**I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Warning! This book will leave you with a massive book hangover.

I never wanted to stop reading this. The characters are amazing. It's told form the 1st person, so it only has the one lady's perspective. But it's her story, so it works really well.

There is some romance, and some overcoming adversity, but really it's a story about forgiveness. The main character is a firefighter, she is wicked smart and talented and loves her job more than anything. I just can't say it enough, I really, really loved this book. Even more than the last one by Katherine Center that I read. I'm 100% a fan now!

What a good book... she is such strong person and grew so much in a year. I could only wish to be able to grow as much as she has. I got have a book hangover from this one. I read the book in about 5-6 hrs. Ver you well written, flows amazingly and did not want to put it down. I loved the character development, the author did not go overboard with details but enough to get to know them a bit and just the right amount to fall in love with the protagonist.

4.5 stars !!!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!!!

My first Katherine Center book. Once again thank you St. Martin's press for the ARC approval. This is story about a tough as nails female firefighter, Cassie, who forcefully maneuvers her way through a male dominated career - yet, it seems her personal life requires even more force and skillful navigating.

If I had to use one word to describe Cassie's story it would be satisfying. The characters and their interactions fed a need I have been missing in books lately. There are real people and real relationships written in such a natural appealing way I caught on quick that this author just gets it. She gets what responses and dialogue will pull at the readers heart, she got us to feel real empathy. Yes to actually feel! It was all so.....human.

I have already grabbed more of her books! This is exactly what I needed. It makes it all so more rewarding because it was unexpected.

Katherine Center’s storytelling gets better and better with each book she publishes. Things You Save in a Fire is Ms. Center’s latest and the best yet. Cassie is a firefighter/paramedic in the Austin FD who, because of a response to a reintroduction to someone from her past, makes a decision that derails her career and puts her back on the path to another person from her past, her mother, Diana. Because Cassie needs to relocate quickly, and because her mother needs her help, Cassie finds herself the newbie at the Lillian, MA FD, a small department with an anti-female firefighter Captain. Cassie must prove herself to the colorful cast of firefighters she’s now working with: Case, Six-pack, Destasio, Sullivan and Captain Murphy. Then there’s rookie firefighter Owen Callaghan, who with the first look makes Cassie forget all the rules about dating, both the firefighters “rules” and her own. As the story unfolds, this turns out to be a story of forgiveness, community, connection and love. The story starts as a slow burn, and as it unfolds, builds to a full fledged blaze, skillfully controlled by Ms. Center’s expert storytelling. I loved the pace of this book. I loved how much Ms. Center slowly entrusts the details of Cassie and Owens pasts to the reader providing more and deeper information as the story unfolds. I loved how emotionally invested I was in all the characters lives. I have read all of Ms. Center’s books and I am so looking forward to reading more for many more years.

I was provided an advanced e-copy by St. Martin’s Press for an honest review. Thank you St. Martin’s Press!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150382

I loved this book! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel prior to its release in August.

I was immediately drawn to the main character Cassie, her tough exterior, and more mysterious interior which you crave to learn more about. Cassie works as a female firefighter in a male dominated profession, and I loved watching her character prove people wrong time after time and rise above the “gender norms”. The story not only follows her professional life, but also her life with family, love, and forgiveness.

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone; it was a solid 5 star read. This was my first book by Katherine Center, and it will definitely not be my last!

The world can be such a sad and tragic place, even moreso theough the eyes of a first responder. It also has moments of such intense beauty and joy. This book explores this juxtaposition. It is a love story, a journey of healing, and a primer on forgiveness. It covers sexism, pain, rape, abandonment, fear, emotional damage as well as family, heroism, forgiveness, pranks, camaraderie, and love. If you are a reader who enjoys feeling your books, this the book for you! (Tears were shed multiple times.)

Almost worth 4 stars with a title that misled me as I was thinking picture albums, family heirlooms and pets. Meet Hanwell/Cassie and The Rookie/Owen as the author continually weaves the central, compelling theme of forgiveness throughout. At first, I could not relate to the female protagonist, Hamwell, but Cassie surfaced! The effect of being harmed, violated, mistreated or abandoned is clearly shown to the reader. This is the second book I have read by Katherine Center, and I am certain it is not the last. I thank NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oooo -- this was an entertaining read. It was perfect for vacation although I did skip out on an event because I couldn't tear myself away.

With "Things You Save in a Fire," I laughed, cried, and tore through the book. It's heartbreaking, and sometimes a little bit too real, but well worth the chance. Admittedly, I almost gave up on the book at first because of the author's tendency to over describe just about everything...but there's a scene about giving a small dog CPR, and it was just about the funniest thing I've ever read.

Things You Save in a Fire was an excellent story! The main character is Cassie. She is an accomplished firefighter in Texas. She has everything going well for her, until the night she is being recognized by the city. A traumatic event is resurfaced and causes her to behave in improper way in front of her co-workers, captain and city officials. At the same time her mother, who she has an estranged relationship with, asks her to move in with her for at least a year in Boston. Cassie had been reluctant to move, but due to what happened during the ceremony and her captain's recommendation, she decides to go.
It is while in Boston that Cassie is put to the test of how well she can adapt to change and to reconnect with her mother. Also an important change for Cassie is that she falls in love for the first time. In order for Cassie to accomplish all this she needs to learn how to forgive those who failed and hurt her. These are the scenes that made me cry. Especially those conversations she has with her mother, who abandoned her on her sixteen birthday to go to Boston and live with another man. In the process in learning how to forgive is when her life changes for the better. Life throws her a couple of curve balls towards the end of the story, but she is able to survive them because she has opened up herself more. She learns that it is okay to have someone by your side and that there's things that we don't need to do by ourselves.
She admits that loving Owen is okay, because love is not a bad thing. He was just the sweetest guy. I loved how he treated her and that he didn't feel intimidated by her (she has more experience as a firefighter).
Great story and highly recommended!!

