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Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Things You Save in a Fire - Katherine Center

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

This was fantastic! This book made me feel things. Lots of things. I was holding my breath because I was so worried about the characters. I was afraid to turn the page but couldn't put the book down. It was the kind of reading experience that turned me into such a big reader. If only every book was able to grab me as this one did. I guess you could say that I enjoyed this book.

Cassie is a firefighter. At the start of the book, she works at a station in Texas but things soon get a little crazy and Cassie finds herself needing a new station. Cassie has also been asked by her mother to move in with her for the next year to help out since she is losing her sight. So Cassie finds herself moving to Boston to help a mother that she hasn't been close to since she was a teen and starting a job with a new crew at a firehouse that is very different than anything she is used to.

I loved watching Cassie work to navigate the unfamiliar fire station. She is the first woman to work at the facility and not everyone is thrilled to have her on board. She feels that constantly forced to prove her worth to the others on the crew. She is also having a difficult time connecting with her mother. Cassie really doesn't want to deal with all of the feelings that come into play when she thinks about what her mother has done.

When I started reading this book, I didn't expect that romance would come into play. But it did and I must say that I am happy that it was a part of the story. I loved The Rookie. Every scene that he shared with Cassie put a smile on my face. He really was such a nice guy and I thought that he was really good for Cassie. I loved their chemistry and the way they seemed to understand and open up to each other. It is a good thing that The Rookie is a fictional character because if he was real, I think that Cassie would have more than a little competition. 

I loved the way this story was laid out. The pacing of the story was perfect. We learn things just as we need to. Most readers would be able to figure out some of the key points before the character is ready to share. I thought that this was very effective. I thought I knew what happened to Cassie so it was really powerful when it was finally confirmed. There were some pretty intense scenes and some really heartfelt moments and they were all beautifully done.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This was a wonderful story of learning to forgive, standing up for yourself, and putting everything on the line for those you care about. My only complaint would be that the ending was a little too happily ever after but I will take it. I plan to read much more of Katherine Center's work soon!

I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press.

Initial Thoughts
This book made me feel things! So many things! I was quite literally holding my breath at times. I loved these characters and wanted to see things work out for them and when thing went poorly, I worried about them. The ending was a little too happily ever after but there's nothing wrong with a happy ending so I will take it. I am definitely going to need to read more of this author's work!