First I’ve read by this author. It was solid, enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the eARC.

I have several conflicting thoughts on What You Wish For. I flew through the book in just a couple of days and I did enjoy reading it. The book's "search for joy" tone is a welcome one during uncertain times, and it was a nice break from the heavier mysteries I have been reading. However, the light tone and light plot lines conflicted somewhat with the heavier themes the book covered-mass shooting, safety concerns, and personal trauma. It was an odd blend.

On the whole, I enjoy this author's writing and will certainly look for more from her in the future.

“We made a choice to do joy on purpose. Not in spite of life’s sorrows. But because of them.”

Samantha Casey is a quirky, colorful school librarian in Galveston, Texas (what more could I ask for??). She loves her island, her job, and her friends. But when their beloved principal dies, everything changes. The new principal is a tyrant and plans to rid the school of all colors. The worst part is, he’s Samantha’s old crush. What changed to turn him into this prison ward?

Ugh, this book. Katherine Center has a way of making me laugh and cry in every book she writes. This one was no different. No matter what tough situations occur, I’m guaranteed to turn the last page with a huge smile on my face. I wanted to give this book a hug when I finished and I’m still sitting here with a smile on my face as I think about it.

I almost feel like this book was written for me. A quirky school librarian working at the most awesome school and helping young kids fall in love with reading. A curmudgeonly (but young) attractive principal with a past to share. The wise, yet heartbroken, widow of the beloved principal. It’s all so good! You will absolutely fall in love with Duncan (the same Duncan for Happiness for Beginners!) and feel devastated for him as you begin to understand what changed him.

This book is all about joy. Living your life joyfully, looking for joy everywhere you go, and finding the joy again when you think you’ve lost it. And did I feel the joy radiating off of it? Clearly I did.

Okay, I’ve written another rambly Katherine Center review. What else is new. Just read this book!

I have a love for all Katherine Center’s books and this was no exception. Samantha and Duncan both have quirks about them that appeal to the reader and has me rooting for them both! As an educator, I loved the school setting!

In the end, this is a book about hope and love as well as about gun violence and PTSD. The author shows how incidents and decisions can change a person's outlook on life and how they react.The characters are well defined and the plot moves right along, but in many ways it did not ring true to me.

2.75 STARS ★★✬✩✩
This book is for you if… the sugary sweet stereotype of a perfect small town enhances rather than exaggerates the narrative in your eyes.

⤐ Overall.
Initially, I was very uncertain whether or not I should request this book. Somehow the synopsis didn't strike a chord with me. The praise from previous reviewers made me change my mind and so I clicked the button anyway.

By the end of the book, I faced a weird dilemma. Have you ever been in a situation where even the quotes you marked because you like them are not that epic now that you're looking over them again? It's not a pretty feeling, folks.

⤐ What I wished for.
- a sweet romance that manages to keep the balance between drama, suspense and cuteness.
- a nice but steady arch of suspense
- funny dialogues
- a likeable heroine.


⤐ What I got
- the perfect small town trope where everything revolves around and is driven by the absolutely unrealistic and extremely annoying harmony.
- a lack of suspense
- the few funny things I fought seemed bland in hindsight
- unremarkable characters in general
- a super cute primary school kid with a passion for marine biology

⤐ What’s happening.
‘I couldn’t think of a polite way to tell her that her brother was a mural murderer – and that I had just decided he was my mortal enemy forever.’

Overpainting a beautiful mural in the school cantine is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the improvements Duncan wants to make to the school whose principal he just became. Nobody is happy with that, least of all Sam, who has remembered Duncan as a goofy, colourful ray of sunshine that brighten's everybody's day that she once had a massive crush on. It is her mission to get behind the mystery of the man, not knowing how he might get under her skin (again) in return.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 4*

pace = 2*

plot/story in general = 4*

plot development = 2*

characters = 3*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 2*

🌷.”What you Wish For ” by Katherine Center was about two people who have by chance crossed paths again. Now they have additional baggage and are both handle things differently. Together they help each other and ask the needed questions. Do you choose happy or not ? Do you face your fears or not? Great questions we all need to answer and much needed. A colorful and beautiful story during a dark moment in life that given you make the right choices you can come out into a bright and sunny future. 💐 Who can’t relate? Book out 7/14 pick it up! 🌸🌺


