The Shippers: rom-com with childhood friends to lovers and hijinks on a cruise ship

The Shippers is the newest comedy romance by Katherine Center. Jojo Burton has been bad at love her entire life. With the help of her sister and a little pop psychology, she figures out the source of her intimacy issues, JoJo decides that she is going to fix them once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding aboard a cruise ship. Her first crush and first kiss will be a guest at the wedding and she decides to woo him for some closure. The snag in her plan, she needs a wingperson as her sister will be very busy with the final details of the wedding. Enter Cooper Watts, her childhood bestie. Cooper agrees to her plan, which is dubbed Project Conquest. As they participate in the ship's activities in order to catch the attention of her first crush, they also have late night talks and walk down memory lane. Something feels off, can JoJo figure it all out before it’s too late?

Katherine Center has been an autoread author for years and when she announced her newest novel, I eagerly waited. Unfortunately, the story started off iffy for me as I did not like JoJo. I found her naive, annoyed and very immature. However, she did grow on me by the end, I was cheered for her as she figured it all out. I figured out the piece of childhood memory didn't happen as she thought it did and maybe I was supposed to. I loved Cooper from the very beginning and begged JoJo to truly see him behind the childhood bestie she once knew and loved. By the end, I laughed, sighed and closed the book with a smile. I am so happy that I stick with it and I love this childhood-friends-to-lovers romance with plenty of heart. I also love the play on words as the majority of the story takes place on a ship and the slang “ship.” I highly recommend The Shippers. 

The Shippers is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Everybody's Favorite Guy: a forced proximity romantic short story

Everybody’s Favorite Guy by Katherine Center is a short story of two people forced to confront the past. Lily had fallen in love with her childhood friend, Walker, back in high school. When his stinging rejection crushed her, she vowed never to see him again. A vow she had kept until their families plot to get them together again. It is now seven years later, their families are gathering at a cabin in the Rockies. Lily and Walker arrive first and a sudden snowstorm traps them overnight with no power. Thanks to a cozy fire, a prowling bear and time, they confront their past and Lily learns that the past is a little more complicated than she thought. Could this be a new beginning for them both? Or will it tear them apart for good? 

Katherine Center is always great for an emotional story with humor and unusual circumstances. I usually don’t read short stories but I could not resist one written by Ms. Center. I wanted more. I didn’t want to say goodbye so quickly to Lily and Walker. I enjoyed their reunion and their night at the cabin. The tension was great and it was evident that her feelings for Walker were still there and even that Walker had feelings for her. But why did he reject her so hurtfully? His reason was noble but his method was questionable. There are bittersweet moments, plenty of laughs and the end will leave you with a smile. Overall, I enjoyed this story. If you enjoy a quick story of second chance romance, I highly recommend Everybody’s Favorite Guy. 

Everybody’s Favorite Guy is available in eBook and audiobook

The Love Haters: the thin line between love and love hating with humor, drama and action

The Love Haters by Katherine Center explores the thin line between love and love-hating. Katie Vaughn has been burned by love, painfully and in public. Now her career is on the line. When she is approached by her co-worker, Cole, she has two choices: say no and wait to be laid off or say yes and produce a video profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. It seems like an easy choice. Oh yeah, Hutch is Cole’s older brother and they haven’t spoken to each other for a long time. What could go wrong in paradise? It turns out a lot can go wrong. Hutch is the most good looking man Katie has ever seen and a love-hater. Throw in his crazy rescue Great Dane and his very colorful Aunt Rue and Katie gets too involved. Will this be her chance to face old fears and truly find the strength to be brave? 

