A wonderful story about finding joy in the tragic. When the beloved principal, at the school where Sam is the librarian, dies suddenly the school faculty is in shock and grieving. When it is announced that Sam's former crush Duncan will be the new Principal Sam is ready to quit. But when he shows up and is completely different from the old Duncan, Sam stays to fight for her school.

As a school librarian myself I underlined many passages about the joy of matching great books to children. This book highlighted many of the difficulties and joys of working in our schools today.

It breaks my heart to say this but I didn’t love this book. I absolutely adored Center’s previous novels but this one just fell flat for me. I found it a bit cheesy and unrealistic. The fact they didn’t put it together that Duncan had been involved in a school shooting... uhm DUH. I also felt like Sam was super immature and I couldn’t relate to her at all. I will still read Center’s next book but definitely think her other books are much better.

Good lort. This whole dang book tried to hard. And failed.

Samantha is the librarian at her dream school. She ran away from her last one because her crush didn't know she was alive. I mean the woman packed her shit and left. I can not even. I'm not even going to rant on this. Let's move on.

So miss thang is at her dream job and her beloved principal/substitute parent passes away and they find out his replacement at the school is her crush. *insert surprise face here*
Samantha is all excited because she remembers him as this fun guy.


He is not that guy anymore. He is an ass.

Oh the hell with it. I hated this damn book. It's boring as hell and the level of cheese had me hating on cheese and I love damn cheese.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I discovered Katherine Center last year when I needed something light, easy and sweet. I read two of her books in quick succession and found them both enjoyable and heartwarming. So when I saw this cover I immediately knew I would read it.

What You Wish For is the story of a school librarian named Samantha (Sam) Casey, She works in a very unique, quite extraordinary, school in Galveston, Texas, where the kids are valued and the work atmosphere is filled with creativity and love. As the book opens, Sam is planning a birthday party for the principal who is also her landlord and part of a couple she considers parents. Unfortunately he dies in the opening pages and the teachers are grieving his loss when they learn who the new principal will be. This is, of course, when things get complicated because Sam knows him and loves him, but when he shows up at the school he is completely different than the man she remembers. And he is on a mission to change everything about the school she loves. Sam is not going to take it and decides to fight.

I really enjoyed the way she chose to fight -- trying to remind Duncan of all the things he used to find joyful. She chose to be funny, kind, loving and fun. She chose to convince him to love silliness again. It is a sweet message about surrounding ourselves with the things we love and those that make us laugh. It reminds us that joy "rubs off" on others.

There are no real surprises here. The romance is completely predictable as is the outcome. Despite that I did enjoy the story. I rooted for Sam and Duncan to find love. And even more than that, I rooted for Duncan to find his happiness again. It was a fun read, and I will certainly continue to read Center's books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, the author and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Man, every Katherine Center book I pick up gets better and better for me. I really enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire and I anticipated a great read with What You Wish for and I got it! It's a story about a school that loses its beloved principal (from the Goodreads blurb) and someone from school librarian Samantha's past becomes the replacement. Without going into too much detail, this whole plot really hit me hard as someone whose workplace has also drastically changed in the last year. I was actually quite emotional reading this one! It's a story of new beginnings, finding joy and people's resilience. It's a romance too but also so much more. The cast of characters of the school are lovely and so fun. And who doesn't love a librarian as the protagonist?! I now have to read Happiness for Beginners to find out more about a side character in this book!

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley, thank you!

A light summer read about rediscovering love and rediscovering joy. What You Wish For is a quick read, and while it deals with grief and other serious matters, there’s a sweetness too in the sense of community and the absolutely lovely and supportive way that the school at large forms its own extended family.

