Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Release Date: July 11, 2023
Order Link: Amazon
4 Hearts
Special thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book.
Review:
Like her late mother, Sadie Montgomery is an artist - a "starving artist". Her specialty is Norman Rockwell style portraits and while she's struggling to earn recognition, she works hard at her craft. After learning her work has earned her a coveted top ten spot in the same competition her mother had placed in, Sadie is excited to start on the portrait she'll enter in the contest. This is it . . . this is her big chance. The only fly in the ointment is the discovery she needs surgery that can't wait. She has six weeks until the show so no problem, right? When Sadie awakens from surgery, it quickly becomes apparent that she can't identity the faces of those around her. Her doctors explain she has "acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia aka face blindness", but not to worry. It will resolve itself shortly; however, days pass without any improvement in her condition. Meantime an emergency trip to the vet with her dog Peanut proves interesting as she feels an immediate mutual attraction with the new vet who soon asks her out. Embarrassed over her condition, she stays silent about the fact she can't tell what his face looks like and accepts his invitation. And just like that, Sadie has made the decision to keep her face blindness to herself, telling no one. She learns to cope and identity people in other ways - like by clothes they routinely wear, etc. Her annoying neighbor Joe proves to be quite helpful when she needs a hand, and in spite of herself, she has to admit there's also a budding attraction between them. So here she is - a couple of weeks until the portrait contest, a contest she knows could change her life and she can't paint. If that's not enough, she finds herself falling for two men . . . and she doesn't know what either of them looks like. What's she going to do?
Hello Stranger is a highly entertaining, light hearted romance with heavy underlying subject matter. I've never heard of face blindness, but can imagine it would be quite terrifying for anyone - let alone someone who depends on "seeing" faces for their career. Through Sadie's struggles with the issue, readers learn more about neurological disorders and available coping skills one can utilize. Center does a fantastic job with character development and plot twists while setting a steadily increasing pace and hopeful tone. A healthy dose of laughter and an emerging love affair (or two) make this one a delight to read even as Sadie is faced with deciding which of the two men vying for her attention she'll choose. Never a fan of love triangles, I was concerned going in as to how this would play out. It took me until near the end to see what was happening and while it's not completely believable, it makes for a highly entertaining read. Fans of romance and rom coms will enjoy this one.
Synopsis:
Sadie Montgomery 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.
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.
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