Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

This is the 3rd book from this author that I've read and I've loved every single one! I want to read them all now! This isn't just a fluff romance book, it's so much more and has a great message as well. Everyone should be reminded to "choose joy on purpose".

Just like everyone else, I absolutely loved What You Wish For by Katherine Center. It was exactly the book I needed right now, and I am so grateful to @katherinecenter, @netgalley, and @stmartinspress for letting me read an advance copy. It was really a gift.

Samantha wears her fun and joyful spirit, literally, with bright colors and flowered hats and polka dots. She works as a librarian at a dream school where she considers the faculty family, but she hasn’t always been this way. She had to learn not to hide, and she still harbors some deep insecurities. When tragedy strikes, new principal, Duncan Carpenter, is brought in to run the school. Samantha worked with Duncan years ago. In fact, she was secretly, paralyzingly in love with him, in great part because of his zest for life and fun spirit. But the Duncan that shows up now is a completely different man. Can Samantha remind him who he used to be?

I fell head over heels in love with Duncan. Possibly my first non-YA book boyfriend which is really a relief. I also love Katherine Center’s voice. It feel like we’ve been friends for years. She writes imperfect characters that remind me of myself. Some of the things Samantha does are insane and ridiculous and absolutely the sort of stupid thing a real human being might do (not necessarily me, but quite possibly). This book is filled with joy and hope even though it tackles some tough subjects, it feels light. If I had any gripes, it would be that I think there were a few too many examples of all the ways Duncan was wild and crazy back in the day. To fit all that in, I started to wonder if he was eighty years old. It also seemed like Samantha should have been able to figure out why Duncan had changed. It was the first thing I thought when we met him, and I longed for a little bit more info about their joint history. None of these things took away from how much I loved this book. I really wanted to stay in the world of What You Wish For a lot longer.

This one will be released on July 14, 2020. I definitely recommend picking it up!

Katherine Center has the ability to make me laugh and cry within the same book, sometimes even within the same chapter, and she succeeds again with What You Wish For. I can't say that I loved this one as much as its predecessor, Things You Save in a Fire, but she still creates real, messy, lovable protagonists in Sam and Duncan that are rounded out with supporting characters like Alice, Babette, Clay, Tina and Keith that feel real instead of contrived.

After Sam flees California because she has a unrequited crush on fellow teacher Duncan, she lands in a community on the island of Galveston where local community leaders and spouses Max and Babette take her in and inspire to experience joy and be her full self. But something unexpected happens to Max early on in the story that leads his noxious son-in-law Keith to appoint Sam's old crush Duncan as the new principal of the school where she, best friend Alice and Babette work. Sam is excited at first, because she can't wait for Duncan to reinvigorate spirits with his quirky personality. Except Duncan has changed too, and not for the better. So it's up to Sam and her friends to help him find himself again before his dour spirits bring down the school they love. Plus throw-in bonus in Center style: baby sperm whale rescue! I love her books!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This book had all the feels. This was a great story, with fabulous characters that you couldn't help but love. As she did in her previous books Katherine Center wrote a magical book that is easy and enjoyable. I love her writing style, love her characters, love her stories. I am so grateful for the change to read this book and highly recommend it to Katherine Center fans, you will not be disappointed!

What You Wish For was my first book by this author and it won’t be the last. This cute, charming story introduces you to characters you don’t want to leave and fills a bit of the Stars Hollow hole in my heart (I dare you to not make the connection with a character named Babette!). Taking place in Galveston Texas, the author does a great job setting the scene and introducing a school that plays a pivotal role in the lives of the characters. We learn very early that the school is changing and with these changes comes a familiar face for our main character, Samantha. After leaving Duncan miles behind, will Samantha be able to adjust to seeing him again? What happens next had me staying up past my bedtime!

Katherine Center has become one of my absolute favorite authors and this one did not disappoint! As usual, her writing is so warm and engaging and she creates such lovable characters. The issues in this book felt realistic and the chemistry between the two main characters was perfect. My only issue with her is that I wish Center would write twice as quickly as I am always eagerly awaiting her next release.

This was a beautiful story in many ways. I have only read one other by Katherine Center before, but I knew she was a very good writer with creative storylines. This book did not disappoint. There is a lot going on in the story and it was slower to develop for me, but I love the way she brought everything together. At first, the premise of the main character Sam running away from a job and a whole life because of a man she hadn't developed a relationship with seemed quite farfetched, but it made more sense as it went along. I loved the relationship between Sam and Duncan - they both saw themselves as having "something disqualifying" that would prevent them from having a joyful life and love. Both characters felt they were ruined, but learned great lessons about the strength of both friendship and love. I may have removed a few elements from the story, as I think there were some that could have been cleared without altering the power of what was being said. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

A well written story, that was entertaining. Brought out different emotions as you read it. This book would make a great beach read!

