Katherine Center does it again with Things You Save in A Fire. I could not put this book down, and I am already telling everyone I know to make sure to grab a copy in August.

"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 is courage."

Cassie is a firefighter first and for most. She has worked her way up the ladder and has an award winning career in Texas. When out of the blue her estranged mother calls and needs Cassie's help for a year, resulting in an unwanted move to Massachusetts, and working her way up in another fire department. Cassie has closed herself off to everyone around her, and is determined to just focus on her firefighting career. There is no way she will forgive her mother for walking out on her and her father when she was sixteen, and definitely no room for romance. When she walks into her new station that first morning she meets the 'rookie" and try as she will there is just something about him that she can't seem to shake off. Maybe she can find forgiveness and love in this new life that she has been forced to start.

The best part about this book was just how relatable all of the characters were. I laughed and I cried my way through. I can not recommend this book enough!

I loved HOW TO WALK AWAY and was very glad to be able to read her next book in advance. It was sooo good. It had romance and humor and pain and also the importance of forgiving. I love this author's books and I LOVE the artwork on the covers. I will definitely purchase this book for my branch library.

This book was so so good. I could barely put it down and when I wasn’t reading I wanted to be! This book is about forgiveness, friendship, betrayal, hardship and so much more! Cassie was a firefighter and a very good one at that especially for being a girl. She was liked by her colleagues and respected. But by reacting without thinking her life changed and she had to move to be close to her mother whom she was estranged with. She didn’t want to go but the choice(s) were next to none. What happened next was a whirlwind and well you’ll have to read the story to find out. I loved this book and I don’t think you will be disappointed! Thank you netgalley for giving me the chance to read this and give a honest review. Release date is August 13,2019! You need to put this one on your tbr list, I promise you will not be disappointed.

I had high expectations going in to this one after giving "How to Walk Away" 5 stars in 2018, but this one did not do it for me. I felt the main character was one dimensional and while I did enjoy the love story, Katherine Center's writing style will keep me hooked and reading her next books but I struggled to get through this one.

Cassie, an experienced firefighter in Texas, finds herself leaving her job and moving to Massachusetts to be with her estranged mother and start a new job. Being the only female firefighter and in a new town, Cassie has to prove herself. Not only is she new to the town, she is also starting her new job at the same time as another firefighter, Owen, a true rookie. Pranks on new members is common, but one member of the firehouse is out get Cassie to leave. This story has everything, humor, anger, danger and love. I hated to see it end.

I had never read anything by this author before but after reading this I think I may go hunt down every book she’s ever written. This book was an incredible journey through pain and suffering and love and loss, and how it shapes who you become. I’m really not even sure how to quite put in words how much I enjoyed this book. The characters were so relatable and I laughed, cried, smiled and become incredibly angry through the pages. An excellent book draws you into the characters and evokes all kinds of emotion, this book goes above and beyond in doing so.

I LOVE all things Katherine Center! This book is no exception. Katherine has a way of creating her characters in such a way that you feel like you know them personally and you miss them when you finish her books.

What a fantastic read! All the feels in this one and more, had great input on forgiveness!! Even shed a few tears. A definite must read for 2019.


Thanks to net galley and the publisher for an early release of this book

Oh how I LOVED this book. One of my favorite books of 2018 was "How To Walk Away" by Katherine Center. Things You Save In a Fire was just as wonderful, just as engrossing and just as hard to put down. This is a book that will grab your attention from the first page, you will fall in love with the characters and you will not be able to put this one down until the last page. Great great read!

A good story transports you to places and people you wouldn't know otherwise, but a great one brings the story to you-makes you see what the characters see, and feel what they feel-you become so immersed in the story you're not just reading it, you're actually part of it. Things You Save in a Fire is that kind of novel. And it's a timely one, in this era of the #MeToo movement that brought harassment in the workplace to the forefront of our collective conscious. This is no small feat for such a simple premise-Cassie works in one of the last bastions of a male dominated world-as a firefighter-and she has to prove herself to co-workers who don't think she is brave enough, strong enough or worthy enough to be in their midst. It's like the quote- "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels." But Things You Save in a Fire is a not a one dimensional story-woven in the plot are themes of love, loss, forgiveness and redemption-subjects that Katherine Center has masterfully explored before (look for the clever connection to her previous novel, How to Walk Away, in the early pages of Things You Save in a Fire). Miss Center's husband is a volunteer firefighter, and she wisely sought his counsel on the more technical aspects of the job-this adds credibility and a personal touch to the book. I showed some passages to my stepson who is Battalion Chief of Palm Beach County (Florida) Fire and Rescue- (yes, I'm bragging!) and he said "yep, that's pretty much what a station house is like." Things You Save in a Fire is sweet and sentimental, but also difficult to read in some places-you want to believe discrimination like this no longer exists-but it does-hopefully that's something that won't be saved in a fire!

