Once again Katherine Center has stolen my heart!

Of course, when you share the same first name as the main character of a book, it's easy to find yourself particularly attached to them and their drama. But in this case, the main character of Sam is so genuinely easy to like and to root for.

I also found it incredibly refreshing and important that the main character was living with a chronic illness, and we as readers experience the reality of her life with epilepsy. Everyone's experiences are different, and Sam's fears and struggles might be vastly different than others dealing with the same illness, but it was wonderful to see that kind of representation in this book.

I think this author is incredible at making her characters feel grounded and real and down to earth. These are just common, everyday people that you know. They're teachers, police officers, fire fighters, librarians. They live seemingly normal lives, but they all have their own challenges and stories. This book is no exception.

This book also explores themes of gun violence and school safety which is an important topic in our society right now. It was great to see the author tackle these issues head-on, rather than shy away from it or paint over it with a fictional fantasy-land kind of brush. By dealing with these topics, the story feels so grounded in reality and thus it has more weight. It feels relevant and important.


Now getting to the plot:

I love the idea of looking at the past with rosy coloured glasses, and coming to terms with the reality of the present not matching your memories or feelings from the past.

When Duncan arrives on the island, he is just awful. But Sam gives us glimpses of the past version of Duncan; the one she knew years ago that exists now only in memory. And you feel that same longing for him to snap out of it and be "old Duncan" again. But from his first meeting with the teachers, its obvious that there's some kind of trauma affecting his present self. So, it becomes pretty easy to feel empathy for him, despite his terrible decisions. Especially after we get the explanation as to what happened to make him change.

Of course, like all novels in this genre, we're generally skewing towards a happy ending. But the author makes a point to identify that happy endings are work. And we have to choose joy for ourselves whenever possible. (honestly, I teared up at several points throughout this book at the premise of choosing joy, and I absolutely highlighted a few sections to save for later)

Katherine Center is easily setting a new standard for the romance genre, and I'm absolutely loving it. More please!!!

I am a big fan of Katherine Center's work. I certainly was not disappointed by What You Wish For. I don't know if the fact that I was sitting at home on the first day of my CO-VID 19 quarantine had anything to do with my feelings toward the book but I was definitely getting all the emotions. I loved that this book addressed the issue of fear and how the characters dealt with that fear. The book stated at one point that we don't have to wait for joy to happen, we can make it happen. That really turned my day around.

The pace of the book was quick and smooth. I liked most of the characters and probably would like to get to know a few of them a little better.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I read Katherine Center's book Things You Save in a Fire last year and really loved it, so I was excited to get an ARC of her newest book What You Wish For. As a fan of Center, I was not disappointed! I loved this book, and here's why:
1) I'm a teacher, and the book was set in a school. with the main character, Sam being a teacher/librarian. I was able to connect with her more because of this.
2) The book was about several of the characters healing from tragedies, and I enjoyed reading about their growth and change throughout the story. It's a great story, that I would classify as Up Lit.
3) There's a cute romance between two of the characters that started off as "enemies", and who doesn't love the hate-turned-love type romance?!

I would say if you read Katherine Center's book Things You Save in a Fire, you will enjoy this one, as it has a similar appeal.

Katherine Centers books have always brought a smile to my face and this was the perfect amount of positive energy that I desperately needed during this crazy time. Something about the characters and the story she writes make you want all the good things to happen. Anyway...

Following the death of Max, Samantha's (Sam) school principle/roommate, Samantha and the entire elementary school are at a loss. Who could possibly take his place? When Sam finds out it is none other than Duncan Carpenter, an old colleague of hers she can't help but feel he is the perfect man. He was nothing but humorous, energetic, and a ball of energy when she worked with him last and okay she may have also had the biggest crush on him ever.

When school finally starts and Duncan gives the pep talk for the year, Sam cannot believe this is the same man she knew before. Duncan is now stiff and only concerned about the safety of the school. Sam is determined to bring back the old Duncan no matter what it takes before he destroys the school.

I would recommend this book for those looking for a light and feel good story. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author Katherine Center for this ARC!

Gah!!! The reason I love Katherine Center’s books so much is because the characters she writes are so real that they become friends. You cheer their successes, you empathize with their sorrows, and you’re bereft when their stories come to an end. What You Wish For tackles s some timely and important societal issues and examines how trauma in one’s past can impact who they are in the future. No spoilers, so I’ll be vague. But move this one to the top of your summer reading list!

Another wonderful book by Center. Filled with quirky characters, a creative school community, a lovely small town seaside setting...And as always, Center's kind of crazy and hilarious humor mingled in with serious social issues. I did laugh out loud a few times, and choked up as well.

I don't know what it is about Katherine Center but I devour her books like candy! Each of them emotional without manipulation. I absolutely adored this book and its quirky librarian heroine. I emphatically recommend this book for anyone especially those that might be going through a dark spot. This book reminds us what it means to be alive.

