What You Wish For

A Novel

By: Katherine Center

Narrated by: Katherine Center, Thérèse Plummer

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

"Joyfully and warmly narrated by [Therese] Plummer, this is a beautiful story about grasping happiness and joy alongside immense sorrow and pain...This warm-hearted listen with an energetic narrator is sure to please." (Booklist)

This program includes an author's note, read by the author.

From the New York Times best-selling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.

But she wasn’t always that way.

Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.

But he wasn’t always that way. And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit- and tie-wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all. With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

“This charming, often lighthearted novel touches on serious issues and celebrates the power of joy to trump fear and despair.” (People Magazine, Book of the Week)

©2020 Katherine Center (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

I LOVE Katherine Center

Another amazing novel by the amazing Katherine Center. I guessed a few of the plot twists, but that’s okay because I loved the characters and the writing.

What You Wish For A great read.

Loved this book and lived the Narrated. Will start to follow Katherine Center. Looking forward to her next book.

Especially for the tender hearted or teacher

Attention all teachers and lovers of fiction: (particularly women).
I'd like to recommend a wonderful novel for your summer reading list. KATHERINE CENTER's
~WHAT YOU WISH FOR~ is
built around an elementary school setting, and takes a humorous wise and tender look at life, pain, loss, trauma, grief, and the intential decision to CHOOSE joy in the midst of it all.
Very relatable and I feel restored in the midst of this Covid confusion!
So wonderful!

Sweet story

This book was well written to convey a very sweet story that also includes the difficulties often encountered in life.

Duncan and Samantha's love

Question: Is this a true story? It seems to be, too good to be true. I am looking forward, for what I wish, to become true as well.
How can I connect with you the author?

Story is enjoyable

I enjoyed the story, but the person reading it was not a voice I loved. Listening to the author read to us at the end made me wish she had read it to me as she has a great voice and she is a good storyteller.

Please change narrators for the next book!

I really enjoy Katherine Center's stories. They are uplifting and tender and occasionally a bit racy, without being too saccharine. But man alive they are hard to listen to. TBH, Thérèse Plummer's narration is so irritating I almost quit listening. She delivers dialog like she is performing a cheer or making an announcement over a loudspeaker. Half the time, her emphasis makes no sense. I had forgotten how bad it was since listening to Things Your Save in a Fire, but it made this book almost painful to listen to. I'm begging you: switch narrators next time!

Almost Perfect

I really loved the story, and it had me hooked from the beginning. The only reason that I didn’t give it 5 stars is because there was an action by the main character toward the end (I’ll just say that it involved a pier) that I thought was out of character and didn’t understand the reason for it Otherwise, this was a great story that drew me in and made me care about the characters.

Love it!

Oh so complicated. This story tapped the broken places of my heart but it offers such a good story of a damaged couple. I love it. Look up some trigger warnings. It’s more than a simple romance.

Excellent storytelling!

I really enjoyed this book! I am the first to admit that waiting so long to read this book was a huge mistake, but it is okay since I have now corrected my error. Once I started listening to this audiobook, I was hooked. I love the fact that this book was able to make me laugh while telling a story that touched my heart.

I thought that the characters in this story were absolutely fantastic. Sam works as a librarian at a local school and does her best to find joy each day. When they lose her friend and principal, she finds herself face-to-face with someone from her past who has been hired as the new principal. Duncan is a changed man and Sam cannot believe how the fun guy she knew has turned into the uptight man he is now. I really liked Duncan and Sam and learning about the things from their past that helped to shape them.

Thérèse Plummer did an amazing job with this story. She is one of my favorite narrators and her performance on this audiobook is a perfect example of why that is. I liked the voices that she used for the various characters and I thought that she did a great job of bringing emotion into her reading. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a well-done story combining great characters, emotional situations, some humor, and a lot of heart. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.

I received an advanced review of this book from St. Martin’s Press and purchased a copy of the audiobook.