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ida's review against another edition
Massive fat shaming in the beginning from what might be/might not be the main male love interest. And the fact that I'm not invested enough to stick around and find out, really says it all. Not as engaging as The Bodyguard. Might be a slow burn read, but I just don't love it enough to give it the time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
amandaboyer's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse
milesandmiles's review
3.0
I liked so much about this book, Center writes her characters' emotions so you get swept up in them and the love interest ends up being sweet. But there are 3 themes that she really, really needs to give up in her books:
1) Workplace romances - Do not hit on your clients, service providers or coworkers. Seriously, it's in almost every one of her books. These dynamics are so much more likely to be problematic it really shouldn't be a consistent plot point.
2) Toxic family behaviors hide how much they love you! - I lost track of how many times our main character said no to her family and they just ignored her. But we're expected to believe that if you have enough empathy for them they're not so bad after all and maybe even know best! And having empathy for the people who consistently were awful to you is like the most admirable character trait.
3) Horrible, horrible things happen to our main characters but no one ever holds space for them or really listens - In this case, the bff keeps forgetting the the medical disaster that requires hospitalization, surgery, likely loss of career and a possible permanent disability. The family is worse. It's like Center believes that unless it's from the good graces of a man who will marry you, women need to be an island with their bad feelings and never truly grieve or they'll be sad sacks forever. That you need badgering and continuous tough love or false cheer to make progress.
1) Workplace romances - Do not hit on your clients, service providers or coworkers. Seriously, it's in almost every one of her books. These dynamics are so much more likely to be problematic it really shouldn't be a consistent plot point.
2) Toxic family behaviors hide how much they love you! - I lost track of how many times our main character said no to her family and they just ignored her. But we're expected to believe that if you have enough empathy for them they're not so bad after all and maybe even know best! And having empathy for the people who consistently were awful to you is like the most admirable character trait.
3) Horrible, horrible things happen to our main characters but no one ever holds space for them or really listens - In this case, the bff keeps forgetting the the medical disaster that requires hospitalization, surgery, likely loss of career and a possible permanent disability. The family is worse. It's like Center believes that unless it's from the good graces of a man who will marry you, women need to be an island with their bad feelings and never truly grieve or they'll be sad sacks forever. That you need badgering and continuous tough love or false cheer to make progress.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fatphobia
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I really liked The Bodyguard and was really excited to read another Katherine Center book. That is why I am so genuinely confused by this book.
Disclaimer: Nothing in this review is too spoilery, but I do toe the line because I couldn’t fully express my feelings without that.
I can sum up this book in one sentence: There once was this really dumb girl named Sadie. When Destiny Sidwell called her “delulu,” she was so right! Forget her facial blindness, the girl was objectively dumb, even at the beginning. She seemed to go through the story making the worst decisions possible. Why choose a career you actually like when you can be a starving artist who doesn’t really like art that much? Why tell someone about your newly acquired disability when you could simply not, even though it would make your life so much easier? The only person who gave her stupidity a run for her money was her best friend, who upon hearing that she couldn’t recognize anyone’s face to the point of being fooled by her “evil stepsister” (more on that later), decided that she should throw an impromptu surprise party without even checking to see if Sadie was home.
Another thing about Sadie herself: she’s so incredibly annoying. Like yeah, she’s objectively had a rough life, but that doesn’t give her an excuse to judge people based on nothing but appearance (which she does multiple times) and to ignore people she deems lower than herself. Also, WHAT’S WITH HER DOG FOOD?!? Who in their right mind thinks that it’s okay to feed their dog food that’s even considered unhealthy for humans just because her dog is “a foodie”?!?! Also, WHY IS HER VET SO CHILL ABOUT IT?!? Yeah, he says it’s a bad idea, but he doesn’t actually say that she needs to stop,
Now onto the “evil” stepsister and stepmother. While I completely agree with Parker is evil, she is unrealistically evil. Seriously no one noticed that she was awful?!? Like, no teacher pointed out that the thing that Parker pinned on Sadie sounded more like something Parker would do?!? Also, WHAT 15 YEAR OLD DOES ALL OF THAT STUFF JUST TO GET SADIE KICKED OUT?!? And why did even Sadie’s dad side with Parker?!? Even when that was “resolved,” I still felt very unresolved about the whole thing.
