Loved this one but it wasn’t my favorite of hers! Felt like part of the plot was totally unnecessary

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center so I was excited when I got What You Wish For!

I enjoyed this book a lot and was able to devour it in a day (a day of reading by the pool and ignoring laundry and making dinner). This book was just a feel good book that allowed me to escape reality of 2020 and just be entertained.

What a fun joyful book! The book centers around a librarian with a quirky best friend (the math teacher), and what happens after their beloved principal dies and the new principal (straight from her past) comes in - completely different than she remembers him. The romance was nicely paced, the tone hopeful, and the emotions real about how to grieve and family dynamics. I loved the tiny bits about how an independent school functions, coming from that world, and the dedication of teachers to their students and school. All about choosing joy and adjusting to changes with the right kind of attitude, I was so happy to be along for the ride. I had loved Katherine Center's other books and this one definitely did not disappoint! If you like Christina Lauren's books but want a bit less steam, this is the book for you.

I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan and will read anything she writes. That said, my expectations going into this one were pretty high. I feel she is a go-to author and I can always count on her for a fast, heartwarming read.

I thought I would especially love it bc it takes place in an elementary school and the main character is a librarian. I am a former elementary teacher myself. Unfortunately, this one did not meet expectations.

Aside from a few political undertones I got (global warming and school shootings/gun violence) that just seemed a little forced on the story, it was hard for me to really feel invested in the love story. The main character was kind of annoying and we spend nearly 200 pages being convinced of how awful the male love interest Is. So by the time I was supposed to love him came around, I just didn’t like him.

It was disappointing this one didn’t work for me, but I still love Katherine Center and am already looking forward to checking out what she writes next.

Thank you to St.Martin’s and Netgalley for my gifted advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

First off Thank You to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have seen Katherine Centers books everywhere and with such high praise that I figured it was time to read one.

With this being my first book of hers I’m not so familiar with her writing style. Still not sure if I like it. I didn’t have any clicks with the characters but it didn’t make me hate them just not love them.

I like the idea behind the book of finding that joy, make the best of your situation and live life to the fullest. Even with such a great message I was just left with nothing. There was no wow or leave you feeling emotional at the end.

I feel like she was trying to squeeze so much into a book that it became overwhelming and unbelievable at times.

But I do want to remind everyone that this is my opinion. And just because I didn’t enjoy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. If you’ve been wanting to read it, please do it and find out for yourself.

I love a book with a great opening line. This one hooked me from the beginning.

It was a quick read and in typical Katherine Center form, it tugged at my heart strings. The story follows Samantha a librarian at an elementary school on the island of Galveston TX. Her principal (and friend) suddenly dies and his replacement, a former and drastically changed colleague, is making strict and bizarre changes to the school.

I really enjoyed it, and I zipped through it, but I’d be lying if I said I loved it like I loved things you save in a fire or other earlier books. There were bits that were too unrealistic, cheesy or stereotypical. But again, her writing is superb (underline and italicize – truly superb) and her books have a way of drawing so in. So it’s a 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) for me!

Beautiful my written!! Read in a weekend and could not put it down! This author really knows how to get me addicted to her and I look forward to reading more books by her!!must read!

I think this book was by far my favorite one by this author. I seemed to have been pulled right in to this story! Samantha is wishing for love and she assumed she may have missed her chance. She is a librarian at a school she absolutely loves!! The principal dies suddenly and has to be replaced... Enter Duncan! Duncan is a former coworker who Sam had secretly admired. She is nervous and excited to see him again, however after she finds out his intentions with the school, she is far from impressed. Will she be able to handle the disappointment? This is a great love story and I enjoyed every single page! Pick this one up my friends. It’s a great book! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy of this book!

“Things You Lose in a Fire” was the first book I read from Center and I went into reading “What You Wish For” expecting a book along the same lines: raw, emotional, and almost too real. With “What You Wish For” emotional was there, but raw took a while to arrive. I felt like like novel kept bouncing between the too good to be true, believable, and just unbelievable. I like some of the characters, but others felt outlandish. Overall, I just wanted to like this novel a lot more than I did.

Another Katherine Center winner! I enjoyed this sweet book. The perfect light romance to read right now.

