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alisonreadsitall's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
5.0
This is my second Katherine Center book and I am beyond hooked!! š„° I cannot wait to read the backlog of all her other works.
Sadie's journey with face blindness was so interesting. Her stubbornness kept her from telling people about it, which made her life more difficult than it needed to be. I loved her journey in learning how to trust and lean on others, after a childhood without that luxury.
I don't want to give too much away, but I loved the twists and the background story in this novel. I was so mad about the original elevator scene, but guessed where it was going in the next chapter so I understood the need for it. š I'm a sucker for a redemption ARC. (IYKYK š)
Tropes:
Love Triangle
Forced Proximity
CW: death of a parent, emotional abuse, gaslighting
A big thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my review. My opinions are my own.
Sadie's journey with face blindness was so interesting. Her stubbornness kept her from telling people about it, which made her life more difficult than it needed to be. I loved her journey in learning how to trust and lean on others, after a childhood without that luxury.
I don't want to give too much away, but I loved the twists and the background story in this novel. I was so mad about the original elevator scene, but guessed where it was going in the next chapter so I understood the need for it. š I'm a sucker for a redemption ARC. (IYKYK š)
Tropes:
Love Triangle
Forced Proximity
CW: death of a parent, emotional abuse, gaslighting
A big thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my review. My opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide attempt
kayleigh_reads_romance's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars
0.5 spice
I had no expectations going into this read, I honestly didn't even read the synopsis. I love Katherine Center's books so I knew I wanted to give it a try. I was hooked!!! I finished it in one day, I couldn't put it down.
The face blindness after brain surgery angle was new and refreshing. There is a lot of medical discussion, so if that is a trigger for you than maybe stay away. There is also an EVIL stepsister, who was an extreme bully. While I wasn't a huge fan of the whole Parker storyline, the rest of the book more than made up for it.
I don't give out 5 stars a lot, I have to have really loved the book, and the characters. And this book did it for me. I will be thinking about this book and the ending for a long time and it will definitely be a top recommendation for me!!!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced ebook edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.
0.5 spice
I had no expectations going into this read, I honestly didn't even read the synopsis. I love Katherine Center's books so I knew I wanted to give it a try. I was hooked!!! I finished it in one day, I couldn't put it down.
The face blindness after brain surgery angle was new and refreshing. There is a lot of medical discussion, so if that is a trigger for you than maybe stay away. There is also an EVIL stepsister, who was an extreme bully. While I wasn't a huge fan of the whole Parker storyline, the rest of the book more than made up for it.
I don't give out 5 stars a lot, I have to have really loved the book, and the characters. And this book did it for me. I will be thinking about this book and the ending for a long time and it will definitely be a top recommendation for me!!!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced ebook edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Death of parent, and Bullying
Minor: Suicide attempt and Gaslighting
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
I really enjoyed this one! It reminded me of a twist on Cinderella and I loved the mysterious elements thanks to the face blindness. The Bodyguard was my first Katherine Center book and I loved it so I was nervous going into this one. I really enjoyed this one but it didnāt have as much humor to it as the Bodyguard but it still was really good! This might be one of my favorite new releases of the year! It was nice to read a cleaner romance book too that surprised me along the way - reads like a good mix of romance and womenās fiction. The authorās note was so good too!! Definitely one I would recommend to anyone!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book early!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book early!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Medical content, Bullying, and Chronic illness
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
chemistryreads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Iām not even sure how to express how much I enjoyed this book. Katherine Center writes perfect every time! This book is funny, cute, unexpected, and keeps the reader absolutely hooked the entire time. While I had an idea of how it was going to end, it concluded even better than I expected and I couldnāt stop smiling. The narration was amazing and I was listening to it wherever I went. Highly, highly recommend reading or listening to this! 5āļø, 1š¶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent
sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book let me down! While there were some elements I did enjoy, overall I did not love.
I struggled to find the premise believable and I found Sadie to be way too cartoony and dynamic at all. Also didnāt appreciate the fatphobia miscommunication phone call thing. Even though Joe wasnāt talking about a person, the implication alone kinda sucked and the plot point could have been made in other ways that didnāt include harmful rhetoric like that. I also cannot believe that her love interest who is actually her vet too would be so ok with her not feeding her dog actual dog food. That was so weird.
Also, as a Houstonian, thereās no way anyone would survive living in a shack on a rooftopā¦. I canāt with that!!
