Friends with ARCs | Things You Save in a Fire + Start Here

Cassie is a female firefighter who has properly carved out a place for herself at her station and with her crew. On the night she’s meant to receive a commendation, everything changes when she has an aggressive encounter with a horrible ex. The only solution to the unexpected turn her life has taken? To accept the opportunity to relocate to another firehouse… that also happens to be closer to her estranged mother, who has requested that she come and stay for a year to help her out. Overall, Things You Save in a Fire was a decent read. Center did a commendable job depicting the life of a firefighter (and particularly a female firefighter) in a fascinating way. The themes explored – especially love and forgiveness – were equally interesting and inspired some food for thought. But I did struggle with getting into the narration style, which goes hand in hand with my difficulty in clicking with Cassie’s personality. The pacing was also uneven; the first 70% feels even-keeled only to be followed by the 30% that felt like a very dramatic series finale (and this is something that personally does not do it for me). While Things You Save in a Fire is not a new personal favorite, it was a diverting and quick read.

Would you relocate for a job? If yes, where? I love living in New York, so I'm inclined to say no. But, if I were going to make an exception, it would be if I could move to London or Tokyo AND had the ability to work remotely.

Things You Save in a Fire will be released on August 13, 2019 from St. Martin's Press.

I received an e-galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Willa, Taylor and Finley had always planned to spend the summer after senior year sailing from Ohio to Key West. But when Finley dies before graduation, Willa and Taylor are left with a sailboat and a list of clues from Finley to lead them to different destinations along the way. As they sail together, the girls will have two months to learn how life works without Finley in it – and perhaps, find out more about themselves and their friendship along the way. Start Here immediately made it on to my radar, not only because it’s a Trish Doller novel, but also because it’s the story of a summer spent traveling on a sailboat. In true Doller storytelling fashion, it was an enjoyable, easy read. I loved reading about their summer adventure, from their attempts to follow Finley’s list, the peaks and pitfalls of their trip and the complicated nuances of their friendship. The novel could have benefited from being a touch longer, as this would have allowed for further character development. This, in turn, would potentially encourage a stronger emotional investment in the characters, which is something that I unfortunately lacked as I read. Despite this, I’d still recommend checking out Start Here. It’s definitely a good choice if you’re in the market for a quick summer read! 

What is the next place I want to travel to with Rachel? We do have a few ideas as to where we'd like to go on vacation together in the future! One of those places is Prince Edward Island, which has been on our list (and our friend Hannah's!) for a couple of years. It would be pretty epic for us as big fans of Anne of Green Gables...

Start Here will be released on August 13, 2019 from Simon Pulse.

I received an e-galley from the publisher via NetGalley.