Sam is a school librarian for a unique private school. Their beloved founder and principal dies, and the board brings in a new principal. To Sam's dismay, the new principal is none other than Duncan Carpenter. The reason she left her previous job. Because she had a ginormous crush on him and she thought he was about to get engaged. She made a big move, and settled into a new job in Texas. Now, she is convinced that she will have to leave this job because she won't be able to handle seeing Duncan with his wife and family. But... nothing is as it seems. The old playful, wacky Duncan is gone. New serious, strict, security-loving Duncan is here. And really making an impression on the school staff, and Sam.

If you enjoyed Center's other books, you will love this on too!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.....

This was a light, cute (albeit almost too cute) rom-com that at first I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue with, but I forged on and it did get more interesting and compelling to the point that I did finish it. It’s the story of a single librarian in a school that experiences a tragedy followed by the arrival of a stiff, straight-laced principal who used to be a fun-loving teacher at her old school but now seems totally different and doesn’t even recognize her. It was light, cute, fun, with a good uplifting message that made it a good vacation book. It has many good uplifting messages about finding joy in the midst of imperfect circumstances. Best quotes to remember: “Never miss a chance to celebrate” and “choose joy on purpose.”

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.
L

What You Wish For is categorized as romance, and I would agree, there is definitely a romance element, but it felt like SO much more than that. There is hope, grief, inspiration, and friendship all mixed into this beautiful story!

The descriptions that are used to help the reader visualize the world are amazing. I bounced back and forth between reading and listening, and in both cases, the level of detail was still exquisite. There are so many moments where I felt descriptions were extremely important to the story, and Katherine Center nailed it each time! There’s a hat at one moment in the story, and it’s just a hat. But it’s so much more than that when you read the book, and without the lovely descriptions, that moment would have fallen flat for me, but instead, it completely warmed my heart!

The characters are fabulous. Each one is built with thought and detail to give them a full life, not just a moment in time during this story. Sam is so full of love, for reading, for children, for her school, and I could FEEL just how much she loved each thing. Especially her unrequited love for Duncan. Sam was someone I connected to immediately, and I loved her story. Duncan tugged at my heartstrings again and again. I literally cried during moments of his story because they were so filled with emotion. Amazing!!

Overall, I clearly loved this book. It was written beautifully and brought amazing characters to life. I cannot wait to get my hands on another one of her books!!

Content Warnings:
!!SPOILER!!
I need to add this content warning, but if you don’t care, nothing ever bothers you when reading a book, then skip to the “To Read or Not to Read” section please!! —— On to the spoiler/content warning – There is a character in this book that was involved in a school shooting. There are descriptions of their experience in the shooting, the injuries, the medical recovery, the mental and physical scars. This could be a trigger for some people.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend What You Wish For to readers that enjoy falling into a character’s life and truly living their experiences and surroundings!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. My full review will post to my blog on 8/13/20.

What You Wish For, by Katherine Center, is characteristically breezy. Center lures her readers in with a light hand, endearing characters, and the promise of a romance. She delivers on the romance. In the process, however, she surprises with some profound lessons on life. As many people, I struggle with decisions and choices created by the pandemic. As I read, I found myself highlighting passages that spoke to me about living life.

I really enjoyed this book. On one level, it was entertaining and diverting. On another, it strengthened me to deal with the crazed circumstances of daily life. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure.

3.5*
Katherine Center’s latest focuses on Samantha, Sam to her friends. She lives in the garage apartment of the principal of the school where she teaches. It’s a noteworthy school with progressive ideas. The principal and his art teacher wife, are beloved by all and Sam has found this to be a haven for her troubled soul. It’s a small, close-knit community on an island off the coast of Texas.

Suffering from epilepsy and a broken heart, Sam has come to love the people and the community. Following a tragedy, a new principal suddenly arrives on the island. His presence
unnerves and unsettles Sam because he is the very man she fled from four years earlier. Now, he’s back in her life but he’s definitely not the man she knew and once loved. The new administrator means things will be very different for the school, the faculty and especially for Sam.

There is a richness to parts of the story that somewhat contrasts to the simplistic and somewhat immature behavior on the part of Sam. The dialog is crisp and there is humor to some of the interactions. But there is an underlying seriousness to the events that give the book some weight. The audiobook reader has a conversational style that lends itself to the plot.

Center’s comments at the end of the book are insightful and interesting. Her championing reading for pleasure is an important point that she makes. Clearly, this book is a pleasurable listen and should entertain readers.

