I'll start by saying that I am a true Katherine Center fan. I am absolutely drawn into her stories by the way she creates characters that are so realistic you feel as though you know them personally. What you Wish For was no exception. The book description might make this story sound like somewhat of a romance, but it is so much more. It is a story about believing in yourself, trusting your instincts, and doing what is right, even when it's the most uncomfortable thing in the world. Samantha Casey is a woman like many of us, who at one time was living a life as drab as the clothing she wears, it took a tragedy to push her out of her shell and into the bright colors of who she could be. With a new attitude and a colorful wardrobe, she has found joy in her life, now the question is can she hang onto that joy even in the face of adversity? This book itself is a joyful 5 star read.

What You WIsh For is a book that is able to touch on tough life experiences like grief, insecurity, and deep-set fear in a way that uplifts and empowers a reader facing those same battles--and empowers them to choose joy. "It's a deliberate kind of joy. It's a conscious kind of joy. It's joy on purpose." The message is that life throws problems our way, huge ones, but we can still choose joy and live.

Sam moved to Texas to flee from her hopeless love for Duncan, finding a supportive group of fellow teacher friends and an all-consuming worry that her epilepsy has returned. An unexpected death and the subsequent grief rattles this educational community, bringing a new job opening...and Duncan back in the picture. Sam has to both deal with reconciling her unexposed love for Duncan and her shame at her uncontrollable medical condition with the truth that the Duncan she used to know has changed into someone unrecognizable from the hard battles of life he had to also face since she last saw him. Both need to navigate life with trust and, yes, a joy that doesn't make sense, but is beautiful in its weirdness, nonetheless. This book in both its plot and message works on so many levels and in so many ways. Read for yourself and be delighted.

I received an arc of What You Wish For from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press. It reminds you that we are all different, come from different pasts, and we only know what people tell us. I thought her other books were better though.

I think I would have enjoyed this much more if I weren't such a naturally cynical person. Unfortunately for Katherine Center, I can only take so much over-the-top corniness before I start to cringe more than I laugh, which is why I am rounding this book out at 2 stars.

I loved Things You Save In A Fire so I had pretty high expectations going into What You Wish For and for a good chunk of the book, I was really enjoying the story and the characters. I loved the eccentricity of the town and its residents, how much these teachers truly cared about their jobs and their students, and the carefree and relaxed vibe that Galveston provided as a backdrop. However, as the story developed and we got to know the characters, the harder it was for me to ignore certain things.

To start, many of the characters were one-dimensional and held no real substance. I won't get into much but the handling of Babette's character felt very poor to me. She is mentioned quite frequently throughout the book and said to be a major part of Samantha's life but they rarely ever speak to one another, most of their interactions happening off-page. This was weird to me and felt a bit lazy.

However, my biggest issue with this book was how sugary sweet it was. Galveston might as well have been a Disney movie backdrop and I expected a lot more maturity in the world-building from a seasoned author like Center. The 'good' people were perfect saints and the 'bad' people were dreadful beings with no redeeming qualities. We were supposed to sympathize with Samantha but I honestly found myself rolling my eyes more often than not, especially when [she jumped into the water off the pier. Talk about completely mentally unstable. I still don't understand the point of this or why it wouldn't cause Duncan to run for the hills. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I just didn't enjoy this book like I wanted to. Center is a great writer and that is why I continued on and why I gave this 2 stars because she is talented and did keep me engaged. The story and characters were truly lacking, however, and that did a huge disservice to the very important issues Center was attempting to tackle. I will continue to read her work but unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.

A sweet, delightful book, with a likable (or at least appealing) cast of characters. I would not call this book particularly memorable, but it was a lovely story. This author writes internally conflicted characters well, which is one of the things that draws me to her stories. As a mental getaway, this was perfect for me.

