A fabulous story of Sam and her old coworker Duncan. Sam moved long ago because of Duncan. But, behold he ends up in her new town. Sam is loyal to her friends, her new town and her school for she is a teacher. She’s unique and quirky . She try’s to NOT remember her last feeling for Duncan. But does it work ? A story you’ll have to read to find out. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press to allowing you devour another great story from Katherine Center.

Wow! This is another 5 star read for me!! I know it will be in my top favorites of the year! Katherine Center can send me her grocery list and I will read it!!

I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because you just need to read this book as soon as it comes out!! It’s about a lady named Sam, who is a librarian at the local elementary school and she absolutely loves her job! When the elementary school loses their amazing and legendary principal, his replacement turns out to be Duncan. THE Duncan. Sam’s old crush. She tells everyone that Duncan is so lovable, funny and just a good guy all around. However, the Duncan that shows up is a completely different person than what he used to be and he is determined to change the school. Will he? Will Sam be able to stop him? What changed him into the person he is now?

I think I have mentioned this in every review I’ve given a Katherine Center novel, but her writing is beautiful. The words flow effortlessly. Her characters are so relatable and I absolutely loved Sam and Duncan! Even the other characters, Max, Babette, Alice, Clay just to name a few, were relatable and written so well. I felt like I was Sam in this story. There were three scenes that will stick with me in this book for the rest of my life. The love, sincerity and care in these three scenes made me believe that everything was going to be ok. It was like an escape. I won’t say which scenes they were because I don’t want to spoil them, but you’ll know when you read it. It’s almost like you would have had to experience this in real life to get the scenes to become so real and genuine.

Katherine Center, you have such a raw talent. I know as soon as I pick up your novels, I’m going to get a story that is going to make my soul feel all the things. You are a rare find in an author and I hope you continue to write novels for many years to come. I will read every single one of them!

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an early reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this on NetGalley, I immediately downloaded it. I had to read the new Katherine Center after Things You Save in a Fire!! I read Katherine's books because of the plots and when I found out this one was going to be about a teacher in Texas, I needed it as soon as possible.

This book was fire, it gave me all the feels. It is definitely my favorite by her while all of her books deal with trauma in its own way, this was a different trauma. A trauma that had me shocked. It dealt with a very serious topic which I loved and felt like it was done well.

Samantha quits her job and uproots her life and moves to Galveston, Texas where she rents a home by an older couple named Max and Babette and becomes a librarian at their school. Samantha's life was not easy growing up as her mother passed and her dad was not in the picture. Max and Babette became her family. Unfortunately Max passes away.

Max was the principal of the school him and Babette owned, so a replacement was necessary.
Samantha finds out the new placement is going to be her old colleague that made her uproot from her old school whom she was in love with. She thinks about quitting again but thinks better about it when she notices how Duncan has changed. He is now strict and all about business. Duncan didn’t even recognize her when they first encountered! Duncan tries to turn their bright, colorful, peaceful school to a prison with extreme safety precautions

What made this book so much better is the problems/insecurities the characters had about themselves and how they were dealt. This book felt so real. I did not predict any of it and when I found out certain things I was genuinely shocked. The characters were so genuine and stood up for one another, supported each other and was a support system to each other.

The side characters in this were wonderful. I don’t know if I've ever liked side characters so much. I loved the ending, wrapped up so nicely and I will definitely be buying a copy of this book. I highly recommend, fast read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins press for this wonderful book!

Posted on Goodreads March 24,2020
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2973916627

Katherine Center does it again. She writes a love story that so beautifully describes the pain and hangups that often keep us from showing up fully as ourselves in relationships.

In this newest novel, we meet Sam (Samantha), a librarian at a private, eccentric school in Texas. She appears to have no family and a history of a difficult childhood. She has found parental figures in Max and Babette, the founders of the school where she works. But when Max unexpectedly passes away, a new school principal is found. And it turns out, Sam remembers him from a previous school where she worked - and had a huge crush on him. She is anxious and excited about Duncan Carpenter's arrival. When he arrives though, he is completely different from the Duncan she knew four years ago and she cannot understand what happened to him. Instead of having a crush on him, Sam finds herself at odds with this new version of Duncan who is stripping away everything she and the other teachers love about the school that Max founded.

Will Sam be able to save her school? Will she find out what happened to Duncan? Will she open herself up to being vulnerable with those around her? Or will she let her childhood wounds keep her shut off and alone?

