This is the second book of Katherine Center's that I have read. I felt this book (like her other, How to Walk Away) was a slow start. I actually remember telling people to give it time, and I felt the same way with this one. I LOVED the reference, towards the beginning, that was about How To Walk away. Don't worry though you need not to have read that book to understand. AS I mentioned it was a slow start but once it got going it was GREAT! Katherine did a great job of interweaving personal issues into the book and giving you a front row seat of how the characters operated. Typically you can make some predictions, and I was correct on a few but there were definitely some twists that I did not see coming.

This book is pure happiness. I'm a huge fan of Center's work because she somehow always manages to take topics that are so incredibly painful and heavy (i.e. family issues, abandonment, terminal illness, isolation, rape, forgiveness) and turn them into moments of joy and hope. Like the last book of hers I read, How to Walk Away, this is a very poignant journey that leaves the protagonist (and the reader) somewhere different afterwards. I loved every character though of course Cassie takes the cake. Her strength is inspiring but her moments of courageous vulnerability even more so. She grows so much in this story. I didn't dislike a single character; they each add something special to the story and have their own unique issues and voices to bring with them. It's a lovely setting too. I loved picturing Diana's house throughout the story.

What's so fascinating to me about this book is the pacing. I felt as though I couldn't put it down but not for the typical reasons of hanging chapter endings or breakneck action. Instead, it was more that I just wanted to sit in this story. It felt so wonderful, even in the dark moments, and I was rooting so hard for Cassie that I had to keep reading. That's so tricky to do but Center handles it was a masterful hand. I absolutely loved the ending, loved the redemption and the growth that Cassie and the others go through to get there. Of course there's sadness too, not everything is perfect, but it's sad in a touching, this-is-right kind of way. I absolutely see this book being THE beach/vacation/summer read of 2019. There's something for everyone to take away from this story, as long as you're open to it.

Oh, and sidetone. There's a little Easter egg in here for those who've read How to Walk Away. It made me insanely happy so now my fingers are crossed to see something similar from this novel in Center's next published work.


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin's Press, and the author Katherine Center for the opportunity to do so.

Amazing!!! This book grips you from the start. It is one you can’t put down. One you don’t want to!

While you see what’s coming about half way through- Cassie’s journey is an amazing one! Also a common one. From personal issues to overcome, to work obstacles. It’s so very relatable.

My favorite part of this book was the epilogue. I love when authors put nice little bows on the book and tie every thing up for you.

Once I started reading this book, it was impossible to put down. I loved the author's writing style. Her characters were relatable and entertaining even while they were dealing with some pretty big issues. I kept telling myself "one more page" and that was a complete lie.

Cassie Hanwell is a female firefighter. As the daughter of a single dad/basketball coach, she doesn't mind being surrounded by guys in a male-dominated career. She is a superstar in her Texas firehouse...until she isn't anymore. At the same time, her estranged mom is recovering from surgery and asks her to come help...in Boston...for just a year. Something Cassie really doesn't want to do. But when her career options shrink, she gives in and moves across the country. Into a station that really doesn't want a "lady" in their midst. Cassie knocks herself out to do all the right things and do them better than anyone else. At the same time she is trying really hard to just provide the help her mother needs without any sticky relationship stuff.

For me one of the most powerful messages in this book is about forgiveness. The characters are flawed and make mistakes, so there are plenty of opportunities to talk about it. The book generated so many questions. What is forgiveness? Who is it for? What holds us back? What moves us forward? I will remember this book and think about what it has taught me for many years to come. It is my favorite book I have read this year.

I am thankful for the advance electronic copy I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, what an amazing book! Katherine Center has told a story of love, forgiveness, tragedy, and downright funny! The characters are relatable and lovable. The story is truly authentic with a hint of an unlikely love story. I fully enjoyed this story because it was not only entertaining, but it touched my heart and made me reflect on bringing more compassion to my life through forgiveness. Forgiveness for the people who have hurt me in the past and forgiveness of myself so I can move forward and find joy.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy.

