**INDIE NEXT PICK FOR AUGUST****AN AUGUST 2019 LIBRARYREADS SELECTION****BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK FOR JULY****AN AMAZON EDITOR’S PICK FOR AUGUST**“Center gives readers a sharp and witty exploration of love and forgiveness that is at once insightful, entertaining, and thoroughly addictive.”— KIRKUS, STARRED REVIEW“An appealing heroine, a compelling love story, a tearjerking twist, and a thoroughly … appealing heroine, a compelling love story, a tearjerking twist, and a thoroughly absorbing story. Another winner from Center.”
— BOOKLIST, STARRED REVIEW
“A spirited, independent heroine meets a smoking-hot fireman in Center’s smart romance… If you enjoyed ‘The Kiss Quotient,’ by Helen Hoang, read Things You Save in a Fire”’
– THE WASHINGTON POST
From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds.
Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she’s seen her fair share of them, and she’s a total pro at other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.
The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie’s old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren’t exactly thrilled to have a “lady” on the crew—even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because love is girly, and it’s not her thing. And don’t forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping…and it means risking it all—the only job she’s ever loved, and the hero she’s worked like hell to become.
Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.
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Katherine Center writes about falling down, finding love, and growing up like nobody else.
4.5
Another winner from Katherine Center! I enjoyed this story about a female firefighter and her struggles both as a female in a male-dominated profession and her struggle to learn how to forgive.
Cassie’s mom left home when she was 16 (on her birthday, no less!) at a traumatic time when she needed her most. She has a second chance ten years later to spend time with her mom, but can she ever really forgive her? And will she ever be good enough to overcome the stigma of being a “girl” in the job that she loves? There’s also a sweet romance as she learns how to trust and move forward.
Center has a wonderful sense of her characters, and she inhabits their minds so well that I felt like I knew them.
Thanks to @StMartinsPress for including me in their early reader’s program and providing this ARC. The opinions are strictly my own. I would also like to thank them for the lovely candle that was included bearing the same artwork that’s on the book cover! So very nice!
I didn’t really think there was a chance I WOULDN’T like this book. I was right. I loved it. Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to read. This book was funny, romantic, and dramatic. A perfect read!
I don’t think I have laughed so much over a book in a long time. I loved it. There are so many different characters in this book and they all jump off the page. And maybe some of the will have their own story one day. Cassie and the Rookie both had so many life changing moments it was perfect that they met each other. Katherine addressed so many things that face our society today with laughter and tears. Highly recommend.
Loved this book. Highly recommend.
Things you Save in a fire by Katherine Center was a wonderful book on so many levels. It dealt with themes I love: forgiveness, moving on, and how we become who and what we are, and did so in a very easy writing style that just had me pouring through the pages without stop.
Firefighter and EMT Cassie Hanwell has a bit of darkness in her background. When she runs straight into one of those pieces of darkness – and hits it square in the jaw, she’s given the choice to apologize or be fired. But she comes up with another option. Seems her estranged mom ( another dark piece of her life) is sick and requesting Cassie come and help her, so she takes a job transfer to an all male, reportedly chauvinistic firehouse in Massachusetts.
Cassie now has to navigate through her feelings about her mother, try to tow the line and not cause any trouble in the firehouse, and avoid the Rookie who could just threaten her heart.
This book was filled with so many dynamic and thought-provoking elements, a simple review doesn’t do it justice.
Five well deserved stars from me!
This is a fantastic well written novel about learning to love. It’s the story of someone very strong who needs to learn to live life more fully by accepting the softer parts of life and learning to accept others.
Cassie is a fire fighter in Texas. She’s tough as nails and can keep up with the male fire fighters in every way – from winning obstacle courses to playing pranks on other firefighters. She’s tough and totally accepted as part of the fire team and she wants to stay that way. Her dad raised her after her mom left when she was a teenager and she feels that living her life without love is the best way to live. Until…her estranged mother calls and asks her to move to Boston for one year to help take care of her. She reluctantly agrees and gets a job at a very traditional fire station in Boston, where there has never been a woman fire fighter and she is not accepted until she is able to prove her worth to male firefighters. She is faced with blatant discrimination from everyone but a rookie who started at the fire department the same day she did. As she begins to have feelings for the rookie, she has to decide if she wants to continue her tough loveless life or open herself up to love and caring about other people.
This is a fantastic novel about love and life and family. I really enjoyed the character of Cassie and her attitude and determination are what I’ll remember about her. I highly recommend this novel.
Thanks to netgally for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own,
First of all, I’d like to apologize for my embarrassingly late review!
