I really enjoyed this latest book by Katherine Center! She hasn’t disappointed me yet, though my favorite book by her is still How to Walk away. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins press and the Author, Katherine Center for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Yet another fabulous book by Katherine, who has become one of my favorite authors.
I loved the settings and characters who were very charming, quirky and loveable especially the main protagonist "Sam".
This was a very enjoyable and heartwarming story.

4,5 it won’t be my last by this author’s stars!
“You’ll never fix all your problems.” “Well, that’s encouraging.” “The point is to be happy anyway. As often as you can.”



This was my first book by Katherine Center and I really want to thank St Martin’s Press for gifting me this copy. It had no influence on me reviewing that book but played a major role on me having one of the most wonderful times reading a book!

I wanted to try one of Katherine Center’s books since I read raving reviews months ago for Things You’d Save in a Fire.

Every reader was so enthusiastic that I was intrigued. The moment I read the blurb for What You Wish For, I knew that I wanted to try it.



First thing: Katherine’s penmanship is flawless. She made me fall into her story from the first sentences, walking in Sam’s shoes with ease and falling for that school filled with amazing and dedicated teachers. I really relished in witnessing this story unfold, also outraged at what Duncan’s did but later, going all emotional when some veil on his and Sam’s past trauma were lifted.

I am a character driven kind of reader and the author built amazing characters I would have loved to befriend.

You will have the characters you’ll despise like Kent Bukley.

He was the chairman of the school’s board and once the school’s founder and director, Max, died het jumped on the occasion to put his man at the head of the school. The one that would “set things right” as in: more discipline, more security, less poetry and much less freedom and joy!
“So while Max dying was a crushing loss for everybody else, for Kent Buckley it was—as he’d kind of confessed in the meeting today . . . an opportunity."

Of course, opposed to Kent Bukley, you have all the teachers and our heroine: Samantha.



Samantha was a breeze of fresh air. She had my dream work: she was a librarian! I loved how Katherine Center made her library a dream for kids and readers. With staircase painted like books, with nests to read, filled with joy!

Samantha had a “condition” that I won’t speak about here as I don’t wat to spoil your fun. But what I loved about her is that she chose to overcome her fear. She chose to be happy, joyful.

And she made a 180° transformation going for a pink bang, polka dots skirts, plateau shoes and bright colors! She is a truly courageous and warm person.

And when Duncan will arrive in her school, dead set on making it a high security school, choosing grey for the walls and covering gorgeous butterfly murals, Samantha will lead the teachers and go to war with Duncan!



That story was filled with humor and comic scenes. I laughed when Sam hid in the grocery store, crouching low behind her cart as she was so not prepared to meet Duncan!

I smiled at all of Alice’s T shirts. She is the math teacher and Samantha’s best friend, always having math quotes and jokes on her T shirts!

But the humor was used to alleviate some very moving scenes, some topics like PTSD and illness that can really poison your life and engulf you in dark clouds if you don’t react.

There is lots of wisdom here. Thoughts about how you don’t choose some things in your life but that you choose how you react to these.
“Faced with darkness, I had chosen flowers. And polka dots. And light.”



Duncan was the character that you’ll love at first when Samantha will talk about how he was in her old school then you’ll be horrified by what he’ll do. I too wanted to grab a pitch fork and join the teacher’s mob! But then, he’ll change and you’ll also learn what happened to change him so deeply. That’s when you’ll understand. That’s when you’ll want to help him.



Going from laughter to outrage all while breezing through angst and sadness, this book was a roller coaster of emotion. I am amazed at how Katherine Center transitioned my mood from one extreme to the other without overdoing anything! Granted, the one thing that prevented me from giving five stars was the ending a little bit too “overplayed” if I may say so. But that read remains one of the best woman fiction that I have read in recent years.

One final favorite quote here before I let you go:


“Dude—I’m not happy because it comes easily to me. I bite and scratch and claw my way toward happiness every day.”

I recently discovered and have fallen in love with her books. I was lucky enough to receive ARC. I couldn't put it down. I loved the story, the characters, everything about it!

Enjoyed this book. Cute, quick read. Felt slightly cheesy at times and not my favorite of Katherine Center’s for that reason, but still liked it and would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I've really enjoyed the last two books from Katherine Center so I was really excited to read this one. The story was okay, I liked the theme of finding joy, but I had a really hard time reading Sam's voice. It felt very choppy and unpolished which I found didn't for with my image of her as a young passionate children's librarian. There were also many repetitive filler words such as "just" that distracted me. None of the characters felt very real to me and the whole thing fell kind of flat and I found myself not really caring very much what happened.