What You Wish For is the sweetest book I've read in years, possibly decades. You know exactly where the plot is heading-there's no other way it could go and be as satisfying, but that's ok. Every journey should be as lovely as this one-you'll want to start it over as soon as you reach the destination. What You Wish For is the best "trip" you could take, especially during these dark and devastating times. Of course it's a romance-that's what Katherine Center is known for, and certainly there are obstacles on the path to true love (and like Miss Center's previous books the "obstacles" are doozies). Set in a small private school on Galvaston Island, What You Wish For features characters that are perfect for the job-any school would be lucky to have even one of these teachers. I applaud Katherine Center for handling gun reform in a nonpolitical way. Her message is harrowing and heartbreaking without being "in your face." What You Wish For is simply a beautiful and uplifting novel. What you should wish for is this book on your shelf.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. Opinions are my own.
Katherine Center’s latest novel is the story of a small private elementary school and its librarian, Sam. The school’s new principal, Duncan Carpenter, was Sam’s unrequited love interest at a previous job. Duncan has taken over from a longtime, beloved principal, and is obsessed with making The Kempner School as safe as possible.
I discovered Katherine Center when I received “Things You Save in a Fire” as an ARC. I have since read “How to Walk Away,” and “What You Wish For” tops them both. Same concept — lovable, flawed-but-relatable young woman navigates romantic relationships after personal trauma — but these characters feel much more real and developed. This is set to publish in July and would be a perfect beach read, but if we are still quarantined then, this is still a great little escape. It’s warm, uplifting and a fast read. I read it in a day.

Let me start off with saying that I have read two books from this author and was ecstatic to get my hands on this book. That being said, I am disappointed with this book. When I first started it I could already tell that it was not for me. The main character acted too much like a child while making everything revolve around her when it shouldn't have. It made a particular third grader seem more grown up and better equipped to handle situations than the protagonist. Everything was cliche and could be seen from miles away.
On a better note, the school that the story revolved around sounded amazing. I wish I had gone to a school like that and had those amazing teachers. I wish my school would have looked as colorful and focused on the students' happiness and well-being.
Unfortunately, the school itself is the only saving factor behind the rating I am giving. I did not care for any of the characters nor did they seem realistic. I will still look forward to reading more books from this author because her other two books were hits with me.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

This was my first experience with Katherine Center! I devoured this in a weekend and then dove right into her other books. Delightful and charming, her main character Samantha is a fully fleshed out human with a unique cast of friends. Quirky, fun, and sneakily moving, what a treat!

I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting. I like the storyline and it kept me reading. This is a great author she is a fantastic storyteller the characters had depth.

I love Katherine's stories and writing style so much. So when I was able to get a copy via NetGalley I was so ecstatic.

If you're looking for a JOY read this is the one for you.
I enjoyed the meaning behind this story so much.

Another well written story by this Author. I look forward to reading more by her in the future!

3.5 Gray stars from me

*Recv'd a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This being my second book I have read of Katherine Center’s, I love this book as much as the last - and I was honestly surprised! I didn’t think she could knock it out of the park 2/2 with me, but here we are.

Her characters are SO real from the first page - from their quirks to their emotional baggage and fun friendships. Overall I laughed, I cried, and felt a whole lot.

Just an amazing job done with the little details that make this story come to life - Clay’s marine life facts (I mean c’mon that was my favorite part), Babette’s grief in the background (WHAT A PERFECT NAME), Alice’s math t shirts, etc.
And the whole message relating to education! Letting kids explore, experience, thrive in their creativity at school. Commenting on gun violence. Again, I just don’t know how Center packs all of this into one book that I read within 24 hours. I remember a similar experience from her other book. (Key word being experience. Her books are experiences to be had, not just books to be read, they come to life!!) Basically, consider me a fangirl.

Favorite quote - She knew that joy and sorrow walked side by side. She knew that being alive meant risking one for the other.

In Katherine Center's new novel, the main character is a fearful librarian. She watches as her father figure, also principal of the school she's employed at, collapses and passes away at his 60th birthday party. Just when she thinks things couldn't get worse, she learns that his replacement is someone from her past, someone she had a major crush on. Upon re-introducing herself, she realizes the guy is nothing like who he used to be. As the story goes on, she learns more about his devastating past and makes it her mission to bring the old him. Will she succeed?

