Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center


Title: Things You Save in a Fire
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: August 13, 2019





From the New York Times, bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about family, hope, and learning to love against all odds. 



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?



Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.









"The best revenge is forgetting."

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center is what I call - from beginning to end - a beautifully crafted novel.

I love every single thing about this book. It has an amazing heroine, a great storyline, and a fantastic ending. Yes, these are my opinions and I can stand behind them 100%.

Why haven't I read any of Katherine Center's books before? How in the world is this possible? Don't worry about it, I'll correct this huge oversight very quickly.

Let's get to the story.

Our heroine, Cassie Hanwell (who's freaking amazing!) is fantastic at her job. She's a firefighter and a paramedic. She has worked hard to be where she's at. She doesn't date and she doesn't fall in love. Love makes you weak and she can't let anyone hurt her again. Her mother abandoned Cassie and her father on her sixteen's birthday. She has never forgiven her mother and she doesn't think she ever will. For Cassie, there's nothing else but her job and her firefighter family.

When Things You Save in a Fire begins, Cassie is about to receive the Valor Award for her bravery after saving children trapped in a bus. Her engine family (B-shift from Station Eleven) is with her, supporting her. Then, the absolute worst happens. The next day, her captain is telling her she has 2 choices. The first choice, she either apologizes or she gets fired. The second choice, if there are no charges filed against her, she can be transferred out. Cassie has no choice but to accept her second choice. She will have to leave Austin, the job she loves and her friends and move to Massachusetts with her mother whom she has barely spoken to in ten years and start a new job in a new town where only men are supposed to be firefighters.

As a farewell, her captain gives her advise in the form of a list of rules to follow with her new squad.

“My best advice to you? Find one person you can count on. Just one.”

Cassie knows she's up to the challenge until her first day when she meets the new rookie.

“Firefighter Hanwell, are you proposing that we snuggle?”

Things You Save in a Fire is so much more than a romance. It's about forgiveness, self-respect,  family relationships and believing in doing the right thing above all. The narrative was superb, the characters were fantastic. I fell in love with Cassie. She's my new girl crush. She didn't apologize for knowing she was good at something. She fought for her job and she recognized that loving the right someone can you give strength and not weakness.


The answer wasn’t to never love anyone.
It was to love like crazy whenever you could.

5/5 Fangs

Cliffhanger: No

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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