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Things You Save in a Fire

Katherine Center (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 63,059 ratings · 9,560 reviews

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 fir ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published August 13th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

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Average rating 4.02 ·

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· 63,059 ratings · 9,560 reviews

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Oct 17, 2018 Katherine Center rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Just gonna jump right in and give my own book five beautiful stars. That's reasonable, right? ;)
...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing

Five well-deserved, positive, hopeful, when you read it, this book gives you hope, joy, not only warm , definitely heat your heart, gives you tunes makes you dance and sing -at the end you feel like you’re watching Gosling and Stone’s favorite LaLaLand dance scene on your mind over and over again- stars!

What an inspirational, fantastic book with those beautiful characters, I wish they were real so I could give them a very big GROUP HUG and tell them I love you 3thousand !

I start to read this bo ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Deanna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, my-favorites, 2019-releases

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

“Saving lives was easy. Saving herself was another story”.

What a fantastic read!

Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter with the Austin Fire Department. She is a very busy and independent woman. Her co-workers think she's lonely, but she tells them she’s happy with the way things are.

Cassie is about to receive the Austin Fire Department’s Valor Award. She is the FIRST female to ever win this prestigious award. Cassie is anxio ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 Susanne Strong rated it it was amazing

Shelves: womens-fiction, buddy-read, direct-from-publisher

5 Sappy Stars!

An Unputdownable, Funny, Fabulous and Sweet novel, that will end up on my Best of List for 2018!

How do I love Thee? Let me tell you the ways! “Things You Save in a Fire” turned me into a complete mush. Yes, it’s true and I admit it. I know, I know, it’s unbelievable right? Roll your eyes at me, go ahead - it seems utterly preposterous given what you all know of me, but it happened. I’ve been transformed into a schmoopy girl for real. And you have Katherine Center to thank.

Cass ...more

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Feb 12, 2019 Meredith rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

3.75 stars

Super sweet love story that made this cynic both cringe and smile!

Things You Save in a Fire is about a woman who must learn to forgive in order to love.

Cassie, a 26-year-old firefighter in Austin Texas, has faced a lot of adversity in her life. On her 16th birthday, her mother left her father and Cassie for another man, which led to further tragedy. Furthermore, being a woman in a male-dominated profession, she has had to fight her way to acceptance. So when her estranged mother ...more

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Sep 26, 2019 Debbie rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley

2.5

Sad to say, but I wouldn’t save this book in a fire

Thought I’d like a light read, but man, this one took “light” to a whole new (low) level. Trite, predictable, and ultra-simplistic, I also found the book, in spots, embarrassing. Picture a Hallmark card that shows a female firefighter flexing her gigantic muscles while smiling and shouting, “Happy forgiveness”!

This is the story of a feisty and expert firefighter named Cassie who falls in love. Other crew members include a Mr. Wonderful, a mom ...more

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Nov 20, 2018 Debra rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars

Cassie Hanwell is one strong cookie! She must be - she is the only female firefighter at her station. To prove herself, she must be better, faster, and harder working than her male counterparts. She works in a male dominated field...how male dominated? I did some research and found that "There are 1.16 million firefighters in the United States, but only 7 percent are women according to the National Fire Protection Association." That's a big gap and Cassie feels it in this book!

Cassie i 4.5 Stars

Cassie Hanwell is one strong cookie! She must be - she is the only female firefighter at her station. To prove herself, she must be better, faster, and harder working than her male counterparts. She works in a male dominated field...how male dominated? I did some research and found that "There are 1.16 million firefighters in the United States, but only 7 percent are women according to the National Fire Protection Association." That's a big gap and Cassie feels it in this book!

Cassie is a complete professional when dealing with emergencies, high stress situations and tragedies on the job. In her personal life - not so much. You see, Cassie doesn't have a personal life. She doesn't date, she doesn't hang out, she doesn't really have friends, she's not looking for a boyfriend, she fills her life with work and responsibility.