I have to wonder if some of the reviewers read the same book that I did. In this time we live now with so much violence and hate in the world. Riots all over our history being changed who wouldn't like a place to hid for just a little bit. I have never read anything by this author before. I received an ARC of the book from netgalley, am so glad they let me read this story. I read it in one setting as I could not put it down. Samantha Casey finally has a life she loves. Her town of Galveston Texas. Kempner School in its stately Victorian building with the beautiful Butterfly garden. She loves her students as she is the school librarian. Founders of school, Max and Babette Kempner are loved by all in town. They are the kind of people who has never meet an enemy. Sam lives in their carriage house apt.
Their daughter is an uptight mess. She is married to Kent Buckley who is all business all the time with his bluetooth. Their son Clay is a very bright nine year old. He is so smart about a lot of things but mostly about the marine life around the school. He reads all the time as he father has no time for him and his mother is too busy trying to be perfect for her husband.
When the school loses its beloved principal due to an accident everything changes.
Sam founds out the new principal is going to be a man she had such a crush on that she left her home, job and moved to start fresh when he started dating other.
Duncan Carpenter was the best loved teacher at her old school, fun loving, anything to get the kids
thinking and learning. Everyone loved him mostly her.
She can see no way how she can stay and work around him again. She plans to quit and start over.
When he meets the teachers for the first time, Sam is shocked as Duncan is nothing like the person she knew. He is straitlaced, stiff in suits, never smiles and is a task master for the whole school.
He is out to ruin the school they all love, Sam knows she can't leave now.
How Sam and her friends set out to get him fired, then to save both the school and him is wonderful.
No there is no big mystery, no sexy love scenes no one dies.
But this is a wonderful story of love. A small town where they lose one of best of them, pick up the pieces and save the life they know and love. In doing that all grow with Sam and Duncan learning their is much they didn't know of the other. She has a Hugh secret she keeps from everyone.
Duncan has been in a terrible indecent and is trying to get over it all by himself.
I usually read Regency Romance most with murder, fighting, suspense and sexy love scenes.
I read a lot as I do ARC's for a number of different authors. I don't usually read cozy mystery, or
small town books. But I have to tell you I loved this book. It just took you in and you feel like you are a part of them. I couldn't put it down. I sure hope you give it a try, am betting you will get hooked too. This is my honest opinion and give it voluntarily.

Katherine Center’s new book What You Wish For is a good book if you are looking for something fairly light and easy to read. I have loved so many of her books yet this one just did not grab me like the others, but it was still entertaining. I loved that it was set in Galveston, Texas where I have spent a fair amount of time and set in a school. The characters are interesting and each kind of broken in their own way. There was a lot that was over the top but to me, a summer read can have a little of that. The overarching theme of finding something joyful to focus on is welcome and needed right now!

Finding Joy....one butterfly at a time....

Samantha (Sam) Casey is an elementary school librarian on the island of Galveston, Texas. When the school tragically loses their principal, she finds that his replacement is her crush from a former job, Duncan Carpenter. But Duncan is not the Duncan she remembers, he is tough, and on a mission to make sure that the school is safe and secure, butterflies but damned. Fearing that Duncan is about to take away everything that she loves, she decides it is time to fight back!

We've all heard the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" it's also hard not to judge a book based on other books written by the same Author (**cough cough Things You Save in a Fire). So, trying not to do that, I dove into this book. If you are looking for a fast read with some romance and a message about finding "Joy" this book will be for you. I loved the premise of finding things that make you happy and doing/surrounding yourself with them. I think we all need to do that.

From the get-go, I wondered about Samantha's age as she came off as younger and immature at times to me while everyone else felt older. I did like how she stood up for herself and she slowly grew on me. She comes off as whimsical, sassy and caring of others. Duncan fit the bill as the hot guy who was once fun and silly and is now stoic and serious. Basically, he is hot to trot with an attitude! Samantha cannot determine if he remembers working with her or not. He does not appear to remember her...

As far as romances go, they are all pretty predictable. We all basically know who is going to end up with who in the end - it is about the journey of how they get there that matters. I enjoyed the journey in this book. I liked watching the characters as they learned more about each other - I'm not just talking about Sam and Duncan. Many characters in this book grow and other characters learn things about each other as they take a stand, find their voice, share their secrets, expose their fears and possibly get what they wish for!

This book is joyful even if predictable. It did not wow me as her other books have but it was still enjoyable. It is a light easy read perfect for when you need a break from reality. I appreciated all the heavy subjects she addressed in this novel (death, epilepsy, school shooting, etc.) Sharing things that affect you deeply can be scary, and I felt the character’s verbalization of their fears, concerns, etc. were believable. I loved how both of the main characters were in stages of starting over in this book.