I loved this sweet story with heart. This story includes side stories about love - both positive and negative in the other characters. In true Katherine Center ways, she pulls you into the story right away and has you cheering for the characters to grow individually and towards each other.

Loved it. 4.5 stars for this one that had me devour it in one sitting.

From the first pages I was hooked, I’ve read Katherine’s pervious books and was in love with them. Not only the story line and lesson, but the way her writing brings you in. What you wish for was no different. A story about love, loss and finding joy on purpose. Finding ways to celebrate the moments that matter while navigating real like and the fear and uncertainty that goes with it. Throw in some romance, the classic bad guy and a positive ending and you get the perfect book to settle down with in this uncertain world.

This book started out upbeat and I was thinking this is going to be a really good book to read now with all that is going on today. As I read the tone changed, the beloved principal died, and we meet Duncan. Sam had fallen in love with Duncan when they worked at a different school and when she see him again, he wasn't the Duncan she knew and fell in love with.
We learn how things change so drastically after the principal dies for this school. The author writes so it makes you feel you are part of the story. What I like most about this book is even when the author was showing us the disappointments and things I didn't like going on, I could feel that hang in there and see what is going to happen. This school banded together and started making the changes needed to take back their school. There is always hope. This was a story that covers many issues but it is written to make the reader understand.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. This book had so much more than I expected and when I had finished reading the book, it felt like we had all come full circle and was back where we were supposed to be.

Samantha Casey has the job she loves as an elementary school librarian. That is until Duncan Carpenter takes the job as principal. He is focused on school security and begins to clamp down on all the freedoms the school enjoyed. Samantha is determined to change Duncan's perspective. A funny romantic yet serious and informative novel that will keep you reading until the end.

I’m so happy I discovered Katherine Center’s writing in her previous novels because her books make me feel so good. I loved What You Wish For and read it in one sitting. She knows how to write romance without being cheesy – the story tugs at your heart strings and makes you care about the characters as if they’re people in your own life. This story was like a love letter to educators because the characters were so passionate about their school and providing the best educational environment for their students. I did think the beginning was a little slow as Sam continuously harped on how different “the old Duncan” was but I grew to love both characters and their chemistry. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

Samantha, an eccentric librarian, has her dream job working with what seems like family rather than mere colleagues. Her life couldn't be any better until the school principal dies suddenly and a blast from her past takes over the position. Duncan, a former colleague from Samantha's old school, is the perfect fit as principal for their school for everyone but Samantha. However, that was the old Duncan. In the four years since Samantha has last seen Duncan, he has completely changed. What has happened to him? Can Samantha make him whole again?

This book is exactly what I needed to read during such uncertain times. Samantha is a quirky, zany character. The majority of the characters are likable, and the school Samantha works at, although maybe too idealistic, is refreshing.

If you are looking for a light, quick read right now, this is the one for you. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this refreshing read.

I love Katherine Center and her new book did not disappoint! The overall message was choosing joy in spite of circumstances and in our current world situation, it could not have come at a better time. I loved the main characters in this novel and everyone was extremely relatable. Great read for when you want to just relax and escape!

There's a lot packed into this book, but it's well paced and enjoyable. Though I've loved Katherine Center's previous books, I did think that the main character of this book was a little more immature than her other characters, and I found her a little unlikeable. I'd have liked to see a little bit more growth and a little bit more character development, especially with Clay's mother, and her relationship with Sam.

Katherine Center is Michelangelo of books. A true masterpiece storyteller who can create art with words that reach to your heart. She has an unique style to make a story flow and wrap you into her magic world of absolute glory.
Katherine never disappoints and What You Wish For it’s not an exception.
Continuing the story of Duncan, who we met in Happiness for Beginners, we come to learn about a new Duncan as Samantha herself is admitting. She was expecting to see again the old silly person who will make fun of himself and treat life colourfully, who she came to love so much that she had to run away from him when it became unbearable. But the new Duncan is as shocking rigid as a rock and grumpy.
Will Duncan come to senses around lovely Samantha, who transformed herself from the invisible human being to the exact mirror person of the old Duncan?
What I Wish For?
I wish I could read a book a day from Katherine Center! Is deliciously addictive! ❤️
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Katherine Center always hits it out of the park with every single book she writes. I was excited to see this was a “Read Now” book on NetGalley and I grabbed it right away. I loved the whole book and couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Join characters you want to be friends with in another emotionally charged novel by Katherine Center.

The theme is courage: courage to face your fears, courage to find joy every day.

