Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

  

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance
Content: Strong language, Some making out but nothing too explicit.

 

Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. 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. 

I loved this book so much! I loved these characters and the way they meet and interact with each other. There were some twists that I suspected as I read but couldn't quite figure out how it would work that way until all was revealed. I will say that it feels a little far-fetched that these two people wouldn't have said some things to each other that would have clued them in, but I'm not going to pick it apart. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

Going into this I had no idea there was a thing called face blindness and that many people actually have it. After reading the afterward I can tell the author did her research on the subject. It's early in the year, but I feel like this is going to stay as one of my top romance reads for this year. So far I'm 3 for 3 with Katherine Center's books and I'm looking forward to reading more of them. I would recommend starting with Happiness for Beginners if you've never read any of them.

 

 

 

  

April 2026 Reading List

I've got 6 books lined up for April, plus I'll be finishing up the Dresden Files book that I started in March.

 

Reading for NetGalley-

 

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8) by Martha Wells

 

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

Having volunteered to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realises that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

 

 

 

 

Reading for Book Club-

  

Waifs and Strays (The Cat Lady Chronicles #1) by Helen Harper

 

Nobody is just a cat lady.

Kit McCafferty's life is quiet, unremarkable and filled with cat hair. In the magical city of Coldstream, located on the border between Scotland and England, Kit is viewed as little more than mildly eccentric and mostly harmless. She passes her days caring for her family of five cats, feeding the local feral moggies, and maintaining relatively good relations with her neighbours.

All that changes, however, when a teenage werewolf shows up at her door in the desperate hope of renting out a nearby vacant flat. Kit knows that the smart move is to tell him to leave. The last thing she needs is to become embroiled in complicated shapeshifter politics. But something about the secretive young werewolf tugs at her heartstrings.

It's not long before Kit ends up caught in a maelstrom of mysterious crime and magical wrong-doing. Fortunately, there's far more to Kit McCafferty than meets the eye and she has a few dark secrets of her own.

Of course, anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that you underestimate a cat lady at your own peril.

Waifs and Strays is the first book in a new urban fantasy crime series. Expect mystery, magic and adventure with a heroine who will keep you turning pages late into the night. There will also be a lot of cats.

 

 

 

 

Reading with The Mystery Book Club- 

  

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

 

OLIVIA. 22 years old. Last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley. And not coming back out again. Missing for one day and counting . . .
Julia is the detective heading up the case.
She knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her children.
But Julia has no idea how close to home it's going to get.
Because her family's safety depends on one thing: Julia must NOT find out what happened to Olivia - and must frame somebody else for her murder . . .
What would you do? 

 

 

 

 

 

Stolen Justice (Cass Leary #4) by Robin James

 

Will she take on an entire town to clear the name of a convicted killer? Defense lawyer Cass Leary never backs down from a case. Though after her latest high-profile courtroom win, the ex-mafia attorney thinks she’s finally earned a little rest and relaxation. But when her paralegal begs her to defend a potentially innocent man who was convicted of homicide, she puts vacation on hold to fight for justice.

With the convicted killer now terminally ill and behind bars, Cass digs deeper despite the whole town resisting her at every turn. Discovering shocking evidence along the way, she fears the true killer may still be at large. But the closer she gets to the hornet’s nest, the more she enrages those who want her permanently silenced…

Can Cass set the record straight before trying to reveal dark town secrets gets her killed?

Stolen Justice is the fourth book in the fast-paced Cass Leary Legal Thriller series. If you like bold heroines, dark secrets, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Robin James’s pulse-pounding novel.

 

 

 

 

 Pick it for me Book-

  

Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2) by Abby Jimenez

 

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse. 

  

 

 

 

 Other-

  

The Shabby Old Cottage (The Irish Escape #3) by B.E. Baker

 

Three old friends in Ireland. Two months and change running their new hotel. One big holiday season in a strange place. How could a shabby old cottage ever shine like new?

Natalie’s move to Ireland was supposed to be uncomplicated. Her priorities were to turn an old estate into a hotel and help her kids integrate into school across the globe. But when surprise visitors change her plans and her feelings for a helpful friend turn into more, she struggles to focus on what really matters.

Samantha always longed for children, but when that never happened for her, she chose to pursue her other great horses. Now that her whole job revolves around riding, she expects to be happier than ever. Only, dreams are hard to shake, and now her love-life makes it hard to appreciate the joy that’s in reach.

