This book left me torn, but please keep reading because there are some huge positives, too. I love this author's books, and this one has some beautiful, inspiring themes that we all need to be reminded of. But this one got bogged down during the first part of the book with too much character introspection. There's a delicate balance in sharing enough internal dialog so the reader knows and empathizes with the character and adding so much that it loses the reader's attention.

Having said that, overall, I really enjoyed this book. It deals with grief, trauma, healing, loving oneself, and acceptance, with a nod to an ecofriendly consciousness. But the strongest message, by far, is about finding joy in the little things, making reasons to celebrate, and choosing happiness every day.

Samantha Casey left her job as a school librarian in California over a case of unrequited love but found an amazing school, new friends, and a community of family on Galveston Island, Texas. After the death of their beloved principal, Max, Duncan Carpenter is announced as the school's new principal. The same Duncan Carpenter that Sam was crushing on at her old school.

But this Duncan is very different. The fun-loving guy with colorful outfits and zany antics is replaced by a three-piece-suit-wearing, stoic, obsessively security-minded stick in the mud. None of the school staff is on board as Duncan proceeds to turn their colorful, lively, creative school into a colorless, barred prison. Something drastic must have happened to change Duncan so significantly, and eventually Sam discovers the cause.

What follows is a plan between Sam, her best friend, Alice, and Max's widow, Babette, to remind Principal Duncan how to have fun and enjoy life. For the most part, it's simple, harmless things designed to focus on the small things in life that can bring joy, if we let them.

As I said earlier, I think the message of this book is important, especially with so much craziness in our world and the new stresses it brings into our lives. Human nature is to focus on the negative, so it takes a conscious effort to find the joy in everyday life. It’s in the little things – a beautiful bird in the back yard, watching squirrels' silly antics, or an amazing sunset. The author takes it a step further, challenging us to consciously work to make our own joy.

So skim over the slow parts if you like, but this book is well worth the read for its heartfelt message. It left me uplifted and inspired, and glad I had spent time with these characters. Life is messy and unexpected, but when we look hard enough, we can find the beauty and joy awaiting us.

*Trigger warning: includes past events of a school shooting.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the invite and NetGalley for providing the galley copy.

I skim read half of this book. I really didn't like the main character. Reading from her perspective was like reading from the perspective of an immature teenager. And Duncan's reasoning for being a douche bag was so predictable that I guessed it just from reading the synopsis.

📚 Book Review 📚
(Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC)

Last year I said that Katherine Center was my favorite author I’ve discovered since joining bookstagram. Each book of hers I read I fall in love with the characters and their stories every time. What You Wish For was no exception and to say my expectations were high is an understatement.

What I Liked: There is just something about Center’s writing that pulls me into each of her stories immediately. I think it’s that she creates such a great voice for each of her main characters, and it’s easy to be transported into the story. I loved that she pulled in Duncan from Happiness for Beginners, and we even got to see Helen and Jake, too! Though at times I got frustrated with Sam’s immaturity, I was always rooting for her and Duncan. Also, I could read all day scenes like where Sam picked Duncan up from surgery and anesthesia/pain killer confessions. Lastly, and most importantly the theme of this story just really resonated with me at this time: That one must actively choose joy in your life.

I loved this love story and the broader theme of the story. If you’re a fan of Katherine’s previous works and like a slow burn, low steam romance, you’ll love this!

TW: school shooting, PTSD

I will be posting my review to my Instagram on pub day (7/14/20) and have already posted to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3081231172

I loved this book. I thought it was such a touching novel and dealt with hard topics so well.

This book kind of covered it all. School shootings, disabilities, family troubles, death, etc. and unlike most books, this one handled every single one of those beautifully. I loved all of the characters and how strikingly unique they were. Center did a phenomenal job with her character descriptions and arcs. Every single character felt so real and alive and I loved who I was supposed to love and hated who I was supposed to hate.

