Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center Review

Title: Things You Save in a Fire 

Author: Katherine Center 

Age Group: Adult 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance 

Series: Standalone 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I received an advanced readers’ copy of this book from the publisher and reviewed it. 

I’ve got a confession to make: my house is awash with books! Library books, advanced readers’ copies, books from my own collections, gifts, and research. Since my library is currently closed right now, I’ve decided to start reading things so I could swap them! This was the book I chose to start off with, and I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed. This is the first book I’ve ever read by Katherine Center, and I can promise that it won’t be my last! I loved every hilarious, heartfelt moment of it. This book was such a sweet, hidden gem! A tender and beautifully written story, I loved Things You Save in a Fire! It reminded me of how much I love romance stories, and why. This book gave me everything I didn’t know I needed: a strong and empathetic heroine, a love story that made me melt, swoon, and cry, a story of love, family, and friendship, across the board. This may be one of my favorite books of all time, and I’m so excited to pass it on! 

Cassie Hanwell is the only female firefighter in her prominent station in Austin, Texas, and she knows she’s good. In fact, she’s the best. She has a prominent career, despite lacking any real meaningful relationships. But her life is soon utterly derailed after a personal incident. When her estranged mother calls, begging for help, Cassie chooses to take the fresh start it offers, despite having to start over in the state of Massachusetts from scratch. Once there, Cassie finds herself against an entire squad of male firefighters, only one of which is even close to her age. Add that to caring for her ailing, blind mother, Cassie finds herself in a situation where she’s not saving a patient but herself. Cassie must fight some old habits and her own demons, if she’s ever going to fix her mistakes and really take a leap of faith... 

This is the first book I’ve ever read by Center, and I can tell you all with confidence that it definitely won’t be my last. I loved this book; it was like a breath of fresh air. It was a great reminder of why I don’t always read fantasy or science fiction; sometimes, you need something truer to life. To be entirely honest, when this arrived in my mailbox, I was intrigued by the bright blue cover, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. This book was a love story, that is true, but it also a novel of family, finding yourself and coming to grips with trauma, how to do everything even when it scares you half to death. I loved this book; I especially loved how guarded Cassie was in the beginning of the book. She was a different sort of heroine, and I absolutely loved her for it. I mean, a badass female firefighter in a room full of men who can’t even hope to keep up with her? I was so here for this! I loved watching her character develop, the way she went from guarded, cautious and suspicious to open, loving, and meaningful relationship! This might be one of my favorite books of 2019, and probably 2020 also! I loved all of the characters, especially the rookie and the rest of the firefighters in Boston. But my favorite was probably Cassie’s mom, Diana; I loved watching the way their relationship went from glacial to unbreakable. This book was amazing; Katherine Center has become one of my new favorite authors! I’m really happy to pass on this early copy! The bottom line: Rich, hilarious, emotional and full of life and love, I loved Things You Save in a Fire! Next on deck: The Whisperer by Karin Fossum!