This book was a love story but not just romantic love. It is about loving life, loving the family you create, the journey of childhood, but most of all loving yourself. I loved the characters and their development over the course of the book, especially Samantha. As an educator myself, I really connected to the theme of finding balance between keeping our children safe and allowing them to live life with joy. School safety and school violence play a big role in this story so just be aware if that is a sensitive topic for you (although who isn’t thinking about that issue in this world?) This book, like all of Katherine Center’s stories, is a romance mixed with serious issues and important topics. It will make you smile and will make you think about life with a bit more compassion. I really enjoyed it and I know lots of people will be talking about this book when it releases this summer!

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

A charming and sweet book about second chances and love. Samatha finds her self at a school she loves and has found her own voice in the world she has created for herself. She's happy and content and finds out that the love she thought she lost is now going to the be principal at her school. When she finds out that he is no longer his fun-loving self she is determined to help him find himself again. I truly enjoyed this quick read. Katherine Center does not disappoint. If you loved her other books you'll enjoy this one. A nice poolside or beach read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my advance copy all opinions are my own.

A novel by Katherine Center was exactly what I needed to read to escape for a few hours during our COVID-19 isolation time! I am a huge fan of Katherine Center as an author and storyteller. Her writing style is reminiscent of late 90's chick flick movies and I almost always end up assigning her characters to my favorite movie actors as I'm reading. This story was slightly predictable, but sweet, endearing and nostalgic. I especially appreciate that the author does not add unnecessary sex or excessive profanity to her books as many authors do these days.

The characters in this story were lovable, relatable, flawed in their own ways but ultimately I was cheering for everyone (except for the horrible chairman of the board for the school. Kent Buckley was the worst!) It was encouraging to watch each of the main characters overcome their own set of trials (epilepsy, PTSD, grief....) while they were also helping each other to recover. They exhibited bravery, connection, love and hope.

Thanks to the author for an enjoyable read that helped me keep my mind off of our own worldwide trial of the Coronavirus. This was a bright light for me!

(I receive an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the book)

Just the thing to take my mind off of all that's going on in the world. I love it! EXCELLENT character and plot development. I read quickly and the pace was perfect. 👌 My copy still needs to be edited but all in all this is a phenomenal book.

I loved every page of this awesome book by Katherine Center.. Every page of this book was better than the previous one. I loved the way it was written and the way the characters were developed.. All I can say is everyone must read this amazing book..

"What You Wish For" is the sweet and endearing story of a school librarian named Sam who reconnects with someone from her past, and finds love along the way. While the plot isn't as strong as Center's "Things You Save in a Fire," it was equally delightful and a total cheese fest. Some parts were slightly unrealistic (a therapist confirming the identity of one of his clients) but I was more than willing to overlook such details for the sake of this rom com. Perfect for a lazy day at the beach or to avoid losing your mind during a pandemic.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I had not read anything by this author and was delighted to get and read this novel. It was filled with heart and the characters, Duncan and Sam, were so lovable. I loved the layers that they author slowly uncovered for us as to why Duncan was the way he was. I loved the secondary characters Alice, Clay and Babette. The writing kept me turning the pages and I was so glad that Kent Buckleys character ended as he did in the last chapter. A great read that I stayed up late to finish!!!

I received a complimentary copy of What You Wish For from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Love. This. Book! Sam, the mousy librarian turned color-wheel, is vibrant and energetic, fighting for the good in the world--especially right in her own charming little elementary school. (Her excessive sort of personality is perfectly expressed continuously and interuptingly through her own thoughts as she thinks through real-time events.) She battles side-by-side with a few friends to thwart the attempts of the new principal--her once happy-go-lucky, co-worker crush from a previous school turned newly soul-less--to destroy the beauty of the award-winning school. The back and forth between these two characters is mesmerizing: I could not get enough! This is my favorite kind of book: real characters, real situations unfolding in real ways. I REALLY loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Here's what I've learned about this author's books: they are set in Texas, the protagonist is always a strong, smart, confident women who is fully realized and likable, and the ending is always satisfying.

So if you are looking for a good pick-me-up kind of book that will have you rooting for the protagonist to get all the wonderful things in life she deserves, then give this (and her many other books) a go.

Yet another fantastic book from Katherine Center! I've been waiting to hear Duncan's story since Happiness for Beginners and I was not disappointed! Center is so talented and easily writes stories centered around oftentimes tragic or difficult subjects, but with a real and inspiring sense of hope. Well done!

Katherine Center’s books always make me laugh, cry, smile and restore a bit of my faith in the world by the end.

Sam, a high school librarian, is surprised when the new principal of her school is a former coworker she was in love with. But the fun loving guy she remembered has been replaced by someone who’s cold and safety focused. The book follows them both learning to overcome their various hang ups to find love.

Very sweet book that I’m so happy I got to read early thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley sharing an advanced reader copy.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for an advanced reader copy of What You Wis For in exchange for an honest review.

This might be my new favorite Katherine Center book. I loved the Happiness for Beginners tie-in. This was the perfect book to bring me a smile and some joy. Center just has a way about her writing that I adore. Her characters are so relatable and lovable. I loved this so much that I read it in approximately 24 hours.

I loved the daily challenges Sam, Babette, and Alice gave Duncan to help him learn to see joy. There were so many wonderful lessons in this book. I couldn’t recommend it more.

