Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Things You Save in a Fire

by Katherine Center

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefigters 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 aililng 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 jeapordise her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

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

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

Share


Now that I have collected myself, I must say, that was spectacular.

As I first began reading Things You Save in a Fire, I immediately fell in love with this buttoned up, serious, driven woman. She was strong and amazing, and when the Rookie referred to her as a superhero, I couldn't disagree with him, but I knew there was more below that neat and tidy surface.

Cassie had been stuffing down her pain of betrayal and abandonment for a decade, but when her mother's request for live-in assistance came right around the same time Cassie was dealing with a bit of a situation at work, she moved across the country, and the wall she had built around her heart began to falter.

She found herself not only attracted to, but also interested in a man. She found herself wanting to spend time with her mother and sharing her feelings. She found herself embracing forgiveness and letting herself enjoy life again. It was beautiful watching her come alive, and I was rooting for her to only enjoy successes as she attempted to love more and live more.

But, at about the 70% mark, I found myself in a constant fit of tears. I was either crying because it was painful or crying because it was wonderful. Whatever the case, there were tears, many tears. There was also a lot of happiness, hope, love, and peace. And, I am telling you right now, that was one of the BEST epilogues I have read in a really long time. It was a special blend of beauty and pain, but so, so wonderful.

Things You Save in a Fire broke my heart at times, but mostly, it filled me with hope and joy, and it served as a reminder of how precious life and the people we care about can be. This story was about love and forgiveness and making every moment matter, and I am so glad I had the chance to read it.



*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 10 August, 2019: Finished reading
  • 10 August, 2019: Reviewed