I love audio books. I love them even more when the narrator is a perfect match for the book. Patti Murin did a fantastic job with this novel & her narration helped create an even more enjoyable experience for me. The storyline was engaging and the challenge that the protagonist faces was unique which led to the development of unique storylines. I found this one to be funny & heart-wrenching in equal measure.

Always enjoy a Katherine Center novel and this one was no exception! This one boasts her trademark voice and humor as well as characters you're sure to fall in love with.

Another Katherine Center winner! Why do I love her books so much? She has this tremendous ability to introduce fresh, well-researeched topics into her novels that both interest and entertain the reader. Not only was I captivated by the story of Sadie and Joe, but I could relate to the complicated relationship with her father and extended family. I thought she tackled the issue of face-blindness with grace, dignity, and humor. This book just made me feel good.

The audiobook was extremely well done and enjoyable to listen to. I'll be looking for this narrator in the future. The perfect beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew I was going to love Hello Stranger in the first chapter, when Sadie is singing "I Second That Emotion" in a party dress in the middle of a grocery story. I knew I had found my people. What happens next is completely unexpected, but, in typical Katherine Center fashion, she tells Sadie's story with humor, a little bit of snark, all while still managing to let the complex emotions she's feeling come through. For those of you who have never read/listened to a Katherine Center novel, Hello Stranger is the perfect place to start, and Patty Murin is the perfect narrator for this perfect book!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review!

I'm a long-time devoted fan of this author (as you may know, lol), and I always eagerly anticipate her new releases. I saved this for an airplane read back in January and it really hit the spot! I finished approximately the first 40% on the plane and then binged the rest when I awoke with jetlag the next couple of mornings. I finished this book with copious tears streaming down my face tangled in bedsheets at about 3:45 in the morning on vacation so it's hard to say whether any fatigue contributed to my emotional outburst or whether it was just the way these sweet characters burrowed themselves into my soul. Let's say all of the above.
It did take me a little bit to sink into the pace of this book even though I was fascinated and hooked by the premise of it instantly and loved an initial meet cute at the beginning. The first half sets things up in a unique way with Sadie & her acute prosopagnosia (face perception blindness) - all of the other characters become much more clear as to their significance to the story later on. I really, really love Katherine Center's main female characters with all of their imperfections and thoughts and friendships and Sadie was certainly no exception. As the reader, I had a guess at where the story was going but I also wasn't completely 100% sure so there was no doubt that I was flipping pages quickly seeing how everything would turn out at the end.
This story was full of heart, was a bit reminiscent of a fairy tale scenario (we'll say Cinderella because of the evil stepsister) at times, and it made me smile and cry and laugh and gasp and really what more can you ask for? I am certain this one will be another smash hit for this author this summer. Her writing is my favourite ❤️❤️

Hello Stranger missed the mark for me a bit. The main character irritated me, as did her drama surrounding her family. The dialogue was a bit choppy, and the book just dragged a bit for me.

Sadie Montgomery is finally getting her life together, when the side effects of an illness leave her with face blindness. Can she learn to navigate her life and maybe even find love along the way?

I definitely enjoyed Hello Stranger. For the most part, the characters were well-developed and interesting and the plot kept moving. However, there were some secondary characters that could have been fleshed out a bit more and were mostly caricatures. Still this is a good read overall!

This story 😍

The #BetterThanTherapyBookClub chose this book to read this month because it was a new release and we were ALL excited to read it….and it did not disappoint!

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but it was such a sweet story with a great ending (it was a tad bit predictable but that didn’t make it any less good). This was my first book by Katherine Center, but I will be reading more.

I loved the overcoming of hardships, and the love in this book was just so good. ❤️

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and ALC of this one - it was fantastic!

I have mixed feelings, but I am glad that I read it.

I found Sadie to be a bit unlikeable. She was set up for failure since I don't usually like the struggling career main characters... but she did have some redeeming qualities. I found myself rooting for her and enjoying these awkward meet-cutes. I did really enjoy this strange point of view, it is almost like an unreliable narrator, but more visual.

This book is uplifting and hopeful, maybe not as much of a romance as it was billed to be. I think the promotional materials may be askew on the real meaning of this book. It is a journey, it is heartwarming, and it made me feel things.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

I can’t believe this is only my second book by this author. I absolutely adored The Bodyguard last year and have been wanting to read more by Katherine Center. I definitely will be picking up some of her backlist after reading Hello Stranger.

