I started to just read a couple of chapters this evening while I was cooking dinner, not meaning to get too submerged in the story. Four hours later, I've devoured the whole thing.

Cassie is my hero. She lived through some real, heavy shit and used it to motivate herself. She recognized certain strengths of hers and discovered that they make her an ideal firefighter, so she honed them and became the best firefighter. Things have happened to her, sure, but for the most part, she takes an active role and controls her own destiny.

Watching her bloom and grow, to open herself up to feelings and forgiveness and friendship and other f words was incredibly satisfying. I truly enjoyed her journey.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie is a firefighter in Austin, TX. A badass one: she’s tough, disciplined, and has an edge about her that her coworkers respect.

One day Cassie gets a call from her (not estranged but not close with) mother asking a huge favor: to move across country to live with her in Boston. A year at most - just until her health (hopefully) improves. Cassie relentlessly agrees.

The change won’t be easy for her. Cassie will have to prove herself to an all-male fire crew. She will need to confront her past with her mother. And she will have to let her guard down when it comes to love.

Things You Save in a Fire was a lot of emotions wrapped in one: hilarious, funny, emotional, tear jerking. Ultimately, the theme I took away from this book is how the power of forgiveness is real. It’s up to us to make room for healing and let go. Forgiving yourself, and forgiving others.

I flew through this novel - I could NOT PUT IT DOWN! I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so physically present in a story - everything about Cassie and her life felt like I was right there along side her. She’s so relatable to any female who’s had to put up a shell around her to protect her emotions/sanity. The entire novel, I wanted to laugh with her, root for her, cry with her, and fist pump with her.

Things You Save in a Fire swept me off my feet. I will never stop recommending this novel.

I have read and enjoyed a few of Center's books over the years and so I was really looking forward to reading this one (although a few of her earlier titles are still on my TBR shelf!). This is also one of the July Book of the Month Club choices, which I have had good experiences overall with their selections. Either way, Center is always a guaranteed good read in my book, and this latest novel of hers is no exception! I really loved reading this!

Cassie is a female firefighter in progressive Austin, but when her life turns upside down in a matter of hours, she suddenly relocates to Rockport, Massachusetts and its more traditional (AKA all male) firefighting department. This book is a great, fast and fun read. I laughed, I ugly-cried and loved every page! It's a story about forgiveness, family, love - and of course, fighting fires. It would make a great movie and I can't wait to dig through my TBR shelves to finish reading her entire canon! Center is a great writer who creates authentic and sympathetic characterless. This is a genuinely great reading experience and I can't wait to see what she will write next!

*** 5 Stars *** (ALLL THE STARS)
Publication Date: August 13, 2019

This is by far my favorite read of the year and very unexpected for me. I've seen all the rave reviews but when I hear love story I cringe. This book had me laughing, angry, and crying.. sooo many emotions. Cassie is a firefighter in Austin, a top firefighter who likely will be chief very soon, when her mother who has been out of her life for quite some time asks her to move across the country to live with her and completely changes her life. There's hazing, female empowerment, excitement, love, forgiveness, pain, and drama and the story line just works! The writing and character development are perfection. I loved Cassie and many of the other characters. Do yourself a favor and make this a must read when it releases August 13th! 

Special thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. I liked the plot, the main character, the side characters, and the conflict. I think that the conflict came a little too late in the story, and the romantic relationship should have been explored a bit more. Also Cassie's eventual opening up was told rather than shown, and I think the book suffered a bit for it. It was too rushed, but the story was good and sweet, and I found it interesting and easy to read.

I laughed, I cried! I was super excited to read this because I loved How to Walk Away. 
Its your usual rom-com type story that touches a bit on some deeper topics. My heart was warmed and I am so happy for Cassie.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "Things You Save in a Fire" by Katherine Center. St. Martin's Press, August 2019

Katherine Center, AUthor of "Things You Save in a Fire", has written a captivating, witty, emotional, thought-provoking and entertaining novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary and Romantic novel with some Humor. The timeline for the story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her colorful and dramatic cast of characters as quirky, complex, complicated, and flawed.

Cassie Hanwell has always enjoyed helping people and especially likes using her skills as a medic in the fire department to care for people. Cassie is determined, courageous, brave, tough, yet broken on the inside. Cassie herself has had traumatic things happen to her.

Cassie's estranged mother calls her to come home for a year to help her. Circumstances occur where Cassie will now be working with a different firefighter unit near where her mother lives. The Captain of the original unit gives Cassie a whole list of "survival rules" for her new placement. The men on the new unit, and especially the new Captain are less than thrilled that Cassie is not a man. How is Cassie going to survive these new changes?

