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thebigq's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Cartoonishly evil step mother and sister aside, the characters felt like real people. Sadie's refusal of help got irritating. So did her refusal to tell anyone about her face blindness. And Parker? How can someone suck that much? Not as strong as the Bodyguard but a quick, delightful read. Center's mini essay about how romance fiction makes us lean towards positive tension was also great addition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content
alihreads's review
Thank you NetGalley and st martins press for giving me this arc. I love Katherine’s writing . She writes wonderfully stories with characters you love without the spice. Maybe a 1 on spice scale only 2 kisses in the whole book. This book has a different turn than the others I have read by her . The fmc has a blood vessel in her brain that needs to be operated on . She gets the surgery but than has swelling that causes her to have a particular vision issue that messes with her ability to identify people .
She is an artist and was chosen for a contest for her portrait ability but now she has a limited time frame to create a new portrait for the contest and it needs to be a portrait of a live subject.
She tries some new ways to create the art due to her vision issues but they don’t work 100% . She is able to improve slowly but her impairment greatly hinders her ability to make her art. We see her slowly heal and the trial and tribulations she must go through to navigate her new life
There are two mmc joe who lives in her building who she recognizes from his vintage bowling jacket and dr addition her vet as he has a more professional aura and wears his lab coat.
I loved how to the story progressed. We learn how her mother died and her stained relationship with her father. Her step mother and step sister and the toxic relationship their . The guilt her father feels about the death and how they both deal with the death of the woman they loved.
Parker (step sister) has lashed out from the beginning but after a surprise even we learn more about Parker and why she is the way she is.
Triggers: toxic family
, parent death, face blindness
She is an artist and was chosen for a contest for her portrait ability but now she has a limited time frame to create a new portrait for the contest and it needs to be a portrait of a live subject.
She tries some new ways to create the art due to her vision issues but they don’t work 100% . She is able to improve slowly but her impairment greatly hinders her ability to make her art. We see her slowly heal and the trial and tribulations she must go through to navigate her new life
There are two mmc joe who lives in her building who she recognizes from his vintage bowling jacket and dr addition her vet as he has a more professional aura and wears his lab coat.
I loved how to the story progressed. We learn how her mother died and her stained relationship with her father. Her step mother and step sister and the toxic relationship their . The guilt her father feels about the death and how they both deal with the death of the woman they loved.
Parker (step sister) has lashed out from the beginning but after a surprise even we learn more about Parker and why she is the way she is.
Triggers: toxic family
, parent death, face blindness
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
greatestheights's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Grief
brookishbrunette's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
momma_needs_to_read's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was such a different kind of romance. The plot was so different and very captivating. I didn’t even know that face blindness was a thing until reading this. It’s so interesting and I honestly couldn’t imagine developing that. Especially for the main character, who is a portrait artist. Sadie has been having such a tough time, and has struggled since she lost her mother. Every time something good happens, it always seems to be followed by more bad things. It’s a very down on your luck type story. The romance aspect doesn’t really start until later in the book, which was fine because the story and Sadie's development through the story was really good and interesting. But a major twist with Joe. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it, but when I started to piece everything together and then that final confirmation of it all, I couldn’t help but laugh. Probably the funniest miscommunication/misunderstanding I’ve ever read. The fact that Katherine Center was able to kind of give off a “blindness” like Sadie’s to the readers about some of the characters before the big reveal was amazing and so well done.
This was also a very emotional story. Anytime Sadie reflected on her mother, their relationship and her struggles since her passing, my heart broke. A definitely cried several times through this book. Also, Sadie's evil stepsister is probably one of my most hated characters of all time. She is awful!
I have a couple of Katherine Center books, but this was the first one I’ve read and I really really liked it! I love her style of writing and her ability to bring the emotions to life through her words. I can’t wait to read more of her books.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review
This was also a very emotional story. Anytime Sadie reflected on her mother, their relationship and her struggles since her passing, my heart broke. A definitely cried several times through this book. Also, Sadie's evil stepsister is probably one of my most hated characters of all time. She is awful!
I have a couple of Katherine Center books, but this was the first one I’ve read and I really really liked it! I love her style of writing and her ability to bring the emotions to life through her words. I can’t wait to read more of her books.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide attempt
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Taylor swift songs: “I think he knows”, “labyrinth”
Age rating: 13+ (closed door/not steamy)
*EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE!! IT’S AMAZING OH MY GOSH!!*
Check TW!
This is quite different from her other romance book, “the Bodyguard”, but I heavily related to it!! It was really great!! Also the concept was super intriguing: what does a portrait painter do when they suddenly can’t see faces anymore? Brilliant!
Like the main character, I have experienced a sudden illness/issue (severe Rheumatoid Arthritis) that basically derailed my life. I related SO MUCH to Sadie’s determination to not tell people, because she doesn’t want them to see her as needy/a burden, or see her any differently. To someone who hasn’t experienced that, I don’t think they would fully get it, but the people who get it, GET IT!
The illness, acquired face blindness (Prosopagnosia), was so well researched and explained!! Additionally, in the acknowledgements, Katherine Center explains that all of the characters of color, specifically Sue (Korean) and her doctor (from Trinidad) were well researched and based on people Center knew in real life! We love to see it!!
This was an overall fun book with really cute romance, but I loved the depth that is brought in with the grief and coping that comes with a sudden onset illness that disrupts your life! I would very much recommend this book to anyone, especially if they want to understand the thoughts and motivations behind people who have chronic illnesses and try to hide it or try not to ask for help.
