Another hit for Katherine Center! This book was full of light and whimsy while managing some heavy discussions around death, love, and the safety of children. The characters were well developed and full of conflict, but were still down to earth and loveable. Katherine's use of language and the way she describes something so simple as a man's suit is nothing short of magical.

The author presents an number of interesting, engaging threads in this 'easy read' book. Many of the characters are well developed and some are great caricatures. And, she also helps us think about and focus on things we wish we didn't have to - school shootings, epilepsy, bullying,. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel it all held together as well as I hoped.

Katherine Center's newest novel, What You Wish For, focuses on a young Librarian named Samantha who is working at a private school. When her boss, who is also a mentor and friend, passes away unexpectedly, Sam's life is thrown for a loop. She's barely recovered from the funeral when she gets the news that the replacement principal for her school is a man that she had a major crush on several years back. As in, a crush that was so bad that she fled the state to get over him. She remembers him as a goofy and lovable guy who was a great teacher, but she worries that once she sees him again, all of the old feelings are going to come rushing back.

As Sam struggles to adjust to so many changes in her life, Duncan (her former heartthrob and current boss) settles into his new position. This Duncan, however, is nothing like the person Sam remembers. This Duncan is hyper-focused on school security, increasing the school's security measures at the expense of everything else. As Sam realizes that the school she loves and her mentor's legacy is in danger of being destroyed by Duncan, she prepares to fight the battle of her life. She works to forget the man that she once knew so that she can stand up to the “new Duncan” and convince him that his efforts are misguided when it comes to this school. She's ready to fight for her students and her colleagues, but when she discovers some things in Duncan's past that help explain his demeanor now, she'll have to fight just as hard to save the person he once was before he's gone forever.

This book covers a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. It's a quick read with a lot of emotional depth. The characters are all dealing with grief in different forms and both Samantha and Duncan have experience major transformations over the course of the story. The setting is a big part of the story, since most of the action takes place within the private school, but descriptions of the school and its history do not bog down the narrative. There's even a lovable canine for readers who like that kind of thing.

Center's books tend to focus on emotional development and characters who survive and thrive when the deck is stacked against them. The main character, Samantha, has epilepsy, and I appreciated how her emotional responses to how people treated her as a result of her epilepsy were just as important to the story as the disorder itself was. At the same time, the story only narrowly focuses on that plot line and thankfully doesn't try to deeply educate the reader on the medical aspects of epilepsy (there's a time and a place for that kind of reading.)

I've read Katherine Center's last two books, How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire, so I had an idea of what I was in for. This book doesn't rank as high for me as her previous two did. Samantha's story did still pull at my heart strings, and I made it almost all the way through the story before I was reduced to tears (a feat that happened much earlier in the previous novels). Ultimately, I felt that we spent too long being primed to hate Duncan in this book. He is portrayed and cold and isolated for more than half of the book and it made it hard for me as a reader to want to root for him in the end. This was partially due to how the passage of time was utilized in the book because the first half of the book took place over the course of a few weeks while the second half of the book, especially the parts regarding the efforts to rehabilitate the old Duncan, felt like we were fast-forwarding through weeks and months to reach the conclusion. I also really liked the drama that Tina and Kent's characters added to the story, but I felt like their conclusions were rushed as well. It seemed unlikely that Tina would have such a significant change of heart regarding Samantha.

Honestly though, those issues are minor. This was a great read that is an easy recommendation to patrons. Center's backlist constitutes solid recommendations as well and I fully expect that Katherine Center will remain an author whose releases are go-tos for me.

Samantha Casey has transformed herself from mousy and timid girl to colorful and bold librarian/lioness. She loves everything about her school: the students, her colleagues, and her beloved principal, Max, who also acts as a father figure. The devastating death of Max Kempner has left her and her entire community reeling. But when Duncan Carpenter, a former colleague from her old school and previous love interest, is hired as the new principal, things start to drastically change for Sam.

First, let me say that I adored Sam’s character and the evolving relationship between her and Duncan. But I wanted more... I wanted a deeper glimpse into Duncan, as well as Tina’s marriage with Kent. 3.75 🌟

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed this book! It is a sweet, PG rated romance with great characters and a unique story. The main character, a school librarian, is reunited with an old flame when he becomes her principal. The problem is he is a totally different man from the one she used to know. The story follows her and her colleagues as they work to breakdown his hard exterior and find out what makes him tick. This isn't typically my first choice of reading, but it was a light, YA, feel good romance. During these crazy times, it was the perfect light "beach read" type of story.

This book had a rocky start for me. Up until about 40% in, I had trouble liking Sam or Duncan at all. But after they started going into their back stories and they started to get to know each other I was all in. The last 60% of the book made remember why I love Katherine Center’s books so much. Sam and Duncan’s story of overcoming troubled pasts and focusing each day on joy was exactly what we all need to remember every day! Don’t postpone joy!

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

Amazing novel and especially important message we can all ascribe to. Sam is a whimsical librarian at a special school, when her mentor dies unexpectedly the new principal is someone she thought she knew several years before. The characters were so real and developed. The legacy and wisdom left behind by Max helps students , teachers and a town cope. It is inspirational!

This was a cute and funny read, but it did have some serious issues in there was as well


Sam is a quirky librarian at one of the most unique elementary schools in the country. Then Duncan, a goofy man that Sam used to have a crush on at her old school, takes over as principal... and isn’t so goofy anymore. He starts making changes to make the school more “safe” and less fun.

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.