Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors! She’s my go-to for a fun, romantic, summer read. I loved her last two books! Loved them!
Having said that I felt like this one fell short me. The book in my opinion had trouble starting, and I didn’t care for this heroine. I find insecure people exhausting. There just wasn’t enough for me to invest in this story.
I feel it necessary to be honest about the books I read, so I’m sharing my thoughts. I hope this was helpful.

This was a NETGALLEY gift from the publisher and I’ve given an honest review.

Book Info
Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: July 14th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
Original Title What You Wish For
ISBN 1250219361 (ISBN13: 9781250219367)
Edition Language English
URLhttps://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Other Editions (4)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.
My Thoughts


Sam, Duncan, Babette, Max, Alice, Tina, Clay and Kent are main characters brought to life in this story.

The supporting cast of characters are also represented well with a few of them standing out from the rest but all of them important.

A story set on Galveston Island in Texas that revolves around a school the likes of which I would have given anything to attend growing up as it is eclectic to say the least.

Samantha/Sam Casey has found a home as an Elementary School Librarian in the vibrant, colorful and thoroughly inviting environment that gives her a wonderful reason to get up every day.

For Sam not only do the youngsters give her a sense of worth but they and the entire staff also allow her to feel like for the first time in her life she really belongs.

When the new principal shows up, and is the last person Sam ever expected to see again, the life she has built for herself on Galveston Island is threatened.

In fact the very things that make her job environment inviting and interesting for the students are as well.

Duncan Carpenter turns out to be nothing like the man Sam remembers, her fears of once again falling under his spell seem rootless as he begins his campaign for change.

The old saying ”Be careful what you wish for” proves to be one Sam should have taken to heart.

However this saying, as so many others before it, also proves not to be infallible when Duncan is faced with her unexpected opposition.

This story is a sleeper as it builds on itself in layers that are so worth unpeeling!

[EArc from Netgalley]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Katharine Center is an amazing writer. I really enjoyed that this book is set in Galveston, a location only minutes from me! It was really fun to read about the island. But, I felt like the story moved along slowly and I wasn't as engaged as I hoped to be. I think many readers will be blown away by this book, it just didn't appeal to me as much as I thought it would. I think the cover is absolutely stunning!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’d rate this more like 3.5 stars—I liked the writing but a plot twist gets blown rather easily and early, re: how Duncan Carpenter, Amazing Teacher as Sam knew him, became Duncan Carpenter, Dull & Militant School Principal. Therefore it flattens out his character quite a bit, even though there are some well-written moments as Sam and the rest of the faculty try and get him out of his shell. Sam helping Duncan home after an outpatient procedure high on painkillers was cute and funny. It’s a relatively chaste book in that intimate scenes are very few and hinted at. Other reviewers have mentioned some of the characters here are from earlier books, and that those books turned out better than this one. I’ll have to read the cover blurbs and see if they’ll peak my interest enough to dive in.

4 Stars
* * * *
This is another "Touched my Soul" Read from Katherine Center. She takes the idea of having to move forward and grip life with two hands and find your joy with the need to show another how to move past his pain.
The pacing, heart, and just feels took me away and I loved it all.

Sam is the librarian at a small Galveston elementary school. After the founder and school principal passes away, a new principal is hired, someone from Sam’s last who will make the lovely little life she built WAY more difficult.

I chose this book, as a teacher, for the fun that comes from setting a book in a school. Perfect for a teacher on summer vacation! The central idea in this book is all about finding joy in life. It was a great summer beach read in these trying times. The characters were a bit cheesy but this book will be perfect for an afternoon at the beach,

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR is another excellent romantic comedy from Katherine Center. In her typical style, she gives a book filled with tragedy, hope, and love. Here, we follow Sam (short for Samantha). She works as a librarian at a private school on Galveston. She has really reinvented her life from the way it was in California, with the help of her surrogate family at the private school.

