Introduction

Love isn’t blind, it’s just 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.

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 in love?not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Making judgment calls on anything right now is a nightmare. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to have it all.

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Discussion Questions

1. The strangers-to-lovers trope often found in romantic novels is taken to the next level here
by adding Sadie’s face blindness to the mix. How is this trope used throughout the novel,
and why is it so significant to the story and Sadie? Are there any other tropes (such as a love
triangle, forced proximity, etc.) that may have significance? Why?

2. After the surgery and finding out that she has developed acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia,
Sadie is determined to not tell anyone about it who didn’t need to know. Do you think
Sadie should have been more open about her face blindness, or do you think she was right in
keeping it a secret to prevent embarrassment? Discuss further.

3. Both Sadie and Joe have experienced heartbreak and loss in some way–Sadie lost her
mother and, subsequently, the attention of her father, and Joe lost his wife when she
cheated on him. How did these losses and heartbreaks bring Sadie and Joe closer together?

4. In Chapter 11, Dr. Nicole Thomas-Ramparsad explains confirmation bias to Sadie, describing
it as the idea that people “tend to decide on what the world is and who people are and how
things are–and then we look for evidence that supports what we’ve already decided.” Discuss
the significance of confirmation bias. Based on the description in the book and what you
may already know about confirmation bias, do you think it has any impact on your life, and if
so, how?

5. Sadie mentions in Chapter 1 that she doesn’t know what happened to the portrait her mom
painted for the North American Portrait Society contest, but after she and her dad reconcile,
he sends her the portrait, which is when she realizes she can recognize her own face again.
Discuss the significance of this scene in Chapter 29 and how it provides closure for Sadie.

6. Painting plays a significant role in the story and in Sadie’s life. In the end, she realizes that
art means more to her than winning a contest. Do you think the judges were fair to make
snide comments about her piece and not reward her any points? Even though there isn’t an
illustration of Sadie’s art, the author describes the piece in detail. Based on the author’s
description, how does Sadie’s art make you feel, and do you think you would have reacted in
the same way as the judges?

7. Discuss the theme of forgiveness and its importance to Sadie’s character development. Why
does she forgive Parker even after everything Parker did and said to her and to others? How
does Sadie’s forgiving her dad impact the stepsisters’ relationship?

8. Sadie was told her mother died of a stroke, but throughout the novel she learns more
about how her mother actually died and what happened in the days leading up to her
death. How does learning the truth about her mother change how Sadie feels about her
mom and her relationship with her dad?

9. In Chapter 26, Augusta Ross makes a sudden appearance that helps clear up Parker’s
lies. Did you expect her to be the same person Sadie gave her dress to at the coffee
shop? Why is Augusta’s confirmation of what actually happened when Sadie and Parker
were younger so significant? Why do you think Parker retreated when she realized who
Augusta was and when all was revealed to her mom and Sadie’s dad?

10. In Chapter 2, Sadie explains, “I’m a portrait artist, so I can never look at a face for the
first time without mentally assessing it for its shapes and structure and most compelling
features.” However, without the ability to see faces, Sadie struggles to create her art, so
she uses touch as a new technique to paint. Discuss how taking away the one ability
needed to complete her art actually ends up helping Sadie create her best piece yet. Also
explore the importance of that physical intimacy for Sadie and her relationship with Joe.

11. Did you suspect that Joe and Dr. Oliver Addison were the same person the entire time, or
did the ending come as a surprise to you? Do you think Joe/Oliver should have clarified
who he was to Sadie sooner? Explore the possibilities and discuss how this clarification
might have changed Sadie’s feelings for Joe/Oliver.

12. Author Katherine Center has talked about how love stories are particularly nourishing
to read because the stories themselves are structured to give us something to look
forward to. Love stories create a positive feeling of hope as we anticipate the characters
overcoming all the obstacles in the story and finding each other. Sadie faces a lot of
hardships in the story, but those hardships force her to re-think some unquestioned
assumptions in her life—allowing her to grow. Is Sadie a stronger, wiser person by the
end of the story? What role does falling in love play for her?

13. Center wants us all to “read for joy”—to read for pleasure, and fun, and play—and
encourages us all to find our own compass for the stories we love. Do you read for joy in
your own life? How do you decide what books to read? What kind of stories are you
drawn to?

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