Hello Stranger - Katherine Center

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 with every face she sees.

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 into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing. (link)

Review: 1/5

I’m going to preview this review with a warning: I am angry and hate this book. I think this was legitimately the worst romance I have ever read, and the most predictable story I have ingested, albeit a cute idea in theory. And that’s the most disappointing part of all; how are you going to have such a cute idea and butcher it? This could have been done so well by another writer, yet it seems almost selfish to hog it and want to do it yourself… and do it poorly.

The consistent theme of redemption and self-proving was annoying; Sadie’s constant need for external validation was exhausting as the reader; it felt like the author’s self-insert fanfic where she’s finally proving everyone wrong.

I was also disappointed by the “romance” tag as the romance didn’t start until half-way through. BORING! The only romance up to the half-way point was her creepy and annoying obsession with this “prince charming” that she interacted with ONCE! One interaction with this stranger and Sadie is legitimately basing her life decisions off a man she doesn’t know the name of… Can’t say I’m any different, but I do hate myself so it only makes sense to hate someone for being the same as me.

How did she not recognize the similarity of the vet and the neighbor's voice? Why didn’t he ask her how her dog was when he saw her multiple times in their building? How did she “fall in love” with this character, yet not recognize it was the same man as her vet? And she would recognize him when they were in the building? Boo.

As stated in many other reviews for this book, Sadie is chronically rude and thinks she is the center of the universe - everything revolves and happens because of her! I know technically she’s the main character of this book, but how does that equate to someone being so selfish and unsympathetic towards her family and friends… even her (two) love interest(s)? It also seems like Sadie was trying to be a cheap rip-off of Jessica Day from New Girl… the twee pink polka dot dress paired with painting and roller skates in the Big Apple™ was just too much for me; and this was published in 2023… 10 years too late for this manic-pixie-dream-girl nonsense.

I hated this book, so that’s it for now. Cue the cheesy music that I liked when I was 13 (because I probably would’ve liked this when I was 13!)

Spotify: LINK