Melt-your-Kindle hot and a great romantic story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

What You Wish For focuses on Sam, a quirky school librarian who boasts pink bangs, an eclectic wardrobe, and an infectious love of books. She ensures that the school library is a welcoming place where all students feel accepted and safe, and delights in guiding them to select books they will enjoy. Sam's father left when she was eight years old, and her mother died when she was ten. She has found a home with Max and Babette, the founders and administrators of the school, who are more than employers. They are like surrogate parents and she resides in their carriage house. The couple are "beloved" -- "the kind of people other people just want[] to be near." As the story opens, Max is celebrating his 60th birthday in his typical fun-loving style, savoring every moment that he joyfully interacts with the guests. Until tragedy strikes.

Suddenly, the school needs a new principal and Sam is shocked when Kent Buckley, Max and Babette's son-in-law, who serves as chair of the school's board of directors while, ironically, virtually ignoring his own son, Clay, a highly intelligent third-grader, announces that Duncan Carpenter has accepted the position. Duncan was the impetus for Sam leaving her position at a California school and relocating to Galveston. She remembers how charismatic, joy-filled, and exuberant Duncan was -- characteristics that endeared him to students, parents, and colleagues. Sam fell hard, but Duncan never noticed her, instead dating another faculty member. Eventually, feeling completely invisible and knowing that Duncan was seriously involved with another woman became too difficult for her. She admits that she was the worst version of herself when she was around Duncan. But in Galveston, she has found her voice and become empowered to reveal her authentic self to the world, even though her long-dormant epilepsy resurfaced and caused her to discontinue driving. Still, seizures are rare and she recognizes the warning signs that permit her to get to a private space where no one can observe her as she endures them. As a child, she was tormented and ostracized by the children in whose presence the seizures sometimes overtook and embarrassed her.

Sam is stunned when Duncan arrives and bears no resemblance to the man she knew. His colorful clothes and silly socks? Gone. His infectiously gleeful approach to education? Gone. His happy, outgoing demeanor? Gone. The man who is introduced at the first faculty meeting of the year wears a drab suit and has a frightening disposition. He is obsessed with school safety, and determined to transform the historic campus that is decorated in bright colors and boasts a floor-to-ceiling butterfly mosaic in the cafeteria designed and painted by Babette with Sam's assistance over the course of an entire summer. Duncan plans to replace the school's security guard, install additional locks, cover windows, paint the walls gray, and essentially turn the school into a fortress. What Sam doesn't know at the outset is why Duncan has undergone such a dramatic personality transformation. But she is determined to stop him from remodeling the school and, in the process, destroying its spirit and traditions.

<em>What You Wish For</em> is thoroughly predictable, but that doesn't detract from its charm. Like Center's other protagonists, Sam is endearing and believable. Readers may recognize traits San shares with enthusiastic librarians in their own lives who inspired them to love literature. She is loved not only by her colleagues, but by her students, and since moving to Galveston she has been learning to love and accept herself. Duncan's arrival threatens to derail her progress as she becomes increasingly angry and frustrated by his grim determination to turn her beloved school into a lifeless, joyless institution, complete with a guard dog named Chuck Norris. Sam, Babette, and Alice conspire to not only stop Duncan's actions, but to turn him back into the affable, fun-loving man he once was. They embark on "Operation Duncan."

Fans of Hallmark movies will love What You Wish For, the theme of which is, according to Center, "joy on purpose." It is a story about overcoming loss and meeting challenges head-on while finding and relishing the delights that life offers. Employing her recognizable style, Center has created a memorable cast of characters, each eccentric and quirky in his/her own right, but never boring. In addition to Babette, the adored co-founder of the school and Alice, who is constantly attired in shirts bearing math-related quips, there is Kent Buckley. He's "the kind of guy everybody always called by his first and last name," who is perpetually talking on his cell phone using a Bluetooth device. He's intent on making a power grab and turning the school into a state-of-the-art model of safety, even as he makes his own wife, Babette's daughter, Tina, and son, Clay, miserable. He has ensnared Duncan to assist him. Young Clay, who wants to read for fun as well as knowledge, plays a pivotal role in the story and Duncan is the damaged man of Sam's dreams. Center's crisp, frequently hilarious dialogue and her characters' wry observations propel the story forward at a steady pace.

