Add Katherine Center to the list of authors I've discovered this year whose work has utterly wowed me. Between her newest book and How to Walk Away, which I read earlier this year (see my review), I've become a big fan while becoming emotionally unglued. Because that's how I roll, y'all!
4.5 stars, rounded up.

Cassie has always been tough as nails. As one of very few female firefighters at her Austin firehouse, she knows that she has to do everything better, be stronger, faster, and tougher, and never show one ounce of emotion. It's something she's been comfortable with since her mother abandoned her and her father on Cassie's 16th birthday. Cassie has never really let anyone get too close to her, because vulnerability means weakness in her book.

But on a night that should be one of her proudest achievements, Cassie's carefully constructed façade cracks, and the results are shocking, to say the least, to those who know her best. She creates quite a mess for herself—so much so that when her estranged mother calls and asks her to move to Boston for a year to help her through some serious health issues, Cassie ignores her gut instincts and agrees. But she makes it perfectly clear that she's not there to reminisce or be friends with her mother, she's only there to help.

"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."

Cassie takes a job in the small town of Lillian, a town which has never had a female firefighter and isn't interested in one. In fact, the captain thinks female firefighters may very well lead to the decline of Western civilization. So once again, she's bound and determined to do everything better than any of the men on the squad, and not allow them to treat her like a girl. She ignores the hazing, the teasing, and those who want to see her fail, and she outdoes them at every turn.

The one thing she can't seem to ignore, however, is the rookie—Owen Callaghan, son of a retired firefighter, who joined the squad in Lillian the same day Cassie did. Sure he's good-looking, fit, and can cook like nobody's business, but Cassie knows she is a better firefighter and EMT than he is. But why does her stomach flip every time she seems him? It's not like she hasn't worked around gorgeous men before, but for some reason, she can't get him out of her mind, and it doesn't help that they get paired up for everything.

Cassie came to Lillian to work, not to date, and besides, dating a fellow firefighter is career suicide. That's the one main thing her captain in Austin told her before she left—Never date firefighters. So no matter what, she's just going to ignore the rookie and treat him like one of the guys. Because in Cassie's eyes, love equals vulnerability, which equals failure.

If you've spent your entire life guarding yourself from any sign of weakness, keeping everyone at arm's length, can you be truly happy? Which is harder, forgiving someone for hurting you or forgiving yourself? How do you decide whether it's worth risking everything you've built your life around to pursue something that might not work out, and might hurt you?

Things You Save in a Fire is one of those books where you can probably guess most (if not all) of what will happen, but it doesn't matter one iota, because you're totally hooked. Once again, Center creates vulnerable, likable, relatable characters and makes you care about them, makes you root for them, makes you angry when roadblocks occur, and makes you fearful that something bad will befall these characters you've come to know.

This is a book about how the walls we build to protect ourselves often keep more people out than we realize, and before we know it, we're safe but alone. This is a book about realizing that being a little vulnerable doesn't mean you're still not tough or brave, and it's also a book about when you know it's right to sacrifice what you want for those you care about.

Like any story where matters of the heart, family issues, and relationships are dealt with, Things You Save in a Fire is moving at times, a little poignant, and you might find something is in your eye once or twice. But this is one of those books that wins you over from the very first page, and doesn't let up, so it's worth a few tears (at least).

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!

Cassie is the only female firefighter in her Austin firehouse. And she is a super star. Cassie is fearless, smart and a natural born leader. As she is climbing the ranks for promotion, her very distant mother calls with a dire emergency. She is having health issues and needs Cassie to abandon everything she has worked for and come help her in Massachusetts. It is the last thing in the world Cassie wants to do and the only thing she can do. She finds a job with a small, old fashioned fire station. They never had a “lady” fire fighter. Cassie does everything in her power to show them all how hard she can work. But the one thing she would never ever allow may be her downfall. The rookie she is training, the same one who may steal her position away is melting her heart. No matter how hard she tries to avoid him; where there’s a spark, there’s a flame. Loved this absolutely adorable, delicious, unputdownable story about family, friendship, love and most interestingly - firefighting. Author Katherine Center is a wonderful writer. As I near the ending of her books I find myself slowing down, not wanting to turn that last page because then it will sadly be over. Thanks for the early read Netgalley! This one is a winner.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie Hanwell thrives on emergency situations and as one of only a few female firefighters, she has dealt with all kinds. She is excellent at her job and steadfast in a crisis. But even with all of her training and natural ability, Cassie is not prepared for the type of emergency her estranged and ailing mother springs upon her—she wants Cassie to move from Texas to Boston to assist her with day-to-day living.

