What They Say......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 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.
What I Say....
I love Katherine Center's books, I've always been a fan. See, The Bright Side of Disaster, How to Walk Away, Everyone is Beautiful. She's writes books that relax me to read and on occasion, make me cry.
So I was excited to get a chance to read her newest book. Sam is a librarian, she embraces life, and lives big in her small town. Her school is her home and her coworkers and students her family. She's left love behind - the man she loved never even knew she was alive.
Then he shows up. Her lost love, but he's lost his color, his joy, his love of life. And Sam is afraid he's going to draw all of the color out of hers. Duncan has been involved in a tragedy at work, and although he's still physically healing, he's not emotionally healing at all.
I liked this book because it brought forth some very topical issues. How do we balance being cautious in today's world with how do we live without fear, and embrace joy?
My one bit of feedback is that at times Sam didn't feel real - real like other characters have in Center's books. She was trying too hard with her wardrobe, her "uniqueness", it was like she was trying to become Duncan, but it didn't quite fit. It kept making me realize I was reading a book and she wasn't real, which is so unusual for this author. Usually I fall right into her character's world.