I have been a fan of Katherine Center's work since I read my first book, How to Walk Away. What You Wish for does not disappoint. Sam is a loveable, quirky, relatable character and the rest of the town is populated by just as complex characters. Galveston is a town that I would love to experience.

The novel easily blends the heavy subjects, like the secrets that Duncan holds, with the quirkiness of small-town life. The novel's main theme of choosing joy absolutely encapsulates how I felt while reading.

Katherine Center has a way with words. More than the actual story, what I loved most about this book was the message: “Choose joy on purpose”. “Not in spite of life’s sorrows. But because of them”. This message resonated with me, long after finishing the book. The story follows an elementary school librarian named Samantha Casey. As she and her friends grapple with a huge loss to their community, more upheaval is on the way. The journey to happiness is not smooth, but it certainly is worth the ride.

A light, funny, perfect book for vacation!

I'm a big fan of Center's books. I've read every one! Her books are so engrossing and catch your attention from the very first page.

Samantha enjoys her job as an elementary school teacher. She loves teaching and everything that comes with it. Everything is business as usual. . . until it isn't. What do you do when your former crush waltzes back into your life. Not only comes back into your life.. but AS YOUR BOSS?! As if that wouldn't make things difficult enough. . . imagine that your crush is acting like they are a completely different person.

I flew through this one! It was entertaining and the perfect book to take with you on a vacation. I really enjoyed the main protagonist, Samantha. Sometimes you need a palate cleanser book like this one. I realized that I had been reading heavy books lately and this was just what I needed! Highly recommended!

Katherine Center is known for writing sweet romances between likable characters with interesting lives. What You Wish For is no exception. School librarian Sam is reconnected with a former workplace crush when he takes on the role of principal at her close-knit school. However, his fun-loving, goofy personality that she fell for is gone. The reader will discover the reason for his transformation and honestly, they will probably be able to guess that reason a few paragraphs in to the story. While that part of the story was a bit predictable, it is still an enjoyable, sweet story. If you’ve enjoyed her earlier work, you’ll enjoy this.

Do you ever have one of those spells where you’ve been reading heavier, darker thrillers or somewhat depressing historical fiction? If so, I highly recommend this book as an antidote! With a message of choosing to live life with joy, this book was the perfect one for me to read right now. Yes, there’s romance, but not sappy or steamy. There are some heavier themes that give the book substance, and overall this one punched the ticket for me!

With a school setting, this one features quirky elementary school librarian Samantha, who has escaped her previous school (and a crush) to start over in Galveston, Texas. She’s getting ready for the school year ahead when a tragedy befalls the beloved school principal. Guess who is coming as the new principal? That same crush from her old job! However, he’s not the same person at all and the school may never be the same.

There are some school politics, but mostly this one is about relationships and with two realistic and damaged main characters – Samantha and Duncan – I really enjoyed this one. There are a couple of great beach scenes that really change the trajectory of the book. The guard dog Chuck Norris is a great character as well. I didn’t love this one as much as “Things You Save in a Fire” – but it has the same style I’ve come to expect from Katherine Center.

I was super excited when I received an advanced copy of this and was able to just dive right in. The books jumped right in from the start and I found myself so immersed in the small community on the island. I did struggle a little with the tense in the beginning - was she recalling this story or was it happening right now? - but not in a way that detracted from the book at all. This book played with a lot of emotions that just felt so incredibly real to me, and the writing was able to convey so much in just a few simple passages. Center hits another homerun with this one. Probably my favorite so far!

What You Wish For is a story full of heart. The characters are so real you will feel as though you know them. Katherine Center never fails to take her readers away on an emotional journey and then bring us back home with tears of joy. In fact, finding joy in life is an integral part of this engaging story. If you’re already a Katherine Center fan, you’re bound to love What You Wish For.