Taking a transfer, Cassie now works at an old-school firehouse. Even though Cassie is more than competent, they are less than thrilled to have a woman on their crew. The only one that is not bothered by Cassie's arrival is the handsome rookie who started on the same day. But Cassie needs to stay focused and stick to the advice that her old captain gave her which is to never date a firefighter. She has worked incredibly hard to be taken seriously and can't risk jeopardizing her career over falling in love.

Things You Save in a Fire is a story of relationships, love, the power of forgiveness, and how to be brave against all odds.

This is my first foray into Center's wrtiting and it won't be my last. She has an effortless style that completely captures the reader. The pace and flow of the narrative was spot on, and it was an absolute pleasure to read this story.

I don't want to mislead anyone by pigeonholing this book as "chick lit" because apparently this is a genre that turns off/alienates readers and I'm not sure why. Is it because it is deemed as fluff or badly written? Or perhaps trashy? Anyway, this book is so much more than how it is perceived. Obviously there is a romantic element going on, but there are different relationships being explored that offer value to the narrative. There is also a strong female lead in a male-dominated industry that deserves recognition—Cassie is a complex and interesting character that holds her own without compromising her integrity and sense of self doing so.

After reading the book, I feel like I came away with learning a thing or two. I also, if possible, have more of an appreciation for those that put their lives on the line every day for their communities. Many women, not just those that work in professions that have traditionally been male (fire, police, sports journalists, mechanic, etc.), face incredible obstacles and sexism in their workplaces and this story shined a small light on what these women endure on a daily basis and for that, I applaud the author.

The heroine Cassie is a firefighter/super-woman who after snapping at an award ceremony has to either work at a different station or just be fired. She has a bad relationship with her mom but agrees to stay with her (as she is having health related problems) in a new city for her new job. At first Cassie felt like a robot, she was so mechanical and so stubborn, but in a new place with her mom around and a new hot rookie firefighter by her side, her guards are slowly coming down. I loved the way this book talked about forgiveness, holding grudges is like drinking poison. Cassie's story is of a woman understanding that being vulnerable doesn't mean you are weak. It was a pleasant and sweet love story.

After experiencing two traumatic events at 16, Cassie spent the next ten years shutting herself off from emotions and relationships. Throwing herself into her work as a firefighter, Cassie was able to convince herself she was coping, until her estranged Mom asks her to move in with her for a year to help her at the same time her job is at risk. Cassie’s developing relationship with her Mom, and the guys in the firehouse, contribute to making this novel a good read. Recommended.

This was my first time reading this author! WOW! I have a new FAVORITE Author! I loved the storyline and especially the beginning scene where Cassie smacked the Council member with the award she won! The book had depth, understanding of complex relationships, and above a great plot.
Loved the book from the first page to the last. BRAVO!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I read "How To Walk Away" this summer and have been highly recommending it to friends and family who ask for a book recommendation. "Things You Save in a Fire" will absolutely be recommended once it is released. I read this book in a couple of days and just couldn't put it down. I began highlighting passages in my kindle app almost right away, because I knew there were such powerful passages that I was going to want to refer to again, especially when writing this review. Without spoiling any of the story, I will say that this is a book of hope, a book about life and the stuff that happens, not TO us, but FOR us... for us to learn, to grow, to enjoy life more. Near the beginning of the book, Captain Harris says, "your struggles might even lead you to your strengths." I feel like this is the perfect setup for what happens in the novel and this book presents a message to the reader without it ever feeling preachy or cheesy. I also love an early moment when our protagonist, Cassie alludes to the story line in "How To Walk Away" and it is revealed that she is the firefighter who was on the site at the accident./fire. On thinking how one moment can change a life, she says, "That's how life is. Things happen. Lives get broken. Some people never can put themselves back together." Although this idea is proven false by the end of the book through the story lines of many characters. A better line to exemplify the beautiful journey in this novel is the following: "Maybe everybody was just foolish and doomed. Maybe nobody got a happy ending in the end. Maybe all happiness could ever hope to be was a tiny interruption from sorrow".

