3.5 stars - TL;DR: Overall, I enjoyed this one. I read it in about 36 hours, but the last 40% was a bit harder to get into than the beginning. I had high expectations because of The Things You Saved in a Fire, and unfortunately this did not meet those expectations. I do recommend folx read, but know it might not be your cup of tea.


Sam is an elementary school librarian in a quaint island town in Texas. She is quirky, sweet, and trying to soak as much joy out of life. But Sam is also holding back and her struggles after beloved Kempner School principal, Max, dies, Sam is adrift. Until new principal and previous crush, Duncan, shows back up and Sam realizes she will do anything to bring the loveable, goofy Duncan of her past back.

There are many things to love here: the friendships, Sam and Alice in particular, the cute town, the representation of amazing teachers, the discussion of love, loss and grief. All of those are important and KC especially does a great job highlighting grief and the burden of losing loved ones. But, there were things I struggled with as well. I love a good romance but this felt at times super rushed. There were things unresolved (literally we never went back to some of the things Duncan said while indisposed), and many things that moved so quick. Also there was no discussion of a principal dating a teacher - like isn't that against the rules?! And, some of the romance is SUPER cheesy. Like cringe worthy. Another frustrating thing was the thread of how Sam trying to understand how Duncan changed so much and it felt like KC was trying to make it is a surprise for the reader, which it definitely is extremely predictable. So as a reader I am thinking: either KC thinks that this reveal is going to be huge (which is wasn't) or KC expects the reader to realize and Sam is just oblivious. Neither of those things I like.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I will go back and read other KC's like was always my plan, but this was a bit of a letdown.

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

I was so excited to get an early copy of this to review! And while I loved it, there were a couple things that knocked it down a star for me. The story took me a little while to get into and while I loved the premise of the story, things were a little bit far fetched. The school honestly sounded lovely but several things (bringing a non service dog to school, bringing in a fake gun, and making crazy security upgrades) just didn't really seem plausible. I did manage to suspend that disbelief though (it's a private school so who really knows) and enjoyed the rest of the story. I like Sam as a main character. She's pretty all over the place and seems lost but I still liked her quite a bit. I also like how her and Duncan's relationship evolved though at times Sam really made things more difficult. Overall I enjoyed and would recommend this book!

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

3.5 stars

Samantha is a librarian in a small, private elementary school in Galveston, Texas. When the school's beloved principal passes away, a new principal is brought in from the outside. Sam is quite happy when she learns that it is Duncan Carpenter, who she worked with in California. (and the reason she moved away.) She remembers him as fun-loving and a jokester, but when he arrives they find he is nothing like that. In fact, he is quite serious and worried about the school's safety and security. In doing that, he is taking away all the joy of the school--for the children, for the staff, and especially for Sam.
I love Katherine Center's books and while I enjoyed this story, it definitely wasn't my favorite. I didn't really feel the chemistry between Sam and Duncan. Plus, I didn't really enjoy any of the supporting characters. This really pains me to write as I look forward to her books and I will continue to read them!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars. What You Wish For was my first Katherine Center book, and I will definitely be coming back for more. This was such a pleasant read. Because I am a teacher who dreams of being a librarian, Sam Casey was a character I could very easily relate to. I loved following her journey to self acceptance. While I could see how some people would be frustrated by Duncan, I found him to be charming. I loved how this story progressed, and I was enthralled to keep reading to see how it would turn out. It takes a lot for me to love the ending of a book, but this ending did not disappoint. I can't wait to read my next Katherine Center novel.

This book right HERE!!!!!

I loved it, I mean Katherine always writes amazing books but this one really touched my heart, its what we need during this pandemic for sure, a reason to celebrate a la Max.

So Samantha, is a librarian, in this amazing school in a small town. Everything is perfect until the principal and her mentor suddenly dies. That for me was one of the saddest moments, for Max to die the way he did. He was he mentor, and father figure together with his wife Babette, who actually run the school and their family founded the town as well.