After the death of the principal, the Board brings in a new guy, Duncan, who is someone Sam knew in California- and used to have a huge crush on. However, he has changed a lot from what she remembered, and she finds that now, he seems more like an enemy. Sam still feels the same pull towards him, and when she gets some insight into what has happened, she comes up with a new plan for how to help him heal- and save her school at the same time.

I love the way the stories about their pasts build and all the romantic moments that gave my heart tingles. Both Duncan and Sam have fears that they are holding onto, and while they don't forget about them, they do find a way to forge ahead and come to terms with them. The book is also filled with some gems of life lessons like finding a way to bring joy into your life- even if it is wacky hats or brightly colored socks.

The children who show up in the book, like Clay, are lovely and there are plenty of side characters that I absolutely adored. Babette and Alice are also really special people, and I adored that Alice has math joke shirts for every day. This is a school I wish had gone to, and the whole journey was really special. I devoured this book in a few hours, and I really loved every second of it.

Heartfelt and genuine, WHAT YOU WISH FOR is an absolutely fantastic read that left me wanting to cheer aloud! Highly recommend for fans of romantic comedies.

I would add warnings for divorce, seizures/epilepsy, missing child (temporary), school shootings (past), death (at the beginning), PTSD, and child neglect.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sam, a private school librarian, and Duncan, the new principal, know each other from a previous school. Sam had a 'crush' on Duncan. But he has changed from a fun loving person to a staid grey man. What kind of relationship will these two have? Read this interesting tale of relationships.

Quick and light read....a bit cheesy but enjoyable, with a good message about looking for joy.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

*𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌*
What You Wish For
By Katherine Center
3.5 / 5 🌟


I enjoyed Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire so I was looking forward to reading her latest novel. Center has a way of writing what one might call “feel good” stories. Whether or not you end up being engrossed in this story, it’s hard not to take away a few positives when you close the book. What You Wish For expresses that you can choose to “do something joyful” even if you don’t feel joyful.

Samantha Casey is a pink-haired, polka-dot wearing librarian at an elementary school in Galveston, Texas. She loves the kids, and especially the beloved couple that founded the school, Max and Babette. They have become like parents to her. When Max dies suddenly, the school board announces they’ve hired a new principal.

Sam is shocked to learn the new hire is Duncan Carpenter. A man she worked with back in California. The man she ran off to Texas to avoid, having had a silly one-sided crush on him. Sam remembers Duncan as a free-spirit, fun-loving guy. But the Duncan that shows up is a rigid, security-obsessed stiff. He is bent on changing everything about the school that Max and Babette worked so hard to build. Sam is determined to save the school, but that might not be the only thing saved along the way.

This was an uplifting story, and it touches on relevant topics, such as school shootings. But I’m a very character-driven reader and I really couldn’t connect with either Sam or Duncan. Actually, the character I adored was Clay, Max’s little grandson. He’s a third grader reading Steinbeck novels and who loves ocean creatures but has a huge heart.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this advance copy for review.

Get your copy on July 14, 2020.

This is my first book by this author. While I enjoyed it didn't wow me. It's hard for me when I actually love the supporting characters a lot more than the H/h. The story was good but I did have some issues with the way some things were addressed as well. I would probably give this author another try but this was just okay for me.

Five big, beautiful stars for this book. Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me. Her books bring you in and get you so emotionally invested in her characters. This book was no different. I was hooked from the first chapter. Trigger warning about gun violence in schools. This is a heart warming story about fighting for what you believe is important and being brave. ⁣

Another sweet story from Katherine Center. Samantha Casey is the librarian at the local school. She lives in the carriage house of the principal and his wife, Max and Babette, just a few blocks from school. Life is great until something happens to Max and a new principal comes to town. The new principal is an old crush of Sam's from another school. However, when Duncan Carpenter arrives in town, he is not the same Duncan that Sam remembers. Sam remembers a fun, goofy teacher that everyone loved, not this stiff corporate-looking guy, who is obsessed with increasing security at the school. Although the book reads like a Hallmark movie, the writing just draws me in and there are nice life lessons along the way. A nice feel-good book, perfect during this pandemic. A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this wonderful ARC.