Cassie, the firefighter, EMT and paramedic, had an incident as a 16 yr.old that colored her life. Now 10 years later the past has shown up. She must learn to forgive. Forgiveness is about a mindset of letting go said her mother. Then accepting that the person who hurt you is flawed. And then looking at the aftermath of what happened and find ways that you benefit. This is a tale of learning to let go and let love into your life.
A bonus for the reader is the details of the firefighters life....how they cope.

Katherine Center has done it again! Five stars all the way!

Life is messy, uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful. Cassie should know. Her mother left her and her father when she was 16 years old. Cassie learned how to take care of herself becoming an award-winning fire fighter in Austin, Texas. She works with hot, muscle clad firefighters who treat her like one of the guys which is perfect because romance couldn’t be further from her mind.

An unexpected event occurs as her job and her past collide putting Cassie’s career in jeopardy. Simultaneously her father insists that she move to Massachusetts to live with her estranged mother for a year. She isn’t quite ready to deal with her mother and transferring to another firehouse is anything but easy as these men don’t want her there. A rookie starts the same day and Cassie immediately feels a desire that she knows can only cause her trouble.

The resounding theme of this book is forgiveness and it comes in all shapes and sizes. Katherine Center’s creates fun likable characters and her writing style is so enjoyable. I didn’t cry while reading this novel but I sure smiled a lot.

Before I begin my review, let me say thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy of Things You Save in a by Katherine Center in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be released on August 13!

Things You Save in a Fire landed in my NetGalley shelf as an anticipated romance "chick lit" novel. Little did I know, I had my hands on one of the most realistic feminist characters I've read so far.

Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter in Austin, Texas and seems to have it all figured out. Great colleagues, a trailblazing captain to look up to, a routine to live by, and the results of her lieutenant’s test looming. But when an incident at an award ceremony (honoring her heroic deeds, of course!) occurs at the same time her estranged mother reaches out for help, Cassie has no choice but to uproot her life and moves to a Massachusetts town....where female firefighters are not easily found. Surrounded by hazing, lack of funding, and a serious target on her back as the “lady” of the crew, Cassie remembers her captain’s sage advice to keep her focus, the most important rule being: never date firefighters. Clearly the rookie that is starting the same day as Cassie didn't get that memo, because he has a "stunning, heartbreakingly appealing face," and is unavoidable as Cassie has been assigned to train him. Cassie knows all about strength and courage in the face of danger, but she doesn't yet know how much strength and courage it takes to open yourself up and learn to love, forgive, and be completely vulnerable.

Cassie is emotionally hardened, but I really appreciated that Cassie was not guarded and numb to her feelings because she was a woman in a man's industry. She has some serious past trauma that explains how she has developed this steady hand and clear mind in crisis, which makes her a phenomenal firefighter.

We all know in romance novels - it has to happen: the main characters share their most personal stories, and learn to appreciate the experiences and layers of their partner. In a lot of romance novels that I've come across those moments are very forced. All of a sudden, the main characters are pouring their heart out to each other....moments after they just met. Well, not in this novel! Those key, intimate stories are not told at the same time (AMEN! HALLELUJAH!) and they are situationally relevant!!!!!!!! That's right!!! No random word vomit of personal secrets while simply conversing!!!  That sealed the deal for me that the main couple here were legit, and I should care about them. It was unexpected, necessary, and graceful writing.
It has also been a while since I laughed - out loud - at exchanges in a novel. And I laughed at quite a few! 

