What You Wish For by Katherine Center is not what I expected from reading the blurb.  I was looking forward to reading something light and entertaining (I wanted a change of pace).  I thought it had a rough beginning where I felt I was plopped into the middle the book instead of the beginning.  Samantha “Sam” Casey is the librarian at the Kempner School on Galveston Island, Texas.  Sam loves her apartment, her friends, the staff, students, and her job.  Max and Babette Kempner founded the school and have become surrogate parents to Sam.  She lives in the apartment in their carriage house.  I did not like Sam.  She is an insecure woman who rattles on endlessly. She has an eclectic wardrobe.  What You Wish For is told in the first-person so we get to know Sam’s every thought.  The reason Sam left her last job was utterly ridiculous.  There was a great deal of repetition of information (I lost track of how many times we are told Duncan is goofy, she had a crush, Tina did not like her) and there is foul language as well.  I believe the book is supposed to be humorous, but it missed the mark.  Samantha’s full name is not mentioned until the fourth chapter and I thought all the characters lacked development (they are not fleshed out especially Sam’s friend, Alice).  There were two scenes that went on way too long.  One is the dance party which could have been cute if it had not felt like it lasted five hours instead of five minutes.  The other is a touching scene with Clay Buckley (the sweetest young man) near the end.  I did appreciate the epilogue that wrapped up What You Wish For.  There were some areas that could have been humorous with a little tweaking.  The main themes of the book are to find joy in your life and find reasons to celebrate. We all need happiness and hope in our lives.  The author did touch on serious subjects which were PTSD, bullying, and school safety.  I struggled to finish What You Wish For because I wanted to dump the book after reading the first chapter.  I found the story to be cheesy which resulted in eye rolling and me yelling at the book. I did, though, enjoy the descriptions of the Kempner School which is in a beautiful building and of Galveston Island.  I suggest you read a sample to see if this book is what you are looking for.  What You Wish For was not a wish come true for me.

When Katherine writes she has this goal of finding happiness in her books.
"That's the thing about joy. You don't have to wait for it to happen. You can make it happen."
I think that if you are looking for a story that puts a smile on your face , then definitely try this one. Its a feel good journey of finding joy. Story was heartwarming and I love how Katherine can transport on to the pages.

This is my second Katherine Center book. I really enjoy this author and will continue to read her. I'll be honest that I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one but I still love the author's style. She has a great way of drawing you in and you just have to keep reading.

I am a huge Katherine Center fan - ever since I read “How To Walk Away” I’ve been obsessed!! “What You Wish For” is the perfect combination of a Summer read that involves a teacher and her perfect little dream school where she teaches. Being a teacher myself I was of course so excited for this release!

Samantha is the fun “Jessica Day” style teacher who loves her school and when the new school principal comes, Duncan, he plans on changing everything about this small town school charm. Duncan also happens to be an old flame of Samantha.

However, I felt this one was a little bit of a letdown for me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been in a reading rut lately, but I felt the characters were never really truly development and read like a corny Lifetime movie.

Of course there is a lovely message involved in the book about finding joy and being surrounded by people that care about you the most. I just felt that the book was the ultimate cheesy romance that I’m not sure I was into at the moment.

Overall, if you are into a cheesy romance to read while at the beach then this one is for you! For all you Katherine Center fans I felt this one was a dud.

This is my third book by Katherine Center and it did not disappoint! Center’s characterization is stellar and her ability to connect the reader to the story is just one of the reasons I enjoy her books so much. If you’re looking for a good pick me up, I recommend What You Wish For.

I just love Katherine Center's books!! I have read all the ones she wrote so far and she has yet to disappoint!

As a person who spent over 30 years in education, you would think I knew more about charter schools, but I don't. I was a bit surprised about some of the politics and situations, but if I put that aside and just enjoy the ride, I enjoyed this story. Samantha Casey (Sam) was one of those characters that you couldn't help but love. She was an amazing and caring teacher, who just wanted her school to be a wonderful place for kids to learn. She was loving, yet afraid to put herself out there and have a relationship. She had great daydreams though. When this story started, I did not like Duncan very much. He was a stereotypical administrator that everyone loved to hate, although readers know there has to be something that caused him change. I figured that part out pretty quickly. There were so many wonderful characters in this book, and I especially loved third grader, Clay Buckley. He was smart, caring, strong and ignored by his dad. Operation Duncan was a hoot. All the things they tried to get Duncan to do in order to have him realize how important having fun was, was quite touching. I do not want to ruin this story for anyone, so I will just say, this was another wonderful story by Katherine Center. Not as good as her last one, but still an enjoyable read. It is a second chance story. One about friendship, loyalty and following your dream. It deals with insecurities and fears. Even family dynamics and drama come into play. Of course, there is also romance, so something for everyone.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR by Katherine Center (How to Walk Away) is a light summer read which was selected as a LibraryReads choice for July. Set on the Texas Gulf Coast, a main character is Samantha (Sam), a librarian who has changed schools and re-imagined herself as a colorful, fun-loving, caring professional. She works at a private school whose new principal, coincidentally a former co-worker, is named Duncan and has evolved into a rule follower after a trauma in his life. Together, the two struggle to find a common ground that provides both safety and a free, innovative atmosphere ("never miss a chance to celebrate!") which is so integral to the culture of the Kempner School.  There is an uplifting, feel good sense to this book: "'Joy is an antidote to fear. To anger. To boredom. To sorrow.' 'But you can't just decide to feel joyful.' 'True. But you can decide to do something joyful.'" Recommended for fans of JoJo Moyes, WHAT YOU WISH FOR received a starred review from Kirkus ("timely… filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth").  