Katherine Center is another of my go-to authors! She writes it and I’ll read it. She has the ability to combine humor with deeply emotional situations and characters who come out stronger than ever before. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked Katie but as she reveals her emotional pain and fears, I found myself softening toward her. I especially enjoyed Katie as she found her voice and refused to be silent anymore. I also loved Hutch as the good looking but grumpy and reluctant subject for a new recruitment video. As Katie and Hutch interact, you can see the sparks fly and the emotional walls come down. There is plenty of action and drama as the weather and family drama comes to a full force. I loved this story and I did not want it to end! If you haven’t discovered Katherine Center’s books, you need to start reading! I highly, highly recommend The Love-Haters! 

The Love-Haters is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Bright Side of Disaster: when the life you wanted turns into the life you needed

The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center is a story when the life you wanted turns into the life you needed. Jenny Harris is very pregnant and engaged to Dean. At first, Dean was excited about marriage and the coming baby. However, as her due date comes closer, Dean is acting more and more distant. One night, he goes out for cigarettes and never comes back. The next day, Jenny goes into labor. As she is thrown into the life as a single mother and learning to care for her baby, there isn’t much time to dwell on her broken dreams. Slowly but surely, her support group grows from her mother, her friend, Meredith, and her very handsome neighbor. Out of the blue, Dean shows up on her doorstep, she is faced with a choice. Does she choose the life she wanted or does she choose the new life she didn’t know she needed? 

Katherine Center has been one of my go-to authors since I first read one of her books in 2018. I have slowly been her backlist as well as her new release. I came across The Bright Side of Disaster and was super excited. Ms Center’s stories are filled with life changing drama with laughs and emotion. However, The Bright Side of Disaster did not have the same impact I have come to expect from Ms Center. I didn’t care for any of the characters. Jenny was very irritating and I found myself rolling my eyes often. And the story didn’t have the emotional impact that I was expecting. Since this is one of her early works and knowing how her writing has evolved, I am glad that I read this book. While I did not enjoy this story as much as I have enjoyed Ms Center’s other books, I do recommend The Bright Side of Disaster. 

The Bright Side of Disaster is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

The Rom-Commers: grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a romantic comedy on the page. Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a successful screenwriter. She writes romantic comedies and good ones that win contests but she is also the sole caretaker of her father who needs full time care. When a long time friend calls with an opportunity to re-write a script with the famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, she feels it's too good to be true. As her younger sister takes over the caretaking duties, Emma moves to LA for six weeks. However, when she arrives, Emma quickly learns that she is not wanted. Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone and doesn’t really care about this script, it was just a means to an end. And worst, he doesn’t believe in love. Emma isn’t going to give up. She is going to fight for herself, for rom-coms and love. She is determined to change Charlie’s mind about love. Of course, life is often stranger than fiction. Will their script come true? 

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me. Her stories are often fun, filled with laughs and great moments. The Rom-Commers is no different. It is so good! I laughed. I cried. I grinned from ear to ear as I could not put it down! It is a grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance with humor and drama. Are these characters perfect? No, Charlie and Emma are deeply wounded people with pasts that Ms. Center does not sugarcoat or gloss over and do not have easy or simple solutions. No one wants to read characters who are perfect. We want to see characters who change and grow throughout the story and end up changed for the better. Real life people are flawed and yet still lovable which are the type of characters Ms Center writes. The story goes through the highs and lows of falling in love. I loved The Rom-Commers and I closed the book with a sigh and a happy heart. I highly, highly recommend The Rom-Commers! 

The Rom-Commers is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Hello Stranger: a story of life, love and strength

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is the story of life, love and strength. Sadie Montgomery was on cloud nine. After being selected as a finalist for the North American Portrait Society’s competition, she knows this is her ticket to success. However, it is thrown into question in a single moment as she wakes up in the hospital and needs a simple, yet simple surgery. After being pressured to get the surgery, sooner rather than later, she wakes up with a “temporary” condition known as face blindness. Each face she sees is a puzzle of jumbled features. Sadie is determined to win the contest and she works to overcome her condition. Added to the stress of the competition is family drama, her sick dog and possible romances with two different men. Will her face blindness truly be temporary? Could everything else come into focus as well? 

