What You Wish For by Katherine Center.
I liked this book but not as much as the past books I read by author.
It has likable characters and good dialogue.
I still will check out more books by author.

Fun, quirky, witty, romantic, and amazingly insightful, this book was just what I needed to snap out of my mood. What You Wish For is hallmark Katherine Center. I was saving this book up for my summer vacation, but with everything going on, I decided now is a better time than any. But don't start reading this on a weekday like I did, or you'll end up staying up late at night and sleeping through work the next day because you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I enjoyed the message of this book, but I wish it would have been longer in order to further develop several parts. There were times when I didn’t understand the characters’ motivations for their actions, and that could have been avoided with a little more development. The book’s cover is gorgeous, and if you’re a Center fan, you may enjoy it if you go into it knowing that it is different from her last 2 books.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an easy quick read with characters a little over the top. The story was a little predictable but if you want some enjoyable escapism from today’s reality this is for you. There are some subtle messages throughout the story which elevate it a little from a traditional love story. I have to say that I enjoyed some of her previous novels more but this was a nice diversion from my normal.#WhatYouWishFor #KatherineCenter #NetGalley

What You Wish For by author Katherine Center was a fun, enjoyable read. It was a story that really got me thinking and I felt like I learned something from reading it. This was not my first time reading this author, and even though I didn’t like this book as much as the other, it was still very good! She’s definitely an author that I will always choose to read. In this story the author wrote about 2 topics that you don’t read about often in books and I thought it made the story very interesting. The first was that the main character, Samantha Casey, school librarian, had epilepsy. The second topic was about school shootings. She didn’t go into a lot of detail on either so it wouldn’t be upsetting for people to read. That I appreciated. It helped to build the story and bring awareness to the readers. There’s also a romance involved for people who enjoy that. This is a book I will be recommending to my reader friends because I know they will enjoy it as much as I did. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read and review. All opinions are my own. I’ve rated this at 4 stars.

Ever since I read Katherine Center's How To Walk Away, I look forward to her books, though this is not my usual genre. What You Wish For features Sam Casey, a school librarian who lives in Galveston, Texas. She rents a beautiful carriage house from Max, her principal, and Babette, who are more than just landlords, they feel like family. Her life is pretty perfect until Max unexpectedly dies.
Duncan Carpenter is a man well known to Sam. She left her former job to escape her unrequited feelings for him. Though she isn't sure if she should stay, she does know what kind of man Duncan is and that he will be a fine replacement for Max. But the Duncan who arrives is not the same man Sam knew and she is determined to figure out what changed him.
There were some things about Sam that had me rolling my eyes. Leaving a job and a life behind because of a crush seemed unbelievable to me. I chalked it up to her being young and naive, but the fact that she considered leaving again to avoid Duncan screamed that her decision-making process couldn't be explained by her age. The story though was another slow burn and focused on living your life and choosing to be happy. I overlooked my doubts about Sam mostly because while I have been self-isolating for what feels like forever, the overall story ultimately made me smile. Not my favorite book by this author, but I will read her again.

This was a quick, enjoyable feel-good love story., as Sam, the school librarian, is reconnected with Duncan, the new school principal and a crush from Sam’s past. I liked it and am happy enough to have read it but wasn’t completely bowled over by the experience.

For me, there were a couple distinct strengths in this book. I loved the school setting. For a teacher, the school sounds like a dream-come-true and is described in colorful, sumptuous detail. The characters were relatable, for the most part, and the struggles between Sam and Duncan were both entertaining and believable. The book was quick-paced and enjoyable with an overall feel-good quality.

I did feel that while there was an attempt to reveal the complexities of the main characters, they fell flat. Sam, as a first person narrator, can be annoyingly immature at times and I didn’t think there was enough context to really identify with some of her struggles. Duncan obviously has some demons in his past but they aren’t revealed with sufficient depth so it was hard to really relate to his demeanor and his progress during the course of the book.

I also found the storyline too predictable. There were several times when I knew what was about to happen, detracting from my overall reading experience.

All is all, if you are looking for a mostly feel-good love story with a fabulous school setting and likable characters, this is an entertaining, enjoyable book..

What You Wish For is a sweet, somewhat simplistic tale of a young woman who almost - but not quite - outruns her fears & the guy she fell for once upon a time long ago. I loved the way the author makes the setting of Galveston TX feel so real, and the characters relax you instantly -this is a place you want to settle into and see what happens next. I wish the main character had been a bit more nuanced - her reactions and responses to the things that happened felt extreme and a little over the top. There were times I thought, "Really? None of these nice people had you reconsider that?" But that's just a small quibble. And...I won't give any spoilers...but there's a scene toward the end of the book, featuring a boy name Clay, that is one of the favorite moments I've read all year. It's just magical, and this novel is worth the read for that alone. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is exactly what I needed to read during the pandemic. Katherine’s writing style is upbeat and easy to read. It was just a pleasure reading about Sam the librarian, and the school where she works in Galveston. Along comes a new principal, who she had known in another school previously (AND had a major crush on), but his personality has drastically changed, and not for the better. Reading about Sam’s love/hate relationship with him and her quest to save her unique school is fun. I couldn’t wait to find out how it ends.
Not telling!