She is torn when she receives a call from her estranged and ailing Mother. A mother who left when Cassie was a teenager, a Mother she has spent years being angry with. A Mother she blamed. But when an incident occurs at an awards ceremony, Cassie decides to transfer to a new firehouse outside of Boston so that she can work while helping her Mother.

Once again, she is one of the newest members at a fire-station that isn’t too happy to have a female there. She is subjected to hazing and must prove herself and her abilities as a firefighter. She knew it would be hard staring over, she was mentally prepared for that. What she wasn't prepared for was the feelings she began to experience when she met the Rookie, Owen Callahan. Her old chief gave her strict instructions: Never date a firefighter It doesn't help that the two newbies get paired up for everything. She can't escape him or her feelings.

She also can't escape her feelings about being around her Mother. Forgiveness is a theme in this book. Forging others. Forging yourself. That being vulnerable does not make you weak and that giving someone a second chance can turn everything around.

I loved how this book was about relationships in various forms - friendships, relationships with co-workers, relationships between a parent and their child, romantic relationships, etc. I also loved the theme of forgiveness and the path the characters choose to go on in terms of forgiveness.

I also loved how Cassie was a strong female character who changed and grew over the course of this book. She had flaws, she had pain, she had sadness and anger, she also had courage, heart, and determination. She felt real/believable. What she was feeling and how she re-acted to situations made sense.

I enjoy romances and this was so much more than that. It contained great likable (and some not so likable) characters, a great theme, and the growth of the characters. This was a captivating and engaging book. It is beautifully written and grabbed my attention right away. I rooted for several of the characters and loved every single page. Plus, it did not feel rushed at all and it had an epilogue! YES! Plus, there is a little nod to the accident from How to Walk Away which I thought was a nice touch.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Jan 28, 2020 Christy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-five-stars, 2020-audio

5 stars

photo 39909273-90E4-47D9-82B1-7678A12F9F28_zpsbih4r6u9.png

““It’s not the easy moments that define who we are. It’s the hard ones.”

This is my second book by Katherine Center (the first was ‘Happiness for Beginners) and this one also blew me away. It’s safe to say Centers is an author that just does it for me. Her writing and storytelling has this ability to draw me in and her books become instant favorites for me. After reading this, my heart was so full and I couldn’t stop smiling. It wasn’t an easy read from start to finish. There were some parts that were really emotional and difficult, but I loved it so much.

Cassie Hanwell is a kick-ass firefighter who’s on her way to the top in her firehouse in Texas. When a few unexpected things happen, she moves to a smaller town outside of Boston to help her mother. She joins the fire station there and things aren’t like they were in Texas. In Texas, she wasn’t the only woman firefighter. She was respected and treated as an equal among the men. Here at her new fire station… not so much

Cassie is experienced and knows more than a lot of the firefighters there, but she still has to prove herself to these guys. She starts with a rookie and ends up with him a lot. He becomes her person on the crew, as much as she doesn’t want that to happen. I loved the rookie so much. He was by far my favorite character in this book. I fell in love with his charming and sweet character and I loved how he treated Cassie.

One thing I truly love about Katherine Center’s books is the way she writes such a beautiful love story without it being the focus or most important part of the story. I love a good romance more than most, but sometimes it’s nice to read a book that has other elements as well. This book was about love, but it also was about healing, finding yourself, growth, strength, and family. It was heartwarming and had some heavy hitting topics, but was also funny at times and felt more lighthearted in certain scenes. It was such a wonderful read for me and I can’t recommend it enough!

“Choosing to love—despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love, anyway.. That’s not weakness, that’s courage.”
...more

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May 29, 2019 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it really liked it

Shelves: literature, 2019-netgalley-challenge, netgalley-books

***NOW AVAILABLE***

This is my first book by Ms. Center and it was like a breath of fresh air for me. I had been reading an extremely heartbreaking and soul searching type of book when I knew I needed something to lift me up. This book was just the ticket!