Hello Stranger is a wonderful story of overcoming one’s disabilities and finding the life you always wanted, even if it’s not the road you thought you had to take. While I was expecting a different type of story, I was enthralled by Sadie’s experiences and her determination to not let her condition hold her back. A mix of humor, family drama, and romance, Hello Stranger reminded me of Ms Center’s 2018 novel How to Walk Away. I cheered for Sadie as she finally found the courage to speak up and declare “no more” and live the life she wants. There are a few pleasant surprises as the story winds down that are heartwarming and will leave readers smiling as they close the final pages. Readers can’t go wrong with a Katherine Center story and Hello Stranger is no exception. I highly recommend Hello Stranger! 

Hello Stranger is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

My top 5 favorite books from 2022

The end of the year is here! I usually do a post recapping my year. Well, this year was filled with fun activities and events. But it was also a year filled with books. I decided to look back on the books of 2022. I read many books across multiple genres and had some that have stuck in my mind long after I closed the final chapter. Some books were good. Some were great and some not so great. I chose my top 5 favorites. It was hard to choose five but here they are, in no particular order.

1. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

This young adult novel is a story about a young woman torn between two worlds, two cultures and where she fits in. Daunis Fontaine is feisty and ready to fight for herself and those she loves. It is a book to be read slowly as the author presents complex issues with honesty and without blaming one side or the other. As I mentioned before, it is a young adult novel; however, all readers, young and old, will enjoy and benefit from reading this amazing story. I highly recommend Firekeeper’s Daughter. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

2. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Katherine Center is always good for a great story. This romantic comedy is a laugh out loud funny, witty and snarky conversation between Hannah, the unconventional bodyguard, and Jack, her superstar client. It is a heartfelt story with emotions, struggles and laughter. I enjoyed Hannah and Jack as individuals with their relatable struggles as well as together as a couple. I closed the book with a sigh of happiness and contentment. The Bodyguard is the first book in a long time that made me laugh, cry and cheer. Highly recommended! 

The Bodyguard is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

3. A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion

Recreating a beloved tv show for two million dollars sounds easy peasy, right? There is more to the billionaire’s request than just to recreate this beloved show. This story was gripping and compelling from beginning to end with twists and turns that keeps you guessing about the true motives behind the request. It is filled with suspense and intrigue without being frightening. It is a book that is hard to pin down to a genre. A Limited Run is part psychological thriller, part spy like intrigue and part human interest kind of story. 

A Limited Run is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

4. Did Not Finish by Nicola Marsh

This romantic comedy has it all. It is funny, romantic and oh-so-steamy! I laughed. I grinned. I sighed the way only romance stories make one sigh. I could not put this book down! I enjoyed both Mia and Axel as they start as enemies and when a sudden snowstorm keeps them together, they can’t deny the sparks between them. I even enjoyed the silent but present Mr Darcy, a grumpy cat that will melt your heart. Did Not Finish is a great romantic comedy that will leave you wanting more! 

Did Not Finish is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

5. A Time-Travel Christmas by Karen McQuestion

A Time-Travel Christmas is a beautifully heartwarming novella filled with miracles and Christmas magic. It will give all the warm and fuzzy feelings for Christmas spirit and belief in the impossible. The time travel aspect wasn’t overly complicated, just a touch of Christmas magic. I loved all the characters with their strength, their feistiness and their cool head in the midst of a troubling situation. The little twist at the end adds to the miracle magic of the story. Fast-paced and engrossing, I turned the last page with a smile. 

A Time-Travel Christmas is available in paperback and eBook

There are many, many great books out there! These are just a few of my favorites from 2022. My reading list for 2023 is already full. Can you believe it? You’re probably thinking, “yes, yes I can!” I can’t wait to dive into the books on next year’s reading list and hoping to find more great reads to share with you. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my posts and learn about these wonderful reads this year. I hope you all have a great New Year’s and here's to great reads for 2023! 