When it comes to tough, Hanwell’s picture is probably next to the definition in the dictionary. She is a firefighter. A strong, resilient, smart as hell and quick on her feet, firefighter. But is that enough to go to Boston? They ain’t exactly lookin to have a ‘lady’ in the firehouse out East.

See, I’m not sure the synopsis on Goodreads does this book justice. In Things You Save in a Fire, Cassie Hanwell has built a nice wall around herself since her mom left 10 years ago. Simply put, she is BAD ASS. It’s been just her and her dad in Austin. Honestly, she fell into firefighting. But when you know you’ve found something you’re really good at, you just KNOW. And Hanwell is a really, really good firefighter. Anyway, so, the synopsis talks about love and while there is a story in there, this isn’t some romance. Suddenly, Mom is asking for her after all this time and she is just expected to go? To leave everything for some deadbeat who abandoned her? Ha, ok. Sure.

Things You Save is a story about resilience, empowerment, and above all, forgiveness. Does Cassie find love? You’ll have to read to find that out. She sure is stubborn, though. And full of so much heart and hurt. She really needs to prove that she can handle the job that have been held by men for one hundred and twenty years at this department. She should probably let a few of those walls come down too.

I am so glad I got the chance to read this book. I pictured what I knew from folks I know in the field, peppered in with some of my knowledge from Dennis Leary and Rescue Me (remember that show?!). Center’s portrayals are on point and the characters, every single one of them, were written brilliantly. I’m already casting in my head.

Definitely pick this one up for an end of summer read. Highly recommend.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved it!! I'm a huge fan of Katherine Center and have loved all her books. It might be my new favorite, next to "How to Walk Away." Cassie even mentions helping Margaret during the airplane fire. This book was simply wonderful. It made me laugh and cry. Cassie was one tough cookie. I enjoyed everything about the book- the story, characters and the writing style. I was hooked from the very beginning. Who knew a plaque for the Valor Award would be used as a weapon??? When Diana called Cassie asking for some help, it did bring me to tears. Not because of the strained mother-daughter relationship, but because of Diana's medical issues. I felt her pain. I know what it's like to not to have vision in one eye. The depth perception issue and the tripping is a real problem. My immediate thoughts were - please go help your mom!!! The hazing at the Boston firehouse wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. I thought it was going to be much worse. I chuckled at the T-shirt that Cassie bought for DeStasio. The crochet club was great, a club of two people. I fell in love with the Rookie when they saved the chihuahua and calls the puppies poo-huahuas. Then when Cassie asks him if he is carrying a puppy in his arms-- his answer just made me smile!!!

Definitely recommend the book and the author's previous books!!! I can't wait to read more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center - I loved her other BOTM pick, How to Walk Away, so this was a must read for me and didn’t disappoint. While I saw a lot of the story unfolding in the beginning, I still enjoyed the drama and romance. It was a quick read and I loved the characters - what more could you want...Other than actual covers on these kindle ARCs...

She did it again. Katherine Center will NEVER disappoint you. She has this amazing, raw talent when it comes to writing that brings the story alive. You truly know each of the characters and with the way she writes, it's as if youre listening to the characters speak and not actually reading their words. Not many people write like her.

So, it's safe to say that you will fall head over heels for Cassie and the handsome Rookie, Owen. Their story just melts your heart and you'll find yourself smiling at the situations they get themselves into and yearning for those moments when they'll be together again. I swear, I was crushing on Rookie just as much as Cassie was. Like, I needed to see him again probably more than she did!

Honestly, words can't ever do Center's novels justice. They're just that amazing. You need to read this one and every other one she ever wrote because they won't let you down. I have only ever read How to Walk Away and the fact that she mentioned it in this story made my heart squeal. I loved that one so much so it was such a nice touch to throw in a sentence or two for us to catch. Then when I finished, I saw that she has written a bunch of books and I need to get my hands on them too!

Great job and please, please, please keep writing! You're phenomenal!

-Description-
Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter who beats the crap out of Heath Thompson...a guy from her past. No spoilers here...happens right away. Then she gets a call from her estranged mother, who asks her to come live with her for a year and help her with some health issues. Cassie gets a new job at the “good old boys” fire station & goes to live with her mother.

