I loved this book. I was also a huge fan of "How to Walk Away" and "Things You Lose in a Fire", so requesting this book was a no brainer. The theme of living your life in fear really hit home and came out in a few different ways throughout the book. The characters were quirky and incredibly relatable and it was a perfect read, particularly right now.

This book gets 5 stars from me - I couldn't put it down,

I enjoyed this book, especially during stressful times. Thank you for allowed me to read this advanced copy. I have also read the last 2 Katherine Center’s novels and liked them. I like that she shows even during stressful times, something good can happen, especially when you allow yourself to let the good in. I liked how it shows we have to let go some of our fears when reasonable, to be happy.

Loved loved loved this book! To see two broken people try and move pass tragedy in a positive and healthy way was so encouraging and enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I absolutely adore Katherine Center’s writing. She has the ability to draw you in and touch all of the emotions with her fantastic stories. This Story is absolutely outstanding and just what we all need as we are quarantined in our homes. After you read this book you will want to tell all of your friends to read it as it’s really, really that good!

Another great read from this author. Loved her things you save in a fire book was excited to get this. Great characters and story line. Can't wait for more from this author.


Thanks to net galley and the publisher for an early release of this book.

Samantha loves her job. She loves her little bright and sunny elementary school and the beautiful couple that owns it. When Max tragically passes though, a new principal is brought in and things are not looking good. At first Sam is excited for the eccentric, fun, colorful man she fell in love with to take over, but when Duncan shows up and is essentially a prison guard, Sam is upset and wants to know when he changed. Not to mention she is finding she is still just a little in love with him.

Katherine Center never disappoints. I was having a really hard time concentrating on reading because of distractions like the news with coronavirus, but this one kept my attention and I flew through it. I had a little trouble with how all over the place Sam seemed to be, but overall I still really enjoyed her. I think security in schools is a huge thing right now, so I enjoyed the look into how you protect your students, but not lose what makes your school amazing and fun to begin with. I also truly loved the meaning behind the word Joy and how Sam and Duncan learned to find joy throughout the book.

Thank you to St Martins Press for my gifted copy of this book!

Thank you for the ARC. Love Katherine Center's books. I have read just about all of them. This one for me started off a little rocky. I thought for sure I wouldn't like let alone finish this book. But I did and I loved it. There were times I just wanted to reach through the pages and shake Sam and say "Wake up". Loved all the characters in the story. Even the ones you don't like. As I said before all books have to have at least one character you don't like. Well that was Tina's husband (his name escapes me at this time). I'm done gushing since there are so many reviews.

Thank you @netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this #ARC of What You Wish For by Katherine Center.

I love, love, LOVE this author. I have read multiple works by her and each one makes me even more happy than the last. Katherine Center’s books have the recipe for a well rounded story. Romance, trauma, highs, lows, a little comedy, and usually an ending that has you in both happy and sad tears.
This novel takes place in a gulf town, where everyone knows one another. Sam moves her four years ago after she lost her mom. She took the librarian job at the local elementary school and was “adopted into the family that owns the school. After tragedy strikes almost immediately...Sam finds herself confronted with memories past, situations that are present, and an unknown future that she must carefully unfold. There are so many engaging plot lines throughout this story, and the author does a phenomenal job at evoking every emotion possible from the reader. I give this a solid 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷/5. Highly recommended for a nice easy read!

Another heartwarming story from the wonderful Katherine Center. This one started off a little bit slow for me, and the descriptions of all the funny things Duncan did at his old school drove me a bit crazy, but a third of the way in I was hooked. I didn’t think the twist was all that shocking and most readers will know what’s coming, but it’s still a powerful story. As a teacher I also really loved the school setting of the book and could relate to the theme of school safety and how far is too far in keeping kids safe.

“Pay attention to the things that connect you with joy.”

Katherine Center has done it again! She writes romance like no one else I've read - they are essentially stories about people finding (or more accurately, choosing) happiness & joy, both with their own self and with other people. But specifically, these are people who choose joy in the midst of real suffering and horrible circumstances in their life. In this instance, Sam is battling an illness that she prefers to keep hidden from others, and Duncan has some serious trauma he's locked away that's made him bitter and cold. Watching Sam & Duncan unlock joy in each other is an absolute delight, and I will most certainly be re-reading this book when I want something both heartfelt and comforting. (OH, this also sparked a re-read of Happiness for Beginners...such a joy!)