The Bodyguard: hilarious rom-com with heart and soul

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is a rom-com story of reversed roles, family secrets and finding love. Hannah Brooks doesn’t look like your typical bodyguard. At 5 foot 3, she easily looks more like a lovable kindergarten teacher than somebody who could body slam someone to the ground. But she can. She is an Executive Protection Agent, aka a bodyguard. She’s put in charge of the protection detail for Jack Stapleton, a superstar actor with a strange stalker. Jack is a household name despite being out of the spotlight for a few years. He is forced home to his family’s Texas ranch when his mom gets sick. However, he doesn’t want his family to know about the stalker or his protection detail. So to explain Hannah’s presence? She’s his girlfriend. No one thinks it’s believable, especially Hannah. But she goes along with it, telling herself it’s just another job. However, the more she spends time with Jack and his family, the more she wants it to be real. What could possibly go wrong? 

What a story! I love Katherine Center! She writes heartfelt stories with feelings, struggles and plenty of humor. The Bodyguard delivers on all fronts! I laughed. I cried. I grinned ear to ear! The story kept me on my toes with twists and turns that kept me guessing. Even the epilogue at the end had a few twists of its own. I related to Hannah quite a bit. She was an ordinary woman with no remarkable beauty, easily faded into the background. A plus for her job, not so much for her personal life. Until the right man comes along and shows her that she’s more than just ordinary. Jack was also a great character. The handsome superstar who has a downhome soul. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well, even the jerks we love to hate and cheer when they get their comeuppance. Overall, I highly enjoyed The Bodyguard. It’s the first book in the longest time that made me laugh, cry, and grin. I highly recommend The Bodyguard! 

The Bodyguard is available July 19, 2022 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

The Lost Husband: a story of forgiveness and moving forward

 The Lost Husband by Katherine Center is the story of Libby Moran, a widow with two young children, trying to find a new normal. After the sudden death of her husband, Danny, Libby was forced to stay with her hypercritical and narcissistic mother, Marsha. For two years, she suffered the snide and berating comments from her mother and trying to help her young children, Abby and Tank, pick up the pieces of their lives. Then suddenly, one day, her crazy Aunt Jean sends her a letter that offers her an escape. Jean needs help on her farm in the Texas Hill country. Libby finds herself packing up her minivan and hitting the road with her kids without a second thought. For a city girl, life on the farm is a culture shock, but she finds herself enjoying the strenuous work. She feels something familiar in the quiet of the country and Libby starts to find peace and a new purpose.

The Lost Husband is a sweet, funny, heartbreaking and yet encouraging story of grief, life and moving forward. Each character is flawed and battling their own demons. Libby must deal with the guilt she carries from the last conversation she had with Danny. Jean holds a secret of her own, afraid that if it is revealed, she will lose Libby. And O’Connor, the shaggy and gruff farm manager, is battling his own guilt and the weight of his secrets. Yet together, these three find a life that is strong, rewarding and a family. A film version of The Lost Husband is available on Netflix and Prime Video rental as well as DVD, starring Leslie Bibb as Libby and Josh Duhamel as O’Connor. The film didn’t have the same impact as the book did; however, I recommend watching it after you’ve read the book. Of course, I recommend The Lost Husband.

 

 

The Lost Husband is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

 

What You Wish For: an inspirational story to find joy in everything

What You Wish For by Katherine Center is the story of Samantha “Sam” Casey, a school librarian at the Kempner School, who hides from the world an embarrassing secret. Very few people know that she suffers from epilepsy but her boss and parental figures, Max and Babette Kempner, helped her see joy and create joy in her life. When Max suddenly dies, he leaves big shoes to fill. The staff at the school do their best to carry on until Kent Buckley, the Kempner’s son-in-law and school board member, announces he has hired a new principal and it is someone Sam knows! Duncan Carpenter was the guy she liked at a previous school when she was a mousy, quiet staff member and he was the exuberant, fun-loving teacher. But the man who arrived looks like Duncan, but he sure doesn’t act like Duncan. He begins by making major changes at the school and Sam will not stand for it. She immediately goes into action to get Duncan to leave or get him fired. What caused Duncan to change so much? Can Sam get to the bottom of it and show Duncan that the school doesn’t need his changes?

