How To Walk Away is as charming as it was difficult (subject) to read. I couldnt wait til evening when I could continue reading it—Maggie had too much at stake not to see her through to the end. I find myself thinking about this character still, wondering what I would have done in her shoes. Though this would make a terrific movie, I would not like to see them change the story!

When Margaret Jacobsen finds herself paralyzed due to the hubris and stupidity of her fiancé, life looks pretty bleak - especially when her estranged sister shows up and creates family tension and her physical therapist turns out to be a humorless drill sergeant. But as is true on all of Katherine Center's books, hope is on the horizon. This is a charming story of tenacity and overcoming obstacles. Center give us a good, if somewhat predictable story of a young woman who overcomes great obstacles to create a rich and meaningful life. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Pilot. Small aircraft. Fiery crash. For the rest of her life, nothing will be the same for the heroine.

I pass over a lot of synopses and book pitches, but that one caught my eye, despite the category, "women's fiction," which some take to mean "literary," while I tend to fear over-used tropes of the romance genre.

The medical information was the best part of the story, for me. But that's just me. It's very evident that the author paid her dues and put in a lot of time and effort researching what her heroine would go through after that crash.

This one came with some tropes, yes, but also with some surprises. Some may stretch credulity, but it allows scenes to unfold with Hollywood clarity and drama. E.g., crashing a wedding, overseas: I'm trying to avoid SPOILERS, but I have to say this kind of thing is what I like least about women's fiction or chick flicks.

One of the tropes I hate most is in here. Let's just say it's kinda like when Edward told Bella in "Twilight" Book Two he didn't love her anymore, not because it was true, but because he figured the heartbreak and devastation of being rejected was better for her than being with him.

I hate that noble sacrifice.

It's a testament to a storyteller's power when I keep reading, in spite of an annoying trope. The characters must seem real or I won't keep turning the pages.

One of those novels that render you speechless. After a near-fatal accident, our heroine finds new meaning in life. Is this just another one of those conquer all despite the odds novels? Definitely not. A new twist because you feel the pain and you know there is no magical solution waiting around the corner, but still you can't wait to turn the page. Highly recommend!

We have all heard platitudes about what to do when adversity strikes: when life hands you lemons, make lemonade, etc. , but none of us really know what we'd do when faced with a life-changing situation. Margaret Jacobsen is faced with this dilemma after what should be the best day of her life turns upside down. Does Margaret get the happy ending she originally sought? Or does her idea of a happy ending change along with everything else?

How to Walk Away is closer to 3.5 than 3 just because it was such a charming romance, that is if you could call the story of a recovery from a plane crash that results in so much damage to the heroine charming.

Margaret is a recent MBA recipient about to get engaged to her longtime boyfriend Chip. Chip almost has his pilot's license and want to take Margaret out for a short flight. Although she is flying phobic, she senses that a proposal is in the offing and says yes (to both the flight and the proposal.) Unexpected weather causes a disaster from which Chip walks away and Margaret doesn't.

What follows is a lot of information about spinal chord injuries, buried secrets between Margaret and her sister Kitty, and their mother. You will also learn a lot about physical therapy, hospitals and insurance. (Interesting, that.) In the hospital Margaret meets hunky but dour Irish physical therapist, Ian. Here begins the romance, or is it merely transference. Meet caring parents, horrible boss Myles, and inner first -person sleepless night musings from Margaret.

The novel is fast-moving, despite the lengthy hospital stay, it's still a quick and easy read. I therefor recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.

I couldn't help but wonder why this is the second book I read this month where broken crockery becomes a metaphor for renewal when the dishes broken in anger get turned into a mosaic. Is this currently a thing in writer's workshops? (See "The Wake Up" by Katherine Ryan Hyde, a much more emotionally involving novel.)

Center writes well and professionally. However, this effort seemed to involve more research than genuine people, though sister Kitty comes closest to being interesting.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an early review copy.

I've always had an aversion to anything hospital-related. Seeing people suffering with sickness or injury is especially difficult for me. And reading novels or watching movies with related subject matter is something that I usually decide very early on that there has to be something else, anything else that I would rather be doing. But this novel was so impacting that it got me past all of that. It was that slim thread of hope that kept me reading until I reached the point where I could not put this down. I read it straight through.

