Thank you so much @NetGalley for giving me this ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) in exchange for my honest review (Release Date | 14 July 2020). Note: I received a copy of this eARC after the release date.

Synopsis: Samantha Casey is a librarian at one of the best elementary schools in the country. She loves her job, the students, and her community who has become her family. Life as she loves it is suddenly threatened by the appearance of someone from her past. Her crush (to put it mildly) from her previous job- Duncan Carpenter- is set to be the new school principle.

What I Liked:
- The author tackles important and difficult topics like school safety & invisible illnesses/disabilities.
- I also really enjoyed the scenes between Sam and Clay.

What I Didn't Like:
- Samantha's oblivion and lack of maturity towards issues not directly related to her. I don't want to spoil the plot, so I will leave it at that.
- The character's did not feel developed enough for me. I wasn't invested in the story. It was fairly clear how it would end and therefore hard to finish.
- Many plot points felt too silly and unbelievable. These are grown up people we are talking about. You cannot force joy by making a grown man blow bubbles in the quad and threaten to fire him if he doesn't.

This is my third Katherine Center book, and I seem to have the same problem with each of them. I always *want* to enjoy them and the plots always sound interesting to me, but they end up being too overly positive and preachy for my taste.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to listen to this audiobook even though when I started it, I really loved what I was listening to. I had a technical issue with my app and had to uninstall it to download it again. However, I did not expect to not be able to download again this title as it was already archived. I apologize and cannot properly give a review since I was unable to listen to the audiobook due to technical difficulties.

I am now addicted to this author’s words!! I loved everything about this book! It’s a story about heartache and hope. Finding your joy despite hardships. It’s the kind of book that not only entertains readers, but feeds your soul. Very impressive!

Here’s what I loved:

Samantha and Duncan’s story is flatout amazing! I loved how fleshed out the characters were. The story completely grabs hold of the reader and doesn’t let you go. I literally listened to this book nonstop. Could not walk away.

The audiobook is super engaging. The narrator is most impressive!
Samantha and Duncan jump off the page. Their history and backstory drew me in. The writing is amazing! I love how emotional and real the characters are.i could not get enough of this hopeful story!
Beautiful storytelling! The storyline and plot were expertly executed.

Simply put, this book is everything I never knew I wanted. I cannot wait for my of this author’s amazing stories.

I really do love Katherine Center's work, and I will continue to read her books. I really loved the crazy lead character, and I think it's important to have more leading protagonists that have disabilities and invisible illnesses. I really appreciated this aspect of the story (but would love some own-voices feedback!). I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that the hero had very obvious trauma, the trauma itself was incredibly obvious, and I was just waiting the entire book for the "reveal" to happen. This one felt a little less subtle than her other books.

I still really enjoyed it though, and I will continue to read anything that Center writes. Her books are just easy and light and so much fun

Thank you so much @StMartinsPress & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC & ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 14 July 2020)

SYNOPSIS | Samantha Casey is a school librarian who is exuberantly enthusiastic about her job and her makeshift school family, until the new principle starts at her elementary school. Samantha actually knew Duncan from her previous school, and she was madly in love with him, except to him, she was invisible.

WHAT I LIKED:
- Samantha's positive, joyful and refreshing personality shining through in all of the conversations

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- too much preaching & reminiscing about all of the silly & fun behaviour that happened in her old school... maybe I am just too grumpy but I felt like I was told a lot about it rather than shown it
- I didn't find Samantha's infatuation (borderline obsession) with Duncan endearing
- Duncan's sister and friendship group seemed ultimately irrelevant to the story (& I wanted more of them!)

THE AUDIOBOOK SPECIFICALLY:
- I will start by saying this was my very first audiobook and while it definitely won't be my last, I also wasn't overly enthused by what I heard.
- I personally did not connect with the 1 narrator covering the voices of all of the characters. I really struggled to connect with the male love interest (Duncan) as his voice felt like a bad impersonation of what a guy should sound like. Everything he said came off standoff-ish and ultimately I didn't root for this romance.
- I tried to physically read this book after listening to a couple chapters of the audiobook but I couldn't read without hearing the narrators southern accent in my head

I absolutely loved this one, everything about it, the story, the narration, everything!!!

I've already used my audible credit to buy this one so i have it for a re-listen at some point, and I've found myself a new favourite narrator in Therese Plummer.

I would definitely recommend this one!

This unfortunately was not a did not finish for me. I really want to enjoy this book but I just did not enjoy the school setting and everything revolving around it. I know many people loves this book though and encourage all to read it.

My third Katherine Center romance and I am NOT disappointed. Love all the relationship navigations, life altering/changing hurdles that create so many opportunities for Sam to crash or rise. What You Wish For is moving and beautiful. So many characters shined off the page with their personalities, triumphs and fortitude that may have wavered a few times, but they finished strong and resilient. The audiobook was my first for her books and I'm so glad that is how I experienced Sam and her small Texas town.

