“The story’s message, that people should choose joy even (and especially) in difficult and painful times, seems tailor-made for this moment. A timely, uplifting read about finding joy in the midst of tragedy, filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth.”–Kirkus (starred review) From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and … a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.
Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.
And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before–at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him–but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school–and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.
As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love–which is the riskiest move of all.
With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.
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Katherine Center does it again! This book is full of unique characters and she does a beautiful job of telling each one’s story and how it has shaped them into the people they are today. She touches on several hot topics without letting them take over the story itself. Samantha and Duncan are wonderful characters that deal with life altering situations in different ways. Their ability to see inside the other but not themselves is what makes this story and the characters so real to the reader. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of the ARC and this is my true and honest review.
Finished What You Wish For last night and it was everything I expected in a Katherine Center book. It made me sigh and tear up and smile so hard that my cheeks were hurting. And of course, it made me fall in love again. A gorgeous book about second chances not only in love but in life as well.
Happiness for Beginners was one of my favorite reads from 2019. In my review, I mentioned how much I loved the heroine’s evolving relationship with her brother by the end of the book. Imagine my surprise and excitement over learning that Helen’s brother Duncan would be a main character in this upcoming release. I was crazy with excitement.
As told in the heroine Sam’s single POV, this story was about her fight for life’s joys through unexpected upheaval, Duncan’s re-arrival in her life, and a school (town) grieving over the loss of their beloved founder. I really liked Samantha and her shared self-transformation after arriving in Gavelston four years prior, but similar to this author’s previous novels, it’s the secondary characters that really helped shape Samantha’s characterization and made me love her.
I know I was biased going in, but no one could outshine my love for all things Duncan. Well, maybe Alice, but that’s for another book (fingers crossed!) This author was astute in her depiction of Duncan’s evolution from the goofy and affable slacker brother in HFB to the intrinsically altered version he became in this book. It was believable and also heartbreaking. This was where the author showed her writing mettle and alternately drove the story with wit and sound character development to deep and heartrending poignancy.
As for the romance, it was swoon-worthy perfection. Even without the romantic tension and happily ever after, this story had one of KC’s most inspirational endings. I adored it and the picture this author depicted of Gavelston Island, Texas and the waters surrounding it. Without a doubt, What You Wish For will be another Katherine Center story added to my keeper shelf.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the early reading opportunity. More importantly, thank you to KC for writing the books that I love to read.
What You Wish for is everything you would expect in a story from Katherine Center. Center has unique a way of telling a story that is authentic through examining all facets of human emotion including grief and tragedy as well with the beauty found in the human experience. Life is complicated and in What You Wish For captures the complexities in a reverent manner.
Sam is the beloved librarian at an exclusive private school on Galveston Island, Texas. Her school is a whimsical nurturing environment full of dedicated and creative educators. When a new principal is appointed, he seems to wish to change everything that makes Kempner Elementary exceptional and this change is abhorrent to Sam and the faculty. Adding insult to injury, Sam knew the principal from a previous school and knows Principal Carpenter used to have a fun side. As the two take opposing sides, a camaraderie grows between them and they share secrets from their respective pasts and each is forced to confront their fear. This story takes the reader through a full gamut of emotions and reminds us that everything in life is a choice, and when given the chance, one should always choose joy.
Read this story! “Do something joyful.”
You will adore this little school, the butterflies, the teachers, and the children.
This is the setting of this book from Galveston,Texas.
The only ones that you may not be sure about are Duncan and Kent Buckley.
Well… I still despise Kent Buckley but I fell in love with Duncan!
Duncan is the new principal and he needs this school, the love and friendship of his staff.
Will he remember the librarian who once worked with him at another school? Sam sure never forgot Duncan. She had a huge crush on him. His personality and his spontaneity.
But, something has changed for Duncan. He is NOT the same person! What has happened? What has changed?
Sam is determined to figure out this mystery!
This is a wonderful, uplifting novel, that I read in a day.
It is a happy story that we all need!
Catherine Center has done it again! Excellent!
What You Wish For is quite possibly the best book I’ve read by Katherine Center. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every one that I’ve read, but this, this was different. What You Wish For is all heart and soul with people’s hopes, fears and challenges hanging out everywhere and it’s a fantastic type of hanging out everywhere.
I was pulled in right away and not let go until the very end when I was thrown up on a beach, stunned, wrung out, with my emotions hanging out everywhere. It was perfect and something I never wanted to end. Sadly it did end, but the ending was the best ending for this sort of book.
The characters in What You Wish For were fantastic. The setting – the old school that lived another life before it was a school – was fabulous. I wanted to go to a school like that. We should ALL go to a school like that. I wanted to stare at the butterfly mural and visit the crazy, quirky library and climb that staircase with the hand-drawn pictures of books on the steps.
This book is simply stunning. Devour it, turn yourself over to it and strap in for the ride because it is a heartrending journey that will give you all the feels. Every single feel.
Thank you is not a big enough phrase, but thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and gratefully given.