Thank you to Net Galley for sending me an e- copy of this book to review. I really enjoyed this book. It was a sweet, life affirming novel, perfect reading for the times we are in. Sam Casey, librarian at a small, nurturing private school in Galveston, Texas adores everything about her job. She has had some real heartbreaks in her life and has determined to fight life's darkness to find joy. Everyday she looks for the joy in life. When a new principal, and old crush, joins the school she faces many obstacles to continue to search for joy. I will definitely look for other books by Katherine Center and can see why she is such a popular author.

This one was definitely not my favorite by Katherine Center. Duncan was so unlikeable for most of the story and just annoyed me, though it all made sense and the ending came together nicely. I thought Sam was a little immature and self absorbed and her story line was so unrealistic. I think I enjoyed the "extra" characters (Max, Babette, Alice and Clay) in this one more than the main characters and that's never ideal. As her books always are, it was an easy, quick read, but just fell a little short for me. Some of the subject matter is a little heavy so definitely heed the advice of trigger warnings. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. What You Wish For comes out on July 14, 2020

This is my first Katherine Center book, but I’ve heard great things about Things You Save In A Fire and How To Walk Away, so I was very intrigued with this book. Admittedly, I did not know what to expect going in. The first chapter did a great job of hooking me in and I enjoyed the heartwarming story of resilience, love, and courage with quirky characters. I did find the beginning and middle of the book to be stronger than the end. It was a 4.5 or 5 star read for me until about 70ish percent. There was no particular storyline or event thar caused this, i just like it lost some of its luster and I found myself not as captivated. For the most part, it was a light, quick, and happy read. It left me wanting to add the rest of Center’s books to my TBR. Thank you to NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What You Wish For is a heart warming story with a beautiful message of hope and joy. Samantha Casey (Sam) is an elementary school librarian in Galveston, Texas having landed there after being forced out of a previous school by unreciprocated love. Sam couldn't live with seeing her major crush - a happy, colorful, jokester of a man - every day with another woman. So she relocated. As time passed, Sam let go of her girlish fantasies and is now happy in her present job and life. She's made good friends, becoming an intricate member of the community and school. Life's good . . . although she's hiding a personal secret. Soon after the sudden death of her beloved school principal, a new principal arrives. Imagine Sam's shock when it turns out to be "the one". The funny, colorful, beautiful man from her past who's now her new boss. But wait a minute . . . this cold, stone faced, drab man sucking the life out of their amazing school could not be the man she knew and secretly loved! Could he? What happened to him over the past six years? Where is the man she once knew and loved from afar?

What You Wish For is a fantastic story about finding joy in the small stuff - in any way you can on any given day. It's about spreading joy to others by having the courage to laugh at yourself, be silly, be goofy, be "present". It's a message of facing and overcoming your own personal challenges and helping others overcome theirs. It's about facing those things you fear most, daring to take the next step, and opening yourself in defiance of your own vulnerability. It's a story of trust, hope, love, and living life in the moment. Center's characters are "real" - their tears, fears, laughter, and joy easily felt. Her lyrical prose delivers a message of hope for a brighter future if you open your heart to love. Beautifully written and delivered, What You Wish For is poignant, romantic, heart-rendering and full of possibilities. Let's all help spread the Joy! Highly Recommended!

I read "What You Wish For" by Katherine Center and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sam is exact type of librarian that every elementary school needs and she was easy to care about. And when Duncan shows up as the principal of the school you feel everything that Sam feels. This book gave me all the feels...I cried, I laughed, I hoped. I loved the majority of characters in the book & really despised another. I would definitely recommend this book. It would be a great summertime read!

What You Wish For starts off with a punch to the gut and doesn’t let up throughout the book. It is filled with heartache, fear and betrayal which ultimately reveal the resilience, hope and strength inside every one of us.

When a new principal is announced, Sam is surprised to hear she knows the name and is anxious to see the man from her past. But things go haywire as Duncan explains his demands for the year. The culture of the school is threatened by all of the restraints he pushes forward. The beloved Max and Babette founded a school full of creativity and Duncan is tearing that away. Each character in the story has their burdens that affect their daily decisions. I was compelled to read on to find out more about the characters’ backstories and find out how the school year would pan out. There is some heaviness scattered throughout the story and I encourage you to ask about trigger warnings if you’re interested in reading this one.