I look forward to reading more books by Katherine Center as they bring me joy!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Samantha Casey is the librarian at the Kempner School where the founder and principal Max Kempner believes in making school joyful. It's an incredible, warm, colorful school that's really focused on the students' needs. Until Max dies and the board installs a new principal, someone from Sam's past. She remembers Duncan Carpenter as being fun, silly, and colorful, but the man she comes face to face with is anything but. War between him and the teachers ensue, but Max's widow has a card up her sleeve and, maybe, Duncan isn't quite the stick in the mud he seems to be.

The Characters: Colorful and Joyful

For the most part, I really enjoyed the characters. They were given fun and interesting personalities and I liked that the main characters each had a history that drove them. They were a delightful mix and I loved the antics Sam, Max's widow Babette, and math teacher Alice whipped up.

At the beginning of the book, I didn't like Sam much, but she started to grow on me. I felt like she seemed to think she was better than and more capable than everyone else just because she was the Kempners' tenant and spent a lot of time with them. She seemed to constantly be "innocently" provoking their daughter Tina, and I just really couldn't understand it. She felt like an interloper and I couldn't help but cringe. But then more of her life was revealed and the reader got to know her, just her on her own, and she suddenly became someone who tried hard every single day to be brave. She's had a tough life, one full of pain and hurt, but has taken Max's message to heart: to live with joy. I liked that I could see pieces of myself in her. She's a good sport, but overthinks too much. At the same time, she really cares and loves with her whole heart, until it gets too personal.

My favorite characters were Sam's friends, Babette and Alice. Babette, as Max's wife, felt something like a maternal figure to her. She was calm and thoughtful, but full of life and color even with being widowed. She felt real with her love for her school and her grief and I loved seeing how she balanced it all. Alice was so much fun. I wouldn't mind having a best friend like her. She was straightforward and always got through things with a smile. I loved that she always wore a shirt with a math joke, but I wish more of the jokes had been mentioned in the book.

I hate to say I'm on the fence about Duncan. As the love interest, he both felt perfect for Sam and kind of cookie cutter. He's the guy who need to be reworked so he's more human, but, at the same time, there's a whole history to him that wasn't mentioned until the end, but was so easy to spot as a reader. It often made me incredibly frustrated with the other characters and made me wonder time after time if they were just too absorbed in their own problems to see what was really going on. I liked that Duncan was clearly warring with the two sides of himself, but it also felt too easy. Still, I couldn't help but think he was adorable and some of his scenes with Sam were just too sweet.

The Setting: Seaside in Texas

This book takes place on a small island in Texas. I didn't really get a Texas vibe from the book and, honestly, kept forgetting it was set in Texas. I did like that it was on an island. It felt cozy and fun with the ocean literally right there.

What I really loved, though, was the school. The author really took her time to explore the whole school and what made it so unique and joyful. If I were a student there, I wouldn't ever want to leave. The library alone made me wish this place could be real! It was so easy and clear to see how much everyone loved it. It was beautiful and joyful. Honestly, the school really made this book for me. I can't say I loved it enough.

The Plot: Perfect Women's Fiction

This really fits the women's fiction genre. There's the young woman finding herself even though she seems to have found herself already and there's the romance and the friendship. I did feel the friendship suffered a little as the romance really took over, though.

The romance was sweet, and cute. It did feel like most of the book was focused on it. But, still, it was sweet and cute. Definitely very clean. And super cute. I did enjoy those romance scenes, but, they also seemed to go on and on for chapters. It was sometimes jarring to return to the greater story since they really were drawn out scenes.

The one thing that really bothered me was Tina. I felt like she should have had a bigger role, that maybe more of the book could have been devoted to her relationship with Sam instead of Sam's romance with Duncan. Too often I just completely forgot she existed, and then she would be slipped in and it would be a while again until she's seen once more. There was so much that could have been done with her. I liked the end, but it also felt too much like an about face.

Overall, the story flowed well. It was easy to read, nice and breezy. It's a sweet story, and very cute. There was some depth to it, but it mostly felt like a fluffy read. I did like that the characters' histories felt like they were effortlessly woven throughout and they came out at the right times. At the same time, this isn't anything groundbreaking; just a fun book to read.