What You Wish For is my first Katherine Center book, and I must say that I will be making my way down her back-list because I truly enjoyed this tale of overcoming tragedy, persevering, and learning to love and live again. Furthermore, I listened to an audiobook production of this charming novel, which thoroughly enhanced my enjoyment of the book, immersing me in the lives of the characters and the places in the story.

Samantha Casey is a librarian at one of the best elementary schools in the country - the Kempner School on Galveston Island. Samantha, who found herself in Texas in an attempt to leave her past behind her, has created a life in Galveston that she loves - her job, students, and friends make her world complete.

So imagine Samantha's surprise when her former coworker-crush is announced as the new principal at the Kempner School. Samantha taught with Duncan Carpenter in California. Known for his colorful and infectious personality, Duncan has learned the secret of "joie de vivre" ... joy of life. Samantha, who once found Duncan so irresistible, secretly crushed on him during their time teaching together - she can't wait for him to bring what he does best to the Kempner School ... and maybe she will finally be brave enough to ask him on a date?

But Duncan is not the man that Samantha remembers. The magnetic person he once was has been replaced by someone cold, rigid, and extremely strict. What happened to the Duncan Samantha once knew? And just what will this new rule-enforcing Duncan do to the wonderful, creative Kempner school community?

Katherine Center's What You Wish For is a dazzling entry to the women's fiction genre. The character at the center of her story, Samantha, sparkles and shines ... and is a force to be reckoned with. With a personality as big as Texas and a mouth to boot, Samantha is the perfect person to tell this story of overcoming obstacles and learning to live again. The story itself is great as well. Simple, focused, and compelling, this school-centered plot with a splash of romance is the perfect pick to end the summer. The characters and community here are vibrant and the romance is believable - in all, it's an awesome little read.

The audiobook production of this novel is the cherry on top of this delicious story! Therese Plummer injects life into Samantha, fleshing her out and turning her into a fully-realized person. Plummer is so believable as the funny and dramatic Samantha, that one would think that she is Samantha in real-life. Plummer's narration works perfectly with Center's story, immersing me in this novel and making for a thoroughly compelling listening experience.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several of Katherine Center's books, but this is the first one that I listened to. I enjoyed the book even though I felt like the narrator was being overly dramatic at times. Maybe that is just the main character in this novel. This seemed more over the top than Center's previous books. I liked that Sam has found a way to live with her issue by choosing colorful clothing and joy and she wants to help Duncan come to terms with the tragedy in his life. Although maybe Sam hasn't completely dealt with her issues. There are many heavy topics covered but ultimately it is a hopeful book. It was a good summer escape. Thank you to #NetGalley for a free digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of this book*

Unfortunately I have to give this book a DNF. I didn't feel as thought the reader really connected with the materials and I had a hard time visualizing the story.

I do want to add that I struggle, at times, with fiction audiobooks.

I do plan to read this book, because I am still interested in it, and will post that review on Goodreads.

I received this audiobook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed learning and "knowing Samantha the librarian at a elementary school who had a tough childhood and found her own family as an adult. Duncan is also a survivor who is trying to get over a scary time. The audio book was brilliantly told and it kept me entertained. I don't want to spoil the story but this story had humor, love, and perseverance.

Sam is a librarian at an independent elementary school on an island off the coast of Texas. She has a sense of family there. After tragedy strikes, a new principal must be named, Duncan Carpenter, a former co-worker if Sam’s. However, something happened to Duncan since Sam last saw him.

I liked the relationship development between Sam and Duncan. The supporting characters are well developed. The audiobook narrator is amazing. I felt like I was really listening to a real life Sam! I would seek out more books from this author and the audio narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything my heart didn’t know it needed. Sam is the perfect quirky character that you want to be friends with. Duncan is the man that is so uptight but you know that deep down he’s waiting to have fun. The relationship between Sam and Duncan is so sweet and intimate. They have known each for so long, but after Duncan has experienced tragedy he has to learn to fully live again.

This book has such a deep meaning of how you can be alive, but not actually living. Bad things happen every day but it’s how we react to them - knowing we have to step out of our comfort zones that matters.

I loved this book so much. It was so warm and heartfelt. I didn’t want to stop listening to it.

School librarian Sam loves her job at a school in Texas. After leaving behind her previous job–and an unrequited crush–she’s had a fresh start. But when that crush, Duncan Carpenter, shows up as the new principal of the school, she sees no option but to leave, knowing she’ll be in his thrall again.

But this Duncan is wholly changed and not the happy, charismatic man she remembered. When he starts imposing strict rules and operating the school like a prison, she knows she has to stay and push back.

I always enjoy a Katherine Center book on audio, and this was another solid listen–though maybe not quite as good as her others.

