Published by St. Martin's Press Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
Format: ARC
Finding Joy….one butterfly at a time….
Samantha (Sam) Casey is an elementary school librarian on the island of Galveston, Texas. When the school tragically loses their principal, she finds that his replacement is her crush from a former job, Duncan Carpenter. But Duncan is not the Duncan she remembers, he is tough, and on a mission to make sure that the school is safe and secure, butterflies but damned. Fearing that Duncan is about to take away everything that she loves, she decides it is time to fight back!
We’ve all heard the adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” it’s also hard not to judge a book based on other books written by the same Author (**cough cough Things You Save in a Fire). So, trying not to do that, I dove into this book. If you are looking for a fast read with some romance and a message about finding “Joy” this book will be for you. I loved the premise of finding things that make you happy and doing/surrounding yourself with them. I think we all need to do that.
From the get-go, I wondered about Samantha’s age as she came off as younger and immature at times to me while everyone else felt older. I did like how she stood up for herself and she slowly grew on me. She comes off as whimsical, sassy and caring of others. Duncan fit the bill as the hot guy who was once fun and silly and is now stoic and serious. Basically, he is hot to trot with an attitude! Samantha cannot determine if he remembers working with her or not. He does not appear to remember her…
As far as romances go, they are all pretty predictable. We all basically know who is going to end up with who in the end – it is about the journey of how they get there that matters. I enjoyed the journey in this book. I liked watching the characters as they learned more about each other – I’m not just talking about Sam and Duncan. Many characters in this book grow and other characters learn things about each other as they take a stand, find their voice, share their secrets, expose their fears and possibly get what they wish for! I also enjoyed how both of the main characters were at different stages of starting over in their lives and for different reasons.
This book is joyful even if predictable. It did not wow me as her other books have but it was still enjoyable. It is a light easy read perfect for when you need a break from reality. I appreciated all the heavy subjects she addressed in this novel (death, epilepsy, school shooting, etc.) Sharing things that affect you deeply can be scary, and I felt the character’s verbalization of their fears, concerns, etc. were believable.
I look forward to more books by Katherine Center in the future as they bring me joy.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.