Sam and Duncan bring to life What You Wish For. A truly unique tale of second chances. Center weaves a triumphant, uplifting story that is unexpected and satisfying.

I enjoyed the varying points of view and truly felt the push and pull of these characters. The growth both experience was key for me as I was cheering for them all the way through. Center’s novels continue to surprise and entertain me.

What You Wish For was amazing cotemporary romance that revolved around Sam and her efforts to save her beautiful school. It was about fight the darkness and find joy in life, getting over fear, PTSD, death, friendship, companionship, belongingness, and love.

Writing was lovely, flawless, and descriptive, it hooked me to story from the beginning. Setting of Kempner elementary school on historic island of Galveston, Texas was amazing. Told in first person narrative from Sam’s POV made the book charming and refreshing.

I’m not going to repeat the plot or how it started, synopsis told it perfectly. I loved plot, characters, and everything in this book. It was a bit predictable but I enjoyed every moment in this book. Close-knit community of school- staff, students, people of island and Max’s family they looked after each other, loved school and cared for it.

Max was there in whole book even though he died in first chapter. His character, nature and lessons he taught lived within all characters except Kent Buckley. He was such opportunist douchebag son-in-law. I was surprised he was appointed chairman after Max’s death and learning what he planned for school. I couldn’t figure out why Max’s daughter, Tina, would marry this guy stay with him and tolerate him but couldn’t stand Sam’s presence even though she was always nice to her.

Babette was awesome. This old lady was my favorite. Alice was so Mathy (is that a word?). Herlove for math, math jokes, and seeing everything in life with math was infectious. And Clay is my most favorite little guy. He was Tina’s son, only 3rd grader but knew a lot of things about marine. He was total brainy and even read Steinbeck! I loved him for taking name calling as compliment. He was wisest character after Max and Babette.

Sam was lovely librarian, full of life. She loved Kempner school, her job and kids at school. On outside who didn’t know her would say she never felt sadness or faced darkness in life, but she too was fighting sadness and loneliness every day. She had epilepsy and faced bad things because of it in childhood that implanted seed of fear and loneliness deep within her soul. She was still struggling with unpredictable seizures, but I loved how Max, Babette, and Alice helped her. She tried to live fullest, grabbed joy whenever and wherever she could but when Duncan came back in her life, life and her feelings became complicated. She showed Duncan what it’s like to have fun and happiness and live above the fear but at the same time she wasn’t really ready let go her fears- fear of rejection, fear of change in person’s view after witnessing her epilepsy and fear of holding them back. Her development was great. Her feelings about epilepsy, for school, Max-Babette, and Duncan touched my heart.

Duncan was interesting. His description through Sam’s eyes, his quirkiness and events he created in previous school they worked together created fun image and when he joined Kemper’s as principle, his180 degree character change was shocking. He didn’t gave best impression with that stage speech and changes he started making in school with all those school securities and safety memos popped my eyes out of socket. I could see why Sam was so concerned it made me equally curious to know his story which was predictable, but when I heard it, it was heart wrenching. He was amazing person, he had best interest at heart but he was weighed down by trauma, fear and obsession of making school safe that he couldn’t see what he was doing to school and staff. It surprised me to see elementary school turning into grey, joyless and confined prison. But when Sam made team with Babette and Alice on Duncan project to change his mind, make him see good in world, beauty of school, joy and happiness above his fear and specially what he was before tragedy, I could see him change gradually. I loved how wall around himself started to crumble brick by brick and relationship between him and Sam blossoming along with it.

Romance was cute, it was well balanced with theme and plot of the book. There were sad moments that made my heart heavy more than once but there were so many joyful and beautiful moments that proved no matter what happens in life it’s worth to find joy, fight darkness and live fullest.

I enjoyed reading school’s history, each classes in school and its decorations, specially library, Galveston Sea wall, amusement park built on pier, The Great Galveston storm and museum for it. It was really interesting and I loved googling these places.

Importance of school security and school shooting was handled delicately. We see how difficult it is for those who survived, importance of therapy for PTSD, love from people and helping survivors to move on. It also made me think what Duncan was doing was not wrong but also made me agree with Sam that overdoing it doesn’t make it kids friendly environment of school, there need to be balance in it, and nobody can protect anybody all the time.

Climax was surprising. I was expecting something will happen all along, I knew Kent Buckley would do something but when and how was surprising. I loved the way Sam and Duncan cleared differences, admitted their feelings but what happened afterwards was not at all predictable. I loved the end and how things turned out for all characters.

