Never miss a chance to celebrate.

Sam is a school librarian and loves her job. After the unfortunate passing of the principal, she gets a blast from the past. Duncan, her former crush is the new principal, and he is not who she remembers, at all. He jeopardizes everything they’ve worked hard for and she’s determined to stop him at all costs.

I need this to be a movie ASAP. I know there are people that don’t or can’t read, and they need to see this movie so they can experience such an amazing story. Go ahead and sign up a Miles Teller or Michael B Jordan for Duncan and a Jennifer Lawrence Rachel McAdams for Sam. Alice has the best tshirts, hands down. She is so punny, that I definitely did an ugly snort from laughing. I need Melissa McCarthy
Or Kate McKinnon ad Alice

This was probably my favorite read of the year so far. This entire book is about refusing to let fear make you small, about growing and finding joy in every situation. That, my friends, is such a beautiful thing. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was offered the chance to read an ARC of this book by the publisher (via NetGalley). I typically enjoy books featuring librarians, so I was excited to read this one.

It started a bit slow for me. I struggled to connect with the main character, Samantha. She just seemed a bit too naive at first, and her level of quirky cuteness was not super appealing. However, the more I read, the more she seemed to grow, and the better I could understand her.

Duncan was pretty much a certified asshole at first, but also grew on me the more I got to know him. The conflict between these two was interesting, and I liked how they worked things out over time.

A big redeeming factor for me was the unique cast of supporting characters - including the school itself. I loved Sam's BFF, Alice. Duncan's sister, Helen, seemed really kind, caring, and grounded in the brief cameo appearance she made. Babette was a wonderful mentor/surrogate mother. And precocious little Clay was the kind of kid that every librarian adores.

The best moment for me was toward the end, the big climactic scene on the beach (I promise, no spoilers). This had me tearing up and silently cheering along with everyone else.

A cute, quirky, heartfelt romance that I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre

Yes! Finally, another book in a school setting. As a teacher I love reading about other school scenarios and having the connection/relatability to the settings and characters; yet, for some reason I have trouble finding novels about this. This school is lucky to have the quirky, colorful librarian, Samantha Casey. Samantha is good at hiding her vulnerability from others with flashy hats and brightly polka-dotted outfits, until a long-ago crush enters her school as the new principal. Duncan has lost his purpose as an educator after a horrific event. He sees the school but only sees a death trap that needs less windows and less color. Samantha and the other teachers make it their mission to help him heal.

This novel was lighthearted and radiated positivity. Make joy happen! I enjoyed reading about the myriad of characters, the plotted events to make Duncan happy, the banter and growing attraction between the main characters, and seeing them overcome events that left mental and physical scars. The beginning of the novel started a bit slow for me, there were some cheesy moments, and occurrences where I wanted to shake Duncan or Samantha because they didn’t always make the best choices or reacted in an over the top way, but overall I enjoyed this heartfelt story. I recommend What You Wish For to anyone who wants a bit of silliness, positivity, and romance in their life!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy in return for an honest review.

I love how the main characters have lives that intersect. I will definitely read more books by Katherine Center-her writing style is captivating.

Usually I read thrillers and mysteries but I picked this one up because, honestly, I thought the cover was fun. Yes, I judged the book by its cover!

Samantha is a librarian at a small private school in Galveston, TX. This school is what every parent hopes to send their kid to and every teacher would love to work at—and Katherine Center got the inner life of the school world on point. A cast of interesting and fun characters, some of whom I would have liked to know more, made this book so much fun. And the message that comes through this book is perfect for our current situation: find joy!

When a series of events occur (in the first couple of chapters), the school hires a new principal who needs to follow in the footsteps of the great, warm, joyful man who started the school with his wife. A man who’s credo was “make time to celebrate.” The man the Board hires is someone Sam used to work with—and had feelings for. But he’s not the way he used to be, and along with her friends, Sam works to help him rediscover joy. And she finds more joy along the way.

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down—seriously, I read it last night! It comes out in July, and I encourage everyone to pick it up. It’s light, but there are some dark bits in it. Overall, the message is incredible and offers hope—which we all need right now.

When I saw this on NetGalley, I immediately downloaded it. I had to read the new Katherine Center book! But I couldn't wrap my head around this one at all. It just was not for me. It read very bland and beyond unrealistic at times. I'm thankful for the free download and will probably gamble and read her next book as well.

This book was exactly what I needed during this time of social distancing and quarantine. It follows the romance of Duncan Carpenter, who recently moved to be a principle at main character Samantha Casey's school. I will definitely say this novel is on the side of cheesy romantic comedy, but I found it to still have substance and depth as the characters in the novel come together following the death of their beloved leader, Max. Duncan arrives to take over following his death and brings his own cynical perspective due to what he has experienced in his past. Samantha knows Duncan from her past, and the novel follows them as she learns more about why Duncan has changed so much from what she remembers.

I'm a bit torn with this latest Katherine Center book. I've enjoyed her books in the past, but this one fell flat for me. While the premise of the book - finding/choosing joy - was an uplifting theme, the characters fell very flat for me. Sam, the main character, was a bit too naive, a bit too annoying. Duncan, a central character, a bit too rigid and guarded. The relationship between the two - a bit too vanilla for my taste.

Overall, it's a quick read, but at the end, I was left thinking "that's it?"

Thank you to the author, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This review was also published on Goodreads.