 

I LOVED this book. This amazing story grips you in from the opening chapter and never lets you go until the final sentence. I loved Sam. She was vulnerable and introverted. Even though her tendency was to hide from embarrassing moments, she found the strength to be front and center when the situation called for it. I also loved Duncan. When he is first introduced and he is not the man Sam remembered, I knew there was a reason behind his behavior. Sam and Duncan’s personal stories are heartbreaking, and I wanted to reach through the book to hug both of them. I loved each of the beautiful people who made up the staff at the school, even Sam’s quirky, math-obsessed friend, Alice. Katherine Canter provides a story with lovable and relatable characters to tell a story of survival and finding joy as joy is the cure to many negative emotions and situations. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll find that creating joy in your laugh helps chase away the negativity that surrounds you. Great advice for the world we live in now. I highly recommend What You Wish For!

What You Wish For

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Things You Save in a Fire: a great drama with a realistic feel

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center is the story of Cassie Hanwell, a rising star in the Austin Fire Department until she is urged by her estranged mother to live with her at her home in Rockport, Massachusetts for a year. At first, she refused, what did she owed to the woman who left her behind so many years ago? But a situation rose up and she finds herself moving to Rockport and getting a position in a tiny firehouse in the small town of Lillian. In a house, where a woman isn’t exactly a welcome sight, Cassie must prove herself to be as good, if not better, then the men. She needs to remain focused and get through the next year. But a rookie, Owen Callaghan, joins the house on the same day and there is an instant attraction. An attraction she finds herself desperately trying to ignore and stay focused. Will Cassie be able to return to her job in Austin or will fate decide she needs to stay?

I LOVED Things You Save in a Fire. I enjoy books about firefighters and the work they do. Ms. Center’s descriptions are very vivid that you can almost feel the heat from the fires. I also enjoyed the interpersonal conflict between Cassie and her mom as well as Cassie and the men at the station. It felt real and with resolutions that didn’t seem farfetched or unbelievable. My heart stopped at some moments, I cried at others and I laughed with the pranks the firefighters played on each other. I wish I could say more about the book, but I can’t without giving away certain plot points. I felt as if I was watching real people in real life. I highly recommend Things You Save in a Fire!

Things You Save in a Fire

will be available on August 13, 2019

in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

How to Walk Away: a beautiful story of how to leave one life behind and begin a new one

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center is the story of one woman’s journey from one life to another. Margaret’s life had been plagued with the fear to fly. Her boyfriend, Chip, had earned his pilot license and to celebrate, much to Margaret’s dismay, he decides to take her for a flight. During the flight, Chip proposes, she accepts, then tragedy happens. The plane crashes and Margaret is left horrible injured. As Margaret spends months in the hospital recovery, her estranged sister, Kitty, reenters her life to support her. During her stay, Margaret learns of deep secrets which were kept from her and threatens to tear apart her family. Meanwhile, she is assigned to a surly physical therapist, named Ian, who’s sour demeanor hides a a deep hurt. Will Margaret fully recover? How will she accept the information she learns about her family’s past? And how will she look to the future?

I enjoyed How to Walk Away a lot more than I thought I would. I requested to read this book based on the brief description which I can say didn’t do the story justice. It was so much more than the description gives it credit. It was deeply emotional, dramatic, inspirational and proof that sometimes life has to give you a tragedy to open your eyes to its beauty and a life so much more than you had planned. I highly recommend How to Walk Away.

How to Walk Away

is available in hardcover and eBook