@katherinecenter you did it again! I loved this book so much and I cant wait for it to hit shelves in August. It’s equally as good as How To Walk Away, which I recommend to everyone. A story about forgiveness, courage, and resilience. “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”. This book is the PERFECT romance drama. I'm not a fan of the romance genre, but this one really pulls at your heart strings, in an effortless way.

Is it possible for a book to be adorable and urbane?

Things You Save in a Fire is so gooey, sticky, sweet, and glossy in some ways (especially by the end) that it could easily be mistaken for a Hallmark movie. However, it's not—because you’d have to leave out all this gritty and brilliant characterization of the narrator, Cassie Hanwell. Somehow this rides such a fine line between being undeniably a RomCom of the book world, while still digging deep and punching me in the heart with the raw, painful emotions that Cassie attempts to keep at bay, that I'm nothing but stunned by how good it really was. How is a romantic comedy unputdownable? Simple—give it some substance.

Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter living in Austin, Texas. We're introduced to her while she's waiting to receive an honor award for her bravery in the line of duty. There's a prank played on her to loosen her up because she's so nervous, and her internal and external dialogue throughout this small section was such a fantastic way to get to know her. She proceeds to pummel a man on stage, reasons for which we find out later, which is completely out of character for her, and once she gets home she receives a call from her mother.

Her mother is having health problems and needs Cassie's help for a year while she adjusts to life with one eye. These two aren't close as her mother is a woman who left her husband and her daughter, Cassie, ten years before when Cassie was 16. While they haven't avoided talking completely, they have never recovered from this divide. Cassie struggles emotionally with any and all people—but especially with her mother. Reluctantly, out of some sense of duty and because of the aftermath from the aforementioned pummeling, Cassie transfers to a small town Massachusetts firehouse with high recommendations from her Captain, and a long list of what not to do as a female firefighter in a place just like the very place she's headed. High on that list is direct orders to not fall for or have any type of fling or flirting with a fellow firefighter. This isn't a problem for Cassie—she doesn't do relationships or even love. Obviously.

Just as obvious, she falls hard for the other new firefighter there—a rookie named Owen Callaghan. They start on the same day, and to distance herself she calls him Rookie—truthfully, just like the others there do. Meanwhile, the typical hilarity ensues. Pranks and training, and along with that we have the typical romantic comedy situations and tension. That's fun and entertaining and adorable.

But mixed in were these fantastic introspective moments with Cassie—about herself, her mom, and life in general. Honestly, I don't know how this was so engrossing; it just was. It was everything you want from a lighthearted entertainingly and satisfyingly predictable romantic comedy, but it also had a heart bruising and tear-inducing rawness with which I really connected. I was completely taken in. This is one of those books that I will highly recommend, try to explain why, and then just insist that it's just that good.

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center’s books (especially “How to Walk Away”), and I’ve enjoyed all of the books I’ve read by St. Martin’s Press. That continues with this book. This book has it all—romance, humor, suspense, family issues, and a strong female heroine. The characters are well-developed, and I found myself emotionally connected to all of them. I couldn’t put it down, and I hated to see it end! I highly recommend this book, along with Katherine’s other books.

A happy read with some laughs, some romance, and lessons of forgiveness.

Cassie is a firefighter in a man's world. She reaches milestones in her career and then has to make the decision to move from her comfort zone and current career to live with her mother and become a newbie on a new crew. There are some laughable moments as Cassie meets her new crew, tries to fit in to her mom's life. Things aren't always easy as ghosts from her past come back to haunt her as well.
This was a quick read and the end was much more fast paced.