That said, I did appreciate learning more about face blindness. I also liked how Sadie figured things out with her Dad and stepmom, and the progress she made in therapy. The stepsister plot line didnāt seem necessary to me, I donāt really understand the point of Parkerās character at all. Brb while I try to find a recipe for the coconut bread though!!
Thanks to St. Martinās Press for an early copy
I struggled to find the premise believable and I found Sadie to be way too cartoony and dynamic at all. Also didnāt appreciate the fatphobia miscommunication phone call thing. Even though Joe wasnāt talking about a person, the implication alone kinda sucked and the plot point could have been made in other ways that didnāt include harmful rhetoric like that. I also cannot believe that her love interest who is actually her vet too would be so ok with her not feeding her dog actual dog food. That was so weird.
Also, as a Houstonian, thereās no way anyone would survive living in a shack on a rooftopā¦. I canāt with that!!
That said, I did appreciate learning more about face blindness. I also liked how Sadie figured things out with her Dad and stepmom, and the progress she made in therapy. The stepsister plot line didnāt seem necessary to me, I donāt really understand the point of Parkerās character at all. Brb while I try to find a recipe for the coconut bread though!!
Thanks to St. Martinās Press for an early copy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, and Bullying
Moderate: Fatphobia and Gaslighting
roget's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
<b> This will be my favorite romcom of the year, probably,</b> and yes, I know Her Royal Majesty Emily Henry is gracing us with <i>Happy Place</i> soon. (Which I am also excited for, but that's a separate review.) I'm that confident in how much I enjoyed this. People like different things in books, and this book pointed its paint-sticky, dog drool-covered finger at me, and said, "Yes, you clumsy, nervous, wounded little optimist. This is OUR time."
Where to begin????
This book is about Sadie, a twenty-something portrait artist struggling to make ends meet in the city. She's determined to honor her late mother's legacy and make it as a painter, to prove herself to her hyper-successful but emotionally distant and disappointed surgeon father. Things are finally looking up when she places in the top ten of a prestigious portrait competition, and Sadie has six weeks to paint a portrait to compete for the grand prize and the recognition it will get her work.
But on the eve of her big break, Sadie discovers that she needs a procedure to correct a cavernoma (malformed blood vessel) in her brain. It's scary, and she'd rather wait until after the contest, but her estranged cardiothoracic surgeon dad talks her into the importance of the procedure, and she goes in to get it done. Only, once in the recovery, she discovers that she's developed an edema (normal swelling from the surgery) near her fusiform face gyrus (the part of the brain that helps you recognize faces and pair them with memories you have with that individual). The long and short of it: Sadie has acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia. Also known as face blindness.
(Note: While I don't have that condition, I believe you can really tell that Center has done a lot of work with people who both study and have prosopagnosia, which she details in the after note, and that work comes through in the book.)
Sadie's healthcare team is optimistic that it will improve, but not certain. In the meantime, Sadie has to sort a way to paint a portrait for the contest in several weeks when she can't recognize the subject matter or fit features together anymore. Throw in the reappearance of her frustrating step-mother, her awful step-sister, and her absent father, along with some issues with her aging dog's health, a sudden, dizzying crush on the new veterinarian, and a blossoming, confusing friendship with a guy in her building, and Sadie's basically up to her eyeballs in "What now."
I
ate
this
up.
I devoured it like strawberry cheesecake with real good crust. Like gooey brownies. Like, I don't even know what. I wrecked my sleep schedule over this UNINTENTIONALLY, and there aren't many romcoms that provoke me to that point anymore.
This was so, so freaking wholesome, and kind, and nuanced. The romance is cozy and warm. You get the experience of <i>knowing</i> that this dude is extremely caring with everyone--that he cares especially about her, too--while you watch Sadie pick up the puzzle pieces to put all of it together. Not just who he is, but how to accept help and to work through her trauma around being "too needy."
Have I seen similar emotional beats in romance novels before? Yes. But this wasn't just pacing out a plot. It was dancing it--full out, thoughtfully weaving elements from Sadie's childhood, ambitions, hopes, and fears into a well-paced and gorgeously written romcom. There were some plot points I predicted, but Center's imaginative and rich storytelling made those moments satisfying, like coming upon a view you knew would be gorgeous after the journey to get there.