This was not my usual read, but I’ll have to admit it that I loved it! This story, that poked around in complicated relationships, captured my heart and attention from the start. And a few of the characters will stay with me for a long time!
Until the last portion of the book, I thought it was just a light, fluffy read, with no real substance. But that was fine, because it was funny and quite entertaining.
It became so much more and I loved every word! That’s saying a lot, coming from a die-hard thriller fan.
Sincere thanks to Edelweiss, St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4.5 ’s (rounding up)
Published: August 13, 2019
Pages: 320
Recommend: Yes!
#ThingsYouSaveInAFire #Heartwarming #MotherDaughter #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #JustFinished #ARC
@katherinecenter @StMartinsPress @edelweiss_squad
Okay, so this post is mostly about the author – she’s so generous and giving. I was/am a budding author and I really had no idea chatting with a “real” author was as huge a deal as it is. I read this fun book, Things you Save in a Fire, and I read myself in the way it was written; the way Ms. Center told it, the cadence of the dialogue, etc., so, I reached out to her – and she messaged me back. So I sent her a few questions, you know, nothing too big, like, “How did you get started?” “Who is your publisher?” “Can we be friends on Facebook?”
…I know, right?!
Ms. Center responded to every question I asked, and we are friends on Facebook. Are we really friends? Well, no, but still…
Things you Save in a Fire is a fun novel about a female firefighter living in a male-dominant culture. There is an under arching theme of love mixed with a touch of scandal; it was great. So well written, so well put together. I must admit, I had no idea that Ms. Center was as big a deal with her books as she was when I cyber-stalked her, but if you get a chance to read any of her writing – I would do it.
Though addressing a few heavier life issues, this young millennial love story remains upbeat. The heroine is a fun mix of denial, stubbornness, and charm. Her victory over her fears resonates, and her true-hearted, boy-next-door love interest is worth rooting for. Heartwarming & entertaining! (language, intimate scenes, assault triggers; not graphic)
I actually read this twice which is unusual for me. I loved the characters.
This story was so slow and uneventful (to me). I thought Cassie was annoying and unrelatable. I felt like this story was written during the #MeToo movement with all the sexism that was going o throughout the novel.
Some highlights of how much I disliked this story are:
1) Cassie eats broccoli only so she can be/stay a firefighter. What? Really?
2) Cassie was bashing a team member’s weight (his “potbelly”). Really? Sometimes you can’t help the way you are built.
3) Cassie’s ego is so huge. I understand being a female in a male-dominated profession, but man did she get annoying with her tough-guy exterior.
4) Cassie won’t forgive her mother for divorcing her father without knowing the full story/ since she was sixteen. She is thirty and holding a grudge toward her mother.
The stalker plot was overused and not surprising.
Some people might not understand the title but I feel like it means sometimes you have to open up to love even though you might get hurt in the end. It might be worth it.
Center, this is not the best I’ve read from you. if you want to read a worthwhile novel from Center read “How to Walk Away”.
What I liked about this book was the multitude of common negative experiences women have that effect and shape them but Cassie ends up dealing with them. A couple of other characters also have emotional problems that are holding them back but they address them eventually and mature.
The book is like a self help book to help with emotional trauma but does it in a fun way. It’s great to watch the characters grow into better people.
I don’t like romantic books and probably wouldn’t have read this had I known but I’m glad I did. Mac
Absolutely loved this book. Something about the way she writes just draws me in. This was my first Katherine Center book, and I’m currently going through all of her other books. Great characters and smart writing.
Foul language is not necessary for a good story!
A great read!
Another 5-star read from Katherine Center! I kept hearing about Katherine Center’s books from another bookstagrammer and thought “ok some day I’ll get around to one of her books.” Then I joined a buddy read of How to Walk Away and I loved it. I immediately looked for another book by KC and ended up listening to this one (and another soon after). I wish I hadn’t waited so long to read a KC book!
About this book specifically- I am nothing like Cassie but yet I understood her pain and resilience in this story. I listened to the audiobook and could not take my earbuds out. I was cleaning and packing while listening and every time I got in the car, the first thing I did was put on my book. The story keeps moving and the side characters are interesting and fun. I felt like I really got to know the guys at the Boston fire station. There’s a scene with an intense fire and wow, I stopped what I was doing and listened intently. And the Rookie, oh sweet Rookie.
You need to read this book. And read How to Walk Away and then find the short story The Girl in the Plane.
Very good read
Love this author and her writing style. She keeps you engaged. Light hearted, fun story.
A wonderful story, glad I read it but didn’t want it to end