What You Wish For was one of the first ARCs I ever read and reviewed and while not my normal genre, I was so captivated by the story and the writing style. Fast forward a few years later and I can say those same words about this story too. And this face blindness. I had not heard of this a until a few years ago and it keeps showing up in all the books I read. Up until now it’s always been in thrillers, where the inflicted person is at a disadvantage with a killer, but this was a clever use in more of a women’s fiction/romance novel. Having Sadie need to rely on things other than a face to recognize the people surrounding her. I loved all the descriptions of people and how she remembered and recognized them.

Weirdly I rely a lot on the sound of someone’s voice and was surprised that wasn’t something she used. I am a knitter and will knit while “watching TV” and I put that in quotes because I am usually focused on the knitting and follow the show based upon hearing the characters. I am always recognizing someone in a movie based on that voice. Am I the only one?

But back to the book. I really was so invested in Sadie’s journey and her struggles to cope with her condition. How she filled in the blanks, both wrong and right. Katherine Center does such a good job of bringing characters to life and having you step into their shoes and feel what they are feeling. The good, the bad and the ugly. And while I continued to ponder Sadie’s perception of the world around her, the author pulled the wool over my eyes on the romance. I was a little slow on the uptake to the love triangle brewing. This would have been the perfect summer read and a contender for my favorite of the month if there was just a little less of Sadie’s parents being oblivious as to what was happening between their two daughters.

I flipped back and forth between the book and audiobook and loved the narration of Patti Murin. She expertly represented Sadie and all her emotions while allowing the story to shine. I really enjoyed both versions.

If you are ready for some slightly quirky characters and to get invested in the story, this should be part of your summer reading.

Wanna make me fall in love with your romance novel? Add in a love story about a girl and her dog. I’m sold 🫶.
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Struggling portrait artist, Sadie Montgomery, finally gets her big break when she places as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. The only problem is, a recent medical condition has left her with “probably temporary” face blindness. Faces are nothing but disconnected pieces, and she can’t draw a portrait to save her life. As her personal, professional, and family life begin to unravel, she falls for two very different men. But which man has her heart? And will she recover in time to paint a masterpiece portrait for the competition?
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What we think we see isn’t always what is, and nobody feels that more than Sadie. Center did a ton of research on prosopagnosia (face blindness), and it shows. I enjoyed experiencing the world through Sadie’s eyes, watching her work through grief and family drama, and cheering her along as she fell further in love (with both her dog Peanut and a man 😁❤️🐶).
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I laughed so much while reading this book! I also had approximately 4 tear-ups and 1 sob 😭🫶. Y’all know, any book that can make me cry this much is 5⭐️ 🥹.
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I read and listened to this book. Adding Patti Murin to my list of favorite narrators to watch for because she did a phenomenal job narrating. Thank you to @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress and @netgalley for these ARCs in exchange for an honest review!
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Hello Stranger - Katherine Center
5/5⭐️

"Love isn't blind. It's just a little blurry." What a perfect way to summarize this one, including my blurry eyes as I completed this beautiful novel.

At least 5 stars from me - Katherine really wrote with her heart for this one. This book brought me to tears on more than one occasion. To start, thank you to the author, Katherine, and to her publisher, particularly Erica Martirano at St. Martin's Publishing Group for advanced access to this one. I wish I could go back and read this one sooner so I could love it longer.

Sadie really gets put through the ringer in this book, and while she's a painter and her brain is leaking or something, which caused onset face blindness, I deeply connected with her character, particularly in relation to her family struggles and the way that she fixated in her world. I oftentimes find myself so in my head that I miss looking up and seeing my life (although I'd like to think I'm more observant than she is - haha). How would it feel to wake up one day and not be able to recognize your own face? Katherine lets us into that world for just a few hundred pages, and wow it makes me compassionate towards people. I get migraines, and that makes me see the world differently, but it isn't a permanent situation. Sadie's face blindness doesn't go away after a few hours or a few days, and the reader gets to experience how she navigates her new (but hopefully temporary) normal, first with her best friend by her side, then leaning in and relying on strangers for help (hence the title, Hello Stranger).