I have a lot of quirks with romance, and lately, as someone who reads quite a lot of them, I've been a bit tired of the usual miscommunication/typical third-act breakup plot structure. Often, it feels like the conflict could be more interesting if the characters had room to work past the surface level hiccup and get into the real vulnerability.
But this book really proves that if done well, "predictable" becomes "anticipatory." (Yes, I am referencing the author's note at the end, which I also loved.) It is vulnerable, sweet, and funny. It has such heart. I have an ARC, but I'll be getting a physical copy of this.
I'll stop rambling now, but definitely pick this up if you like dogs and sweet, kind people who care about them.
**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Where to begin????
This book is about Sadie, a twenty-something portrait artist struggling to make ends meet in the city. She's determined to honor her late mother's legacy and make it as a painter, to prove herself to her hyper-successful but emotionally distant and disappointed surgeon father. Things are finally looking up when she places in the top ten of a prestigious portrait competition, and Sadie has six weeks to paint a portrait to compete for the grand prize and the recognition it will get her work.
But on the eve of her big break, Sadie discovers that she needs a procedure to correct a cavernoma (malformed blood vessel) in her brain. It's scary, and she'd rather wait until after the contest, but her estranged cardiothoracic surgeon dad talks her into the importance of the procedure, and she goes in to get it done. Only, once in the recovery, she discovers that she's developed an edema (normal swelling from the surgery) near her fusiform face gyrus (the part of the brain that helps you recognize faces and pair them with memories you have with that individual). The long and short of it: Sadie has acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia. Also known as face blindness.
(Note: While I don't have that condition, I believe you can really tell that Center has done a lot of work with people who both study and have prosopagnosia, which she details in the after note, and that work comes through in the book.)
Sadie's healthcare team is optimistic that it will improve, but not certain. In the meantime, Sadie has to sort a way to paint a portrait for the contest in several weeks when she can't recognize the subject matter or fit features together anymore. Throw in the reappearance of her frustrating step-mother, her awful step-sister, and her absent father, along with some issues with her aging dog's health, a sudden, dizzying crush on the new veterinarian, and a blossoming, confusing friendship with a guy in her building, and Sadie's basically up to her eyeballs in "What now."
I
ate
this
up.
I devoured it like strawberry cheesecake with real good crust. Like gooey brownies. Like, I don't even know what. I wrecked my sleep schedule over this UNINTENTIONALLY, and there aren't many romcoms that provoke me to that point anymore.
This was so, so freaking wholesome, and kind, and nuanced. The romance is cozy and warm. You get the experience of <i>knowing</i> that this dude is extremely caring with everyone--that he cares especially about her, too--while you watch Sadie pick up the puzzle pieces to put all of it together. Not just who he is, but how to accept help and to work through her trauma around being "too needy."
Have I seen similar emotional beats in romance novels before? Yes. But this wasn't just pacing out a plot. It was dancing it--full out, thoughtfully weaving elements from Sadie's childhood, ambitions, hopes, and fears into a well-paced and gorgeously written romcom. There were some plot points I predicted, but Center's imaginative and rich storytelling made those moments satisfying, like coming upon a view you knew would be gorgeous after the journey to get there.
I have a lot of quirks with romance, and lately, as someone who reads quite a lot of them, I've been a bit tired of the usual miscommunication/typical third-act breakup plot structure. Often, it feels like the conflict could be more interesting if the characters had room to work past the surface level hiccup and get into the real vulnerability.
But this book really proves that if done well, "predictable" becomes "anticipatory." (Yes, I am referencing the author's note at the end, which I also loved.) It is vulnerable, sweet, and funny. It has such heart. I have an ARC, but I'll be getting a physical copy of this.
I'll stop rambling now, but definitely pick this up if you like dogs and sweet, kind people who care about them.
**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Medical trauma, Bullying, Medical content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Brief flashback to child neglect. Body Shaming is not as it seems:readwithria's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Hello Stranger is the fifth book by Katherine Center that Iāve read, and itās definitely my favorite!
Was this book predictable? Yes. Did I care? Not šš» at šš» all šš» As the authorās not at the end of the book says, itās the ~anticipation~ that matters, and this book had a lot of it.
I loved seeing all of Sadieās relationships change. I loved her cute little dog. I loved the exploration of art as healing, and highly related to Sadie trying to create while not at her best. Also, can we get a round of applause for Joe please?? The man is definitely book boyfriend material.
