I’ve come to regard Katherine Center’s stories like good friends; they show up right when you need them in your life. Center has a way of spinning fresh, contemporary takes on the classic romantic tale. While there was nothing breathtaking about “ What You Wish For,” there was enough to love about this school community, its revered founders, and a teacher on a quest to preserve the school’s joyous reputation. What she learns about her new principal changes her perspective on the simplicity and freedoms that were so easily taken for granted. I would recommend this one for a satisfying summer read.

Sweet book about one teacher’s journey to save her school. You’re in for a great with this book about finding joy!

Samantha has found joy in her personal and professional life, living on Galveston Island as the librarian for the legendary Kempner School, an elementary school that fosters creativity and learning in original way.

However, Sam hasn’t always had a positive outlook on life. She suffered from epilepsy as a child and later as an adult, which was the catalyst for her parent’s breakup. Also, she’s never been lucky in love. Years ago, Sam found her “person” in Duncan Carpenter, a fellow teacher at a previous school, but he never really noticed her, but now she embraces every happiness life affords.

Sam’s life is turned upside down, though when Duncan is hired as the new principal of Kempner, and instead of the fun-loving, full-of-life guy she knew before, she’s greeted with Duncan 2.0, a gray-suit-wearing, joyless man intent on turning their quirky, happy school into a safe, prison-like habitat. But Duncan is about to have a rude awakening, because Sam is no longer the shy and meek librarian she used to be, and there’s no way she’s letting him implement the changes to her beloved school without a fight.

Loved how Katherine Center made Kempner School come alive. If only all our schools were so quirky and magical!

I just LOVED What You Wish For so much! It was very much a hate to love romance which at times filled me with anger and I wanted to slap Duncan upside the head! Don’t worry, I didn’t hate him for long, and soon I loved him! Finding out what changed Duncan from the goofy, whimsical teacher into a carbon copy of one of the ‘Borg twisted my heart and made me really feel for the guy!

Sam had her own issues Lingering self-esteem issues from how she was treated by her father and others in the face of her medical condition. It broke my heart.

The slow burn romance between Sam and Duncan was so utterly lovely! I was moved by the deeper subjects tackled, but the story was lighthearted and funny, too. What You Wish For was a 5-star read for me, definitely one of my top five favorites for 2020!

I alternately listened and read What You Wish For, and I have to say the audio was perfection! Therese Plummer is one of my all-time favorite narrators! Her female and male voices are spot on, and her performance enhanced an already fantastic story!

Katherine Center also narrates at the end, reading her essay on reading and writing, and it was amazing! She describes how special it is when a writer can make a reader step into the shoes of a character and story and feel!

I can see where some people might enjoy this romantic comedy, but it was not my cup of tea. Bumping it up to three stars just because I realize that it's probably just not written for me.

If you're looking for a Hallmark movie in novel form, you've come to the right book. It has ALL the tropes. Let's see...quirky girl with quirky friends, a huge crush on someone who (she thinks) doesn't reciprocate, misunderstandings and holding back, an eight-going-on-30 kid because authors never seem to know how to write a child without making him a prodigy, a villain who is practically twirling his mustache.

It started off alright, but I quickly got annoyed by the characters and saw every plot "twist" coming. During the pandemic I've been enjoying books that allow me to escape, but this one just wasn't doing it for me.

What You Wish For is a book centered in a very close knit school on Galveston Island. The happy, welcoming school changed Sam, the librarian. Once a shy, reserved person who avoided attention at all costs has transformed into an outgoing, colorful person who loves wacky clothing. Then, the school’s beloved founder and principal dies suddenly. His replacement is a person from Sam’s past.

Sam is both excited and nervous for Duncan Carpenter to join their school. But when he shows up, he is not the person she once knew. As a matter of fact, it is almost as if they changed personalities during their time apart. He, once outgoing and wacky, is now very rigid, serious, and formidable. Together, as their relationship changes, they explore the moments in their lives that changed them so much.

This is the second audiobook by Katherine Center, narrated by Therese Plummer, that I have read. My feelings for What You Wish For are very similar to my feelings about Things You Save in a Fire. Both started out excruciatingly slow for me. Not just for a bit, but for the entire first half. Both picked up and mostly redeemed themselves in the end. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I just didn’t love it. I am not completely sure if my problem is with Katherine Center’s writing or Therese Plummer’s narration. Likely a combination of both.

