Katherine Center is a fairly recent discovery for me, but I’ve read her last several books and loved them all. I liked this one slightly less, but it was still quite good. I love how she weaves physical and mental disabilities into her stories, which makes them even more powerful. She really tends to the emotional state of her characters and how it affects the relationship.

In this book, I felt like she let the characters’ challenges predominate over developing the connection and attraction. I guess we were supposed to take for granted that it had been developed in their prior interactions, but sometimes I didn’t feel like Sam was behaving very rationally and realistically.

The setting was lovely and the other characters mostly so — I definitely think you’ll enjoy this one if you’re a Katherine Center fan.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

After loving <em>Things You Save in a Fire, </em>I was looking forward to this one.

I was expecting a beach read, but found this novel a bit of a miss. It was predictable and the characters weren't particularly interesting or memorable.

I found the school setting and happenings very unlikely and unbelievable. I liked that Samantha was a teacher and searching for joy, but this premise didn't add up or make for an inspiring story.

Seems that the author was reaching for the stars, but just didn't catch the sparkle that her previous novels had. I'll be curious about her next novel and hope she brings back the charm.

Thanks to St Martins Press for my review copy! OUT on JULY 14, 2020

When their beloved principal dies, Samantha wonders who will take his place. Sam is not expecting a teacher from her old school to take his place. Duncan is very different than the creative teacher than she once knew. While Sam had secretly loved him, Duncan doesn't even seem to recognize her. With the radical changes that Duncan wants to make at the school, Sam plans on staying and fighting for the school. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is an amusing, but thoughtful story. I love how Sam has learned to find joy in her life. I like discovering why Duncan has changed and seeing how Sam tries to influence him. This story is more than a romantic comedy. This is a good read.

Just 3 stars. The characters were all over the top and almost cartoonish. At its core the book is about being happy in your own life.. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC.

3.5 stars
This was the first book by Katherine Center I have read and I enjoyed it. Her writing I found to be very approachable and easily accessible. Her story telling ability is very good as well. I like that she broached the subject of mortality and what we can do in the face of tragedy well. Though I enjoyed the story, I didn't care for the main characters much. I found myself much more interested in those around them. Duncan just was so cold and clinical, and while I understand why he was that way I feel like maybe it was a little bit much so that his "change" wasn't as believable as it should have been. And I think that as much as he needed to unpack his past and deal with it, Sam did as well and feel like his was dealt with a little more than hers was. It was kind of just brushed under the rug. My favorite character in the whole book was Clay. He reminded me of my son in a lot of ways. Over all it was a solid book and I look forward to reading more books by her.


Copy provided by Netgalley and Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

5 "Love Is Only for the Brave" Stars!

Perhaps I'm a wee bit biased in this review. You see, I have fallen in love with Katherine Center's writing style and tend to feel all gushy when I read her books. That said, What You Wish For continues my winning streak with Center's storylines. Best of all, I loved the positive message that it imparts on the readers.....To choose joy.

The heroine of this story is Samantha Casey. She's an eccentric school librarian with a bold style. She and her friends and coworkers are healing from a huge loss when one of the pillars of their community passes away. After this loss, their world is further rocked by the arrival of the new school principal, Duncan Carpenter. He's Samantha's former crush. They met years ago when they both worked for another school. However, when he shows up, he's not anything like the man Sam once knew. Something has changed him and Duncan is hardly recognizable.

One of the things I loved most about this book is the fact that Ms. Center doesn't shy away from tough topics. However, she handles them very carefully while still sending a message to the reader. In the process, she weaves a perfect romance between Samantha and Duncan. I enjoyed watching their characters evolve.. Samantha has her own insecurities to overcome and Duncan has a big trauma to work through himself. They are a potential couple facing all kinds of challenges...yet they are also both tougher than they realize. If anyone can conquer their fears and eventually find a "happily ever after,", it will be these two.

"She knew that joy and sorrow walked side by side."

(I know we aren't supposed to use quotes in ARC reviews. I will ask forgiveness because I could not resist sharing this one....it absolutely speaks to my own heart right now in so many ways. It's just perfect.)

