Welcome to Litsy!

#Read2025 My goal is to listen to every book by Katherine Center. I like her storytelling so very much! I think she gets kind of lumped in with Rom-Com writers and she doesn‘t write Rom-Coms. There is romance, there is comedy, and there are serious issues addressed in her books. She doesn‘t write HEAs either but she does write “happy enough afters.” Because life is not full of HEAs. Life is life and most of the time, life is pretty good.

Not my fave. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Venkman is not wearing a tiny green fez, that‘s a feather toy hanging from the top level of the cat tree. 😸

I didn‘t know this was a romance going in, as I‘ve never read this author before. It‘s got plenty of story though, and it‘s mild on spice.

Cassie moves from Austin TX to a small town outside Boston MA to help her estranged mom recover from eye surgery. She has to transfer from the fire department she loves to a new one, and it‘s rocky. ⬇️

1. It will be 12 years in April.
2. Tagged!
Thanks @TheSpineView @Kshakal #two4tuesday

Not my sort of book, but that‘s not the book‘s fault. Cassie Hanwell leaves Texas to help her mother out in Massachusetts. They‘ve been estranged for a decade, but her mother‘s request coincides with an incident that forces her to leave her beloved fire station where she is the only female firefighter. There is some quippy dialogue but at the end of the day, this is just a romance with a little family drama window dressing.

1) Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center
2) Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon
@TheSpineView
@Joy4Lit
#twofortuesday
@lisavie_12

I officially have a new favorite author. I believe Katherine Center has mastered romance. Truly. Her writing is great, her characters the best, and the romance perfect. I was sad to finish this one. ❤️ #littensloveromance #romance #greatread

This is my 2nd book I have read by K. Center. I enjoyed the journey of Cassie and to read her experience as a firefighter & EMT. The Epilogue gave a nice summary of everything that happened. No loose ends were not tied up.

#VolumesAndVocals

In my TBR, choosing it for Chris Stapleton‘s #FireAway for the obvious 🔥 in the title, but also because it‘s a romance & it sounds like the female MC is a firefighter who has a lot being shot at her.

“Fire away
Take your best shot
Show me what you got
Honey, I'm not afraid
Rear back and take aim
And fire away”

#with5+words #temptingtitles @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Sooo good! Read this in a single day, so a super fast read with a great message about life, empathy, forgiveness, and healing! ❤️ Loved the FMC, all the books I‘m reading lately have total badass females and I‘m living for it!! #HEA 4/5 stars!

#12Booksof2022 @ Andrew65

This was my pick in March for #LMPBC. I love this postal book club as it forces me to read outside of my normal reading.

Amazing! I think it is my favorite of hers. Funny, powerful, and filled with characters you can‘t help but fall in love with. And the MC is so strong and resilient, you can‘t help but root for her! Loved this one! #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks 241st book read this year 😀

Beach reading is still fun on a cold day! #travelingreader

This book is really good so far

7 out of 10. Really enjoyed the authors writing style and how they turned an average story into one that can touch most people's hearts. It's very much a human story. Genre isn't my normal one but I enjoyed it. Definitely pick this up if ya see it.

Starting this one that's been on my tbr for awhile. My public space book at the moment.

This book was a slow burn (haha). Cassie has a lot of unique challenges when she starts as the first ever female firefighter at a new firehouse, but one thing she promises herself is that she will not fall in love, especially not with another firefighter. But when the rookie walks into the room, all bets are off. My one complaint is the writing can get a bit heavy-handed, especially when talking about forgiveness. 🔥🔥🔥🔥/ 5

So I finished this over a week ago but things have been crazy. My husband‘s gramma passed so we‘ve been dealing with that.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this one. I thought the whole forgiveness thing was a little too forced upon the reader but this could be because I‘m a cynical fart lol I‘m surprised by how much I loved the romance since I‘m not typically a romance person. Very cute. This one flew by and had me chuckling!

#LMPBC

I didn't read much in February and never posted my bracket.
Well here is my March!

#LMPBC
@shadowfat @magyklyXdelish @mklong
I mailed my book off early, that has to be a first for me. Arrival is next Monday.

#LMPBC
@shadowfat @magyklyXdelish @mklong
Ladies I don't want to say much, but I loved this book. The two different story lines compliment each other so well. Hope you enjoy as well.