Cassie Hanwell had been settling in and working fine with the Austin fire department. She loved her job, she was finally getting the respect she deserved and the firefighters were a great group of guys. “Anyone who’d seen our rainbow flag flying ***NOW AVAILABLE***

This is my first book by Ms. Center and it was like a breath of fresh air for me. I had been reading an extremely heartbreaking and soul searching type of book when I knew I needed something to lift me up. This book was just the ticket!

Cassie Hanwell had been settling in and working fine with the Austin fire department. She loved her job, she was finally getting the respect she deserved and the firefighters were a great group of guys. “Anyone who’d seen our rainbow flag flying, or shopped at one of our vegan/kosher bake sales, or seen our fire marshal tooling around in a Prius knew we were a progressive department”.

Everything was going great until, she learned she was going to be presented with a valor award, she had pretty much single handedly saved children who had been trapped in a school bus after an accident. Her small stature made her the only one who was small enough to climb through the bus window and hand the kids out one at a time.

So what went wrong? Well it was the presenter of the award, the one man in her life who she had hoped never to cross paths with again, let alone receive an award from and having to shake his hand. She managed to make it up to the stage but when when Heath Thompson, city councilman, decided to make a pass, Cassie lost it, basically pummeled the man. She was given an option after that, be terminated or choose another department far away.

Cassie’s mother left her when she was 16 and she had been living with her father ever since. Now Diana has called for her help, she has lost vision in one eye and the other is failing. She would like Cassie to come to stay with her in Massachusetts, “not forever, a year at most.”. So she is transferred to a new fire department in Lillian.

This new department is a far cry from Austin, it is old, the trucks and equipment are the bare minimum and the firemen are a different breed also. They aren’t hostile but they definitely don’t feel comfortable having a woman firefighter around.

Through the life she begins to share with her mother and the new crew that she forges friendships with, we see how Cassie grows as an individual. She finally has a love interest after being lonely for most of her life. We learn the reasons why she has distanced herself from her mother and why she “lost it” at the award ceremony, what Heath Thompson did to her when she was 16.

The character development in this novel is top notch and I am still thinking about them now. The plot at times is a bit predictable but it doesn’t matter, the feel of the entire book is positive. It focuses on forgiveness of others and yourself, something that most of us struggle with from time to time. Many types of relationships are touched upon, mother daughter, father daughter, friends, co-workers. I loved this book!

This book is set to be published on August 13, 2019.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 Kaceey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: buddy-read, netgalley, favorites, top-reads-for-2018

It’s all about forgiveness. Even when you tell yourself you can’t… life might just surprise you!

Occasionally, a book can reach deeply, touching you profoundly. The best part is you never see it coming!

This book had me smiling, crying then smiling once again through my tears.

Cassie is a tough-as-nails firefighter. She’s got to be. She’s working in a typically male dominated field, and they never let her forget it.
But hands down, Cassie is the best at what she does. So driven in fact, her private ...more

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Jul 22, 2020 Val ⚓️ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: friends-to-lovers, book-of-the-month, 0-in-my-library-read, 4-stars, grief, office-romance

4 Solid Stars

"For the first time, I understood. In all the times I'd remembered that story, I'd experienced every single part of it from my own perspective, standing in my own sixteen-year-old shoes. Now, for the first time, I saw it unfold from a new angle. Hers.
And it changed the story."

This is my second Katherine Center book and I just love the way she writes her stories. Even though the narrator is the main character, they feel trustworthy and plausible. They tell their (and indirectly oth ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Larry H rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Add Katherine Center to the list of authors I've discovered this year whose work has utterly wowed me. Between her newest book and How to Walk Away , which I read earlier this year (see my review), I've become a big fan while becoming emotionally unglued. Because that's how I roll, y'all!

Cassie has always been tough as nails. As one of very few female firefighters at her Austin firehouse, she knows that she has to do everything better, be stronger, faster, and tougher, a ...more

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Sep 22, 2019 Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill rated it it was amazing

I have so many feelings about this book, I don't even know where to start. First and foremost, I loved every single minute of it. From the very first page until the very last page. Sometimes you pick up a book and the writers style just speaks to you. This is what I felt with this book. I wondered if it would live up to the hype, the answer is yes! This is one of my very favorites that I have read this year.

