I loved this book! Once I started I couldn’t put it down and I read it in one day. The character development of Cassie was excellent and I really enjoyed the growth that we saw her character go through during the course of the book. Upon reading the summary I was not sure what to expect, a book about firefighters doesn’t exactly draw me in immediately. However, the quality of writing and character development had me completely engrossed and I loved that I felt like I learned more about the firefighting industry and saw it from a perspective I never had. That is the mark of a truly great book in my opinion, to take a subject that I previously had very little interest in and turn it into a story that captivated me. This was a great love story, but it was so much more, I felt the full spectrum of emotions. My one complaint is that Cassie seemed almost too perfect. I think her outstanding abilities contributed to the storyline tremendously, however it did make it ever so slightly far fetched. That being said, I thought this was an excellently written novel and I will recommend it highly to friends and fellow bookworms! I wish I could give it 4-1/2 stars!

Things You Save in a Fire was my first read by Katherine Center and won’t be my last. It combines a compelling plot and characters that all left a lasting impression long after I’d finished the story. Cassie packs a punch in more ways than one. Strength, forgiveness, dynamic relationships, and love fill the pages. Things You Save in a Fire is masterfully told and completely relatable. Center is raw and honest. My husband is a firefighter and this book is spot on in that regard. The layers to Cassie’s experiences both professionally and personally were heartbreaking and uplifting. Her growth throughout had me rooting for her at every turn. Add in a little romance and I was sold hook, line and sinker. I loved every minute of this book.

Very enjoyable story! Cute but not too cute, with several surprises along the way. Highly recommended!

This was the first book of Katherine Centers that I have read and it definitely won’t be the last ! The leading female character, Cassie is a bad ass firefighter with a strong personality. Katherine does a great job of creating characters with individual voices and bringing them to life. This book is different than your typical romance/action/drama. I learned a lot about firefighting and it also grew my appreciation for them. This book proves that you never know what someone is going through personally and that compassion, empathy and most importantly forgiveness can bring you peace and happiness! Looking forward to reading more books from this author...

I was recently turned on to Katherine Center from the Bitter is the New Book Club community on Facebook. On a recent cruise, I devoured How to Walk Away and knew Ms. Center would be a new favorite for me. Things You Save in a Fire follows a female firefighter as she uproots her life to care for her sick mother. Faced with the struggles of joining a "boy's club" firehouse, the main character shows tenacity and grit as she strives for acceptance. Of course no good book like this comes without a love story. I don't want to give anything away, but this was rom-com with a twist.

I really enjoyed this book, and it, like How to Walk Away, was a very quick read. The characters are strong, playful, and developed. The fire angle is unusual (though common for Center) and it was interesting to be on the other side of things. This book has a little of everything in here--wit, love, silliness, a touch of superhero powers, and a feel good ending. If you're looking to lay back in a hammock and read on a sunny day, Things You Save in a Fire is a great choice.

This book made me smile, but also made me want to pull my hair out. The heroine, Cassie, is a firefighter, a great one. Due to circumstances she moves to another firehouse, to be near her mother. The mother who left her and her dad at her 16th birthday, so no love lost there.

Overall I just was a bit put off by Cassie. Maybe it is the many internal monologues or the fact she never stood up for herself and let everything just happen to her. I was so very angry after the first chapters I almost decided to stop reading. Cassie gets an award and something happens to ruin the evening. What happens after that made my blood boil, but Cassie just accepted it and moved on. I had to get over my anger before I could get into the story again. She could have sued the department, she could have told them what happened, they should have suspected what had happened. But alas...

She was treated badly by her new colleagues and forgives the one that does something really awful to her. And the author portrayed her as some super firefighter, but she could not be a woman for that. She had to act like a man, because.. well, women act too emotional of course.

I don't want to be too negative, because the story had positive points as well. It is written very well and evoked a lot of emotions :-)

**4.5 stars***
I really, really enjoyed this book! It was entertaining, heartwarming, and even a little heartbreaking at times. I especially loved that there was SO much more to the story than just a romance. Don't get me wrong, I love a great romance story, but I really appreciated that there was so much more to her life and story than just the romance. It was a story about love, both romantic and non-romantic, forgiveness, acceptance, and strength (mental and physical). I read it in less than a day because I just needed to know what was going to happen. I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

Life, love, and the true meaning of courage. That says it all. There was a lot of laughter and wonderment in this book. I enjoyed Cassie and empathized with her as she had to learn forgiveness. This book is a must read and will touch everyone. Thanks to St Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! This book deserves 4.5 stars for sure!

This book was not only well written, but the story was believable and touching. Cute, funny and a bit sad. The characters were all well developed and you generally like some and hate some.

I enjoyed watching Cassie realize that life wasn't all about shutting herself off and open up to her mom, coworkers and friends. She grew so much in the book - you could almost consider this a "coming of age" story of sorts.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this!

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would without a doubt! I loved everything about this book and literally could not put it down - finished in less than 24 hours! I loved the insight into the life and careers of firefighters, the grit and strength it takes to be a female in a male-dominated field, the power of forgiveness and love... there is so much depth to the story and characters! Pre-order this one RIGHT NOW! It will be a favorite of mine and yours for the entire year!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy on exchange for an honest review.

