The timing of this book was perfect. There is tragedy in this book, but this book is about finding joy in life wherever you can, and being able to rise through and above the tragedy with the people you choose to love. It often takes me longer to read books instead of listening to them because I can listen to books while I take care of household tasks like doing the dishes or laundry, but with reading, I need to sit and read. So when I find a book that makes me sit down and just enjoy it from start to finish, it's a delight. Sometimes the neuroses of the MC got a bit much, but considering what she had been through, I could understand them, but more to the point, her friends would outright tell her when she was wrong, and I loved that. I don't want to reveal any spoilers in this review because I loved not knowing anything that that was going to happen in this book and just letting the pieces of information come out as the characters discovered them. But what I will say is that this book does not shelter you from the dark side of life--the tragedies and pain that can come when you open your heart--but it gives you a way to live life in spite of the pain, a way to make it just that much better. Even when things seem hopeless and out of control, the one thing you always have control over is how you're going to handle it all.

I absolutely loved this book that brought tears to my eyes, made me laugh out loud and just gave me a lift in general.

Thanks to #KatherineCenter, #StMartinsPress, and #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This author writes in an easy to read, want to keep reading format. I honestly would rate this as a 3.5 stars but Goodreads doesn't allow it. I was sucked in immediately. And like I said I wanted to keep reading the the story because the author is a good story teller. However, the story was very predicable. I knew immediately what was going to be the cause of Duncan's issues. At some points there are just pages of over description. But the characters are likable, cheesy people that you can't help but love. Although they are conflicted-if we work hard to make ourselves better people and love-happiness prevails making this a good read.

When lives intersect or cross paths, again, you never know what will happen. Both characters are navigating a new road. Another beautifully written novel by Center!

Fun, realistically drawn characters are one of author Katherine Center's strengths as she introduces us to a sassy librarian, Samantha Casey. You see, Sam (aka Samantha) is mourning the loss of her close friend who also happens to be her principal. Before she can really adjust to the loss, another big surprise hits her hard and fast. Her crush....the one man that she crushed on so hardcore is now her new boss and his whole personality seems to have undergone a rapid transformation.

Gone are the bright funky clothes that Principal Duncan Carpenter used to wear. Now he is coming across as all business and has his rigid ideas in place of how he thinks things should be... only he was counting on having all these chemical sparks between him and the librarian.

This book carries a strong, solid message that has really touched me. I read voraciously so for me to take the time to say it touched me really means it touched me deep inside to the core. Choosing joy on purpose sounds like such a simple theme for What You Wish For, but it is interwoven in a beautiful story with rich, deep characters that linger long after I have read the last page. For me, that is worth much more than 5 stars! Well done, Katherine Center!!

I requested a temporary, digital advance reader copy from NetGalley to read and enjoy and my review is voluntary offered. As always, my opinions are my own.

When your fears control your life, take control of your fears and live each day to it’s fullest. This book taught me so many lessons. The main one is to find joy in the little things in life. And the way this year has been going, we all need something to be joyful about.

Samantha moved to Galveston, Texas, where she was working as a school librarian. She loved everything about the school, especially the people who ran it. They were like family to her. But when Max suddenly passes away and a new principle is hired, Samantha never expected it to be the man she had a crush on, Duncan, from her old job. But this version of Duncan was not the man Samantha remembered. He was not the fun-loving guy anymore. The new Duncan was a stickler for rules and security. He wanted to change everything everyone loved about the school. But the reasons he wanted to do so were something he didn’t talk about. When Samantha finds out Duncan’s secret, she sets out to bring him out of his shell and enjoy life once again. And along the way, Samantha learns to live and enjoy life again too.

With unforgettable characters and a story line that pulled me in from the very start, I had a hard time finding a place to pause my reading. And then there was the setting of the book, Galveston, one of my favorite places to visit. This story took me through a wide variety of emotions while reading it. The saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is fitting for this book. I would definitely recommend reading this one.

After loving Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire, I was excited to read What You Wish For. I enjoyed Center's writing, her characters, and was looking forward to this book taking place in a school setting. It took me about 30-40% of the book to fully get into the story. I found Sam's previous, utter obsession with Duncan completely unrealistic. Unless I missed some details, moving half way across the country over someone you have barely had a conversation with didn't make much sense; I expected them to have a more substantial back story with each other given how much it seemed that Sam derailed her life due to him.

I enjoyed the school setting and the devotion the teachers had to their students and their school. At times, the teachers come across more as caricatures rather than actual people. As a math teacher, I am always cautious about how math is represented in stories and I greatly appreciated the positive light that Alice's character shined on it (even if at times it seemed a bit random and not quite mathematically sound).

