I didn’t really care for this book. The main female character seemed like an adolescent mooning after a man she barely knew. Actually all the characters were damaged one way or another. I figured out the whole story before I got to the middle of the book.

I was excited to read this one so much as I love Center- she is a one click buy for me. But this one fell a little flat. Duncan we meet in a previous book as a little brother to Helen, so I was even more excited to see what had happened to him. We get a little bit of his sister and BFF/brother in law but not much. Sam and Duncan worked at a old school and she was in love with him hardcore crush so moved away to her new school. Even though they both liked and like each other the chemistry on the pages left me wanting more, it just felt flat. Sam felt a little young and I wanted her to get it together more- along with stop running away. Also, some of the school stuff even for a hippie school was a little too much.

Its a fun and nice Center story but not my favorite and just wanted more. I wanted more scenes like the Whale scene.

Overall, 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful story about the resilience needed to live a joyful and happy life. Sam leaves a teaching position due to an unrequited love. She starts a new life in Galveston Island in Texas at a private school. After a tragedy which leaves them without a headmaster, the Board hired a replacement. Surprisingly it is the man Sam once lived from afar.

This story takes you through life changes where the characters realize letting a little joy in every day and facing challenges with bravery brings lifelong blessings. A great beach read.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

What You Wish For is Katherine Center at her best, a warm, thoughtful story that explores love and friendship and family. It was a lovely read and doubly (maybe triply!) so now when things are so uncertain. Highly recommended for women's fiction fans.

This was a delightful feel-good book with a good cast of characters and an engaging story. I don't think it would be considered a spoiler to reveal Sam and Duncan are together at the end. I mean it's that kind of book - we KNOW how it's going to end but we're enjoying the journey to the conclusion!

Great beach read.

I am absolute trash for the grumpy/sunshine trope so of course I was very excited to read about the clash between a joyful librarian and a stuffed shirt principal. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. There are things that I find acceptable in a completely made-up context (fantasy, scifi, paranormal) that I’m more likely to bounce off of in a contemporary or historical, and this has them in spades. There are so many boundary issues that I spent a good part of the book cringing. I finally realized that between the utopia of an elementary school with a gorgeous library and fun child-centered curriculum and the idyllically perfect Galveston Island community, this was essentially occurring in some sort of alternate reality, and after that I began to enjoy the book more.

“He had a big, friendly smile filled with big, friendly teeth. He was handsome without trying. He had a magnetic quality that was almost physical. If he was in a room with other humans in it for any amount of time, there’d be a group of them gathered around him by the end. He emitted some kind of sunshine that we all wanted to soak up.”
Me included.
Me especially.”


I really wanted to like Sam, and I respected her zeal for seizing joy and her courage in standing up for the school she loved. But she also had a tendency towards boundary crashing and just utterly random TSTL actions (she jumps off a pier at one point. Yes, really). She reminds me of one of those wacky Hallmark movie heroines, especially when it comes to meeting the new principal, Duncan. Sam had a humongous crush on him when they worked together at a school in California, and it was so bad she actually moved to another school to get away from him (?!?!) when she thought he was getting married. He was charming, charismatic, and generally excelled at being goofy and getting the kids and everyone else around him to participate in his wacky antics. Even moving away, she half-wished she could run into him again to show him that she was no longer the mousey drab person she used to be. Unfortunately, Duncan is now some three-piece suit stiff who seems determined to run the school into the ground.

Sam has had epilepsy since she was a kid, and her frequent attacks led her to being ostracized at school and her father abandoning her family. Even after she went into remission, she preferred to stay in the background. But after a reoccurrence as an adult that left her questioning her worth, Max, the founder and principal of the school, advised her to find joy in the little things, whether it’s wearing a silly hat or dying her bangs pink. She finds a lot of that joy in her job as a librarian at the school, so Duncan’s attempts to secure the school – like painting over the meticulously hand-painted murals for safety reasons – is not just an attack on the school but also an attack on her.

“What is this called? Is this extortion?” He thought about it. “Bribery? Blackmail?”
“I think they call this ‘the kindness of strangers.’”
“Doesn’t feel all that kind.”


It’s patently obvious to the reader why Duncan is so security focused, but Sam and the rest of the characters don’t find out until halfway through the book, and that’s due to some particularly egregious boundary crashing. For reasons that only make sense in a romcom, Sam ends up picking Duncan up after surgery and while he’s high as a kite on an amnesiac drug, not only does a nurse reveal that Duncan likes her, she also discovers that he was a victim of a school shooting. She even ends up kissing him, which, to her credit, she immediately regrets. That doesn’t stop her from deciding to save the school by “fixing” him. Through another convoluted chain of events, Sam and her friends end up blackmailing Duncan into doing a joyful thing every day, from juggling at lunchtime to eating an ice cream sundae to getting therapy for his obvious PTSD. I actually found the descriptions of these acts – most of which ended up being “dates” for Sam and Duncan – sweetly endearing, but unfortunately it was just a small part of the latter half of the book.

