Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living. But she wasn't always that way. Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen. But he wasn't always that way. And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before - at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him - but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the the best thing that could possibly happen to the school - and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she'd known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he's willing to destroy it. As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love - which is the riskiest move of all.

Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

Jack Stapleton’s a household name―captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

When Jack’s mom gets sick, he goes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah―against her will and her better judgment―finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, says no one will believe it.

Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

If your life fell apart, could you start again? The New York Times bestseller. Maggie Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she's worked so hard and so long for: her dream job, a fiance she adores and the promise of a perfect life just around the corner. But on what should have been the happiest day of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a single catastrophic moment. In hospital Maggie is forced to confront the unthinkable. First there is her fiance, Charlie, wallowing in self-pity while demanding forgiveness. Then there's her sister Kit, who shows up after pulling a three-year vanishing act. Finally there's Iain, her physical therapist, the one the nurses said was too tough for her. Iain, who won't let her give in to her despair, who makes her cry, but also manages to make her laugh . . . Maggie's new life is nothing like she expected. But could it be more than she had ever dared hope for? How to Walk Away by Katherine Center is an uplifting story of learning to live - and love - again. 'If you read just one book this year, read How to Walk Away' Nina George, author of The Little Paris Bookshop.

She's got his back. He's got her heart. They've got a secret. What could possibly go wrong? 'My perfect ten of a book.' EMILY HENRY 'Pure, unvarnished delight.' CHRISTINA LAUREN *THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* Hannah might look like a kindergarten teacher, but the truth is she's an elite bodyguard who could kill you with her bare hands. Jack is an impossibly handsome, world-famous actor who has everything... including a corgi-breeding stalker. When Jack's mom gets sick, he heads home to his family's Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn't want his family to know about his stalker. Or about his new bodyguard. So Hannah - against her better judgement - finds herself pulling on her cowboy boots and pretending to be Jack's girlfriend as a cover. Protecting Jack should be easy. But protecting her own heart? That's the hardest thing Hannah's ever done... 'Absolutely, unequivocally delightful!' JODI PICOULT 'Prepare to laugh and swoon and grin your pants off' HELEN HOANG

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds. Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's a total pro at other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own. 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 infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it's not her thing. And don't forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...and it means risking it all--the only job she's ever loved, and the hero she's worked like hell to become. Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.

AS SEEN ON NETFLIX - AN UPLIFTING ROMANTIC COMEDY FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE BODYGUARD �����'A stupidly cute romance with plenty of humour and a survival story in the middle of the mountains... you've completely got me hooked.' Reader review Sometimes to find your way, you have to get really, really lost... Helen Carpenter has always lived her life as far from the edge as possible. Finding herself newly divorced and a little lost, Helen decides she needs a reset. So when her annoying younger brother convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course, she hopes the adventure will be exactly what she needs. Instead, it's a disaster. It's nothing like she expected. She doesn't expect the surprise summer blizzard, for example-or the blisters, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't expect that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, would show up for the exact same course-and distract her, derail her, and... kiss her. But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can't. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found. ________ "The things we remember are what we hold on to, and what we hold on to becomes the story of our lives. We only get one story. And I am determined to make mine a good one." ________ Readers love Happiness for Beginners ����� 'One of the best reads of this decade for me, featuring an unforgettable, gutsy heroine and an equally endearing, swoon-worthy hero. What more could you ask for?' ����� 'This book! I loved it with a passion, sometimes you start a book and you know you are going to love it, you fall in love with the characters, the authors voice and you just know that you are going to read something spectacular, well that is how I felt reading Happiness for Beginners.' ����� 'LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. Already gave two copies of this book and forced people to read it. They loved it too.' ����� 'I didn't read this book, I inhaled it! It certainly brought me lots of happiness - and more than a few tears. Katherine Center is a phenomenal author' ����� 'This book completely owned me. I picked it up to read one chapter before bed to see if I was into it and it's less than 24 hours later and I cannot wipe the grin off my face. This is definitely a new top favorite!' ________ "Wise, delicious, page-turning... Katherine Center writes about falling down, growing up, and finding love like nobody else." BRENÉ BROWN, #1 New York Times bestseller "If you're anything like us, you'll read this book in one sitting." INSTYLE "A fast-paced read with sharp, perfectly written dialogue." BOOKLIST

The brand new romcom from a New York Times bestseller, perfect for fans of Emily Henry's BOOK LOVERS, THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION and THE UNHONEYMOONERS. Love isn't blind, it's just little blurry... Sadie Montgomery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. Only it happens to coincide with a minor surgery she needs to have... Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces. She doesn't want anyone to know about her face blindness. Not Dr. Addison, the vet treating her beloved dog Peanut, and definitely not Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He's always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more? As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her past, and handle falling in love with two different guys, she realizes that happiness can be found in the places - and people - you least expect. READERS LOVE HELLO STRANGER �����'If you are looking for a book that has a whole lot of humor, swoony romantic vibes, fantastic main and supporting characters, and a whole lot of heart, this is the book for you. I would give it 10 stars if I could.' �����'I'm awarding Katherine Center the Nobel Prize for a brand new category: Feel Good Literature!' �����'An insightful, unique romance, with a twist!! I could not put it down!!!' �����'So funny. So witty. So romantic. So enjoyable.' �����'This book was everything, it was informative, dramatic, heartbreaking, twisty, and funny all in one! I loved reading about Sadie's journey through face blindness and the love story in this book was just oh so perfect.' PRAISE FOR KATHERINE CENTER 'Katherine Center writes about falling down, growing up, and finding love like nobody else.' BRENÉ BROWN 'Serious Nora Ephron vibes' TAYLOR JENKINS REID 'Oh, how I love Katherine Center's writing!' JODI PICOULT