I was pretty hesitant to pick up this book. I knew it was set at a school and many of the characters were teachers. Since I am a speech-language pathologist at an elementary school, I was concerned that if the school wasn’t right or it didn’t ring true that I wouldn’t be able to handle it. One thing that didn’t ring true is the beginning of the school year for the staff. They had one solitary staff meeting and Sam spent her time preparing the library for the school year. In reality, the few days leading up to the first day of school are filled with meetings and teachers always wish for more time in their classroom to prepare for students’ arrival. The community within the school and the complaints about car pool hold up. Oh, and their staff end-of-the-school-year party was at the school and had alcohol. That never happens! The school Katherine Center created is special but not too unrealistic. It was created by Max and Babette to be different and it definitely is different than a typical public school. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am glad I read it!

This one releases July 14! Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve come to rely on Katherine Center to deliver sweet romances with just enough tragedy to keep them human. The second half of this book is much stronger than the first half, so it’s a good thing that it’s a quick read, I appreciated Center’s message to always seek joy every day, even when you may not feel like it, or your life circumstances make it difficult. This was a message I needed to hear right now.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An honest review: I loved this book. Katherine Center takes us on a slow burn journey in What You Wish For. Our main character, Sam, is the librarian at a historic, quirky elementary school when suddenly, out of tragic circumstances, a new principal in brought on board. A principal that Sam has a history with, of course. This book made me actually laugh out loud at some parts but then pulled my heart strings just the same. This is definitely character driven, but I had no problem with that because I loved the characters and their depth. This was my first Katherine Center read and I will definitely be going back for more. I would have loved to dive deeper into the relationship, but even so I still loved it. Trigger warnings below with possible spoilers.

Trigger Warning (possible spoilers): death of a loved one, epilepsy/health conditions, PTSD, brief mention of military spouse, and school shooting trauma.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of What you Wish For by Katherine Center.

This author has become a must read for me!! Another top notch writen book. I give this book a 10!

This was an incredibly sweet tale that explores the meaning of joy, of taking chances and of letting go. Letting go of fear, letting go of inhibitions, letting go of a bad marriage.

On a very personal note, I would’ve loved to see more romance, but that’s the voracious romantic in me speaking.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What You Wish For took me for a wild ride. In it, you will meet Samantha and Duncan. They, of course, have a little past with one another.. but I wouldn't really consider this a whole second chance of love for them. Yes, they sort of had a crush on one another back then but the other never truly knew about it. Plus, nothing happened between them until they were reunited.

Even then.. it was definitely a slow burn with some bantering. They both have a past that they needed to talk to the other about. Mostly it's because it would help them heal and grow into better people altogether. Plus they were pretty adorable together and had some cute moments throughout the book.

Heck, even the ending was really cute and I'm very happy that I got a chance to read this.

I loved all of Katherine’s previous books. This one was my least favourite but I still gave it four stars. That just goes to show how much I love her writing.

After reading too many romance books in a row her style and storylines are a refreshing take on what can sometimes be the same old story. She reminds me why I enjoy this genre so much.

Highly recommend.

It's not often that I feel like I can't put a book down and this book didn't start out that way but definitely ended that way for me. Sam is a librarian in a small town. Her character started out needy and kind of a poor me which I just don't have patience for but I kept reading. And I'm thankful I did. Katherine Center captures the growth and eccentricity of Sam who is searching for the family relationship she doesn't have. Her epilepsy keeps love at bay for her as she struggles with the trauma of her past. Even though I personally would get frustrated with Sam with some of her Fargo antics her character is charming and patient. I love how she makes lemons out of lemonade and even makes a giant leap towards love. My favorite quote in this book was, "Pay attention to the little things that connect you to joy." Well said. Special thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"What You Wish For", by Katherine Center was an unexpected surprise. Samantha "Sam" Casey, the lovable & quirky librarian escaped to a whimsical elementary school located in Galveston, Texas. Galveston is like a little seaside town that has been frozen in time. The buildings are victorian and historical landmarks are intertwined within the town. I enjoyed the realistic landmarks and buildings that were referenced in the book. Galveston has always held a special place in my heart and wish people could view Galveston through Katherine Center's eyes.
Sam Casey found everything she wanted in a home in Babette & Max Kempner's carriage house turned apartment. Babette and Max were the closest thing to family, she lost her mom at the sweet age of 10 and her father left long before then. Sam worked at Babette & Max's school as a librarian and life was fantastic. That was before Max's sixtieth birthday party and Sam and Babette would find a life without Max. Max was the principal of Kempner Elementary and now they would have to find a replacement weeks before the school year.
Duncan Carpenter, Max's replacement would arrive and stir Sam's heart and emotions to a breaking point. Duncan and Sam worked together before Sam moved to Galveston, but Duncan was fun and an exuberant educator. But, what changed Duncan? Why was he so cold and rigid? What happened to the checkerboard pants and the novelty shirts?
Sam fought back her feelings and emotions until Babette stepped in and allowed Sam to really feel and acknowledge her fear and to face it. Would she allow herself to face her fear and allow the help she needed most?