This is one of those very poignant novels that causes the characters to become deeply and intricately introspective about their lives; it also causes the reader to become equally introspect about their own lives. And I think this is just one of the reasons that this novel is amazingly successful.

Will not reveal anything more, other than that it is an incredible read, well written in all aspects: plot, characterization and substance. So believable that it feels as though it is a true story. And full of hope . . if this does not inspire you and lift you up, nothing will.

It is the rare book that has impacted me as much as this one.

Margaret and her fiance Chip go for a plane ride, with Chip as the pilot. He has not passed his flying test yet and Margaret doesn't want to go, but Chip talks her into it. Suddenly they are flying in bad weather and the plane crashes. Chip gets out without a scratch but Margaret is paralyzed and burnt. I read this book because I was rooting for Margaret and wanted to see what she would do with her life. What would happen with Chip? Was she attracted to her new physical therapist Ian, what was the secret between her sister Kit and her mother and why Kit disappeared for 3 years? A good novel with interesting characters that you will root for again and again.

A plane crash has left Margaret with a life she doesn't recognize. Is Chip her fiancé or isn't he? What exactly is her prognosis? Why does her mother insist on redecorating her hospital room? Why does everyone insist on framing this in how it affects them rather than her?

I think this last question is the most interesting to me in the novel - when you're a good girl, when you have always done what is expected, then there is this ability for people to expect that you'll always defer, to be nice, to put their needs above theirs. I loved that Margaret figures out ways to change expectations. With everything that she's lost in this crash, she gains the ability to see people more clearly, to self-advocate and to think more about what she needs and wants, rather than what will make others happy.

Beyond this....initially this felt like a fairly typical (if well-written) chick lit book where our heroine is overcoming adversity, finding herself AND also, the perfect guy. However, it moves beyond those tropes and stretches into a deeper and more complex story. While the book holds some predictability, it also gets you there in an unexpected series of events, draws a family of complex characters and makes the book a fantastic, interesting and soulful experience.

How to Walk Away is a powerful, poignant, heartfelt story of one woman's tumultuous journey from being on the cusp of a perfect life to losing it all in a heartbeat to clawing and scratching her way out of the depths of despair while desperately searching for the courage, determination, and motivation to live again - whatever that might mean for her. I started this book late one afternoon and finished it before midnight in one sitting. From cover to cover, I remained ensnared in the web of a story I simply couldn't stop reading. Katherine Center's brilliantly written book engages a range of human emotions - the giddy highs of hope, anticipation, and happiness to the dark lows of despair, utter hopelessness, and uncontrollable grief and loss. From tears and an aching heart to smiles and a ray of hope, this book moved me. I can never ask for more than that from a book or author.

I'm not discussing details of this story as there's no way to do that without completely spoiling it for future readers. Instead, I'll share the beautiful job Center does in delivering characters that are realistically depicted given the devastating situation they find themselves facing. Love them or hate them, every character's role is portrayed flawlessly - in color - vivid and rich with emotional turmoil - either degrading and condescending or supportive and loving. I found myself wanting to hug some and strangle others, but either way they felt real. The genuine, thought-provoking plot line that was so obviously researched in minute detail is conveyed through a writing style that flows and ebbs like an ocean wave at all the right times, portraying the highs and lows of this story with an emotional punch to the heart and a serious reality check to the brain. As the story unfolds, several beautiful, life messages emerge from Center's gripping telling of Maggie's agonizing journey, but none ring truer than the importance of summoning the will to try again - to reach for your new happy ever after. We must recognize, embrace, and accept that there are many different kinds of happy ever after. You may not get the one you once dreamed of, but you can achieve another that is just as beautiful if you dare own it. Katherine Center's How to Walk Away is a captivating, breathtaking story of hope, courage, perseverance, and the never-ending power of true love. A Page-Burning, Must Read!

Prepare to be blown away by How to Walk Away, just one of Katherine Center's beautifully, often comically written, bittersweet novels of overcoming tragedy and persevering. I was hooked on the first page, and everything else had to wait while I delved, completely absorbed, into this fantastic book.

Margaret Jacobsen has just finished an M.B.A. and been told "unofficially" that she has a great new job. Her finance, Charles Philip Dunbar ("Chip") has not yet completed the requirements for his pilots' license.
 
