I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore
--The Heart of the Matter, Don Henley, Songwriters: Mike Campbell / Don Henley / John David Souther

Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter for the city of Austin as this story begins. She lives, breathes, imbibes the gospel of firefighting, and all that goes with the territory. She sees herself as strong, independent and accepted by this crew of men and women firefighters. It’s taken her ten years to get to this place, emotionally and physically. She’s nervously anticipating the service award which the mayor is going to present to her, when a last minute change in plans disrupts the event. And her life, as well.

At the point in her life where most girls are on the verge of womanhood, their bodies developed or soon to be so, physical and emotional changes disrupting their social, emotional, familial lives, sixteen is a pivotal year. And on that day, her sixteenth birthday, Cassie’s mother leaves her husband and her daughter Cassie and moves away with another man. Angry and hurt, what she chooses to do that night ends up hurting her even more in the long run. She shuts her mother out of her life, as much as possible.

When her mother calls her soon after the award event, telling her she wants, needs her to come to her home in Massachusetts, she is losing - has lost - sight in one eye, and needs her assistance, Cassie can’t believe she’s even asking. After numerous refusals to even think about it, Cassie acquiesces, and finds herself working for the Lillian Fire Department, a small town near Boston, and near her mother’s home. A fire department that has always been run by men, and only men, and would have remained that way if they hadn’t been desperately looking for two new recruits.

There are many themes in this story, misogyny is unflinchingly front and center, but there are several themes that weave their way through this story, including love. But quietly ever-present in the background is the theme of forgiveness, the power of actually hearing others stories, and the peace that is attained by forgiving others, as well as ourselves.



Pub Date: 13 Aug 2019


Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

An Unputdownable, Funny, Fabulous and Sweet novel, that will end up on my Best of List for 2018!
How do I love Thee? Let me tell you the ways! “Things You Save in a Fire” turned me into a complete mush. Yes, it’s true and I admit it. I know, I know, it’s unbelievable right? Roll your eyes at me, go ahead - it seems utterly preposterous given what you all know of me, but it happened. I’ve been transformed into a schmoopy girl for real. And you have Katherine Center to thank.

After How To Walk Away there was zero chance I wasn’t going to do whatever was necessary in order to get my hands on Katherine Center’s next release. Lucky for me the powers that be at St. Martins haven’t figured out I’m awful yet and gave me an early copy.

The story here is of Cassie. Her momma walked out on the family when she was just a kid, but she coped by never letting anyone get too close and becoming a real up-and-comer in the fire department of a town known for keeping it weird. No, the other one. Austin. While receiving an award for being such a kickass kind of gal, an . . . . unfortunate incident occurs leaving Cassie the options of (1) publicly apologize for her behavior or (2) risk termination. Due to reasons (no spoilsies, but the book explains things and you’ll instantly know what’s up even without being told) she chooses the latter. A coinky-dink of long-gone momma coming back into Cassie’s life asking for some temporary help and an available job opportunity in the same neck of the woods has Cassie relocating to Boston to an old-school firehouse with both antiquated equipment as well as mindset. Can Cassie’s ability and work ethic turn things around? Maybe . . . . iffffffffffff she can avoid “the Rookie” . . . .

Okay, so here’s a disclaimer I feel I need to make. I totally gave a book 1 Star like a week ago for having this same subplot and I’m 4 Starring this one. What can I say? I do what I do. I think these quotes in the author’s little bio blurb say it best. Katherine Center writes “bittersweet comic novels” that are “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” She also does good cover with similar art work and bright colors that even my Old Lady Brain can’t help but say: “hey, I know this lady – you like her stuff.” It’s safe to say she’s officially a must read writer for me.

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks netgally.com for giving me the opportunity to read this arc. Anyways, I’ve read Katherine Last book and I fell in love with her writing. I saw this book here And I decided that it would be amazing to read this book. The plot is very good and I love the character specially the heroine, she was strong and that’s what we as woman want to read nowadays. You should read it for sure!

