Easy to read story. Great characters and story line. This book will appeal to a wide audience! I'm not usually a fan of romance type novels but this had so many other facets.

I’m not usually a romance fan, but after reading How to Walk Away from this author I was dying to read this one. I will say her books are much more than love stories. For some reason I didn’t really start enjoying this book until about 40% in. The main character was complaining and seemed to have no personality. Once I got over that hump it picked up and I really enjoyed it. The characters fell into place and the story line developed. I would highly recommend this book. Thank you netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Loved this book! Quick read, sweet story about love and forgiveness. This was my first book to read by Katherine Center, but certainly won’t be my last! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this book!

Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center was disappointing. I enjoyed the first half of the book about a female firefighter. I did not care for the writing and the end seemed to be thrown together to get closure. I also did not care for her other book, How To Walk Away. Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

Katherine Center has done it again! I loved reading this sweet love story about not only falling in love with another person but also truly forgiving yourself and others. Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter trying to prove herself in a traditionally male dominated job. Just when she becomes comfortable in her job in Austin, Texas, she finds herself uprooted and moves to an area outside of Boston to help her mother. The same mother who left her and her father on Cassie's sixteenth birthday. Throughout the novel, Cassie learns to forgive her mother and learn to truth others again. Already looking forward to the next Katherine Center book!

This author was totally new to me, I picked this book off of netgalley just from seeing the cover. Once I started reading it and realized it was about a female firefighter I wasn't really sure how interesting it would be to me or if i would like it. I was more than pleasantly surprised! I loved it! She had razor sharp dialog and I love it when authors write books and include what the character is thinking. She did a great job of showing the characters thoughts, and I won't lie, her thought process was a whole lot like mine! I found the firefighting angle actually really interesting. I had never thought about all the hard things that firefighters and EMT's see. So that was really informative to me. I loved that there was romance, but it wasn't smutty. They "did the deed" but we didn't have to read all about the anatomy of it, which i greatly appreciated! I will be putting Katherine Center on my must read list now!

*Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.*

I'd give this 3.5 - 4 stars. Easy read that is sweet and charming. By the end of the book, I felt like there were a lot of situations happening to the main character that just were hard to see as realistic...basically it got a little far fetched to me. But it was a "feel good" book and I still enjoyed it.

4.5 Stars

Cassie Hanwell is one strong cookie! She must be - she is the only female firefighter at her station. To prove herself, she must be better, faster, and harder working than her male counterparts. She works in a male dominated field...how male dominated? I did some research and found that "There are 1.16 million firefighters in the United States, but only 7 percent are women according to the National Fire Protection Association." That's a big gap and Cassie feels it in this book!

Cassie is a complete professional when dealing with emergencies, high stress situations and tragedies on the job. In her personal life - not so much. You see, Cassie doesn't have a personal life. She doesn't date, she doesn't hang out, she doesn't really have friends, she's not looking for a boyfriend, she fills her life with work and responsibility.

She is torn when she receives a call from her estranged and ailing Mother. A mother who left when Cassie was a teenager, a Mother she has spent years being angry at. But when an incident occurs at an awards ceremony, Cassie decides to transfer to a new firehouse outside of Boston so that she can work while helping her Mother.

Once again, she is one of the newest members at a fire-station that isn’t too happy to have a female there. She is subjected to hazing and must prove herself and her abilities as a firefighter. She knew it would be hard staring over, she was mentally prepared for that. What she wasn't prepared for was the feelings she began to experience when she met the Rookie, Owen Callahan. Her old chief gave her strict instructions: Never date a firefighter! It doesn't help that the two newbies get paired up for everything. She can't escape him or her feelings.

She also can't escape her feelings about being around her Mother. Forgiveness is a theme in this book. Forging others. Forging yourself. That being vulnerable does not make you weak and that giving someone a second chance can turn everything around.