If I begin and end my review with a 5 star rating, it wouldn’t be enough.
If I preface my review by saying, it’s a must read, it wouldn’t begin to touch my feelings for this story. Rarely, you read a book and you connect with the story and it’s characters at a deeper level. This one is it. I read this book in one sitting.
Katherine Centers latest novel is a beautifully written drama based in Galveston, TX. This small coastal town is family-like. Prepare yourself to face love, death and rebirth. The changes that the town and its inhabitants will face will make you laugh, cry and believe in love again.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy in exchange for a review.

I love all of Katherine Center’s books and this one is no exception. As a teacher, I may have been a bit skeptical of the extreme measures that were taken in the name of school security in the first half of the book. The second half is where the author really shines. It left me with something to think about while still leaving me feeling happy with the ending.

I loved the main theme of: “Pay attention to the things that connect you with joy”. Center’s latest novel is about a quirky librarian, Sam, who finds herself in Galveston, Texas at an equally quirky private school. While the story is a slow-build, you find yourself rooting for all of the characters.

This story details Sam’s love-hate relationship with the newest principal and beautifully describes the protagonist’s struggle to stay joyful. What I love about this story is how it encapsulates the need to find joy in our lives. Katherine Center does an excellent job of showing how happiness is a choice. I enjoyed her characterizations of Sam - who was positive, yet honest. Her raw emotions lent to the power of the plot.

Overall, a good read once you push through the initial slow 30% and get to the good stuff.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Oh, how my heart needed this book. Like the rest of Katherine Center's books (and yes, I've read them all!), this story was a journey through self-discovery and finding the joy in life.
The main characters in this book were each their own brand of quirkiness, but in an opposite way. Sam, having dealt with plenty of blows in life (the death of one parent, the abandonment of another, on top of a life-long illness) moves in with an older couple and works as a librarian in a school that they founded. She's fun-loving, quirky, and tries to find the joy in every day. When tragedy strikes the school community and a new principal is brought in, she's delighted to find out that it's someone from her past with whom she shared her fun-loving spirit and "joie de vivre." Unfortunately, when we arrives at the school, Duncan is no longer the fun, free-sprited man she remembers, and she struggles to understand what could have caused such change.
Both characters in this book were dealing with struggles and learning to live despite them. And like before, the author really shines in making the characters relatable.
Definitely a must-read!

WOW!!! WOW, WOW!!!
I absolutely devoured this book. My sister is a teacher, I work in a library and it is set in one of my favorite places in Texas. Not only is this just a great little read, but it addresses subtly some of my biggest gripes with education today. Absolutely beautiful gem of a book!!!

“Pay attention to the things that connect you with joy”. It must be said that ALL of Katherine Center’s novels connect me with joy, so I was beyond thrilled to read her latest novel, What You Wish For. If you have read and loved any of Center’s previous novels then you know the magic that she can create with words. This book is no different.

Center’s latest novel is about a librarian, Sam, who finds her home in Texas at a quirky private school named the Kempner School. Like many of her other novels, it’s a heartwarming novel mixed with a small amount of heartbreak. This story details Sam’s love-hate relationship with the newest principal and beautifully describes the protagonist’s struggle to stay joyful. What I love about this story is how it encapsulates the need to find joy in our lives. Katherine Center does an excellent job of showing how happiness is a choice.

I loved her characterizations of Sam. Sam was positive, yet honest. Her raw emotions lent to the power of the plot. In truth, I wanted to teach at the Kempner School, because I loved all the characters depicted. Their warmth and genuine love for one another was soup for my soul. I love Ms. Center’s novels, but I find that I am sad at every conclusion. Never because of an unhappy or unsatisfying ending, but always because I know it’s time yet again to say goodbye to her lovely characters. Thank you to Netgalley and Saint Martin’s Press for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center does it again! This book is full of unique characters and she does a beautiful job of telling each one’s story and how it has shaped them into the people they are today. She touches on several hot topics without letting them take over the story itself. Samantha and Duncan are wonderful characters that deal with life altering situations in different ways. Their ability to see inside the other but not themselves is what makes this story and the characters so real to the reader. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of the ARC and this is my true and honest review.