The only thing I didnāt love was how long it took Sadie to open up. However, the resolution felt realistic, and that really made the end of the book sparkle.
Katherine Center never misses, and this is no exception. 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Was this book predictable? Yes. Did I care? Not šš» at šš» all šš» As the authorās not at the end of the book says, itās the ~anticipation~ that matters, and this book had a lot of it.
I loved seeing all of Sadieās relationships change. I loved her cute little dog. I loved the exploration of art as healing, and highly related to Sadie trying to create while not at her best. Also, can we get a round of applause for Joe please?? The man is definitely book boyfriend material.
The only thing I didnāt love was how long it took Sadie to open up. However, the resolution felt realistic, and that really made the end of the book sparkle.
Katherine Center never misses, and this is no exception. 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Bullying
Minor: Suicide attempt
bubbasgotbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
ARC receive from NetGalley.
Iāll start by saying the concept of the plot in this book is unique, which is sometimes hard to find! I enjoyed the MC and found her growth throughout the story interesting. The big twist was pretty obvious but that didnāt make it less fun. The thing I most had a hard time with was the unrealistic character in the MCās stepsister. It was so outlandish that it took me out of the story. I would still recommend this book to fans of Katherine Centerās other books!
Iāll start by saying the concept of the plot in this book is unique, which is sometimes hard to find! I enjoyed the MC and found her growth throughout the story interesting. The big twist was pretty obvious but that didnāt make it less fun. The thing I most had a hard time with was the unrealistic character in the MCās stepsister. It was so outlandish that it took me out of the story. I would still recommend this book to fans of Katherine Centerās other books!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Bullying and Suicide attempt
dixiecarroll's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review. This was a solid 3-3.5 read. Iāll start by saying that I will still recommend and with it only taking me a few hours, I think it will be a favorite for many. I really loved The Bodyguard and was expecting something similar, but this was a bit too much of a highly unbelievable teenage fantasy for me.
Let me explainā¦ a woman experiences a very rare brain disorder causing face blindness - thatās not the part I found unbelievable - I found this interesting and refreshing (if not similar to several hallmark movies). The part I found unbelievable and teenage was that she actually has an evil stepsister who supposedly framed her for wild suicide-inducing bullying getting her kicked out of school and shipped away to boarding schoolā¦ and then that evil stepsister follows her around and continues to make her life miserable (yes she moves into the building she lives in and purposely fucks with her since she canāt recognize her). Anyway that part of the story is forgettable to me so I donāt feel bad sharing it now - she gets her moment at the end with her bully being publicly shamed.
I literally think that entire plot should be removed as it was so insane to read. The high stakes of the main plot are more interesting and very twisty in their own way!
Ultimately a 4 star read, but pushed down to 3 stars because of that insane stepsister. The romance was fun and the facial blindness was very interesting - those parts were very compelling!
Let me explainā¦ a woman experiences a very rare brain disorder causing face blindness - thatās not the part I found unbelievable - I found this interesting and refreshing (if not similar to several hallmark movies). The part I found unbelievable and teenage was that she actually has an evil stepsister who supposedly framed her for wild suicide-inducing bullying getting her kicked out of school and shipped away to boarding schoolā¦ and then that evil stepsister follows her around and continues to make her life miserable (yes she moves into the building she lives in and purposely fucks with her since she canāt recognize her). Anyway that part of the story is forgettable to me so I donāt feel bad sharing it now - she gets her moment at the end with her bully being publicly shamed.
I literally think that entire plot should be removed as it was so insane to read. The high stakes of the main plot are more interesting and very twisty in their own way!
Ultimately a 4 star read, but pushed down to 3 stars because of that insane stepsister. The romance was fun and the facial blindness was very interesting - those parts were very compelling!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Fatphobia, Ableism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death of parent, and Grief
cc_shelflove's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martinās Press for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH! When I tell you that I had ZERO expectations for this novel, that is the truth. Centerās last book, The Bodyguard, was straight trash. Weāre just gonna pretend that book isnāt in her catalog, because this bookā¦ THIS BOOK!!!!! Wow. I noticed quite a few plot holes throughout but the ending was magnificently glorious. I really did not see it coming at all. This is not a story of strong relationships with others but rather the fact that your relationship with yourself should always come first. Once you reflect, and maybe even start to ask for a little help, things will always get better. I read this early, and I canāt wait for its release so I can talk about it with everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Car accident, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Fatphobia and Body shaming