I can’t tell you how many times I had a lump in my throat, tears in my eyes (joyful and sad), a grin on my face. I was swept away by a tidal wave of emotions reading this beautiful book. So many times I cried and laughed—often on the same page. Cassie Hanwell is truly one of the most complete characters I’ve ever met in a book. Her journey was one of courage, pain, forgiveness, and love; a tough outer shell protecting her from the past, waiting for her heart to break through that barrier. Owen was the perfect foil to Cassie’s resistance; her mother, so persistent and wise; the guys in her firefighting crew were as loyal as they were obnoxious. This book is a tribute to firefighters everywhere, brave men and women who put their lives on the line everyday. Katherine Pannill Center has this wonderful ability to keep readers engaged from beginning to end, filling the pages with heart and humor, connecting readers to her characters and their stories so that we truly feel their pain and celebrate their joys. “Yes the world is full of unspeakable cruelty. But the answer wasn’t to never feel hope, or bliss, or love—but to savor every fleeting, precious second of those feelings when they come. The answer wasn’t to never love anyone. It was to love like crazy whenever you could.”

Not my first Katherine Center read, and certainly not my last. Fast-paced, funny, tender, traumatic...with great, relatable characters. Kept me reading late into the night. Surprising insight into firehouse dynamics - it's always a pleasure to learn something significant in an entertaining read. Four-and-a-half stars.

If you like romance, interpersonal drama, and women running the show in a male dominated field then pick this book up on August 13th!

This story focuses on Cassie, a female firefighter, who moves across the country to take of her estranged mother that is going blind and needs her help. She struggles along the way with work drama, family drama and personal life drama that it definitely kept me engaged. This book focuses on forgiveness and that was definitely a highlight for me! With that said, I did find a lot of it predictable and had a really hard time connecting with the characters. The ending also felt very rushed to me. 3.5 stars but rounded to 4.

I read How To Walk Away last summer and I was really looking forward to reading and reviewing this book. I'm so glad that I was able to have the opportunity to read this book early in order to help promote it! I have to say that this story was even better than How To Walk Away. There was a little tie to How To Walk Away and that was cute to see. The writing style makes it very easy to read even when it gets to tough topics. The ending was very gripping. I did not want to put it down. It was very intense and I just had to find out how it ended. The character development was nice to see. The main character didn't always come across as likable, but by the end I really liked her. The romance was very cute and was done in a careful way that it didn't overtake the whole message of the story. I loved seeing the relationship between the main character and her mother grew through the story. It was done in a very believable way. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to more books that this author publishes in the future. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!
I have been super excited about this book and was even more pumped when I received an advance copy. I absolutely loved her book “How to Walk Away” and was a little nervous this book would not have the same standard. No need to be nervous in fact this book was even better, which I would have never thought possible!
I loved the main character and her story of being a female fire fighter in a male dominant field. She had the “super hero woman” personality that I adored but was still relatable. I cried, laughed, and just lived through this characters story!
I highly recommend this book and it will be the book the Summer!

“The night I became the youngest person—and the only female ever—to win the Austin Fire Department’s Valor Award, I got propositioned by my partner.”

I mean... that opening!!!!! This was super easy to read feel good book about a really badass female firefighter and lovable characters. I loved the little Easter egg she threw in from “how to walk away”
The ending was slightly too storybook-romance tied with a beat bow on top but I’m not sure if I would’ve wanted it to end any other way.

I have been in a reading slump for a while and decided to pick this up due to the cover. Great choice as I finished it in one sitting!! I have read several by Katherine Center and have never been disappointed, but I think this is my favorite so far! I loved all of the characters (even the not so nice ones) and enjoyed the quick pace. It was emotional, humorous, uplifting and featured a great female firefighter main character.

I received an ARC through NetGalley and I'm SO grateful I did! This novel is INCREDIBLE. Cassie is such a likeable character -- she's strong, brave, and still learning. I was rooting for her the entire way. There are numerous relationships (familial, romantic, and platonic alike!) and they are all true-to-life. I didn't want this book to end.

As soon as it hits shelves, grab a copy! I'm predicting it will definitely be a contender for book of the summer.

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Cassie has a cool head, and she's a firefighter. She's a really good one too.