#julesbookshelf 📚 #whatyouwishfor #katherinecenter #7/14 #arc #netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is a feel good drama about overcoming challenges. Sam is a librarian at an exceptional elementary school on the island of Galveston, TX. She lives in a carriage house at the residence of the founder/principal of the school. Unfortunately, the beloved principal suddenly dies and the school must find a new one. Sam is excited to find out Duncan Carpenter has been named for the job, a fun, creative educator she crushed on at her previous job in a different school and state. When Duncan arrives, he has changed significantly and has plans to ruin the atmosphere of the school for reasons unbeknownst to Sam. As Sam and Duncan reconnect, their pasts begin to be understood by the other. There was lots of loss and grieving in this story followed by hope and happiness.

Look for this book on 7.14.2020.

It absolutely breaks my heart that my first two star read of the year is going to a Katherine Center book!

Alas here we are. Unfortunately, this story just did not do it for me. I found the MC Sam annoying for the majority of the story. The pace of the story was just all over the place. And the romance between Sam and Duncan gave me slight creepy vibes in the beginning and just didn't live up to its potential in the end.

I appreciate that Katherine Center addresses important topics like gun violence, school shootings, and living with PTSD and chronic disease. In fact, it was the very reason I actively chose not to DNF this book. And is part of the reason I'm giving it two stars.

The other reason is that although this book wasn't for me, I still enjoyed Center's writing style. But overall it just wasn't the experience I was hoping to have.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-arc of What You Wish For. Receiving this e-ARC did not affect my review or rating.

Thank you #Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. This was a love story of 2 people who try to hide their feelings. Sam leaves her job because she is in love with a coworker who she doesn’t believe loves her back. Did she ask him? No. She just assumed and uprooted her entire life for “the guy”. Fast forward a few years and who is the new principal at her current job but “the guy!” Otherwise known as Duncan. But he’s not the Duncan she fell in love with. This is a strict disciplinarian, more concerned with security than education. Sam wants to figure out what changed him so drastically. I enjoyed this story! Especially because I also work in a school library and related to Sam’s love of organization, fostering a love of reading and a safe place for the students. This was a story of transformation, learning to love life again, and taking a risk when your heart is on the line. I look forward to reading other books by Katherine Center.

I am officially a HUGE fan of Katherine Center!

"What You Wish For" is about a elementary school librarian Samantha, who loves her job and loves the people she works with. When she suddenly loses her friend and beloved school principle, his replacement turns out to be an old crush that seems determined to destroy everything she loves about her school.

This was the perfect book for me during this crazy season. It was fun and full of quirkiness. While it wasn't as fast paced as Things You Save in a Fire, it was kept me picking it up to see what was happening with the characters. So many of the characters were unique and kept reminding me of people in my own life.

I loved that the small town/small school was a character in the book and I felt invested in what would happen to it.

This is a fun, easy, quick read and would be perfect for the summer.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this free ARC for my honest and unbiased review.

I will share a review on my blog/social media site closer to day of publication

Katherine Center's books are always like curling up with a good friend, even if that good friend is someone I've never met. Loved spending time with these characters and would happily apply as a librarian at this sweet, quirky school.

Center does it again! Aside from the sleepy start after the initial momentum (basically chapter 2-5), this book is well paced, exciting and adorable. As an educator, there are so many gems in the internal dialog that I have thought and felt about my profession in these modern times. Center creates realistic characters and challengers they must overcome. What I love best is that while overcoming, conclusion come about in a realistic way, leaving the reader satisfied without cynicism.

I actually laughed, cried, smiled, frowned, and talked to various passages in this book. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is because I rated Center’s Things You Save In A Fire 5 stars and I cried the last 100 pages and I didn’t have that deep emotional response with this one. Still an excellent book and can’t wait to read the next one!



Posted this review in my Goodreads account

Katherine Center is wise, and so her characters are wise too. At least they become wise by the end of the story. For me, that’s one of the hallmarks of her novels - the protagonists change and learn and grow in wisdom. The throughline of this novel’s wisdom is “be careful what you wish for” and know your own heart.

The first instance of “what you wish for” - the title - shows up about a sixth of the way through the book and is directed at our main character, Sam, as part of the full sentence: “Be careful what you wish for.” It’s instantly clear that Sam needs a shift in perspective to end up with Katherine’s signature wisdom.