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Ms. Center for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed What You Wish For by Katherine Center! The characters were excellent, complex and interesting, couldn't stop rooting for them. Addressed many current issues with great flow and intense love story. Thank you NetGalley for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://nerdgirllovesbooks.com/.

This is an entertaining contemporary romance about a young elementary school librarian that suddenly finds herself working for the man she had an unrequited crush on several years ago at a different school in a different state.

Samantha Casey loves her job as the school librarian at a progressive elementary school in the small island town of Galveston, Texas. She moved there from California a few years before and found a surrogate family, good friends and a happy life there. When the beloved principal of the school dies, he is replaced by Duncan Carpenter. Duncan and Sam worked together in California. Duncan was the kindergarten teacher and was a charming, fun, lovable, goofy guy that everyone naturally gravitated to. Realizing that her one-sided crush was detrimental to her well-being, Sam moved away from Duncan and landed in Galveston, Texas. So, the arrival of Duncan in her new school was both exciting, and terrifying, for Sam.

Expecting the charming, lovable Duncan, Sam is not worried about him taking over the school and assures her co-workers that it will be good for the school. However, when Duncan pulls a fake gun during his initial meeting with the staff and reprimands them for their lack of security and safety of their students, Sam's hope sinks. Duncan appears to lack any of his previous characteristics and soon starts to transform their beloved school into a prison.

Deciding to either change Duncan or get him fired, Sam and her friends embark on a plan to help Duncan find his former self. In the process, Sam finds herself falling for Duncan all over again. Along with Duncan's issues, Sam has health issues of her own, so is she just asking for more heartache, or could she possibly get the happily-ever-after that she thought would never be hers?

Sam is the main focus of the book, so her character development is pretty good, however none of the other characters are developed more than how they interact with Sam. As Sam repeatedly reflects on how Duncan used to be, the memories become repetitive and annoying. We get it, he was fun and now he's not. Enough, already! Following the typical romance book formula, the couple are at odds, there are obstacles to overcome, there is a misunderstanding, and then we get the fairy tale ending. Not that I mind - I mean, that's what why you read a romance novel, right?

This is a fun, quick and easy read. The writing is well done and there are several chuckles along the way. There are serious topics discussed in the book, including gun violence, school violence and medical disabilities, but the author does a good job of weaving the topics into the books without too many graphic details. Overall I enjoyed this book and recommend you read it if you're in the mood for a fun, easy beach read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great story - loved the current issues woven into the wonderful characters' lives. You can't even really call it a romance because that was played down quite a bit based on the other major parts of the story.

I absolutely loved and adored this book. Sam was so real and relatable, and Duncan was a dynamic and interesting character that I grew to love. I really enjoyed the message of finding and creating joy, but of also learning to love and accept others.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Samantha Casey is a librarian at an idyllic private school in Galveston, Texas. The school is an educator’s dream, beloved by kids and teachers alike. After leaving California heart-broken, Samantha has found a family in the school community. The school’s principal and founder is like a father figure to the staff, and especially to Samantha. When the principal dies unexpectedly over the summer, everyone’s world is rocked. Word gets out that Dustin Carpenter will be the new principal, and Samantha is floored... because Dustin is the reason Samantha left California in the first place. Except Dustin has completely changed in the years since Samantha knew him. Gone are the goofy antics that Dustin was famous for, replaced by an obsession with school security. Dustin is determined to make his school the safest in the country, at that cost of everything that makes the school so special. It is up to Samantha and her coworkers to save the school that they all know and love from becoming a literal fortress.
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🚨 Unpopular opinion alert 🚨 I really didn’t love this one. People ADORE Katherine Center, so I was excited to read this book. It’s a story that I should have loved as I am an educator, but I found it to be very unrealistic. I found Samantha to be immature and therefore I really couldn’t connect with her. The reader gets inside Samantha’s head, which is great... but I would have preferred more dialogue between characters instead. The relationship between Samantha and Dustin evolved too quickly, and some of the characters’ personality traits turned on a dime without enough time for them to realistically evolve. There are some plot points I enjoyed, and for that I am giving it three stars. If anything, this story really made me want to visit Galveston! I know that some people will LOVE this book, but it just wasn’t for me! Fans of Katherine Center’s writing will likely enjoy this one. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and @netgalley for my advanced reader’s copy! What You Wish For will be released on 7/14 🏝

OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: When the beloved principal and founder of the Kempner School suddenly passes away, the town, teachers, and students are devastated. As his replacement, the board hires Duncan Carpenter. Samantha Casey, the school librarian, used to work with Duncan and remembers him a fun-loving and joyful teacher, and she thinks he will be the perfect replacement. However, the Duncan that shows up is not the same. He is serious, rigid, and obsessed with safety. He plans to make the beloved school into a fortress. Can Sam help Duncan remember his fun side before he destroys everything lovable about the school?

ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: This was my first book by Katherine Center and I can see why everyone is so in love with her books. As a teacher myself, I could feel the frustration that Sam felt as her school was being changed into something she didn’t recognize. And it was obvious Duncan had gone through something traumatic to have changed so drastically. I loved the journey Sam went on to find out Duncan’s secrets and to also share a part of herself that she had kept hidden away. The secondary characters were charming and Clay was my favorite! Alice, with all the math jokes, made me chuckle and take notes so I can use those puns in my math classes!

ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★★1/2

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my third Katherine Center book and she is now officially a favorite author of mine. I absolutely loved What You Wish For. I read it during quarantine and it was just the right amount of depth and romance that I needed. I appreciated the character of Samantha and her growth throughout the book from being reserved and unsure of herself to a quirky, loyal, fierce woman. I loved Clay, the male lead, and finding out what had changed with him in their time apart. I loved that it dealt with facing fears and not being afraid to make bold moves. I loved that it was set in an elementary school and can I just say I wish that was my library! I am a huge fan of second chance romance and a huge fan of Katherine Center. I find her writing to be very approachable and witty and filled with so much heart.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and share about this book.

This was a very light read. This was another book that helps you escape from the reality of Spring/Summer of 2020.

This is a book about finding joy. I hope everyone that reads it, finds their joy in this crazy time.

My thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy. This book will release in July 2020.

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.

Fun And Quirky, Touches On Serious Issues. Center does an excellent job here of showing how behavioral extremes – from both directions – can be the result of serious mental trauma. And she does it in a mostly very fun and light manner, only getting truly serious in a few key scenes before going back to the mostly light and playful side of things. If you’re a fan of the author’s previous work, you’ll definitely want this one. If you’re new to the author, this is a solid first book to try out. Very much recommended.

3.5 stars rounded down
In true Katherine Center style we have some pretty heavy topics delivered in a light hearted way. If you've read one of her books you know how it ends. Unfortunately it came a little too late in the book and felt a bit rushed to me. While I was let down let me tell you I did read it in under 24 hours and was engaged in the storyline. I'll still be requesting her next novel :)
Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced readers copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy.

This was such a joyful read. It was so uplifting and positive, a nice thing to read during these hard times of today.

What I liked: The characters grew, both grew emotionally at the end of the story.

Casey had epilepsy and felt she couldn't be accepted by anyone romantically . And Drew had post traumatic stress disorder from a former school shooting that changed him .

Both had a hard time trusting and letting people close. Would a relationship with each other survive? Are they brave enough to take risks?

Beautifully written, the author takes you on a journey through a love story that will lift your heart and make you smile
I couldn't read it fast enough it was so good.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the early copy. I loved Happiness for Beginners. So when I saw this book was about Duncan, I was so excited to read it. I love how all the characters are flawed but strong. I love that all of Katherine’s books have a life lesson to them. It was truly a joy to read this book.

4.5 Stars. This is my second Katherine Center book and I loved it! It probably would have been a full 5 stars but I thought the beginning was a little slow. By no means was it boring though. Once it hit about halfway, and through the end, I didn’t want to put it down. It made me smile, it made me laugh and it made me tear up at times. Sam’s quirky character grows on you from the beginning and Duncan...he’s just a big ole meanie in the beginning but as you keep reading you start to really like him and see that underneath that stiff suit and stern face, there is the funny and caring man that Sam fell in love with. I highly recommend this one! And I’m really looking forward to reading Things You Save In A Fire next!

Other reviews of mine can be found on Instagram and Goodreads.

*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808
*Goodreads - Cherihy808

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