I loved how this book was about relationships in various forms - friendships, relationships with co-workers, relationships between a parent and their child, romantic relationships, etc. I also loved the theme of forgiveness and the path the characters choose to go on in terms of forgiveness.

I also loved how Cassie was a strong female character who changed and grew over the course of this book. She had flaws, she had pain, she had sadness and anger, she also had courage, heart, and determination. She felt real/believable. What she was feeling and how she re-acted to situations made sense.

I enjoy romances and this was so much more than that. It contained great likable (and some not so likable) characters, a great theme, and the growth of the characters. This was a captivating and engaging book. It is beautifully written and grabbed my attention right away. I rooted for several of the characters and loved every single page. Plus, it did not feel rushed at all and it had an epilogue! YES! Plus, there is a little nod to the accident from :How to Walk Away which I thought was a nice touch.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was just a wonderful story. it had all the elements I look for in good writing, as well as good story. Will llok for more from this author!

I just finished this novel. It was easy to fall in love with the characters. I loved Cassie and my heart went out to her and her situation. It was a real page turner. I will be reading more from this author.

Things You Save in a Fire was simply wonderful. I read the author's most recent book, How To Walk Away and wasn't wowed. I was one of the few who didn't love it, but this one pulled me in and didn't want to let me go.

I loved the character of Cassie, the rookie and the practical jokes the other fire fighters played on them at Cassie's new fire house. While there were definitely some tragedies in this story, the overall feel was more lighthearted and it was fun.

I wanted to be at the fire house and wanted to meet all the guys. I truly didn't want this book to end and found myself hoping there would be a sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for allowing my request for an ARC. My thoughts on this book are my own.

Katherine Center is such a fabulous author! She has such an amazing skill at plotting a fantastic story, developing characters that are so real and multi-leveled, and drawing out the reader's emotions. I have read most of her books and totally enjoyed all of them.

In this book we experience the struggles of a female firefighter. The current situations she is dealing with and like some of us, a few issues from her past that she has not dealt with and resolved.

Being a female in a male dominated profession is extremely difficult. It takes a strong person to be able to handle this situation. Cassie is that person. She has developed a strong, emotionless personality due to her mother leaving her dad and her on her 16th birthday (and another incident that happened that same day). She is an excellent fire fighter and paramedic. The story begins with her receiving an award for bravery in a fire rescue and at the awards ceremony things do not go as planned which sets the course of her life in a different direction than what she had planned.

The story is about self-acceptance, forgiveness, relationships at work & personal and most of all healing. People are defined by how they act in situations. The past is always a part of decision making, but if people can forgive themselves and the person that hurt them, then true understanding can take place and healing can happen.

This book, although Fiction, seemed very real to me. The interactions of the characters, the situations and the emotions written are very true to life.

I wish every male in a male dominated career would read this book. I have high hopes saying this, but I would hope that they could see things through a female's perspective and let a bit of the male ego go.

I highly recommend this book! I want to thank Netgalley.com, the publisher St. Martin's Press and also Katherine Center for the wonderful opportunity to read the ARC of this amazing book!

Cassie is one of two women in her Texas firehouse. She is greatly respected and good at her job. All of that changes after an incident at an award ceremony, Cassie decides to leave Texas to help her Mom in Boston. Even though she and her mom have been estranged it is the only way she will be able to stay a fire fighter.

The new firehouse is full of middle aged men who don’t want to have any woman at the station. Even though she is a seasoned veteran she is treated like a rookie. On her first day an actual rookie, Owen, also starts. The men constantly put them together. Even though Cassie was warned never to date another fire fighter she can’t help but develop feelings for him.

I have never read any other books by Katherine Center but I look forward to reading more books by her.

This is my first book by Katherine Center. It was a wonderfully entertaining read that would make a vacation or beach companion. Although I would call this a light and quick read, it is by no means shallow. There are deep themes explored here, such as: the effect of childhood trauma on adulthood, relationships in particular; forgiveness; reconciliation; friendship and love; and even the power of hope and expectation. The characters are likable and there is a wonderful happy ending. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author.