I have loved all of Katherine Center's books but I think this was my favorite. I read it in one night; I couldn't put it down! So many things resonated with me - the characters, the struggles, the romance and the storyline.

What You Wish For is a story of a school, who's principal dies weeks before the start of a new school year. The new principal is a guy that the school librarian knew from a former life and had a huge crush on. When he starts, he is not what she remembers and she and the school have to deal with the new person. This especially touched me because the school librarian, Samantha, has epilepsy and talked about her seizures. My 5 year old son had a seizure a few months ago so I could relate to some of what she was talking about. This perfect was a perfect mix of romance and struggles and I highly recommend.

*Thank you to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

What You Wish For is yet another heartwarming tale of tragedy, comedy, and happiness, what the reader should expect from Katherine Center -- yet so much more! I honestly read it in one sitting -- the story grabbed me from the start and didn't let go til the very end. The message of finding joy -- no, MAKING joy -- every single day is one that will stay with me. And I'll do my best to "celebrate" every chance I get. Thank you, Max and Sam (and Katherine) for that valuable reminder!

You know that song by Lee Ann Womack called “I Hope You Dance” ? 💃🏻

This book reminds me of that song...

It may not be the “love story” you are expecting when you pick up the book.

Sure, it has Samantha Casey...a quirky librarian you will want to root for.

And, it has Duncan Carpenter, the new Principal and her potential love interest.

Of course, they will have their share of misunderstandings and miscommunications, along the way, as all “romance stories” do...

And, you will expect a happy ending...because, that is why we read these books...

But, this book is almost more about the love of a community, than it is about the G rated potential romance of Sam and Duncan.

It’s a community that comes together when the beloved Principal and Founder of their school, Max, passes away- And, those who replace him, including Duncan Carpenter, try to “fix what isn’t broken”.

One where friends are family, and are there for Max’s widow, Babette.
And, others along the way...
In ways that are heartwarming and touching. 💕


I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as “Things You Save In A Fire”, but I did like it’s message....(though it may have been a bit overdone!)

“JOY AND SORROW WALK SIDE BY SIDE, and BEING ALIVE MEANS RISKING ONE FOR THE OTHER” ....IT’S ALWAYS BETTER TO DANCE THAN TO REFUSE” 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 (favorite quote from the book)

Another great buddy read with DeAnn! 🤗

I would like to thank the Publisher for inviting me to read a digital ARC, provided through NetGalley, in exchange for a candid review!

Available July 14, 2020!
Just in time for those beach vacations! 🌴
Pre-order now!

This is the third book I’ve read by Katherine Center and I thoroughly enjoined it. The story and characters were interesting and the way she developed them made me really invested in the story. It is heart warming as well as sad. It’s timeliness about our school culture added a whole other level to the book that I wasn’t expecting. This book will appeal to so many different readers!

This book is extraordinary. I expected it to be, I adore everything Katherine Center publishes, but this exceeded my expectations.

When you open one of this author's books it's like you've stepped into the warm and cozy kitchen of your best friend. No matter who they are, honestly. You're drawn right in, given a nice cup or glass of something to drink, and there's a golden retriever at your feet.

The characters are all so lovely. They're perfectly and beautifully flawed. And they love. They love in a way that makes me wish I lived in one of these books.

This book had some underlying tension that made me anxious, but I knew that it would work out. In a weird twist, my new puppy recently had a seizure, so, unexpectedly, that portion of the book brought me some solace and some fear.

I can not recommend this book enough. I am going to buy a copy so I can highlight some passages. One in particular that says "... from the harmony section...". That made me laugh out loud, while crying.

I ADORE Katherine Center.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

What a fantastic book. This is definitely a romance story, but I felt like something was missing. I like to read about how they realize they are in love and I didn't get that with this book. They were already in love years before so the fall wasn't included. Katherine Center is a fabulous author and I really enjoy her writing. This book was no different, fantastically written, beautifully worded. Brilliant.