The Kempner School staff include librarian Samantha Casey. When Sam's former colleague, Duncan Campbell, arrives, things begin to change. Heartache brought Sam to Galveston Island, Texas and running away is a choice she needs to confront. Sam chooses to step out of her comfort zone and challenge the changes.

I was sorry to see this book end it was so full of plot twists and wonderful characters.

I really enjoyed What You Wish For. As a teacher, I could really relate to Sam and it was a love story with so many twists and turns that kept me reading way too late into the night. I'm so glad it ended how it did!

This is my fourth Katherine Center book, and I love her novels for their heavy-lightheartedness. She has a way of tackling tough, real-life hardships and turmoil in a relatable way; and it’s always framed within a lighter, loveable romance that keeps you hooked until the last page. I appreciate her characters’ inspirational journeys every time as they fight and learn how to grow, to better themselves. You laugh, smile, cry and groan for each one of them. She’s done it again with What You Wish For! Sam and Duncan’s story is thoroughly enjoyable as they struggle to come to grips with the truly difficult situations life has given them, and what they mean to one another despite, and because of it all. The story gets personal as we are in Sam’s head - those awkward moments when she’s second-guessing herself, or thinking before she speaks. I can so relate!! My only disappointment was that after being on this invested roller coaster ride of a story with these two delightful characters, the ending wrapped up too quickly for me. It felt rushed and I so wanted more of a chance to say goodbye to everyone. I craved a less-hurried, more detailed picture of how everyone turned out.
It was a delightful read. It was just what I needed! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this digital galley.

While I didn’t love this one quite as much as ‘Things a You Save In A Fire,’ there’s no doubt that Katherine Center knows how to write a good book that tugs at your heartstrings. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Sam is the bright and sunny librarian of the Kempner School in Galveston, TX when the school founder, and principal, suddenly dies before the school year starts at the party that she has planned for him. Now her and her co-workers must face a new school year without him. Just when they think they have it bad, it gets worse. A new principal from Baltimore has been chosen to come in and revamp a school that most people believe is doing just fine as is. It also doesn’t help that his new principal and Sam have a past history that he doesn’t seem to remember. Will Sam be able to endure an entire school year working under someone she loves, but who doesn’t remember her, or will she be forced to reveal the truth before he destroys the school?

I have loved everything that Katherine Center has written; I have re-read several of her novels. But "What You Wish For" is a story I won't return to, and I'm having a hard time determining why. Samantha is a teacher who has made a new start after realizing Duncan Carpenter, another teacher at her school, will never reciprocate her feelings. She take a job in Galveston, Texas, reinventing herself as more confident, colorful, and happy. That is, until Duncan is named the new principal, a very different version of the comic, free-spirited Duncan that she knew (unknown to her, he has survived a horrific school shooting and is obsessed with safety).

Everything in this plot and character description appeals to me, but I no matter when I picked up the book to begin reading, I'd have to flip back through previous pages to remember the plot and characters. Nothing connected with me. This could be because I was trying to read it as the world descended into chaos from the coronavirus. But I have read and enjoyed other novels recently, so for whatever reason (I still can't figure it out), this novel for me lacked Center's characteristic engaging warmth and never really held my interest.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center will be just what her fans wished for.
#bookreview
From the publisher: Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.
When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

My review: With certainty I can predict that What you Wish For will be a success with Katherine Center's legion of readers. There is a likable protagonist although at times I wanted to tell her to stop being so sophomoric in her yearning for a lost love. I found her memories and her reactions to them sometimes bordered on obsession. Still, I cheered her on and wanted her to win in the great fight she was thrown into.

The major male character was in turn lovable, and goofy and then the biggest jerk ever created. I feel that's just what the author wanted. The supporting characters were likable throughout the story.

The school setting to which Samantha runs when she thinks she must escape her current life was just what she needed-- a bubbly, happy place, a family. The description of those happy years with Max at the helm were so like the school setting in which I taught in western Colorado. You don't find that loving, supportive, happy setting often. I lost my happy work family when we moved. Samantha lost hers when Max died and HE took over.

My favorite character was Clay, an eight year old genius with home problems, but with an irresistible love of learning and life. Ms. Center created a wonderful character in Clay.

I will not disclose any spoilers, but will just say, if you liked How To Walk Away, you'll love What You Wish For. It is not available until mid-July, but is available for pre-order.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my advance reading copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

#katherinecenter #stmartinspress #netgalley #bittersweetromance