This is a wonderful book about forgiveness, second chances,self-growth, family, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this emotional and thought-provoking novel.

This book is amazing and I loved it!  Cassie is such an interesting character.  She's a firefighter and what happens at an event honoring her for her heroics on the job, sets the changes for her life in motion.  How she reconnects with her mother, takes on a new job, meets the rookie.  All of it is so good.  The epilogue is great, too!

This was my first read by Katherine Center and I look forward to the next!  The story focuses on Cassie a Texas firefighter who, in her mid-twenties, continues to struggle with life-changing events from 10 years ago.  The story describes the camaraderie of her fellow firefighters, in Texas and later in Massachusetts.  It was interesting to consider the impact of a female in a mostly male firehouse.  As Cassie works to resolve unfinished conflicts from her past, she begins to gain strength and confidence in her present day relationships.  A well-written novel about loving, loss, lies, and forgiveness.  Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I introduced myself to Katherine Center last year with How to Walk Away (HTWA) (my review is here) and loved it , so I eagerly anticipated her next novel which was Things You Save in a Fire (to be called Things for the rest of this review) and was not disappointed in the least.  And Things is about a female firefighter: Go girl empowerment!

Center wrote the novel through examples of real life situations her volunteer fire fighter husband told her about the job and living in the fire house.  I’ve spent a little time in firehouses and even put the turnout gear on and based on what I experienced, the novel is spot on!  

Our protagonist Cassie made a brief appearance in HTWA which was referenced in Things. You won’t miss anything if you have not read HTWA, but it adds to Cassie’s story if you have already read it. I personally loved how the books were connected.  I really liked Cassie and identified with her in several ways.  Firefighting really is a ‘boys club’ and Cassie totally kicks male butt!  You can’t help but cheer for her.  She is also a conflicted character and feels like a real person.  Center does a great job capturing real life struggles and putting them on the page.  There are moments that will have you laughing and then moments that touch you in a personal way.

This novel has a bit of everything: romance, mystery, action, and yes, we do get a fire! With the fire situation the reader gets the experience of working that fire and going inside with the fire fighters.  

I alluded to it earlier, and want to talk about my experience in a fire house: Back in 2004 I took part in a Citizen’s Fire Academy where I learned about my local fire department, did some training, and spent time at two fire stations with the men on shift.  I got to go on the calls they received, and yes, one was a fire call!  It ended up being a kitchen fire that was out by the time we arrived on the scene.  It was a great experience and if the opportunity arises, everyone should do this! You really get a new appreciation and respect for what they do.  
Bravo Katherine Center for an enjoyable novel that accurately portrays life in a fire house base on what I experienced myself.  When you read this novel, you will get to see what life as a fire fighter is like in a 24 hour shift: from the silliness to seriousness.  

Things You Save in a Fire is very highly recommended.  Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for granting me an e-arc that I received via NetGalley.

In this novel, author Kathrine Center finds Cassie Hanwell, a firefighter in Austin, TX, about to be the first woman to receive an award for valor from the city. Cassie has also been asked by her mother to move to Massachusetts to see her through a medical crisis. Cassie tells her mother empathetically “no” because she’s still angry at her mother for deserting her and her father on her 16th birthday over a decade earlier. There are many things Cassie is angry about and is unable to forgive and move on. 

This is a well-written book with a well-developed character in Cassie. You’ll find yourself reading well into the early hours of the morning. You’ll smile, you’ll laugh out loud, you’ll highlight sentences, and you may even cry a little.

In the early pages, Cassie becomes too angsty. But don’t set the book aside there’s a twist right when you’re about to roll your eyes for the last time and are ready to put the book on your DNF (did not finish) pile. From that point on, you’ll be completely drawn into the book and will have a hard time setting it aside long enough to get your beauty sleep.

If you read only one book this summer, this should be it. This is so well-written that it should go to the top of your to be read list.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC.

Cassie is one of the rising firefighters in her department in Texas, and one of the only females, too. But when her estranged mother calls asking her for help while she recovers from a surgery, Cassie uproots her life to move to Boston. At her new firehouse she's met a crew that is less than kind about having a woman join the team and a facility that is severely underfunded. The only person that seems to believe she's capable is the rookie; the one that Cassie can't seem to stop thinking about despite her former chief's one piece of advice: "don't date firefighters". Despite finally wanting to give in to her feelings, Cassie isn't sure she's ready to jeopardize everything she's worked so hard for in her career.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center was just the book I wanted (and needed) to read right now. I absolutely loved Cassie's character and how she was such a badass at her job in a male-dominated field. There were so many things explored in this book: family dynamics, sexism, past trauma, and forgiveness. So many times during this book I felt myself just nodding my head and feeling like the words were speaking directly to me, and really, what more can you ask for in a book?