When I am trying out a new book I look for a few things. Normally, the first requirement is YA because I work with teens and I want to know what they are reading and well- my reading taste has always been YA. I believe it is probably because I didn't really find good YA until I was in college. Another thing I look for is either romance, mystery, or a fundamental truth that we can all learn.

Katherine Center's What You Wish For didn't meet my first criteria, which almost made me abandon it/read it last. But I am so glad I didn't. This story is filled with love, hope, and joy that we all need during this time in our lives. The main character Sam is a librarian at an elite elementary school in Texas. I, as a new librarian and fellow romantic, really connected with Sam. She has the grit and personality that I have come to associate with being a new age librarian. She also has a romantic and idealistic notion towards her life and her job that I love and aspire to.

This is a wonderful feel good novel- that could easily be loved my teens as well. It was a pretty quick read and made me feel great while reading it. It may not have been my normal go to pick, but it might just push me to read more adult fiction.
http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/librarians-love-story-what-you-wish-for-by-katherine-center

This book is not from a genre I usually gravitate to immediately, but I could not put this book down and quickly finished it in an afternoon. Katerine Center created characters that draw the reader in, uses descriptions that perfectly paint the area in Galveston being described, and the plot isn't wholly predictable. The story is fast-paced, the characters are relatable, and the events tug at your heart--Exactly what one would want from this type of novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

A more in-depth review to come on the blog closer to the publication date.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of What You Wish For ever since I finished savoring the last few pages of Things You Save in a Fire, but this book was such a disappointment for me.

Samantha Casey loves everything her life has become in Galveston, Texas. She’s a cherished elementary school librarian. Sam rents the carriage house that is on the property of Max, the principal of her school, and Babette who also works at the school. Sam’s world crumbles beneath her when Max suddenly dies.

Duncan Carpenter is the man that Sam had a huge crush on at her previous school but never made him aware. When word gets out that Duncan is the new principal, Sam is giddy with excitement especially since he will be the perfect man for their esteemed elementary school since he is essentially a ball of laughs.

When Duncan arrives at the school, it is clear that something has changed. Duncan takes a militaristic approach to running the school with safety as his number one priority. Sam is determined to keep the things she loves at the school in tact while also trying to understand what happened to Duncan.

So my first gripe with this book is the immaturity of Sam’s character. Sam is a woman in her late twenties, but in all honesty, does not act like it. She literally packed up and left a school district because of an unrequited crush that Duncan was completely unaware of. I understand teenagers making those sorts of rash decisions due to hormones, but why would a person in their twenties up and leave a situation because of a crush?! That makes absolutely no sense.

I will commend the author for trying to tackle a controversial topic, but I found the execution poor. Duncan survived a school shooting, which is why he is hellbent on security taking priority over other activities at the school. However, Sam makes it her personal crusade to find a way to get Duncan to be the person that he used to be: fun-loving, humorous, easy-going. My issue with this is that when someone is suffering from PTSD, constantly reminding them that their personality was different before said event is honestly just tasteless and naive. As someone who was raised by a person who suffers from PTSD, people don’t just snap back to their previous personality because it’s affecting other people, so I found the entire basis for their relationship unrealistic.

Overall, I had high hopes for this book but it definitely missed the mark with the over the top characters and unrealistic scenarios.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
Katherine Center is such an amazing writer who has given us another fantastic five star story. She somehow manages to make the characters believable and lovable at the same time.
Sam and Duncan are delightful souls who have had to deal with life-changing events. They find themselves reunited after a tragedy and what follows; is a journey of self-discovery and courage, with a bit of joy thrown in.
Favourite quote: 'Joy is an antidote to fear. To anger. To boredom. To sorrow.'

This review is going live on 05/22 on the below mentioned blog and social medias.


Book Title: What You Wish For

Author: Katherine Center

Genre: Fiction


Line Summary:


A school Librarian who loves her school and island and was hopelessly in love with her former colleague found out the same ex-colleague became a principal of her school and tried to destroy it. She stands up and tried to change the pricipal to his former shelf while fighting with her own darkness.


My Review:


The usual Katherine Center Magic. I am a big fan of Katherine Center and was desperate to get this book as soon as possible. All those efforts are worth indulging in this wonderful story! Lovely story with a lineant plot. As usual, her characters are adorable, natural, and life-changing. The narration is neither fact-paced nor slow-paced but enjoyable on every page. Celebrate life whenever you could is the baseline and it’s really awesome to find a reason for that. I love to read KC's books more and more. They are subtle but surely has an impact on our thinking, on our life. This is not the best book from KC but it’s my favorite too. Check this out, you will be happy about it!



Thoughts while reading :


This section has subtle spoilers,


The “Sam” character is lovely. The way she came out of her cocoon and try to live her life by desperately looking for happiness is a deep lesson for everyone. Her impact made me looking for colorful clothes!


But it’s not believable or not so natural she just ran away from her previous destination just because of her unexpressed one side love!!!


I would love if the characters Alice, Helen, and the podcast celebrity were elaborated or included more in the story! Those characters were interesting and the one or two pages are not enough!