Loved this book! Read it very quickly. Yes it is predictable in every possible way but that doesn’t make it any less engaging and well written. Enjoyed the quick call back to Center’s last novel—How to Walk Away.

Absolutely stunning story with highly developed characters. I finished this book in a day. It was one where I didn’t want it to end so I kept putting it down but had to find out more. I felt like I lived next door. The characters were believable, flawed, hurting, honest and real. Each was developed with their own personality so that I felt a familiarity with them. So many emotions and this is one of those books where you accidentally learn to be a better person. This is easily one of my top 3 books this year! #netgalley #katherinecenter #stmartinspress

I absolutely loved this action packed romance. It was natural and not forced or overdone. I appreciate an author that can keep me wrapped up in their world, long after I have turned the last pages. This is a delightful read and a good one to escape reality into!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the first time I have read a novel by Katherine Center and I fully intend to read her previous books. The characters were likable as well as believable, and the story flowed very smoothly. It was also a trip down memory lane as my dad was a fireman when I was a child. Cassie, the main character, is navigating a male dominated career in the fire department and doing a great job. When her mom falls ill, she makes the decision to move to a different state and start all over again in a much less friendly environment. I loved the feistiness of the character and her ability to adapt and grow. Thank you St. Martin Press for allowing me to have the ARC on this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps not a 5-star read for everyone, but as a firefighter’s wife I was immediately drawn to this book after reading the synopsis and it did not disappoint. Everything regarding firefighting was right on par with what I’ve learned from my husband and the camaraderie and antics at the firehouse were believable.

Cassie was a strong, sassy female lead who never failed to stand up for herself, and I enjoyed seeing her softer side come out as the novel progressed. I loved Owen, but would have enjoyed learning a bit more about him as he felt a bit one-dimensional. I like how the author managed to balance out the drama, romance, and mystery throughout. The theme of forgiveness played out nicely and I loved the throwback to Center’s previous book, “How to Walk Away.”

Overall, a well-balanced and fantastic book, one that I plan to purchase after its release.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center.

This is my first book I have read by Center, And I was so looking forward to reading it. I wanted to like this book but I started to get confused a bit. I mean here you have a girl, that gets angry when anyone calls her a girl, she insists she is not a girl but a firefighter. Okay, then it comes to she doesn't have time to have a relationship with anyone. Then next thing I'm reading is her and this other firefighter are getting a little romantic together. I just couldn't figure out if it was a romance or if it had to do with strong-willed women or if it was something to do with the women's movement back in the day. I am sorry to you all that loved it, and that is awesome because that's your prerogative. But it just didn't do it for me.

This is one of the sweetest, most uplifting stories that I’ve read all year. First, imagine a female firefighter who has the tenacity of a wild cat! That's Cassie and she must give up her old life (and job) to help out her estranged mother. She's been asked to move across country, not knowing that this just might be a new beginning of her own! I purposely am not giving details of the the story because you will just have to experience it on your own. I'm giving this book five stars for realistic, lovable characters and the fabulous story that kept me reading late into the night.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center will be available August 13, 2019 from St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Well written with strong characters and a strong storyline. Definitely see this book doing very well. This was the first I have read this Author and will absolutely read more from her. Highly recommend this book ..

Hello 👋🏻 Where do I sign up to be the president of the Katherine Center fan club? I loved How to Walk Away and thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press I was able to get an ARC of Things You Save in a Fire so now I’m officially obsessed. The main character Cassie is a complete bada** and now I’ll be over here dreaming of being strong enough to do a one armed pull up 💪🏻 Review below!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Cassie is a firefighter who has worked hard to prove herself both physically and mentally capable to serve in the fire service. She’s disciplined and independent, living a life that’s completely in her control. That is, until a ghost from her past reappears and sparks a chain of events that sends her life careening in another direction. I thought this was a beautiful story about love and forgiveness combined with a unique look at being a woman in a male dominated industry. You’ll love the cast of characters, and like Cassie, a few of them may surprise you. I highly recommend reading this book when it comes out August 13th 2019!

Review can also be found on my instagram @kels.reads