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Things you save in a fire : a novel
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2019
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Booklist Review
Cassie Hanwell has never forgiven her mother, Diana, for leaving her and her father on Cassie's sixteenth birthday. So, a decade later, when Diana calls to tell Cassie that she's lost her vision in one eye and asks Cassie to move across the country to take care of her, Cassie is anything but eager. Now a firefighter in Austin, Cassie loves her job and her team until a run-in with the man who assaulted her on the night her mother left costs her both. Cassie reluctantly moves in with Diana and is forced to start over with a new fire department, one more sexist and backward-thinking than the one she came from. And then the worst thing in the world happens. Cassie, who has spent her adult life avoiding romantic attachments, falls head over heels for the handsome rookie at the station. The follow-up to Center's breakout hit, How to Walk Away (2018), in which Cassie had a brief cameo, has all the hallmarks that made readers fall in love with the previous book: an appealing (if guarded, in this case) heroine, a compelling love story, a tearjerking twist, and a thoroughly absorbing story. Another winner from Center.--Kristine Huntley Copyright 2019 Booklist
Kirkus Review
Saving lives is not just a job for Austin firefighter Cassie Hanwell; it's core to who she is. But can she rescue herself from the emotional fortress she's built and forgive those who have hurt her?A decade ago, Cassie's 16th birthday was a one-two punch of heartbreak. First, her mother abandoned her family. Hours later, a high school crush deeply violated her trust. Deciding that love is for the weak, Cassie replaced vulnerability with muscle mass and forged a career in emergency rescue. Ten years later, as the young firefighter is at the top of her gameaccepted as one of the boys and receiving a service awardCassie comes face to face with the high school boy who wreaked havoc on her life. In the first of many surprises in this tale of ever ratcheting stakes, Cassie loses her cool and sets off a series of events that land her at an old-school firehouse near Boston where she is the first woman to serve. Not only does Cassie face an unwelcoming crew, she begrudgingly moves in with her estranged mother, who is dealing with serious health issues and desperately wants to reconnect. Expertly crafting this page-turner, Center (How to Walk Away, 2018, etc.) creates a character you can't help rooting for while constantly adding new tension to the story. Cassie learns that her job is on the line as the city budget has tightened. Perhaps the worst blow, though, is that she must compete with Owen "The Rookie" Callaghan, her only true friend, for a spot on the crew. Most vexing to the hardhearted Cassie is that The Rookie is nothing short of dreamy, with an easy smile and a washboard stomach. She promised herself long ago that she would never open her heart to romanceor forgive her mother. She's in for the fight of her life.Center gives readers a sharp and witty exploration of love and forgiveness that is at once insightful, entertaining, and thoroughly addictive. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary

**INDIE NEXT PICK FOR AUGUST**

**AN AUGUST 2019 LIBRARYREADS SELECTION**

**BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK FOR JULY**

**AN AMAZON EDITOR'S PICK FOR AUGUST**

"Center gives readers a sharp and witty exploration of love and forgiveness that is at once insightful, entertaining, and thoroughly addictive."
-- KIRKUS , STARRED REVIEW

"An appealing heroine, a compelling love story, a tearjerking twist, and a thoroughly absorbing story. Another winner from Center."
-- BOOKLIST, STARRED REVIEW

" A spirited, independent heroine meets a smoking-hot fireman in Center's smart romance... If you enjoyed 'The Kiss Quotient,' by Helen Hoang, read Things You Save in a Fire "'
- THE WASHINGTON POST

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about courage, 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 a total pro at other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.

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 infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it's not her thing. And don't forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...and it means risking it all--the only job she's ever loved, and the hero she's worked like hell to become.

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.

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