Actually my first Katherine Center book (How to Walk Away is on my TBR shelf) and I LOVED this one. Such a great story that was light and fun, but also had serious moments. Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter who moves from progressive Austin to a small town in Massachusetts to take care for her estranged mother. Her new fire house is much more old school and she is the first woman to ever work there. Cassie was a relatable character (I also work in a male dominated field) and I enjoyed her growth throughout the book.

Katherine Center is without a doubt one of my favorite authors. I read her first book. The Bright Side of Disaster, years and years ago, and I fell in love with her writing. Since then, I have pre-ordered every other book she has written and thoroughly enjoyed them all. When I saw that her latest book, Things You Save in a Fire, was available on NetGalley, I was so thrilled to be able read an ARC! However, I was afraid to read it right away, because then I wouldn't be able to look forward to it anymore. I finally let myself read it when I had a bad cold and I needed something to treat myself.

Cassie is a firefighter who kicks butt at her job, which is good because the rest of her life is a mess. She has hardly any friends who aren't coworkers and no love life to speak of. While she has a good relationship with her dad, she is estranged from her mother, who abandoned Cassie and her dad on Cassie's 16th birthday. When she is suddenly confronted with a guy from high school at an award ceremony, she flips out and end up losing her job. Then, her mom calls and asks Cassie to come live with her for a year due to serious health problems. Cassie reluctantly agrees, only because she really has nowhere else to go.

I definitely really enjoyed this book, which was no surprise. Katherine Center just has a knack for creating realistic, layered characters that speak very realistic dialogue that fits what her characters would actually say. In this case, I didn't absolutely love the main character. I found the narrative a bit choppy, with a lot of short, pointed sentences and abrupt paragraphs. I believe this was intentional on the part of the author, as the main character has kind of turned off her emotions and lives a joyless existence, at least at the beginning of the book. But the result of this, at least to me, is that I found myself being pulled out of the story at times.

All that being said, I really enjoyed this book. The main character definitely grows through the course of the book due to her relationships with the other characters, and the other characters were very layered and most were fun to read about. Katherine Center will remain one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read what she writes next!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for this honest review!*

Things You Save in a Fire was a great read! Cassie had seen her fair share of bad things in life but she never let those thing affect her from overcoming any challenge that was thrown at her.. Cassie is a strong female character that you root for throughout the book and hope things turn out well in the end for. She had many struggles throughout her life and her career that could have easily caused her to walk away from firefighting and love but in the end she came out on top. This book also reminds us to believe in the good of people and to give people a chance even if they are quick to judge you. This is a book that I would highly recommend and leaves you with a feel good feeling once finished.

This is my second Katherine Center book, and seeing as I LOVED How To Walk Away, I was super excited to read this book! And once again, Center does not disappoint. I can't wait for her to write more books!

Cassie Hanwell is a well-respected female firefighter in Texas. She loves her job, and handles other peoples emergencies with amazing calmness. But when her ailing mom asks her to give up her Texan life to move to Boston, Cassie realizes that not all firehouses are the same. 

As the only female firefighter in the rundown and old school firehouse, she finds herself feeling quite unwelcome. Except for the very attractive rookie firefighter. But she doesn't have time for love...or so she thinks ;) 

Like I said, this is such a fun read, and one I'd suggest highly. Katherine Center is definitely being added to my favorite authors list!

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center books, so I was thrilled for the chance to read this one early and I was not disappointed. I loved the message about strong women, both in the obvious - Cassie, and the more subtle - her mother. I loved the camaraderie that exists in a firehouse. And I love the unexpected love story that's at the heart of every Center novel. This book will definitely be on my list of books to recommend for the summer.

Review: 4.5 stars. This is the first book I've read by Kathrine Center and I LOVED it! Read it in a day. The characters were well-developed, I struggled right along with the main character through her rollercoaster ride of emotions, and I was rooting for her all the way through. Believable, touching, and fun. I look forward to reading more of Center's books.

I loved this book! Once I started I couldn’t put it down and I read it in one day. The character development of Cassie was excellent and I really enjoyed the growth that we saw her character go through during the course of the book. Upon reading the summary I was not sure what to expect, a book about firefighters doesn’t exactly draw me in immediately. However, the quality of writing and character development had me completely engrossed and I loved that I felt like I learned more about the firefighting industry and saw it from a perspective I never had. That is the mark of a truly great book in my opinion, to take a subject that I previously had very little interest in and turn it into a story that captivated me. This was a great love story, but it was so much more, I felt the full spectrum of emotions. My one complaint is that Cassie seemed almost too perfect. I think her outstanding abilities contributed to the storyline tremendously, however it did make it ever so slightly far fetched. That being said, I thought this was an excellently written novel and I will recommend it highly to friends and fellow bookworms! I wish I could give it 4-1/2 stars!

Things You Save in a Fire was my first read by Katherine Center and won’t be my last. It combines a compelling plot and characters that all left a lasting impression long after I’d finished the story. Cassie packs a punch in more ways than one. Strength, forgiveness, dynamic relationships, and love fill the pages. Things You Save in a Fire is masterfully told and completely relatable. Center is raw and honest. My husband is a firefighter and this book is spot on in that regard. The layers to Cassie’s experiences both professionally and personally were heartbreaking and uplifting. Her growth throughout had me rooting for her at every turn. Add in a little romance and I was sold hook, line and sinker. I loved every minute of this book.

