How to Walk Away

by Katherine Center

Book Overview

From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes the instant New York Times bestseller (May 2018), an unforgettable love story about finding joy even in the darkest of circumstances.

Margaret Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she's worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fianc she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250047315
• ISBN13: 9781250047311
• Release Date: July 2019
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

The drama! I love it!

If you love the drama then you’ll love this book. The craziness of all this situation with every character is well written.

Emotional read!

This book was so good. I laughed. I cried. I was angry and sad and happy. Definitely a "talk back" book where I found myself yelling at Chip, trying to encourage Maggie and rooting for Ian. I felt empathy for Kitty, frustration with the mom, and respect for the dad. And don't get me started on Myles. I love how Ms. Center made each person complex and real. And the little back story at the end of the book added even more insight. I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Center.

My first Katherine Center book did not disappoint.

Wow! Loved this book and I think you will too. Love reading about strong women and she was definitely one of them.

Beautifully charming novel that shows hope can always be found in the unlikeliest of places.

When an unfortunate and devastating accident lands Margaret Jacobson in the hospital on what should be one of the happiest days of her life, everything she’s come to know changes in an instant. Now facing a long road to recovery, everything she’s known, even her relationships, are in a state of uncertainty. On the cusp of landing her dream job, about to be engaged to the man of her dreams, everything else in her life running as smoothly as possible, How to Walk Away shows the strength of family, finding love in unexpected places, and the possibility of finding happiness in the darkest of times. Every time I read a book labeled “chick lit”, I’m always reminded of how much I absolutely adore them. More often than not, they’re super quick reads that pack a lot of things into a short period of time. My very favorite part is unpacking all those “things”, right along with the characters. In How to Walk Away, Center confronts a myriad of emotional issues ranging from secrets that are enough to tear a family apart, to a once-solid relationship that’s slowly and painfully unraveling, to coming to terms that the word perfection is simply just that — a word, and trying to achieve it will always end in heartache. Center doesn’t hold back on almost breaking these characters, and there certainly isn’t any glossing over with the painful parts and more often than not, I found myself feeling those emotions right alongside Margaret. While the plot carried an air of predictability, the story itself and the characters were so darn compelling that it was so incredibly easy to overlook. And while much of the story is painful and heart-wrenching, there’s humor and romance that helps to balance out the dark. And the romance was equal parts sweet and sad with the right amount of angst to keep readers on their toes. In the end, How to Walk Away was such a delightful and charming read and one that shows that hope is always found in the unlikeliest of places. A perfect summer read, and certainly one that will make even the hardest of hearts melt a little.

This is such a good one!

. I picked up this book on a whim and opened it up just to "see" what it was all about... 2 chapters in and I was HOOKED!  Seriously, immediately after starting this book I threw a dare out to #bookstagram, challenging anyone to read the first 2 chapters and not keep going. I had very little expectations going in to this one, I don't even know if I had read the full synopsis, so I'm not really sure what I thought I was getting in to but I can say that this one far exceeded my expectations.   What an uplifting, refreshing read! Enjoyable, heartfelt and addicting I found this one perfectly unputdownable. Margaret Jacobsen is on the cusp of her real life, the grownup life she's spent her whole childhood (and beyond!) playing by all the rules - good grades, obedient, she is friends with her parents, she's the good sister, she snagged the boy next door with the bright future...  She's headed out for a date with that boyfriend to celebrate landing the job of her dreams and she should be on top ofthe world, but that world quickly gets flipped upside down.  Now she is the survivor of a horrific accident and up against the biggest challenge of her life. Will she ever walk again? Will her flawless boyfriend, Chip, stand by her through all of this?  Does she even want him to?  Will she ever find her way back to be the young woman she was before? The one she worked so desperately to become? How? I found Margaret to be relatable and understandably edgy and pessimistic.  Katherine Center perfectly captured what it might be like to have it all one second, only to lose it all the next.  Full of self-depricating comedy and family drama with romance and a dash of inspiration, How to Walk Away picked me up and carried me away and I very much enjoyed every minute of it!  While I found the ending to be a little too buttoned up for my taste, and the characters' circumstances a little too "privileged" to be completely realistic, overall the story was charming and satisfying and oh so addictive.  I'd recommend that almost anyone pick this one up this summer, but be careful to do so only when you have a day to lose yourself in this story - consider yourself warned!

Highly enjoyed

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. When I received the email about this book, I was like ok that sounds goodish. And after accidentally clicking read now, I am so happy I did. Maggie is out with her boyfriend on Valentine's Day. What should be the happiest day of her life, turns out to be the most devastating. Broken, physically, emotionally, and mentally, Maggie finds herself in a completely different life than originally planned. The writing for this book was so well done. Center did major research for this book and it was obvious. The description of what Maggie goes though is well detailed, but not so much it bogs down the pace of the book. Once I started reading the book, I honestly could not put it down. I read 88% on the first day alone. My heart was fully into Maggie's character and I loved her as a narrator. I highly recommend this book!