Lanie Coates's life is spinning out of control. She's piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and driven with her husband, Peter, and their three little boys from their cozy Texas home to a multiflight walkup in the Northeast. She's left behind family, friends, and a comfortable life-all so her husband can realize his dream of becoming a professional musician. But somewhere in the eye of her personal hurricane, it hits Lanie that she once had dreams too. If only she could remember what they were.
These days, Lanie always seems to rank herself dead last-and when another mom accidentally criticizes her appearance, it's the final straw. Fifteen years, three babies, and more pounds than she's willing to count since the day she said "I do," Lanie longs desperately to feel like her old self again. It's time to rise up, fish her moxie out of the diaper pail, and find the woman she was before motherhood capsized her entire existence.
Lanie sets change in motion-joining a gym, signing up for photography classes, and finding a new best friend. But she also creates waves that come to threaten her whole life. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.
Katherine Center's Everyone Is Beautiful is a hugely entertaining, poignant, and charming new novel about what happens after happily ever after: how a woman learns to fall in love with her husband-and her entire life-all over again.

"From the Hardcover edition."

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds. Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's a total pro at other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own. 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 infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it's not her thing. And don't forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...and it means risking it all--the only job she's ever loved, and the hero she's worked like hell to become. Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire Helen Carpenter can't quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming--she hopes it'll be exactly what she needs. Instead, it's a disaster. It's nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn't anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example--or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't anticipate that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course--and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her. But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can't. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found. Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best--a nourishing, page-turning, up-all-night read about how to get back up. It's a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.

Maggie Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she’s worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fiancé she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a brief, tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Maggie must confront the unthinkable. First there is her fiancé, who wallows in self-pity while simultaneously expecting to be forgiven. Then, there's her sister Kit, who shows up after pulling a three- year vanishing act. Finally, there's Ian, her physical therapist, the one the nurses said was too tough for her. Ian, who won't let her give in to her pity, and who sees her like no one has seen her before. Sometimes the last thing you want is the one thing you need. Sometimes we all need someone to catch us when we fall. And sometimes love can find us in the least likely place we would ever expect. How to Walk Away by Katherine Center is an unforgettable love story about finding joy in the darkest of circumstances.

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin, this tender and heartwarming novel explores the trials of losing what matters most--and how there's always more than we can imagine left to find.
"Dear Libby, It occurs to me that you and your two children have been living with your mother for--Dear Lord --two whole years, and I'm writing to see if you'd like to be rescued. "
The letter comes out of the blue, and just in time for Libby Moran, who--after the sudden death of her husband, Danny--went to stay with her hypercritical mother. Now her crazy Aunt Jean has offered Libby an escape: a job and a place to live on her farm in the Texas Hill Country. Before she can talk herself out of it, Libby is packing the minivan, grabbing the kids, and hitting the road.
Life on Aunt Jean's goat farm is both more wonderful and more mysterious than Libby could have imagined. Beyond the animals and the strenuous work, there is quiet--deep, country quiet. But there is also a shaggy, gruff (though purportedly handsome, under all that hair) farm manager with a tragic home life, a formerly famous feed-store clerk who claims she can contact Danny "on the other side," and the eccentric aunt Libby never really knew but who turns out to be exactly what she's been looking for. And despite everything she's lost, Libby soon realizes how much more she's found. She hasn't just traded one kind of crazy for another: She may actually have found the place to bring her little family--and herself--back to life.
Praise for "The Lost Husband"
"A sweet tale about creating the family you need."--"People"
"A heartwarming novel that explores the trials of losing what matters most."--"USA Today"
" "
" Katherine] Center writes endearingly of love and family in her fourth novel, with lessons about loss, gain, standing up for oneself, and accepting that your best is good enough. Fans of well-crafted romantic women's fiction won't be disappointed."--"Booklist"
"A novel about family, love and forgiveness . . . heart-rending and heartwarming."--"Kirkus Reviews"

How do you change your luck? Katherine Center's marvelously entertaining and poignant new novel is about choosing to look for happiness--and maybe getting lucky enough to find it.
Sarah Harper isn't sure if the stupid decisions she sometimes makes are good choices in disguise--or if they're really just stupid. But either way, after forwarding an inappropriate email to her entire company, she suddenly finds herself out of a job.
So she goes home to Houston--and her sister, Mackie--for Thanksgiving. But before Sarah can share her troubles with her sister, she learns that Mackie has some woes of her own: After years of trying, Mackie's given up on having a baby--and plans to sell on eBay the entire nursery she's set up. Which gives Sarah a brilliant idea--an idea that could fix everyone's problems. An idea that gives Sarah the chance to take care of her big sister for once--instead of the other way around.
But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. After a decade away, Sarah is forced to confront one ghost from her past after another: the father she's lost touch with, the memories of her mother, the sweet guy she dumped horribly in high school. Soon everything that matters is on the line--and Sarah can only hope that by changing her life she has changed her luck, too.