The only thing that holds this book back at 4 stars for me, is the end. The climactic scene where a lot of the odds are stacked against Cassie, was too much for me. The epilogue was substantial (to say the least) and answered every question I possibly had...but I wanted some mystery in the end. As this is the first novel of Katherine Center's that I have read, I don't know if this is how she ends all of her books. Nevertheless, Cassie's story is absolutely one I will pick up again. And Katherine Center is absolutely an author I will be reading, following, and learning from in the future.

“Things You Save in a Fire” is the story of 26-year-old Cassie Hanwell, a rising star female firefighter in Austin. When Cassie’s basically estranged mother asks her to come home to the Boston area because her mother is having health problems, it seems like a major setback for Cassie’s career. But, as the saying goes, there’s so much more ahead than anything Cassie is leaving behind.
Katherine Center weaves an enthralling tale — a multifaceted love story that takes a few twists and turns. I read this book quickly because I was genuinely interested in Cassie’s story: what was going to happen to her? To her career?
Center does a great job of developing her characters — Cassie is so likable. I was just as impressed by the vivid descriptions of the crew on the C shift; it felt like I knew every firefighter on the shift.
Center’s husband is a volunteer firefighter, which is why I think the firehouse and crew feel like a place and people you’d meet in real life.
This book will be available Aug. 13 — and it will be absolutely perfect to devour beach or poolside. It is the first book of Center’s I’ve read, but it most certainly won’t be the last.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from St Martin’s Press via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a hugely enjoyable, quick read with the happy ending a reader wishes for in a rom-com. The non-traditional situation of a female firefighter and her rookie love interest made this even more engaging, I plan to look up and read her other books.

Things You Save in A Fire is a story that will not leave me for quite some time. I expect no less from Katherine Center. If you have read "How to Walk Away", you know how fantastic this author is. This novel is fill of love, loss, anger, and most importantly forgiveness. The author explores forgiveness not only forgiving ourselves but forgiving others that have wronged us.

This wonderful story contains romance, family drama, as well as some topics that are very timely right now including addiction and assault.

Cassie , the protagonist, is a firefighter and I so much enjoyed her very personal journey to move beyond and overcome a traumatic event that happened to her at the age of 16.

This book is EVERYTHING! I am so thankful to have received an advanced copy from St. Martins Pres

I enjoyed this book immensely. The theme of forgiveness was touched in just the right way. It combines humor and romance in a way that makes it fun for those of us who don’t often read romance. The tears to laughs ratio made it one to finish at home, and not, in the vehicle with your whole family. Thanks netgalley, for giving me the chance to read a book outside my normal genres.

I’m so lucky to have read a 5star read four days into the new year! I actually think this will end up being one of the best books I read all year.

Cassie was everything I like to see in a female protagonist: complex, strong but not invincible, independent, intelligent, and together. She was flawed, but her flaws didn’t define her. She was vividly written and was such an authentic, nuanced character that she felt perfectly real to me.

The novel sounded good; instead it was absolutely wonderful. It’s always nice when a book is such a pleasant surprise and is even better than you expect!

I felt completely drawn in to the world of the Lillian FD. This was my first Katherine Center novel but will not be my last. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t been so excited to write a book review in such a long time! Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors over the past year with her deep messages and relatable characters that leave me drooling for her next book. Things You Save in a Fire is a five star across the board story. It has humor, it has pain, it has edge of your seat suspense, but above all it has an underlying and powerful message about forgiveness. It touches every emotion and makes you feel it deeply rather than just touching lightly on it and moving on. I was laughing, I was crying, I was even stressed and nervous. Only the best authors can take you to so many places and leave you satisfied. Things You Save in a Fire is not a story you ever forget. If we were all just half as empathetic and wonderful as the main character, Cassie, the world would be a much better place.

Things You Save in a Fire is yet another great offering by Katherine Center. Her previous novel, How to Walk Away was a sampling of the novels to come. There is humor amid all the tension in the life of Cassie, fire fighter from Austin banished to the small town where her estranged mother lives when an explosive incident at Cassie’s award ceremony takes place. In the fire department of her new town, Cassie faces a foe determined to destroy her career simply because she is a woman in a formerly all men’s work place. Plus, everything for her changes when she falls in love for the first time ever with her rookie coworker. The story is not all about love and flowers. It is about Cassie’s transformation from a closed off heart to one that learns to embrace life with all its good and awful parts.