Overall: Super Cute

Overall, I liked it. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fantastic. It was cute. There were some things I wish had been more explored, pieces I wished had been expanded on, but, overall, this was just such an easy book to breeze through. I think I just kept reading because I adored the relationship between Sam and Duncan and really loved Alice, but everything else wasn't quite as interesting. I was most disappointed with the big scenes at the end as they felt a little disjointed and thrown in for some drama, but this really isn't a bad story. It's sweet and cute.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-what-you-wish-for-by-katherine-center/

“It’s one of the secrets of life that no one ever tells you. Joy cures everything.”

I was surprised and delighted at how much I loved this book. It was exactly what I needed to read right now.: a story with characters who faced challenges, but survived them. Largely because of Joy, hope and love.

Sam is a school librarian at a private school in Galveston, Texas. She has a physical condition that threatens her stability and keeps her from living life to the fullest. Enter Duncan, a teacher she once worked with (and had a crush on) at a previous school. He has his own issues to contend with, from a previous experience. They become friends and change the direction of their lives.

I thought the characters, for the most part, were well-drawn, and realistic. I liked them and wanted things to work out for them! There also was a great sense of place. Maybe because I’m stuck at home during the pandemic, but I was happy to visit a place I’d never been.

Honestly, what I liked best about this book was that Sam had a problematic medical condition,, one of those “invisible disabilities,” but was still the heroine of the book and found a way to have a happy and fulfilling life.

Choose Joy.

Thanks to @stmartinspress, #netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is not just a cute love story but a story of one community coming together and dealing with a tragic loss. I wanted to learn more about the relationship between the main character and the principal’s late wife. I wish we had gotten the perspective of our hero, as that would’ve made the romance more convincing. It took me a while to warm up to our heroine. I’m not huge on the unrequited love trope and that was utilized. Both our hero and heroine were quirky which I liked and disliked at times. Not my favorite Katherine Center by any means, but still a somewhat enjoyable read. 3/5 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third Katherine Center book. I discovered her when I was asked to review an ARC of Things You Save in a Fire. I fell in love with her take on romance novels and chick lit then which showed much more depth than I was expecting and had seen before while still making you feel all warm inside because you know, romance and love. I was hoping to find this in What You Wish For as well. The premise promised to be quirky and cute but also relevant in today’s times. Alternative types of schooling and school safety are frequently discussed topics in my circle of friends and even in my professional field of work. I was looking forward to Katherine’s take on this. Sadly, I felt this novel fell flat in those aspects. Instead what I found was a cast comprised of stereotypes and tropes, a budding relationship between Samantha and Duncan that felt forced, and a “villain” who was just too much. In today’s literature, I expect characters with subtle flaws in their personality, characters who at times are relatable and at others are not. The majority of people are neither 100% good nor 100% bad. The good people in this novel were just all sunshine and rainbows while the villainous individual was a total creep all around. I am giving this book 2 stars because there were moments of the Katherine Center-esque wit and insight I enjoyed in her other novels. The scene when Duncan is still drugged from a surgery and Sarah is taking care of him had me in stitches and laughing out loud. I wish the whole novel would’ve been that special.

Review of What You Wish For by Katherine Center:
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)
.
Elementary school librarian Sam Casey loves her job, her students, and her community. But one summer evening, they lose their beloved principal, Max, unexpectedly and he is replaced by none other than Sam’s unrequited crush from several years ago. How can Max be replaced? Duncan Carpenter and Sam used to work together and at the time, Duncan was outrageous, fun, eccentric. That was the old Duncan. The new Duncan is stringent, flat, rigid, and fixated on school safety. Not the same Duncan that Sam knew. And he’s set out to change the very school she loves. The colorful, vibrant, and joyful school is quickly being turned into a prison all in the name of school safety. Can Sam help Duncan to feel joy again?
 
I loved the message behind this book while tackling hard issues. School safety is such an important matter but also how to balance that without interrupting students love for learning and seeking joy. This book and its central themes led to many lessons learned and it was heartwarming to see them unfold. That said, much of the storyline was cheesy. Sam was super quirky and Duncan was over the top stiff. And I truly questioned what kind of person could be so in love with someone, not share their feelings, yet blame said person for ruining their life. 😆 But Clay, though a relatively minor character in comparison to Sam and Duncan, was inspirational and wiser than his years. He and Max are who tied this book together for me. This is a beautiful story of love, hope, and strength in the community at a time when you feel defeated. You won’t want to miss Katherine Center’s latest.