While all this grieving is going on, a new principal is hired, and Sam was so excited to find out its someone from her past, she had a huge rude awakening once Duncan came around. But like Samantha, Duncan also struggles with things and as they start to get closer, she finds out that he has these huge fears just like her.

I loved how the community is involved in this book, how the faculty come together in such a sweet way, I love how this book is all about bringing joy even if its a little bit of joy, in your life every single day. Perfection, and also this book is told in the voice of Samantha and shes really really funny.

Thanks Netgalley, and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to real this amazing book.

What can I say? Katherine Center's books make me happy and this one is no exception.

In What You Wish For, Samantha Casey is an elementary school librarian whose life revolves around the school where she works. After fleeing her last job because of an unrequited crush on a fellow teacher named Duncan, she's made a new home in Texas and her co-workers have become like family. But when tragedy strikes, a new principal takes over and Sam not only finds herself suddenly working for the man she ran away from - he's also changed from the free-spirited educator she fell for into a fun-smothering tyrant who threatens to destroy the place that means everything to her.

Like all good romances, you know how this is going to end but the fun is how you get there and this story takes you on a truly heartwarming ride. I loved the colorful cast of characters and Center's writing makes even some far-fetched moments feel authentic. I especially love her dialogue, like the way she has Sam describe her attraction to Duncan - "You know those people? Those very rare, very special people who just play a kind of counterbeat to yours? It was like the way we talked had a rhythm, like he was the bass drum and I was the snare. He was doing his thing and I was doing mine, but the two of us together were just super danceable." I mean, who doesn't want that?

The overall message of this book is about finding joy which feels especially relevant with everything going on now. This book brought me joy and I'm sure it will do the same for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advanced copy of this book to review.

There's such an uplifting quality to Katherine Center's books that warms me up from inside and keeps me smiling the rest of the day. What You Wish For is another Katherine Center masterpiece that's left me smiling and in a great mood.

What You Wish For was adorable, encouraging, uplifting, endearing...all of the things I'm looking for in a light-hearted romance that also tackles some pretty serious (and prevalent!) issues. Choosing joy is such a beautiful reminder that we can all find our silver linings amidst the chaos and sadness around us, and that we are the change that we want to see in the world. And I love the message that we don't "fix" people; we're here to support them and be there for them, just as they are there for us. Because we're all imperfect, and we're all messy, and we all have problems. But we can face them together.

And that's beautiful.

I was provided a free copy if this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is only my second book by Katherine Center but when I saw it available I requested it super quick because I remember loving the other one so much (How to Walk Away)! This one did not disappoint!!! I think it may have helped me get out of my reading slump! I tore through it in three days (it would have been faster but I had to work some too)!! When tragedy hits a small school with the death of their beloved founder and principal, the employees are unsure of what the next school year will entail. When they are told who the new principal will be Sam, the school librarian, reassures everyone. She knew the new guy, Duncan, at a previous school and he was a fun loving jovial guy, and also, her huge crush! However, the Duncan that shows up is not the same Duncan she knew. While Sam has blossomed in the years since they met, Duncan has become closed off and rigidly strict! Will they be able to loosen him up? Will Sam be able to get over her huge crush? Will the school she loves be turned into a prison or can it hold onto it's fun loving hominess with the new guy in charge? You will love the journey this book takes you on, navigating heartache and joy, grief and happiness, pain and the love that pulls us out of pain!
This book will be published on July 14th so definitely put it on your TBR list and get this book!!
#NetGalley #WhatYouWishFor

Katherine Center is a new-to-me author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect but the book was the perfect story to read during stressful times.

The characters had various issues from either childhood or adult situations that affected how they acted, felt and thought. The more I read, I understood why Sam struggled with self-worth for valid reasons and it was wonderful how Max had given her such wonderful advice to find the joy in life. I took that to heart for myself.

When we meet Duncan, I figured out what probably caused him to act so differently than how Sam remembered him, but it was still difficult to learn the reason.

The community, school, and close friends made for a compelling story. I fell in love with the area, the school and how much everyone wanted the best educational experiences for the children. The school sounded like a wonderland, especially the library.

