Hello Stranger | ARC Review

Sadie Montogmery 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.

I did not like this book at all. This is my first book by this author, but I was so looking forward to it based on how much praise her other books have received.

I was unsure how the author was going to go about the whole face-blind plot, but it was actually well done. It was done through a medical condition that sounded well-researched and well-explained in the book. It makes so much sense for the plot and so I was happy about that.

About 30% into this book it felt like there was still no romance happening. I thought this was supposed to be a contemporary romance book so it felt like things should have been progressing in the romance area by this point. Now, I’m all for other plots happening and having the romance follow along, but still.

There’s something young and almost immature about the writing. Our main character, Sadie, sounds way younger than she actually is. The way she thinks and most times how she acts doesn’t line up with what she’s trying to achieve in life and at her age. I don’t even feel like the author was trying to write an immature-sounding character, but that’s how she comes off.

Along the same lines, one of the characters, Sadie’s stepsister Parker, was not well written. There is literally no reason for her to be so evil and mean, even at the end. She felt like a plot device that wasn’t even necessary in the first place.

Overall, I was very disappointed by this book and I’m not sure if I’ll be reading any of Center’s books in the future. I’d had really high hopes for this one that was crushed not even halfway through. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Rating

To check out my other reviews, click here. Or to check out more books by Katherine Center, go to her Goodreads profile or her website.