Fans of Jojo Moyes will love Things you Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. This was my first novel by Center, and I really enjoyed the firefighter angle of the plot. The protagonist is a female firefighter, and portrayed as a badass. I liked her character and was completely intrigued by all the details Center added in about the lives of firefighters. At the beginning of the novel, Center explains that her firefighter husband provided field experience to the story. I felt that these unique details were so necessary and made the story that much more endearing. The plot moved along at a quick pace, and followed the same idea of most novels within this genre. Girl meets guy but something holds the two back from getting together. There are some plot twists towards the end, and I’m not certain I felt that the ending did justice to the rest of the story. That said, I would definitely recommend this to friends who love a good, page-turning, romance and I will be looking to read more from Katherine Center. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center knows how to weave a romantic comedy that is fun to read. “Things You Save in a Fire” is no exception. Center’s book “How to Walk Away” was popular because of her writing style and knoweledge of human connections. This book is no exception. This book is great for a fun beach read or a day where you just want to dive in to read and easy, breezy story that fills your soul with happiness. The characters are interesting. Sometimes I wish there was more depth to the story and to the characters, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Katherine Center describes firemen well! And, the story never drags. There’s always a surprise around the corner, which made the book interesting, and yet exhausting at times. Center also knows how to end a book that pleases everyone.

Also, this book is about forgiveness. I liked that aspect to the book. It made you think about forgiveness in your own life. And if you think after you put a book down—that’s a good thing.

Do yourself a favor and pick this book up this summer.

I recently read Katherine Center's How to Walk Away, so was excited to read her newest title. I was not disappointed. Center has a way of creating a strong female protagonist that you can't help but root for, and writes a novel that is easy to get lost in. I couldn't put this book down, and found myself often feeling many different emotions: anger, frustration, happiness, sadness. You name it, I felt it as the novel unfolded. I know that I will be recommending this book for others to read when it is released!

Only a few weeks into the new year and I know this will be one of my favorite books of the year.

At first I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy a book about a female firefighter but I was wrong. It reminded me of an abc drama since it had romance, drama, and a strong female lead. This book will have you feel a range of emotions and end with a big smile on your face. I also loved how the author had a small tie in with her previous book How to Walk Away.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The dictionary defines forgiveness as the "action or process of forgiving or being forgiven." Wikipedia elaborates a little more and says "forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, forswears recompense from or punishment of the offender, however legally or morally justified it might be, and with an increased ability to wish the offender well." So no matter how narrow or wide the definition is, forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do. Even with all of the spiritual, psychological and physical benefits of forgiveness, people struggle to forgive others and an even harder time, forgiving themselves?
Cassie Hanwell is as strong, tough and smart as they come. She is a firefighter and EMT in Austin, Texas. She has willingly risked her life on multiple occasions to save the lives of complete strangers. She is the ultimate team player and is one that can be counted on when lives are on the line. She is respected by her supervisor and peers. She sounds like she has it all but with all of her attributes, Cassie is also stubborn and does not have any close relationships or friendships in her life. Why would someone with so much going for her cut herself off from friends and family? What events from her past have made her go home to her apartment alone every evening?
Cassie receives a call one day that will change her life in ways that she can't imagine. It will force her to face the past and realize that forgiveness of the past, others and ultimately herself will be her only hope for salvation and future happiness,
Katherine Center's novel, Things You Save in a Fire, might be the heartfelt, poignant story of firefighter, Cassie Hanwell and her life path, but so much of what she goes through and her struggles are relatable and believable. Each and every one of us has at some point had a hard time letting go of the past, forgiving others and ultimately realizing what it really important in life to save.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #ThingsYouSaveinaFire

Beautifully written, heartfelt book. Story of a firefighter who uproots her entire life to help her estranged mother through an illness. Ultimately uplifting story about forgiveness and family. Excellent book, highly recommend.