Sweet Clay was one of my favorite characters, and I thought he was SO well done. A young kid dealing with the death of a loved one is touchy, but Center handled it beautifully. I loved how Clay was smart beyond his years, but at a price. I love how big his heart was and how he had a specific reason for doing everything and I loved how Sam figured that out.

The relationship between Duncan and Sam was confusing and frustrating and beautiful. I was so frustrated with Duncan not being the Duncan she remembered from her previous school and was torn apart when he started talking about changing everything. I felt like I was a part of that school family and that he and Kent were trying to destroy my home. That's how you know an author did a book justice.

Nothing but good reviews for this one. Definitely don't read if you have triggers relating to death or school shootings.

Thank you netgally for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Katherine Center provides a novel that engages the reader with the first chapter. It was an easy summer read but overall the book left me disappointed. While a happy ended is always good, this one felt way to predictable.

Katherine Center always knows how to pull at your heartstrings. Sam has had a rough life,but has found ways to have joy everyday. The people who surround Sam make this story come to life and the school she works at sounds like the school I want to send my kids to. Babette wins as my favorite character with her strength and care she shows. I loved watching Duncan's character development throughout this story.

I didn't connect as quickly with the main character in this as in Katherine's other books, but once I did I couldn't stop reading.

This book is another reason Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me.

This was perfect escapism. The characters are quirky and funny. The romance is sweet. It does have some depth, it is not all fun and games, but I felt the joy coming out more than anything else. Samantha is a very sweet character with a lot of, well, character. It was fun watching her story with Duncan play out. This would make a really sweet Netflix film. I don't think you can go wrong with any book by Katherine Center. They will always leave you feeling happy, which we so need right now.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this delightful book.

The one word I can choose to describe Katherine Center's writing is "hopeful." Her characters are real people, with flaws and heartbreaks and struggles, but that's not the things you focus on while reading. What You Wish For is told in Samantha's point of view, about the struggle she and her friends and students go through when Duncan shows up and tries to change everything at their school. Sam struggles additionally with the fact that she knew Duncan before, and he has turned into a completely different person. She searches for glimpses of the person she used to know. As they spend more time together, often butting heads over decisions, they both come to understand things about the other person that are deeper reasons behind who they are now.
This book had so many beautiful moments of life, and love, and realness. The characters worked to choose joy, and the book had great reminders for all of us. I didn't want it to end.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/07/09/what-you-wish-for-by-katherine-center/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I think of this author as one who writes life fiction, rather than contemporary romance. There is a romance too, in the books I have read, but it isn't the main story or the only story. Life fiction develops characters deeply and progresses them through various events in their lives including romance. They are more realistic because there is a more balanced perspective of their life including more than a romance, sharing more detail on career, friends, family and other aspects of their life.

<strong>What You Wish For</strong> is told in the viewpoint of a school librarian, Sam (short for Samantha).  She has some issues with abandonment and feeling unlovable. She left her old school because she had a crush on a teacher, Duncan and couldn't see him everyday with someone else.  It works out because her new school is amazing. The small town has a community with some great people and she blossoms and makes some true friends.

Then Duncan shows up as the new school principal. She loves and hates the idea.  She knows he will be amazing but she worries she will still be in love with him and have to leave a place she also loves.  Well, it isn't the problem she expected because he's changed and he's not a great principal.

Through her efforts to get him to change his mind, then to get him fired and then to understanding what has changed him, Sam has an emotional journey.  She finally undertakes a new effort to save him with her teacher friends' help which gives them both life, courage and  love.

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3.5 stars - I loved this book for many reasons, but had a hard time giving it more stars because there were parts that came across a bit too cheesy and unrealistic in my opinion to be able to give more stars. Don't let that deter you from reading this book because the story truly captured my attention.

This book touched on deep issues (grief, death, trauma, school safety, health issues), but at the same time encouraged its characters to find joy and contentment with what's in front of them. That hard things don't need to dictate your life - that joy-filled moments are around us - that sometimes we have to seek them out and actively choose joy despite whatever may be going on. That message and theme is much needed right now! Overall, this was a quick/easy read that sometimes had too much predictability and "cheesiness," but I would recommend for the quirky and easy to love characters and the relevant and inspiring theme.

