What You Wish For by Katherine Center

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha Casey adores the Kempner School and its namesake owners, Max and Babette. She loves being the librarian at their elementary school—it is a beautiful Victorian building that is brimming with creativity and warmth.

The school suddenly loses its beloved leader and a new principal is named to take his place. He turns out to be Duncan Carpenter, a former colleague of Samantha's that she had such an unrequited crush on, she had to move away and start over. 

Duncan is nothing like he was. Gone is the funny and charming man, in his place is a militant leader obsessed with safety—he is destroying Max's legacy by turning the school into a prison. Sam is determined to save Kempner, the place that has become her home, before it becomes a thing of the past. 

Things You Save in a Fire was my first Katherine Center book and I was blown away.The pace and flow of the narrative was spot on and the writing was effortless and completely captivating. What You Wish For did not quite have the same effect. The story starts off as being very repetitive, going in circles, so it takes more time than necessary for story to flesh out. There is also a campiness about it which I especially noticed with Alice—she didn't add any real value to the narrative and I wanted more out of her relationship with Sam. These reasons are the difference between three and four stars.

But you really can't fault Center's writing. It is beautiful and careful when dealing with some of the more serious scenes, yet lighthearted and delightful. And I adored Samantha Casey immensely. Not just because she's a librarian with what sounds like a wicked sense of retro style, but because she is quirky and just plain good. 

This book is exactly what we need more of: finding joy. Thank you, Katherine, for this enchanting read that's full of heart, hope, and whimsy. I can't wait to read what you publish next!

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KATHERINE CENTER is the bestselling author of How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire, as well as Happiness for Beginners and The Lost Husband (a movie starring Leslie Bibb and Josh Duhamel).

Center lives in Texas with her husband and two children.