Overall, What You Wish For was meaningful, inspiring, feel good and entertaining emotional roller coaster with beautiful setting and amazing characters. If you still haven’t read any Katherine Center’s book, just get this one and start reading.

Twenty-eight-year-old Samantha Casey is a librarian who lives and works in Galveston Island, Texas. She is happy to be employed at the Kempner School, whose founders, Max and Babette, established an imaginative, joyous, and vibrant educational institution for elementary school children. Approximately four years earlier, Sam quit her job at Andrews Prep in California. She had fallen in love with Duncan Carpenter, a charming and goofy teacher who, she was convinced, would never be interested in her. In those days, Sam was drab and reserved but she has since reinvented herself. Now she wears bright colors, has pink bangs, and unabashedly speaks her mind.

Katherine Center's "What You Wish For" is a bittersweet romance in which dark themes are interspersed with slapstick humor. Much to Sam's shock, Kent Buckley, the overbearing, self-absorbed, and obnoxious chairman of the school board, hires Duncan Carpenter to be Kempner's new principal. On the one hand, the Duncan she remembers would be a fabulous addition to the staff, since he was always so simpatico with kids and adults alike. On the other hand, Sam ran away from Duncan before, and she has no desire to do so again.

A new Duncan unexpectedly shows up—a buttoned-down, harsh, and bossy man who wants to turn Kempner into a fortress. He lays out a plan that would rob the school of its color, excitement, and warmth. Sam and her colleagues put their heads together to launch a counteroffensive. It is a shame that Center's plot is so heavy-handed, since Sam and Duncan are an appealing couple with intriguing backstories. However, the events that bring them together and their behavior throughout the novel bear little resemblance to anything that might happen on planet Earth. "What You Wish For" would most likely appeal to readers who enjoy escaping reality for a few hours and are not put off by Center's offbeat and wildly implausible plot.

Another hit from Katherine Center. full of unforgettable characters, witty dialogue and how sometimes we find joy in the most unexpected places.
School librarian, Samantha Casey loves her job and all that comes with it. Her work world is everything she wants until someone from her past comes into it.
Duncan Carpenter, the new principal at Samantha's school believe that rules and regulations are to be followed without exception.
As Samantha's world as she knew it before Duncan appeared begins to unravel, she must make it right at any cost.
This is the perfect summer book that are looking for that much needed uplifting read.

I don't have enough words too describe how much I enjoyed this book...so I'm just gonna say it was .excellent. Really, really excellent. The characters are fun and engaging, and the storyline is interesting and intriguing.
This is the second book I've read by this author (Things You Save in a Fire was the first one), and I am in love with her writing style.
I definitely look forward to reading her next book.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

The story has a light hearted feel to it. The book is written from Sam's point of view. She's an interesting character. She's a mix of daring and shy. The dialogue was witty. The characters were all a little odd. The story was good and there is a satisfying ending. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is my first book from Katherine Center and I was so excited to be give a chance to read this one!

What You Wish For follows Sam, a school librarian, and her rigid new principle Duncan who she knew previously as a lighthearted guy. I appreciated the awareness Center brought to some sensitive topics, such as school shootings, mental health, and epilepsy just to name a few.

I struggled to connect with the protagonist and found her a touch immature. I also was unable to see the chemistry between her and Duncan. I appreciate that this story is at its core about second chances and finding joy which will resonate with several readers.

My thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinpress for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Samantha (Sam) Casey is a librarian at a beloved Texas island school. When Duncan Carpenter, her former crush, comes in as the new principal, Sam cannot believe he's the same man she once knew. Duncan is set on changing all the things that make the school special, in the name of school safety. It's up to Sam to find a way through to Duncan.

I was drawn to the story because of the librarian aspect. We learn how Sam has grown and changed over the last couple years in her new school. Joy on purpose is a theme in this book. However I found Duncan hard to connect with. It seemed very obvious what had happened to change him, though Sam appears surprised. There was very little tension in the story and I was frustrated with the main characters lack of communication. The book was sprinkled with some humor and was a quick read. While I liked this book, I didn't love it the way I did the author's previous work, Things You Save in a Fire. Big thanks to Saint Martin's Press and Netgalley for an e-copy of this book.

Katherine Center has once again written a book that I couldn't put down! I have fallen in love with all her books thus far! She has this way with words that makes you feel like you're in her story walking alongside the characters in their day to day lives.

