Contemporary romance is generally not a genre I read a lot of. I was intrigued, however, by both this books cover and description. I'm very glad I decided to take a chance and give this a read. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day.The story follows Cassie Hanwell as she packs up, moves in with her mother, and attempts to make her way at a new firehouse. Then there's the issue of the other firefighter hired at the same time as Cassie--a rookie named Owen.While there is romance in the story, it doesn't overpower the narrative. The story is more about Cassie overcoming things from her past, growing, and becoming the person she was always meant to be. The book made me both laugh and cry.

What a fun, sweet, 4.5 star read!  I have never read a detailed book about firefighters, and the fact that the main character Cassie is a female firefighter made it even more delightful!  I loved how spunky and relatable she was.  The theme of forgiveness in all its forms was beautiful.  The only thing I didn’t like were the long inter monologues.  They seemed a little excessive and took me out of the story. 
  Katherine Center is quickly becoming a must read author for me.  Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read an advanced copy.

I grabbed this ARC of NetGalley since it was listed as a romance. For what I'm used to romance-wise, it took a little bit to get there, but once it did, I was not disappointed at all on that front. Meanwhile, I became completely captivated by the rest of the story, especially Cassie's on-the-job challenges--from the interactions with her fellow firefighters to the day-to-day work. Then I got invested in Cassie's relationship with her mom who had left her family years earlier. The theme of forgiveness went deep in this book. But I'm a simple romance girl, and I adored Owen and how sweet he was from the moment he graced the page. This was a very satisfying read that made me a little wistful in the end.

The first chapter drew me in with equal parts humor and relatable characters and ends with a sweet romance. This book was exceptionally charming and heartwarming, hitting on compassion, acceptance and forgiveness. I loved it!

4.5 stars

I kept seeing rave reviews of Things You Save in a Fire and decided to give it a whirl for myself to see if it was as good as they led me to believe.  It absolutely was!

This book is about Cassie who is a flawed but fun heroine who is a kick as firefighter trying to restart her life after moving in with her Mom halfway across the country.  

I was swept up into this story almost from the first page and didn't want to put it down until the last.  It's exactly everything I love in novels - a feisty and fun heroine, a good backstory, a sweet romance and a lot of fun.  It was almost a smidge too predictable, hence the half star away from 5 but I still love this book all the same.  

I highly recommend this book to those that like a good story that is full of great characters and a strong heroine. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Center's sense of humor and off-beat characters.  This is a really well done, contemporary, if a bit predictable love story.  A first for me, having the protagonist as a fire fighter. A bad ass fire fighter.  With a sad back story.  I especially loved Diana, eye patch and all.  Sweet, LOL funny, and a bit of sadness thrown in for good measure.  Really enjoyable and highly recommended.

This feel-good book will take you on an emotional journey and leave you feeling satisfied with the ending.

I could not have enjoyed this book more! I fell in love with Katherine Center's writing in How to Walk Away so I was extremely excited to see that she was releasing another book! Things You Save in a Fire was everything I would have wanted and more. The story of a hardworking and passionate female firefighter starts off in her dream job in Austin TX but soon finds herself moving to a much less progressive fire team as she moves in with and takes care of her mom.  Her story is compelling, engaging, and believable.  I loved interacting with all of the characters and the ending really brought everything together for me! I cannot say enough good things about this book; absolutely loved it.

Another captivating read from Katherine Center!  Things You Save in a Fire grabs you from the first sentence.  It gives us insight into the struggles and challenges of a young woman, Cassie, who is working as a firefighter,  a career path previously been dominated by men.  Center brings to life Cassie’s conflict in her relationships, facing her mother with whom she has been estranged from for ten years, as well as her relationship with her coworkers who do not welcome a woman into their firehouse with open arms.  Through it all, she finds the ability to forgive and love along the way.  If you were a fan of How to Walk Away, you are going to love her latest novel.  I didn’t want it to end.  I wanted to start reading it all over again.  Thank you Katherine for sharing this wonderful story!

I love Katherine Center's books. She has a way of bringing her characters to life that sucks you right into their world.  I love that Cassie is a bada** strong female who doesn't need saving. I love that the characters feel real, with faults and flaws, the firehouse is written with challenges that exist for women in male dominated fields.  The writing is beautiful and I couldn't put the book down.  This will be on the top of my list for books from 2019.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fun and heartfelt book.