The reason behind Duncan’s change is easily guessable from the beginning ( his continuous obsession over security made us think about the shooting at schools ) and so it’s not shocked to know it.


After 80% of the book, it seems so many emotional outbursts! Emotions overloaded on every page!


Like in "The lost husband" book by the same author the wise old character Babette is adorable. I love to read about her and Max's life.


The drama of "Clay" got lost and the subsequent events made me roll my eyes out. It seems those were just pushed into the story!


As usual, this story would make you think about your life, possible ways to looking for happiness! If you are stressed, sad, or depressed read this! It will make you look at life from a different perspective! make you realize the value of what you have and will make you cherish it! celebrate it!

 


Favorite Quotes From the Book:
"
Be careful , What you wish for"

“You will never get anything that matters without earning it"
 


Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this ARC. This review is straight from my heart not biased in any way!

This is a very popular author, I know her titles are well-loved, so I wanted to get it on the buzz.

I have to say, this one just wasn't for me. I think there are several reasons. I don't usually read much in the 'romance' genre, and I'm not sure if this is where this book falls. I often find the conflicts to be manufactured and the resolutions or reunion of characters to be over the top. Again, I fully understand that's why many readers are drawn to this genre.

I also believe this book suffered because I read it on the heels of several excellent reads. It suffered by comparison.

I found the main character, Samantha "Sam", to be annoying and immature. I don't want to divulge too much and spoil the read for others, but her reaction to someone (remotely) from her past showing up at the school she teaches seemed extreme to the point of ridiculousness. I thought the 'issue' the book attempted to address was done heavy handed and yet very superficially.

I thoroughly understand my opinion will be in the minority on this one. That's ok by me as I understand not every book is for every reader. I am confident this one will find a dedicated enthusiastic response from others.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Title: What You Wish For ⠀⠀
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Author: Katherine Center ⠀⠀
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Rate: ⭐️⭐️ .25

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

I can not even explain how excited I was when I got a copy of this book.
The cover is gorgeous and the plot seems really interesting. I really struggled with the main character Sam. I don't mind reading from the POV of an unlikable character but there have to be substance. I think I would have accepted her erratic behaviors if she was diagnosed with something besides seizures. She wanted to fix Duncan by “forcing” him into therapy but maybe therapy would have helped her too.
There were times I felt like this book was repetitive. One conversation or situation would go on for 3-5 pages but it would get nowhere (which felt like thousands of pages).
I know this was supposed to be a romance story but it was more Sam complaining about how hard life is and the need to maintain everything the same.
Okay I'm done with my rant.
Would I read books by Center? Yes

What a wonderful, heartwarming book! I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Unfortunately this was my least favorite of Katherine Center’s books so far.

I thought it was pretty obvious where the story was going, what the author was holding back from us, and I didn’t like the way the main character responded to the situation. The story COULD potentially touch the right reader, and I’d recommend it to avid fans of the author, but I didn’t enjoy the characters or the plot enough to fully recommend it to everyone.

Also... what is with characters “not even realize they were crying” until they feel the water on their hands or someone reassured them, etc. Is that the adult version of “she let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding?”

I read very few romance or chick lit books, although I have read a couple of Katherine Center’s previous works and enjoyed them. Her latest, What You Wish For, is definitely the best that I have read. And, what a wonderful read in the midst of stay-at-home orders and a pandemic! It is truly a story full of heart, a genuine feel-good book that focuses on trying to leave pain behind to concentrate on true happiness and joy.

This novel is told entirely from the perspective of Samantha, a school librarian in Galveston, Texas, who is quirky and flawed, but lovable. The plot centers on her dealing with Duncan Carpenter, a former colleague — and major crush — of hers who becomes the new principal at her school. But, present day Duncan is a far cry from the Duncan that Sam had known and loved. As the story progresses, the reader sees that both Sam and Duncan have major obstacles from their pasts that they are trying to overcome, and it is these struggles that help them face their fears and find friendship and love. I really enjoyed the characters of Sam and Duncan, as well as some of the secondary figures, especially Babette and Clay.

Yes, What You Wish For is a basic story of girl meets boy. Yes, it is fairly fluffy. And, yes, it is pretty predictable. Nonetheless, it really hits the mark, making it a delightful and enjoyable read. It reminds me of I Hope You Dance, a song by Lee Ann Womack, which inspires the listener to live his/her life with joy.

What You Wish For was exactly what I needed during this time when happiness and laughter is necessary. Katherine Center knows how to write a story that takes her readers through every emotion— I’d often find myself smiling while reading, or laughing out loud, and sometimes even (happy) crying. Her characters are adorably quirky and perfectly flawed, they usually suffer from some sort of trauma and demonstrate the true meaning of resiliency as they learn to cope, and all of this just helps to make them more relatable. Center’s books always have a message— this one was about CHOOSING joy and happiness for yourself, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Katherine Center’s novels are simply good for the soul. Her writing is beautiful, colorful, and delightful. I ALWAYS suggest her books to anybody who asks me for a book recommendation, and What You Wish For will be tops on that list!