Listened to this audiobook and as much as I enjoyed it, it also frustrated me to no end. lol. The misogyny in the fire department was just so much, but the good moments made up for it. Would definitely recommend.

#Bookspin #doublebookspin
@thearomaofbooks
I can't believe it's almost already March.

OK ladies her is our line up. I am super excited!
@shadowfat @magyklyXdelish @mklong

Ok ladies, What is everyone planning to read?
@magyklyXdelish @mklong @Shadowfat
#LMPBC #GroupQ

I loved the love story and I love the rest of the content! The story itself was interesting even without the love story!

Ok ladies so here are a few choices from my BOTM collection that I have yet to read. Have you read any or do dany stand out to you?
I do have more, these four just stood out to me.
#lmpbc
@magyklyXdelish @mklong @Shadowfat

Love at first sight? No thanks, I'm out...

Guess I'll be passing on that virtual author visit too.

Listening to this for a virtual book club meet with the author next month but it's so repetitive and annoyingly whiny... I hope the story picks up! However, I've been following the narrator Therese Plummer and get journey back to health after a horrific car crash and it's so refreshing to hear her reading it!

#ThinkPositiveBePositive

Thanks for the tags @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks and @damselsgotballs !

Have a great weekend everyone!

I really liked a lot of this. Cassie being forced out of her comfort zone & into making real connections w people, including the mother who abandoned her & her father, was a good story. As was Cassie adapting to a new town & a new crew at a new (very old) fire house. Even her love story was pretty good (though I could have done without her makeover into a barbie doll & the whole scene at his parent's party.) But I do have complaints ⬇️

Cassie & I don‘t have much in common. She can do n*i*ne pull-ups, I can do n*o*ne; she‘s emotionally closed-off & I‘m an over-sharer; she works in a male-dominated environment, I work in…a Library. But sisterhood binds us! This is, first & foremost, a Romance novel (the ending drives that point home). If you‘re bothered by the romantic lead being *too* perfect, definitely avoid this one.👇🏻

I wouldn‘t normally have chosen this book for myself…but I agreed to be the moderator for this month‘s book club at work. Let‘s see how it goes! 🤷‍♀️ Maybe it‘ll surprise me.

Too superficial for my taste!

Cute, quick read. Cassie is a female firefighter who has to leave Austin for Massachusetts. It does s pretty good job describing her personal struggles, sexism at work and her feeling for The Rookie. Ending was a bit rushed and cheesy, but overall a good read to kill some time.

Book 103

I listened to Things You Save in a Fire. It's an easy rom-com. Nothing of literary merit but fun. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

4 ⭐
I really enjoyed this, so glad I read it! It got really good in the middle. Like, really really good. I grew to really like the main character. Strong female lead, lots of interesting things happening, good characters throughout.
The ending was a little too quick. It did tie up all the loose ends. I'm glad for that. But there were a lot of loose ends and they all got tied very very quickly. 😅

Isn't this cover pretty? Love the bright colors.

Sad to say, but I didn't like it.. The story felt preachy and fake; reads like a self-help book.

There were parts of this that I enjoyed, but mostly it didn't work for me. At times it seemed like it was trying to be a light rom com, but the characters had such intensely horrific experiences in their pasts, which were mostly glossed over and apparently solved by falling in love 🙄. The epilogue had way too much crammed into it; I get it, they live happily ever after, no need to belabor the point.

Starting a new book :)

When you get your husband hooked on the audio book on a road trip… and he demands we listen to the end together once home!!! So sweet!!!

I really enjoy this author‘s writing- engaging and heartfelt. This book is about a woman firefighter with a tough and unstoppable exterior- she‘s one of the best, strongest, and effective firefighters on her shifts. Yet, inside she‘s struggling to grasp the effects of rape, abandonment from her mom, and sexism within her field. She is an example of a strong woman who must hide her true self to “make it”. Loved it despite some predictable moments.

Cassie is a firefighter in Austin. After 2 traumatic cents when she was 16, she has built a protective wall around herself that pretty much has shut down all of her feelings. She was made to be the best firefighter. She feels totally calm in the chaos of emergencies. Her mother had abandoned Cassie and her father and now wants Cassie to stay with her for a year. Told in Cassie‘s POV we learn about hurt, pain, forgiveness and true love. Great book!

“What women think of as sharing, men see as complaining.”