I absolutely loved all the characters and how their lives intertwined. As a mother with a daughter, I really enjoyed reading about the complex relationship between each mother and daughter and how they differ but yet are very similar. You will have a hard time identifying one particular character as all of them share their different sides and will each tug at your heartstrings.

Cassie upends her whole firefighter medic career in one impulsive move - beating up the city councilman who was in the process of presenting a valor award to her in front of a ballroom full of Austin's bravest. She had good reason for doing so, but in a field where women are still gaining their rightful place, she couldn't afford to make a mistake like that. As luck and timing would have it, her estranged mother -- who abandoned Cassie on her 16th birthday! -- asks Cassie to move to her small town in Rockport, Maine, to help her as she struggles with an illness that has taken away vision in one of her eyes. With few options left, Cassie moves to the charming capeside town and tries her darndest to fit in at her new small-town fire station. Not only is it near impossible, but a threatening stalker and unwelcome warm feelings for the new rookie leave Cassie off-kilter and confused about her path in life. It will take a lot of support, a lot of love, and a lot of communicating -- all of which Cassie would like to avoid at all costs -- to help her figure out who she is, what she wants to be, and who she wants to be with.

Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED Center's How to Walk Away, so I was incredibly excited to read her latest. I will admit, though, that I didn't love this as much. In fact, I found it disappointing at times. Cassie is a likable main character who had such profound moments that I even found myself being comforted and downright "therapized" at times. Center's portrayal of how Cassie struggles to move past her childhood traumas and the "ah-ha" moments Cassie has as she heals were inspiring. And Cassie's ability to forgive is humbling, to say the least. That said, I feel like, for as much as we got to know Cassie, we were cheated a bit on getting to know Owen, aka "the rookie". There are some tender moments with him and his family, quiet moments between he and Cassie, and heroic moments for him, as well, but he still seemed "otherworldly" to me. Maybe it's because she calls him "rookie" throughout the book -- maybe he would've been more "real" to me if he was referred to by his actual name. I totally understand the nickname and why its use is realistic, but for me it was a barrier in getting to know him more personally. I also thought a lot of the drama was wrapped up way to quickly, and the ending seemed incredibly rushed. I didn't get that feeling at all with How to Walk Away, so this surprised me and left me feeling cheated yet again. I'm looking forward to discussing this book with my book club, but I'm going to strongly recommend to them to read How to Walk Away because I think that was the stronger of Center's books. All in all, a nice read but disappointingly rushed at times.

I devoured this book in less than a week and couldn't stop thinking about it. First time reading this author, but it was very worth it.

This book was fun, entertaining and thought-provoking. The writing was beautiful, the story felt real and authentic and like that, the author took us on a journey.

Things You Save in a Fire is a romance but a strong story for strong women at once. These seem to rarely be able to coexist in the same time frame, so the author has managed to pull this off brilliantly. She crafts Cassie’s character in such a way as we are able to see how bold and brilliant she is, and then somewhat predictably, but sweet none the less, the guy enters the picture. But never in a way that Cassie forgets how independently fierce she is. Great work!

Just some immediate thoughts upon finishing-

Grief and trauma don’t just magically get repaired and disappear upon the meeting of a boy.
The fear of revisiting what caused you trauma isn’t instantly healed.
Someone who’s supposed to be brave and tough then not speaking up about trauma. And said if she knew that the others came forward then maybe she would too.
Getting engaged after hanging out twice. Stupid.
Forgiveness isn’t always awarded so easily.
The mothers justification of abandoning her daughter for another man was bullshit. Her manipulation to bond with her daughter was even further bullshit. Instant forgiveness doesn’t just happen and understanding of this kind of abandonment isn’t so clear cut.

Cassie is a strong female lead; she’s the only female firefighter at her new job in Massachusetts, but she doesn’t let this limit her in any way. Due to some childhood trauma, she lacks the ability to be vulnerable and forgive. These are two things that will be tested when she finds herself falling for the other newbie at the fire department and when she’s having to live again with her mother.

Although the plot focuses on the budding romance between two main characters, I find that at the core of this novel is the power of forgiveness and how impactful it is not only on those seeking it, but for yourself as well.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Having seen this title everywhere I still had little idea what to expect. I didn’t love it like I was hoping, but it was definitely worth taking the time to read.

I have to say this book is so not what I expected after reading the blurb. It was truly 1000 times better than that. Center was able to make me laugh, get teary eyed, hold my breath in anticipation, get angry, cry and fall in love all in the span of the pages of this book!