I loved Samantha's character and enjoyed her being a librarian and her enthusiasm for her job, school, and friends but she drove me a bit nuts at times as well. She's a grown woman worrying over a man and things that happened many years ago to the point she makes herself sick. I still couldn't help but adore her. Duncan I really disliked for a good part of the story for obvious reasons. He's certainly not the same man Samantha described or remembers but I eventually caved and gave him a chance.

This book isn't exactly the author's norm as it's not really centered around romance but about friendship and all but I found it to be a refreshing read on account of that. I guess that didn't disappoint me so bad because I didn't have any preconceptions about the story. I just picked it up and went with it and loved it!

Another fabulous book by Katherine Center. It has been awhile since I've read a book in one day but once I started reading What You Wish For, I just could not put it down, so I spent a glorious Sunday totally absorbed in this book. As always, Center's characters are so lovable and relatable. I loved all the characters in this story, well except for Kent but there's always one, right? I love her writing style, so witty and humorous and touching. This story made me laugh and it brought back memories of when my boys were in elementary school. They had the best principal ever but after a few years she retired and a not-so-likable replacement was brought in making changes that made parents, staff, teachers and students angry. The outcome in this book was WAY better. What You Wish For was just fantastic and adorable. A story about death, friendship, forgiveness, and, of course, love. I was sad to have it end. As with all of KC's books that I've read, I will be recommending this one to everyone!

I received an e-galley review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, but I ended up adding this as one of my Book-of-the-Month selections as I knew I'd want a physical copy to add to my Katherine Center book collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Honest it will be, because I had a lot of feelings about this book. I will start by saying this was my first read by Katherine Center and I have heard nothing but glowing reviews for her books, so maybe I did had a bit of high expectations for this one. Here we go..

The first 60% of the book or so was frankly.. horrible. I don't like using that word to describe someone's hard work, but stay with me here. I found it extremely juvenile and immature and I couldn't figure out Sam or how to feel about her. She was described as a strong woman, but she came across extremely needy with low self esteem, which to me is the opposite of a strong woman. Sam's inner dialogue confused me endlessly throughout the entire book, I felt as though her thoughts just constantly jumped back and forth and I couldn't keep up. Then there's Duncan and I just... had a hard time with him as well.

The issues Duncan's character came with were tough and heavy. I thought they were explained and explored very well. Sam's issues surrounding her health were very hard for me to believe and accept, as someone who has had a immediate family member with the same health situation I understood that hers came with many more additional issues regarding her past, it felt forced and poorly used. If that even makes sense - I had a very hard time with this.

Now - the last portion of the book had many redeeming qualities. I didn't like how quickly Duncan switched, I felt like he was cheated out of a better story. It was like he was an afterthought. Basically, everything worth reading happened in the last 40% of this book and it deserved more. However, I enjoyed the writing to an extent and the overall premise was a really great story filled with heavy t0pics that were handled in a very 'real-world' way and that's what caught my weak, weak heart.

So, I will give this book a 3 star. 2.5 if I could, but I will settle on 3. I would have rated the first half a 1 and the last bit a 3.5-4. I just couldn't find redeemable qualities in the characters or the story in the first half, often finding myself saying 'what is even happening?'. Center clearly knows how to write a story to pull on a readers heart-strings and discuss tough issues and how to resolve them. I will be picking up her other books shortly to see what I think of them!

LOVED this book! Such great character development, very likable leads, rooting for the school, the kids, the couple. Her best book yet!

Having spent almost all of my adult life as an educator I was looking forward to reading Katherine Center’s What You Wish For. It has a message as all of her book do of celebrating life and choosing joy which is as important for students to learn as academics. These are ideals that Samantha Casey has embraced in her life along with mentors, Max and Babette. However, it is also something one of the characters seemed unable to do especially at the beginning.

I expected sorrow so I had my tissues ready, good thing because it happens early. I also expected positive uplifting story which this also delivered with a crazy dog, incredible students, a little romance and a group of strong minded women. That is exactly what you will get with What You Wish For. At times, the characters seem over the top. Oh wait, they remind me of some middle school teachers at a k-8 school where I worked once.

I have only read one other Katherine Center book; this one is different though like all stories there are problems to be solved. It took my mind off of a big educators’ problem of what will happen in our state concerning school in August instead looking at a more manageable one of training a principal. Especially one who doesn’t think he needs to be trained in the fine art of bringing joy to everyday learning.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 beach read stars

This book was a bit fluffier than what I have come to expect from Katherine Center. I fell in love with, “Things You Save in a Fire”. I fell in deep like with this most recent release, “What You Wish For”.