Side note: As a kindergarten teacher, I really enjoyed reading about Sam's job as an elementary school librarian and about their creative and unique school - definitely wish I could work at their school! Also, congrats to Katherine Center for creating a school setting that was so inspiring and enticing that this teacher on summer break couldn't put it down!


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This title will publish July 14, 2020, and would highly recommend if you're looking for a light (sometimes cheesy), joy-inspiring story.

What a fun read! Katherine Center does it again! It’s a good beach read. The cover is beautiful. This book does hit on school safety. A very important subject! She makes you want to read till the end.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR is a light, easy read (I read the whole thing in a day), but it was a little too light for my taste. the first half felt a little over the top—it was too idealistic and “charming” for me. the second half introduced a couple of weightier pieces to the story, but the characters and the relationships still didn’t feel very realistic to me. my preferred genre is literary fiction, so it’s always difficult for me to find a fun, light book that doesn’t stray into the “too light” territory, as this one did. I really loved her previous book THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE, so this book was a bit of a letdown for me. 3/5⭐️—it was fine
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thank you to @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinspress for the early e-copy of the book!

I was looking forward to a bit of a break from scary thrillers and transition to mindless romance and fun fiction.

Thank you to #netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! The book comes out July 14th.

Synopsis: Sam Casey is a librarian in Galveston, Texas at a beloved elementary school. The school tragically lost their much loved principal and founder, Max who is survived by his wife Babette and daughter Tina. Once Duncan Carpenter is announced as Max’s replacement - Sam is overjoyed. Her crush from her last job was the “fun teacher” and would breathe new life into Kempner school. Unfortunately, he is the opposite. He runs the school like a prison - for the safety of the students. Sam battles her own demons and will try to help get to the bottom of why Duncan changed his demeanor and decide if she can even get through to him.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐.5 / 5 stars

Katherine Center never fails in a light-hearted, romantic story with a headstrong, yet troubled woman. As much as this was a palate cleanser, the story grew on me after about half way through. At first, I could not stand Sam (the main character)... actually I do not think I truly really liked her, but I loved everyone else. I felt the heartbreak from Babette in the room, even when she was not even speaking. Even Duncan and his own story- I preferred more than Sam. It seemed everyone else in the story had much more interesting lives or things to say than Sam - Alice (the best friend) and her overseas military husband, Babette and her heartbreak from losing her husband, Tina and her controlling, borderline abusive husband, and even Duncan and his own inner demons was preferable to Sam. The cheese factor was so high - I may have cringed speed-reading through that dance part but maybe it’s all what we need right now: sappy romantic stories and cheesy dance scenes.

What You Wish For is the story of Samantha, who works at a school she loves and has the "parents" she always wanted. Until, suddenly, her father figure passes away suddenly, and he was also the school principal. Sam finds out that he is going to be replaced by Duncan Carpenter, the unrequited love that forced her to leave her last job.
Samantha thinks that Duncan is going to move into town and ruin her life by reigniting her feelings, but everyone quickly finds out that he only seems focused on ruining their unique school atmosphere. Samantha decides to lead the charge in overruling Duncan and finding a more appropriate principal.

An interesting and quirky story. The characters are weirdly funny. Casey is the narrator and the story is told from her perspective which is quite unique. She gives the reader her take on everything and everyone around her. The story is about friendship and resilience. Casey helps Duncan, Babette and the rest of the school staff through the changes occurring. As they grow, heal and discover, Duncan and Casey find that they can fall in love and start a lovely life together.

This book tackles a serious theme in a light way. I enjoyed the overall message of choosing joy and not letting fear stop people from living. While I enjoyed the message the delivery wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The story felt extremely slow in the beginning and never really flew off the page. The characters were just dull and at times repetitious. The main character Sam didn’t make me want to root for her. She almost always made me feel annoyed and I can’t quite describe why that is. I was interested in the other main character Duncan and his struggle with PTSD. The topic was introduced but never delved into, it almost felt like an afterthought. This book was an easy light read and enjoyable at times. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the gifted copies of this book.