The parts that made me cry though? Her TRULY evil stepsister, her stepmother who buries her head in the sand so she doesn't have to deal with uncomfortable confrontations, and her dad who disappeared the minute Sadie's mom died 13 years ago. Her best friend? Doesn't seem to make Sadie a priority (the girl KEPT FORGETTING THAT SADIE COULDN'T SEE FACES, like it wasn't a big deal! Kinda made me mad!). PRAISE THE LORD FOR JOE. Seriously. He saw her and, actually, he saw EVERYONE, in a way that Sadie really needed. He wouldn't take no for an answer (but not in a demanding, creepy way). He just HAD to help.

Other highlights from me:
1. When Peanut is literally put on prednisone and cyclosporine - my dog, Bear, was on both of those for the past year (I might have a little PTSD but it's great to see that recognition)
2. Peanut eating Pad Thai
3. Peanut wanting to take a nap and Sadie laying on the ground watching him sleep
4. Dr. Oliver Addison
5. Hazel One and Hazel Two
6. When Sadie lets down her walls and lets that joy from within shine (only confirmed at the end by a little surprise from her dad, but no spoilers here)

I'll read anything and everything that Katherine writes. Check this book out!

AND, I was granted early access to this audiobook, and let me tell you, I thought the book was emotional, but I was even MORE of a wreck listening to Patti Murin perform this story. It was moving and engaging and funny and just an overall joy to listen to! This audiobook was lovely! Patti Murin performed with such emotion it brought me to tears at times (though that was also thanks to the lovely Katherine Center for her emotionally driven characters). I particularly enjoyed listening to the banter between the main characters, which were brought to life by this performance.

Thanks to NetGalley/St. Martin's Publishing Group for the ARC of this book, and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This book is about a young woman, Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist, who finds herself in need of brain surgery to repair a weak blood vessel before it ruptures. The successful result of that surgery comes with a serious repercussion, face blindness, the inability to put together all the pieces of a face into a whole. All Sadie can see are the separate pieces, a nose, a mouth, an eye, but she can’t put them together into one piece. For a portrait artist, little could be worse. For a portrait artist who has just made the finals of a major competition and only has a few weeks to paint a new portrait for a showing in that competition, it’s a disaster. But friends and previously distanced family step into the picture, some to lend assistance, some to further what originally led to their separation.

When Sadie’s path crosses that of veterinarian, Dr. Addison, she’s taken by him, especially after he saves her desperately ill and aging dog, Peanut. But nothing is going Sadie’s way, and their connection is fraught with difficulties. There’s also her neighbor, Joe. He doesn’t make a good first impression on her. In fact, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. But when he steps in and offers to help her, she’s not in a position to refuse.

This audiobook drew me in from the very beginning and held me through to the very end, one that may surprise you. It’s touching, funny, serious for short periods, and charming. Honestly, I might listen to it a third time while I have the book in my library. The writing is exceptional, and the narration is absolutely perfect for this book. If I hadn’t loved Katherine Center before this book, I’ve fallen head-over-heels with this book.

I highly recommend this book.

I received an advanced audiobook copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reaction to reading this book.

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me. I love her witty contemporary romance writing style. The Bodyguard was my first 5 star read this year so I was really looking forward to Hello Stranger. Hello Stranger has everything I look for in a RomCom and more. It was funny, heartwarming, and had a few twists along the way. It also brought awareness to prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a very real condition that I knew nothing about until this book.

I enjoyed the fast paced plot and the well developed characters. Sadie, the main character, is faced with an unexpected challenge and has to figure out new ways of facing life’s challenges. Normally the MC tends to be a favorite but I’d have to say that Sue may have been my favorite character. She was so ditsy and brutally honest but in a fun loving way!

The story had several great life lessons:
—life is all about perspective…”we only see what we’re looking for”
—face life’s challenges
—look for the good in life and in others…”the more good things you look for, the more you find”
—help yourself by helping others
—see the good in people

Audiobook–
Patti Murin delivered a spectacular performance from start to finish. She did a fantastic job with change in voices, pace and inflections while creating a believable narration. I must say the neuro-psychologist’s voice made me laugh a few times.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read and listen to this ARC in return for an honest review.