Even with the painful situations that many were experiencing, this was an uplifting story and provided realistic situations. I fell in love with so many of the characters, especially Clay, the well-read 9 year-old, who could spout any number of details and stories about several topics.

I LOVED it when Duncan had to have a procedure and due to being heavily medicated, told Sam many things that she wouldn’t otherwise have known. Seeing him with his sister and her family, showed a bit of his previous personality and I was just waiting for the actual details of what he had lived through.

There were many funny, sad, poignant, and life-affirming events in the book, characters that I want to have as friends, a location that has great historical significance, and all meshed into a nice change of pace for me.

I look forward to reading more of Ms. Center’s work. I want to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

What you wish for

This book was sent to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Here it is.

I love Katherine Center and her way of making me live women’s fiction. Because if you’ve been following me for a while you’ll know that I LOVE thrillers and anything that has to do with spooky, mixers and mystery. Love and romance are a once in a while thing for me and that is where Katherines books come in.


I believe all romance books are a bit predictable. There may be a bit of a twist here and there but ultimately they end on a good note. So I can’t say that I didn’t see the ending coming. Because I did. And I still enjoyed the book because I wanted to see it play out.

I enjoyed finding out what really happened to the characters before they were introduced to us. Finding out their backstory and why they act a certain way. It left me laughing, crying and generally I felt so happy reading this story. Katherine does a great job bringing characters to life, making them human and full of emotion.

Why her books haven’t been made into movies yet is crazy.

I highly recommend this and all her other books to anyone looking for a feel good story.

At first glance, What You Wish For seems like it will be a pretty straightforward novel. Girl sees guy she used to have a crush on, but he is much different (in a bad way) than he used to be. Girl hopes to make him remember who he used to be; they live happily ever after. It's a fun story but it's not this one.

Sam is a more or less happy person (she's definitely content) but there are a few insecurities there, mostly linked to the fact that she has epilepsy and people in her past have been less than understanding about her disease and the fact that every so often she will have seizures.. And Duncan...his backstory will completely break your heart. But watching the two of them slowly reconnect is actual magic.

I'm pretty sure I've been talking about my love for Katherine Center's books since I read Happiness for Beginners three or four years ago. Every book she's released since has only made me love her more. I especially love how her books are always fun but never simple and how her writing is so beautiful that I will occasionally stop and text people sentences. (One in this book was "They were the kind of couple that made you believe in couples," which I texted to a few different friends who are ALSO in a couple that makes me believe in couples.)

Katherine Center's books just make me really happy, even as they also make me cry. Sometimes a lot.

Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. I don't tend to seek out romance stories, or rom-coms as a genre. I really liked the characters, the reality of school-life (though it is set in a private school, and clearly public schools face different realities, much was realistic).

I liked the build up to finding out what happened, and the healing all of the characters go through. I enjoyed the writing style as well.

“Joy is important. It’s one of the secrets to life that no one ever tells you. Joy cures everything. Everything emotional. Joy is an antidote to fear. To anger. To boredom. To sorrow.”

In What You Wish For, Samantha fled a situation to start over because she didn’t want to face what may happen. Specifically she fled Duncan Carpenter. She is now a librarian at a school in Galveston Texas. She found a new family in the schools founders. They supported her and helped her discover a part of herself, that was there all along, it was just hiding behind bland colors and fear.

Now several years later, Duncan survived his own trauma and fled the place that changed him. He ends up in Galveston Texas, as the new principle at Samantha’s school. But he is not the same man that Samantha knew, he is now someone different.

Katherine Center you had me swooning, grieving and cheering for the people of the Kempner school in TX. For the small town trying to move past the loss of Max, the one that guided them all. But everyone soon realizes, Duncan isn’t the only one that needs saving, the school will too with all the things he is trying to change. This story is one of loss and love. Grief and joy. Friendship and pain. But finding the courage and joy to push forward and continue anyway.

I loved it. I marked pages, wrote down quotes. I immediately wanted to change my letter board to one of the quotes from the book.