When her estranged mom asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston to help her, Cassie goes, but isn't ready for what comes her way. There is hazing at the Boston firehouse, the facilities are in poor shape, and the firemen are not happy to have a lady join them on the job.....except one who doesn't seem to mind so much..

Cassie doesn't fall in love, and she especially doesn't date firemen.......but this one is starting to get to her!

#NetGalley #ThingsYouSaveinaFire

This was another top-notch read from Katherine Center. I find myself still thinking of the characters months after finishing.

After reading a book that I love I usually always have a lull in reading. Who we kidding? The whole last two years has been a lull for me. I always just want something that is enjoyable and easy to read after that type of book. I just usually have a hard time finding it and end up one starring stuff.


This is that type book. And I liked it. I liked it a lot. I gave up sleep for this book. Sleep is one of my favorite things.

The book is centered on a female firefighter (Cassie) who gets in a bit of a hot mess back in her hometown of Texas. She loves the job though and does not want to start off again. Her estranged mom has called and wants her to spend a year 'helping her' after her eyesight is starting to go. Cassie agrees to do it just so she can keep doing what she loves.

The move from Texas to Boston is totally new. She is living in a small house with her mom (who she has never forgiven for leaving) and the new fire department? Full of old school guys who don't think 'a lady' needs to be in their environment.

Then Cassie sees the Rookie. He starts on the same day she does. He is not the picture perfect little firefighter that calendars are made of...but the dude saves puppies.


*swoon*

This is a cute little story. I was never bored. I liked the characters and even when it went on the mushy side I still didn't chunk it. Probably because I liked reading about a main character that kicks butts AND is female.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Protagonist Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter who is uprooted to take care of her mother in a town that does not want a female firefighter. Not only does Cassie prove them wrong, she is able to learn a lot about forgiveness along the way. Cassie grew up thinking some things in her life were true - and has spent a lot of time avoiding them since. It was an amazing growth story to see her open up her heart to the people around them even if it meant she could get hurt again.

The characters were relatable and this is the kind of story that leaves you rooting for every character. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center for gifting me this advanced reader copy!

Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center is a relatively quick read, but it delves into a deep subject.
Cassie is a firefighter and has struggled with being female in a male profession. She's worked hard to get where she is. She's also been estranged from her mother.
Her mother contacts her and requests help. Cassie will need to quit her job and move to a new fire company where she will have to fight to prove herself again. And all for a woman she had had many problems with.
Cassie learns about forgiveness and the value of letting go of old hurts and anger.

Things You Save in a Fire was my first title by Katherine Center. I'm struggling to write this one a bit... while I thought it was a quick, mostly charming story, I feel like I'm rating it somewhat low in a field of 4-5 star reviews.

Cassie's relationship with her mother and the process of healing and understanding was my favorite part of this story. I also appreciated Cassie's growth of character... it felt like she deepened and came to terms with a lot through the course of the book. (And Owen? Well, what more could you want in a love interest??) Despite Cassie's growth, though, I had trouble connecting with her through most of the book. And the ending wrapped everything up a little too quickly and neatly for me... there was just this huge mess and then everything suddenly fell into place.... it just felt a little convenient and forced. Some reviews described this as a romantic comedy/drama... I feel like it was mostly family and romantic drama. (I'll include a trigger warning for sexual assault - although that's not described in any detail.)

I do think it's worth a look for lovers of women's fiction, and when it releases in August, it'll be a very popular end-of-summer beach read! Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital review copy.

Though not my favorite genre, Things You Save in a Fire is an entertaining, enjoyable, light read. I think there were elements of the book that could have been improved, mainly the tone and the predictability of the book, but honestly, it truly fits the genre. This would make a great beach read, in my opinion.

Things You Save in a Fire is a breathtaking novel that just lingers with you long after it’s done. I read it in less than a day, and was immediately sucked into Cassie’s world as a badass femal firefighter. Over the course of the novel, we see her struggles as she finally deals with some family issues and learns the true meaning of forgiveness. There’s subtle but important lesson running throughout but it’s so well woven into the novel, that you almost can’t tell it’s there. There’s also a pretty perfect romantic interest which helps soften Cassie’s tough exterior and show us that sometimes being vulnerable is a strength and that sometimes the best things can come out of that.