Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

My mom said I need to post more cats & books pictures!

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 excellent at dealing with other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it’s an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

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 handsome rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because she doesn’t fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don’t date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping…but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she’s worked so hard to be taken seriously?

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I didn’t think I would fall in love with this novel as much as I did. I had read Katherine Centre’s previous novel, How to Walk Away, and really enjoyed it, but I still wasn’t expecting to love Things You Save in a Fire more than her previous novel.

The characters just shined through here. I loved each character and their interactions with Cassie. Cassie is a firefighter and a really good one. She knows the mindset of the male firefighters and understands that she has to act a certain way and knows that the number one rule is don’t date another firefighter. Of course, all of that falls apart when she meets the rookie.

The plot isn’t too complicated and even though I had figured out what had happened and what was going to happen, I still enjoyed every page. The characters warmed my heart – Cassie, the rookie, Diana (Cassie’s mom) and Josie (Diana’s friend), just to name a few. There are also a few novels that I have read where I have gotten complete closure. I felt like I knew what happened to everyone that I cared about and I was completely satisfied (another rarity!).

4 calculators out of a potential 5. This is a novel that you don’t want to miss out one!

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How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment. 

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect. 

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“When you don’t know what to do for yourself, do something for somebody else.”

How to Walk Away was totally different than I thought it would be and I loved everything about it! It was funny (as funny as a novel about life changing events can be), heart warming and touching.

The best thing about this novel is the characters. Front and centre, you have Margaret. Margaret is a go getting and doesn’t fail at anything and will tell you exactly what is on her mind. I loved her. Then you have Kitty, Margaret’s sister, who is just a ball of energy and also doesn’t take no for an answer. Throw in physical therapist Ian with his thick Scottish accent and you have an amazing cast of characters!

4 calculators out of a potential 5. I don’t want to give away any of the plot, it’s best going in blind and seeing for yourself what a beautiful, heart warming story this is.

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