I’m so glad I got to binge this. I loved how unique this storyline was. It captivated me and I wanted to know more. I also always love that “moment” where the title is quoted or suddenly makes sense in the novel. This was another hit for Katherine Center. Great summer read.

The audiobook was fantastic and I loved the changes that were present in it that weren’t in the book. I’m happy for those changes making the final draft of the book and getting to hear them. Loved.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I went in blind and was so happy I did! I have never read anything by Katherine Stranger before now and all I can say is that I have been missing out. I don’t usually read clean romances, but in this case, it did not matter. This is one of the best books I have read this year!

The characters were amazing, I love dogs and I can’t say enough about the extremely compelling plot. The story was so well written that words are escaping me. The ending made me feel the story was complete and whole, utterly satisfying!

The narrator, Patti Murin, was so amazing! I loved her voices and I listened to this audiobook in one day. I could not stop!

I wish I could read it over again for the first time!

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the chance to read and listen to this amazing #ARC!

So much research went into this book to make the difficulties of Sadie’s condition really come to life in this story. I learned so much about prosopagnosia from this book. However, there were parts of the story related to the condition that didn’t make any sense. The recognition of some but not all voices, how long it took for the big misunderstanding to be cleared up; all of this led to a lag in the story and really dragged it down. Even when she realized her mistake with the servers at the coffee shop, she still couldn’t make the connection? Otherwise, this was an interesting, cute story but not up to what I usually expect from Katherine Center.

When artist Sadie Montgomery develops face blindness, her world is turned upside down. It may be temporary, it may be permanent but only time will tell. Not only does Sadie have family issues, a struggling love life and a career in jeopardy but she now has to learn how navigate her new reality — but the odds all seem against her.

Thank you to Katherine Center, NetGalley & Macmillian Audio for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and 100% HONEST.

I received this book in the audio format & LOVED it. The audio was clear and read at a great rate. I enjoyed the way Patti Murin articulated & narrated the story as well. They were animated, which made this book enjoyable. I was able to feel the emotion of each character while listening to the audio.

Hello Stranger was my first novel by Katherine Centers & it was a perfect 5 star read. This novel conveys a beautiful message about life and the outlook of how we may see things. While reading I felt an array of emotions — I was intrigued, confused, laughing, angry, nervous etc. I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. There were many likable characters and huge character developments as the story progressed. Katherine Center’s writing made me feel invested in both the storyline and the characters. Lastly the Author’s Note was beautifully written, if I were able to rate this book higher than 5 stars I would. I HIGHLY recommend picking up this book!



Expected Pub Date July 11,2023

Hello Stranger
Author: Katherine Center
Narrator: Patti Murin
Macmillan Audio

The anticipation of a new Katherine Center novel makes me eager to meet her latest characters and excited for the joy that I know the book will bring me. Her latest book, Hello Stranger, is vividly original with a unique plot, an atmospheric Texas bayou setting, and an absolutely endearing main character. Sadie is a portrait artist. She lives in her studio, the rooftop "shack" of a former downtown Houston warehouse converted into a trendy condo.

After losing her ability to see faces, Sadie's place as a finalist in an art competition is in jeopardy. Sadie's journey with her art, medical condition, and family tugged at my heart, often in bursts of laughter. I was completely mesmerized by the love of her precious dog, Peanut and her romantic complication of meeting two, yes two, men she might love as well. This book met my expectations and took me even higher with new perspectives from sensory points of view.

Murin's narration pairs well with Center's writing. The side characters were all so different in background and personalities, yet Murin's voice delivered in bringing them out individually and as a cast. Her tone and style kept my attention with all of the scenes and storylines, from funny to poignant, and all of the emotion in between.

A special bonus feature of this audiobook is Center's own reading of her author's notes, acknowledgements, and supplementary materials. Hearing the voice of the author of this wonderful book and her story of research and behind the scenes work is fascinating. This short section is a story in itself, especially about the people she met through her research. It leads me as a reader to want to know more about the medical condition, prosopagnosia. I also loved hearing her describe some of her personal feelings and back story about her writing.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmilan Audio for an advance listener's copy. My review is my own.

