What You Wish For by Katherine Center
3.5/5 Stars

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion. Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations. But he wasn’t always that way. The lovable Duncan Samantha knew and loved at her old school is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.
As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

I really enjoyed this book. All of Center’s books are just good for the soul. They’re books you can’t put down and leave you wish happy butterflies. I loved Samantha’s unique and silly style that radiated throughout the book and her relationships. I felt Duncan was a bit much but I like how his character developed. I definitely recommend this for a feel good summer read.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. What You Wish For is available July 14th.

Katherine Center is a truly amazing author. Her writing sucks me in from the very first pages and I can almost never put her books down. It has never taken me more than two sittings to finish one of her books and What You Wish For is no different. This is the perfect summer read and one that is not only relevant but also an escape from the world right now. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the egalley of this book!

I’m still reading and reviewing books through NetGalley, and one of my recent reads was “What You Wish For” by Catherine Center. I’m not normally a contemporary romance fan, but I requested this one on a whim, and tried to keep an open mind. Here are my thoughts:

It’s a story about a teacher, Samantha, striving to be her best quirky self, in a quality elementary school in Texas. When the aspirational principal dies, a new administrator, Duncan, is brought in, and he is more concerned about safety than enjoyment in the school. They butt heads repeatedly, and Samantha starts a staff campaign to change Duncan’s tactics or get him to leave.
Sadly, this book, while well written, was a direct example of why this is not my preferred genre. I found it predictable and basic, and while it wasn’t my speed I strongly feel that it will be thoroughly enjoyed by people who love this author or this genre.

2.5 Stars, Rounded up to 3 for Goodreads rating system.

Thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Center, and St. Martin’s Press for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I loved the premise and how taking a bad thing and infusing joy into it makes it better. I loved the characters and how they made it a right in the end.. I should of become a librarian or a teacher. Making a difference is important. My advice read this book!

“I’m telling you. I know all about darkness. That’s why I am so hell-bent, every day, on looking for the light.”

I truly enjoyed this latest book by Katherine Center. Her ability to write characters that are real, have gone through deep things in life, and her ability to make the reader relate to them on an emotional level continues to impress me.

I loved going with Sam on this journey of loss, friendship, connection, self worth and so much more. Theres so much packed into Sam and I loved peeling back all the layers and seeing who she is.

Sam is a school librarian who has some deep hurts from her childhood that involved others finding her less than enough due to health issues she could not control.

Sam has finally found her people in a little town in Texas where she has finally settled in and found home. A huge community loss shakes things up, and changes Sams world yet again. I loved watching this community and how they rallied together and tried to be there for each other. This is a book about facing the hard things in life. It’s a book of looking for the light in the toughest of times, and it’s a book about friendships and what it means to be family whether you were born family or not.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I made it through the first two chapters and am putting this book down. To me, it is fluffy and cheesy and I couldn’t get into it

Very few authors continue to provide books that make you feel and think over and over again. Katherine Center has a talent of creating characters that place an imprint on your heart and it never fades. Beautiful cover...beautiful words.. beautiful book

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never read any book from Katherine Center, and this book just made me positioning her as my auto-buy author. I love the message of this book “choose joy on purpose” This point is so important for everyone in this world, and the story of Sam and Duncan is one of them, who choose joy to connect with your life.

How the author wrote every single words in here are so real, Sam as the main characters had gone through a lots of ups and downs since eight years old and as she grown up she tried to find her happy place, happy life and great friends. Every aspect of joy and happiness wrote down beautifully from every single character in here, with random situations of course but always strict to the main point, which is “joy.”

Special fact : After I finished reading this book, I wish I can be “Sam” to enjoy the entire life of my childhood. She’s a brave, honest woman, full commitment in order to moved on and change her future life and...she’s a joy!

Highly recommended to those who enjoy heartfelt, adorable story with some touches of romance.

•Book Review• { Thank you @stmartinspress for my gifted copy }

What's one benefit of something falling downstairs at 1am and scaring the bejeezus out of you? You get to finish your current read. ❤ The obvious downside is that I'm super tired today, but it was definitely worth it!