Things you Save in a Fire is a book that addresses so much. The struggles of a woman in a ...more

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Dec 09, 2019 chan ☆ rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, 2019

this book was not life changing

but it didn't need to be. i decided to read the 10 finalists in the 2019 goodreads choice awards for the category of romance. (reading the romance finalists for the 2019 goodreads choice awards

) i'm not gonna lie there were a lot of fcking stinkers. and this one by comparison, was not.

i went in with low expectations because from the cover and synopsis i thought this was going to be a really irritating chicklit novel but i was pleasantly surprised.

this reminded me ...more

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Jan 01, 2021 Elena rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

But that’s the life-changing thing about stories. We believe them anyway.

This was my last read of 2020, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the year.

I've always volunteered to be “the man” that my elementary, middle, and high school teachers always asked for when they said “I need a strong man to help with [insert object(s) here]”. Even though I was a girl, very small, and clearly not a man, I’d always volunteer to help. I’d raise my hand to help and see the eyes of the ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Irina rated it really liked it

"It's amazing how brave you can be when you feel safe."

I'm not the type of person that will cry while reading a book but this changed when I started reading this. I don't know why I felt so emotional but this story moved me. Just thinking about it makes my heart squeeze.
While I absolutely loved the story between Cassie and Owen I think the really love story was between Cassie and her mom. Everything about their relationship is so beautiful and at the same time powerful. The way that the autho ...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hard-soft-copy, 2019-reads, 2018-reads, smp

5 bold and fiery stars! 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 (Now includes full review for pub day tomorrow 8/13!)

Cassie Hanwell is one of the few female firefighters in her firehouse, and she handles emergencies like a champ.

One day Cassie’s life is thrown off kilter when her mother asks her to leave Texas behind and move to Boston. Why? Because her mother she rarely sees or talks to needs care.

Being a good daughter, Cassie transfers to a Boston firehouse. The change is hard. She’s now the only female, and the firehous ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Liz rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Ok, I’ll admit it. I requested this book purely because I loved the title. But as I read the first few pages, I was second guessing myself. Was this going to be some sort of romance fluff? The answer is unfortunately, yes. Now, if you’re into that, I guess this is a decent one.

The book blurb says it’s about family and forgiveness. And there is some of that. But it’s really mostly about romance, the head over heels infatuation kind. Cassie is a strong, no nonsense, firefighter who’s risen like a ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 MarilynW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, netgalley-2019

I wouldn't mind living in this world that twenty six year old Cassie lives in, being a neighbor to her, her mother, and her mother's friend, Josie. But before firefighter Cassie goes to live with her mother in the Boston, she is living in Austin, TX with her dad and getting recognition for saving a busload of kids from drowning when a school bus overturns. When it turns out that the person presenting her the award is a person from her high school, a very very bad person, and he grabs her butt as I wouldn't mind living in this world that twenty six year old Cassie lives in, being a neighbor to her, her mother, and her mother's friend, Josie. But before firefighter Cassie goes to live with her mother in the Boston, she is living in Austin, TX with her dad and getting recognition for saving a busload of kids from drowning when a school bus overturns. When it turns out that the person presenting her the award is a person from her high school, a very very bad person, and he grabs her butt as he hands her the award, Cassie whacks him on the head with the award and then continues to beat the tar out of him.

There isn't much her employers can do to cover over this situation except to transfer Cassie to a fire station that is so very desperate for hands that they will hire a woman (horrors!). At the same time, Cassie's estranged Boston based mom has begged her to come live with her for the next year. All the sudden Cassie can save face and say she will come because she has a new job in Boston, NOT because she is coming because her mom begged her to do so.

This book has romance and this book has cuteness and this book made me smile. I loved Cassie and her very real toughness and natural ability (that she worked very hard to hone) as a firefighter. She is the best of the best and even folks who might not want her there have to admit that she is the best, she is what the station needs. At the same time she is hired at the Boston station, a newcomer is hired who everybody calls Rookie. Against everything she believes in and things she wants for herself and her life, Cassie is instantly attracted to Rookie and this means she must avoid him as much as possible. Instead her boss throws them together all the time, with Cassie being the best person to train Rookie.