The book has a lot (and I mean a LOT) of internal dialogue. It tends to get repetitive. “Duncan Carpenter” probably appears at least a hundred time. Often as it’s own sentence.
The other reason I didn’t love it is because everything sounds WAY more exciting than it really is. I am not sure if it comes across differently in print, but via narration, it is annoying.

I also had some issues with the believability of the plot. I am a former teacher, and I know how schools work. <spoiler> If massive changes like that happened at any school, much less a beloved, fun private school, the parents would be up in arms. They would put a stop to it. </spoiler> So I tended to get stuck thinking “that would never happen” a lot.

Regarding the narration- it is paced well. Therese Plummer enunciates well and the book is easy to follow. My complaint was that ordinary things were said Oh! So! Excitingly! OMG! And, again, I am not sure if that is the narrator exuding excitement or if the book comes off the same in print.

Overall, it is a good book. I didn’t love it. But it seems more like I am just not a huge fan of Katherine Center’s writing style. I did enjoy it enough that I wouldn’t rule out reading another book by her in the future. I will just know what to expect!

I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center..... That's all you need to know for a light read. This book is just wonderful! She really paints a picture becoming you. Overcoming fear, and promoting the joy you need. I will say the book is a little cliche. Maybe a little over the top too. But Honestly in times like these and the pandemic having everyone on edge, it was much appreciated. I look forward to future books and I will definitely be buying this book and putting with my other Katherine Center books.

Also, I would like to add, I just LOVE her cover choices. A lot of the time, (well, who am I kidding, that should say MOST of the time) I judge a book by the cover, Katherine Center books are not over done on Art but yet more of a subtle "Hello, Look at me, You know you want to read me!" I LOVE it!

Thank You to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing to review this audiobook for my honest review

I was hesitant to read this one because I adored How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire... and I hadn’t been hearing as many rave reviews about this book. The whole time I read it I was waiting for the other shoe to drop...but for me... it never did! I really loved it. I had won this book in a giveaway and then was able to get the audiobook from NetGalley! Went with the audio and I am so glad I did because it allowed me to hear Katherine Center read her own essay on Reading for Joy at the end.
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Samantha is the school librarian at the charming elementary school in town. After the sudden and unexpected death of the beloved principal, the school board brings in a new principal to rule the school. But, it isn’t just anyone! Samantha instantly recognizes the name of the new principal, Duncan Carpenter, as the zany teacher and former coworker she once had a desperate crush on. She’s eager to see him again, but soon realizes Duncan is not the same fun loving and charming teacher he once was. He is now a man obsessed with school safety initiatives and the faculty believes he is trying to suck the joy out of school. As the teachers rally against Duncan and his new policies, Sam still finds herself drawn to him even though she despises all he now stands for. As time goes on, she peels back layer after layer of the new Duncan and realizes why he is now living in fear. ⠀
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While I can understand that certain scenes from the novel were problematic for some, I felt like it was very obvious Duncan was suffering from some severe PTSD (referring to the squirt gun incident) which caused him to not act irrationally at times. Definitely a trigger warning for gun violence in schools. ⠀
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Katherine Center’s novels are like warm hugs for me. It’s the best parts of a Hallmark movie but with some actual edge. I’ll happily read anything she puts out!⠀
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Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this ALC in exchange for my honest review! It was a delight! #netgalley #whatyouwishfor

i loved this book when i read it and was super excited to listen to the audio. unfortunately i couldn't download it for some reason (maybe i missed the archive date) but i still loved the book and ended up borrowing the audio from library and it was fabulous :)

Katherine Center has become one of my go to authors over the last several years, and this book did not disappoint. She just knows how to write such hopeful stories.

Samantha Casey is the school librarian at a top notch elementary school in Texas. She is the teacher that every teacher and student adores. When the book begins, she loses her beloved principal and founder of the school in a terrible incident. The school board decides to hire Duncan Carpenter, who Samantha was in love with in her previous school. He was charming, kooky, and so lovable. He was the teacher that everyone looked up to.

When Duncan finally arrives, there is something very different. Duncan is not the happy-go-lucky guy he used to be. He is serious and the exact opposite of what these teachers have been use to.

Center brings us a story that morphs into a much tougher read. You know something has changed Duncan, but you do not know what it is. Once his secret comes out, Sam has an idea, she is going to bring Joy back to Duncan’s life…and it works.

