Hello Stranger

Well, Hello Stranger!

I found this book to be a fast and enjoyable read that had me feeling various emotions while reading it. Katherine Center has charmed me yet again with this book about a struggling artist dealing with face blindness.

Sadie Montgomery is preparing for a party with friends when she suffers a seizure in the street and is saved by a good Samaritan. While in the hospital, she learns that she needs brain surgery and although she wants to put it off, she has the surgery and now suffers from prosopagnosia (face blindness). This is devastating for Sadie as she is an artist and is one of ten artists who have been accepted to a portrait competition. The same competition her mother was accepted into before her death. Her face blindness may be temporary, but what if it’s not?

Sadie now has a lot to deal with. On top of that her dog, Peanut has been boarded when she was in the hospital, and she is worried she won’t recognize him. When she picks Peanut up, she meets Dr. Oliver Addison. She notices things about him and feels an attraction even though she can’t see his face. She is happy that the one face she recognizes is Peanut! Whew! Then Joe, her neighbor, offers to help her and be her model for the portrait competition. She needs it and he has been so nice. She accepts and spends more and more time with him and can’t help being drawn to him.

What’s a girl to do?

As Sadie navigates her current situation, she is learning to accept help and notice other things about people. Plus, she is noticing and learning things about herself. I can’t imagine what it must be like to not recognize people even those you know. Her evil stepsister, Parker, enjoys tricking her and being an obnoxious and cruel thorn in Sadie’s side. Boo hiss.

I rooted for Sadie the whole book and found my heart swelling over the support and love that her friend Sue and her parents showed to Sadie. There were some great characters in this book who had Sadie’s back. There were also some that well, should have been there when she needed it most of her life, but weren’t. Boo hiss…

Center pulled on my heartstrings while entertaining me with this rom com which was pure escapism reading. Like her other books, I found this to be a fast read which didn’t disappoint. I was turning the pages wanting to know how things would play out. There were some coincidences in this book that felt a little OTT, but I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the journey that Sadie went on and how things played out. There was a reveal which I didn’t see coming which now, I am kicking myself for not figuring out while reading. Well played, Katherine Center, well played.

While this wasn’t my favorite book by Center (she has so many amazing ones!!), I was still charmed by it and I found this to be very enjoyable, charming, emotion evoking read. It was the perfect escape from everyday life.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.