One of my favorite people in this book, beside Cassie (and Rookie), is Cassie's mom. She made me smile everytime we see her in the book. She did something on Cassie's 16th birthday that hurt Cassie and that Cassie can never forgive. But this book is all about forgiveness, forgiveness of others and forgiveness of oneself. And the forgiveness isn't for the other person, it's for the person who needs to forgive, needs to let go of all that resentment and hate and hurt that festers for so long and ruins the life of the person holding onto those things.

This was such a feel good book for me despite the fact that it deals with so many difficult issues. But that's the thing, with forgiveness, the issues don't go away but they can lose their ability to hurt someone forever and that's a good lesson to learn. I liked learning this lesson while enjoying the story and the people in the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Paromjit rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, women-s-fiction, contemporary-fiction

This is a wonderful piece of contemporary fiction from Katherine Center, full of warmth, featuring the strong, independent, and extremely capable Cassie Hanwell. A firefighter extraordinaire, so brave and up for an award for valour at which all her crew from the modern and progressive Austin FD are present, both to support and prank her at the event. However, Cassie's night is knocked for six when the mayor is unable to present the award and in his place is a man from her nightmare past, council This is a wonderful piece of contemporary fiction from Katherine Center, full of warmth, featuring the strong, independent, and extremely capable Cassie Hanwell. A firefighter extraordinaire, so brave and up for an award for valour at which all her crew from the modern and progressive Austin FD are present, both to support and prank her at the event. However, Cassie's night is knocked for six when the mayor is unable to present the award and in his place is a man from her nightmare past, council man Heath Thompson, all of which leads to events that are to spoil her evening and place her in a difficult position at work. Cassie's mom, Lily, has got in touch to ask her to come help her for up to a year due to her eye problems. Cassie has never forgiven her mom ever since she left her father for another man on her 16th birthday, a day that has left indelible traumatic marks in her memories as she is to suffer further trauma and horror.

Cassie refuses to even consider the requisite apology required after award night, despite the fact it means missing out on a huge promotion and leaving her present job in Austin. This propels her apprehensive move to Boston, Massachusetts, to live with Lily, having every intention to help but not get emotionally close to her. She takes up a position as the first woman firefighter at the dilapidated and poorly equipped Lillian Fire Department. Starting on the same day is rookie, Owen Callaghan, Cassie has to prove herself again and again, face hazing and constant pranking, and tasked with training up the rookie. Cassie has never had any problems in closing herself off from any emotional entanglements since she was 16, but for the first time she feels her barriers fall away as she falls for the rookie, but a relationship is out of the question, she had been warned by her Captain at Austin. Cassie finds she did not know the circumstances her mother found herself on her 16th birthday. She walks into unfamiliar territory as she starts to succumb to hugs, tentatively move into the necessary but difficult process of implementing forgiveness into her life and contemplate a real relationship for the first time in her life.

Katherine Center writes a beautiful and emotionally engaging novel with her feisty but traumatised Cassie. Cassie has to face the doubts of her male colleagues who need some persuading that a woman can be a competent firefighter, and her life is littered with obstacles and challenges, both personal and professional, not to mention having to deal with a malicious stalker. In a narrative full of warmth and humour, we see Cassie address her emotional traumas, have to cope with her mom's health issues, and begin to understand the power and joy of love. This is a lovely and entertaining novel which I so enjoyed reading. Many thanks to St Martin’s Press for an ARC. ...more

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May 26, 2020 Yun rated it liked it

Things You Save in a Fire is the story of Cassie: badass firefighter, hard worker, and independent girl. When her estranged mother calls and asks Cassie move to Massachusetts and live with her for a year, she couldn't imagine uprooting her comfortable, if spartan, life in Texas to make the move. But doing so sets Cassie off on a journey that forces her to confront all that she's been hiding, and ultimately heals her heart and her relationship with her mother.