As always, Katherine Center gives us another book that is so easy to dive into. Center tackles current issues (violence, climate change) with this book, while also tackling real life mental and physical health problems that many people experience. With bright colors, a coastal town, and lovable characters, this is a book that's so easy to sink into. Our main character, Samantha, picked up her life and moved a few years before this story begins, and she settled in this small coastal town. While she has had some troubles, she's surrounded herself by color and is the happiest she's ever been. When tragedy strikes, and Duncan arrives in the wake of that, Samantha thinks the future is looking bright again, but all isn't how she thought it would be. We follow this turmoiled pairing through a school year, and the whole book keeps you engaged. I thought that this was brilliantly done in many ways, and I'll always look for her next book to pick up.

Thank you Netgalley, for the chance to read and review this book!

It was a joy to read this book! Katherine Center knows how to write a book that keeps your interest and makes you have all the emotions you look for in a good book. I loved the quirky characters! 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Samantha Casey is a quirky librarian- who hasnt always been quirky. Duncan carpenter is a strict principal who didn’t used to be strict. They have changed personalities, but haven’t changed feelings for each other.

I found the characters really likable- and I found myself really rooting for them.

What You Wish For is a sweet romantic comedy with a second chance at love story. Samantha Casey is a pink banged, flamboyant dressing librarian who loves her school. Living in the principal and his teacher wife's apartment above the garage, her school family feels like her family. The unexpected death of her mentor and friend the principal sends a blast from the past into her neat little school. But the crush from her former job is not the fun loving and wonderful teacher she always wanted to be like and who she fell in love with. Duncan is an authoritarian principal bent on protecting the school to the point of turning it into a prison. Unresolved trauma stands in the way of Sam and Duncan's HEA until Sam's school family steps up to help heal what is broken. Sweet and funny, Sam and Duncan's story left me in a mix of smiles and sighs before a very satisfying ending that I absolutely adored. Katherine Center has won over a new fan for life here. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Katherine Center's latest novel is just what the world needs right now. Did she know we were going to need a novel about finding joy in the hardest of times? Is Katherine Center psychic?? I only wish the rest of the world didn't have to wait so long to read this thoughtful and sweet story. But, looking on the brighter side--you have something to look forward to this summer!

Once again, I was not disappointed in Center's characters. I love that she creates uniquely beautiful and flawed characters. Each one--even the smallest character--has a backstory. Samantha (Sam) is a breath of fresh air and Duncan is a compelling puzzle. While I had his story figured out from almost the beginning, it was still touching to watch it unfold. I was mostly excited about What You Wish For because it's set in my home state of Texas. I visit Galveston almost every other summer. I love that little beach town, and I was so excited that she chose it for her setting. I only wish I could have read it while I was there, listening to the waves, soaking up the sun.

While What You Wish For doesn't quite reach the five-star status I gave How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire, it was still delightful. And a great reminder that we can find joy in the most unlikely places.

“Babette knew better than to let a little pain hold her back. She knew that joy and sorrow walked side by side.”

Center has an ability to write books that don’t feel too heavy, yet contain real life issues. It was truly a fun read with lovable, fantastic characters. It kept me guessing to see where she was heading with it. This would make a great summer read without being too fluffy (not that there’s any shame in fluffy reads). Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Thank you for the chance to read this book before the release date. This is a weird time for all of us. I have more time to read but I am enjoying it less because of anxiety. Katherine Center's books are always easy to read and have characters that you root for. I liked this book because the main character chose to change her life from drab to colorful. I liked reading about her journey . One of my favorite things about the book was the description of the school library. It was wonderful and I wish every kid had access to that library.
The only bad thing I can say about the book is even though I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it, it is forgettable. Nothing about it stuck with me.

A very interesting story about family both biological and the friends and people that touch your lofe and that become part of your family. Very colorful and diverse characters. Certainly relevant topics given recent events.

This was a very cute book! You never knew what was going to happen, the author always had you on your toes. I really liked the message of the book too, how it tackled hard subjects and fear. I think this was a book all people could relate to, every character had a mountain they were climbing, which made the book so realistic and relatable. The feelings and emotions of happiness and fear were ones that, I could personally, feel a presence in my life.
Though it took me a little bit to get into the book, I really loved the full circle moment the characters all came to at the end. It painted a picture of how love and acceptance, especially in today's (COVID-19) world is so important and can get us through anything. Highly recommend!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book! There were a lot of things about this book that I really liked, including: the setting of Galveston (TEXAS FOREVER), the fact that the characters were all elementary educators, and Clay. I related to the school plot lines a lot, and I would have loved to hear more from Clay's perspective because I thought he was so adorable. However, there were also some things I didn't like; namely, the two main characters. I really wanted to like Duncan and Sam but I just felt like both of the characters were *too much.*

Overall this was an enjoyable and entertaining quarantine read, but not my favorite of Center's books.

Review posted on Goodreads on April 15, 2020.

I have become a big Katherine Center fan and this book is my favorite one yet. I love a story of people finding themselves in the midst of hardship. And I love a book set in Texas. This story was so charming and full of hope. The characters are equal parts eccentric and relatable. It had me wanting to laugh and sometimes almost cry. Even if you aren’t normally a romance reader, if you like charming stories, I think you will enjoy this one.