Link in live post:
https://libraryreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/JULY-FLYER-PDF-FINAL.pdf

What You Wish For by Katherine Center
JOY !!! Just three little letters but when put together are so important.  Max was someone who believed that JOY was everything and lived his life to the fullest.  He had the “joie de vivre” and “he shares it.  You can’t be around him without catching some.”  But what happens when everyone’s focal point of joy is gone.  How do you get it back?  Is it really as simple as choosing joy?  Samantha was the librarian that every school should have.  Crazy socks.  Bright colors.  Polka dots.  Hawaiian shirt day.  But what happened to Duncan?  He used to be that way when they worked together at Andrews Prep years ago.  But now as the new principal at The Kempner School, he was all about his grey suit and security, security, security.  He did not even seem to remember Sam.  
However, through a series of run-ins, the two slowly learn what has changed.  And why each and every day you need to choose JOY.  Remind yourself what It feels like to be happy.  We all have trauma to overcome but we also need to “scratch and claw“ our “way to happiness everyday.”
This book was a JOY to read.  I highly recommend it.

5 stars on this one for me. Maggie’s adult life was on the brink of perfection when an accident changes everything. She was such a delightful character and the relationships she has with her family were realistic and engaging. I especially enjoyed the sister’s reconnecting storyline. Has a similar vibe as Me Before You. Also a fun read as it takes place in TX. I received an early copy of this from Netgalley and not sure why it took me so long to read. Loved Katherine Center’s last book, Things You Save in a Fire. It was a nice break from the sh** storm of our current reality. Thank you for the copy @netgalley and @stmartinspress!

My first book by Katherine Center and it was amazing!
Samantha "Sam" Casey is a school librarian at the progressive Kempner School in Galveston, Texas.
She loves her job and has a zest for life.
When a new principal arrives she thinks he will fit right in, she knew him before.
But the Duncan Carpenter she was familiar with has changed.
Gone is the fun loving, slightly zany personality. Replaced by a straight laced, buttoned up, rule follower, obsessed with safety.
As Sam clashes with Duncan over what's best for the school, she also tries to help him find joy in his life again.
A whimsical, charming and heartwarming story that felt like a perfect read right now. Was it a bit over the top at times? Maybe. But I think I needed all the feels it gave me.
I love quirky characters and this has some special ones in it. 
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

I struggled a bit with this book. I felt like the first 2/3 moved really slowly and then the last 3rd was where the action happened. I loved Duncan and his character and his story and how he became who he was. I wasn’t a big fan of Sams - she kinda jumped from being in love with Duncan to not wanting to be with him and we learn why toward the end of the book and it just seemed a bit like Sams background was a bit of an afterthought. I honestly didn’t like how she reacted to Duncan toward the end but no spoilers here. I did however love that the entire message of this book was joy and finding and capturing joy again - even if it’s juggling a “watermelon” or blowing bubbles.

A contemporary romance that provides the sweetest escape. Sam, a school librarian brought this story to life with such an authentic whimsical personality and an outlook on life I adored. Both the main characters are at the beginning of starting new in life each in their own way for different reasons which gives the reader the opportunity to see them grow which I enjoyed. The romance is rather predictable between this stoic, serious guy and the quirky girl full of whimsy but I enjoyed their interactions so much and how they evolve throughout the story. It was such a light easy read it provided the perfect break from reality. There was so much to be admired in the love this community shares, it defines what makes friends your family. There were points I felt the storyline became a little repetitive a bit overdone in moments but the overall message of finding joy where you can was simply perfect and exactly what I needed. The characters and story set within this little Texas elementary school delivered that message in such a touching way I felt uplifted and ended the book smiling. We all could benefit from the idea of surrounding yourself with that which makes you happy and embracing the joy in unexpected places.

If you’ve followed our blog for any length of time, then you know I’m a huge Katherine Center fan! I’ve loved Katherine Center’s last two books, and I knew I’d love What You Wish For.

Was I disappointed? Nope!

Samatha Casey is a school librarian at an out of the way school. She’s made a home for herself in Texas, and she’s happy–enough, anyway. When the new school principal starts, Sam’s world (and everyone else’s) is thrown into chaos.