I must admit that I was already a fan of Katherine Center's novels, having read her two previous ones, Things You Save in a Fire and How To Walk Away. I almost keep waiting for the shoe to drop in terms of quality of her novels. I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of her novels. The romances are always predictable, but she's also good at creating a few small surprises throughout the plot. I also loved Center's ability to use the secondary characters to move and contribute to the plot.

This book may have been my favorite because the main character was a librarian who lives her live in fear. I found her to be very relatable since I am a teacher myself and often worry too much about things out of my control or take blame for things that were not my responsibility. It was funny that she had a crush on a male teacher because attractive males in the world of education are like diamonds in the rough. Overall it was a wonderfully crafted romance and I can't wait to recommend it to all my friends when it's released.

I don't typically read ebooks, but it was my only chance to get my hands on Katherine Center's newest title before the summer. This was exactly what I needed to read with the world the way it is today. None of the characters are perfect, but I had to keep reading to see what happened. She's done it again and written another book that I couldn't stop reading, but hated to finish.

I stayed up late yesterday finishing What You Wish For by Katherine Center and it was awesome. It was a bit predictable on one main plot point but I think that might have been intentionally obvious. I loved the colorfulness of the characters in this novel, the evolution of Sam and Duncan’s relationship, and the emotionally intense moments between the two of them that were written so well you felt like a bystander right there. I also appreciated the detailed visuals throughout the book like the murals or the patterns on socks or t-shirts or the feel of the sand on your toes or the wind in your hair at the top of the roller coaster. I just really enjoyed everything about it and it was a good book to read to remind you that there is so much joy in the everyday if we allow ourselves to live without being paralyzed by the what if. Highly recommend. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't really a fan. I usually like this kind of lighthearted fare, but it was a bit too silly for me even for a beach read.

4.5 stars.
I loved the whimsy, colourful school and characters and the small town folksy vibe that emanated from this book.
I love small town close knit community type books. The characters were lovable and their joy and stresses palpable. Sam was sweet and relatable.
I had a hard time putting this down; I wanted to see how Duncan's storyline progressed. I can only imagine how PTSD might change a person and how much a person would have to overcome to feel normal again.
I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend.

I can easily pick up any book by Katherine Center and love it without reading the back. Though this story seemed to start a little slow at first it grabbed me and pulled me in full force. I knew from the beginning that Duncan had a story and that Sam was meant to be part of it. I loved this book and highly recommend it to readers everywhere. It takes a topic that has affected a lot of people and shows the other side of it.....the human side.

What You Wish For was my second book from Katherine Center and unfortunately I think it will be my last. There were aspects to the book that I enjoyed but overall it just was not for me.

The premise of the book was very juvenile. Our main character was in so in love with a man she never dated that when he started dating someone else she moved across the country. I found myself frustrated with this grown woman for acting like a teenager. There were other plot points where I was left scratching my head like, “What just happened?!”

Despite this, I truly did enjoy the setting and atmosphere of the book. The island was a great backdrop and gave a beautiful community feeling. I loved many of the characters in the book as well.

Overall, the bad outweighed the good for me. I can see how people will just love this one, but I sadly am not one of them.

In What You Wish For, Samantha is an elementary school librarian. She loves where she lives, has great friends, loves her job, and is incredibly close to the Principal of the school, who is her mentor and father figure. When he unexpectedly dies, the board brings in Duncan, a blast from the past she ran away from, and he wants to change everything she loves about the school. Can she put aside their past and work with him so that he sees the school doesn’t need to change?

I absolutely adored this book! I flew through it in one day, which is no surprise. I love how Katherine Center weaves her stories together and this was no exception. I was rooting for all of the characters - not just the main ones! And I found the end very moving. I highly recommend this - especially if you’ve liked Katherine Center’s other books!