I will add the link when I share closer to the publication date.

I loved this book. Katherine Center has written another incredible book. The character development was great. I quickly fell in love with the characters and was rooting for them to move beyond their struggles. This was a 5 star book for me.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an easy read and pulled me in right from the start. Highly recommend this book and others from this author.

Katherine Center - I love your books!! Your characters are lovable and imperfect and your underlying messages of healing, hope, joy and choosing gratitude and happiness are so uplifting.
I really enjoyed this story, I loved the surprises along the way as well as the appearance of some of my other favorite characters from another K.C. Book. What a fun, quick, refreshing read.

I have never read anything by this author before, so I was stepping into the unknown. I like to expand my horizons in what I read, and this book seemed to fit the bill. It was a quick read, and it was overall satisfying to me. I will say that it wasn’t at all what I was expecting or what I would normally read. Nonetheless, I thought that the book was enjoyable. This was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I don’t have a whole lot to say about the book in general.

The Writing
I liked the writing in this book. Center’s writing was easy to read and it flowed. I finished this book in about two hours, maybe a little less. This is because I felt that the book’s writing was working well with everything else. It wasn’t overly descriptive, and the dialogue was good as well. I think the writing was a solid foundation that the rest of the book is set on.

The Pacing
I didn’t particularly have a huge problem with the pacing, but I will say at some points the pacing left me a little annoyed. This is mostly because it felt like we were going somewhere then suddenly it slowed down again. This was a problem for me as it was slightly jarring at times. Otherwise, I think it all worked.

The Plot
The plot was far more character driven than it was action driven. The teachers and staff essentially band together to prevent their school from being changed. This was mostly the action plot with a small subplot involving our characters trying to make someone happy again. It was a simple plot, but it worked. It wasn’t convoluted because there was no need for it to be. In fact, I loved it for that reason.

The Characters
The characters are the real stars of this book. I enjoyed the characters immensely and I think that Center did a good job with them. I didn’t dislike any of the characters (okay, I did hate two of them, but because we were supposed to!) and felt that all of their development was nicely done. Much of the development we get for them has occurred off screen, except for a few moments. There is nothing wrong with that.
Underlying the characters and plot is the romance. The romance doesn’t take up a large portion of the book, and in fact, how it is incorporated is lovely. It just becomes another aspect to the characters and plot.

Overall
I enjoyed the book; I can say that much. It was a soothing read, and it was lighthearted for the most part. I laughed at a couple points and overall I enjoyed myself while reading it. There were some fun moments as well as some serious ones.

What can I say? Katherine Center just has a way of making me forget the world around me when I'm reading her books! I can always connect with the characters and their every day life situations. I have yet to meet a book by Center that I didn't like! What You Wish For is no exception. Sam Casey loves her job as a school librarian until someone from her past comes in and tries to change everything that she loves. If you are looking for a heartwarming lovely story, with characters that you can't help put cheer on this one is for you!

Katherine Center's latest novel What You Wish For is one of those must read books. It really is. I have come to love her writing and when I was able to get an advance copy of this one I loaded it up on my Kindle and sat down and read it in one sitting only taking time out for dinner.

Samantha Casey is a elementary school librarian and quite a lovable character. She and the staff at her school get along great and she loves her job and the whole atmosphere of her school. She feels like she has a home there until the beloved principal dies unexpectedly. Enter Duncan Carpenter . In an odd twist of fate Principal Carpenter is the same Duncan Carpenter that stole Samantha's heart years before even though he was unaware.

So what happens when an unrequited love who used to be the fun guy appears on the scene and is a straight laced and uptight administrator with ideas to place the beloved school on a high security alert? Samantha' rails against the changes and through a series of events finds that the old Duncan is still there but buried underneath a lot of personal trauma of his own.

The author does not disappoint with this latest novel. I laughed out loud several times and her characters were so fun and vivid that I felt like they were in the room with me. Great writing and a story that was just what I needed to read to escape this afternoon. Thanks, Katherine Center, for providing yet another great book to read. Keep them coming.

Thank you to NetGalley , the author and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

I do not consider myself a fan of romance novels, but I'm a sucker for Katherine Centers' after discovering How to Walk Away and then Things You Save in a Fire last year. She has a way with flawed but lovable characters, making them endearing and putting them together, after fighting it tooth and nail, in a not too sappy way. I started this novel last night and finally put it down around 1am, 65% of the way through, only because I had to get up and be functional for work at 7am, and then picked it up again as soon as I finished for the afternoon and didn't stop until the last page a few minutes ago. Not many books would jump straight to the top of my must read pile that way, but this one did.
I would recommend this to friends, coworkers, my book club, all the way to my mom and grandmother (even though it did have a couple of curse words in it that she might not approve of) :) but the story and the characters were just appealing and enjoyable. It's nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering, but if you're looking for a story with characters that feel like people you could know in real life, with real relationships that go through the good, the bad and the ugly, then give this book a try.

I have enjoyed all the Katerine Center novels I have read before but this one was exceptional! I honestly could not put the book down. The characters were wonderfu and the storyline ADORABLE . It made me sad it had to end. Always a sign of a good book. The fact that the main character was a librarian (like me) was dear to my heart but the book itself is just an all-around winner! Am I gushing over this one???? you bet! It's that good.