Found the book really slow going at the beginning,but read it to the end,the character's seemed weak,and not a good storyline needs a lot of polishing up.

This is the third book that I have read by this author, and I enjoyed it as much as her other books. I'd classify the book as chick-lit and say it definitely had all the elements of a good read (times to smile, times to tear up, and a happily ever after). The only thing I had a problem with was her overuse of "Fair enough." Other than that, great read!

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

I've only recently discovered the greatness that is Katherine Center, and I'm loving every single one of her books. "What You Wish For" will make you cry before the first chapter is over. Sam is a fantastic character, and the dynamic between her and Duncan is great. When Max the beloved principal dies, you feel the emotion and the heartbreak that all the characters feel. I felt like I lost Max too, the writing is THAT good.

I loved this book, as I have loved all the previous Katherine Center books I've read. She is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors.

I'm sorry, I really did not like this book. It was so silly, far fetched and cheesy. It felt like a bad YA. I was bored for the entire book. There are so many positive reviews for this book, I'm wondering how I read the same one as everyone else. It was not for me, but I am in the minority!

I'm always delighted to get a Katherine Center book as they are quirky, funny, and so very insightful! This one was everything I knew it would be! It checks all the boxes for me too: it's a school setting, the protagonist is a librarian, and at its heart it's a book about humanity. Sam is the librarian at an elementary school where an old flame suddenly appears as the new principal. But Duncan is nothing like the man she remembers--a silly, fun-loving goofball who wears penguin pants and obnoxious ties. Instead he runs the school like a prison, painting over all the lovely murals with grey colors and locking all the entrances and exits to keep the kids "safe." Of course there's a reason for all of this but that is to be discovered as Sam works through her own issues. What we are left with is a wondrous story of love, grief, bravery, loss, and above all the lesson to embrace and celebrate all the joy you can find in life--even as you leave this book a teary-eyed mess!

Another amazing book by author Katherine Center. I swear I had a smile on my face for 90% of this book. As soon as I downloaded the book I started reading it and was all consumed until the very last page. Katherine has a gift of creating characters that we can both relate to and somehow fall in love with. I have been a big fan of her last two books, Things You Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away.

Samantha Casey is an elementary school librarian and she loves her job and everyone she works with. Without family around Samantha has been adopted by the principal Max and his wife Barbette, and lives in their garage apartment. When the new principal arrives Sam is both excited and overwhelmed to discover it’s her old coworker Duncan Carpenter. Excited because Duncan is amazing at his job, a real child himself who always made school fun for the kids and the teachers. Overwhelmed because Sam had a secret crush on Duncan so badly that she was forced to leave her old job to get away from him. When she sees’s Duncan for the first time she is taken aback because although he looks the same he sure doesn’t appear the same. For one he doesn’t know who Sam is even though they worked together for several years, and that amazing playful guy has been replaced by a muscle clad man of steel. Duncan starts his first day by explaining all the changes he will be making and essentially getting rid of everything that makes the school special. He may not remember Sam at first, but she will do whatever it takes to remind him of who she is, and more importantly who he used to be!

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is an upbeat novel about a young teacher, Sam, who loves her school in Galveston, landing there after fleeing her old school due to an unrequited love. When her former love interest, Duncan, a fun and funky fellow teacher shows up at her new school a changed man and her supervisor, she is confused by the changes and hurt that he doesn't seem to remember her.

The new Duncan is a serious man, focused on safety and wants to completely change their school, which none of the teachers or students want, so a plan is hatched to introduce a little fun into his life and Sam is in charge. But will she be able to change Duncan or will she find out why he has changed so much and agree that he's right?

A captivating novel by an author who had stolen my heart previously with "Things You Save in a Fire". Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center has done it again!! I would give this more than 5 stars if I could.

Disclaimer - Happiness for Beginners is my favorite book so I was stoked to get to revisit the character of Duncan. Lovable, goofy, Duncan. But surprise, this isn't the Duncan I knew and loved to be annoyed with. Oh, wait, yes it was! This is the perfect story of Samantha, a school librarian living in Galveston Texas. Sam is dedicated to her school, her town, and her students.