Trigger Warning: School shooting.

Katherine Center has done it again. She has written a book that completely sucked me in and I didn't want it to end. I loved the plot, the characters, the writing...everything.

After leaving her job, moving cross country, and starting over, Samantha found a home in Galveston. She found an amazing school to work at, and settled in. All of a sudden, her life gets turned upside down when her friend and principal passes away - and his replacement is none other than the reason she left her old life. Not only that, he comes in with plans to change basically everything people love about the school!

I will say that as a former teacher, I was able to relate to certain points of this book that non-educators might not totally get. For example, we've all had new principals come in and completely change everything. Sometimes it's things that need to be changed, and sometimes it's not - but either way, it's the worst because so many times they just change things without taking into account what the faculty wants. That's exactly what Duncan did - and to a staff that was still grieving the sudden death of their former principal! On top of that, Samantha knew Duncan as a fun loving goofball that was always doing things to make the students happy - and he is FAR from that man now.

Duncan's reason for these changes is finally brought to light - he was involved in a school shooting. Samantha wants to bring back the old Duncan, but in doing so, risks falling in love with him again. She also has her own personal obstacles to deal with while trying to help him - she also helps herself.

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.

But she wasn’t always that way.

Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.

But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

I loved everything about What You Wish For, from the characters to the theme of choosing joy and doing it in spite of your fears.

Samantha and Duncan had a history that wasn’t necessarily good, especially with their combination of characteristics and fears. So when they are thrust together after Max dies and he is brought in as the new school principal, Sam learns that what she had wished for wasn’t turning out so great.

But between her friend Alice and Max’s widow Babette, a plan Is created. A plan that could change everything about their lives and how they see things.

Characters like little Clay, the nine-year-old genius, kept me loving everything to the very end. Negative characters like Kent Buckley, Clay’s father and Babette’s son-in-law, kept me turning pages to see if justice would be served and he would no longer be a thorn in our sides. A book I didn’t want to put down, this one earned 5 stars.

***My e-ARC came to me from the publisher via NetGalley.

Happiness for Beginners is my favourite Katherine Center novel ~ so when I heard Helen’s brother Duncan was getting his own story I was really excited.

Synopsis
Samantha Casey is a school librarian in the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas. When the school principal dies, the newly appointed principal turns out to be someone from Sam’s previous school; someone she secretly had an unrequited crush on. Duncan Carpenter is nowhere near the Duncan she knew from her old school - he is humorless and withdrawn and obsessed with school safety, determined to turn the school into a prison. Will Sam be able to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good?

I enjoyed Sam and Duncan's romance for the most part and it definitely had its really sweet and swoonworthy moments, like when Duncan was all drugged up on painkillers and opened up about his feelings for Sam (yay the truth serum trope). Sam’s character was a bit OTT quirky for me, but I admired her positive attitude and optimism.

As a huge fan of Happiness for Beginners, I loved the scene where Sam meets Duncan’s sister Helen and her husband Jake. We learn something about Jake that hit me emotionally - even though it was totally expected.

I’d say the second half of the book was the best part - the first had a lot of unnecessary internal dialogue. I was amazed at how long it took Sam to figure out what was causing Duncan’s behaviour. I would have thought she’d have about the shooting in the news, or heard about it from a former colleague?

My biggest issue with this book is how it handles gun violence - I found Sam’s casual attitude towards school safety really offensive. This is a REAL problem in the United States and I feel the book ignored that completely by painting a stereotypical picture of an idyllic school in an idyllic (non-diverse) town and having the main character dance all sorrows away (literally, at some stage in the book).

Overall, What You Wish For left me disappointed but that's just the way it is. At least I'll always have Happiness for Beginners.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a lovely message about finding joy. It was the perfect read during times like these. I really appreciated the strong character development.