Perhaps it’s fitting that the first novel I listen to for Netgalley’s launching of audiobook reviews is one of my favorite novels of the year, What You Wish For by Katherine Center. If you feel like it may be deja vu regarding my reviewing this novel, you would be correct. I reviewed the eARC earlier and you can see that review here.

Frankly, I didn’t think it would be possible when I requested the audiobook for me to love this novel more than I already did. However, listening to Thérèse Plummer’s perky narration of Sam changed my mind. I knew What You Wish For is about joy, bringing joy into your life, faking it until you make it but listening to Plummer drove it home. She imbued Sam with a touch of a quirky inflection that made me feel even more, if that’s possible. I felt Sam’s highs and lows, her indignation, her sorrow, fears, sadness, and her love.

Listening to the narration added another element to the novel for me. I rarely read a book more than once any more. You know, too many books, too little time. But for this one, I’m so glad that I listened to this novel. Especially now. While What You Wish For is about choosing joy, it’s also about community and people coming together. There’s a remarkable scene in which a young boy tries to save a pygmy sperm whale that will melt even the iciest heart.

It’s true. It’s not always possible to feel joy. Not these days. But you can choose to find it. If you doubt me, listen to Thérèse Plummer narrate What You Wish For and you might change your mind.

There’s a really good chance that when I’m feeling a little low, I might listen to this book again just because we all need to not only feel joy but understand how to bring it into our lives and revisit it again and again.

I received an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

An uplifting romance story that is very sweet and cute. Although at first it seems a simple one, the story evolves to present a serious lifelong medical issue and a social one, too. The main theme of the book is that happiness is a choice and to always choose joy and positivity despite the circumstances. An uplifting story.
I really enjoyed the audiobook and the narrator. It brought the story to life.

I've only listened to a few audiobooks so far and this one cemented me wanting to continue listening to audiobooks. I've read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all.

Initially, I thought this was a "lighter" story, but when I think about the underlying meaning, the story has many layers, and the core of the story - find joy where we can - is an especially timely read now during the Covid pandemic.

Sam(antha) the main character, is a teacher at a quaint school on Galveston Island. She finds out their new principal is none other than Duncan, the fellow teacher she fell in love with years ago at her previous school.

Duncan lives, breathes, eats, exudes joy. He turned Sam's view of the world from black/gray/beige to vibrant colors and her push to embrace joy each day.

But when Duncan shows up at her school, he's the opposite of his former self. As opposite as one can get. The upside is Sam's no longer attracted to him. Yet, she can't help but wonder what changed him, and can't help but try to lead him back to find joy again.

At first this seems like a love story. It is, in a way, but that's a minor plot. It's a story of community, supporting each other, looking on the bright side of life even after it has kicked you in the teeth, and about taking chances. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story (I looked forward to long walks just so I could listen to this) and I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this entertaining book.

I’m reading/listening to this right now and I like it a lot. At first I was like girl grow up the h*ll up, cause she’s too freaking annoying. But as it went on I’m now falling in love with it. Although I’m just on Chapter 15 using my NetGalley app it is sooo freaking good. It’s a 10hrs read and I already know I don’t want to put it down. Reading this I know why Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors.

EDIT: Ch. 25🚨: man if this lady isn’t a hypocrite. One of the biggest hypocrites I’ve read about in a long while. Like seriously and why do they keep calling first and last name?.Anyways...how the heck can you push this man to do one thing and yet you can’t even get your self straightened out? Usually I’d be okay with this but she even cursed the man out, jumped in the ocean and all that only to push him away. What’s the point in chasing after him just to push him away? I just don’t get it. Let that man be. Every one has issues but this woman I don’t know if she wants people to throw her a pity party or what but there are people in worse off conditions and situations, yet not as self pitying as she is. Like I said before she needs to grow up. Maybe she needs to visit that therapist instead of Duncan. All she’s doing is whining every other line is a whine. Now I’m getting put off the book. I mean lady you can’t even stand up for yourself.

Edit Pt. II🚨: So I just finished the novel and while it was good in some parts the main character comes off as really whiny. It gets better towards the middle but at the end she goes back to her whiny self deprecating ways. It’s not good at all. It’s kind of like the attitude you’d expect from from someone 18-25 not someone that’s nearly 30 years old. It was Ch. 28 or 29 where she really acts like a spoiled brat. With everything going on around her she makes it seems like her situation is way worse. Like really Babbet just lost her husband and your friends fiancé is deployed, you had a seizure in front of Duncan. Not to mention Clay ran away and mother is about to be divorced but yeah your situation is so much worse. I tell you I have never disliked a MC so much before but she is the worst. And she has no character development throughout IMO. And why did he move from a perfectly good house to a freaking barn/carriage/shack? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t they be house hunting and leave that small place? I’m just left with a bitter taste and more questions after reading this.