Hello Stranger : A Novel

The glorious new 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 isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Choosing between two men isn't brain surgery, but for Sadie Montgomery, it's both. One moment Sadie is celebrating the biggest achievement of her life―placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition―the next, she finds herself struggling with face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. And she'll need brain surgery to (hopefully) reverse it. And that's not all. She's seriously crushing on her beloved dog Peanut's handsome vet, but she can't seem to stay away from her annoyingly endearing neighbor. She thinks she knows who she likes more… but then (like their faces) that starts getting blurry too!

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to figure out who she wants, work through her condition, hang on to her artistic dream, and confront major family issues. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

"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