Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I'm starting to like Katherine Center's writing quite a lot. This is my second book of hers and I'm impressed with the characters she creates and the stories she creates for them. I was excited to return to reading this book not because the story was fast moving but rather that the characters were appealing.

The only thing I would have appreciated is a little more time with Duncan and Sam as a couple. More banter would have been nice. Otherwise, I thought it was a good summer read.

Katherine Center sure has a way of taking me away from reality for a while and immersing myself in her incredible writing. Her newest release, What You Wish For, will tug at your heartstrings and have all of your emotions running wild.

Samantha Casey is a quirky school librarian who is reeling in the grief of her boss and father figure. As the community grieves, the school board announces they have hired Duncan Carpenter, a man from Samantha’s past, as the new principal. She comes to learn that Duncan isn’t the same man he used to be. And he doesn’t seem to remember her.

As Duncan makes drastic, unwanted changes to their school, Samantha takes on the daunting task to find out what happened to the Duncan she knew previously. What she discovers along the way is not at all what she expected to learn.

If you liked Center’s Things You Save In a Fire and How To Walk Away, you’ll definitely want to add this heartwarming read to your list! Releases July 14. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I think what I love most about Katherine Center's books is that she always manages to write the book that I didn't even realize I wanted. In What You Wish For we get to navigate the world of the staff in a private school and I was here for it all! I liked seeing how Center explored trauma and how one can slowly work through that. Then, about three-quarters through the book everything took a sudden, weird turn on a dock and for me at least, it all fell apart. The last quarter of the book felt rushed and really all over the place and that kind of put a damper on my overall experience. This one had some real potential, but it never quite got there.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I read her books in one to two days and always learn something through the process. The mix of romance with a wonderful story makes the perfect escape for me which is what I love about this book.

This book can be triggering for those with trauma so I do think there should be a disclaimer .

I love Katherine Center's books. They are sweet, engaging, realistic stories about everyday people living their lives, alongside their insecurities and self-doubts. You want to be friends with them and hang out where they live, scoop them up when they get sad and try to change their minds when they let old traumas shape their decisions about their future.
The book was set on Galveston Island but Center didn't let the beauty of the setting take over. She is so talented at giving the reader enough sense of place to enhance the scene without losing the dialogue and emotion of the characters. I liked how Duncan and Sam both pivoted in how they dressed and projected themselves. When Duncan was bright and bold, Sam was trying to be invisible. Then Sam came out of her shell and Duncan seemed to have shrunk into his. The horror that Duncan was part of was told simply and I felt sensitively. It is these kinds of events that elevate Center away from a cozy, light, romance writer. She is not afraid to write about hard hitting subjects.
I definitely recommend this book be added to your TBR list!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

This was another home run for Katherine Center. I have just recently discovered her work, and have devoured everything I can since. Her latest attempt absolutely did not disappoint. Her characters are vivid, likable, and interesting, and you are invested in their stories from the first moment. I can’t recommend this one enough.

I loved this. I couldn’t wait till Duncan’s scenes which shows how invested I got into these characters. As soon as he cane around I couldn’t put this down. If you’ve read any of Katherine’s other books, then you’ll love this one.

Katherine Center's new novel releasing July 14 is not one you want to miss!!
Sam moved to Galveston 4 years ago after a relationship (that wasn't really a relationship) went awry. She finds a new place to be at a local school as their librarian and after many heart to hearts with the beloved principal, Max, and his wife, Babette, finds new ways to be happy on a regular basis. Then Max dies.
Enter Duncan, the new principal and also the man Sam ran away from 4 years ago. Except, he's not the funny, crazy, costume wearing, orange juggling, living life to it's fullest kindergarten teacher she remembers. Instead, he's a suit wearing, frown bearing, sad person who starts attempting to turn the school into "dreary flobbertown" (Dr. Seuss/Jack Prelutsky reference).
Does Sam have the courage to stand up to Duncan? Does Duncan have to courage to let her?
With relatable, authentic, laugh out loud characters, anyone looking for a light, fun read about finding the joys in the mundane should definitely pick this up!
#netgalley #whatyouwishfor #katherinecenter

This was a lighthearted read that gave me all the good fuzzy feels. A good choice given all that’s going on in the world right now.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Life can change in a moment. Sam is the librarian at a quaint elementary school in Galveston, TX when her principal and mentor suddenly dies. When she finds out her crush from a school before is the new principal she has mixed emotions. As the story unfolds you are drawn in by engaging characters, twists and turns that leave you wanting for more and feeling your heart stings tugged.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I’m a huge Katherine Center fan, and her latest did not let me down! She’s the undisputed queen of inspirational heroines who find joy in challenging circumstances, and Sam fits right in with Margaret and Cassie. It’s also impossible to put her books down—I read this one all in a single day.

The cheese factor is definitely high in this one, and it plays on some fairly familiar romance tropes that make it a bit predictable. But I really didn’t care, because it made me happy—and sometimes that’s exactly what a book needs to do. Would recommend when you’re in the mood for a quick and uplifting love story.