This not a light-hearted book. This is a story of a broken man, and how the one person that believes in him the most, shows him there is light at the end of his very dark tunnel.

First, I would like to say that I loved Katherine Center's books: Things You Save in a Fire and How To Walk Away. I was very excited for What you Wish For, and have been waiting months for its release. That being said, I did not love this book as much as the other two. I still liked it, and I can see her fans devouring it as much as the others, but I had some issues.

Samantha Casey's life is going pretty well when Max, her mentor and school principle, dies. As the school's librarian she is shocked when she realizes the person who will replace Max is none other than her previous hardcore crush, Duncan Carpenter. But the Duncan that comes to her school was not the same Duncan she was madly in love with. He is now much more solemn with none of the fun-loving personality that she loved about him. Samantha and the rest of the school's staff struggle to deal with how to get Duncan to relax some of his draconian rules and focus more on the children themselves. Ultimately, because this is a romance novel so obvi, Samantha and Duncan overcome their issues and come together.

Part of my problem was I was not a fan of the reader for the audiobook. She didn't sound genuine in the role of Samantha Casey. The literal first half of the book is almost completely inside Samantha's head. Its is her stressing about what is happening around her and overthinking literally everything. So when the reader and that voice didn't match, it made it a little difficult for me to sympathize with the main character and connect with her. I wanted more action, more dialogue, less repetition, and much less whining.

About 3/4 way through the book, a scene happens with a whale and it was the first time I became super invested in this book. It was then that I started to root for the main characters and see great character development. Honestly Clay should have his own book because that boy brought it home for me.

If you like Katherine Center, I think you will enjoy this book. Still fun and easy to read, but also has some pretty serious issues intertwined in the love story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

Sam is an elementary school librarian. She also has epilepsy which she finds completely embarrassing because of how it was handled when she was a child - by her parents and her classmates. She tries to hide the concern by wearing bright colors and fun hats. She loves murals and all things bright and fun. One of the highlights of her school is the principal. He supports the fun nature of the teachers. Unfortunately, at a party, he dies.

While the whole town is trying to recover from it, the workaholic president of the school board, who is always talking to the blue tooth in his ear, hires a new principal. The new guy, Duncan, is plain ole' boring. His main focus on safety. This means bars on windows, walls, gray, and uniforms. No field trips. No dancing. No fun. Sam knows that this has to change and she must stand up against this for her students and the fellow teachers.

But... what if there's more to Duncan? What if there are secrets that explain his actions?

I thought this was a fun book! My dream job is to be a school librarian so that pulled me in from the beginning. Throw in a little bit of romance and a ton of humor, this was a great read! It had me from the beginning.

I listened to the audio and I absolutely loved the narrator. Her inflections were perfect and she kept me entertained.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook of What you Wish For, written by Katherine Center.

Uuuugh, have you ever had a person in your life who *mostly* drives you crazy, but there's still that something about them that keeps drawing you back for more. They twinkle and make you giggle juuuuuust enough. That's this book for me.

This is a super cheesy romcom about a teacher who gets to work with a principal who she once had a huge crush on, like EPIC (epic is a word that wasn't used near enough in this book, eyeroll). But the man she knew is no longer the man he is. Instead, he is the cartoon villain version of himself, obsessed with safety, the color gray, and never smiling or laughing. But she is still falling for him because, biceps!

And even though the teacher is being told over and over *why* he is like this, she isn't hearing it because it isn't being said directly to her. And why on earth would she take a hot second to wonder why her beloved crush is acting like victim of trauma. Apparently Google also is not available to her.

But listen, was it silly? Yes. Was it completely inflated and absent of nuance. Totally. Was it still adorable and swoony? Yes, of epic proportions. It's not the kind of thing I could read all the time, but a bit of sugar now and again never hurts.

What You Wish For was engaging right out of the gate. Sometimes I have difficulty getting into audio books when they are fiction because they can be very long and I am usually a fast reader and get inpatient. However, when there is an excellent narrator and the story is fast paced I can get behind them and this narrarator was great at keeping me interested! I also liked that it was set in Galveston, TX where I was born. There are not a lot of books I have come across set in Galveston, and it's a cool place so it's nice to see it featured in a book. I absolutely loved the story. It was funny, emotional, and an overall great contemporary book.