When Max, the principal at a Galveston, TX elementary school dies suddenly, the whole community is affected. Samantha (Sam) Casey is the school librarian. Because she was close to Max, She is especially hard hit by his death. Max was a strong presence in the community. Enter Duncan Carpenter. He is the school’s new principal.

When Sam learns that Duncan is the new principal, she is startled. They have a history together, and she is not sure she wants to see him again, let alone work with him. When they meet one another on his first day at the school, Sam knows her hunch was right. He has changed, and not for the better in her opinion. The tension begins to build from that first day.

While this is not the strongest of Ms. Center’s storylines, there just the right amount of focus on how this community worked together to overcome the loss of Max, and how to accept Duncan. Some of the school kids almost steal the show in this book. Sam and Duncan work on their own issues in their own way. Life lessons abound if one stops to ferret them out.

I would categorize her other books as Women’s Fiction, which in my mind presents additional social issues over just as straight Romance or Chick Lit genre book. For me, this was more solidly in the Contemporary Romance genre. It will probably appeal to LOTS of readers, and I *did* enjoy it. It just wasn’t the best book from Ms. Center that I’ve read. This wasn’t quite what I wished for.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, St. Martin’s Press; and the author, Katherine Center for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Elementary school librarian, Samantha (Sam), loves her job but after the unexpected loss of her beloved principal, Max, she is shocked to discover that his replacement is none other than her former crush, Duncan. Will the feelings she's worked so hard to squash return as well?

"Pay attention to the things that connect you with joy."

I'll admit that I wasn't sure about this story line or characters Sam and Duncan at the beginning of this book but boy, did they grow on me! So much so that the more I learned about them, the more my rating grew from a 3 to a 4 to a 5. This author never disappoints and her books are infused with joy, whimsy, humor, and always big emotions at unexpected times. I absolutely loved this story and it brought tears (of joy and sadness) to my eyes quite a few times. I loved the author's previous book Things You Save in a Fire very much, but this is definitely my new favorite!

"Joy was cumulative... it wasn't about finding one big thing—but about collecting as many tiny pieces as you could."

If you loved the whale part of this book as much as I did, then I would highly recommend Keep Me Afloat (5 stars) by Jennifer Gold.

Location: Galveston Island, Texas

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“Pay attention to the things that connect you with joy”

“It’s just hard to hold it in though, because when something like that happens to you—like when you just see someone and a part of your heart just clicks into place like a little puzzle piece you didn’t even know was missing—and you don’t even think it in words, but something in you just knows, like that’s my person, somehow. Or at least, that person could be my person. You know—if they liked the idea, too. If they looked at you and by some crazy miracle thought the same thing back.” He looked over. “Did you by any chance think the same thing back?”

Ok so there were a lot of great quotable parts of this book, but overall this one fell kinda flat for me. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and I usually devour everything she writes and it becomes an instant favorite. This one however lacked something for me. Not sure if it was the main character Sam, who I didn’t feel a connection too and found kind of annoying. Or Duncan, who I adored in Happiness for Beginners but didn’t like in this one. Or if it was just the pure lack of romance between the two. The storyline was unique (school shootings should be talked about and the safety measures taken to protect students/staff) but I felt like the supporting characters were more likable than the main characters and there was hardly any romance.

Inspirational, romantic, and incredibly absorbing!

What You Wish For is a moving, intimate tale that sweeps you away to Galveston, Texas and into the life of Samantha Casey, a young, school librarian who after finally finding her groove, confidence, and a place to call home has her life unexpectedly turned upside down when her former colleague and old crush, Duncan Carpenter moves to town and takes over as the new school principal with an obsessive focus on safety and security and none of the joviality he was previously known for.

The writing is tender and fluid. The characterization is well-developed with a wonderful cast of characters that are kind, caring, eccentric, and endearing. And the plot is a lovely blend of heart, hope, angst, and drama.

What You Wish For is, ultimately, a story about life, love, expectations, loss, trauma, grief, trust, forgiveness, friendship, community, second chances, and discovering one’s true self. It is a whimsical, addictive, immersive read by Center that does an exceptional job of highlighting the importance of always finding a little joy in everything you do and is a wonderful reminder that there’s no perfection in humanity, we are all wonderfully flawed.