I have a love/hate relationship with Things You Save in a Fire is the story of Cassie: badass firefighter, hard worker, and independent girl. When her estranged mother calls and asks Cassie move to Massachusetts and live with her for a year, she couldn't imagine uprooting her comfortable, if spartan, life in Texas to make the move. But doing so sets Cassie off on a journey that forces her to confront all that she's been hiding, and ultimately heals her heart and her relationship with her mother.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, the plot line itself is sweet and uplifting, and has a lot of potential. Cassie has closed herself off to love and relationships for so long, and it was heartwarming to see her grow and open up to all the possibilities of the world. Almost all the side characters are lovable and funny, and they provide so much kindness and support for Cassie. And the message of hope and forgiveness in this story is a worthy one.

However, the book way overdid it on the sweetness, to the point where the saccharine syrupyness of some of the scenes, including the climax and the subsequent conclusion, felt unreal. Every bad thing just magical resolved itself. If someone behaved badly towards you, well all you have to do is save them from themselves and forgive them, and then it's all good. It smooths over so many complex issues, such as sexual assault and drug abuse, as if such traumatizing experiences could ever be just one absolution away from complete resolution.

The ending also felt preachy and fake. Not only does everyone's issues resolve in the best way possible, but those in the wrong also learn their lessons and then go on to become the poster child do-gooder for every sin they ever committed. And this is hammered home to the reader many, many times. I read a lot of chick lit and romance, and enjoy them very much for their warmth and optimistic endings. So I'm a little baffled by the way this book made me feel. It's as if I've been given the hard sell, leaving behind this unsatisfied hollowness in its wake.

I also had problems with the main character, Cassie. A lot of the conflict in this book comes from the fact that she is still hung up on the fact that her parents divorced when she was 16. I would understand if she were a child, thinking that her parents' world revolved around her. But surely she's figured out by the time she's an adult that parents sometimes have to make difficult and complicated decisions, such as going their separate ways. It's really hard to read about Cassie acting like an entitled brat, being mean to and ignoring her mother for years because of this perceived slight.

I've also never come across a character who is so rigid and uptight. She rejects fun, dating, love, talking, hanging out with people, making friends, or pretty much anything that isn't her job or being mad at her parents. My god... how can she stand herself and her attitude? I almost couldn't stand it just reading it for the duration of the book.

In the end, this book garnered a lot of mixed emotions for me. As I was reading it, I'd find moments where I would chuckle to myself or my eyes would mist over. But there were also plenty of times when I wanted to hurl my book across the room at the sheer ludicracy of what was going on. I very much took to the story line of growth and redemption in the face of adversity. But this book was so insistently sweet in its resolution of all conflicts and its glossing over of every complex issue that it often felt like I was reading the script of a Hallmark movie on steroids, written by a car salesman. ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Holly B rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2018, enjoyed-the-characters

This was such a charming, humorous, and touching story. I didn't want it to end!

I found this author's writing style to be perfectly balanced in introducing the characters and making me instantly care about them. I wanted to learn more about what made them "who they are" and react the way they did. This author has such a "easy, breezy style" that made this book so easy to fall in love with.

Cassie is a female fire-firefighter working in an all male fire station, so you can probably imagin ...more

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Feb 11, 2020 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it it was ok

Ooooooooooooof. I genuinely thought I was going to love this one and I am so bummed to say that that was very much not the case :( While I was gripped by this and wanted to keep reading to know what was going to happen, I really did not like the way ANY of the characters were written. The main character was CONSTANTLY hitting us over the head with the fact that she's ~*not like other girls*~ and every other character was an over-written sexist stereotype and it just... did not work for me. Womp ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Christine rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Christine by: Michelle review

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, net-galley, ebooks

4.5 rounded to 5 stars

Are you in need of a fabulous reading boost? Perhaps you are looking to recover from a heavy-duty tome or trying your darnedest to break out of a reading slump. Or maybe you just in the mood for a nice feel good novel. If any of these scenarios apply to you, then this is the book you want to grab.