The story takes place at a prestigious private school in Texas. The principal is a beloved leader of the school that everyone loves working for. They are celebrating his birthday when he has a heart attack. Everyone at the school is devastated but especially Samantha Casey. Max was a father figure to the young woman who is without family of her own. She even lives in their carriage house behind their home. What what really hurts Sam is when her former crush from another school comes in to run her school. At the first faculty meeting Duncan pulls out a gun!!! He becomes obsessed with security and changes everything Sam loves about her school. He paints everything grey: the walls, the floors, the school uniforms for both students and teachers.
A mutiny of sorts grows among the staff. They have to bring Duncan closer to their way of doing things and soon. They are all miserable. And like any good love story I'm sure you can imagine what happens next.
I really enjoyed this story having taught school myself. I felt like I was working alongside them in this school.
This is the first book of Ms Center's that I have read but I will be looking for more. Her characters were believable and enjoyable.

This is not the first book by Katherine Center that I have read, but it is the first one I have listened it, and my feelings are conflicted.

I know she writes about “strong” women who fall all over men, and it never really bothered me as much until this book. Where this concept really bothered me and maybe listening to it gave me a new perspective.

I found myself wanting to finish but also wanting to skip any scene that the two main characters are in together. I didn’t particularly like either is them.

But I was invested in the school in the story and I think that is why I finished the book.

Elementary school librarian, Sam, is reeling from the loss of her school principal when she discovers that the new replacement is Duncan Carpenter. A teacher she worked with and was obsessed with at her previous school. As Duncan's transitions to his new role as principal, Sam must adjust her expectations with the new, unsettling reality of how Duncan has changed.
Fall in love with Sam and her lighthearted, quirky nature and watch as she breaks down Duncan's walls.

Choose happiness is the theme of this story about a young school librarian’s life falling apart around her. Therese Plummer’s bright, happy narration of the story is the fresh voice of Samantha Casey, the school librarian who is determined to not let the new principal of her school destroy her beloved school. The narration helped bring the characters into full flesh. Its an excellent choice for a summer listen. Engaging and positive.

Would you rather live in a bright, colorful world full of joy and fun or play it safe, avoid taking risks and getting your heart broken? We’ve all experienced emotional trauma in our lives, but do we let it get in our way of finding love and living our best life?⁣
Samantha is a school librarian and she loves her school family including Max, the principle and father figure in her life. When tragedy strikes and a new principal is chosen, it turns out to be someone from Sam’s past. But he’s different...⁣
This is a romantic comedy with a serious side to it. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Therese Plummer, does a wonderful job bringing the story to life. I felt like Sam was talking directly to me!

As a person who spent over 30 years in education, you would think I knew more about charter schools, but I don't. I was a bit surprised about some of the politics and situations, but if I put that aside and just enjoy the ride, I enjoyed this story. Samantha Casey (Sam) was one of those characters that you couldn't help but love. She was an amazing and caring teacher, who just wanted her school to be a wonderful place for kids to learn. She was loving, yet afraid to put herself out there and have a relationship. She had great daydreams though. When this story started, I did not like Duncan very much. He was a stereotypical administrator that everyone loved to hate, although readers know there has to be something that caused him change. I figured that part out pretty quickly. There were so many wonderful characters in this book, and I especially loved third grader, Clay Buckley. He was smart, caring, strong and ignored by his dad. Operation Duncan was a hoot. All the things they tried to get Duncan to do in order to have him realize how important having fun was, was quite touching. I do not want to ruin this story for anyone, so I will just say, this was another wonderful story by Katherine Center. Not as good as her last one, but still an enjoyable read. It is a second chance story. One about friendship, loyalty and following your dream. It deals with insecurities and fears. Even family dynamics and drama come into play. Of course, there is also romance, so something for everyone. The audiobook was very enjoyable. I did a read/listen and liked both methods equally. Thérèse Plummer does a great job with the voices, expression and emotions of the story. The pacing was great, and I did enjoy her performance.

This was even better as an audiobook than a hard copy! The narrator has the best voices, smooth delivery and I honestly felt like I was being told the story from Sam herself! Sam finding herself after a rough situation and choosing HERSELF is so inspiring, The pain these characters feel is so real and heartfelt,
KC is honestly my favorite author. Her books are PUNCHY, and raw! I fall in love with each character so easily, and the story line falls into place immediately. You can’t find a better feel good, quirky, and real romance novel. I devoured this story.