I hope this was just a blip for Center because I really like her other recent work.
*I received a free digital copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center takes place in Galveston Texas. Main character Samantha Casey is an elementary school librarian, who absolutely loves her job, her students and her friends. When the school suddenly loses it’s beloved principal, a replacement is quickly chosen by the school board...Duncan Carpenter...aka, Sam’s former crush from her former school and reason for leaving that school. Sam is torn when the announcement is made. Duncan was a fun loving, goofy, man child teacher that everyone loved. When Duncan shows up on his first day, everyone is shocked by the bland, stoic, ‘gray’ version of the person before them. Duncan is no longer wearing his bright clothes, he’s no longer juggling, and fun...he’s a ‘Mission Impossible’ style person with only one thing on his mind, school security. The school Sam once loved with it’s butterfly mural, butterfly garden, hideaway library cubbies is going to be turned into a lack of color prison. As Sam and her co-workers try to bring out the old Duncan, the secrets of their past comes to the surface and their hope to make Duncan fun again may be more difficult than they thought.

This was the first book I’ve read by Katherine Center. I need to start with the characters, they are so much more than just like-able. Sam’s relationship with friends Alice and Babette are truly jealous worthy. Every girl should have friends like them. I love Alice, math-nerd, level headed, fun, honest, always there. She really needs her own book! When they are trying to help Duncan deal with his painful past, it brings him and Sam closer than just friends...and you understand the depth of their relationship. So many emotions are felt while reading, I was cheering for Sam and Duncan, sad for Babette at losing the love of her life, angry at Sam for not trusting someone to love her even with her medical condition she tries to hide. I felt every word as I read it. One word to describe this book, JOY...it’s what Sam is determined to feel and make sure others do to. This was really a feel good book. It may take a little while to work through all the different emotions, but you will feel JOY when you are finished.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As we are currently dealing with this pandemic, this is the perfect book for anyone to lose yourself a little and come out with a better feeling of every day life.

𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝗪𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 thanks to netgalley and st martins press for the e-arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Every time I read a Katherine Center book I think, “this was the best one yet”, and this was no exception. This is not my typical genre, so that means even more. This was such a great read. I was doing a buddy read for it where we read three chapters a day and discussed daily. This is a very slow pace for me, but it was well worth it. I really absorbed each chapter and got to discuss small parts of the book and our favorite parts. The characters were so real and so so likeable. I want them all to be my best friends. And Duncan? Let’s just not even start talking about Duncan. This book was about finding joy and fighting for it when it’s not easily found. Reading it will help put a little joy in your life!⁣
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What you Wish For comes out 7/14. ⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦.” ⁣
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Katherine Center is my “find” for authors this year. I’ve read and enjoyed several of her books and can add this one to the list. Ms. Center has written another story full of heart, witty dialogue, and complex characters. Samantha Casey, Children’s school librarian, has transformed herself, finding pockets of joy and color in her work and life. Duncan Carpenter used to have an uncanny ability to make and find fun and take others along for the ride. His reappearance in Sam’s world is unexpected but not unwelcome, but this is not the same man whom she admired and had a crush on years ago. What to Wish For reminds us that living, even in uncertain and sometimes scary times, requires us to find happiness, grab on, and bring others along for the ride.

When I saw this was available on NetGalley, I had to request it. I like Katherine Center's books and this one met my expectations. There were multiple layers in this book but the main character,Sam, is an elementary school librarian with epilepsy. She worked hard to find a place for herself at Kempner Academy. But when someone from Sam’s past arrives at Kempner, she feels she must move. However loyalty to her friends keeps her there. It's a feel good story but also has a message about not being afraid to be yourself.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of What You Wish For.

5/5 Katherine Center has done it again. At first you think it’s going to be a quick, quirky read about dealing with an unrequited crush, then she throws another dynamic into the mix. Then another. And another. Her books always have interesting layers, creating a depth that a lot of books lack in this genre.

Resiliency is a topic that always draws me in and you see it in What You Wish For over and over again. Center is not afraid to bring in heavy subjects and interweave them into her story. These subjects need to be portrayed in literature as we encounter them in everyday life. This has been by far my favorite read so far in 2020. I don't want to give any of the plot away so the following is the summary from Goodreads.

“Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before. When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good."

I fell in love with this book and its characters and I hope you do too. I laughed and cried and loved the journey this book took me on. Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center was a new-to-me author last year when I discovered How to Walk Away. I will now read anything she writes! I loved What You Wish For.

Sam is an elementary school librarian, who has worked hard to find a place for herself at Kempner Academy. She has found the family she has been longing for. But then, when someone from Sam’s past arrives at Kempner, she finds she could easily lose it all.

As a former elementary school teacher, I loved reading a book that takes place in the school setting. I loved the relationships Sam formed within her community. I could not put this book down!!!