Katherine Center knocks it out of the park again! What You Wish For is another wonderful read with lovable characters. I fell in love with Sam and couldn't help but cheer her on. Duncan's story is one that hit me straight down to the core as I teach every single day in a school system, never knowing what the next day will bring. A beautiful story with wonderfully written characters. I loved every minute.

This is a charming and uplifting book, just like the previous Katherine Center books that I've read. (How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire).

When the book opens, Samantha Casey, school librarian, is grieving along with the rest of the community at the tragic loss of the school's beloved principal. The Gavelston, Texas school is fun and imaginative and unique. Along comes Duncan Carpenter to fill the principal's shoes, a man who Samantha used to work with....and was madly in love with. Not that Duncan ever knew. That was a secret Samantha kept to herself. Samantha believes Duncan will make the perfect principal....joyful, childlike, creative. When Duncan shows up however, it's clear that he is not the same man she used to know. He is businesslike and wants the campus locked down, everything designed for safety and only safety.

Samantha's not sure what has made Duncan into the paranoid unhappy man he is, but she won't let him turn her school into a prison without a fight. In the meantime, she is keeping a secret of her own, something that makes her feel vulnerable and unwilling to let people into her life.

The town of Gavelston is a central figure in this book, with its heat, history, and beaches. Center blends humor, heart, and romance again for another winning novel.

I love Katherine Center! Her last two books were so cute and uplifting and (right during the COVID-19 panic) What You Wish For is exactly the sweet, heartwarming read I needed. Obviously, this is an ARC and the book isn’t finished, so any typos or confusing bits are easily forgiven. I can’t wait to read the final product, too!

** A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of this book! **

Sadly, this was a DNF (at 8%) for me, which I always struggle with doing, but I couldn't continue with this book. I have read two other books by this author, and really enjoyed them, but this one was different.

The book is written in the first person from the stance of the main character - within a chapter, I already strongly disliked the main character and her observations of the world around her. There was a lot of telling in what I read and not a lot of showing, which is a personal reading pet peeve.

I hope that others are able to make it through the book and enjoy it a lot more than I did. This one just wasn't for me.

Another great read from one of my favorite authors, thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This book follows the life of Sam, a librarian at a local private school in Texas. Sam developed a very close relationship with the founders and teachers at the school, they all became family. When her family suddenly experiences a devastating loss, a new leader steps in to take over the school. Sam has to learn how to work with this new leader while keeping the schools history and uniqure culture intact.

I really enjoyed Katherine Center's other books, but I unfortunately could not get very far into this one. The main character completely turned me off. I found her actions and motivations to be extremely unrealistic. She uprooted and moved out of state to avoid someone she had a crush on? She is hiding a medical condition because she was uninvited to a party when she was a kid? I don't think real life works this way, and maybe the rest of the book smooths out, but I could not identify with this person as a character at all.

This book hit all the notes that make a book enjoyable for me: interesting and well developed characters, humor that isn’t forced, intrigue, and an exploration of universal facets of humanity wrapped in an original plot. Like her other books, this one tackled some difficult issues in a realistic way, but tempered with a healthy dose of wit and warmth.
It took me a while to warm up to Sam. Sometimes it seemed her brand of quirky ventured close to the “Wait, what?” line. But her voice in the story was so honest it wasn’t hard to develop affection for her. And of course it isn’t too difficult to guess what turned Duncan from a beloved, laid back and entertaining elementary school teacher to a rude, buttoned up administrator- but the reader and Sam have to discover the details. The secondary characters, especially Babbett, her daughter Tina and grandson Clay are wonderful, and every story needs a creep like Tina's husband. The setting of Galveston is pictured so well it almost becomes another character.
This author has a special way of creating flawed but admirable characters who discover themselves and grow through dealing with difficult situations - and writing it in a way that keeps the reader turning pages, never knowing whether the next will prompt a chuckle or a tear.

This review contains SPOILERS!

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors because she writes strong female characters. I was anticipating What You Wish For to be equally strong. Unfortunately, this book didn't land for me.

The main female character, Sam, is so obsessed with a man that she has a crush on to the point that she moves out of state rather than deal with the crush in a healthy way, and intends to uproot her life again when they are reunited. She is whiny, wacky, and tends to take over any situation she is in. I really wanted to find the character likeable, but I struggled.

The main male character, Duncan, suffers from PTSD from being a victim of a school shooting. Let me make this clear, I have been an educator for 18 years and have been though SWAT Team run-hide-fight and ALICE trainings where they teach you how to hide your students, how to baricade your doors, and how to fight back. I have been shot with air-soft rifles to simulate an actual shooting. I have been trained by paramedics on how to triage gun shot victims and how to patch a gun shot wound with a plastic bag and duct tape so that a child doesn't bleed out in front of you. IN NO WAY would a school principal who has been shot and is suffering from PTSD EVER bring a gun (even if fake) on campus and wave it around a staff meeting. I understand that Katherine Center was probably trying to show how unlikable Duncan is, but the way she went about it was completely tone deaf (and naive) to the world in which we now live. I found it offensive and egregious.