-Thoughts-
1. So this book was ok. But to be honest, I didn’t understand the point. Was it a romance novel, a mystery, a family drama. I guess it was kind of all of them. It just didn’t hit enough of each one. Too scattered.
2. Cassie and the other characters were just one demential to me. Cassie was self-righteous (which I guess many 20 somethings can be), but this strive for perfection was just too unrealistic and it made me not like her at all. I preferred the “villain” in the story...but even that character made me roll my eyes.
3. The writing was fine, it just wasn’t real. I couldn’t connect. The conversations wouldn’t happen in real life. Cassie’s responses to things that were happening to her or things she aaa accused of, were mind boggling. The unrealistic reactions annoyed me.

-Rating-
⭐️⭐️
This rating means I do not recommend this book.

-Similar Recommended Reads-
Ask Again, Yes
Small Great Things
All We Ever Wanted

Cassie Hanwell is a strong woman. There is nothing "soft" or "girly" about her. She even does what is traditionally a "man's job," firefighting, and she excels at it. Cassie is happy and comfortable with her life in Austin as a busy, independent, and single woman. But of course all of that changes when a series of events lead her to uproot her life and move to a small town in Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts, Cassie must start over at a new firehouse, as well as care for her estranged mother, whom she has not forgiven for wronging her in the past. Along the way, Cassie just may learn that being vulnerable doesn't necessarily mean being weak, and forgiveness is healing for the soul.

This is the kind of book where you know going into it that it is going to have a happy ending. You know it is going to be mushy and probably a bit cheesy. And it definitely was. While this book is not mind-blowing literature, it does make you feel good while reading it, and that warm feeling remains long after the final page is read.

Tough as nails Cassie Hanwell is a female firefighter who excels at her job and strives for greatness. However, events that unfolded on her 16th birthday come back to haunt her as she’s forced to make decisions she never intended to make. The life and name she has created for herself are all at stake, and as she uproots her life against her better judgement, her life continues to flip upside down and the strong-willed, emotionless Cassie is tested with every decision she makes. How does she handle love? How does she handle her family relationships? How does she handle one of the biggest firefighting challenges that she’s faced with and at what cost does she want to save the lives of others while keeping hers in tact?

For Cassie Hanwell, staying cool under pressure, saving people’s lives and being there for some of their most devastating moments isn’t just her job; it’s her passion and what she lives for.

A no-nonsense, unapologetic, tough-as-nails firefighter, Cassie can hold her own in the largely male-dominated Austin firehouse. Having been abandoned by her mother – as well as violated by her high school crush – on her sixteenth birthday, the 26-year-old has survived and thrived by keeping everyone at arm’s length, closing herself off to love and refusing to be vulnerable. When she comes face-to-face with the man who assaulted her so many years ago on the night she is to receive a valor award for saving children from a life-threatening school bus accident, however, her emotional armor cracks and takes her across the country to the mother who abandoned her and a tiny, old-school firehouse outside of Boston that has never employed a female firefighter.

As she works to help her visually-impaired mother and prove that she can be one of the guys, Cassie becomes even more guarded and closed-off, refusing to give her colleagues any reason to view her as vulnerable, weak or girly. That is, until she meets firefighter Owen “The Rookie” Callaghan, who just might be worth letting her guard down for.

This novel was a great mix of heavy topics mixed with plenty of humor, love, and most of all, forgiveness. From forgiving her mother to forgiving herself, Cassie experiences tremendous growth and discovers that love and forgiveness don’t make people weak; they make them strong, and while bad things happen in life, they make the good times even more important.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself reading well into the night to find out what happened. My only complaint is that the epilogue tied things up just a little too perfectly; I think it could have concluded with the final chapter, or maybe another couple chapters about what life was like for the main characters immediately following the crux of the book. Overall, this was a sweet, well-written and enjoyable book, and I’m excited to read Center’s debut novel, How to Walk Away, soon!