Not only does Sam know the new school principal, but she had a huge crush on him at her last school. Except . . . this Duncan isn’t anything like the lovable, goofy Duncan she had a crush on. Who is this new Duncan, and why is he sucking all the fun out of school?

Duncan’s heart is in the right place, but his delivery is awful. Can Sam crack Duncan’s stony exterior and bring out the charismatic man she once knew?

I loved reading What You Wish For by Katherine Center! I actually listened to this gem on audiobook, and I fell hard for the characters and setting. Being whisked away to the classroom, walking on eggshells as the characters navigated their new relationships and emotions was an incredible journey.

The romance in this was slow but sweet. Katherine Center’s books aren’t in-your-face romances, and I appreciate how she weaves romance into the bigger theme in her books.

The audiobook narrator was awesome and engaging. She made the story easy to fall into.

Should you read this book? Absolutely! You need to check out What You Wish For by Katherine Center. Whether you listen to it on audiobook or you snag this book from the library, you need this book in your life!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle and audiobook versions of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 - I'm bummed that I didn't love this. The idea of choosing to see joy and happiness in situations no matter what is okay. My biggest issue with this story is Sam. She irritated me so much. She was super wishy-washy and I just couldn't take her seriously. I think my inability to connect with this story is mostly because of my inability to connect with Sam. If I had connected with her on any level, I might not have felt like the tough issues were never-ending. This is really unfortunate, because I did like most of the other characters.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy for review!

I adored Things You Save In A Fire so when this book became available I requested it right away. This book was lovely! It hit some hard topics and had you rooting for a love connection. Katherine Center is a gem in the writing world. I look forward to her next work of art.

I couldn’t wait to read What You Wish For especially after finishing Happiness For Beginners. In that book I was introduced to Duncan who is the lead in WYWF. Sadly this book didn’t work for me. Maybe I had high expectations.
First off I didn’t like Samantha. She’s twenty eight but didn’t act like one and she was just stuck in the past when it came to Duncan. He took a long time for me to warm up to. A lot has happened to him since Happiness For Beginners and of course that would affect him but I struggled with him. 
Samantha and Duncan has known each other in the past but I couldn’t feel a connection between them and the new one they formed lacked depth and an emotional connection.
I was thrilled when Duncan’s sister Helen and his best friend Jake showed up in the story. Along with Chuck Norris. Sadly they couldn’t make this story work for me.
What You Wish For has some great topics but I felt they could’ve been explored further.
Even though What You Wish For isn’t my favorite book from this author I’ll look forward to reading more from her in the future.

What You Wish For
Partner - Netgalley and St. Martin's Press

I've only read one other Katherine Center book (Things You Save in A Fire) and quite enjoyed it.  I was therefore excited when this was  briefly a read now on Netgalley.  Unfortunately we turned out to not be a reading match.  I really struggled with the main character Samantha.  Her actions and choices surrounding Duncan just struck me as very odd, particularly as they had never dated and he barely knew her.  I have to admit it really annoyed me and I found myself unable to get into the rest of the story.
.
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I recognize that many people did enjoy it so I recommend you try this one yourself and see what your thoughts are.

What You Wish For is another beautiful story from Katherine Center! Sam and Duncan's transformation was both inspiring and heartwarming. I loved them, flaws and all :)
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a reviewer copy of What You Wish For by Katherine Center from St. Martin's Press from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Sam is a librarian who works for one of the best schools in the country, where children get experience based learning in Galveston, Texas. Then one day, the beloved Principal of the school dies suddenly. Suddenly, the school has a new principal, Duncan Carpenter. Sam, previously worked with Duncan and had a giant crush on him. He was the kind of fun loving teacher she wanted to be. So when Duncan shows up super serious and focused on school security to the extent he removes aspects of the school that make it special, it's war. 

CW: School shootings mentioned. 

What I Loved: When I need a good read that touches my heart but isn't too much and is overall happy, I turn to Katherine Center. I think Center writes truly generally good stories and I know that there will be some level of entertainment and break from all of the crazy world.  In fact, this is a follow up to Happiness for Beginners (my favorite Center book), though you don't need to read that book for this one at all. The character introduces us to a new group of lovable misfits characters on a beautiful setting. There are dance parties, communities, people generally supporting others, cute children.  It's definitely have the up-lit aspects.  There are also some hard portions too. I also loved that Center had a labradoodle as a guard dog, hilarious. 

What I didn’t like so much: At times, I found portions of the story a bit wonky. Sam's relentless happiness can be a bit frustrating and sometimes she seems to have quirks for the sake of having quirks. And some of the aspects of Sam's crush on Duncan or dealings with Duncan remind me of a girl in high school rather than a nearly 30 year old girl (honestly, she reminds me of Jennifer Garner's character in 13 going on 30). So it got frustrating in that realm. 

Who Should Read It: People who love up-lit. People who loved 13 Going on 30. People who like a light and breezy read. 

General Summary: Up-Lit centered on the battle to keep a school a happy fun place to learn.