I did feel like this was leaning a little towards Women’s Fiction with Romance rather than strictly romance (since it deals mostly with the character growth of Sadie and her coping and dealing with her face blindness) but the romance elements were great!
Great job, again, Katherine Center!! She is an auto-buy author for me!
TW: an instance of fat phobia, which is later cleared up as he was talking about a dog, not a person (but it still bothered me)
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Age rating: 13+ (closed door/not steamy)
*EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE!! IT’S AMAZING OH MY GOSH!!*
Check TW!
This is quite different from her other romance book, “the Bodyguard”, but I heavily related to it!! It was really great!! Also the concept was super intriguing: what does a portrait painter do when they suddenly can’t see faces anymore? Brilliant!
Like the main character, I have experienced a sudden illness/issue (severe Rheumatoid Arthritis) that basically derailed my life. I related SO MUCH to Sadie’s determination to not tell people, because she doesn’t want them to see her as needy/a burden, or see her any differently. To someone who hasn’t experienced that, I don’t think they would fully get it, but the people who get it, GET IT!
The illness, acquired face blindness (Prosopagnosia), was so well researched and explained!! Additionally, in the acknowledgements, Katherine Center explains that all of the characters of color, specifically Sue (Korean) and her doctor (from Trinidad) were well researched and based on people Center knew in real life! We love to see it!!
This was an overall fun book with really cute romance, but I loved the depth that is brought in with the grief and coping that comes with a sudden onset illness that disrupts your life! I would very much recommend this book to anyone, especially if they want to understand the thoughts and motivations behind people who have chronic illnesses and try to hide it or try not to ask for help.
I did feel like this was leaning a little towards Women’s Fiction with Romance rather than strictly romance (since it deals mostly with the character growth of Sadie and her coping and dealing with her face blindness) but the romance elements were great!
Great job, again, Katherine Center!! She is an auto-buy author for me!
TW: an instance of fat phobia, which is later cleared up as he was talking about a dog, not a person (but it still bothered me)
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Minor: Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
felicityvaughn's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, and Suicide attempt
momsmagicreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I only fell in love with reading romance about a year ago. It was my "Hello, Stranger" moment, if you will. Romantic relationships were a part of the books I'd been reading, but not the focus. And then I found some authors that made the pieces fall right into place for me. I've discovered Katherine Center's work relatively recently, and perhaps you can imagine my delight when reading the Author's Note in Hello Stranger and discovering that Center also had a similarly-timed, surprising, and delightful fall-in-love-with-romance moment. Oh, do I ever love a sense of connection with an author!
I also love a sense of connection with a character, and Sadie Montgomery's sassy independence, quirkiness, and self-deprecating humor was charming, though tinged with a bit of sadness. She is a portrait artist who, due to an unusual medical issue, is now living with a condition commonly known as face blindness - but that's not where the story begins. She has had a very strained relationship with her family since the death of her mother, which left her determined to succeed on her own - but also lonely. Her best friend, Sue, balances out what Sadie views as her shortcomings - Sue is cheerful, outgoing, and has a loving family who has welcomed Sadie in as if she's one of their own. And occasionally a "generic white male" appears in Sadie's life, for better or for worse. *Cue the somewhat obscured romantic storyline that makes you simultaneously crave reaching the end of the book to figure it all out but also wanting the sweet, slow burn to last forever* Does Sadie make mistakes? Absolutely! Some she can see coming and some she can't (but perhaps you, dear reader, can!). And we see that sometimes a serendipitous moment can change everything.
Katherine Center has created endearing characters in Sadie, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, and Joe; love-to-hate them characters in Dr. Montgomery, Lucinda, and Parker; and the best cheering squad you can imagine in Sue, Dr. Nicole, and Augusta. Her writing evokes a wide range of feelings; I laughed, wept inwardly, and had several a-ha! moments that would have been visible on my face to anyone nearby. Hello Stranger is a masterpiece of what Center explains to us (in her Author's Note) is a "positively valanced" novel, and I look forward - with great anticipation - to what she has in store for us next.
I also love a sense of connection with a character, and Sadie Montgomery's sassy independence, quirkiness, and self-deprecating humor was charming, though tinged with a bit of sadness. She is a portrait artist who, due to an unusual medical issue, is now living with a condition commonly known as face blindness - but that's not where the story begins. She has had a very strained relationship with her family since the death of her mother, which left her determined to succeed on her own - but also lonely. Her best friend, Sue, balances out what Sadie views as her shortcomings - Sue is cheerful, outgoing, and has a loving family who has welcomed Sadie in as if she's one of their own. And occasionally a "generic white male" appears in Sadie's life, for better or for worse. *Cue the somewhat obscured romantic storyline that makes you simultaneously crave reaching the end of the book to figure it all out but also wanting the sweet, slow burn to last forever* Does Sadie make mistakes? Absolutely! Some she can see coming and some she can't (but perhaps you, dear reader, can!). And we see that sometimes a serendipitous moment can change everything.
Katherine Center has created endearing characters in Sadie, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, and Joe; love-to-hate them characters in Dr. Montgomery, Lucinda, and Parker; and the best cheering squad you can imagine in Sue, Dr. Nicole, and Augusta. Her writing evokes a wide range of feelings; I laughed, wept inwardly, and had several a-ha! moments that would have been visible on my face to anyone nearby. Hello Stranger is a masterpiece of what Center explains to us (in her Author's Note) is a "positively valanced" novel, and I look forward - with great anticipation - to what she has in store for us next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Grief, Medical content, and Death of parent
louisekf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent and Bullying
stephalee4's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content