I love it. The End.
💙💚💛❤️💜
Reading this during Covid-19 with a husband working in the ICU and taking extreme precautions, had me thinking about this book in a different way.
💙💚🧡❤️💜
One of the themes within is to seize the day and live. I think it is beautiful, especially right now.
💙💚🧡❤️💜
I appreciated that one aspect of the story line was touched upon but not the main point as I feel that would have really changed the tone of the book.
💙💚🧡❤️💜
I loved the multiple themes within a single story and I can’t thank @stmartinspress @netgalley and @katherinecenter for the ARC.
Congrats on another stunning book!

I actually thought this book was fun! Easy to read Nd the pages turned quickly..good book for the beach.

I can’t say too much about what this book Is about, because it’s best to go in relatively blind. However, I will say this book isn’t for the faint of heart, and it does have a massive trigger warning associated with it.

I found the story to be extremely compelling, but did have some issues with the characterization of the main character. At times, it felt like her characterization was trying too hard to be “#relatable”, and it didn’t feel genuine. However, it was a very quick read and the story itself was gripping enough that I could mostly ignore my issues with the characterization.

This is my second book by Katherine Center and I’ve enjoyed them both. They are easy to read and I devoured it in one sitting. Like other women’s fiction - the elements will seem familiar. Love, loss, misunderstandings.

Main character, Sam, is a librarian in Galveston, TX. She suffers losses earlier in life with her parents (mom died and dad isn’t in the picture). Max and Bebette come into her life and serve as parental figures and mentors in Sam’s life. Max’s sudden death leaves a big hole for Sam - professionally and personally.

We find out that after Max’s death, his role as principal is being replaced by Sam’s big crush from years earlier (and a huge reason why she’s now in Texas), Duncan. Duncan is different now - stern and distant - and Sam must navigate her new provisional normal and figure out what went wrong with Duncan in the process.

As with How To Walk Away, we see with What You Wish For the female lead (Sam) is persistent in pulling back the layers of the male lead (Duncan) until there’s reconciliation and understanding through trauma, illness, and loss. It’s solid book even if it’s fairly predictable at times.

What You Wish For is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that reminds us to choose joy through the most difficult times we experience. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. I really loved the timely message that this book showcases and it provides a great escape. The storyline was intriguing as well, but I felt like the writing was more reflective than present. There were a few instances where I wish we could have seen flashbacks to see the differences in Duncan’s personality from the present rather than being told of the memory from Sam. I found Sam’s character to be a bit too naive and childish for someone who should be in her late 20s. However, I did like how we got to see how Duncan’s character developed through the story. The one thing I was expecting to see was the slow build of chemistry and emotion connection between the main characters. It seemed to be there, but felt like it was too rushed at the end to be savored. Though I had mixed feelings about this book, I’d still recommend checking this out if you’re a fan of Katherine Center.

Self preservation. Sometimes we push people away in order to protect ourselves from hurt, not wanting others to see us at our worst. Only till we are truly raw, honest and open can we see the good most people have. The love these characters have for each other jumps out from page one. You share all their feelings...loss, hurt, fear, disgust, anger and frustration....are all on display here. You’ll laugh and cry And cheer with this cast!

Another emotional read from Katherine Center, but nothing will come close to ‘How to Walk Away’ for me. Once you start this book, you’ll be half way thru it before you know it. Fast paced and tackles tough subjects with respect and honesty. Another gorgeous cover!

Thanks to Ms. Center, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I loved this book so much. As a teacher, I was able to relate quickly to the characters and parts of the plot. The author manages to wrap every teachers worst fears into the plot while still creating an amazing storyline with romance built in. I rushed through this book and then hated when it was over.