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me, and I didn’t even read the synopsis before requesting Hello Stranger on NetGalley! I’m glad I didn’t because for a romance, this one is perfect to go into blind (pun intended!).

I loved the writing in this book. Center blends romance and women’s fiction so well, and can totally draw her readers in from page one! I always find reading about face blindness to be intriguing, but having a portrait artist that can’t see faces was a new take on it which was done really well.

Sadie, the main character, struggles with her new face blindness after an accident and has to figure out a way to paint a portrait for a contest she’s in. There’s a great scene in the book where she’s painting her neighbor and love interest, Joe. Joe is one of my new favorite characters, and everything about him was adorable.

There are some touching moments in this book as well as some laugh out loud funny moments. There’s a bit of a twist which I saw coming, but I loved reading the book to see when Sadie would figure it out. All in all another great story from Center, and I highly recommend it.

I listened along to the audiobook while reading my eARC, and I really enjoyed Patti Murin as the narrator. She brought Sadie to life and you could totally feel her angst with dealing with her face blindness.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review. And thank you Katherine Center for joining our book club for an amazing chat!

Things in Sadie Montgomery's life are beginning to look up. She's placed in the top ten for an upcoming art competition. She can finally prove to everyone that she can make a living doing what she loves and follow in her mother's footsteps. On her way to celebrate the good news, Sadie is in an accident and needs to have life saving surgery. It all goes well, but when Sadie wakes up, she realizes she's face blind. Meaning, she's unable to distinguish facial characteristics in the correct way. Everyone becomes a stranger.

With the art competition only a few weeks away, Sadie has to learn to navigate this new aspect of her life. Sadie begins to realize that there's a lot she hasn't been seeing.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I felt like the narrator really captured Sadie's spunky personality, but also the vulnerability she experiences as she deals with the aftermath of her accident. I thought that she did a great job of giving each character a distinctive voice, while also keeping Sadie front and center.

I think that this book is hands down my favorite of Katherine Center's. She has such a way of taking traumatic events and topics, but making them full of hope. I had never heard of face blindness - or prosopagnosia - before reading Hello Stranger. It really makes you think about how all the senses are connected and work as a unit, but when one isn't working how the others have to step up and build up stronger. It also really showcases how much we, as people, perceive with our sight first and how that kind of start the building-block of our assumptions - for better or worse - about one another.

Sadie loses that perception. She has to make up for it by trying to distinguish voices or how someone walks, what they wear. She has to listen more about what people say. It's an interesting premise and a very real reality for some. I think that Katherine Center does a great job of making this understandable for people who have never experienced something like this before.

I loved the interactions between Sadie and Joe. I think it's safe to say, with Sadie building up her "new normal" there's going to be missteps. She's a very prideful person. She has been ever since her mother died and she had to begin a new life with a stepmother and stepsister who would constantly blame Sadie for the trouble she caused. She doesn't like to ask for help, she doesn't want the pity. She tries to navigate things as if she's fine, everything is fine. She learns over the course, that it's ok to not be fine, it's ok to ask for help.

Joe on the other hand always wants to help. He tries really hard to anticipate people's needs before they might ask for help so he can be ready. It's interesting to see Sadie and Joe kind of coming at things from opposite sides and meeting in the middle in that regard. All of there interactions are my favorite parts of the book. It's where we see Sadie begin to let her guard down just a little and be vulnerable.

I'll say that I called a few aspects of the story. I'm not upset about it. I was really interested in seeing how everything would play out in the end. This story is a near perfect read for me. I would have loved a little more closure on the relationship between Sadie and her family, but I understand that sometimes things don't get settled completely. They getting settled just enough.

Overall, this is another great read from Katherine Center. She's an author that should already be on your reading list, and if not, then you need to do so ASAP.