Oh and can we talk about this cover?! Obsessed with her covers!!!!
 
Thank you @StMartinsPress and @Netgalley {#partner} for gifting me with both an e-copy and printed advanced readers copy in exchange for an independent and honest review. This book is available now so go grab yourselves a copy now!

You know the old saying "Be careful what you wish for.", well this humorous book illustrates just how bad it can get. When Sam, a librarian on Galveston Island thinks of unrequited love Duncan, she still pines for him. She is surprised to learn he will become the new principal at her school. He was always a crazy fun-loving teacher that she had an incredible crush on when she worked with him in California. When Duncan shows up he is nothing like he used to be and she grows to wish that he had never come to Galveston. I really enjoyed the camaraderie between the teachers and the vulnerable, romantic characters that the author created in Sam and Duncan. It was entertaining from beginning to end. This is a light, funny, inspirational tale of what happens when you get what you think you want.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and have left an honest review.

Thank you to Net galley for providing me with this ARC.

At first I wasn't too sure about this book. It was very light and fluffy; the characters were kind of clingy and unrealistic, and it was a little repetitive. But I told myself to just read a little bit more, and I'm so glad I did. The story and characters really ended up growing on me. I started to really enjoy Sam and how much she cared about her students. I loved hearing about Kempner school and I felt how passionate she was about it all. As I read more, I was intrigued by Duncan as well. He's more complex, and I was interested in finding out more about him.

I've never read a Katherine Center book before but I've always heard such good things, and I'm really glad I picked this up and gave it a chance. I'll definitely be reading her other books as well, particularly when I want something light, enjoyable, and uplifting.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is a perfect summer read that will uplift you. With its fantastic characters and perfect setting, this book is captivating and hard to put down. Also, the theme of hope woven throughout the story is something that many readers will appreciate right now.

There are so many quirky and interesting characters in this novel. Samantha is a librarian that has a whimsical and vibrant style that matches her sunny outlook on life. While her life hasn’t always been easy, she chooses to see the bright side of things. Then there is Duncan, a principal who at one time had a similar outlook on life, but has since hardened. It is really enjoyable to watch their romance slowly unfold and discover how these two characters can lift each other up.

❀ AMAZING ISLAND SETTING

Another amazing aspect of this story is its island setting. It really is a character of its own, with its wonderful old buildings and a tight-knit community that helps one another. The descriptions of the quirky old school are also so much fun. I really love how the author gives so much life to the school through so many details, such as art and a dream library overlooking the ocean.

❀ A THEME OF HOPE

There is a mix of light and heavy topics in this novel. Both Samantha and Duncan have internal struggles that they are dealing with that are definitely difficult. However, Center balances these hardships with a theme of hope. The way the main characters and the whole town come together to help one another through so many difficulties is incredible.

❀PERFECT FOR YOUR BEACH BAG

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is a perfect book for your beach bag. It has characters that are easy to fall in love with and a setting that will whisk you away. As well, it has a hopeful theme that will lift your spirits.

I was thrilled to have a chance to read an ARC of What You Wish For! I adored Things You Save in a Fire and I was absolutely ready to get swept away in Center's story. The first 30% of the book laid a solid foundation for a great story. Samantha was lovable, relatable, and had a humorous internal monologue keeping readers entertained and engaged. One of the aspects of Center's books that I find so appealing is the hopeful tone. Choosing to be joyful, or at least pursuing even the small things that bring you joy and comfort. Max, the late principal, had a number of quotes that I highlighted and intend to refer back to. We had some fantastic mental health representation along with disability rep in Samantha. The first 30% had me captivated, and then Duncan came on the scene.

Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed all the characters in this story. Even the snippy ones, they all felt like rounded, authentic individuals. I'm not sure where to classify this book. It seems like it is trying to straddle the line of contemporary fiction and romance and sort of loses its way. I was absolutely here for this romance between Duncan and Samantha. I wanted to watch Duncan's character growth from the ground floor. The story zips through an entire school year in around 320 pages and that worked against their romance and growth. I want to be shown Duncan's changes and the challenges, not told that he does them and it brings them closer together and now they are friends.


