First Lines Friday: August 18, 2023

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

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First Lines:

.”The first person I called after I found out I’d placed in the North American Portrait Society’s huge carreer-making yearly contest was my dad.

Which is weird because I never called my dad.

Not voluntarily, anyway.”

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Do you recognize the lines?

Here’s a hint:

 It’s a new contemporary romance.

Still not sure? Here’s another hint: 

It’s written by Katherine Center.

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The First Lines Friday book is:

Hello Stranger

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About the Book:

Title: Hello Stranger

Author: Katherine Center

Page Length: 336

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Synopsis: Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces.

Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope―and hang onto her artistic dreams―she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That’s when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she’s pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn’t want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He’s always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more?

As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places―and people― you least expect.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon | Review

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Have you read Hello Stranger? What do you think of the first lines? Comment below!