Now onto the actual point of the book: the romance. I thought that the main romance itself was the best (and only good part) of the novel. The tension was good and the few kissing scenes we got were really cute and sweet. But honestly? Every guy in this book deserves better than Sadie.
Finally: the plot twist. I saw it coming from a mile away. I figured it out at the 40% point and I actually now, upon reflection, think that I probably should have figured it out sooner. It annoyed me that it even happened in the first place! If this book would have taken place over a couple of days, okay, maybe I could see it, but six weeks?!? I’m hard of hearing and I bet even I’d know what was going on if I had facial blindness too…
Overall, I’m extremely disappointed, but I also haven’t had the opportunity to rant about a book to this extent in a long time, so that’s fun, I guess? Honestly, my favorite part of the book ended up being the author’s note at the end. If only that had been like the entire novel. I will read more Katherine Center books in the future because this book was well-written, I appreciated the acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia representation, and I truly enjoyed The Bodyguard, but this book was not it.
One last thing: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HATE MISCOMMUNICATION, GETTING SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT, OR PEOPLE BEING DENSE FOR NO GOOD REASON.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Katherine Center for providing me access to this book. I’m sorry…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Grief, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.25
Finished reading: September 5th 2023
"We’re all just doing the best we can. We’re all struggling with our struggles. Nobody has the answers. And everybody, deep down, is a little bit lost."
I'm not sure what went wrong here to be honest. I tend to enjoy her work, and I fully expected to love Hello Stranger after reading the blurb. I've read books with a face blindness element before, and it's a topic that has always intrigued me. I fully expected this book to become a new favorite, but somehow I ended up having mixed thoughts instead... This probably mainly has to do with the main character Sadie; there was something about her that simply didn't work for me. She was just too immature and negative, and I was never able to warm up to her completely... In fact, I liked most of the other characters a lot more! There were also too many cliches incorporated if you ask me. The whole evil stepmother and evil stepsister was just taking things a step too far; especially Parker didn't add anything substantial to the story other than annoying the hell out of me. I also saw the big 'twist' coming from a mile away, which was a bit of a disappointment as I kept hoping I was wrong. That said, I can't deny that it was still a very readable story though... And I did fly though it despite those issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Car accident, Death of parent, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Bullying, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, and Fatphobia
vj_thompson's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved everything about this book; from the first page to the author’s note. PLEASE read the author’s note. It made me fall more in love with Katherine Center’s books 💕
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Bullying, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief, Body shaming, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, and Fatphobia
Minor: Suicide attempt and Alcoholism
kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Title: Hello Stranger
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
I received a complimentary ALC of this book from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Entertaining • Outlandish • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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.
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 in love—not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Hello Stranger was among my most anticipated releases for 2023, yet it was also the one I was the most unsure about. Katherine Center quickly became a favourite after reading Things You Save in a Fire. But I also wasn't a fan of her 2022 release The Bodyguard, which contributed to my apprehension. Regardless, I dove it shortly after publication, and it turned out my gut feeling was right.
To me, this novel reads more like a rom-com intended for film. The evil step-sister side plot felt outlandish. She was just absolutely awful! As a non-violent person, the fact I wanted to punch her in the face throughout the entire thing, speaks to just how terrible of a person she was. There was also a scene of one character appearing to describe a sexual encounter with a plus-size woman in a derogatory manner that was absolutely unnecessary and harmful. It stopped me in my tracks and I just couldn't believe it made it through editing. It's as though the author was going for shock and the silliest things she could come up with. Throughout reading there was a lot of eye-rolling and the execution just felt silly.
It was a quick read, and the premise had so much potential (focusing on what has become Center's go-to protagonist - a young single woman navigating a tragic pivot). Both of the main characters felt genuine and likeable, but as I've mentioned it was everything else that really ruined it for me. The audio narrated by Patti Murin was fine with good pacing and dictation, but again the story just took away from my enjoyment.
I am sad to say Hello Stranger was a dud for me. It along with The Bodyguard require the reader to suspend belief with such outlandish ideas. I am disappointed that Center has moved away from her signature depth, which is what originally made me love her work. It's clear she's going for more of a fun factor and that just jive with me. With that said, I will likely still give her another shot.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the love triangle trope
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The more good things you look for, the more you find."
