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.

Beautifully written story of Samantha and Duncan. Loved these characters! The story is the story of their journey to happiness with a life lesson of choose joy! Thinking about this long after I put down the book. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I enjoyed this fast paced read by Katherine Center. I enjoyed many of the characters and the storyline. I think the ending was the typical tie it in a bow happy ending, but the story to get there was a nice adventure. My biggest pet peeve of this novel and others is when characters refuse to communicate and things linger on. I know it is what keeps the story going but it can be frustrating to read. Overall, a great escape read which great storylines.

What worked for me: As with her previous two novels, Katherine Center's knack for humor even in the most serious situations is evident in What You Wish For. I liked the evolution of Sam's character from the silly teenage girl acting in the beginning to leading the group of teachers in fighting for the school.

What didn't work for me: The overuse of the phrase "fair enough".

Overall, a quick read that pulls you in and compels you to root for the characters until the very end. I highly recommend two of the author's previous novels, How To Walk Away (5 stars) and Things You Save in a Fire (5 stars).

Super sweet story, with just a little meat. Starts off super strong, but fizzles a bit mid-way, then ends up being pretty darn predictable by the end. Summary of the story in one meme, and why it lost a star for me (please let my imbedding work!)-

<img src="https://www.romancerehab.com/uploads/7/2/0/3/72036153/the-grumpy-one_orig.jpg" alt="sunshineone style="width:40px;height:100px;">

The thing that bothered me most about the story really boils down to my personal issues. The main character, Sam, has epilepsy. This isn't really a spoiler, as it's talked about openly and revealed pretty early on in the book. I have a very close loved one with epilepsy, so it brought up all kinds of feelings. In particular, Sam doesn't treat her epilepsy with any medication. Meaning, of course she is going to continue to have seizures. Not to mention she works at a school, so she should have more concern over no treatment, when children may see a seizure (which can be very scary, even watching as an adult). So while I understand medication has side-effects, the non-treatment really left me upset.

It's a quick, but predictable romance. Both characters have issues they are keeping from each other, both end up helping each other move past them. This is my first book by Katherine Center, and I did enjoy it enough to add her first to books to my TBR list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for a review.

A lovely emotional read that combines pain with joy. Luckily joy wins in the end. This is definitely going on my re-read/comfort read shelf.

Although this book is a romance, there is no sex just heavy kissing. A fine change of pace from books that describe making love in minutiae.

I will be reading more from this author.



*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

What You Wish For is another hit from Katherine Center. The backdrop of Galveston, TX serves as a "main" character in Center's latest release. School librarian Samantha loves the island that has become her family and her job at a progressive local school. When the school's headmaster dies unexpectedly the town is in mourning and the school facing an unthinkable loss. The new principal arrives in town and has a tie to Sam's past-a former crush that she had had strong feelings for and always felt invisible around.

While Sam has changed so has Duncan. Gone is the carefree, light-hearted man-and in his place is a warden obsessed with school safety. His vision and plans for the school are so far removed from the place everyone loves that Sam is concerned he's destroying everything she and the community have worked for. With moving dialogue, great descriptions and the backdrop of Galveston Center weaves another winning novel. Pick this one up!

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.