I was given this book by Netgalley for my honest opinion. This is my 2 book by Katherine Center & I can say I pleasantly enjoyed it. During these uncertain times this book took me away from reality. I really enjoyed it & I highly recommend it.

For fans of Katherine Center, this book doesn’t disappoint. I was a little nervous at first because I didn’t connect with the main character like I normal do in her books. But I’m glad I stuck with it because I ended up enjoying the read. My only “complaint” is that the ending really left me wanting more.

Life isn't full of joy and light. No there's pain and darkness and Katherine Center has an amazing talent of writing about both, weaving a story together to give you food for thought with a side of love.

Samantha is happy in her island hometown. She has friends that are family and a library that she loves and while her love life is less than awesome, she is at peace with life. Keep things simple and easy. Avoid stress. Dress brightly. Find joy.

Duncan comes to town to shake things up but what he didn't plan on was Sam. Sam and her fellow teachers want nothing more than to keep things the same, as a tribute to a lost loved one, but Duncan has other plans, to keep things safe and secure because life hasn't always given him such luxuries.

Throughout "What You Wish For" I found myself smiling and laughing with Sam and the girls, cheering them on in their plan to make Duncan fun again. When Duncan starts to come out of his shell a bit, I fully hoped it would end in love!

What unfolds is a story of love, friendship, and growth. There is nothing more wonderful to read about than when brilliant characters come into their own.

I was really excited for this one since I loved Things You Save In A Fire, and while it didn’t captivate me as much, I did find that it was a quick, feel good read with a beautiful message.

It follows Sam, an elementary school librarian and her struggles as her beloved school’s principal is replaced by her former crush Duncan. She soon realizes that the Duncan she meets now is a completely different man that the one she knew before. With the help of others, Sam works to bring back the old Duncan, all while learning the important lessons of overcoming fear and choosing to find joy in life.

Katherine Center has become a go-to author for me. She did not disappoint with this book. It gave me all the feels. I laughed, I cried, and I hurt for these characters. I love that Katherine Center make me care for the characters as if they are personal friends. Sam and Duncan were easy to love. Even when Duncan was so rigid and determined to change the school. I wanted to give Sam a family. I wanted to hug her and let her know that while she doesn't have family in the traditional sense, I would gladly add her to mine. That is the beauty of this book and author. You care deeply.

This story was easy to fall into. You could see this type of thing happening in beloved schools based on all that happens in this day and age. It is never easy to think that you might be part of a school shooting, but you can't go to school and expect it everyday. What a horrible way to live. Nevermind all the anxiety that kids have today. I loved Duncan with his dog. I loved him with his best friend/brother-in-law. Sam is the kind of librarian that every school/kid should get to interact with.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed were my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I’ve heard great things about Katherine Center’s books so when I saw this one up on NetGalley I thought I’d give it a try.
I absolutely adored this book. I love books about people that love books. So, following an elementary school library in her quest to try and save her school. She tries to make her library a safe place for the children and teach them to love reading. I just loved that. But when beloved principle and founder, Max, dies, someone new is brought in to replace him, someone that Sam knows already. But she doesn’t know this new version of him. He’s trying to change everything she loves about her school, the place she’s made her home. And she’s not going to let that happen. I loved the community aspect of this book. The town comes together because they care, because they love where they live. They come up with fun and funny things to make Duncan do and I loved it.
Duncan is a man with a past, but Sam is missing the part of his past that has caused such a big change in him. So, until she learns his history, she’s determined to make him leave the school. But when she learns of the trauma, he’s experienced she decides to help him become his old self. I loved his story. He’s a man that’s been through some serious things and it shows. But once he starts opening up, he starts to heal.
I really loved that this was more than a romance novel. There was romance in the best way. Two people that made one another better, that helped heal one another. Their relationship was full of conflict, but was handled so well and so sweet. I absolutely adored this book and I will be reading more of this author’s work.

What a beautifully written book this is! I loved reading this one, I finished it in 2 days, I just couldn't get enough of the characters or the the plot. Would highly recommend.

Katherine Center did it again. How does each of her books keep getting better and better? Before starting this one, I was in a massive reading slump but this book warmed my heart.

Reading this book feels like you're wrapping yourself up in a giant blanket. It's familiar and the characters feel like people you know and adore. The feel like family. You're rooting them on every step but there is a lot of true human flaws and real life shines through the perfect life in this book. However, the raw struggles of life are done well and very tastefully.