I have been a fan of Center's writing for years, so I always keep my eyes open for her latest titles - and I really loved this one!! Set on Galveston Island, Texas, Sam is a school librarian at an artsy and progressive school. She loves her life there, living in the carriage house of the founders and finally feeling a strong sense of family and belonging. But events conspire to bring to the school the one person who Sam can't work with - a guy that she had such a crush on that she actually fled her previous good job in California four years earlier. But the time apart has also changed Duncan and what follows is a book that is both fun and lovely - while managing to tackle some more serious issues and heartfelt moments as well.

This is a great summer read - and I can see why it was included in the Book of the Month Club selections! I laughed, I cried and I even read parts out loud to my husband. Center - as usual - does a terrific job bringing all of her characters, major and minor alike, to life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am eager to see what she will write next!

After discovering Katherine Center last year I quickly read (or listened) to all of her books in quick succession. Her writing just connected with me as did all of the characters she created. In WHAT YOU WISH FOR she has given us yet another wonderful story with well developed characters that you love and care about from their first introduction.

The storyline is compelling and the writing is sharp and engaging. But my favourite element of all of Katherine’s books is her dialogue. She always makes me feel like I am actually a part of the conversation rather than just reading it and it makes me so much more invested in the story as a result.

Reading WHAT YOU WISH FOR reminded me to look for the joy in my own life and cherish it. At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, that’s a message we could all use reminding of.

This is a perfect summer read and I highly recommend you pick up a copy when it releases on July 13. In the meantime I will commence my impatient wait until Katherine’s next book comes out.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advance reading copy.

School librarian Samantha Casey loves everything about her job working in an elementary school on the idyllic island of Galveston. When their beloved principal dies, it leaves the entire school reeling, but then Sam learns that Duncan Carpenter is slated as a replacement. Sam and Duncan used to work together, and besides having an unrequited crush on him once upon a time - Sam knows Duncan's fun and outgoing personality will fit right in with her school.

But when Duncan shows up and begins forcing drastic changes upon the faculty and students, Sam is shocked at the person Duncan has become and immediately situates herself as an advocate for the school, which sits her squarely in the position as Duncan's foil. As the year progresses and Sam and Duncan butt heads constantly, she slowly starts to see who this man has become, she finds out that it's fear that dictates his actions. But how can Sam help when she has let her own fears dictate how she's lived?

I love how Katherine Center takes traumas and fears - in generalized forms that everyone encounters - and turns them into these positive stories of strength and perseverance.

It took me a moment for the book to grasp my attention. I think because it takes a moment to really feel out where Sam is coming from and what she's dealt with in her life to get her to this point. I hate to say this but Sam feels slightly flighty before we get into the true grit of her story. We see how, when faced with an unrequited love, she quickly packs her bags and moves on, not really facing her feelings or situation, just moving on and moving forward. It soon becomes clear that this is how Sam deals with tough situations, she shuts down and moves on, of course this is a preservation technique. She doesn't want to have her hear broken so she closes down her feelings. As her story continues to unfold readers get an even better understanding about this flight mechanism.

Where the story really clicked for me was when Sam, instead of throwing in the towel and leaving again when her school dynamic is in upheaval, she stays and decides to make a stand. Fight mechanism. As soon as Sam asserted that she was going to show Duncan what the school stood for and why his changes were detrimental to the actual idea of learning, I was pulled in.

To be honest, I was not surprised by where Duncan was coming from. I figured out the base points of what the reveal would be that led him from fun-loving teacher to being so serious and strict. I like how Katherine Center tied Duncan and Sam's fears together. Although completely different scenarios it speaks to the idea that everyone experiences fear, and it's how we each let that fear manifest in our lives. Do we give it total control? Or do we acknowledge it, account for it, but continue living? Turns out, both Sam and Duncan hold themselves back because of fear. They both have to learn how to move in the world with their fear, not let it stifle who they are. Katherine Center is a pro at this type of storytelling. Making it a universal feeling. However, I will say that I feel Duncan's fears overshadow Sam's a bit. Not that Sam's aren't valid, but I think for me, on a personal level, I could identify with Duncan's fears more. But I like that, essentially, both Duncan and Sam learn to lean on each other and learn that letting someone in can be the first step in assuaging your fear.

Overall, Katherine Center's stories never fail to leave me happy and hopeful. What You Wish For will certainly have you leaning toward the bright side.