I usually take time and savor anything she writes but I could not put this down. Well-written and thought out, felt connected to the characters. I had just finished How to Walk Away (another winner!) not too long ago when NetGalley generously provided this, what a treat! Her books will always be on my TBR list. Don’t miss this!

Entertaining chick lit. I enjoyed the story of Cassie the firefighter who is tough on the outside while dealing with a repressed trauma. I did think it was all wrapped up a little too easily and quickly but that’s typical for this genre.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read one other book by Katherine Center, how to walk away, which I found to be a quick, uplifting read. This book was even better. Although you know how the story will end (if you’re anything like me and easily predict what’s coming), I still found myself wanting to keep turning pages. I was invested in the characters and was rooting for them the entire time. A great, quick and enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked how this story was told: first person narration, nothing new, right? But it felt like Cassie was telling me this story over a cup of coffee. Every once in a while, she would say something like, "remember when I told you ...?" It worked really well and added a sense intimacy. The characters were well developed, especially Cassie - a little predictable maybe (tough girl firefighter out to prove something to the world), but I really liked her. Cassie shared things about her past which led her straight to where the story begins - the night of an awards ceremony, where she is presented with the Austin Fire Department's Valor Award, the aftermath of her knocking out the councilman who hands her the award, and the phone call from her mother, asking Cassie to move in with her for a year - but not in too much detail. Cassie's story is about forgiveness, and the cost of giving it and the cost of not...for little things and huge things.

I love this book! I finished it in 2 days and I could not put it down! Katherine Center weaves this story together so effortlessly. The main character, Cassie, was so charming and relatable (and such a badass) it was impossible not to like her. Her character development throughout the story made me pause several times to self reflect on situations in my own life, as well as giving me a few lessons to take away for the future. The themes of kindness and forgiveness were seamlessly woven into the plot without being overbearing. It’s equal parts uplifting, heartwarming, funny, and keeps you rooting for the characters. It also seemed like the author did a good job researching firefighters and the profession and giving a realistic glimpse into that line of work. All in all, one of my favorite books that I’ve read in a long time!

I really enjoyed this book. Love strong female characters. Enjoyed the backdrop and peek into the life of firefighter

This book was okay. If you need something that touches on tough topics, but never delves too deep, this is perfect. However, I was hoping for more depth.

So smart, with subplots that weave so beautifully throughout. Cassie was introduced to us so engagingly, without an ounce of cliche, and her voice rings true with realism. The connection between Cassie and Owen crackles, with one of the best initial physical contact moments I’ve seen in a novel in a very long time. This story has a ton of heart, strength, confidence, and twists. This is a good one!

I have been looking forward to reading this book for months! I am one of those avid lovers of every thriller book ever written but every once in awhile I will branch out of the thriller category for a book more heartfelt. This a hundred times over is one of those books. It had so many moments of laughter and so many moments of tears, but in the end Cassie gets what she so often denied herself, happiness and love. To be truthful, when the fire happened and Owen got hurt I immediately was hoping this wasn’t going to be one of those books where the character losses and was so elated that Owen pulled through. I will recommend this book to everyone and I will be thinking about this book for awhile. Another well done book for Katherine Center!!!

Things You Save in a Fire is a heartwarming story about forgiveness.

Cassie Hanwell is not only a female firefighter, but she's a damn good female firefighter. She's proven over and over again that she can do the job just as well as the other guys in the firehouse, if not better. Her job is her whole life, so she doesn't make time for friends and definitely not love. She built a life with her firehouse family in Austin and couldn't imagine doing anything else. However, after her estranged and ailing mom, Diana calls and asks her to move to Boston to help take care of her Cassie feels like she must go-only to help, not to be friends.

"I reminded myself again that she was only Diana. Of course, our parents get an extra dose of importance in our minds. When we're little, they're everything—the gods and goddesses that rule our worlds. It takes a lot of growing up, and a lot of disappointment, to accept that they're just normal, bumbling, mistaken humans, like everybody else."

Diana left Cassie and her father on her 16th birthday and we know that something else happened that night that has scarred Cassie and made her shut down any chance of love or relationships.

Cassie is the first female firefighter to work at her new small town firehouse in Lillian, MA. She knows the rules about being a female firefighter-don't show any emotion, don't act like a girl, don't look like a girl, and the list goes on and on. But the top restriction on the list is to never fall for or have any type of fling, emotions, flirting, or relationship with another firefighter. Obviously Cassie doesn't find any of these to be an issue for her, especially that last one. Until she meets the Rookie. Cassie and rookie, Owen Callaghan start at the Lillian FD the same day so they go through a lot of the hazing together. She keeps her distance as much as she can from him and strictly calls him rookie like the rest of the house. Between the pranks and training around the firehouse, we're left with a lot of perfect rom-com situations.

"Choosing to love-despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love anyway...That's not weakness. That's courage."

I loved how Katherine Center tied in the story of the plane crash from How to Walk Away and how both of the gorgeous covers matched. Carter has a way with words and knows exactly how to pull at the heartstrings. Forgiveness is such a struggle that so many of us battle with and it's obviously easier said than done to forgive others-let alone ourselves. This book has everything I love in a good novel--likable characters, realistic writing, strong friendships, a sweet romance, a strong female lead, and of course a hottie (Rookie aka Owen!) ;) HUGE props to Carter for writing this amazing book as if she were a firefighter herself and knew the ins and outs of what goes on in a firehouse.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!