“... you can decide to do something joyful. It’s not about fixing all your problems, you’ll never fix all your problems. The point is to be happy anyway. As often as you can.”

This was the best surprise when I received this book in the mail from St Martins Press. I cannot thank you enough for this ARC copy. Plus this cover (like her others) is everything.

A quick read that will put a smile on your face! Although I was not a fan of the main characters at the beginning, they do grow on you. However, the supporting characters were fantastic from the start. The storyline was a bit predictable and there were some plot points I didn’t love but in the end it is a great feel-good novel.

There was an awful lot to like about this book. I enjoyed the school that Max and Babette created. I think that every kid could find a way to learn in an atmosphere like that. I also appreciated the seriousness of Duncan’s past experiences and how they shaped his perspective in his new school. I thought that the journey of Sam was less successful. A major part of her character was not mentioned until later in the story. Then it all of a sudden became this huge part of her. It felt a little contrived. I would have appreciated it more if that had been a bigger issue in the beginning as well. As a result, I didn’t feel like I got a good grasp on her until more details were shared. It was as if sections of the book got moved around in editing, and something that should have been earlier was moved to later. The subplot of Max and Babette’s daughter, Tina, and her son Clay also wasn’t fully recognized throughout the story. It was in the beginning and then a catalyst for the climax near the end. But that’s it. I guess it all felt a little disjointed overall. The pieces were all there; I just wish they had been put together a little bit tighter. Still, I liked Duncan’t journey the most and would love to have worked for a principal like him when I was teaching. Rounded up to four stars for the unique climax that was a little screwball but a lot of heart.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center was such a joy to read.

Sam lives in the carriage house of Max and Babette on Galveston Island in Texas. She is the librarian at the school that Max and Babette started. Her best friend is Alice, a Math nerd and Tina (Max and Babette's daughter) hates her. Everyone loves Max and when they find out that Sam is planning his surprise birthday party they all chip in. It is a night to remember and then tragedy strikes.

I won't give away any more than that. This author tells a wonderful story. There is not one character that wasn't fleshed out. And the story flowed just the way it should! This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to read her backlist.

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

At first I wasn’t liking Sam, she seemed too immature and then the story took a better turn, especially when she undertook ‘project Duncan’. One should adopt the ‘always look for joy in their day’ that Max instilled in Sam, the world would be so much happier. I look forward to more from Katherine Center.

🌊An emotion-packed story beautifully told🏫🌅

What You Wish For was, for me, a compelling plot with stand-out characters, not the least of which was young "Brainerd" Clay, precocious marine life expert extraordinaire. Set on the Texas island of Galveston, it conjures up the image of a safe, loving, close-knit community. Yes, there is a bad egg who stirs things up and Duncan, a newcomer who seeks to expiate his own feelings of guilt and fear by forcing them into an age of prison-like high security and dismal surroundings. But school librarian Samantha and her dear friends and colleagues fight the good fight to keep color, nature and joy in their and their students' lives. Along the way grief strikes, some innocence is lost, and love sprouts in spite of the obstacles Sam and Duncan stack against it.

There's some inspirational messaging here and, to paraphrase just a few of the points that struck me most:
- Choose joy on purpose;
- Joy and sorrow walk side by side; being alive means risking one for the other; and
- Make a choice to value the good things that matter.

With stirring messages like that and such delightfully complex characters, this story hooked me and never let go.

I did wish that Duncan's traumatic secret, hinted at throughout the first half of the book, had been revealed sooner, but I really can't say that the wait was not appropriate in relation to the bigger story's progression. The details of his harrowing experience when finally revealed are graphic but in no way gratuitous and they need to come out to fully understand his actions once he arrives in Galveston.

This was my first time reading a Katherine Center novel. Based on the quality of this work, I will definitely be looking to read more.

Thanks to publisher St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This is such an engaging story, filled with memorable characters in the setting of a creative and progressive elementary school. There are lots of issues to build the plot upon, including coping with grief, trauma, and medical conditions. But the sheer hopefulness and joy of simply living one's best life shines throughout its pages.