Hello Stranger: A Novel
The glorious novel from the beloved author whose bright, hopelessly romantic New York Times bestsellers have been called “My perfect 10 of a book” (Emily Henry) and cheered for their “speedy pacing and sexual tension for miles” (People).
Love may be blind. But what if . . . what you see isn't what you get?
It’s all starting to come together for struggling artist Sadie Montgomery. She was just named a finalist in the national portrait competition of her dreams. But when she winds up with a rare, but real, condition where human faces look like jumbled puzzle pieces . . . it is, to say the least, not good.
With only a few weeks to paint the best portrait of her entire life, Sadie will do anything to reverse her condition and get back to work, but it’s anyone’s guess when (or even if) that'll happen.
Enter her dog’s charming veterinarian (who may or may not be Sadie’s daydream fiancé), and her bowling-jacket-wearing, Vespa-riding neighbor (who she can’t seem to stay away from)—both vying for her attention and adding to the chaos.
It’s a lot, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Because the truth is, seeing the world differently has its upsides. And love has an undeniable way of giving us courage. And the best way of looking is always, always with the heart.
"With its emphasis on its central character, combined with its “swoony” romance, “Hello Stranger” is a hit. Sadie is everything you could want in a protagonist — the right amount of quirky, sunshiney and stubborn, and the men she’s in love with are equally fascinating. All the side characters provide humor and comfort, and even those characters who you aren’t really supposed to like are annoyingly intriguing and captivating. Center created a brilliant cast of characters, set to a plot that’s sure to keep you reading." --Michigan Daily
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Community Reviews
Sadie is an artist who has just been chosen as a top ten finalist in a very competitive art competition. She was one of the ten chosen out of 2000 entries so it's kind of a big deal - this could make or break her career. Upon venturing home from the grocery store one morning, Sadie has an unexpected seizure in the middle of the road and is saved by a good Samaritan who then calls 911 to have her sent to the hospital. Upon her hospital admission and a barrage of testing, Sadie has an enlarged blood vessel that needs to be operated on sooner rather than later. Obviously, Sadie is totally against this because she only has six weeks to complete her painting for the competition. She decides to have the operation basically by the force of her father who happens to be an MD. Sadie's surgery goes incredibly well and she's the poster child for healing after brain surgery... until she realizes that she can't see faces. Well, she can... but they are all out of order, kind of like a puzzle. Why is this a problem? Well, for obvious reasons of recognizing people, but also... Sadie is a portrait artist. Her piece for her competition must be a portrait and well, that requires her to be able to see one's face...
I loved this title. Was it predictable in a sense? Absolutely. Did that take away my enjoyment of reading? Absolutely not. The way it was done was perfection. I also learned something new because I totally didn't even know this disorder existed! I loved the happy ending and all the routes we took to get there. Well done, Katherine Center! This was my first book by her, but it surely won't be my last.
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