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.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of Katherine Center's new book, What You Wish For, from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley! First of all, the cover is absolutely gorgeous: bright, cheery, and floral, so I was extra excited to read this book!

What You Wish For centers around Sam, a librarian at an eccentric and friendly school in a small Texas town. After the cherished school principal and Sam's hero unexpectedly passes away, the replacement principal, Duncan, is trying to take away everything that makes Sam's school special. And Duncan also happens to be Sam's long-time crush from her previous school. But this version of Duncan is not the Duncan Sam remembers. Sam is adamant about finding out what happened to Duncan and saving her beloved school.

I enjoyed the story and loved that the book centers around finding happiness and fighting to maintain that joy. It is an important message during these tough times. I found Sam less likable than Center's other protagonists in previous books, but it was a quick read. The plot meandered at times, but I loved the ending, which ties everything up beautifully.

Such a great quarantine read! The plot was beautifully light and frothy, but with enough substance to keep you hooked. It made a perfect escapist read during these crazy times, I can't wait to share it.

I received an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Quirky teachers in a school in Galveston, TX, marine animals, a longing crush, and a sense of wanting to save someone. Recipe for a great contemporary novel. I would certainly recommend this book for a rainy day quarantine read, a beach read, a plane read... it is the type of book you can completely devour in one sitting (I read it in two). I enjoy Katherine Center’s style for this reason!

I wouldn’t rank this release as high on my list as Center’s Things You Save in a Fire (the twists in that one were amazing!). This novel felt predictable to me; as soon as Duncan began his role as a principal, I knew what his story line would be. However, I don’t think that makes a book NOT worth reading. In a sad, dark, and uncertain time, What You Wish For has provided a joyful escape and a happy ending. There definitely appeared to be some Gretchen Rubin influence throughout (conversations and lines about joy, different tricks to make a person feel happy, color theory...) which I enjoyed. I found Samantha and Alice to be delightful, it made me long to see my own students, it made me miss colorful, eccentric outfits.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR
BY KATHERINE CENTER

I was excited to get this ARC via Net Galley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved Katherine Center's previous book "Things you save in a Fire," so I thought that this one would be every much as good.

Samantha Casey plans a surprise 60th party for her landlord's and friend's Max and Babette. Max dies suddenly of an embolism to his lungs during the party. A new principal for the elementary school where Samantha is a librarian is picked. The new Principal happens to be an old crush that Samantha had unrequited love for named Duncan.

Duncan is the reason Samantha left California to come and live over Max and Babette's garage apartment called the carriage house in Galveston, Texas. Duncan does not appear to be the same person he was in California. On the first day of school he brings a painted squirt gun to school and fires it up in the air complaining the school has poor security. Will Duncan ruin Samantha's new school?

I believe the book's message to choose joy. Honestly some of these character's felt more like cut out cardboard caricature's than real people. I chose this for something light during these times and I am sorry to say that I wanted to love this more but I didn't.

Publication Date: July 14, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#WhatYouWishFor #KatherineCenter #StMartin'sPress #NetGalley

WHAT YOU WISH FOR
BY KATHERINE CENTER

I was excited to get this ARC via Net Galley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved Katherine Center's previous book "Things you save in a Fire," so I thought that this one would be every much as good.

Samantha Casey plans a surprise 60th party for her landlord's and friend's Max and Babette. Max dies suddenly of an embolism to his lungs during the party. A new principal for the elementary school where Samantha is a librarian is picked. The new Principal happens to be an old crush that Samantha had unrequited love for named Duncan.

Duncan is the reason Samantha left California to come and live over Max and Babette's garage apartment called the carriage house in Galveston, Texas. Duncan does not appear to be the same person he was in California. On the first day of school he brings a painted squirt gun to school and fires it up in the air complaining the school has poor security. Will Duncan ruin Samantha's new school?

I believe the book's message to choose joy. Honestly some of these character's felt more like cut out cardboard caricature's than real people. I chose this for something light during these times and I am sorry to say that I wanted to love this more but I didn't.