Oh, Katherine Center has done it again. This book.... What an absolute delight. This one might be my favorite yet.

With connections to Happiness for Beginners, this book brings back a beloved character who has been dealt a difficult few years prior to entering the scene in Galveston, at a school in need of a new principal after its beloved predecessor passed away unexpectedly. He had big shoes to fill, and while most didn't believe he was capable of filling them, he had the faith of the leading lady which encouraged him to reach down and bring back some of the joy that he had before his life was derailed.

This book encouraged me especially because it was a beautiful and timely reminder that in the midst of sorrow and difficulty, joy is attainable. It doesn't mean that everything is automatically easier in life, but a perspective shift can allow one to search for the parts of life that do bring joy.

Katherine has excellently crafted such a sweet romance in this novel, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to have read this advanced copy given freely in exhange for a review from St. Martins Press and Netgalley!

What You Wish For follows Samantha, an elementary school librarian, and the - sometimes frustrating - rebuilding of the school following a devastating loss. As an elementary teacher myself, I was enchanted by her school, fellow teachers, and, eventually, by Duncan Carpenter. Duncan, the new principal, just happens to be a previous crush of Samantha's. Both characters have secrets which could bring them closer together, but instead, keep them hidden and, seemingly, themselves protected.

Katherine Center's writing style is laugh-out-loud funny. Her books always leave me feeling positive and help me get through any reading slump I may be in. I'm always so excited to read her books and anxiously wait for her next book every time!

Katherine Center does it again! I finished this book in under 12 hours. I could not put it down. Another romance that shows you that true love is possible.

I loved this book. It had several sub stories that all came together as a perfect read.
You ca'n't go wrong with Katherine Center

This book will literally take you off into this dreamy island and into the lives of some amazing people. Sam is this fun-loving, quirky librarian who is trying to save the school from her new boss, Duncan‘s plans and to make it more interesting, Duncan is also her former crush. But he is no longer the same person who she fell madly in love with years ago. Now she is on a quest to find out what caused this complete personality change in him. There are some really cute moments between them and Duncan is an absolutely gorgeous and an amazing hero. Sam is absolutely a real hoot!

This book is just amazing. It deals with some very important issues and also has the fun elements sprinkled all over. Pretty much all the characters are likable and are absolutely adorable. I most definitely breezed through this book due to the amazing characters and a heartwarming plot.

Overall it is an emotional love story with some key lessons that serve as a reminder especially in the current situation - to enjoy and celebrate every moment in life. Especially the last chapter has so many precious pearls of wisdom that remind you to constantly seek joy and stay happy. This is a must-read book in this pandemic time.

Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

Quirky cute book. Not my usual genre, but I enjoyed it. Thank you Katherine Center and McMillian publishers for this ARC. The story centers around Samantha a quirky librarian who works at a school she loves. Samantha lives in the guest house of Max and Babette who own the school Samantha works at. Everything seems perfect until Max suddenly dies. Samantha is sure Babette will take over the school and everything will remain the same, that is until Kent Buckley (Babette and Max’s hated son-in-law) takes over as Chairman of the school, and hires a new Principal Duncan Carpenter. At first Samantha is excited for Duncan to come to her school, as they worked together at a previous school and Samantha had a huge crush on him. Samantha believed Duncan is the perfect replacement for Max as he has the same fun loving personality as Max did. However when Duncan shows up he is not the same man Samantha remembers. Duncan has changed immensely, and starts making changes at the school that are detrimental not only to the students, but the teachers as well. Everyone hates Duncan, but Samantha feels she can break down his exterior and get the old Duncan back. Just how hard will it be...

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This was my first Katherine Center book so I was curious to see what all the hype was. I really enjoyed this title and will be digging into her backlist titles asap!

Never judge a book by its’ cover - or in this case - the clothing the man wears.

Katherine Center’s latest novel takes place in Galveston, Texas where we meet Librarian Sam and her cast of friends who are more like her framily (friends that are family). The story starts with the head of school unexpectedly passing away and the president of the school board bringing in the polar opposite, in Duncan, to run the school.

We find Sam knows Duncan from her previous teaching position on the West Coast, but will Duncan remember her? We aren’t quite sure! The new principal Duncan might look a lot like the old Duncan, but his clothing couldn’t be more different, his attitude couldn’t be more different.... What happened to Duncan to cause all these crazy changes? What follows is the story of Duncan’s past and why he is who he is now. Can Sam bring back the fun Duncan? Is he still in there?

Katherine writes with such conviction, you can literally feel the butterflies Sam feels when she encounters Duncan on the beach one winter evening... and every time thereafter.

Enjoy the ride Katherine Center takes you on in her newest novel. I can’t wait for my friends to pick this up so we can talk about Duncan!!!!!

What You Wish For was such an enjoyable read. The author captured my attention right away and while a few things were kinda predicted for me, I also found fun in the little twists and turns that got us to the end. As a former elementary school librarian, I could relate to some of the main character's feelings and opinions. I found the book very entertaining.and current on topic. Great read!

WHAT YOU WISH FOR is the ideal quarantine read: peopled by richly imagined characters and propelled by a zest for joy. Not as strong a novel as the author's previous, but captivating and a perfect read for the times.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Choose joy".
I love Katherine Center's books. This was a sweet, endearing, charming story with enough twists to keep me interested at a time when it's hard to stay focused on books. Great characters, great messages.