Katherine Center knocks it out of the park again.

Center is one of those rare authors who can juggle a ton of elements in just the right proportions to make her novels bubble over with feeling. She creates characters who seem like real, highly relatable people who are dealing with truly traumatic situations. (And boy is she good at writing utterly swoon-worthy romantic leads. Duncan is probably her most appealing romantic lead yet.)

In this novel, Samantha is living her dream as a librarian at a creative, private elementary school on an island off the coast of Texas. When the school’s beloved principal dies, an old crush, Duncan Carpenter, arrives to take over. But his personality has become barely recognizable from his days as a free-spirited teacher. He has become cold and robotic, and he is single-mindedly set on transforming their beloved school into a much different place. As Samantha tries to work with Duncan, she finds that there are good reasons for his dramatic personality change. Samantha, along with her friends and colleagues, wants to save the school, but to do so, she has to work with Duncan. From there, both of them have to stretch to move forward.


For me, this novel started off slowly. But once I was into it, I could NOT put it down. The problems the main characters face are very real, and the way they must open up to each other to grow is super touching.

The only thing I really disliked about this novel is that it ended. I am crushed that I have to wait until the next Katherine Center book comes out.

(On the other hand, I guess we’ll get to see the The Lost Husband as soon as the theaters reopen. I can’t wait!)

I received this book "What You Wish For" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I think this will be a great summer book. "Never Miss the Chance to Celebrate" is one of the themes here. I liked the characters and looked forward to reading the story each day to find out what was going to happen to them. You definitely felt like you were there but without an overwhelming detail of the surroundings.

5 stars! I love Katherine Center’s style of story telling and character development. Her books are some of my favorite and What You Wish For is no exception! Thank you so much, NetGalley, for a chance to read one of my favorite authors early. It was a welcome feel good during this crazy time of the COVID19 pandemic!

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as her other novels, though I still found it a pleasant read. The plot was super predictable early on, which took some of the fun out of it for me. I love that the female lead is a librarian! The characters are quirky and passionate about their jobs in this school, which was nice to read about. It takes place near the sea, so there are a lot of vivid scenes that created a lovely atmosphere. There's a lot of heartache in this story, and also a lot of hope. My major complaint is that the plot revolves around a serious issue that I won't reveal here because it's a bit of a spoiler, and it doesn't feel like it's taken seriously enough. The story felt rushed in this regard, the topic not taken nearly seriously enough. I still recommend this for fans of Center's other novels and readers of women's fiction.

This was a very much needed joy-filled read about finding light in the darkness. Samantha Casey is a librarian at a unique and highly renowned school on Galveston Island. After the beloved founder and principal dies unexpectedly, he is replaced by Duncan Carpenter, a man from Sam’s past who stirs up conflicting feelings within her. It quickly becomes apparent to Sam that Duncan is not who he used to be. He has a vision for the school that would undermine everything it was founded upon and she decides to lead her coworkers in doing anything to stop the proposed changes even if it means getting Duncan fired. However, when she sees glimpses of the “old” Duncan, she realizes there are other ways of accomplishing her goal and she begins to slowly uncover the mystery behind Duncan’s extreme personality change.

What I loved most about this story was the setting. It personally appealed to me because my family regularly vacations in Galveston. It’s a unique little island with a lot of history and I loved how the author captured it. I also enjoyed the building tension between the two main characters, Sam and Duncan. Their connection felt tangible and really drew me into the story even though their lack of communication was extremely frustrating at times. Although there are some dark themes in the story, it is a very heartwarming and light read that is sure to bring joy to anyone who reads it.