All in all, I would recommend What You Wish For. It was a quick and fun read that does have a good theme of finding and choosing joy in your life. I would rate this book 3.5/5 stars. but since I am relegated to whole numbers, I would round this up to 4 stars.

What You Wish For
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a very emotional read for me, but I loved it! I liked how both Sam and Duncan are not your perfect cookie cutter characters. They both are trying to live their life in a way that they don't to depend on others. Sam was lucky to find someone who opened her eyes to live life with no regrets and joy. Her outer appearance changed, but her inner self was still holding back. She learned and accepted that color brought her joy. It allowed for her to things a little more brighter, but she was still holding herself back in trusting others with her illness. An illness that she was able to manage but caused her to close herself off from letting someone get close. It is not until she helps Duncan, who she had previously worked with and developed a crush on, that she begins to work on herself too. Duncan was someone who had lived life to the fullest and not until a tragedy happens to him is that he begins to not live life like he used too. Sam misses that old Duncan and takes upon herself and her friends to help him out. Sam learns that she too needs to change in order to finally be happy. Duncan proved himself to her that he was that person who she could depend on not running away.
Duncan was my favorite character. I would of liked to see more of those scenes of when he was tasked to do happy things with Sam.
I enjoy this author's writing style and I look forwards to more of her books.

A predictable story that dwells way too long on school librarian Samantha Casey’s infatuation with Duncan Carpenter, the new principal at her elementary school. Clearly the two have past history but sadly the author spends way too many pages on Samantha’s obsession and it was annoying. This is a light read, a decent escape but one that never quite pulled me in. Disappointed as I have tremendously enjoyed other books written by Katherine Center.

Well, I got insanely lucky and received an ARC for Katherine Center’s latest and, as usual, it did not disappoint. I just adore the way she writes her characters. She always elicits such emotion ... I rarely cry when reading books but she always gets me. And she writes a hero like none other. She writes relationships for real and makes the couple’s journey important and sweet. In short, I wish Katherine Center was my best friend.

WORTH THE WAIT! If you know me, you know I’ve been (not so) patiently waiting for this book for MONTHS. The pub date is my birthday, and I knew it would be fate.
Katherine Center never disappoints. There is always heartbreak and humor mixed into the perfect package. Sam is the coolest librarian I have ever heard of, living in a small island town off the coast of Texas. Sam works in a hippie school, run by her adoptive parents who are also her landlords.
After some horrible circumstances, Sam finds herself face to face with an old crush, Duncan. Duncan isn’t here for fun, and turns Sam’s world upside down.
There isn’t a slow moment in this book. You’ll fight for the characters, and want to experience the story with them.
Do yourself a favor, and read this freaking book!

This was a quick, fun read. Many of the characters felt a bit like caricatures people, and the end was a bit packed for my taste (similar to Things you Save in a Fire), but overall it was a good book. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I almost don't know how to rate What You Wish For. I've been reading so many thrillers, full of gruesome body counts, so making the transition to a book with no murders, just a death by natural causes, seems a bit awkward to me. On one hand, it's an awesome change of pace but on the other hand, I think I almost died of a "too sweet and silly" overdose. I do think it was good to venture off the bloody reading path I've been on lately

Elementary school librarian Samantha Casey left her last school because she was lovingly obsessed with fellow teacher, Duncan Carpenter. Once he became engaged, she couldn't stand to see him anymore, despite the fact that they hardly knew each other and it shouldn't have mattered what Duncan did in his private life. Several years later Duncan is the new principal at Sam's Galveston school and she's sure she'll need to run again, because of her feelings. But the Duncan she used to know, funny, quirky, goofy, Duncan, is gone and instead, Duncan is stoic, dogmatic, and determined to take away everything this is loved at Sam's school. 

What ensues is Sam wondering if Duncan even remembers who she is, misunderstandings, a roller coaster ride, and a cute ten year old boy named Clay, who is interesting enough to star in a book all of his own. Oh, and there is Chuck Norris, Duncan's failure of a security dog labradoodle. Sam has a serious health issue that she knows will keep anyone from loving her and Duncan has something in his near past that has changed him from the wild dressing, sweetheart he used to be, into a heartless hunky body in a gray suit. Sam goes from planning to quit her job to making it her mission to have Duncan fired for all the changes he plans for the school. Both Sam and Duncan have lessons to learn about life before either one of them can find happiness and peace...and maybe a meeting of minds. 