In the beginning, this book may seem like a lighthearted, fun read. It is that, but it's so much more. It's about preconceived ideas about people, about our views of things that happened versus what really happened, about how we are all human and make mistakes, about how life can (and does) throw you a curveball at any time, about how we perceive ourselves, and...about what is really important in life.

Cassie is a loveable, young, determined woman who has built a shell around herself thanks to two things that happened on her sixteenth birthday. And this story takes Cassie on a journey of self-discovery and truth. It's a great book that will have you cheering for everyone in the story!

I became a huge Katherine Center fan after reading How to Walk Away. What to Save in a Fire is a story of community, forgiveness and family. 

I found myself reaching for tissues when reading part of this book. Center knows how to tug at a person’s heart strings.

5 STARS!

This book was so much more than I expected and I had already expected to love it. Similar to her previous books this is a single POV by a female protagonist. This time, a female firefighter who is at the top of her game when felled by behavior unbecoming.

Not caring for brusque, arrogant, or pushy females as main characters, my only concern was due to that of my own preconceptions. Any worry over those presumptions fell to the wayside after the first two chapters. This author managed to create a character who while confident and highly capable in her career, was immensley vulnerable under the walls she was forced to build due to past hurts. It was the perfect balance. I loved Cassie's character so much. If I could do my life over, I would want to be her! 

While classified as women's fiction, the romantic element to the story was more prominent than any of the other books I've read by this author. This made my romance loving heart happy. The moment Rookie Owen turned his goofy, smiling face towards Cassie, she wasn't the only goner. Along with some sweet romance, there were other wonderful elements to this story that created something relatable, empowering, and hopeful. Great wit, a little mystery/suspense, honorable characters, and a swoony romance. Things You Save in a Fire was reading bliss.

Things You Save in a Fire is amazing!! I laughed and cried, mainly cried. It is a beautiful tale of forgiveness. And love, I can't forget the love. Cassie needs to get out of the heat of Texas, and her Mom needs her in Massachusetts. She hasn't seen her Mom in ten years and she is not looking forward to spending time with her. But she is dutiful. But oh what awaits this sweet child!!! I'm crying trying to write this review!! Read it! You won't be disappointed!!!

Jodi Picoult recommended this one for a reason, and I wholeheartedly agree. I loved this look into a profession and world most women never get to see in any capacity. I now have a greater sense of understanding and patience for this profession - even more than I already did! What a gut punch of a book. Don't' sleep on this one.

I didn’t know anything about this book before I read it, only that tons of people were talking about it. I’m honestly so happy that I chose to read this book today. Yes, I started it today and finished it today; it was so good! This book is about a female firefighter (small crossover comments from one of Katherine Center’s other books How to Walk Away). It combines various adversities in her job along with some romance. It was a quick, cute romance and I would highly recommend it to any looking to read. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because five stars for me is reserved for books that adjust my way of thinking or that I know I’ll come back and read over and over again. Please do yourself a favor and check this book out!

Katherine Center does it again! This book had me hooked from the first page and had a little bit of everything- romance, mystery, family drama, and medical drama. Katherine always does so much research on the things she writes about and it shows. I know nothing about being a firefighter, but this book made me feel like I was learning how to be as a read, in a good way. I can't wait to get a hard copy of this book so I can reread it!

Five Stars🔥 This is going to be one of my all time favorites!  This book will make you laugh cry and swoon! The trifecta! This is about love, forgiveness and Feminism. The main character is such an inspiration. You should definitely read this one! Thanks to St Martins press and netgalley!

How to Walk Away was the first book I ever read from Katherine Center, and it was in my top 5 of best books for 2018. 

Things You Save in a Fire will (I suspect) be in my top 5 favorite books of 2019. Cassie is impeccably developed as a character. I loved this character. Owen...*sigh*. Owen is a keeper. I figured from his first few scenes how his story would end, but oh man, he is a wonderful character. I think I want an Owen in real life!

There is never a slow moment in this book, never a dull page. It's a definite 5 star book.

Katherine Center does it again.  She has an incredible knack for making you feel all of the emotions without the book feeling heavy.  The characters and story weave together seamlessly.  I was rooting for Cassie throughout the book and loved all of changes she made and the person she became in this book.