I blended the ebook and audio together - I think that was a great way to read this story.

Sadie was such a fun and quirky character. It was so interesting following her character. She gets a medical condition after she gets surgery where she is left with face blindness.

She’s also an artist so there’s a challenge with her not being able to tell what’s going on in regards to that. We also get so many side characters, all are enjoyable - except for the evil stepsister.

As much as I loved Sadie, I also adored Sue’s character. She had me giggling at times and I hope we’re able to get her story too 🤞🏼

Also, can we talk about how adorable Peanut is. I loved the love triangle (ish) trope with Peanut’s vet, Dr. Addison, and Sadie’s neighbor, Joe. There is a twist towards the end that was predictable, but it didn’t affect the way I felt after finishing this book.

This is one of those feel-good and heartwarming romances. I have loved what I’ve read by this author and can’t wait to pick up her backlist titles. I have a feeling she’s going to become an auto-buy author when it comes to these fun romances.

If you’re looking for a fun, unique, quirky, swoony, humorous, lighthearted romance with lovable characters… then you might want to pick this one up.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Death Of Parent, Bullying, Medical Content, Gaslighting, Panic Attacks/Disorders, and Grief

I loved this title! My first from Katherine Center! I didn't even see the adorable twist coming! I'm definitely looking forward to Center's future work.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, narrated by Patti Murin.
A light-hearted summer read that hits all the right feels. Katherine Center has a way of making the reader fall in love with her characters. Funny, sad, hopeful, and predictable, this book is a fun way to spend a summer afternoon! Patti Murin's voice brings the book alive!

4.5 stars: I really enjoy Katherine Center's writing and Hello Stranger is another great story. Sadie Montogmery is a struggling artist, but continues to paint portraits to keep a roof over her head, such as it is. She had earned a spot in a portrait painting competition, but her efforts get derailed. Sadie had to have brain surgery and it caused an area of her brain to swell. It is the area that assists in facial recognition and Sadie ends up with prosopagnosia, better known as face blindness. Not only is she unable to paint portraits, but she doesn't recognize people she sees on a regular basis. Although she is confused, trying to hide her problems and somewhat depressed, she meets two men that make a big impact on her life. The first is her new veterinarian, who saves her geriatric dog, and the second is Joe, the gigolo in her building that wears a vintage bowling jacket. She is not impressed with Joe initially, but as she gets to know him, she realizes that he is actually a nice guy who is dealing with problems of his own. When Dr. Addison stands her up when they make a date, she realized that she has strong feelings for Joe. Will her sight be restored when the swelling subsides? Which man will she choose?

Sadie was a frustrating character. She wants to stand on her own two feet, but she has a lot of people who care about her and she won't accept help from anyone. She keeps her secret about her face blindness, even when she puts her foot in her mouth more than once. Having said all that, I liked that she was a strong, independent woman. I absolutely loved Joe! He was such a good person, almost too good to be true. He was so kind and helpful to Sadie that she eventually thawed where he was concerned. The secondary characters were well drawn, and as the story progressed, even her father became a better person. The only person that I truly disliked from beginning to end is her step-sister, who made her life miserable from the time she moved in with them to the present. She was a bully and just downright mean! Although the story is a bit over the top, Katherine Center explains about her research into this condition and some of the issues that go with it. I enjoyed this story, the friendship, the condition Sadie was dealing with and especially Joe. Another winner by one of my must read authors. I did a read/listen with this book and enjoyed both formats. The audiobook was narrated by Patti Murin, a new narrator to me. I enjoyed her performance and thought she did a great job with the voices, pacing and expression. I recommend this book in whichever format you prefer.

I loved this book! The idea of being face blind is such an original idea that I have never read about before. I love that we had characters we rooted for and characters that I am pretty sure anyone who reads this book will hate. The did not see some of the twists coming until the end and I really enjoyed how the author reaveled them and explained it all. Plus I love a good epilogue. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone!

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

What a sweet and wholesome book! There is nothing like a romance novel that isn’t only centered on love but also on the development and maturation of the main character. This book delivers on that through such a unique way! It’s a quirky love story centered on redemption, second chances, and friends that are family. The audiobook was also so well narrated and kept me engaged the whole time.