In one of the big head-scratchers for me, Sam’s militant that Duncan needs therapy but doesn’t seem to think she needs anything other than Max’s “seek joy” wisdom. The way she feels about her epilepsy – and her father’s abandonment – felt particularly toxic to me, and I didn’t feel like there was any pushback in the book about how unhealthy it was. It’s mentioned more than once that since her epilepsy reoccured, she refused to date because she thought she was now unloveable. This briefly comes up as part of the dark moment but then is seemingly hand-waved away. I also didn’t care much for the rivalry between Sam and Tina, Max and Babette’s actual daughter, who’s the wife of the bad guy board director and the mother of the precious oceanographer plot moppet. Sam sees herself as practically an adopted daughter of those two – she even lives in an apartment on their property – but it’s just another symptom of her family issues around her illness. And despite the fact that a good deal of the plot revolved around the aftermath of a school shooting, I never really felt like the severity of the topic was truly addressed. Sure, they agree some changes need to be made at the school but…. that’s it? It’s a complicated topic, and not one that some juggling or dance lessons is going to solve.

“It’s a choice,” I went on, feeling like I needed to make him see. “A choice to value the good things that matter. A choice to rise above everything that could pull you down. A choice to look misery right in the eyes . . . and then give it the finger.”
“So it’s a hostile kind of joy.”
He was mocking me. “Sometimes,” I said defiantly.
“Is that a real thing though?”
“It’s a deliberate kind of joy. It’s a conscious kind of joy. It’s joy on purpose.”


A lot of this review has been about what I didn’t like in the book, but I did generally enjoy the book. My criticisms basically all stem from it being a little too over-the-top and Hallmark-y, but I can easily see why someone would love this book. I loved the message about choosing joy – that joy isn’t necessarily one big thing but a collection of tiny things. It resonated with me and I thought Sam did an amazing job expressing it.

Overall, the book didn’t work for me, but I think if you’re someone looking for a sweet romcom who doesn’t mind ridiculous hijinx, this might just be for you!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan, and this book just adds more love for her! I absolutely loved this book! I love the ease of her writing, and the emotion she brings to each moment and character. The only thing I wish there was more of would be more "relationship" between Sam and Duncan. I want more love and attraction. But that's just me. Overall, great story and I can't wait to read what's next for Center!

*Thank you to @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Katherine Center does it again. This is the story of eccentric Sam, and her efforts to save her eclectic school from being destroyed by the new security-driven principal, who just so happens to be her former colleague on whom she had a debilitating crush. As always, Katherine has written very lovable and heartfelt characters. Sam and Babette and Alice and Duncan were all so easy to love. So effortless to root for. This story is full of broken people looking for ways to move on. It shows the different ways that tragedy can shape us, and how much better life could be if we CHOOSE JOY ON PURPOSE. This book had heavy themes, but still managed to feel lighthearted. The banter and tension is top notice. I always take notes when I’m preparing to review a book, but I FLEW through this story without once stopping. There were times that the story seemed to veer a little outside my personal realm of realism and I’d stop to think “No way. Things like that don’t happen” but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the whimsy. This book is just incredibly wholesome from cover to cover.

Every time I start reading a book -- especially one that's been on my Want to Read list, like this one based on the glowing reviews -- I want to like it. I want to root for characters, love, growth and especially joy. I want all the FEELS, but this book just left me flabbergasted.

I get that our heroine is crippled and damaged by the lemons she's been given in life. It was terribly obvious the same was for our hero, though she was too obtuse to catch on to his trauma, so the story plodded on to a pretty predictable end.

However, her attitude and tone throughout the book was so flat out whiny and annoying, I barely got through Chapter 1 when I nearly jumped book. How was Chapter 2? Yup, still felt dislike for her. Before I hit Chapter 3, I downloaded another read from NetGalley in case I needed to put this on my DNF list, but I did manage to complete it and I still did not care much for her by the end. 1.5 stars.

Sam Casey lives a very comfortable life on the surface. After moving to a new town four years prior, she has fallen in love with her new surroundings and those in her community. Sam is a school librarian and lives in a granny flat on the property of her school principle and his lovely wife who have taken her in and treated her as one of their own children.

When tragedy strikes the school is forced to find a new principle and it turns out to be none other then Sams old coworker/ crush Duncan. Sam is expecting the same fun loving, goofy and eccentric guy she once knew but instead Duncan had become quite the opposite.

Duncan has come with one goal in mind, school safety. He wants the happy, colorful and vivacious school to become nothing short of a stone cold prison. While Duncan makes plans to change everything for the worse Sam will stop at nothing to make sure the school keeps the spirit of its past and remain the place everyone loves.

