Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center was our May book club pick for my in-real-life book club. This book has been categorized as women’s fiction. It has a strong contemporary romance plot among other struggles for the main character, Cassie.
I previously read Katherine Center’s Happiness for Beginners, which made it onto my best romance books for Valentine’s Day list. That was my first encounter with Katherine Center when it was gifted to me by a friend during our tradition of giving each other our favorite reads of the year.
That book did not disappoint and this one convinces me that Katherine Center needs to be a go-to author of mine. I really want to read The Lost Husband before I check the Netflix adaptation from last year. I tend to save up “likely to be a winner” books for when I need them though so I’ll probably take my time with the rest of her backlist.
The Rundown
In one night, firefighter Cassie Hanwell finds the life and career she’s built for herself in Texas turned upside down. On top of that her estranged mother asks her to move to Massachusetts to help her recover from a surgery. When a job opportunity at a nearby firehouse presents itself, Cassie can’t pass the chance up to save her career.
But the long standing New England fire station is very different from the one Cassie was welcomed into in Austin. Between a lack of safety equipment, a low budget, and chauvinist attitudes, Cassie has her work cut out for her to be accepted as the sole female firefighter by the crew. The only person who seems happy to have her on the team is another newbie known as “The Rookie”.
Cassie is shocked to discover she’s attracted to the handsome rookie. She’s never had time for love and if there’s one rule to fit in she can’t break, it’s dating a fellow firefighter. As she deals with hazing, the dangers of the job, and uncovers family secrets, Cassie finds herself growing closer to Rookie tempting her to break all her rules.
Rating and Review
Rating: 5 stars
Steam Level: 1
I inhaled this book in a day! Which is a great thing since I waited until two days before our meeting to start it. I like to have the story fresh in my head to discuss.
I read the first quarter on my kindle and I was so invested in the story, I switched to audio so I could continue reading while I got stuff done. It’s not often I consume a story in two different formats. That was a fun experience!
A firefighting heroine made for a unique reading experience
Cassie was a badass heroine. That’s made clear in the first chapter. It was easy to be invested in her as a protagonist. She’s intelligent, strong, and determined but still soft and caring all at the time.
I really liked the firehouse setting in Things You Save in a Fire much more than I expected to. Seeing the in and outs of her career as a firefighter paramedic and the camaraderie of the teammates even when they were hazing the newbies was fascinating and made for a unique reading experience.
It covers heavy subjects while maintaining a lighthearted tone
I enjoyed how Center slowly revealed Cassie’s past and the family secrets or miscommunications that led everyone to their current stances. I was tricked or misdirected from my original hunch a few times. It would seem like bad news was coming and then things remained ok. Eventually it all came full circle.
Things You Save in a Fire deals with some very heavy sad topics. Katherine Center has a talent for taking on these dark situations with the respect they deserve but in a writing style that remains lighthearted and at times comical. It’s quite a balancing act of tone that I really admire.
Low steam made it more women’s fiction than romance
There was barely any steam Things You Save in a Fire but I didn’t mind. The way their relationship played out made sense with Cassie’s past. They took things slow but then the whirlwind of emotions felt true to where she was in life.
I adored the connection between Cassie and Rookie. Their attraction was sizzling with sexual tension but I also loved the humor and teasing between them. He was definitely the whole package – and the best revenge – since he truly understood her. His patience and care with Cassie was so heartwarming, I didn’t even mind the narrator’s Boston accent for his character.
The way Center wrapped up the ending was something I appreciated too. It could have been left open ended and still worked for me. Though I’m a big fan anytime an author wants to give more details about where the characters I’ve grown to love end up!
Have you read Katherine Center? What are your recommendations for books that walk the line between contemporary romance and women’s fiction?
