Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I made it through the first two chapters and am putting this book down. To me, it is fluffy and cheesy and I couldn’t get into it

Very few authors continue to provide books that make you feel and think over and over again. Katherine Center has a talent of creating characters that place an imprint on your heart and it never fades. Beautiful cover...beautiful words.. beautiful book

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

I never read any book from Katherine Center, and this book just made me positioning her as my auto-buy author. I love the message of this book “choose joy on purpose” This point is so important for everyone in this world, and the story of Sam and Duncan is one of them, who choose joy to connect with your life.

How the author wrote every single words in here are so real, Sam as the main characters had gone through a lots of ups and downs since eight years old and as she grown up she tried to find her happy place, happy life and great friends. Every aspect of joy and happiness wrote down beautifully from every single character in here, with random situations of course but always strict to the main point, which is “joy.”

Special fact : After I finished reading this book, I wish I can be “Sam” to enjoy the entire life of my childhood. She’s a brave, honest woman, full commitment in order to moved on and change her future life and...she’s a joy!

Highly recommended to those who enjoy heartfelt, adorable story with some touches of romance.

•Book Review• { Thank you @stmartinspress for my gifted copy }

What's one benefit of something falling downstairs at 1am and scaring the bejeezus out of you? You get to finish your current read. ❤ The obvious downside is that I'm super tired today, but it was definitely worth it!

Review: Once I started this one, it was impossible to put down. It had the trauma and angst you typically see in Center's books, but this one was a bit more relatable.

What I loved about this book:

1. This book talks about a current issue that has parents all over the country anxious. Is the safety measures at their school enough? How far can you take school security before it starts affecting learning and the enjoyment of school? I have two school age children and I've thought of this particular issue more times than I can count. Center was able to tackle this heavy topic with ease and without getting political.

2. Both Sam and Duncan are very realistic, but broken characters that are trying to find joy in their lives following traumatic situations. They both see themselves as damaged and undeserving of being loved and their previous history gave just enough of a backstory for me to feel empathetic towards them both. I also loved how this story emphasizes finding joy each day and letting go of past hurt even when it's seem like an impossible task.

3. This book takes place in a small town and the community is a huge aspect of this book. Even in a time of immense grief, they find a way to give this book a feeling of hope and perseverance.

Even though there was one particular scene that I didn't like and felt was completely unrealistic and unnecessary, I still loved this book. As always Center's book left me filled with hope and happiness and who couldn't use a bit of that right now? Make sure to grab a copy of your own when it publishes on July 14th , I promise you won't regret it.

I've loved Katherine Center since I read "How to Walk Away." Her stories have a great mix of light romance/sweetness and substance.

Her newest novel, "What You Wish For" is a quick read with quirky characters. This one was not as emotionally packed as her previous novels. The novel's theme of choosing to pursue joy was very hopeful and necessary during this difficult time, but I wanted to feel more connected to the love story.

Overall, the story felt a bit rushed, and I found myself wanting more.

While the story was not my favorite - it was still enjoyable and worth a read.

What are the chances of running away from your problems, only to have them catch up with you in a most unexpected way? That's what happens to both romantic characters in this wonderful story. Very clever premise, well written. Truly enjoyed this story.

I enjoyed reading this book and finished it pretty quickly. I didn't know where this book was going to go in the beginning so it took on a bit of a surprise at first, but I could then see where this book was going to go. This was not my favorite book by this author, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it.

*sigh* This is the perfect book to read if you're needing a quick literary pick-me-up. Let's be honest- these are unprecedented times right now, with many isolated at home and desperate for an escape. This, my friends, is the book that I recommend you sit down with and I don't think that you'll be disappointed!

Sam Casey is the librarian at a school determined to keep the joy in learning. She loves her library and her school and her little students and everyone is devastated when they lose their beloved principal. Enter Duncan, hired to take his place. Sam used to work with Duncan and is thrilled because he was one of the most fun teachers that she knew. Unfortunately, the Duncan that comes to her school is nothing like the Duncan that she knew. This one isn't fun and is determined to turn her beautiful school in to one resembling a prison more than a school.

As Sam attempts to uncover the Duncan of old, it's hard not to fall in love with Katherine Center's characters as well as the school that she has created. This book was such a joy to read- sweet and sentimental without becoming over-the-top, with a potential couple that I was rooting for the entire time. I devoured this book in a few days and I'm glad that I did. WHAT YOU WISH FOR is an absolute must-read and an asset to Katherine Center's brand.

It’s no shocker that this book was so wonderful. I really enjoyed this from start to finish. I adored all of the characters and character development. I love how this book touches on some really important issues in a gentle, non-polarizing way. I also found the topic of epilepsy presented in a respectful, realistic way. Seriously, this was so sweet with lots of substance.
I loved this quote, “We made a choice to do joy on purpose. Not in spite of life’s sorrows. But because of them.” And I think you can say this sums up the sweetness of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I am never disappointed with anything that Center writes and this one was no different. I really enjoyed all the characters in this one, especially Barbette! I really enjoyed that Sam was a librarian and seeing what it is exactly that they get to do; and this library sounded amazing. I also really liked that this novel covered something so important, school shootings. It’s such a huge problem and one that we don’t seem any closer to solving. Both main characters had their own struggles and they were so real life that I couldn’t help but fall in love with them! Another amazing novel from Center!

Out July 14th!

The first half of this book was a solid 3 stars for me. It was a slog... but then right at 50% of the way through, I loved it. I would give the second half 5 stars - so we will go with the average. If you have read all of Katherine Center's books, I think it is important to go in with the expectation that this is not her typical hearwarming, feelgood story. While there is an aspect of romance, this is not a romance novel. This book is heavy. It confronts PTSD, depression, epilepsy, and death. Katherine clearly has tried to lighten up these heavy topics but it is not like this book gets to the 50% mark and is happy. The characters are dealing with these heavy issues up until the end and through the epilogue. The story follows Samantha, a eccentricly dressed third grade teacher that puts off a vibe that she has no cares in the world, and Duncan, a elementary school principal. Years ago, when Samantha met Duncan, Duncan was fun and goofy but when Duncan shows up in Samantha's life years later, he is completely different. Samantha left her school in California where she first met Duncan for the sole reason that Duncan was dating someone else. Samantha had never even had a meaningful conversation with Duncan, but yet, she felt the need to flee the state. That seems unbelievable and unnecessary for the story. Regardless, the story does develop and end well. The book is primarily about the choices we contront every day and, when life gets hard, sometimes we have to choose joy in the face dispair and heartache.

As usual Katherine Center grabbed me from page 1. I absolutely loved the menagerie of characters. I’m an Elementary School PE teacher, so I loved that it had a librarian, Principal, school board, and everyone else in this. It touched on how schools need to be safe, but also need to be someplace that kids want to be. It brought epilepsy into light, as well as school shootings. Really well done. Another 5 star book. Thank you Netgalley for the enjoyable ARC.

What You Wish For was a disappointment for me. Having loved the author’s last book, this one was a let down. I can appreciate that the main characters dealt with some hard hitting personal problems and the overall lesson of the book being something along the lines of “hold on to joy”. However, I didn’t care for either of the main characters at all. The relationship that eventually happens made me roll my eyes constantly. And the story itself was just slow and dull for me. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who love this story, but unfortunately I am not one of them. It won’t stop me from trying future reads by this author. The cover of the book is gorgeous though. Thank you to the publisher for an ARC, all opinions are my own

I fell in love with Katherine's writing last year when I read her book, Things you save in a fire. This book is written in a similar style. You know it's Katherine's from the start. No body else writes like her and the storyline is great! She does slightly remind me of Emily Giffin, but is unique in her own right. This is a great read with an uplifting message. It does not disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

Ever since How to Walk Away Katherine Center is on my shortlist for "the author has a new book coming out, I have to read it." When a school librarian in Texas learns that her former school colleague crush is the new principal, she's cautious but optimistic. But the moment that Duncan Carpenter arrives, Samantha Casey is left baffled by his iron fist attitude. What happened to the fun-loving prankster and why is he bent on destroying everything joyful in the school? Whatever the reason, Samantha is not going to let it happen and puts a plan in motion to save the day.

This was a super cute contemporary story with an upbeat, positive message for its readers. That in spite of the sadness a person has faced, they still need to look for the joy in life. Katherine Center writes loveable characters and her creations of Samantha, Duncan, Alice, and Clay will no doubt be fan favorites.

I think where I feel the most lukewarm is the "I can fix him and save my town" trope. When it becomes clear what Duncan is struggling with and how that has shaped his behavior, I felt a lot of compassion for him. But it also made me feel that Samantha's good intentions were inappropriate? immature? oversimplistic? At this moment, I cannot really pick the word that I want to use, but maybe it is a little bit of all of that. I think perhaps the revelation regarding Duncan is at a point where the storyline truly accelerates and I felt a little bit that we were rushing around to a resolution.

Overall, I felt it was a good read and I would certainly recommend it to other readers.


Goodreads review published 28/05/20
Expected Publication Date 14/07/20

Katherine Center always draws you in and this one was no different. 'What You Wish For' is about a librarian who up and moved her whole live to Galveston, Texas. Unbeknownst to her the man she once was infatuated with ends up the new principle. He is different than what she remembers and she slowly unravels what has happened to him in the time they have been apart. Perfect blend of romance and emotional pulls while covering a difficult topic.

Samantha Casey is an sweet, eccentric-dressing librarian at a private school that is run by a sweet couple with whom she lives in their garage apartment. Circumstances change, and a new principal must be brought in to head the school. Enter Duncan Carpenter. Duncan is the sole reason that Sam left her first beloved librarian position and moved away to start a new life. She adored Duncan, who was so funny, loving, sweet and crazy with his students. However, Duncan never seemed to notice Sam. He even asked her to "catsit" while he and his girlfriend went away for the weekend. So, when it is announced that Duncan Carpenter will be the new principal, her boss, Samantha is shocked. She left so that she wouldn't need to face Duncan every day knowing that he had no feelings for her. How can she possibly work for him every day? When Duncan arrives, things go from bad to worse, he seems heartless. He doesn't even recognize her from the past. He has none of the charisma he used to have with the students. He is boring, all business and obsessed with safety measures at the school. He begins to dismantle all that was fun and exciting at the school. Sam becomes in charge of helping all the teachers stand up for what is right for the kids at the school. She aims to get their school back, and along the way she hopes to find out what happened to the original Duncan.
Another fabulous book by Katherine Center. Her characters are so deep and mesmerizing. You feel as if you know them personally. The plot is well developed and pulls you right in. Loved it!!

I think the blurb sums up this one well enough that it doesn’t need a summary from the reviewer. The school had so many fun elements and I would have loved to attend such a school when I was younger.

“Joy and sorrow walk side by side.”

When Duncan first showed up to the school and started making major changes, Samantha’s repeated defense of him baffled me. When someone is changing So much that students and teachers alike are growing depressed, that doesn’t call for support. I was glad when she stood up to him. I can understand the trauma Samantha has endured to keep her illness a secret. But it also shows a lack of trust in the friends she has made since moving here. She’s changed how she tackles life and is much happier for it. She should put some faith in her friends.

I think the fact that both Duncan and Samantha are suffering from their secrets helps to bond them together, even though feelings are brewing between them. I liked them together, even when they weren’t getting along. Because their arguments were fiery, fueled by a passion for what they believed in. I also could completely relate to her when she said, “I had woken up that morning with a terrible oversharing hangover…”

There were a lot of fun characters in this one and such a powerful feeling of community. Add that to a storyline that swings between emotional and amusing, and this made for a super fun read. I read in another review that readers first meet Duncan in Happiness for Beginners, so I definitely want to go back and read that one. Thank you St. Martin’s for sending this along!

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a lighthearted story where I found myself rooting the whole time for Duncan and Sam to put aside their issues and to take a risk to be together. It also brought up how real school safety is in the present day and I also found myself thinking about how fear really can take over a person.

Overall, great book. I definitely recommend it!

I loved this. I love everything KC rights. This was amazing. I love that the love interest had issues that he needed to overcome and so did Sam. It was so good!!