It has been a long time since I have read a great story.
From the initial start of the book, to what it is like to be an only woman working as a firefighter among men, had the best dialogue and storyline ever. Very good humor truly engaging; not in the least bit of what I expected. I loved the easygoing descriptive writing style and I loved all the characters. It was truly an inspirational story about pain, grief and love. Not too chick flick but the relationship felt so real, reminding me of that feeling of first love again.

Cassie Hainwell, the only female firefighter among a team of guys has to prove herself every step of the way. Connecting with her determination and rooting for her all the way, she is a person not to be reckoned with.

I love the wisdom this story produces about forgiveness and compassion and learning to get beyond the anger to allow the inner self to emerge.

I would give this book 10
Stars if I could.

I grabbed this ARC of NetGalley since it was listed as a romance. For what I'm used to romance-wise, it took a little bit to get there, but once it did, I was not disappointed at all on that front. Meanwhile, I became completely captivated by the rest of the story, especially Cassie's on-the-job challenges--from the interactions with her fellow firefighters to the day-to-day work. Then I got invested in Cassie's relationship with her mom who had left her family years earlier. The theme of forgiveness went deep in this book. But I'm a simple romance girl, and I adored Owen and how sweet he was from the moment he graced the page. This was a very satisfying read that made me a little wistful in the end.

The first chapter drew me in with equal parts humor and relatable characters and ends with a sweet romance. This book was exceptionally charming and heartwarming, hitting on compassion, acceptance and forgiveness. I loved it!

4.5 stars

I kept seeing rave reviews of Things You Save in a Fire and decided to give it a whirl for myself to see if it was as good as they led me to believe. It absolutely was!

This book is about Cassie who is a flawed but fun heroine who is a kick as firefighter trying to restart her life after moving in with her Mom halfway across the country.

I was swept up into this story almost from the first page and didn't want to put it down until the last. It's exactly everything I love in novels - a feisty and fun heroine, a good backstory, a sweet romance and a lot of fun. It was almost a smidge too predictable, hence the half star away from 5 but I still love this book all the same.

I highly recommend this book to those that like a good story that is full of great characters and a strong heroine.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Center's sense of humor and off-beat characters. This is a really well done, contemporary, if a bit predictable love story. A first for me, having the protagonist as a fire fighter. A bad ass fire fighter. With a sad back story. I especially loved Diana, eye patch and all. Sweet, LOL funny, and a bit of sadness thrown in for good measure. Really enjoyable and highly recommended.

I love Katherine Center's books. She has a way of bringing her characters to life that sucks you right into their world. I love that Cassie is a bada** strong female who doesn't need saving. I love that the characters feel real, with faults and flaws, the firehouse is written with challenges that exist for women in male dominated fields. The writing is beautiful and I couldn't put the book down. This will be on the top of my list for books from 2019.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fun and heartfelt book.

In the beginning, this book may seem like a lighthearted, fun read. It is that, but it's so much more. It's about preconceived ideas about people, about our views of things that happened versus what really happened, about how we are all human and make mistakes, about how life can (and does) throw you a curveball at any time, about how we perceive ourselves, and...about what is really important in life.

Cassie is a loveable, young, determined woman who has built a shell around herself thanks to two things that happened on her sixteenth birthday. And this story takes Cassie on a journey of self-discovery and truth. It's a great book that will have you cheering for everyone in the story!

I became a huge Katherine Center fan after reading How to Walk Away. What to Save in a Fire is a story of community, forgiveness and family.

I found myself reaching for tissues when reading part of this book. Center knows how to tug at a person’s heart strings.

5 STARS!

This book was so much more than I expected and I had already expected to love it. Similar to her previous books this is a single POV by a female protagonist. This time, a female firefighter who is at the top of her game when felled by behavior unbecoming.

Not caring for brusque, arrogant, or pushy females as main characters, my only concern was due to that of my own preconceptions. Any worry over those presumptions fell to the wayside after the first two chapters. This author managed to create a character who while confident and highly capable in her career, was immensley vulnerable under the walls she was forced to build due to past hurts. It was the perfect balance. I loved Cassie's character so much. If I could do my life over, I would want to be her!

While classified as women's fiction, the romantic element to the story was more prominent than any of the other books I've read by this author. This made my romance loving heart happy. The moment Rookie Owen turned his goofy, smiling face towards Cassie, she wasn't the only goner. Along with some sweet romance, there were other wonderful elements to this story that created something relatable, empowering, and hopeful. Great wit, a little mystery/suspense, honorable characters, and a swoony romance. Things You Save in a Fire was reading bliss.

Things You Save in a Fire is amazing!! I laughed and cried, mainly cried. It is a beautiful tale of forgiveness. And love, I can't forget the love. Cassie needs to get out of the heat of Texas, and her Mom needs her in Massachusetts. She hasn't seen her Mom in ten years and she is not looking forward to spending time with her. But she is dutiful. But oh what awaits this sweet child!!! I'm crying trying to write this review!! Read it! You won't be disappointed!!!