It’s also clear that Sam is really torn about the arrival of her old colleague, Duncan. She wishes he was near, but also dreads his arrival. Franky, she’s not sure what to wish for. “I couldn’t wait to see Duncan Carpenter again exactly as much as I hoped he would never show up. I longed for the moment to arrive as plainly as I dreaded it.”

Throughout the story, what Sam really wishes for comes into clearer focus. With the help of her friends-who-turn-into-family, she finds and chooses joy, she refuses to let fear make her small, and she lets in the beauty of life, even if it’s scary. See? She gains wisdom.

Of course, the book is funny too. There’s a scene on the beach where Sam meets Duncan and his family that had me literally laughing out loud. This novel is really the whole package, and fans of Katherine’s prior works are sure to enjoy this one as well.

Thanks so much to the author, Katherine Center, the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another cute Katherine Center book. A little meandering in the storyline at times, but I overall enjoyed it as a fun read. (While also addressing deeper issues without getting too heavy in the discussion)

Let me preface this review with the fact that I love Katherine Center. I adored her previous two novels - How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire.

Upon hearing that I gave this book three stars my book bestie was like oh my God. I’m so sorry. I know you were really looking forward to this book.

Y’all - 3 stars is not a bad rating and this will not be a bad review. I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it like the others.

I read this book with an amazing group of ladies and they were all absolutely head over heels for this book. I’d poke my head into the chat and they’re quoting it left and right. Things really spoke to them on a deeper level and I totally respect that.

This book just didn’t do that for me.

The one thing that I will say is- I loved the community represented in this book. It reminded me of my own.

I also really enjoy Katherine Center’s writing. It’s so easy to pick up one of her books and binge it in one sitting if you have the time.

This book is a quieter read.
In Things You Save in a Fire you read about firefighters and that’s exciting to me. Exciting and different. In How to Walk away you follow the main character after a huge life altering event. This book is about teachers. Not a lot happened for me to be invested like I was in the previous books. This book wasn’t boring but there were times that I felt bored and kind of reading on autopilot.

I also found parts to be a bit predictable which is fine. Its not great but I didn’t go into this book expecting great twists. It’s not a mystery thriller lol

I was also hoping for a bit more character development from the side characters. When characters in books act like horrible humans I always ask myself why and anticipate an explanation. I didn’t get that in this book.

I will continue to pick up Katherine Centers books and I still look forward to reading whatever she decides to write. I am so thankful to her and the fabulous people at St Martins Press for my advanced copy.

Overall- I liked it. I didn’t love it. I still recommend this book to Katherine Center fans. The opinions in this review are my honest opinions and are unique to my reading experience. If you are excited for this book please stay excited. If this is your first Katherine Center maybe don’t start with this one.

If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and applaud in triumph, this book by Katherine Center is exactly what you're looking for. I felt transported back to school, remembering the teachers that created that joy of learning and new experiences. The author wove in details that defined each character so well that I felt like they were old friends. Friends with scars they thought they kept hidden, but that shaped their personalities. Having been a little bit of a Brainerd myself in school, I found 9 year old Clay Buckley a refreshing surprise in this story that captured my heart. I love how the author tackled some tough modern day issues, yet kept the story uplifting and realistic. A refreshing read we all need.

This is my second time reading a book by this author. The previous book (Things you save in a fire) was a very enjoyable read. I saw similarities in the themes, which disappointed me a bit. Perhaps this is just reflective of the author's style and content preferences. But this book did not engage me like the previous one. More importantly, I did not care for the protagonist in the first couple chapters of the book. She was not likeable at all, naive, even childish in an unbecoming way. But soon she was reduced to simply being a character I did not care about in any way, without the negative feeling - more of an indifference. Still, I gave this book 3 of 5 stars simply because the last chapters of the book were able to make a connection with my emotions by stirring memories I personally have, and by the happy ending of the book I admired the protagonist's realization that she could have a joyful life with all the imperfections and hard parts of it too. I would consider reading another book by this author when I want something light on a very leisurely day.

As a teacher, this book really resonated with me. At a time like this it was nice to read a book set in school! I love all of Katherine Center’s work and this book was no different. So grateful for the advanced copy and excited to spread the word to friends!

I tired to read this book, but it wasn't what I thought it was. I don't think it will appeal to my high school sophomores.