Things You Save in a Fire is available to pre-order now and hits shelves Aug. 13! This is a great book to get you out of a reading slump or to read on vacation, over a weekend, or at the beach, so make sure to add it to your summer reading list! Thank you so much to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed How to Walk Away last summer by Katherine Center, and was excited to read her latest this summer! Things You Save in a Fire did not disappoint, it lived up to it's predecessor and in some ways exceeded my expectations.
From the first pages I was drawn in by Cassie's inner monologue, and the witty dialogue she dishes out with her fellow firefighters. She is immediately likeable as the hero of this story: fierce, strong, hard working, yet so very vulnerable. The reason she has to leave Texas goes beyond her ailing mother, and makes for a dramatic opening scene in the book which hints at something that has shaped her entire adult life. That the process of confronting her trauma didn't hinge entirely on a romance was absolutely refreshing. Though, I absolutely adored the sweet and slightly cheesy romance with the rookie! If you are looking for a sweet romance, you will be completely satisfied! And if you also enjoy complex family relationships, there is definitely something there, too. The journey of forgiveness and understanding with her mother, as well as a mysterious harasser within the fire department, was so compelling and thought provoking.
"Maybe you need to find something new to add to your life, instead of just clutching so hard to the past that you strangle it."
Upon reading the acknowledgements, I realized that Katherine Center's husband is a firefighter and thought that was pretty cool. She must've had the absolute straight scoop and it was certainly interesting to learn a little bit about what it might be like inside a fire station. Also, if you read How to Walk Away, you might recognize Cassie from the early part of the book!
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED it! It made me laugh and it made me cry. I was so consumed with the story I read it within a few hours.
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Cassie is a strong independent Firefighter who is afraid of love and struggles with forgiveness but loves her job. She has worked hard to get where she is and then she uproots her life to go live with her mom. It’s a love story but it’s also about forgiveness and letting yourself be loved by those around you including family. It also highlights the struggles women have to deal with when they have a job that are male dominated.
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The story talks about the importance of forgiveness and I loved that. As humans we struggle to forgive and let go. I saw myself in some ways in Cassie when it came to forgiveness and love. The author did an amazing job writing about these topics.

All the stars and all the feels for this story of forgiveness, courage and love!

I thought I couldn’t love a book more than Center’s How To Walk Away, but wow, this one blew me away. You’ll recognize the main character, Cassie, as the paramedic from Walk Away, who leaves the Austin area for the Boston suburbs to live with her mom for a year to help her acclimate to losing the vision in one eye, but Cassie soon learns there’s more to it than that. She’s also the only “lady” firefighter with the Lillian Fire Department which possesses challenges of its own especially after she meets the other new firefighter, rookie Owen Callaghan.

I want everyone to read this book! We all need a book boyfriend once in a while and who doesn’t love a hot firefighter who likes to bake chocolate chip cookies??

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

Cassie has worked hard to get where she is as a fire fighter. She receives an award and is being looked at for promotion. The presenter of the award cause Cassie to make a decision that changes the course of her life. Estranged from her mother Cassie is asked to help her out for a year. Cassie has no choice but to go to Boston and help her mother out and take a job at a small fire department. Cassie has not idea how her life will change in the coming months. A great story of starting over, reconciliation and forgiveness.

I enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire, but not as much as How to Walk Away. The ending felt kind of rushed and later storylines felt thrown together, but overall my attachment to the main character Cassie is why I gave this novel a 4.

Things You Save in a Fire is a unique story that blends together controversial topics and creates a beautiful story of Cassie. Cassie is a female fire fighter who makes a few small choices that change her life.
This story is written in almost a memoir style, and through her trials and tribulations it's hard to remember you're reading fiction!
My only issue that made this a 4 star book for me is that I wanted a little more out of the ending. It wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking - I would love a follow up novel!

I devoured this book. It’s heartbreaking and funny and sweet all at the same time. It's the the best book I’ve read all year. I stayed up half the night finishing it, sniffling to myself and hoping I didn't wake my husband up with my crying. It gave me all the feels.

Do yourself a favor and read it, because it’s amazing. And if you haven’t read How to Walk Away, read that too!

Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers.