“Babette knew better than to let a little pain hold her back. She knew that joy and sorrow walked side by side.”

Center has an ability to write books that don’t feel too heavy, yet contain real life issues. It was truly a fun read with lovable, fantastic characters. It kept me guessing to see where she was heading with it. This would make a great summer read without being too fluffy (not that there’s any shame in fluffy reads). Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Thank you for the chance to read this book before the release date. This is a weird time for all of us. I have more time to read but I am enjoying it less because of anxiety. Katherine Center's books are always easy to read and have characters that you root for. I liked this book because the main character chose to change her life from drab to colorful. I liked reading about her journey . One of my favorite things about the book was the description of the school library. It was wonderful and I wish every kid had access to that library.
The only bad thing I can say about the book is even though I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it, it is forgettable. Nothing about it stuck with me.

A very interesting story about family both biological and the friends and people that touch your lofe and that become part of your family. Very colorful and diverse characters. Certainly relevant topics given recent events.

This was a very cute book! You never knew what was going to happen, the author always had you on your toes. I really liked the message of the book too, how it tackled hard subjects and fear. I think this was a book all people could relate to, every character had a mountain they were climbing, which made the book so realistic and relatable. The feelings and emotions of happiness and fear were ones that, I could personally, feel a presence in my life.
Though it took me a little bit to get into the book, I really loved the full circle moment the characters all came to at the end. It painted a picture of how love and acceptance, especially in today's (COVID-19) world is so important and can get us through anything. Highly recommend!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book! There were a lot of things about this book that I really liked, including: the setting of Galveston (TEXAS FOREVER), the fact that the characters were all elementary educators, and Clay. I related to the school plot lines a lot, and I would have loved to hear more from Clay's perspective because I thought he was so adorable. However, there were also some things I didn't like; namely, the two main characters. I really wanted to like Duncan and Sam but I just felt like both of the characters were *too much.*

Overall this was an enjoyable and entertaining quarantine read, but not my favorite of Center's books.

Review posted on Goodreads on April 15, 2020.

I have become a big Katherine Center fan and this book is my favorite one yet. I love a story of people finding themselves in the midst of hardship. And I love a book set in Texas. This story was so charming and full of hope. The characters are equal parts eccentric and relatable. It had me wanting to laugh and sometimes almost cry. Even if you aren’t normally a romance reader, if you like charming stories, I think you will enjoy this one.

I found Katherine Center's books in the last year and What You Wish For does not disappoint. It will be released in July 2020 and will make a perfect summer read. The book is light, fun and delightful while it takes on a few heavy topics. The book will resonate with people working in the school system and parents. Samantha is a fun librarian in quirky school in Galveston, Texas. When their beloved principal passes, Sam's unrequited love interest, Duncan, becomes the new school principal. Samantha has changed since she last saw Duncan and Duncan was not the same person that Samantha was infatuated with.

Look forward to the publishing of this book in July 2020. I would recommend this book for a good summer read. I would like to thank #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There are things I like about this book and others I don't. I didn't really like Sam the main character of this book because I felt she comes off most of the time acting like an 18 year old instead of her age 28. The first part was hard to get through and cringe worthy. Once Duncan finally comes to the school it milds down the cringe worthy aspect of Sam. Duncan sure needs to find his fun side and also needs to go to therapy but I felt big time that Sam needs therapy too as she is not over the trauma she endured as a child and still has fears because of it. None of Sam's trauma is really helped in this book. I do like how Sam and Duncan come together and Sam helps Duncan heal. The school sounds like an awesome place to have been a part of either by working there or going to that school. I think the best part of the book was the near the end of the book with Clay, that's all I will say as I don't want to give spoilers. The book was still enjoyable.

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Oh my gosh! Where to start?! I absolutely LOVED this book! I loved the characters and the story and especially fell in love with this little community in Galveston. As a first grade teacher, my heart soared when I found out that this story was centered around a librarian and her love for her school. Sam's fierce love for her school and the people that fill it was heartwarming. This book brought much joy to me in a time when I cannot be with my students in our beloved school and helped me remember that you can find the joy in every day! I laughed and cried and smiled my way through this book! I cannot wait to recommend it to so many people.

Samantha Casey is a librarian at an elementary school in Texas. The principal of the school unexpectedly passes away and his replacement is Duncan Carpenter. Samantha used to teach with the goofy, fun teacher before moving to Texas, and might have had an unrequited crush on him. But now, he’s a very serious person and making changes to the school that Samantha and her colleagues are not on board with. She becomes the one to stand up to him in hopes of saving the school that everyone loves. This book is expected to be published in July. Two Katherine Center books read in one month! Like Things You Save in a Fire, I enjoyed this book a lot!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. This is my third Katherine Center book, and by far my favorite. Maybe because I’m a teacher- a math teacher named Alyce- but also because maybe I’m a teacher who happens to work in a school that made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. I love Center’s stories. The way she builds her characters and weaves them together. It leaves me excited to turn the page to see what happens next. I fell in love with Duncan and Sam in this book. These two polar opposites that just happen to work in the same school. Do new clothes and a new school year mean a fresh start? Maybe. But is it always a good thing? Hmmmmm. People change and we don’t always know the reason why. This book takes you on a journey that shows you the secrets people keep and the scars that they may carry are what helped shape them as an individual. And often, that is what we have in common. That is what brings people together. Sometimes what we think is best for others is not always best for ourselves. And sometimes we have to find and love ourselves before we can love someone else.

Such a great story filled with lovely characters! Any book about a librarian has my attention, but what kept me turning the pages were this likeable characters. This was definitely a book I needed to read!

Katherine Center has once again written a very enjoyable book! I will not share a synopsis since that is widely available.

I will tell you that the central theme of this book is JOY and how to find it, and that is important to read about right now. At first I was afraid the main character, Sam, was going to be too silly for my liking, but I quickly fell in love with her and the other characters in this book. The book has a little of everything- you will be sad for the character, angry at times, and you will laugh. A lot.

Do yourself a favor and read this book! I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Samantha has a dream job as the school librarian at a wonderful school. The school's principal and his wife are not only great to work for they are friends. When Max dies and a new principal is hired, Sam is blindsided to learn it is a former colleague. She left that school when her crush turned into unrequited love. Duncan is not who she left behind. He has changed drastically and she sets out to figure out why or get rid of him before he totally changes the school she loves. Both have pasts that they are keeping secret. Will they be able to reveal their true selves and have a second chance at love? Loved the secondary characters just as much as Sam and Duncan. A surprisingly great read.

Katherine Center has knocked it out of the park, again! Honestly, every single book she writes does not disappoint. “What You Wish For” is no exception. She has such a way with words that you will cry, be angry, laugh, and be cheering alongside these characters. While I admit the story seemed a little cheesy at first, I was quickly proven wrong and find that I am still thinking about the book long after I finished. I would strongly recommend adding this to your TBR.

Thank you Netgally for an advance copy.

I have really enjoyed all of Katherine Center's other books, and was really excited to get the opportunity to read an ARC of this one. Truthfully, this book came at just the right time for me - my family experienced 2 losses this past week, and this book about choosing joy really felt like some salve on my wounded heart.

Sam and her friends work at a private school that is known for its eccentricity, free-thinking, and creativity. The principal/founder of the school dies unexpectedly, and the faculty is left reeling from the loss of their leader, and their friend. The new principal is brought in, and he could not be more different than Max, their beloved founder. The thing is, Sam knows him from a prior teaching job, and he is nothing like the fun-loving teacher he used to be; he has turned into a stern disciplinarian, focused mostly on increasing security. Is their school doomed to be changed forever, or can they reach the new principal and maintain the heart of the school?

The characters in this book have experienced their share of loss and heartbreak, but broken hearts can heal - I really liked the hopefulness of the book, and also the theme that by chosing joy, it can help bring the light back into your days. I also liked the characters - I was cheering for Sam the whole time, and even the minor characters were fun and loveable.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center has written a most enjoyable book. Her characters are real, ordinary people and well developed. Her message of choosing joy over fear is well scripted and certainly speaks to our world as it is today.

Samantha Casey is a librarian at a small elementary school on Galveston Island. The founder and principal, Max, along with his wife Babette, are especially beloved in the small community and have built a lovely family atmosphere at their school. When Max unexpectedly dies, he leaves big shoes to fill and a grieving wife who is unable to assume the directorship of the school. The Board’s search for a replacement names Duncan Carpenter, an educator from a school where Samantha used to work, as the new administrator. Their shared history, with all the inherent baggage, makes for fireworks and a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for making available to me an unedited galley of this book.

I simply could not put down What You Wish For. I loved the quirky characters, especially Sam, with her outrageously colorful outfits. I think the main message to look for joy in your life every day is so important, and something we all need to practice right now. This is a book that I will share with friends and family.

This is my first, and most likely last, Katherine Center book. Maybe because I just read beautiful literary fiction (American Dirt) and this over-the-top tale (the author used the word "douchey" not just once...) just couldn't compare, or maybe because it just wasn't good.

The story was so ridiculous. The plot was that of an elementary librarian losing her beloved principal/second dad and coincidentally having him replaced with her ex-love interest from across the country. Not only that, but her ex-love interest took a complete 180, and it didn't take the big reveal half way through the book to figure out why he changed so drastically. But the other conflicts thrown in just muddied the already shaky plot. I could only think of this plot and dialogue as extremely cringe-worthy. There was so much murky/ridiculous plot details that I felt like I truly didn't understand the characters.

So why 2 stars and not 1? The main character was a librarian, and a lot of the plot took place at school. I enjoyed the setting of Galveston Island (never been there--definitely spent some time on Google Images), so the setting alone let me transport to a different place, and I'm enough of a setting person, that it earned at least another star for that.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I read Things We Save in a Fire by Katherine Center last year and enjoyed it. However, I LOVED What You Wish For, it was a well-written romance novel that touched my heart. My full in-depth review will be coming closer to the publish date! Thank you so much for the review copy!
5 out 5 Stars!!!