Vanessa spent the past few years putting herself back together after losing her husband Jason. Her kids are thriving in Ireland, but she’s finding it difficult to find her place in a new culture. She’s also discovering with her beloved mother-in-law that there’s such a thing as too close.

Can these three women find a way to survive the busy holiday season in a new (old) place where everything feels strange? Or will the stress of family demands, disappointed dreams, and unwanted surprises turn shabby into downright depressing?

 

 

 

 

 

March 2026 Reading Wrap-Up

In March I finished up 1 book I had started in February, Wild Reverence. I read 4 complete books, had 1 DNF, and started 1 book that I'm still reading. I didn't get to The Raven Scholar this month so it might get pushed to April.

 

 

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

Devil's Bargain (Cass Leary #3) by Robin James

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Legal Drama
Content: Strong language

I liked this one was better than the last two books in the series. The narrator still annoys the heck out of me though.

 

 

 

 

The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF. Review to come. 

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

See my review here.

 

 

 

Dragons of Eternity (Dragonlance: Destinies #3) by Margaret Weis, and Tracy Hickman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean

This was a good wrap up to the trilogy. More than anything, I enjoyed revisiting these characters, especially Tas.

 

 

 

 

  

Her Cold Justice (Keera Duggan #3) by Robert Dugoni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Legal Drama
Content: Strong language

I was afraid reading two legal thrillers in one month was going to have me confusing the two books, but it ended up being ok. There are some similarities with the main characters both having problematic family members, and both being romantically interested in someone who isn't available, or could complicate their lives. I like this series more than the Cass Leary one. Overall, I think Dugoni is a better writer and the narrator for the audio is way better too. 

 

 

 

 

 

Twelve Months (The Dresden Files #18) by Jim Butcher 

Still reading so no rating yet.

 

 

 

 

 

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean romance, Historical Romance, Mystery, Historical Mystery
Content: Clean

Bedfordshire, England, 1820: Ruined by the sins of her father, Juliet Finch is cast into a life of self-reliance. Survival is a harsh taskmaster, but she is a quick learner and excels at tracking and snaring wild game to feed herself. Juliet embraces her new identity until the day Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land—a crime punishable by death. Henry, however, has other offenses on his namely, the troublesome stalker who’s making a misery of his sister’s life. To try to put a stop to her torment, Henry charges Juliet with tracking the elusive villain so he can be brought to justice. Using her skills, Juliet hunts down the rogue. . .but may just become the prey herself.
  

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I felt like there were probably some things that weren't very historically accurate but overall it was entertaining. I liked both the main female and main male characters. I liked that the main female character was written as an intelligent, resourceful woman, although swallowing her pride and asking for help seems like it would have been the easier route compared to poaching. I enjoyed the way the relationship blossomed between the two characters.

The biggest weakness of the book is that I thought it was pretty obvious, almost from the beginning, who the perpetrator was, and what this person was doing. I didn't feel like this character was written very consistently throughout with the way they went from seemingly calculated and purposeful to crazy by the end. I do feel like the positives outweighed the negatives, so I would probably try another book by this author in the future. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

Teen Henry 1994 (Henry Bins #0.5) by Nick Pirog

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Content: Nothing I can remember

 

Henry Bins has a rare sleep disorder where he's only awake for sixty minutes a day, from 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. His meticulously regimented life—three minutes to shower, five minutes to eat, seventeen minutes of school, four minutes to play Zelda—is turned upside down when his dad leaves for a week-long cruise.

Just days into his newfound freedom, Henry's carefully structured hour explodes into adventure after a chance encounter with the audacious and beautiful Alice leads to the discovery of an abandoned puppy and a suspicious puppy mill.

As they team up to care for the mischievous pup, Trout, and work to shut down the cruel operation, Henry and Alice stumble upon a web of secrets involving her father—the principal of the local high school—and a shady new technology company. With each precious minute ticking away, they find themselves entangled in a high-stakes game of corruption, daring escapes, and a first crush that makes Henry's heart race faster than his limited time.

With the help of Alice's best friend Nicole and her brother Greg—or "Cipher" as the teenage hacker insists on being called—they embark on a mission to expose the truth before time runs out.

Full of heart-pounding adventure, first love, late-night daring, unbreakable friendship, and '90s nostalgia, Teen Henry 1994 is a hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age mystery that is a bold reminder that sixty minutes is all it takes to change everything. 