I adore Katherine Center books for so many reasons one of which being the characters. From the very start I found myself cheering for both Sam and Duncan and loved the way each of them developed. Though there were many tough topics brought up in this book they were addressed flawlessly. What You Wish For is another knockout in my book!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin for my review copy!

4 very, very solid stars!

Sam is an elementary school librarian, passionate about reading, learning, the children, and joy. She lives in an apartment above the garage belonging to the school's founders, Max and Babette, and has become part of their family. When she throws an epic 60th birthday bash for Max on the day he and Babette return from a trip to Italy, it should be the best night of their lives. After hours of celebrating and dancing, Max suddenly collapses, suffering a clot from being too still on the long flight.

Unable to save him, the community is in mourning over the loss of their beloved principal and friend. Babette completely turns in on herself, and a new principal must be brought in. When Sam learns that the new principal will be Duncan Carpenter, she nearly faints. It was Duncan Carpenter that "forced" Sam to leave her prior school when she finally accepted that her crush (obsession) was unhealthy and wouldn't be reciprocated.

Though crushed that her crush will be back in her life, Sam knows this is the absolute best thing for the school. Duncan exudes joy. He wears silly clothing, hosts random dance parties, and is unabashedly a fun time. The children love him, the parents adore him, and the teachers want to be him.

But, when Duncan Carpenter appears for orientation wielding a (water) gun, a posh suit, and anything but a friendly smile, Sam wonders what happened to the Duncan she once knew. Worse, Duncan has absolutely no idea who she is. With new security measures being implemented in the school at every turn, school begins to feel more like prison and Sam yet again feels like she might be run out of town because of Duncan. Will Duncan loosen the reigns? What happened to the old Duncan? Can Sam save her beloved school from becoming a prison?

The opening chapter of this book was absolutely epic. I was totally enthralled, already so connected to the characters, and invested in the story. Then, the book went a little downhill for me. Sam pining over the Duncan she lost began to feel tedious and my interest waned. Fortunately, about 1/3 of the way through, the book picked up again and I was completely hooked. I loved that this wasn't solely focused on the romantic relationship between Sam and Duncan. The character development was exceptional and I loved how Center built their histories and personalities. The final 10% or so was beyond incredible (think a seizure and a whale) and I was on an emotional rollercoaster.

I ended up really loving this book and am so, so happy I didn't give it up.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the free egalley of Katherine Center’s newest novel, What You Wish For. ⁣⁣
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Katherine Center knows how to pack and emotional punch into her novels. This one hit me in the feels a few times. Even during those hard times, the main character finds joy in her everyday life and encourages those around her toto do the same. I hate to be that person that says this was unrealistic when ITS FICTION. But the characters did blackmail the new principal and that felt weird to me🤷🏻‍♀️. In the end I liked it and thought it was enjoyable but wasn’t overly in love. I think fans of her previous novels will find it enjoyable too. ⁣⁣
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*3.5 stars*

School librarian, Samantha Casey, loves her job and her cheerful, nurturing school community. After the loss of their beloved principal, Samantha and the rest of the staff are faced with a new administrator, Duncan Carpenter, who is ready to make some big changes to the school. Samantha and Duncan soon find themselves in a standoff over these changes, but they might also learn a little about each other along the way.

After reading Things You Save in a Fire last year, I had high hopes for this one. For me, it fell a little flat. I thought the first 1/3 of the story was a little slow and hard to get into. And as a teacher, the sweeping changes Duncan wanted to make to the school right away were a bit unbelievable to me. On the other hand, I really loved the characters in this book...especially sweet Clay! And with so many quotable lines throughout the book, Katherine Center proves once again that she is a beautiful writer. And I mean...THE COVER!! 🙌🏻🤩 While this may not have been my favorite of her books, I am still a huge fan and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have become a huge Katherine Center fan. Her stories draw me in and the characters are well developed so that they spark strong feelings of love or hate.

While the main character, Samantha (Sam), got on my nerves at the beginning of the book, once she takes on the "Duncan" challenge, she became a different person. Her intense desire for the school where she is the librarian, and its students is touching. Sam is a caring individual and her relationships are full and life affirming.

As you travel through the story, you will discover what has happened in Sam and Duncan's lives that have made them into the person they are today. And those stories will touch you deeply.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I can't wait to be entertained by the author's next book!

I devoured this book in a day. And openly pouted whenever I had to put it down to do other human things.

I can never quite put my finger on the type of fiction Katherine Center writes. It’s listed, correctly, as Women’s Fiction but the romance elements are so significant and drive so much of the plot. Maybe I’ll call it Romantic Women’s Fiction? Whatever it is, I just know it makes me happy.