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I love Katherine Center’s work, and this book is no exception. I especially loved that she set this book in Galveston, our little beach town. So many of the places I love are mentioned in the book so it made it extra special when reading.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review. I'm a huge fan of Katherine Center, and this book did not disappoint. This book was perfect to read during quarantine. Choose joy! What a powerful read about challenges we face in life. Highly recommend!

After her current principal suddenly passes away , Sam is pleasantly shocked when his replacement shows up at her school. Her new boss is Duncan, a blast from her past. He was one who had a fun zest for life, which was an attraction to her. However, he comes into his new position with a passion for school security and shows no interest in having any fun. In fact, he doesn’t even acknowledge Sam. Is she really that unforgettable? Before she destroys everything that she adores about her school, will she be able to break him down and remember what it was like to live life fully?

I am a big fan of Katherine Center. I can lose myself in the plot of her books and finish them in no time! Her writing, to me, just flows easily like I’m lost in a conversation with friends. This book was no exception. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick, joyful read. It was a great book to help escape this time in our lives! Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy for an honest review.

@katherinecenter has this magical way of creating an entire world, one that i already feel enveloped in and invested in, from the very first chapter. There's a lightheartedness about it and yet an urgency to continue. There's an ease to reading, and yet substance and depth to each character. Needless to say i very much enjoyed her latest novel🥰

What You Wish For is about Samantha Casey, an elementary school librarian who picked up and moved her life to a small town after years of living her life around a crippling unrequited crush on fellow teacher Duncan Carpenter. When tragedy strikes and a new principal is needed at Sam's current school, guess who is recruited and hired as a replacement? You got it, Duncan Carpenter. Only this Duncan is not at all like the one she remembers. He's hollowed out, serious, stony and all business. What happened to the guy who used to wear vibrant colored pants every day and zany printed ties? Who used to do magic tricks for the children and instituted crazy hat day? While Sam has every intention of getting out of there, unable to fathom reliving that all consuming crush, something about the new Duncan forces her to stay. How could she leave her beloved school in the hands of a man who wants to destroy all the joy and happiness that this school stands for?

It's very easy to lose hours at time reading this novel. It's just so down to earth, the feelings so relatable and it includes a host of characters u just want to hang around with. There's something about her novels, a magical quality that just leaves u feeling self actualized in some small way. Which means I'm always ready and waiting for her next novel.

4-4.5 stars. Love Katherine Center books. She writes beautifully and the story always wraps up nicely loved the librarian and her issues with seizures. The characters were great and taught each other so much.

Katherine Center has written another book with an important message...Choose joy even in the midst of tragedy. You can’t live in fear. This is the message we need to hear in these troubled times.

Ms. Center has created wonderful characters that come off the pages and into the reader’s heart. Duncan is a once beloved quirky teacher who has suddenly become a strict, almost dictatorial principal of a school where the former principal encouraged laughter and joy among the teachers and students. Samantha knew him when he was that fun-loving teacher who inspired joy in his students. What caused such a drastic change in Duncan’s personality?

I recommend What You Wish For. It has a a captivating storyline that held my attention from the first chapter to the end of the book. There was laughter and a lot of tears as I read of Samantha’s journey to discover what caused the change in Duncan.

I received an ARC of What You Wish For from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Part romance, part cheesy, the idea of just smiling and getting through the day is very much needed right now and was a great little read to escape the seriousness of the current time. Not my usual "type" but just right for the timing.

In exchange for an honest review, I read the advanced readers’ copy of What You Wish For, by Katherine Center, courtesy of St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. This may be one of Ms. Center’s best books yet. How she weaves so many important issues into one book is both amazing and entertaining.

Samantha “Sam” Casey is a school librarian at a charming school where children are loved and nurtured. After the untimely death of their principal, the one person Sam wants never to see again – Duncan Casey – is hired as principal.

Sam knows Duncan from her last school where she fell in love with him, but felt invisible to him – to everyone, in fact. When Duncan arrives, he is not the man Sam remembers. Stiff, dictatorial, and unmoved by the faculty’s ideas and pleas, he insists on turning the school into a prison for the protection of the kids.

It’s pretty clear he has had a traumatic experience since Same last saw him, but she can’t figure him out. While the faculty is trying to get him fired, Sam works to find out what changed him. It takes a near-tragedy to bring him around.

What You Wish For explores epilepsy, self-esteem, relationships, gifted children, school shootings, fathers who are so absorbed in making money, they ignore their children, even saving whales. This is a book you don’t want to miss.

What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?

• Most importantly, the incorrect use of the phrase, “begs the question” when “raises the question” fits the dialogue. They do not have even close to the same meaning.
• Using a word that doesn’t actually exist: “preventatively”. It should be “preventively”.
• Confusing “further” with “farther”.