Things You Save in a Fire, by Katherine Center

This is the second novel I’ve read by Houston novelist Katherine Center. I didn’t like this one quite as much as the last one (How to Walk Away) but this one is enjoyable. The novel focuses on paramedic and firefighter Cassie Hanwell, who deals with a past personal trauma while moving to the northeast to help her mother during a medical crisis. The firefighting details are interesting and I liked the main characters.

The writing here is definitely a cut above a typical genre romance, and much of the story is charming and engaging. That said, this is really a straight-up romance novel, and romance is not a genre I particularly enjoy. (I like a good love story, and a well crafted romantic story line is always welcome in a novel, but genre romance is not my thing.) I was reminded of that while reading this novel, as there were a number of times that I found myself rolling my eyes.

This is basically a good rom-com with some serious underlying themes of trauma and forgiveness. If you do like romance novels, I highly recommend this one – I think you’ll love it. If not, I’d skip it.