🌺🌸🌼🌺🌸
✨Happy Pub Day✨
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📖Review
5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 68/100
📚Hello Stranger
💫Genre: Romance
✍️Katherine Center
E-Book 5🌟✔️
Audiobook 5🌟✔️
Narrator: Patti Murin

📝Synopsis 📝
Sadie a struggling artist gets the opportunity to compete as a finalist in an art competition her late mother competed in and placed. Not only does she have to proved herself to her father, she also has a step mother and step sister who’s gaslighted her a bit too much.
Last but not least, she wasn’t expecting to suffer from a neurovascular issue and fall for not one but two guys🫢

💭My Thoughts 💭
This was my first Katherine Center book, and I loved it so much and her writing style. This was a cozy read that had me giddy turning pages, and I even happily listened to the audiobook version right after…NO REGRETS! I loved the plot and character development, heck I even liked Lucinda (until the end)…but that evil step-sister was intolerable and a great addition to the story. I loved that this particular story brings light to Face-Blindness, and enlightened me with so many facts about this condition. I don’t want to give major spoilers, but if you love:
Heartwarming books✔️
Unique Plots✔️
Family Drama✔️
A love triangle✔️
Swoony Characters✔️
Then this one is for you!

✨Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio
for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
📌Publication Date:
July 11, 2023
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#bookstagrammer #bookstagrammersunite #bookstacommunity
#bookreview #booktok #books #booksarelife #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #booklovers #booklover #fictionbooks #romancebooks ##netgalley #HelloStranger #netgalleyreads #bookworms #bibliophile #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

Hello Stranger was a journey of personal growth for Sadie. I didn't figure out her name until later in the books because a person doesn't call themselves by their own name. We are mostly shared her thoughts and point of view. Sadie had a rough childhood with her mother's death, her father's withdrawal into grief and then the evil stepmother and stepsister.

She loves art which is her mother's legacy, and treasures some of her mother's things. Then she needed brain surgery or she might die suddenly like her mother did. I really appreciated how kind and positive she stayed with all the past and present problems she has. I don't that I would have been so strong. But some of the family issues seemed a bit over the top. How could they be so evil?

Even though part of her development has her thinking she didn't give enough, somehow she had her amazing friend Sue and her parents so she wasn't without any support or love. Her reluctance to accept help or tell anyone about her challenges seemed believable. Thankfully, she has Peanut to calm any distress.

Like most other books by this author, the heart is this character Sadie and how she struggles, survives and even triumphs in her life. The romance is a bit of a side story. I liked how helpful Joe was and eventually connected him to his profession while Sadie didn't. Their miscommunication was miserable and sad. Really, Sadie was so honest and forthright, it felt unfair.

I really enjoyed Hello Stranger and recommend it. The emotional ride while sometimes a bit silly or unrealistic, is also inspiring. It was so easy to root for Sadie all along.

Narration:
I've listened to Patti Murin previously. She infused Sadie's voice and thoughts with emotion and this was an emotional time for her. All the voices, male or female, were distinct and seemed appropriate. I enjoyed her performance. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.

“Love isn’t blind is just blurry “ has definitely catches my attention from the first second I read it.
I loved the previous book more if I’m being honest but while that one was my first by the author, I knew I had to read this book as soon I could.
Talk about a beautiful, fulfilling romance story. I loved the characters with all their insecurities, flaws and up and down fires. Their chemistry and interactions held me captivated and some of the secondary characters are really good people. It’s not all fluffy sweet moments, her stories are filled with real life issues and how the characters take on them and the outcome is really beautiful to see through the author’s research and imagination.
I think it’s a beautiful romance that many readers will enjoy.
The narrator has brought to life these characters and their story. I liked the voice and it was really easy to follow through.

I also had the opportunity to listen to the author and join some friends for a bookclub in an interesting discussion about this story and her now 2 other books that are made into movies.
It was really interesting and captivating and I’m grateful for being able to join.

Thank you @MacMillan.Audio and @SMPRomance for the #gifted ALC and eARC of HELLO STRANGER. And yes, I loved this book so much that I also bought the @BookOfTheMonth edition as well!

Katherine Center has been an autobuy author for me for awhile now and every time I get her joyful little newsletter or read one of her books, I love her even more.

While I guessed the ending pretty early on, I still absolutely adored this one. The concept of a portrait artist who gets a case of face-blindness after having brain surgery was fascinating. I kept imagining how challenging it would be to look at a loved one’s face and have no clue who they are. And how wild would it be to fall in love with someone without knowing what their face looked like?!