Things You Save in a Fire is about Cassie Hanwell, a young woman firefighter trying to break through some pretty steep emotional barriers she has tried to bury ever since a very tr ...more

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Nov 27, 2018 Theresa Alan rated it it was amazing

Wow! I loved this book! (Women's fiction with romantic elements.)

The protagonist, Cassie, is a firefighter in Austin, TX, at a progressive, modern station. She’s honored for her valor, but at the event, she gets herself into some trouble. When the mother she’s estranged from asks her to come to a small town outside of Boston to help her because she’s ill, Cassie wants no part of it. But between getting in trouble and her beloved father’s urging, she agrees to transfer to an old-school firehouse ...more

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May 13, 2019 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: is-this-a-kissing-book, kick-ass-female, netgalley, read-2019

After reading a book that I love I usually always have a lull in reading. Who we kidding? The whole last two years has been a lull for me. I always just want something that is enjoyable and easy to read after that type of book. I just usually have a hard time finding it and end up one starring stuff.

This is that type book. And I liked it. I liked it a lot. I gave up sleep for this book. Sleep is one of my favorite things.

The book is centered on a female firefighter (Cassie) who gets in a bit ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2019, womens-fiction-chicklit, stand-alone-novel, arc-st-martins-press

Katherine Center is pretty near perfect in my opinion. Things You Save in a Fire deals with gender, family, ethics, trauma, and forgiveness. It's engaging and activates a number of emotions across the board. I loved the characters, and I loved this book. Check it out.

Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of Things You Save in a Fire. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Toni rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019

Some books leave you feeling better about the world and people in it. Either because their main message is that of love, hope, and forgiveness, or because they have amazing characters: strong, calm, caring. They put your feet a bit more firmly on the ground, because you recognize they are rooted in reality, and uplift you, help you raise your head and notice that despite everpresent tragedy and suffering, the world is full of beautiful souls, ready to lend a helping hand.
This is one of these boo ...more

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Jan 03, 2019 Berit☀️✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: advanced-reader-copy, book-besties, 2019

HOT DAMN! This book is on FIRE!!!🔥

Loved this engaging story from first word to last! The characters were wonderful, The romance was sweet, the friendships were strong, and I loved the firehouse setting! Cannot think of a better way to have kicked off my 2019 reads!

🔥 Full fiery review closer to pub day August 2019 👩🏻‍🚒❤️👨🏻‍🚒❤️

...more

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Nov 06, 2020 emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: chick-lit, reviewed, unpopular-opinion, library, 2-stars, non-ya, eh

I do not like books that have strong female protagonists who are strong in spite of being female. I do not understand how this seems to be a hot take.

Like, I can kick someone right in the face regardless of whether I'm wearing makeup or a dress or my nails are painted. Probably it would be easier to face-kick in a dress, come to think of it. More kicking-around room.

This book is complicated, a little bit, because our protagonist is a firefighter and therefore femininity is perceived as a weaknes ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Reco: Kick-ass Heroines and Good/Nice/Sweet Heroes	1	2	Dec 27, 2020 05:53AM
Goodreads Choice ...: Things You Save In A Fire - May 2020	30	144	Oct 24, 2020 08:01AM
Book of The Month: Things You Save in a Fire	2	34	Oct 08, 2020 08:23AM
The Little Book t...: Folder # 3 Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center 100% Complete	2	3	Jan 07, 2020 02:57PM
The Little Book t...: Folder # 2 Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center 50% Chapter 17	2	2	Jan 07, 2020 02:50PM

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About Katherine Center

Katherine Center

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Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away, the upcoming Things You Save in a Fire (August 2019), and five other bittersweet comic novels. Six Foot Pictures is currently adapting her fourth novel, The Lost Husband, into a feature film starring Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, and Nora Dunn. Katherine has been compared to both Nora Ephron and Jane Austen, and the Dallas ...more

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“Choosing to love—despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love, anyway.. That’s not weakness, that’s courage.” — 63 likes

“It’s not the easy moments that define who we are. It’s the hard ones.” — 27 likes

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