"And the idea that anything could just disappear at any moment is something you suddenly understand in a whole new way."
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
I received a complimentary ALC of this book from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Entertaining • Outlandish • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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.
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 in love—not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Hello Stranger was among my most anticipated releases for 2023, yet it was also the one I was the most unsure about. Katherine Center quickly became a favourite after reading Things You Save in a Fire. But I also wasn't a fan of her 2022 release The Bodyguard, which contributed to my apprehension. Regardless, I dove it shortly after publication, and it turned out my gut feeling was right.
To me, this novel reads more like a rom-com intended for film. The evil step-sister side plot felt outlandish. She was just absolutely awful! As a non-violent person, the fact I wanted to punch her in the face throughout the entire thing, speaks to just how terrible of a person she was. There was also a scene of one character appearing to describe a sexual encounter with a plus-size woman in a derogatory manner that was absolutely unnecessary and harmful. It stopped me in my tracks and I just couldn't believe it made it through editing. It's as though the author was going for shock and the silliest things she could come up with. Throughout reading there was a lot of eye-rolling and the execution just felt silly.
It was a quick read, and the premise had so much potential (focusing on what has become Center's go-to protagonist - a young single woman navigating a tragic pivot). Both of the main characters felt genuine and likeable, but as I've mentioned it was everything else that really ruined it for me. The audio narrated by Patti Murin was fine with good pacing and dictation, but again the story just took away from my enjoyment.
I am sad to say Hello Stranger was a dud for me. It along with The Bodyguard require the reader to suspend belief with such outlandish ideas. I am disappointed that Center has moved away from her signature depth, which is what originally made me love her work. It's clear she's going for more of a fun factor and that just jive with me. With that said, I will likely still give her another shot.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the love triangle trope
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The more good things you look for, the more you find."
"And the idea that anything could just disappear at any moment is something you suddenly understand in a whole new way."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Bullying
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Abandonment, and Body shaming
Minor: Suicide attempt
emmas_bookshelf's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Fatphobia
claireinhart's review
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Big TW for fat phobia early in the book butgaby_readsss's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I was so excited to read this book and I’m so happy I got to read it ahead of its official release.
This book was great! Something about Katherine Center’s writing style makes reading a delight and it feels like you’re not even reading. I was swept into the story and turning the pages so fast, trying to get to the happy ending as soon as possible.
This book has depth and emotion, but it’s also funny and witty. I found the storyline to be very creative, specially for a romance book. Sadie is a character who I think we can all relate to in some ways. Seeing her find her own identity and also fall in love while doing it, was so satisfying. I laughed, smiled, and simply had a fun time reading this book.
I guess I wasn’t that surprised to see how things turned out, but is that so important when reading a romance book? To me, already knowing the “twist” didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the reveal. Getting to that “Aha!” moment was just as exciting and adorable.
I definitely want to reread this in the future with the knowledge I have now.
That’s the fun thing of books you love. You can always relive them, but it’s a totally new experience because you see things in a different light and see things you might have missed the first time you read it.
I totally recommend this book to all my romance book lovers! <3
I was so excited to read this book and I’m so happy I got to read it ahead of its official release.
This book was great! Something about Katherine Center’s writing style makes reading a delight and it feels like you’re not even reading. I was swept into the story and turning the pages so fast, trying to get to the happy ending as soon as possible.
This book has depth and emotion, but it’s also funny and witty. I found the storyline to be very creative, specially for a romance book. Sadie is a character who I think we can all relate to in some ways. Seeing her find her own identity and also fall in love while doing it, was so satisfying. I laughed, smiled, and simply had a fun time reading this book.
I guess I wasn’t that surprised to see how things turned out, but is that so important when reading a romance book? To me, already knowing the “twist” didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the reveal. Getting to that “Aha!” moment was just as exciting and adorable.
I definitely want to reread this in the future with the knowledge I have now.
That’s the fun thing of books you love. You can always relive them, but it’s a totally new experience because you see things in a different light and see things you might have missed the first time you read it.
I totally recommend this book to all my romance book lovers! <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Fatphobia