Be warned, this book will break your heart, maybe a few times but it will also put it back together and leave you smiling. This is exactly the kind of book I needed, thank you Katherine Center, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me review this beautiful book.

This book was the perfect lovely little romance, and it was exactly what I needed right now. Sam and Duncan were fascinating characters, and the community of the school was maybe the star of the entire book. Center's writing feels like a warm hug!

Katherine Center does it again. What You Wish For was everything that I needed during this coronavirus quarantine! This book filled me with hope, positivity and happiness, and reminded be that love is at the center. Katherine is the absolute best at building characters with deep and complex relationships that I fall in love with. I couldn’t put it down! 5 stars for me.

I loved this book. This is the third book that I have read from Katherine Center and I have adored every one. Her writing is simple and relaxing. There aren’t a lot of characters to keep track of or storylines that seem forced.
When I was reading this book I felt like I was there tagging along with Sam. Katherine’s descriptions are so vivid, her characters so genuine. I felt a connection to them and wanted to join their tight-knit group.
I liked the element of surprise not knowing what happened to Duncan and why he changed so much from when Sam knew him previously...and it made perfect sense.
Katherine Center is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I can’t wait to check out more of her books.
If you haven’t read any of her books yet, put them on your TBR list! You won’t regret it!

I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press.

I simply adore all of Katherine Center’s books and this did not disappoint! It’s quirky, silly, poignant and different. It makes me want to know and hang out with the author because the characters were lovable and weird and relatable in an unusual way. . Such a joy to read. Samantha is one of a kind but has come to terms with that. She has found her true passion in teaching and would be a gift to any child. When Duncan comes back into her life in unexpected ways, he is completely different than the person she knew... unrecognizable actually. As the story unfolds there are life lessons. Love deeply, be compassionate and realize that everyone has a back story we are unaware of. #netgalley #stmartinspress #katherinecenter

Another Katherine Center book that delights and offers blissful escape. This covers relevant issues from gun safety, romance, educators, school policy and family relationships. I could not put it down. The setting on Galveston Island was brought to life, so much so, I added to bucket list of places in the US to visit.
Full review soon.

Thanks to netgalley, St. Martin Press and Katherine Center for the advance copy.
This is a book about overcoming the past, facing your fears and choosing to be happy in life. I have read Things You Save In A Fire by the same author. Although I liked that one better this one is still a very nice book.

I loved the geography of this book. Katherine Center captures Galveston Island, however, the pace and the plot was not her typical style. I was left wanting more from the characters, perhaps an additional character. An additional plot line would have make this a favorite.

This is THE PERFECT beach read. I devoured it. I love Katherine Center's easy-to-read writing style. She creates characters that you fall in love with and it was the perfect way to escape reality. It's everything you want in a fun, fast, easy read.

This book got me out of my covid reading slump! While not a genre I normally read, it was the perfect quarantine read to lift my spirits and distract me. Normally I think I would be more critical of the writing, character development and plot, but because it was a comforting outlet in a difficult emotional time I found it to be a joyful read. The message of 'intentionally choosing joy' resonated with me right now. I often read Center's books as a buffer between heavier titles and I knew I could rely on her again with What You Wish For. Thanks for the chance to read it in advance!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a very light and enjoyable romance novel about lost love and unexpectedly finding it again . The plot revolves around a school librarian who resettles in a new community to escape from a relationship that never developed and to start a new life. Life goes on until the new principal is the librarian’s lost love. There are several plots developed throughout the book. The characters are interesting. Parts of the dialogue were very slow and repetitive. Overall, it was an enjoyable story, but, very predictable.

Katherine Center is really the end-all, be-all for me. This book was so perfectly adorable, and an excellent way to bust a quarantine-influenced reading slump. Her most recent books have been my most-recommended titles, and What You Wish For will definitely follow suit.

First of all, I love Katherine Center’s writing and her books! This one was a little slow to start for me, but it ended up picking up and then I was pulled in. A great read while i was stuck at home during quarantine. I give this one 3.5 stars. Liked the storyline and the setting of the school, but felt like the author tried to hard to force the love connection. It was a little much for me. Not my favorite Katherine center book, but worth the read. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to release!!