Ultimately, this definitely wasn't my favorite but it was a solid start so I can't rate it lower than a three. I will still absolutely read Center's work in the future, but I needed Sam and Duncan's interactions to be fleshed out a bit more.

CW: School Shootings, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression

3.5 Stars. I love Katherine Center’s work. I find that she really knows how to capture human emotion and brokenness and healing in a way that is eminently readable whilst being very meaningful and evocative of personal reflection. In this book, the central theme is about the hard work choosing the joy you wish for even when you are most broken and hurt and scared. It’s realistic like a lot of Katherine Center’s work in acknowledging the darker harder emotions to deal with without being crushing. You feel the pain of the characters but you also experience the healing and reflect on your own pursuit of happiness and decision to choose joy even in the darkness.

That’s why I was so happy to receive a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martins Press through NetGalley. I have literally NEVER read a Katherine Center book that didn’t blow me away, ripping off my edges and leaving me completely out back together and filled with new versions. And this book achieved that for me. The TL;DR version of this review is that: It’s not my favourite of her books only because they’re all soooooo good and this was fine, but a few bits felt uncohesive to me even though I did love this book overall!

I basically loved the messaging and storytelling of this book. I found this to be more focused on the romantic relationship between Sam and Duncan and more of a romance novel than previous KC books have been. This isn’t a bad thing, I just don’t know if this particular love story for me worked. I loved this book, the idea of it, the themes, how the romance was used to tell the story. I just wasn’t the biggest fan of the two lead characters (Sam and Duncan, Sam especially, from whose perspective the book is told).

The premise of this book is that Sam is a school librarian who ran away from her old job because of her debilitatingly crushing crush on her colleague, the fun-loving, “teacher of the year”-type Duncan. Now years later, Sam has transformed herself to a joy-seeking colorful school librarian when Duncan arrives to take over as principal in her new school. Except his spirit seems to be gone, he doesn’t seem to recognize fun and he seems opposed to the magic, light and joy that Sam’s new school brings. Sam is forced to put away her crush in light of Duncan’s apparent determination to ruin the place that has brought her such joy and peace.

This was a page-turner as can only be expected from this author. I really do like this book a lot. I have turned over and over in my mind what just didn’t sit well with me and it’s hard to articulate. I guess it didn’t feel plausible is the best way to explain it? I didn’t get how Sam left her initial school just like that, I didn’t get why Duncan was suddenly so amenable and it seemed a little out of character for him to be with no real resistance, I didn’t get why Sam would in one moment be perfectly reasonable and in the next be over-describing things. The relationship bit and the explanation of it was a bit patchy to me and that made me... not quite buy the relationship. The school bits with the teacher community also felt a bit idealistic to me, perhaps. But I would say these are minor quibbles. There is nothing problematic or offensive, I would just say the puzzle pieces didn’t quite fit for me and these aspects felt a little forced.

What shone with this? Every single time this author wrote about emotions, analysed feelings, had the characters go through some personal reflection, the friendship between Sam, Alice and Babette, the conversations between Duncan and Sam... Also the humour was also great. I found myself laughing out loud several times and the secondary characters- math teachers, Alice, and “Brainerd,” Clay were standouts for me. There were a lot of secondary themes in this book that could be potentially triggering- the main one is gun violence and secondarily school safety. Dealing with epilepsy, family, friendship and abandonment are also central issues. This didn’t have a lot of (or any to my recollection) racial diversity representation, it did have disability representation.

OVERALL, I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it. It is not my favourite from this author but it is still really enjoyable I would still buy it for friends and I would definitely read it again.

What You Wish For is story about choosing to find the Joy in life not matter what is thrown your way. Its about a second chance at making life be what you want it to be and letting go of the things, people and circumstances that try to hold you back.

This was simple yet complex, heart breaking yet joyful, funny and light hearted yet deep and meaningful. It was such a perfect balance of all the things I enjoy in books with some added romance. It does tackle some hard to deal with topics but I love how the author went about this and the writing style felt so smooth an easy to read.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I can not wait to read more of her words