I adored the book but also the author’s note at the end had me in my feels about why romance books rock. Center writes that romance books sometimes get put down for being too “predictable”; she flips the narrative and emphasizes how they create a sense of hopeful anticipation. You know that romance novels are going to have a redemptive happy ending every time. It doesn’t mean they’re predictable, but it does mean they’re full of hope. Of course they’re fun to read - because in the craziness and stress of life, what better way to spend your commute and free time than by feeling positively hopeful. Sometimes you just need a mood booster and romance has and always will be that for me. Thank you Katherine for putting these feelings into words for readers who love books like yours!

Audio Note: The audio is very well done, no complaints there! After listening to The Bodyguard last year and having a great experience with that, I was not surprised that this was just as good in the format. It’s a single narrator because of the single perspective, but Patti Muran is a solid performer. It’s a quieter, emotional story, so the format worked well. If I had been more interested in the story itself, then I imagine I would’ve had an excellent audio experience.

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Lots of readers seem to be loving this one (and that’s great!), but I would’ve abandoned ship pretty quickly had I not received an early copy. It was clear from the start that this simply wasn’t going to be a good fit for me. Our heroine is pretty self-involved and there’s a LOT of medical details at the start, so it felt more like women’s fiction than romance to me, and not particularly enjoyable women’s fiction at that. Add in the love triangle and the continued emphasis on the face blindness, and I just wasn’t into it. I solidly read/listened to the first third, then found myself doing a lot of skimming after that.

The story follows Sadie, a portrait artist on a deadline. She’s in the running to win a major competition, and that means she needs to complete a masterpiece as soon as possible. Unfortunately, a fluke accident revealed that Sadie needs brain surgery, and that was definitely not part of the plan. When the surgery leaves Sadie with (hopefully temporary) face blindness, it complicates things even further. Not only does her job revolve around literally painting every detail of faces, but interacting with people just became a whole lot more complicated. As Sadie navigates the situation, she spends time with two very different men, and she’s forced to re-evaluate parts of her life.

Conceptually, this was very interesting. Face blindness is not something I’ve read about before, especially in romance. I liked the tension and drama that added to the story, for sure. Unfortunately, I did not really like Sadie as a character, and the whole book revolves around her. She was needlessly stubborn and refused to acknowledge her situation with others, which made things a lot messier than they needed to be. Sadie also didn’t take the time to get to know her guys, which made her feel selfish and made the romance feel super shallow. I’m not a fan of love triangles to begin with, and having one be so surface level was not great. I also found the medical stuff at the beginning to be too much – too detailed and too long. So, I can’t say that it was a quality issue, necessarily, but there were several things that drove me kinda crazy. I can see why this is appealing to so many readers, but it was a miss for me.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

It was an interesting love story complete with some learning about a rare cognitive disorder, prosopagnosia.

After an accident, the main character Sadie, a successful artist, loses her ability to recognize faces. As she navigates how this changes her artwork, she also struggles with her aging dog Peanut and the people coming and going from her apartment complex. She met some cute guys, interacted with her difficult-at-best stepsister, and navigated some interesting family dynamics.

Although the plot was predictable and somewhat farfetched, it was cute and kept me interested until the end.

Uplifting and charming! Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has surgery resulting in face blindness, which she hopes will be temporary. Faces have become jumbled and distorted just when she has the opportunity to compete in a prestigious portrait competition. While her artistic career is in crisis, she meets two different men that each offer what she needs. But can she "see" who people really are? Clever plot use of face blindness and confirmation bias!

I listened to the audio, which captured the sarcasm of the step sister and the inner thoughts of Sadie to perfection.

Once again, Katherine Center has failed to disappoint. This was an adorable, romantic story about finding ways to adapt push through during tough times. The love interest, Joe, was just perfect. He was the definition of a wonderful cinnamon roll hero.

My only real issue with this book is that it took me some time to get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop listening!

I’ll definitely be recommending this audiobook to friends and peers!

This book was so quirky and such a fun read/listen. I felt a little bad for Sadie because it felt like everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Having a seizure in the middle of the street, almost getting into an accident, needing brain surgery, and then as a side effect, having temporary face-blindness, a condition where she can't even recognize faces. The irony, of course, is that she's a portrait artist and has a deadline for a major competition.

I loved the storyline of her cultivating new relationships while having face-blindness, and also figuring out her old relationships (Parker, Lucinda, and her father). I also really really loved her found family, the Kims, and how supportive they are of her. The "plot twists" were a little predictable - I had a feeling that Joe and Dr. were the same person, and was also waiting to see how the man in the beginning of the story who bought her the wine and flowers was going to fit in to the story. But I love that the story leaned less on the romance, and focused more on Sadie's growth and development as a person.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.