June 2023 - AudioFile
Patti Murin offers a fun, vivacious performance of this lively romance. After brain surgery, Sadie is diagnosed with facial blindness, an inconvenient side effect that will make her job as a portrait artist harder. As she copes with this development, she starts a friendship with an annoying neighbor, Joe, and a potential romance with her dog's vet, Oliver. Murin will amuse listeners as she delivers Sadie's brutally honest inwardly grumbling about all her life's issues. As Murin portrays Sadie's growing interest in Joe and Oliver, listeners will choose which character to root for. With steady pacing and a believable narration, this romance will charm listeners. G.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"This charming, heartfelt romantic comedy has a well-told, unique storyline, and Sadie’s prosopagnosia feels deftly explained, explored, and treated with respect. There’s chemistry between the protagonists with a slow-burn relationship, but there’s also a focus on Sadie’s mental and emotional growth, as well as her artistic frustrations and problem-solving methods. Readers who enjoy Jenny Colgan and Susan Mallery will love this engaging, well-written romance from Center (The Bodyguard)." Library Journal
"With a thoroughly modern millennial heroine at the helm, this emotional contemporary from Center (The Bodyguard) tugs on the heartstrings and grabs attention. Portrait artist Sadie Montgomery, 28, may finally get her big break when she’s selected to enter a prestigious competition. Unfortunately, the contest coincides with a minor medical procedure that turns into emergency brain surgery, and the recovery process leaves her unable to make sense of human faces. Though warned by her neuropsychiatrist that her (possibly) temporary face blindness may make her interpret her other senses incorrectly, Sadie works to get her painting back on track with the support of her best friend, Sue, and her neighbor, Joe, who she can only recognize from the bowling jacket he wears all the time. She also tries dating her hunky veterinarian, Dr. Addison, hoping a relationship will help her settle back into normal. But is she seeing the whole picture? Center takes Sadie’s life seriously and her struggles with adulting resonate even before her face blindness sets in. Meanwhile, a dash of humor and an endearing love story make the pages fly. Readers will be hooked." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"Fortunately, the narrator believes in Sadie's potential for positivity and builds up the character from chapter one. Making it a part of the artist's somewhat infantile charm, Murin does not distance herself from Sadie's resentments and brings her quirky, self-pitying humor to high shine."- Booklist