Like a deliciously hot mug of cinnamon tea. Cozy but spicy.

Loved this book. But a few content warnings: Epilepsy, death of a mentor, and a survivor’s description of a school shooting.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Life doesn’t ever give you what you want just the way you want it. Life doesn’t ever make things easy. How dare you demand that happiness should be yours without any sacrifice—without any courage? What an incredibly spoiled idea—that anything should come easy? Love makes you better because it’s hard. Taking risks makes you better because it’s terrifying. That’s how it works. You’ll never get anything that matters without earning it. And even what you get”—she lifted her chin in defiance—“you won’t get to keep. Joy is fleeting. Nothing lasts. That’s exactly what courage is. Knowing all that going in—and going in anyway.”

Really, I feel the above quote probably tells you all you need to know about Katherine Center’s new contemporary romance novel, What You Wish For. The words are spoken by Babette, a surrogate mother of sorts, to the story’s main protagonist Samantha Casey when she is tempted to give up on what it is she wishes for.

What Sam wants most is to be loved for who she is, but she’s afraid to trust it’s possible when offered. Center explores the themes of love, grief, friendship, suffering, and personal growth through her characters. The plot may be largely predictable but the author does touch on some serious issues, with several characters dealing with the effects of emotional or physical trauma.

What You Wish For is a feel-good novel, it was a quick and easy read with an inspiring message - to choose joy.

Solid Katherine Center fare. Pretty light with some seriousness and a good flow. Nice quick summer read on the beach for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha Casey escaped her previous school to her current one, a wonderful oasis on Galveston Island. She's an elementary school librarian, and she loves her work, her sunny library, and cheerful, happy school. But then one of the school founders dies and is replaced by a literal blast from Sam's past: Duncan Carpenter. Duncan is Sam's old crush from her last school. There he was a lighthearted and funny teacher. Now, he's a hardhearted principal obsessed with school safety, who seems determined to rip apart every sunny and happy piece of Kempner. Sam and the other teachers need to stand up to Duncan--before it's too late.

"There's nothing better than a before-and-after. But he didn't remember the before. So that pretty much killed the after."

I feel bad, but I think I'm somehow immune to Katherine Center's charms, which seem to make everyone swoon over her books. With the exception of How To Walk Away, which I really enjoyed, I like her books, but never really love them. And that's definitely what happened here. In fact, I often found WISH to be utterly frustrating.

Maybe it's because I'm the child of educators, but I just kept shaking my head at the idea of a principal who could come in and unilaterally make decisions without any resistance. It made it impossible for me to focus on the rest of the story. Apparently Duncan is hired by the school founders' son-in-law--essentially a school board of one. What private school has one person on their board? What sort of private school has parents who just quietly allow someone to paint the halls gray and put bars on the windows??! None of this made any sense to me. All the resistance came down to the teachers?? I've seen parents riot over far less.

I couldn't handle it--could you tell? I also couldn't handle Sam for most of the book. I just get frustrated with Center's heroines. Sam was so whiny about nearly everything. She was more than happy to judge everyone else, yet completely resistant to owning her own life, making any changes, and opening up. Ugh. I wanted to shake her sometimes.

The book was very slow to start. Much rehashing of Sam's own problems, Duncan's arrival and the fact that--can you believe it--he is different than he was before. Hey, did you know Duncan used to be cool and funny, but now he's not?! I didn't! Oh wait, let me tell you again 15 times. Also, let's go into the fact that Sam has some issues and can never ever love again. Did I mention ever?

Also, later, without giving too much away, we completely gloss over how serious PTSD is and whitewash over the severity of things like depression, because focusing on happy things will just take away those issues completely, right? Also most plot points are telegraphed a mile away.

Sigh, I'm probably being too harsh here. The book gets a bit better as things go on. And there's a really cute kid whom I enjoyed. But still. Repetitive, predictable, and not the best at presenting mental health issues. 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 here.

What You Wish For
5 Stars
Let me just start off and say this book will make you cry. ALL of her books will make you cry but they are so worth it! She is an amazing author! When I saw she had a new book coming out I HAD to have it and boy did it NOT disappoint! I devoured this book! I couldn’t put it down! I am so in love with the characters. It made me laugh and cry. Her books just make you feel like you are there! You want to yell and scream and a dance and laugh and of course cry lol. But really this book melted my heart. It gets all the stars and I highly recommend you pick up one of her books!

I enjoyed getting to know the main characters as the story unfolded. Their lives are so complex that what you see is not what is underneath. We all have secrets and bones in our closets and this is what you find as you read through this story. Sam struggles with a medical problem that she wants no one to know about and Duncan is struggling to find joy and happiness after a tragic event. Together they build a relationship and start to break down the walls built around them so each other can find comfort and joy again.