I adored Cassie's relationship with the Rookie (although I wish we'd been able to see a bit more of it and not have it develop quite so quickly). This book had a little bit of everything - it was lighthearted, emotional and suspenseful and overall just an absolutely wonderful book that I know will stay with me for a long time.

5/5 stars

Katherine carter has a way of developing characters who you feel so deeply connected to. Her ability to bring the reader into the story is one I truly admire. 

If you want a book you can emotionally connect with while admiring the main characters choices thru difficult times and emotional roller coasters you should grab this one!

I guess I’m somewhere between a 2 and 2.5.

When I read How To Walk Away and found it just okay, I should have realized that the author’s writing style doesn’t exactly work for me. But when I was offered this ARC, I thought I should give it another try and and here I am. I’m not exactly disappointed because I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it was just an overall underwhelming read.

Cassie is a determined, hard working and talented firefighter/paramedic but she holds herself to an almost impossible standard to make it in her very male centered profession. Her mother’s abandonment and a traumatic event at the age of sixteen have made her an emotionally closed off person, which means she hardly has any friends or social life and channels all her energy into being a great firefighter. When she has to move to a much more regressive fire department in a small town to live with her mother, she has to prove herself all over again. While I admire her for being so composed and handling every situation with a sort of clinical precision, I guess I wanted her to show a bit more emotion. But thankfully, her character arc is about growing more comfortable with showing emotion and vulnerability and I thought that was good. It just wasn’t entirely satisfactory.

The rookie love interest Owen was a dreamy guy, sweet and kind and just overall nice. While I liked how he was able to bring down Cassie’s walls a bit, I just thought the romance happened very fast and I didn’t see the buildup at all. The other side characters at the fire station all felt very two dimensional and I couldn’t even remember their names by the time I finished reading. Cassie’s mom is like a walking talking self help book and though I was sympathetic to her situation and wanting to spend more time with her daughter, their interactions didn’t feel very authentic to me.

The one thing that’s good about this author’s books are that they are very fast paced and easy to read - I finished it in just two sittings despite not enjoying myself much. My biggest problem was that the book wasn’t sure which category it wanted to be in - it wants to be a romance novel but the love story itself is rushed, there is hardly any relationship progression and I couldn’t understand why they were in love; on the other hand, the book wants to talk about issues like sexism in the workplace and dealing with trauma and how they impact our lives for a long time, but none of it is explored deeply because the author doesn’t seem to want to lose the light /breezy feel of the book. This just makes it all feel very superficial. There is also a “not like other girls” trope, especially at the beginning when the main character says things like “being in love is very girly and it makes girls sad and pathetic” and I hated it. The main character experiences deep trauma as a teenager which has affected her capacity to have relationships for a long time, but we never get to see how she is actually dealing with it... and ultimately, falling in love fixes all her issues, which is another trope I don’t particularly enjoy anymore. While I like the concept of forgiveness and how it’s important to forgive to be able to move forward and lead a more productive life, all the advice given in the book about it was pretty perfunctory and shallow and didn’t evoke any feelings in me. Despite having a bit of mystery element in the story, there is hardly any conflict and the author ensures that everything is neatly tied up in a bow.

If you have enjoyed the author’s books before, you’ll probably like this a lot more than I did. If you are looking for a light and easy fairytale-esque book without a lot of angst, then you should give this a try. However, if you are looking for an amazing well developed romance or a book that deeply touches on issues that the main character faces in her personal and professional life, then Things You Save in a Fire is definitely not it.

"Things You Save in a Fire" follows Cassie, a firefighter, who uproots her life in Texas to start a new job in a small town in Massachusetts. Her new path leads her to confront challenges, both new and old, where she must learn to forgive. 

Cassie's character was strong and independent and it was especially enjoyable to read about the firehouse and how Cassie interacted with other firefighters, as well as her relationship with her mom. 

Soon into the book, Cassie begins to fall for the rookie and the novel focuses on a very slow build to Cassie finally accepting her feelings for him. However, when she does finally declare her love, everything that follows is so fast. I truly felt the engagement at the end of the novel was completely unnecessary. Also, it felt like the epilogue was used to fill in the gaps of the romance part of the relationship between Cassie and the rookie that lacked during the story. 

Overall, the book was enjoyable and easy to read and I look forward to reading another book by Katherine Center! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for a review copy!

Why can't all books be as good as this one?

This was my first book by Katherine Center and now I wish I had every book of hers to read, if only to prolong the reading high I have at this moment. This book will be at the top of my list of favorites for the year. I loved absolutely everything about this story and cannot think of a single flaw. It was the type of book I seek with every book I read -- it captured my attention from the very first page, I fell in love with the characters, and never wanted the story to end. Check, check, check!