Review: Once I started this one, it was impossible to put down. It had the trauma and angst you typically see in Center's books, but this one was a bit more relatable.

What I loved about this book:

1. This book talks about a current issue that has parents all over the country anxious. Is the safety measures at their school enough? How far can you take school security before it starts affecting learning and the enjoyment of school? I have two school age children and I've thought of this particular issue more times than I can count. Center was able to tackle this heavy topic with ease and without getting political.

2. Both Sam and Duncan are very realistic, but broken characters that are trying to find joy in their lives following traumatic situations. They both see themselves as damaged and undeserving of being loved and their previous history gave just enough of a backstory for me to feel empathetic towards them both. I also loved how this story emphasizes finding joy each day and letting go of past hurt even when it's seem like an impossible task.

3. This book takes place in a small town and the community is a huge aspect of this book. Even in a time of immense grief, they find a way to give this book a feeling of hope and perseverance.

Even though there was one particular scene that I didn't like and felt was completely unrealistic and unnecessary, I still loved this book. As always Center's book left me filled with hope and happiness and who couldn't use a bit of that right now? Make sure to grab a copy of your own when it publishes on July 14th , I promise you won't regret it.

I've loved Katherine Center since I read "How to Walk Away." Her stories have a great mix of light romance/sweetness and substance.

Her newest novel, "What You Wish For" is a quick read with quirky characters. This one was not as emotionally packed as her previous novels. The novel's theme of choosing to pursue joy was very hopeful and necessary during this difficult time, but I wanted to feel more connected to the love story.

Overall, the story felt a bit rushed, and I found myself wanting more.

While the story was not my favorite - it was still enjoyable and worth a read.

What are the chances of running away from your problems, only to have them catch up with you in a most unexpected way? That's what happens to both romantic characters in this wonderful story. Very clever premise, well written. Truly enjoyed this story.

I enjoyed reading this book and finished it pretty quickly. I didn't know where this book was going to go in the beginning so it took on a bit of a surprise at first, but I could then see where this book was going to go. This was not my favorite book by this author, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it.

*sigh* This is the perfect book to read if you're needing a quick literary pick-me-up. Let's be honest- these are unprecedented times right now, with many isolated at home and desperate for an escape. This, my friends, is the book that I recommend you sit down with and I don't think that you'll be disappointed!

Sam Casey is the librarian at a school determined to keep the joy in learning. She loves her library and her school and her little students and everyone is devastated when they lose their beloved principal. Enter Duncan, hired to take his place. Sam used to work with Duncan and is thrilled because he was one of the most fun teachers that she knew. Unfortunately, the Duncan that comes to her school is nothing like the Duncan that she knew. This one isn't fun and is determined to turn her beautiful school in to one resembling a prison more than a school.

As Sam attempts to uncover the Duncan of old, it's hard not to fall in love with Katherine Center's characters as well as the school that she has created. This book was such a joy to read- sweet and sentimental without becoming over-the-top, with a potential couple that I was rooting for the entire time. I devoured this book in a few days and I'm glad that I did. WHAT YOU WISH FOR is an absolute must-read and an asset to Katherine Center's brand.

It’s no shocker that this book was so wonderful. I really enjoyed this from start to finish. I adored all of the characters and character development. I love how this book touches on some really important issues in a gentle, non-polarizing way. I also found the topic of epilepsy presented in a respectful, realistic way. Seriously, this was so sweet with lots of substance.
I loved this quote, “We made a choice to do joy on purpose. Not in spite of life’s sorrows. But because of them.” And I think you can say this sums up the sweetness of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I am never disappointed with anything that Center writes and this one was no different. I really enjoyed all the characters in this one, especially Barbette! I really enjoyed that Sam was a librarian and seeing what it is exactly that they get to do; and this library sounded amazing. I also really liked that this novel covered something so important, school shootings. It’s such a huge problem and one that we don’t seem any closer to solving. Both main characters had their own struggles and they were so real life that I couldn’t help but fall in love with them! Another amazing novel from Center!