Cassie Hanwell is one of the only female firefighters on her crew in Austin, TX, and she loves her job. When her estranged mother calls and asks her to move to a small town in Massachusetts to help her after eye surgery, Cassie transfers to a fire department that is a little less accepting of women. The more time she spends staying with the mother, the more Cassie finds herself opening up to the possibility of a relationship with her mother and falling in love.

This was such a heartwarming story of both romantic love and mother-daughter love. I really got to know Cassie throughout the novel, and I felt for her throughout the novel. I laughed and got a little teary-eyed.

After reading How to Walk Away, I could not wait to read Katherine Center's next book, Things You Save in a Fire. Reading both books is a true delight, but Things You Save In a Fire can also be read independently.

Cassie is a strong, independent firefighter in Texas who works hard and is close to her firehouse coworkers, and has just won a prestigious award. After hearing from her estranged mother who is sick, Cassie makes the decision to temporarily uproot her life in Boston and trade it for a more close-minded firehouse near Boston. Surrounded by men who are wary of a woman firefighter, Cassie has to prove herself time and time again, while also trying not to fall for the rookie on the squad who keeps ending up with her.

What I love most about this book are the amazing characters Center has crafted. Even the secondary characters are fleshed out and given strong personalities, making you connected to them from start to finish. Each of the characters have flaws and conflicts that they must face, but Center makes you relate to each one.

A unique and compelling women's fiction story that definitely kept me engaged. I loved the premise of a female firefighter and the professional drama that ensued because of her gender. More serious than I anticipated in regard to sexual assualt.

I absolutely loved this book! Definitely one of my favorites of 2019! Light, happy, sweet yet also has a great love story and some depth to it as well. The main character, Cassie, is a 26 year old firefighter, is a strong independent woman who has seen a lot of adversity in her life. She has had a tough road not only with her mother leaving during her teen years but also working in a male-dominated profession. She faces conflicts head one and does her best dealing with her ever-changing relationships, both old and new Cassie is far from perfect but she definitely does tries her best and gives her all to everything with love, courage and determination. Loved her as a main character. Great book! Very inspirational! Thanks so much to NG for the ARC!!!

Such a great book with some drama, family live and romance mixed in! I’d highly recommend this book as it is hard to put down!

Fantastic! Strong plot and characters with depth make this an engaging story. The fire station setting was unique and I loved the dynamic between the main character and the other firefighters. Looking forward to reading more titles by Katherine Center.

Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! Once I got into it, I didn’t want to put this book down.

Loved this book. I’ll read any book by K. Center. Never disappoints me. Love the family dimensions of all the characters. You won’t be disappointed if you read this. Funny but hits your heart and soul at the same time.

I really enjoyed How to Walk Away by Katherine Center and her Things You Save in a Fire was just as wondeful. Cassie is the youngest person, and the first woman, to receive a prestigious award with her Austin Fire Department. She has the second highest score of any firefighter on an important test necessary for promotion and advancement in the department. She is well-respected in her fire house and her crew is her family. She loves her job. When she is forced to move away and leave it all behind to join a new department, it is worse than starting from square one. Her new department is filled with men who think women have absolutely no place in a fire house. Add to that stress her ailing, estranged mother and the tug on her heart of unexpected romance and Cassie may not make it out alive.

I love Center's writing. The dialogue is quick and witty, she knows exactly how to build tension and when to finally let it break, and her female characters are strong without being hard, soft without being wimpy, sarcastic without being caustic. Center's stories are marinated in humor and heart. Cassie isn't the only great character in this book. We meet her mother, who has a complicated past but also a great perspective on life; her mother's darling neighbor; her Super Woman fire chief in Texas and her begrudging fire chief in Massachusetts. We also meet some funny firefighters and one or two that are kind of mean. I really liked this book and I can't wait to read Center's other books.

After reading this, I learned that there should definitely be more books with women taking on stereotypical men roles. Like fire fighting, police work, etc. I think this is considered a contemporary type romance, but it did not read as one for me. This was a feel good story with a woman taking initiative.

“Things You Save in a Fire” was my first read by Katherine Center. The things that I liked about this book is that there were many themes throughout. A little mystery, a little romance, a little drama. Combined, it really made for a lovely book. There were times that I laughed out loud. Overall, this was a pretty smooth ride of a book and I will definitely be reading more of Center’s books in the future.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.