Hello Stranger Book Review
Check out my review of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center a heartwarming romance that will leave you full of hope.
Did you know that there are people who read the last page of the book before they start the beginning?! Maybe you’re one of them?
I’m absolutely not EXCEPT for when it comes to this book.
The Author’s Note at the end of Hello Stranger should be required reading for every member of the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers. It expresses, in ways I cannot, the entire mission of our beloved group.
I could clip several quotes from it, but if I had to pick just one it would be this:
“Tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice.” Life is hard, I choose fun and entertaining reads for our book club in hope that it helps you to choose joy for yourself, too.
Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.
Summary of Hello Stranger
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.
What I Liked
Here’s what I would tell my best friend about the book without spoilers:
- The Author’s Note at the End: PLEASE before you read the book, start by reading the author’s note at the end. It literally made me cry happy tears. Even if you don’t read the rest of the book, that note at the end is worth grabbing a copy.
- Unique Plot Elements: I was fascinated by the rare condition, acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia, the main character faces. Also known as “face blindness,” this is a particular challenge for Sadie, who is a portrait artist.
- Charming Characters: I loved the chosen family Sadie has built for herself and the way the new characters she meets were described since she couldn’t see faces.
- Upbeat and Heartwarming: Despite the challenges she faces, Sadie’s story is overwhelmingly positive and I absolutely loved how it all works out in the end.
What I Didn’t Like
Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.
This is a rare instance where there was nothing I didn’t like about the book! I enjoyed my read– cover to cover. As soon as I finished it, I knew it had to be the January pick for our book club!
How Spicy Is It?
🌶️: Hello Stranger rates a Level 1 on my spicy books rating scale. Depending on how sensitive you are to spice, it might possibly rate a 0 because there are no big romantic moments but there are mentions of intimacy in conversation between characters. For an adult, I’d say this is a 0, for kids under age 13 it is a 1.
Overall Score
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I give Hello Stranger 5 stars. I read it very quickly, it completely kept my attention, and I closed the book with a huge smile on my face.
I immediately texted a friend she had to read it and couldn’t stop thinking about it for several days. Both markers of an excellent read by my rating scale.
If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.
Similar Books You’d Enjoy
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