Knowing she is terrified of flying, he coerces her into getting into a small plane that doesn't belong to him. While in the air, he proposes to her, but the weather turns ugly. Chip walks away without a scratch.  Margaret is seriously injured.
 
This is a story of the love of a family, warts and all. Margaret's sister, Kitty, and their mother have never gotten along, and have been estranged for three years. Mom has a deep, dark secret, that will devastate the family, but it has to come out. While hospitalized, Margaret learns that enduring, romantic love can be found in the most unexpected times and places.
 
This is a book I will not soon forget. It's one I am likely to read again in the future -- there aren't too many of those. I think I may have found another favorite author. This book is an absolute must-read.
 
What Makes This Book Reviewer Grumpy?
 
There are the usual things: a few split infinitives, a few incomplete sentences, and a lot of sentences beginning with conjunctions. Mostly, though, there were a huge number of single-sentence paragraphs. That is a huge no-no. Every time, those single sentences could have been included in either the preceding paragraph or the following one. Still this is an outstanding book. Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

Gripping, absorbing story about how a woman turns a personal tragedy into a new life. From the clinical perspective, I found “How to Walk Away” very realistic, well researched and detailed. The heroine’s feelings and the way she deals with her new reality sound authentic and kept me interested throughout the book (I’ve read it in one setting).
The tortured hero, with just the right amount of aloofness, was alluring. And that Scottish burr…
I also loved the heroine’s relationship with her sister and the family drama added some interest to the story.
The ex-fiancée was just a bit too evil for my taste.

I was so happy when the publisher sent me a copy of this book!
Margaret is a young woman that survives a plane crash, leaving her with spinal cord injuries and third degree burns. After losing her job, fiancé and the ability to walk, the journey to rebuild her life is captivating, she will make new discoveries and family secrets, and finally she will find love.
My favorite quotes:
“You have to live the life you have. You have to find inspiration in the struggle, and pull joy out of the hardship”.
“Carry the sorrow when we have to, and absolutely savor the joy when we can.”
“The crash all those years ago shattered the life I had, but the pieces wound up making a pretty good mosaic”.
Thank you, Katherine for writing such an inspiring book.
How to walk away is definitely one of my favorite books by Katherine Center.

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center immediately immerses you into the life of Mag, Kit, Chip and their parents.
Bringing you into the world of youth, vitality, and arrogance. How life can plunge you into the depths of despair and tragedy and yet bring joy through that same tragedy.
How to Walk Away reminded me how you can only truly know joy after you've experienced sorrow.
I loved this book!!!
Definitely worthy of FIVE stars.

Margaret Johnson has the perfect life, with a job she loves and an amazing fiancée. All that change sin a heartbeat when the plane her fiancée is piloting goes down. He walks away without a scratch, while she is seriously injured. Now, lying in a hospital bed, she has to find the courage and the strength to literally start over. With a little help from her friend and family and a brilliant physical therapist, she’ll do her best. The only question that remains is, does she really want her life back as it was before the crash? Center creates characters readers will love (and hate ) in this lovely story

I really enjoyed this book, it was a quick read. What happened to Maggie was so gut wrenching I literally felt her pain especially when Chip said she looked like a pizza. I would definitely recommend this book and read more of what this author has to offer!

I could not put this one down. Really enjoyed the family dynamics, especially once Kit came on the scene. The building tension with Ian was well portrayed. And the suspense of Maggie's recovery from her gruesome injuries was riveting. This was a winning combo of family healing, personal healing and growth, and romance. Plus Camp Hope sounded fantastic. THIS IS HOW WE ROLL!

This is a coming of age story laced with tragic events, romance, and family relationships.

Margaret had a bright future, everything a young woman like her would ever want. Just when she thought she was at the top of the world, her world collapses after an accident. Being partially paralyzed and losing everything she treasured before took a tool on her. She almost lost her grip on life and decided to give up. Luckily, she found someone with their one burdened past. Her crisis also became a turning point for her already dysfunctional family, they all learned a lot about their family during this time.

In the end, this is a story about being beaten down by life, and finding another way to be happy. The story line isn't crazily original, but it's entertaining and readable. Would recommend to New Adult romance lovers and women's fiction readers. This is kind of a happier version of Me Before You meets Stronger (movie) in my opinion.