Good lort. This whole dang book tried to hard. And failed.Samantha is the librarian at her dream school. She ran away from her last one because her crush didn't know she was alive. I mean the woman packed her shit and left. I can not even. I'm not even going to rant on this. Let's move on.So miss thang is at her dream job and her beloved principal/substitute parent passes away and they find out his replacement at the school is her crush. *insert surprise face here*Samantha is all excited bec

I tried not to click on the stars this time. I really did. But HOW CAN I NOT click on them? They're just lined up there, all sad and empty, just . . . LONGING to be clicked. I blame the stars.And now I've just found the title of my autobiography: I Blame the Stars

What You Wish For (Katherine Center) review—May 27, 20204.25 stars rounded to 4 starsI love this author. Her books make me happy. My all-time favorite continues to be Happiness For Beginners, but I really enjoyed this one too.Sam Casey is hiding something. And she is also pining for someone. But the two are mutually exclusive. How in the world can she find joy with this spiritual albatross around her neck? What to do? Duncan Carpenter is guarding a secret too. He also has his eye on someone. Aga...

"What You Wish For" by Katherine Center is a story with a meaningful message!Samantha Casey's and Duncan Carpenter's paths have crossed before. Yep! They worked at the same school together several years ago. In fact, Sam had a secret 'crush' on Duncan. She had it bad for him. He never knew it though because Sam suddenly left her job and moved to Galveston, TX.Sam is the school librarian at a private elementary school on the historic island. A school where she's been embraced by the community and...

After loving Things You Save in a Fire, I was looking forward to this one.I was expecting a beach read, but found this novel a bit of a miss. It was predictable and the characters weren't particularly interesting or memorable.I found the school setting and happenings very unlikely and unbelievable. I liked that Samantha was a teacher and searching for joy, but this premise didn't add up or make for an inspiring story.Seems that the author was reaching for the stars, but just didn't catch the spa...

I almost don't know how to rate What You Wish For. I've been reading so many thrillers, full of gruesome body counts, so making the transition to a book with no murders, just a death by natural causes, seems a bit awkward to me. On one hand, it's an awesome change of pace but on the other hand, I think I almost died of a "too sweet and silly" overdose. I do think it was good to venture off the bloody reading path I've been on latelyElementary school librarian Samantha Casey (call her Sam) left h...

Finding Joy....one butterfly at a time....Samantha (Sam) Casey is an elementary school librarian on the island of Galveston, Texas. When the school tragically loses their principal, she finds that his replacement is her crush from a former job, Duncan Carpenter. But Duncan is not the Duncan she remembers, he is tough, and on a mission to make sure that the school is safe and secure, butterflies but damned. Fearing that Duncan is about to take away everything that she loves, she decides it is tim...

quirky school librarian + stuffy school principal = classic romcom shenanigans.yes, this story is cute. it has everything you want from a story about two people trying to both grow and help each other. but its very over the top, like all romcoms are.also, the fact that sam is sooo determined to change duncan kind of rubbed me the wrong way. there are a few lines here and there that are meant to make the whole situation a little more kosher, but its still a little problematic for me personally. t...

3.75*Having recently finished Happiness For Beginners I couldn't wait to dive into this latest release by Katherine center. I grew quite fond of some of the characters and was excited to learn they would carry over into this book.With the sudden death of much beloved school principal, a close community is reeling! No one could ever replace a fine man like that in their hearts and minds. For Samantha it was even a tougher blow, as she lost not only her boss, but a close friend, and father figure....

This was just dreadful. The author is my go-to for a heartwarming, lighter read with substance, but this book was so silly and over-the-top I thought my eyes would roll out of my head. I'm sorry I wasted my time. This was a buddy read with my friend Marialyce and we were both disappointed.*I received a digital copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***This is another one of those books that I hoped I would love. I’m a big fan of “Things You Save In A Fire”, but that was a much stronger book with more to keep me interested.This novel starts very slowly as we get to know Sam, Samantha Casey, just at the time that the principal of her beloved elementary school passes away. He wasn’t just the principal, he and his wife were the life and breath of the school. All of their ideas from many years poured into the school.The

JoyfulIf circumstances were different right now, I probably would be ripping this book apart. The characters are a little bit much and drove me crazy. The cheese factor is through the roof. However, it has a lovely message about finding joy, which is much needed right now. Overall, it served as a pleasant escape during these difficult times.

1.5 StarsI have read two other books by Katherine Center and really enjoyed them, so I was really looking forward to this one. I put it off for a bit though because I saw that reviews were somewhat mixed. And now I definitely understand why as this just completely missed the mark for me. I'm not trying to be scathing here as I really did appreciate the message of joy the book was trying to send, but...holy quirky sugar overload, folks. If you've been following my reviews for a while, you might k...

Full review on my blog.One of the things I love the most about Katherine Center is her unique way of writing characters that are always relatable, lovable, and full of joy and zeal.I ended up reading the book in one sitting, during a time when concentrating on new books has become quite hard. What You Wish For was an easy and fast read. Thoughtful. Emotional. Enjoyable. It was a novel about loving yourself as you are, finding the joy in small things, and enjoying life to the fullest.____________...

What you wish for? I wish to read this book ASAP and I’m really thankful to my lucky stars and witchy powers. Here I am. I devoured it at one sit. I’m personally in love with those amazing characters. I’m giggling like imbecile teenager (so happy you haven’t met with my 13 years old version, you would like to punch me to wipe my ridiculous smile) seeing the vivid colors of the world that wash my heart with pure joy (See! I started to talk like Anne from Green Gables! This is side effect of readi...

3.5 rounded upYou 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.It’s not steamy and sexy...(though in a way that was refreshing!) 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. He is also a character that you have met before in one of her earlier novels, “Happin...

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.What You Wish For was a magical, emotional read for me, full of colourful characters who dressed like circus performers and who had no issue with spontaneous outbursts of pure Joy. Having the courage to embrace life, to soldier on and do or find the things that bring you joy, despite all the misery and unhappiness that may still be hovering on your horizon, was a major theme in this nove...

'Never miss a chance to celebrate.'Katherine Center's latest novel, like all her novels, is utterly delightful. While I ultimately preferred Things You Save in a Fire, I still stayed up until 3 AM finishing this story. Once it gets going, it's hard to put down. The theme, choosing joy, really resonates. It's a lesson we should all take to heart. Told entirely from Samantha's perspective, she's a quirky character trying desperately to come to terms with several life-altering events. Enter Duncan-...

This is a romance/chick lit. The narrators (Katherine Center and Therese Plummer) where really good. I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I listen to audiobooks at a higher speed then the normal speed because I have listen to audiobooks for years now I a found the higher speed works for me. The overall story I really liked. This is the second book I read by this author. I found there is some things happen in this book that was close to the other book. I really loved the ending of this b...

The Underlying Message here is: Choose Joy! Life. It Goes On.Living on the Island of Galveston, in Texas, Samantha Casey’s life is perfect. That is, until the day that her former crush, Duncan Carpenter walks back into her life. Samantha is an Elementary School Librarian. Duncan is the school’s new principal. Samantha would love to run and hide, but alas, she doesn’t need to because Duncan doesn’t remember her, even though they previously worked together for 3 years. What Samantha notices howeve...