The second act of the book improved, and I was rooting for Sam and Duncan to get together. In the second act, the dialogue was more natural and the characters were more relatable, almost likable. I enjoyed seeing how Duncan began to feel joy again and how Sam's whimsy was what helped him. Their blooming love was sweet.

I recommend this book with reservations. Teachers and those suffering from PTSD may have a hard time reading it both because of its content and tone deafness. Personally, I'd rather rearead Things You Save in a Fire.

***What You Wish For is family drama, work drama and romance drama all presented in Ms. Center’s latest novel. The death of the school’s founder Max brings changes to his widow, daughter, and the school employees...not all of them welcome or welcoming. Librarian Samantha has a history with Duncan, the man brought in to take over running school and as the story unfolds they have conflicts, issues and secrets. I had a hard time getting into the story and it never fully engaged my emotions until nearly halfway through, to the point that I kept putting the book aside for a while before trying again. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors in the last six months and this is the third book of hers that I have absolutely burned through. I was not disappointed. What You Wish For tells the story of eccentric school librarian Sam and goofball teacher-turned-stickler principal Duncan as they clash and connect over the private school where they both work. Sam has worked there for several years when Duncan, a teacher from her old school who she crushed on for years, shows up as the new principal. However, he's nothing like she remembered and they continuously clash over his ideas for making the school safer at the cost of its individuality and creativity. As they get closer, however, Sam realizes the hurt that lays at the root of his strictness and she starts a mission to help him find joy in life again.

This book was phenomenal. It had poignant humor, emotional impact, hilarious dialogue, and fantastic characters. It's everything I love about contemporary fiction--funny and impactful at the same time. The characters are well rounded, Center brings you right into the world of private school teachers, and you can't help but care deeply about everyone. I highly recommend this book. It was a fantastic read.

Let me start by saying that I love Katherine Center! She's one of my favorite newer authors and How to Walk Away in a Fire and How to Walk Away. I will say this book What you Wish For doesn't rank as high as those previous titles but still very enjoyable. I felt like the story started sort of slowly and was harder for me to get into. The last fourth of the book really picked up and I was sucked in until the end. It was an unusual story and I loved that the setting took place in a school- the love story between the librarian and the principal. I'll keep being a Katherine fan for sure!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

<u>What You Wish for</u> was a magical, emotional read for me, full of colourful characters who dressed like circus performers and who had no issue with spontaneous outbursts of pure Joy.

Having the courage to embrace life, to soldier on and do or find the things that bring you joy, despite all the misery and unhappiness that may still be hovering on your horizon, was a major theme in this novel. Duncan, the new school principal, had endured a horrible trauma which completely changed his happy-go-lucky outlook on life. Katherine Center truly impressed me with her excellent portrayal of a man suffering from PTSD. The main character, Samantha, comes to understand - after a death defying stunt of her own - that most of us have not experienced fear at the same level that persons suffering from PTSD have. Expecting PTSD sufferers to magically heal by "changing their attitudes" or "thinking about more positive things" is never going to be realistic. There is no quick fix solution. Some damage is irrevocable, and the person you knew before is and will remain forever changed by his or her trauma.

I have always had great respect for Katherine Center's emotional intelligence. Not only is she a gifted writer, but she understands what makes us human's act and behave the way we do - and then turns it into an unforgettable novel. I loved spending time with Samantha, Duncan, Alice - loved all those math jokes!, Babette and, of course, the budding young genius, Clay. Babette's "wake up" speech to Samantha - about how it takes courage to accept love and joy into our lives and how we don't always get to hold onto that joy and love - earned a standing ovation from me. I highly, highly recommend this funny, sometimes sad, but downright joyous story about people trying to overcome their life altering tragedies, and move back towards life..

Another wonderful feel good book by Katherine Center. Just what I needed this week in light of these insane times in our world. Thank you to NetGalley for the download copy!!! As soon as I saw I'd been approved for it, I quickly sent it to my Kindle and began to read.

This book is completely told in the voice of Sam, a quirky librarian in Texas working at a private elementary school. Sam left California because of Duncan, the guy she loved from afar but couldn't ever forget. So Duncan appears in her Texas school as the new principal except he's completely changed. He's no longer the hilariously funny and zany guy she knew; he's somber and stoic and almost mean. What has happened to Duncan and what can she do to save her school and Duncan?

I love Katherine Center's books because they always remind us to do better and to be better. They remind us that we can always look on the bright side and that you need to "find joy". This book was all about finding joy. "But that's the thing about joy. You don't have to wait for it to happen. You can make it happen". (quote from the book)

Pick it up when it comes out in July. It'll put a little smile on your face.