KC writes with so much joy despite challenging topics. You can’t help but fall a little in love with her characters. The audiobook version also included a mini chat with KC at the end where she talks about how people read books for the feelings of anticipation we get. In thrillers we get stress and tension anticipation. But in romance books, we get oxytocin boosted anticipation of watching two people fall in love. And that is why romance readers love romance books. They literally give us happy feelings! How cool is that?!

HELLO STRANGER is out July 11!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5653237734
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuhYCRbLiE-/

Katherine Center is quickly becoming a must read author for me. Her books are always funny but with a certain amount of depth that just gives me all the feels.

I adored both main characters. I thought Sadie handled the situation she was in well. Honestly, better than I would have probably handled it. She had a few pity parties, but who wouldn’t?? And Joe… Nicest guy ever!! Seriously. I just loved him. This book has amazing side characters! Sadie’s bff, Sue, and her family were great and I loved the way they supported Sadie. The antagonists were easy to hate until I didn’t hate them anymore.

I loved the “you only see what you want to see” message. And the ending surprised the heck out of me. I guessed one small part of the twist but I was shocked in the best way. The entire book was charming and witty.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was fabulous. I thought she did a fantastic job expressing humor and more serious emotions when needed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

⭐️ 4/5 | 🌶️ 1/5

In the middle of my sea of angsty, spicy books, Hello Stranger was such a sweet, fun ride full of fluffy humor and my fave trope - Doggos!

Sadie’s journey of self discovery while navigating medical problems that leave her face blind was such a refreshing story to read. Her conflicting emotions when exploring her unintentional love (lust?) triangle were also super relatable.

Joe is a darling and a closed-door romance book boyfriend goal. What a sweetie to keep Sadie grounded and confident.

Thoroughly enjoyed this sweet romance. Thank you to Katherine, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for sharing this audiobook with me!

If you have read Katherine Center books before, you’ll know that Hello Stranger is a fun read with great dialogue and a fun - if a bit outlandish! - plot. If you haven’t read any Katherine Center, what are you waiting for?

This book follows Sadie, who is finally on the cusp of professional success as a portrait artist… until she needs brain surgery just before she begins a portrait that will be entered into a prestigious contest. She wakes up to find the surgery was successful, only she is now suffering from face blindness and can no long see anyone’s face… a serious issue for someone who paints faces for a living! As she learns to navigate through a world without faces, Sadie’s life gets even more complicated when she finds herself falling for two separate men - and she doesn’t even know what they look like!

This was definitely a great summer read, and a very quick one. I highly recommend the audiobook - Patti Murin is one of my favorite narrators and she did an amazing job bringing to life the personalities of all the characters, especially Sadie’s manipulative stepsister Parker. It wasn’t my favorite book of Center’s - Sadie was a bit tough to root for at times, and I figured out the plot pretty early on. However, it was definitely a fun read and I really learned a lot about face blindness.

Thank you to St. Martin for the ARC and MacMillan Audio for the advanced audiobook!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest novel by Katherine Center and wonderfully narrated by a favorite, Patti Murin - 5 stars!

Sadie is finally starting to achieve her dreams - she placed as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. But then, the next thing she knows she's lying in a hospital bed with a condition that requires brain surgery. After that surgery, she has face blindness - she can no longer recognize the faces of anyone, which is definitely not a condition that a portrait painter needs. It's supposed to be temporary but shows no sign of abating. She no longer wants to leave her apartment and only does when her beloved dog, Peanut, takes ill. She falls hard for the vet, Dr Addison, who also leaves her disappointed. Then there's her neighbor, Joe. And the competition deadline is approaching!

Katherine Center writes the best romance novels - ones you just want to curl up and immerse yourself in. Which is pretty much what I did. You will root for Sadie, cheer on her friend, Sue, and her family, and shake your head at Sadie's own family. Center's novels give the reader a perfect combination of romance, hope, laughter, joy - I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite but sure loved this one! I switched between the digital and audio versions but I'm a big fan of Patti Murin so ended up listening to much of it. The face blindness aspect was very interesting too - be sure to read the author's note.