This is the third of Katherine Center’s books I’ve read. My absolute favorite being, Things You Save In A Fire. While this one was slow going, I ended up really liking this one as well. This book was full of happiness and joy which is so needed right now. I also found myself highlighted several quotes about life, love, and grief. I loved seeing the changes in Sam and Duncan throughout the book. The ending was great and I loved seeing everything come full circle. A bit silly and cheesy at times, but I enjoyed it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was exactly the book I needed right now. I have read a few books lately that let me feeling eh.... BUT NOT THIS ONE. It was so good I couldn't put it down.

To start with the setting and story: It takes place in a super cute charter school where all the adults really care about the students. I am a teacher and I just loved it. I loved the various supporting characters. I was not predictable at all, I had no idea how each chapter was going to end which is one of the reasons I think I loved it so much. I also didn't feel like it trivialized professional help with trauma.

For characters I loved them all. They had depth and past experiences that shaped how they made decisions. There was character developments and quirks. Great chemistry between the main characters.

This book made me laugh, cry and really think about how we approach each day. I have read Katherine Center's 2 books prior to this one and I just can't pick a favorite out of the three. If you loved "How to Walk Away" or "Things You u Save In A Fire" you will love this book.

3.5 stars!
Sam works as a librarian for a private school that is owned by her landlord who is also her principal, Max. When he passes away suddenly, leaving behind his wife, daughter and grandson, the future of the Kempner school is unknown. When a new principal is hired, the school is thrown into turmoil as he seems intent on ruining the welcoming and warm school culture and environment that the staff has worked so hard to create. When Sam finds out his name, she realizes it is someone from her past that she ran away from when her feelings were unrequited. How will Sam face Duncan head on, especially when he seems determined to ruin everything she has worked so hard for?

Anyone who has been following me for a while knows that romance stories aren’t typically my jam. I requested to get this ARC from @netgalley and @stmartinspress because Katherine Center is very popular on bookstagram. As my first by her, I enjoyed it. I really liked reading about Sam and Duncan’s relationship, although I did find Sam a bit much for me at times. I liked her philosophy of living life to the fullest while you can. This novel takes on Sam and Duncan’s personal struggles as we learn that Duncan has survived a traumatic event and Sam has epilepsy. They navigate these waters together and try to help each other cope. I found it a tad slow in parts but I did enjoy it as an easy read. As a teacher myself, I did have some difficulties with how the logistics of a school were portrayed. For example, Duncan has a dog on the school campus as a security dog that roams everywhere. This would just never be allowed in a Canadian school. There were a couple of other little things like that but I only know about that because I am an educator myself!

Despite the serious topics in this book I thought it was a lovely escape from the type of books I usually pick up. I found the characters to be endearing and connected with them as they navigated their grief.

I was so happy to be able to read this in advance. Katherine Center has a way of developing characters you just can't help but root for. This was no different! I was hooked from the beginning and the whole journey was lovely.

This book hit all of my sweet spots- quirky librarian romance with a school setting. I loved it! Perhaps not in the running for critically acclaimed awards, this book will win my prize for Miss Congeniality!

What You Wish For is the third book by Katherine Center that I've read and it's my least favorite of them. Having read and enjoyed How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire, I had high expectations that sadly weren't met. I found the pace to be a bit slow and I didn't really connect with the characters.

Despite this book not working for me, I look forward to reading more from Katherine Center.

I rarely read books in this genre but having just finished some heavier more depressing books I though I'd give this a try. Katherine Center's style makes this an easy read although nothing about it brings surprise or depth of character, or even a unique story, and in the end it was not very satisfying to me. Were it not for its preachiness I would have considered giving it another star. I'm sure there will be an eager readership who enjoy the genre and who will find this if not at the top of the form pretty close to it.

Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

I have been hearing so much about Katherine Center that I was beyond ecstatic to get an ARC of What You Wish For and thankfully I was not disappointed. Of course, the romance is sugary sweet but I LOVED, just loved the laughter she created in each line of the book. The dialogue delivery had me cracking up so much all the time. Duncan was a joie de vivre kind of guy, happy and goofy and a loving teacher who always made kids and adults around him laugh. But he takes up position as principal of Kempner school a changed man. Samantha, the librarian in the school who has in the past known him and loved him from afar is totally flummoxed seeing the serious and brooding macho man.

Thus, becomes the journey of fighting against rules, taking a stand and joining hands with Babette and Alice for Operation Duncan to connect him to minute moments of life. And at a time when the pandemic has taken so much away from all humankind leaving us in pain and frustration, this simple story makes us root for each small joy that we can fight for.

I loved how the author has used a message of gunfire in schools and the trauma affecting the people involved as a layer of story in this romantic tale. There’s quite a lot of inspiration to be had from this beautiful story about love and sacrifices and the need to never give up. Sam’s epileptic seizures and her struggle to overcome her fears were inspiring. The ultra-cute 10-yr old Clay deserves a special mention. The dramatic scene at the pier had me scratching my head and along with Duncan really wanted to know what the hell was that? 😒

OK, so probably if I was in a school that had so much fun, I would have never come home, you know what I mean? 😀. Galveston Island has never sounded more enchanting, and I am terribly sad that I missed visiting this beautiful place while in Texas.