I highly recommend "What You Wish For", this was my first novel by Katherine Center. It was an enjoyable read that I found myself engulfed by the characters and storyline. The events that took place were relatable and I found myself giggling and devouring each page. Katherine Center's writing is remarkable and fluid. One of my favorite quotes from the book, Max was talking to Sam after a life-altering event "...pay attention to the things that connect you to joy."

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is a fun summer read that captured my attention quickly. Samantha Casey, an elementary school librarian, fled her former home to get away from an unanswered crush on another teacher that threatened to take over her personal life and well-being. When her beloved school loses its beloved founder and headmaster, he is replaced by none other than the ridiculously fun and creative teacher that she remembers from her old school - the same one she ran from originally. But the person that walks through the doors of her current school that definitely has the same name and the same face as her crush also definitely cannot be the same person she remembers. He is drab, stern, and domineering in all the ways that she and the other teachers do not want for their colorful and fun elementary school and his introduction is more than a little shocking. Will the teachers be able to work together to save their school or will it be turned into the compound that the new headmaster and the board are envisioning? And what does this mean for the feelings that Sam tried so hard to escape?

This is the second book I read from Katherine Center and I was not disappointed. I love the settings she picks and the way she describes and develops her characters. A couple moments here and there felt a little rushed but overall, the story had a good flow. She really knows when to infuse the book with the right amount of drama to push her characters to their limits.

"How to Walk Away" was one of my favorite books last year. So, I was excited to read Center's newest book - "What You Wish For." The premise of the book - a woman who loves her job as an elementary school librarian and lives in an idyllic community. When a former crush arrives on campus after the school's principal dies, her world turns upside down. The storyline drew me in, but the formulaic events that unfold were disappointing.

I enjoyed reading What You Wish For. It spoke to me about some hard topics that need to be addressed. It had some really bittersweet moments and some great touches of humor. There is a central romance but that is not the complete focus of the book. In the end my only wish was for some more personal interaction between the heroine and the hero of the story. It's hard to do that sometimes though in a first person perspective. This is the second book that I've read recently by Katherine Center and I will be looking for more.

What a great book that sparks hope and strength in the midst of such a difficult time in our wold! Katherine Center is able to craft a storyline that feels recognizable and comfortable but also pushing at boundaries at the same time. She is a true storyteller that draws you in to her world and makes you feel a part of her community. The quirky traits that sometimes can be used by authors unsuccessfully are a strength of Ms. Center's. She makes you really care and root for each character. How To Walk Away is still my favorite by this author but I will continue to pick up each novel that she writes.

What a wonderful book! The overarching themes of find joy and celebrate everything no matter how hard and disappointing life can be really resonated with me.

I loved that it was told first person so you really saw things through Sam's eyes. It helps connect you to her and to how she holds herself back while longing to belong.

The author is also excellent at descriptions. She vividly paints a picture of Kempner Academy and, much like Hogwarts, I wanted to walk in through the front door and immerse myself in the school.

There is a scene toward the end of the book, where I recommend cuing up George Michael's Freedom 90 (which was so my college jam) while you read. . Also, I really need Alice's One Hundred Most Mathematically Booty Shaking Songs of All Time playlist to be included in the back of the book. Can this happen? Please??

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*