As always Katherine Center tells a story with charming characters and places. But I always love the larger feeling of reading her books. I feel joy, sorrow, pain. I shed tears, I laugh out loud, and I'm genuinely disappointed when the book is over. This book captures true human emotion, wit, and so much fun. It reminds us all what it is to be human.

Samantha is a fun, quirky librarian at a school and her life is shocked when a blast from her past is suddenly named as her school's new principal. she prepares for that first meeting, tries to uncover who Duncan really is, and never loses her true personality. I loved the quirky humor in this book - it made it quite fun to read.

I was surprised and genuinely excited when I got an email that this ARC was headed my way. Thanks to #spiveys📚club I discovered her books at the end of 2018 and have been hooked ever since. Her writing style has a way of hooking you in and making you feel like you’re a part of the characters journey. This one gave me a bit of all the same feels from Happiness for Beginners, both Sam and Duncan are struggling with their own issues, but managed to grown and change together. The emotions and way the hardships are woven into the story is very real and believable. The cast of supporting characters is also fantastic. Babette and Alice (with her math shirts) are fantastic but I feel like little Clay really stole the show for me. If you’ve liked any of her other books, you’ll love this one too, comes out July 14th.

I kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While there was a lot going on in this book, and I wish more of the focus had been on the actual romance and connection between the H and h, I did enjoy it.

The book starts with past hurts & rejections. Long term health issues & a tragedy that could be taken from headlines from the last several years. Through understanding & communication a new look at life's possibilities opens up a new world for several central characters.

I received an advanced copy, but voluntarily left this review.
I will leave a 4 star review on Amazon under name of Connie

Thanks for granting me access to this book.

Not my favorite from this author but still a great read. I enjoyed the story, liked the characters. I love that it brings some touchy subjects and harsh realities to the front of the story.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and it may not be fair but I judged this one against “How to Walk Away” and “Things You Save in a Fire”...two of my ALL TIME favorites. This one was wonderful, but it was not as good as the other two.

This is yet another great novel by Katherine Center. There are complex characters and a terrific plot to capture and hold your interest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As always Kathleen Center delivers a fun book that makes an enjoyable read. If there’s a way to make “chick flicks” cool again and create a chick flick in the form of a book, she does it. I’d never want to leave a review for one of her books that didn’t sing praise for her chick flick booking skills, but... This book just isn’t clicking for me like her others have. I’m not feeling emotionally drawn to the character development. I love the message, but this is falling flatter than her normal books.

The first half of the book could be cut back to 1/4 of the story. It’s pretty wordy. It feels like this story could still use some organizing and a bit more planning. Hopefully by the time it gets to print it will be as good as her other books, but it’s not there yet. Still a cute, girlie, carefree read.

I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for review. It was about a private school although not a murder mystery, what would happen became a mystery. There did not seem to be one major theme in the book as it bounced from the death of a loved one, divorce, illness, school shootings to greed. The protagonist was a lively character with secrets of her own. This is a light quick read for an adternoon’s pasttime. There was a caring quality to some of the characters which made the book one too finish. Some of the language could have been left out and it would have been a cozy mystery.

This was wonderful! I felt like I seamlessly fell into the story and enjoyed it all. Katherine Center is definitely one of my favorites for a reason! I love the librarian, Sam, and all the characters at the school. I root for her to save her space and have the life she wants and deserves. The only problem I have is that now I have to wait AGAIN for the next novel!!

I absolutely loved this book. A few quotes that I loved: "Dude-I'm not happy because it comes easily to me. I bite and scratch and claw my way toward happiness every day." "She knew that joy and sorry walked side by side. She knew that being alive meant risking one for the other. And she also knew, as I was starting to understand in a whole new way, that it was always better to dance than to refuse." The book had a trigger for me about seizures that hit close to home but it didn't make me love it any less. I'd highly recommend this book when it comes out on July 14, 2020. I've read her last two books and I really want to go back further and read all of her books now. Thank you for to #stmartinspress and #NetGalley for an #advancedreaderscopy for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was amazing to see the character development and real world connections. I am a school teacher myself and really connected with this book. School shootings are very real but that can’t keep us from finding joy.