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Book Review of Hello, Stranger

Hello, Stranger
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 599 more book reviews


I liked (not loved) this contemporary romance for a couple of reasons:

- I began with reasonable expectations after hearing it wasn't as enjoyable as The Bodyguard, Ms. Center's previous novel
- I listened to the audiobook narrated by Patti Murin who eased some of the awkward dialog

This book requires considerable suspension of disbelief. After undergoing brain surgery, Sadie develops prosopagnosia (face blindness). Beyond the obvious challenges, she's a portrait artist in the biggest competition of her career. But no worries - she plans to feature her best friend in her contest entry ... until her friend is suddenly unavailable. How can Sadie paint a portrait of another subject when everyone's face looks like jumbled puzzle pieces?

Plus, she's developing feelings for two different men - Joe, her helpful neighbor, and Dr. Addison, her dog's new hot veterinarian. Just when she decides which she has true feelings for, he ghosts her. Below the main story is a deeper plot of Sadie mourning a deeply personal loss and dealing with its consequences.

Overall, it was challenging to take this story seriously. There's a fair amount of physical humor (pratfalls, etc.), and a coincidence involving a minor character was unnecessary and ridiculous. I appreciated that dialog near the end acknowledges some obvious coincidences in the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the advanced listening copy; all thoughts are my own.