he’s pushing for a friendship, but Cassie doesn’t want that. Or does she?

There is a lot to love about this book. I love that Cassie is not even close to the “manic pixie dream girl” stereotype. She’s strong and somewhat closed off, and even though she develops and grows throughout the story, she never stops being an emotionally calm and contained person. It’s refreshing to see a competent and controlled female character in a romantic-drama-type book.

I also really love the theme of forgiveness that runs through the whole story. Author Katherine Center talks about trauma and fractured relationships authentically and honestly (no glossing over the hard stuff), but her advice on how to forgive (mostly shared through the character of Cassie’s mom) is surprisingly helpful. Watching Cassie be able to confront her past and work through it in such a believable and still somehow relentlessly hopeful way is so, so uplifting. I really didn’t expect to have this strong of an emotional connection to Cassie’s journey, but, wow, I really did.

This book was on my “to be read” list. It was a good book that explored a complex relationship between a mother and daughter. I enjoyed reading about their journey to find a relationship again. Overall, it was a good read. I received an advance reader copy from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel evoked so many different emotions in me. I was crying one minute, then smiling, then laughing aloud. I was cheering the whole time for Cassie to overcome all of the obstacles in her life but knowing in the back of my mind that real life doesn’t work like that. I loved that she was so kind to the Rookie and that she learned how to forgive so that she could then teach how to others. Cassie was a strong female character, one of the strongest that I have ever read about and her strength is in her words and her actions. I could see the research that went into the novel all along the way as I read it and I am thankful for the author’s firefighter husband who helped to make the details so realistic. As the sister of a fire chief, I was enthralled by this book from the beginning to the end. Fans of Katherine Center will not want to miss this one because it is an excellent portrayal of the real life of real heroes. I loved it and highly recommend it to those who want to be entertained and educated about the sacrifices of firefighters everywhere.

A recent Monday morning found me at the walk in clinic with my son, but without a book. *gasp*. I opened my Kindle app, closed my eyes, whirled my finger on the screen and landed on this book.

The set-up: Cassie, a female firefighter with loads of grit grapples with a painful past that requires a lesson in forgiveness. The story was really about Cassie's transformation with a wholesome romance being a secondary story line. I could have used a little more build up and a better paced character arc. However, I still loved Cassie as a strong female character. Cassie experiences something that changes her life and I loved how the author took this difficult event and wrote about it in a way that still conveyed the severity without being graphic.

While didn't love it or hate it, I still enjoyed it. It just probably won't be that memorable a year from now. My thoughts could very well be impacted by my "close eyes, pick a random Kindle book " method.

If you've read and enjoyed Katherine Center in the past, add it to your TBR.

I loved this book!! I read it in just a day or two and couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline.
I have read a few books by this author, and this one is my favorite.

Perfect February read on strength, forgiveness and the power of love. Katherine Center writes a strong female lead and covers some hard topics, while making me as a reader swoon and laugh. I cried, I laughed, I cheered for #girlpower!

Cassie is a firefighter/paramedic in Austin, living a life that she has built for herself after surviving the trauma of her mom leaving on her 16th birthday, when out of the blue her mom calls her and asks her to move to a small town outside of Boston to help her out, because she’s losing her vision. With a lot of resistance and resentment, Cassie goes there and starts at the all-male fire house, which makes it known from day one that they are not interested in having a woman there. She starts the same day as the Rookie, a 4th generation new firefighter. What follows is a story of Cassie striving to prove herself, of forgiveness, love, and finding your place in life.

Such a great book. I really liked "How to Walk Away", so I wanted to read another book by this author. I'm so glad I found this one. From the beginning, I wanted to keep reading, ignoring sleep and work, so I could find out what happened with Cassie next. I'm sad that I finished it, but the author always wraps everything up in the end. Time to find another Katherine Center book!

. This contemporary story opens in Austin, Texas as a group of firefighters are being honored for an heroic rescue. The main honoree is a 5’6” woman firefighter, Cassie Hanwell, who was the only person small enough to fit into the smashed bus to rescue the children. The mayor was supposed to present the award to Cassie, but a city councilman that Cassie knew in high school ended up being the presenter. This man was a horrible person in high school, and is still that way as an adult, and Cassie reacts in a way that has the potential to cause her to lose her job. This leads her to accept a job in Lillian, Massachusetts, where she moves to help her mother, who is having a health crisis.

Many wonderful themes are explored in this book. The themes of loss, forgiveness, tragedy, fulfillment, acceptance, and happiness are all explored significantly through the protagonists and through the supporting characters. Motivations are eventually clearly delineated, although not always initially. The pacing keeps the reader engaged and interested. Cassie especially experiences a multitude of emotions, turmoil, and growth. Her mother is a delightful surprise to the reader—her wisdom and acceptance bring depth as well as poignancy to this book. There is also a healing love story in this novel. This is a beautiful book.

I loved this book by Katherine Center! Strong-willed and determined firefighter, Cassie Hanwell, keeps you on your toes as she navigates life—family, her career and love. Things You Save in a Fire kept me reading and wanting to know more. I highly recommend this to others!

This was one of those books that you just know you're going to love by the end of the first chapter. This was my fist read from Katherine Center, but I'll be picking up more of her books ASAP. I totally fell in love with each and every character, as Center managed to create dynamic, believable characters who you end up rooting for. The pacing of the novel was absolutely perfect, and I felt like everything moved at exactly the right speed.

I kept thinking I could put this book down at the end of a chapter, but I ended up reading it all almost at once. It was the perfect mix of romance, humor, action and personal growth. Totally Recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 13, 2019.

I unequivocally adored this book! Somehow Katherine Center was able to weave heavy topics into a lighthearted story that will make you (happily) feel all the feels.

Cassie is a 26-year-old firefighter and as you can imagine, working in a male-dominated field has its challenges. After excelling and working her way up the ranks at her station in Austin, she's faced with a ghost from the past that has her begrudgingly fleeing to Massachusetts to help take care of her sick mother. This means living with the woman who walked out on her and her father 10 years ago, proving herself at a firehouse that doesn't welcome women, and dealing with the unfamiliar spark of emotion she gets when she's around the cute rookie.

This is a lovely story about digging deep for forgiveness when forgiveness is impossible, fighting misogyny like a bad-ass, moving past grief, and above all, love. This was my first Katherine Center book and I'm most definitely going to check out her others! It was truly a joy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Things You Save in a Fire. I loved the characters, even the grumpy sexist firefighters, and the storylines. Although this seems like just a beautiful love story there was so much more. This book is a lesson on forgiveness How to forgive and how to accept forgiveness. This is a story that will stick with me a long time and hopefully make me a better person.

It’s been a long while since a book has caught my interest as much as this one. I’m a new mom who also works full time—it takes me weeks to finish a book, generally. I finished this one in 3 days. It made me laugh out loud, it made me gasp, it made me cry. Katherine Center evokes such great imagery with her writing and I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend.
I felt for Cassie when she couldn’t forgive. I’ve been there. In a way this book helped me to see the other side of things. It was cathartic to see someone else going through similar obstacles—even if it is a work of fiction.
Katherine Center went above and beyond in her research into firefighters as a whole. She truly helps the reader to understand the gender difference in the profession and I really felt like she had details in all the right places.
While predictable at times, I don’t think it detracted from the overall story arc and even knowing what was going to happen it still kept me guessing with specifics. Overall, this was a great book and I look forward to reading more of her work!