I was a little nervous about this book, considering Cassie, the main character, was a female firefighter. I was sure this book would be a politically charged feminist manifesto with equal parts of female oppression and male-bashing. To my pleasant surprise, this book toed the line between both genders, representing both in a fair and honest manner. While Cassie, at times, faced some opposition, she was still allowed to be a strong woman and show what she was made of. The men in the firehouse were as masculine as I hoped they would be and pranksters all. As a woman, it's probably odd that I would enjoy the ball-busting men are in this profession are known for, but it's some of my favorite humor and I was glad to see Katherine Center's accurate portrayal. It added some laugh out loud moments and was made the story even more enjoyable to read. I loved watching Cassie rise to every occasion and represent herself well. She showed iotas of character growth and is one of my new favorite heroines. I loved that she never needed to be saved and was allowed to flourish in her own time with the help of the love from those around her. 

This book offered so many heartwarming moments, action, great quotes, and things to reflect upon. The easy-going characters, especially Owen, were an absolute delight to read about. It's probably entirely too predictable to say I relished in the steaminess between Cassie and Owen, but this was the exact amount of romantic tension I look for. Their chemistry was perfect!

I particularly loved how much the story encouraged forgiveness, even when people didn't deserve it. This tugged on my heartstrings in the best possible way and ended with all the warm fuzzies I needed. The book hangover is real and I'm afraid no other books in 2019 will hold a candle to this one. I highly recommend picking up Things You Save in a Fire on August 13th.

I love finding new authors to love and Katherine Center has definitely made that list!

Cassie is a firefighter in Austin, Texas when she decides to make the move north to take care of her mom. She is the first female to ever work at her new fire department. The other firefighters are not too happy with a female being on their shift. Then comes along the “Rookie” and he changes things for her.

This was such a cute romance and I loved that there was such a strong female main character! I loved seeing a strong woman working a “man’s” job. It’s shows that women can do anything. 
I plan to read How To Walk Away next!

A new to me author Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. Wasn't sure what to expect from this book when I started it but it grabbed me from the first chapter. Totally enjoyable I look forward to checking out more by this author in the future.

loved this book ♥️♥️♥️ just what I needed after reading many v disturbing thrillers in succession. In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure I could take a whole book of Cassie’s “I’m not a girl” tough guy act, but her development was fantastic and you realize that the tough guy act is just a result of her past trauma and the walls she’s built to protect herself. Great story about a badass female firefighter, love, and forgiveness.

<i>***ARC Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***</i>

<blockquote>I knew too much about life to pretend that it wasn't half tragedy. We lose the people we love. We disappoint each other. We misunderstand. We get lost and lonely and angry. But right now, we were okay.</blockquote>

This passage pretty much sums up the different types of "fire" we all face in life, but it is how we choose to treat these "fires" that will save us from succumbing to its destructive flames. Once again Katherine Center delivers another meaningful, deeply engrossing story about courageously facing up to the past, choosing to practice forgiveness,  and cherishing "the genuine, blissful  moment of joy" knowing "it couldn't last, but that's what made it matter."

Our heroine, firefighter Cassie Hanwell, is one of my all-time favorite characters. Why? Because not only is she smart, strong, and a rising star at her station, she is also like an onion that I have to peel layer by layer in order to understand her at her very core. And as I continue peeling away -- following her through all her highs and lows -- I find myself growing with her, meeting her at every one of her EUREKA! moments, and applauding at how she calmly handles every obstacle standing in her way like a boss. I find myself cheering for her when she finally settles into that comfortable place in life with the people who matters the most to her. After finishing the story, I put my iPad down and sat there with a dorky grin. The ending is just perfect.  

I love how this book centers around the power of forgiveness: Letting go of the hurt, accepting that nobody is perfect, and finding ways that you benefited from the whole thing. I know, forgiveness is the most difficult moral virtue to practice, and we do see that internal struggle in Cassie initially. But since she is surrounded by good supportive people, she is able to find forgiveness in her heart to extinguish the burning hatred she's been harboring for 10 years. Forgiveness is like water, it cleanses the past and releases the soul from being burdened down with hate, thus, allowing us to start anew. 

I love this story so much that I've circled the book's release date. Yes, I plan on purchasing the book and revisiting this heartwarming story again. I could have read the entire story in one sitting had it been a regular book instead of an eBook. But alas, it's an eBook and blue light is not that good for the eyes. 

I highly recommend everyone to get this book once it is released in August and devour it! You will fall in love with Katherine Center's works as well. I guarantee.