**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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A great story
Loved this book. Fun and entertaining. Characters were endearing.
Just finished this really good book by @katherinecenter. Working with the FD I loved the technical aspects and the camaraderie (and pranks). It was definitely a heart felt story and the character who made me cry was the “villain” bc I understood. I’m not going to lie, there were parts I skimmed as I found them slow and maybe because I didn’t really care about crochet. But I ate up all the firehouse stuff. I loved the technical aspects too. And the beginning, right on girl. Also, her core wound I figured out right away. It was a bit obvious. But definitely a book I’d recommend esp for those who love to read about fire fighters. And honestly, kudos for pointing out how the majority of the time it’s EMS calls
My first book that I read by Katherine Center was How to Walk Away, so I had high expectations since I loved that one. Lol…
Things You Save in a Fire, did not disappoint! I’m pretty sure she is my new favorite author in this genre. I enjoyed following Cassie through the ups and downs and seeing her learn and grow and be open to that growth. She is a firefighter that has to leave her Austin firehouse because of something that happens (boy was I cheering her on!), so her mother who she hasn’t seen since she was 16 wants her to come live with her because she can’t see out of one eye/is ill. So she decides to do that and transfer to a fire station nearby. What follows is a whirlwind of emotions! Worry, laughter, happiness, love, etc. Amazing! By the end I was crying first sad/worried tears and then happy tears! It was such a beautifully, well written masterpiece. I will recommend her books to anyone who will listen and I can’t wait to read more!
Strong female protagonist making her mark in her profession! Action packed!
Love the title better than the book, but enjoyed reading it none-the-less. Not real deep and easy read, but had some good talking points and nice,story. Forgiveness, love, women’s rights, firefighters, romance.
LOVE this book. Just read it a 2nd time! A powerful message on forgiveness and doing it for yourself even if the person you’re forgiving might not be totally deserving.
irst off, thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me the ARC of this book. I had not heard of this author nor read any of her other books and now I will be adding her to my list!
This book is about Cassie Hanwell, a firefighter in Austin, Texas. The book starts with her and her fellow Austin firefighters at an awards banquet where she is receiving an award. When they announce the person who will be giving her award to her, she has a bit of an anxiety attack because it brings back a moment as a teenager with this person that she had suppressed because it was so horrible.
After she receives her award, she ends up going to visit her mom in Boston and finding a job as a firefighter in a town north of Boston. She finds it very difficult to fit in with the all-male squad she joins. Her first day there, a firefighter rookie starts and he comes from a long line of firefighters in his family. She can’t compete with that, but she has to.
This book is about life, love, forgiveness, acceptance and courage.
Hackneyed, trite, threw it across the room. (Well, I would have, but instead I deleted it from my device with great venom.)
Cassie Hanwell was living her best life as a firefighter in Austin, Texas. She is not only the most skilled of her gender but at the top of her field amongst her entire team. Then she attends an awards ceremony in her honor and the person who unexpectedly replaces the mayor to hand her the plaque shifts her universe. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens next. But, Cassie ends up in Rockport, Massachusetts to help care for her estranged mother who is recovering from glaucoma surgery. Cassie goes to work for the Lilian Fire Department, a unit significantly different in every way from the more enlightened city of Austin.
While this is classified as a romance, and in a sense it is, to me it was more the coming of age of a woman whose life was significantly altered on her sixteenth birthday (she’s now 25-years old) when her mother left the family. Every choice she makes going forward, both personally and professionally, was impacted by the events of that day. It was a fascinating story as I had to consider that Cassie’s behavior was more that of a 16-year old when it came to relationships as her growth was limited by her past. While she was brilliant on the job, she was sort of a mess with her lack of insights around those close to her, including friends, family and colleagues. The move to Massachusetts was pivotal as it removed her from her controlled environment and she is now operating without the proverbial net.
I loved this story and am thrilled that I chose to listen to it as the narrator so aptly got Cassie and how to deliver this story. I found it hard to step away and enjoyed all aspects. If I have any criticism it’s the under developed evolution of Cassie’s relationship with her mother. Yes, it definitely evolves but was underwhelmed by the focus on the romantic elements. It was still a really good story despite that imbalance and I really, really liked Cassie, flaws and all. It was especially satisfying to see her 16-year old self catch up with the adult. This was my first book by the author and now I want to explore her backlist. 4.5 stars
This book was so well written – strong, believable characters, great plotting, highly enjoyable, and every word perfectly honed to lead you to read on and on and on.
Took a while to get through it but I enjoyed it after I finished it.
A fantastic romance woven with a fierce female trying to make it in a rough man’s world. Cassie is trying to prove she deserves a spot on the squad as a fireman while trying to not fall in love with the rookie who is fighting her for the same spot. Question is….who will win and what does it take?
What a feel good story! There’s so much more to this than the title implies. There were hard topics on sexual assault and women’s rights, but also forgiveness and love. This showed the struggle women face with male centric professions – but I’m sure you cold take it the opposite as well, men in female centric professions. But we see Cassie’s struggle to come to terms with her mother’s supposed abandonment, her sexual assault as a teen, and her struggle to be accepted for her person and not her gender. With Cassie’s unresolved inner struggle, she keeps everyone at arms length until she meets the new rookie at the fire station she’s just moved to. Then everything changes for her. There’s still hate, sabbotage, stalking, and an accident that happen throughout, but I think the main theme of this story is forgiveness. If you can forgive those that wrong you or just yourself at the time, good things come from that willingness to forgive.
Very good lessons inside this story.
Hauntingly truthful read. Beautiful character development.
I borrowed the audio CD from the library. I loved this book, although I think the narrator contributed a lot to my enjoyment. I found many parallels to my own life in the story.
HOWEVER: I can not believe that Cassie is 26. In her early 30s, maybe, but not 26. She is too wise, accomplished, experienced for that age. I can’t see my 28-yr-old daughter, her 30-yr-old fiance or any of their peers being as mature as Cassie.
I want to own this book. In hardback.
This book can be perceived as a live story, but for me, it was a story that is driven by the struggle women go through to become fire fighters. I really liked this book.
Katherine Center’s ‘Things You Save in a Fire’ is a stirring examination of courage, love, loss, and forgiveness. In Cassie Hanwell, we have a wonderfully complicated protagonist who bears the burdens of past trauma as well as the weight of expectations when her life suddenly changes.
For me, this story ticked a lot of my boxes. Strong, complicated female lead? Check. Fully formed characters who jump off the page? Check. Absent of stereotypical gender roles in dynamic of Cassie and the rookie? Check. A plot that feel familiar but also surprises me? Check.
This is a wonderful book for those who crave to read about a powerful, tenacious, and interesting female lead. And for those who love to see an evolution of relationship dynamics that aren’t beholden to archaic gender norms.
Wow, what a roller coaster of emotions I experienced reading Things You Save in a Fire: A Novel by Katherine Center. It follows Cassie, a firefighter, as she moves home to help her mother, who she hasn’t had a relationship with since her mom left her and her father 10 years earlier. It was funny and quirky and heartbreaking. It dealt with the struggle of women in a world not quite ready for strong women and why it’s alright not to always be strong. It deals with how to love and forgive. I couldn’t put this book down and would definitely recommend it.
Title misleading