Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Hello Stranger

By Katherine Center

Genre:

Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Humor

Pages:

336

Release Date:

July 11, 2023

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Synopsis:

Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces.

Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope―and hang onto her artistic dreams―she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That’s when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she’s pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn't want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He’s always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more?

As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places―and people― you least expect.

My Thoughts:

I read the Bodyguard by this author and pretty much read it in one sitting it was so good. When I saw this was "Read Now" on NetGalley I just couldn't help myself.

The plot sounded interesting since she couldn't recognize faces and was falling in love with two men at once. But once I got reading - it seemed like I wasn't reading the right book. I wouldn't consider one of the men she was "falling for" as a real contender. The MC also seemed quite whiney to me. Like just get the head surgery - I think that's a bit more important than an art show. It took me a minute to get into it because the first 100 pages or so were not as good as I expected.

This is definitely a slow burn without any spice. I did like the character of Joe and wanted to see where the relationship was going to go. I did predict what was going to happen in the ending quite early which took some of the fun out of it. But I did think it was a sweet ending. I did wish there was more to the ending with her dad, step-mom, and stepsister.

Overall, this one was a three-star read for me. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. Would I recommend it? Possibly? If you are a non-spice romance reader, give it a chance. It doesn't have the effect that the Bodyguard did on me and was easy to set down - but maybe someone else would enjoy it more than I did.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Center for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.