Very enjoyable story! Cute but not too cute, with several surprises along the way. Highly recommended!

This was the first book of Katherine Centers that I have read and it definitely won’t be the last ! The leading female character, Cassie is a bad ass firefighter with a strong personality. Katherine does a great job of creating characters with individual voices and bringing them to life. This book is different than your typical romance/action/drama. I learned a lot about firefighting and it also grew my appreciation for them. This book proves that you never know what someone is going through personally and that compassion, empathy and most importantly forgiveness can bring you peace and happiness! Looking forward to reading more books from this author...

I was recently turned on to Katherine Center from the Bitter is the New Book Club community on Facebook. On a recent cruise, I devoured How to Walk Away and knew Ms. Center would be a new favorite for me. Things You Save in a Fire follows a female firefighter as she uproots her life to care for her sick mother. Faced with the struggles of joining a "boy's club" firehouse, the main character shows tenacity and grit as she strives for acceptance. Of course no good book like this comes without a love story. I don't want to give anything away, but this was rom-com with a twist.

I really enjoyed this book, and it, like How to Walk Away, was a very quick read. The characters are strong, playful, and developed. The fire angle is unusual (though common for Center) and it was interesting to be on the other side of things. This book has a little of everything in here--wit, love, silliness, a touch of superhero powers, and a feel good ending. If you're looking to lay back in a hammock and read on a sunny day, Things You Save in a Fire is a great choice.

This book made me smile, but also made me want to pull my hair out. The heroine, Cassie, is a firefighter, a great one. Due to circumstances she moves to another firehouse, to be near her mother. The mother who left her and her dad at her 16th birthday, so no love lost there.

Overall I just was a bit put off by Cassie. Maybe it is the many internal monologues or the fact she never stood up for herself and let everything just happen to her. I was so very angry after the first chapters I almost decided to stop reading. Cassie gets an award and something happens to ruin the evening. What happens after that made my blood boil, but Cassie just accepted it and moved on. I had to get over my anger before I could get into the story again. She could have sued the department, she could have told them what happened, they should have suspected what had happened. But alas...

She was treated badly by her new colleagues and forgives the one that does something really awful to her. And the author portrayed her as some super firefighter, but she could not be a woman for that. She had to act like a man, because.. well, women act too emotional of course.

I don't want to be too negative, because the story had positive points as well. It is written very well and evoked a lot of emotions :-)

**4.5 stars***
I really, really enjoyed this book! It was entertaining, heartwarming, and even a little heartbreaking at times. I especially loved that there was SO much more to the story than just a romance. Don't get me wrong, I love a great romance story, but I really appreciated that there was so much more to her life and story than just the romance. It was a story about love, both romantic and non-romantic, forgiveness, acceptance, and strength (mental and physical). I read it in less than a day because I just needed to know what was going to happen. I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

Life, love, and the true meaning of courage. That says it all. There was a lot of laughter and wonderment in this book. I enjoyed Cassie and empathized with her as she had to learn forgiveness. This book is a must read and will touch everyone. Thanks to St Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! This book deserves 4.5 stars for sure!

This book was not only well written, but the story was believable and touching. Cute, funny and a bit sad. The characters were all well developed and you generally like some and hate some.

I enjoyed watching Cassie realize that life wasn't all about shutting herself off and open up to her mom, coworkers and friends. She grew so much in the book - you could almost consider this a "coming of age" story of sorts.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this!

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would without a doubt! I loved everything about this book and literally could not put it down - finished in less than 24 hours! I loved the insight into the life and careers of firefighters, the grit and strength it takes to be a female in a male-dominated field, the power of forgiveness and love... there is so much depth to the story and characters! Pre-order this one RIGHT NOW! It will be a favorite of mine and yours for the entire year!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy on exchange for an honest review.

I usually take time and savor anything she writes but I could not put this down. Well-written and thought out, felt connected to the characters. I had just finished How to Walk Away (another winner!) not too long ago when NetGalley generously provided this, what a treat! Her books will always be on my TBR list. Don’t miss this!

Entertaining chick lit. I enjoyed the story of Cassie the firefighter who is tough on the outside while dealing with a repressed trauma. I did think it was all wrapped up a little too easily and quickly but that’s typical for this genre.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read one other book by Katherine Center, how to walk away, which I found to be a quick, uplifting read. This book was even better. Although you know how the story will end (if you’re anything like me and easily predict what’s coming), I still found myself wanting to keep turning pages. I was invested in the characters and was rooting for them the entire time. A great, quick and enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked how this story was told: first person narration, nothing new, right? But it felt like Cassie was telling me this story over a cup of coffee. Every once in a while, she would say something like, "remember when I told you ...?" It worked really well and added a sense intimacy. The characters were well developed, especially Cassie - a little predictable maybe (tough girl firefighter out to prove something to the world), but I really liked her. Cassie shared things about her past which led her straight to where the story begins - the night of an awards ceremony, where she is presented with the Austin Fire Department's Valor Award, the aftermath of her knocking out the councilman who hands her the award, and the phone call from her mother, asking Cassie to move in with her for a year - but not in too much detail. Cassie's story is about forgiveness, and the cost of giving it and the cost of not...for little things and huge things.