Katherine Center is a master of creating lovable, relatable characters. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! Her books not only tell the stories of characters you come to love, but they also remind you of important life lessons. Sam, a school librarian that has gone through her share of struggles and reinvention, faces many feelings as her school's beloved principal is replaced by a teacher she used to work with (and have a crush on). Duncan was a goofy, costume-wearing, fun-loving teacher at their previous school. Now as the new principal at Sam's Texas elementary school, he threatens to change many of the traditions and policies of the school, and turn the school into somewhat of a "prison" in the name of safety. Sam struggles to see the dancing, fun-loving teacher she used to know. Along the way learns about Duncan's journey from who he was before, to the person she is now seeing as their school's leader. Center addresses the important issue of school safety and many of the questions and fears that are faced by schools and their communities. She does this in a readable way-- this issue can be tough for me to read about, but she is able to keep the discussion meaningful and raw without it becoming too overwhelming. I came to root for these characters, as I got to know each of their personal struggles with accepting flaws, grief, finding the strength to move on, and being loved. As a high school math teacher, I loved Sam's best friend, Alice and all her math joke t-shirts too :) The theme of CHOOSING JOY and dancing despite the storms we weather in life was such a great message.

Quotes I loved from this book...

"Never miss the chance to celebrate."

"But that's the thing about joy. You don't have to wait for it to happen. You can make it happen."

"I am not happy because it comes easily to me. I bite and scratch and claw my way toward happiness every day....It's a choice...a choice to value the good things that matter. A choice to rise above everything that could pull you down..."

A huge thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this during the COVID-19 #stayhome movement. This was just what I needed to be uplifted in these tough times of uncertainty!

There are a few authors who are my "go-to" authors when I need a great book. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of What You Wish For by Katherine Center because she is one such author. I first was introduced to her years ago when I read Happiness for Beginners and have been a huge fan ever since.

What You Wish For is just the type of book we need during these times. It's uplifting and hopeful and full of characters that you love to love as well as love to despise. I used to run a project called 365 Days to Rock Your Happy, and the theme in this book to get new Duncan back to old Duncan reminded me a lot of that. We can all do little things each day to bring a little more happiness and joy into our lives and they will all add up to make a big impact.

What You Wish For isn't available until July 14th, but this is one you will definitely want to bookmark so you can have a wonderful, feel good, hopeful read for when this mess is all over!

Thank you Net Galley and Katherine Center for the opportunity to read this book!

What You Wish For
Katherine Center
4 stars
I was so looking forward to Katherine Center’s newest novel, What You Wish For. I loved Things You Saved in a Fire, and having read every Katherine Center book, she has grown with each book published. What You Wish For is the story of Samantha Casey, the librarian at a private school in Galveston, TX, and Duncan Carpenter, the new principal. Samantha and Casey have a past-they worked together at a school in California where Samantha does something so outrageous that she quits and restarts her life in Galveston. In Galveston and at the Kempner school, Samantha finds the family that she desperately needs. But change is inevitable. Enter Duncan Carpenter again. At first Samantha is thrilled that her beloved school will be led by Duncan, who she remembers as a carefree, fun-loving, person. But the Duncan who takes over is a straight-laced, procedure loving, rule following tyrant who turns her beloved, colorful school into a gray, cold institution. The rest of the story is Samantha and her co-workers attempts to save their school and keep it from losing all it’s cheery uniqueness. And of course, Samantha begins, again, to fall for Duncan.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It’s ultimately a story of love, and hope, and joy. It’s about finding your family and loving them unconditionally. The characters in this story are very diverse. There are some that I loved right away, there are some that I had to warm up to, and there are some that I just did not like from start to finish. This isn’t a deep story at all. What you see is what you get. But sometimes you just need a good, happy, joyful story. If you’re looking for that-Katherine Center is the best and she delivers with What You Wish For.

Thank you to #StMartinsPress and #Netgalley for the advanced e-copy for a review. And thank you to Katherine Center for spreading a little joy!

The characters are teachers and the setting is a school, but you don't need to be involved in either to enjoy What You Wish For. The situation is contemporary, the desire for joy is universal, and the solution is endearing, if not a little surprising. I highly recommend What You Wish For. Thank you #NetGalley #WhatYouWishFor and #St.MartinPress for the advanced copy of this book.

I loved this book, the writing, Sam, Duncan. The setting of the book is Galveston, Texas and after living in that area for several years I could picture the Sea wall and the gulf and pier.
The school, the children, and the butterflies on the wall.
Hope,fears, challenges,grief, tragedy all telling a story.
A sweet story that kept me wanting to turn the pages faster, fun, with lovable characters that really touched my heart.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.