Publication Date: July 14, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#WhatYouWishFor #KatherineCenter #StMartin'sPress #NetGalley

I can truthfully say I've never read a book with such an enthusiastic and idiosyncratic group of characters. This is an energetic, upbeat book and I enjoyed reading it. The characters were vividly drawn but for me the school was the most interesting and central character. I fell in love with it - they had me at the butterfly garden and in how the staff universally encouraged students in their interests.

I really liked Samantha, the librarian at the school, who is the central (human) character of the book. Samantha had tried to be invisible for most of her life, but blossomed when she began working at the school, wearing bright colors for the first time in her life, speaking up, and learning to enjoy life. I have to admit, the striped knee socks and clashing colors made me blink, but I got it. Don't be afraid to be noticed. Be fearless.

The school was founded by the current principal, Max, and his wife. Something tragic happens that requires a new principal to be hired. Samantha is shocked when she discovers that he is a man she had worked with at another school. She is even more shocked when she realizes how much he has changed. He is no longer the fun loving, open and outgoing man she had known, but someone who seems determined to squash everything good about the school.

I'm glad I read the book and I'll read more by this author. There were a few things about the book that I wasn't crazy about, which is why it received 4 stars.. At times it seemed a little too manic in tone, and I thought that the adoration for Max, the school founder and principal when the book began, was excessive to the point of being unbelievable. I also wondered why none of the employees (including Samantha - a librarian!) googled their new principal as soon as they heard his name. It just seemed unrealistic as most people would do an internet search as soon as they had a name and a little background for their new boss. With LinkedIn, etc. there is no way they could not know something about him.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Center is a new author to me and she has taken me on a heartwarming and fun journey with What You Wish For.

I would categorize this ultimately as a light-hearted romance novel but with other characteristics weaved in of friendship, self-growth and the serious topic of safety for children. The highlighted parts were definitely the degree of goofiness and what it means to find joy. All the characters were easily lovable so you'll feel like you are meeting some new friends. Yet, if you are looking for a heart thumping romance, this one did not quite reach that peak.

I'd recommend this read!

Everyone I know who loves to read is excited for What You Wish For by Katherine Center. She is a fantastic author and though she has a lot of awesome books, my favorite is one of her first novels, Happiness for Beginners. I loved that book!

Synopsis:

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.

This new book is getting great early reviews and they are well deserved. If you like relatable and fleshed out characters plus a plot that’s going to tug at your heart and make you travel on an emotional adventure, this is for you.

You can pre-order the book here and it will be published on July 14.

I love books that make you laugh throughout and feel happy at the end and that's exactly what this book did for me. It took a couple of chapters for the book to grab me but once it did I flew through it and was completely engrossed in the story.

Another great book by Katherine Center!

I adore Katherine Center, but this book paled in comparison to her other works. It felt like a rushed story, just thrown together. It was difficult to connect the main characters' past interactions to their present actions....and while I always appreciate representation and hard conversations, some just themed "thrown" in here.

If someone asked me about this book, I would tell them that if they absolutely love Katherine Center, then read it on a day you are bored. If they have not read Katherine Center, I would recommend all of her others before this title.

Move over, Marie Kondo! Katherine Center has graced us with the tool (no cleaning/organizing required) to help us all "spark" joy, especially during this time when we all need it most. The central theme of the story is to choose joy in life, and I love how Center was able to seamlessly weave the art of choosing joy throughout the entire novel. From deployment to grief, trauma to heartache, growing pains to dealing with disorders, Center has created characters with whom any reader can relate. Despite these struggles that often challenge us in life, we are all presented with the option to pursue joy and happiness - and I am thankful to this book for that reminder.

I did prefer the author's other two books, but this book was cute and positive. Worth a read for sure.

Katherine Center never disappoints. This isn't my first book that I have read that she's written, and I must say that I gladly enjoyed reading it. Perfect book to read during this difficult time.