Center is adept at crafting characters who must overcome tragedy, hardship, or obstacles, and <em>What You Wish For</em> is no exception. In Sam's case, she must keep her unrequited feelings for Duncan in check, manage her epilepsy, and overcome the emotional damage the disease and losing her parents have inflicted upon her. Center reveals what happened to Duncan and brought about the dramatic change to his personality long after savvy readers will have guessed what transpired. Nonetheless, the manner in which Center weaves the revelatory moment into the story is flawless and moving, and the tale takes on an urgent tone at the point. As "Operation Duncan" gets underway, Center deftly illustrates that Duncan has reached a crossroads. The path he chooses can easily shape the trajectory of the rest of his life. Again, even though readers already know how he will ultimately choose, Center's expertly-crafted story is enjoyable and emotionally satisfying.

Center says that "sorrows don't cancel out the joy" and she actively strives to make her stories "funny and wry and wise." With What You Wish For, she has again achieved her goal. The one surprising thing about the story is the crisis that ends up bringing the community together in a united effort to do a very good deed. As a result, some characters finally make pivotal decisions, while others' beliefs are validated and they recommit to them. The incident ends up healing not only individual characters, but the community itself.

What You Wish For is a fast-paced, escapist romance -- the kind of book you read simply for the pure pleasure of reading. It's success is due to Center's intriguing, lovable, and empathetic characters, especially Sam and Duncan, and the sweet evolution of their relationship that will have readers cheering. It is about empowerment and making a conscious decision to seek out joy in one's life. It's an uplifting story about managing loss, sorrow, and challenges, and Center gives her characters an unabashedly happy ending. What You Wish For is an ideal easy read for a day spent at the beach or by the pool.

This is the 3rd Katherine Center books I have read in as many months and I am officially a dedicated fan.

Although not classified as a sequel to Happiness For Beginners, I think reading that book first made this book even better.

Sam is working at her dream job as a school librarian at the most amazing school. Everything is going perfectly until a new principal comes to town. Sam has a history with Duncan, the new principal, as they worked together several years ago. He was goofy, fun loving and happened to be someone that Sam had a huge crush on. When he arrives at Sam's school, something has changed, he's so serious with a fun factor of zero.

It takes a while for this book to get going but at the halfway point, it becomes the type of book that made me fall in love with Katherine Center's writing.

It's more than a family drama, more than a romance. There are some good life lessons in here. It's like Katherine Center is trying to show us how to find joy and happiness. Polka dots, here I come.

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

Happy Pub Week to What You Wish for!! I recently read Happiness for Beginners in preparation for this one and I think it made me appreciate it so much more (especially the guest appearance from Helen and Jake). If you haven’t read that one yet, now you have homework!

Anyway, in Centers newest read we have Sam, a quirky and colorful librarian who works at a picture perfect dream school. Everything is good and Sam is at a good place with her new life. Enter Duncan (yes Helens brother), a not so pleasant former crush from her past. However this Duncan is not the same.

What we get from this story is a second chance love with deeper roots. Both Sam and Duncan have secrets that have impacted who they have become. Sam has had a long standing battle with epilepsy and tries so hard to conceal it. Growing up my brother had childhood epilepsy so I know how it feels living with someone that had seizures and feeling helpless. It destroyed me that it became such a problem for her family. Center has such a way of hitting serious subjects that will break your heart but leave you hopeful at the same time.

What You Wish For follows a school librarian named Sam. Sam plans a 60th birthday party for her boss, the principal and owner of the school named Max. Max is well loved by everyone. However, once at the party, Max collapses and then starts coughing up blood. He ends up dying. Everyone in town and at school are heartbroken. A few weeks prior to the start of the school year, Duncan is hired as principal. Sam used to work with Duncan and he was very similar to Max with loving life and being so fun. Sam has high hopes for him and is scared her old crush for him will come back. Yet, when he comes to town and has their first staff meeting, he is more intense and strict. This puzzles Sam. She makes it her mission to help Duncan remember the old him while finding out his past. Will she be able to help him?
What You Wish For is such a good book. I love anything by Katherine Center. I was listening to this on audio and I could not stop listening. I had to devour it. It was cute and gripping. I highly recommend this book and any of her other books.

* Thanks-many, many thanks!-to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC. All opinions & thoughts are my own*

I feel so lucky to have found Katherine Center and her wonderful stories! I have been hooked since How to Walk Away, and have gone on to read everything I could get my hands on.
The cover is beyond gorgeous, and the great characters made for a very enjoyable read. Sam is a book character I would love to be for a few days (or maybe weeks?)-a colorful librarian at a fantastic school. But will a new principal filp everything Sam holds dear upside down? This is a book filled with friendship, a little drama and most of all love-everything Katherine Center books are known for.
When in doubt, read for JOY