Everyone has told be to read Katherine Center. “Things You Save In The Fire was amazing you must read it ASAP!” my friend said. “Pick up How To Walk Away, I promise you’ll love it.” Another friend said. I didn’t listen. I kept meaning to, but other newer shinier books kept getting in the way. Until Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press sent me an ARC of What You Wish For, there’s nothing newer and shinier than a book that hasn’t been released yet, amirite? So obviously I hopped right on it and now I understand what all the fuss was about.

First let’s talk about how easy this book was to read. As soon as I opened my kindle I felt like it wrapped me up in a warm blanket with a cup of Earl Grey and whispered “read me Devon”. It was like every Hallmark Channel movie I have ever loved rolled into one (and I mean that as the highest compliment) all I wanted to do was read this book.

Second let’s talk about the theme of finding joy. It may seem like cheesy self-help nonsense (I love cheesy self-help nonsense by the way, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!) but at this particular moment in time, this book reminded me to try to find as much joy in my day as possible. That I might have to fight and claw my way to that joy, but do it anyway. That was the exact message that I needed at the exact time that I needed it. And really isn’t that what the best books do, help you find a tiny piece of yourself that you may have neglected?

So at this point in the review you may be wondering, then why 4 stars instead of five? Well, I think that’s more on me than the book. By then end I wanted all Sam and Duncan all the time but there were a few other storylines that got in the way of my Sam and Duncan love fest that I personally just didn’t need.

Now that I’ve read Katherine Center, I need to read more Katherine Center. Her books are comfort reads and there aren’t a lot of authors that are guaranteed to satisfy that hole in your life after reading too many heavy books. Susan Elizabeth Philips is one and now I feel that Katherine Center may be another. I look forward to finding out.

5 ⭐️ This book was such a joy to read. And that is what’s about, JOY. Finding joy even when life isn’t perfect. Joy is a choice and is cumulative. A choice we make every time we decide to do things that bring us joy. ❤️ Sam and Duncan’s relationship, you can tell it was special from the Beginning, even though they didn’t know it yet. There was No dragged out drama or miscommunication. That’s always a plus for me, The side characters, Babette, Max and Alice (and her funny shirts) were great! Also catching up with Helen and Jake (from Happiness for beginners) was wonderful! 🤓 I personally enjoy more books written in present tense instead of past tense, but I get why this was written in past tense. And it is a very minor detail. There wasn’t much I didn’t like, really this book is a gem! 👍🏼The scene after the surgery and the scene when Duncan starts going around finding things to juggle were some of my favorite ones. My favorite Alice shirt was: “TAUTOLOGY: it is what it is” 😂

Thank goodness for a new book from Katharine Center, who has become one of my favorite authors. It was just what I needed during this crazy period of life. Great characters, a scenic setting, an interesting story with a couple of fun twists, and a great vibe of happiness. As a retired teacher, I especially liked the school setting and teacher characters, but the fun setting of Galveston Beach would appeal to anyone. Samantha was a great center for the story, full of life and fun, a librarian who spread the joy with her clothes, her love for the children, and by making the school library a sanctuary for the kids. I liked her friends, and the school itself was really a character in the story as well. So, a few conflicts, a major plot twist, a sweet love story, a villain you love to hate, and a focus on facing your challenges head on. I picked this up after dinner and couldn’t put it down so read straight through until i finished it! Now that is the mark of a good book!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Another sweet and heartfelt story from Katherine Center! Her books have quickly become my favorite because of their quick wit and engaging characters.

So, here's the thing: I wanted to DNF this book at around 30%. It just wasn't connecting for me, and in these pandemic times, I feel even more than usual that if a book isn't grabbing you, it's okay to put it down and move on. That said, I've enjoyed Katherine's other books, so I kept on keepin' on and overall, it's fine! It's a cute story, with a lot of heart, and also hits on some pretty serious issues (trigger warning here for references to gun violence and school shootings). I'm a St. Martin's Press stan, and this is well written, but didn't make me want to sit down and read it in one go.

Such a lovely book. Katherine's characters are very relatable and I am able to connect with them so easily. She makes me really care about them from the beginning! I highly recommend her books to anyone who asks for book recommendations, and even those who do not! I do adore Katherine Center's writing and storylines. I appreciate the chance to read and review.

MC Samantha loves her job as a teacher until it’s beloved principal is replaced by an old crush, Duncan. Turns out though he is not the sweet teacher friend she once crushed on but now he is stiff & rigid, more concerned about school safety. There’s drama between the two, does Samantha dislike her job now? This is a fun, entertaining read! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.

This beautiful book has all the feels. It tells the story of why we need Joy in our lives and how joy can change perspectives. I shows how even thru tragedy you can find something joyful and how to actively work towards it wrapped in a good story that keeps your attention right till the ending. I would recommend it!