Out July 14th!

The first half of this book was a solid 3 stars for me. It was a slog... but then right at 50% of the way through, I loved it. I would give the second half 5 stars - so we will go with the average. If you have read all of Katherine Center's books, I think it is important to go in with the expectation that this is not her typical hearwarming, feelgood story. While there is an aspect of romance, this is not a romance novel. This book is heavy. It confronts PTSD, depression, epilepsy, and death. Katherine clearly has tried to lighten up these heavy topics but it is not like this book gets to the 50% mark and is happy. The characters are dealing with these heavy issues up until the end and through the epilogue. The story follows Samantha, a eccentricly dressed third grade teacher that puts off a vibe that she has no cares in the world, and Duncan, a elementary school principal. Years ago, when Samantha met Duncan, Duncan was fun and goofy but when Duncan shows up in Samantha's life years later, he is completely different. Samantha left her school in California where she first met Duncan for the sole reason that Duncan was dating someone else. Samantha had never even had a meaningful conversation with Duncan, but yet, she felt the need to flee the state. That seems unbelievable and unnecessary for the story. Regardless, the story does develop and end well. The book is primarily about the choices we contront every day and, when life gets hard, sometimes we have to choose joy in the face dispair and heartache.

As usual Katherine Center grabbed me from page 1. I absolutely loved the menagerie of characters. I’m an Elementary School PE teacher, so I loved that it had a librarian, Principal, school board, and everyone else in this. It touched on how schools need to be safe, but also need to be someplace that kids want to be. It brought epilepsy into light, as well as school shootings. Really well done. Another 5 star book. Thank you Netgalley for the enjoyable ARC.

What You Wish For was a disappointment for me. Having loved the author’s last book, this one was a let down. I can appreciate that the main characters dealt with some hard hitting personal problems and the overall lesson of the book being something along the lines of “hold on to joy”. However, I didn’t care for either of the main characters at all. The relationship that eventually happens made me roll my eyes constantly. And the story itself was just slow and dull for me. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who love this story, but unfortunately I am not one of them. It won’t stop me from trying future reads by this author. The cover of the book is gorgeous though. Thank you to the publisher for an ARC, all opinions are my own

I fell in love with Katherine's writing last year when I read her book, Things you save in a fire. This book is written in a similar style. You know it's Katherine's from the start. No body else writes like her and the storyline is great! She does slightly remind me of Emily Giffin, but is unique in her own right. This is a great read with an uplifting message. It does not disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

Ever since How to Walk Away Katherine Center is on my shortlist for "the author has a new book coming out, I have to read it." When a school librarian in Texas learns that her former school colleague crush is the new principal, she's cautious but optimistic. But the moment that Duncan Carpenter arrives, Samantha Casey is left baffled by his iron fist attitude. What happened to the fun-loving prankster and why is he bent on destroying everything joyful in the school? Whatever the reason, Samantha is not going to let it happen and puts a plan in motion to save the day.

This was a super cute contemporary story with an upbeat, positive message for its readers. That in spite of the sadness a person has faced, they still need to look for the joy in life. Katherine Center writes loveable characters and her creations of Samantha, Duncan, Alice, and Clay will no doubt be fan favorites.

I think where I feel the most lukewarm is the "I can fix him and save my town" trope. When it becomes clear what Duncan is struggling with and how that has shaped his behavior, I felt a lot of compassion for him. But it also made me feel that Samantha's good intentions were inappropriate? immature? oversimplistic? At this moment, I cannot really pick the word that I want to use, but maybe it is a little bit of all of that. I think perhaps the revelation regarding Duncan is at a point where the storyline truly accelerates and I felt a little bit that we were rushing around to a resolution.

Overall, I felt it was a good read and I would certainly recommend it to other readers.


Goodreads review published 28/05/20
Expected Publication Date 14/07/20