 

This was an enjoyable prequel novel to the Henry Bins series. Fourteen year old Henry is left to his own devices for a few days, with the neighbor looking in on him periodically, while his dad takes a vacation. I enjoyed the characters in the book a lot and the plot was also ok. One of the most enjoyable parts of this, at least for me, was seeing how close Henry would cut it getting home in time before he fell asleep. But that was also a frustration as well because he certainly never seemed to learn! Another enjoyable part of this book was going back to 1994 and reliving all the things from that time period. Dial-up, AOL, cordless phones, the music, etc. 

I did find it a bit far-fetched that so much happened at 3 a.m. for Henry to get involved with, and sometimes there was just no way that all that happened in just one hour. I thought at times the author did a good job with this aspect of the book, showing us how Henry crammed everything he wanted to do in the one hour he had each day, and others not so much. This ends kind of on a cliffhanger with one of Henry's friends hacking into something he shouldn't, so that leads me to believe this isn't just a one time prequel. I was actually hoping it would be because I honestly just want the author to publish what I assume will be the last book in the main series.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language; Multiple love scenes all rather descriptive

 

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

  

I'm sure this is going to be a very unpopular opinion but I was really disappointed in this book. It's the first Emily Henry book I've read, and I've heard so many good things about her books. Maybe this wasn't the best one to start with, I don't know, but I had a hard time relating to the characters in this book. The romance was ok, I liked the characters together but the love interest, Charlie was kind of bland in some ways. However, I liked him better than I liked Nora. I enjoyed the banter they had through emails but I feel like the time jump between their first meeting and the next contact between them was too large. It almost felt like something was missing. 

For the most part this felt more like women's fiction than romance. The romance was there but there was a lot of sibling stuff added into the book, so much so that it almost overshadowed the romance for me. There was a weird dynamic between the sisters that was unhealthy, and for most of the book I didn't think it would be addressed. In the end it was, and I think that was the best part of the whole book. Nora treated her sister like she was her child. She acted like an overprotective mother to her, and I had a hard time with her because of it. She thought she had to protect her sister from everything and sacrifice everything for her sister. For most of the book it seemed like her sister was oblivious and ungrateful. At times in the book, the sister did some things that I felt were unacceptable. I understood where she was coming from, but I didn't think she went about things in the right way. I like the way things played out regarding this in the end, but I didn't enjoy reading up to that point. 

I have one other Emily Henry book on my to-read list, and I might give it a try since so many people love this author, but I'm going to wait a while. 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

  

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Gothic, Mystery
Content: Strong Language

 

Come for the memories. Stay for the murder...

Little North Island, off the coast of Maine, is so beautiful it could be a postcard. Organist Willow Stone cherishes her memories of childhood summers spent on the island with her godmother Sue... even though her visits ended abruptly, and she hasn't seen or heard from her godmother in over fifteen years. Until a letter from Sue—and word of Sue’s death—brings Willow back to the picturesque island.

The islanders rarely mention Sue without also bringing up Cameron House, and the controversy around Sue’s unexpected inheritance of the sprawling mansion. When Willow overhears someone threatening the next heir to the property, she starts to question whether Sue’s death was really an accident, and can’t help but wonder whether someone on this sleepy island is willing to stop at nothing—even murder—to claim Cameron House for their own.

Through Willow’s eyes, as well as those of others on the island, a mystery unfolds that keeps drawing Willow back to Cameron House and the very real ghosts that walk its corridors. 

 

I enjoyed certain aspects of this story. I really liked the ghosts. I didn't care all that much for most of the living characters though. They were just kind of bland and uninteresting to me. Then there was this thing where the main character and the police officer disliked each other. It felt very childish, and got on my nerves. It was mainly perpetuated by the main character as she had bad memories of him as a child. It seemed very petty and immature that she couldn't get past something silly from when they were kids. Eventually they warm up to each other, but it took way too long.

As a gothic mystery goes this was ok. The house was definitely a character in it's own right. It was enormous with lots of hidden secrets. I kept wondering how they could afford the upkeep on it. There appeared to be no employees for that either. The mystery kept me guessing, mainly because there were too many obvious suspects, and I felt like because they were so obvious, none of them would be the person behind the murders. I also feel like there weren't enough clues in certain places to help deduce who was behind things. There were a few twists, one that I didn't see coming, but despite that this book just felt really mediocre to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for Providing me with an ARC of this book.