Hello Stranger

      

Title: Hello Stranger

Author: Katherine Center

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, July 11, 2023

Pages: 325

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life―placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition―the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into―love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?―with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

This was so very interesting. I've heard of face blindness, and I've even had a friend tell me that they have face blindness. But aside from knowing that it was a thing in the world, I didn't know much more about it. The idea that a portrait artist could develop face blindness right before a huge contest is rough. Her chosen career becomes inaccessible to her nearly over night. As you can imagine, the epiphanies do not end there. 

My biggest issue with this book, and the reason it's only a 4-star rating for me, is the main conflict. There are so many to choose from, really. But ultimately, they all boil down to willful miscommunication. Sadie's choice to keep her face blindness a secret from nearly everyone in her life caused a lot of her angst. I understand that she needed time to adjust to this huge life change. I also understand that Sadie had a lot of things in her past that led to her making this choice. 

Which leads to my second biggest issue with the book. Her freaking stepsister. What an actually evil person. I was hoping for a little bit of a character arc for Parker, but she was just straight up evil the entire time. It was WILD. 

But her relationship with Joe was perfection. Well, for the most part. They were so very cute together. Sadie learning to be joyful again after her medical issues was so very fun to read. And her letting Joe in and attempting to draw him was also very fun. Oliver was an exceptional veterinarian. She got some really top notch service there.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5