Before I write this review, I need to discuss the Author’s note. Too many times I think readers skip over this section and if anything, I want to say READ IT FIRST! I completely one hundred thousand percent agree with Katherine Center’s outlook on why love stories are valuable and important. I hope she gets to do a TED Talk on this, because we as humans need to hear it. So please, go check it out.

To use her own words positive words, “This love story really created fantastic anticipation.” Hello Stranger is more of what I’ve come to love and expect from Center; kooky, flawed, humorous characters that deserve their own love story. I love Center’s imagination and creativity with storytelling—you will ALWAYS get an interesting plot line in her romances coupled with a dose of hope and joy. Told from single POV (and trust me, it works best this way), Sadie is a portrait artist who has just happened to get her “big break” in an art competition when life throws her a curveball and suddenly she is left with a condition resulting in (potentially temporary) face blindness. Having to navigate the ups and downs of not being able to recognize busty neighbors, eloping friends, evil stepsisters, and possibly cute veterinarians, leaves Sadie out of sorts and feeling like she just wants to get past this. But she comes to find that the brain can play tricks on you when it comes to assumptions both good and bad, and people she might have initially disliked could be the perfect match.
As a former art teacher, I knew about Chuck Close’s face blindness and was so relieved to read Center mention him in her story (it would have been a BIG miss not to as he was one of the most popular portrait artists of the 21st century). Sadie not only has to cope with losing her ability to see faces normally, but she cannot figure out how to do the one thing she’s always been successful doing—painting faces. Relying on her other 4 senses and the help of therapy to aid her as she recovers from surgery, I thoroughly enjoyed reading from Sadie’s POV. This story is so unique and entertaining, I flew through it wondering if Sadie would ever be able to visualize faces normally again and hoping she’d be able to seek revenge on her awful stepsister Parker. This story is humorous and relies heavily on Sadie’s confirmation bias—the reader starts to wonder just how reliable a narrator Sadie is, especially as she swears she’s fallen head over heels for Peanut’s vet, even though she’s never been on a date with him or even seen him. Did I see where this story was headed? Yes. Did it change my enjoyment of it or make me love Sadie and the cast of characters less? Absolutely not. I would avoid spoilers at all costs before reading, but I know you will fall in love with Sadie and Joe just as much as all of the other excellently written side characters. This book is full of hope, even when it seems that the world is a dumpster fire around Sadie, you know somehow she’ll pull through. And her portrait session with Joe? 🔥🔥🔥 I can’t wait for more stories like this from Katherine Center and know she is an autobuy author. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this book is so interesting, and the deep dive into the prognosis that Sadie received absolutely presented something I had no idea about. I definitely walked away from this book learning something new.

The hero in this book is absolutely the best, he is absolutely so kind, and has that book boyfriend vibe to him.

Sadie went through a lot of growth in this book, and some of it was very emotional, especially for me as the reader.

I love the approach that the author takes with her books. She believes that romances should first and foremost be hopeful, and this one captures it completely.

This closed door romance has a little fate sprinkled in, a little bit of an unreliable narrator, and so much hope.

A bit of a backwards experience, but I requested this book without having read anything by this author and then went and read another book by her (The Bodyguard). I unexpectedly had a lot of fun with that book, so I was excited to read this one! Hello Stranger was such a fun, cute romance that I couldn’t put down.

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist and just found out that she placed as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. When she goes out to celebrate, she’s almost run over by a car—but saved by a Good Samaritan at the last moment. During her recovery, the doctors tell her that they discovered something in her brain that she’d need surgery for, which she reluctantly agrees to. Unfortunately, afterwards she acquires prosopagnosia—face blindness— that may or may not be temporary. As she struggles with what this means for her career, she meets her cute vet yet can’t stop running into her annoying neighbor, Joe.

This book was just a lot of fun! I appreciate this author’s ability to make her characters a little quirky (which I mean in a good way! like how female leads always are in rom-com movies). Sadie has a lot of funny inner monologues while also getting quite emotional about her grief over her deceased mother and her bad relationship with her emotionally unavailable father.

I also liked the other characters. Sue, Sadie’s best friend, is always there for her, and I couldn’t help but laugh at their conversations. Meanwhile, Sadie keeps running into her neighbor Joe, whom she makes snap judgments about but soon discovers that he is fundamentally a great guy. Their romance was so adorable, and I loved all of their scenes together.

This book also delves into the symptoms of face blindness and people’s experiences with it, acquired or not. I liked how this condition allowed for antics throughout the book but was also treated with respect as to how people go about daily life with it.

Again, I found the main couple to be so adorable! This book is a bit predictable at times, but that is the fun of romance, if done well I think. As much as you know what the twists will be, you can’t help but root for them all the same. If you’ve enjoyed this author’s previous books or you’re in the mood for a quick, fun romance, I definitely think you should check out Hello Stranger!

Absolutely wonderful. Felt like a wonderful hug. Also I wanted the character of Parker to get hit by a bus.

Honestly, probably one of Center's best books. This was fantastic, heartwarming, and you know I loved a book when all I got are some nits since I loathed, loathed, loathed some of the characters in this one and hated how nothing bad happened to them in the end.

"Hello Stranger" follows twenty something year old, Sadie Montgomery. Sadie is a struggling artist living in Houston. She finally after about 8 years of having to support herself via her Etsy store, is in the final 10 of a prestigious portrait contest in Houston. Sadie finally feels like her life is taking a turn for the better. Maybe she will be able to finally impress her father, who is a doctor, and disappointed by the direction of Sadie's life. But after a verbal meet-cute, Sadie collapses and finds herself in the hospital. She's diagnosed with a brain lesion, that if she doesn't treat, could kill her. And when she has brain surgery though, she wakes up and is not able to see people's faces. What's a portrait artist to do?

I loved Sadie. She has a great heart and a better spirit than me cause I would have been swinging at her terrible father, her lukewarm stepmother, and her terrible evil as hell stepsister, Parker. As I read, I felt her frustration that even her best friend (who is a flake) is not really there for her. Sadie has nothing but her dog Peanut, and then a crush on the vet (she can't see) who she starts daydreaming about marrying. But then of course comes a guy who lives in her building, who she can't stand.

The other characters are written very well. I think Center gave some of these people too much grace. For example, I wanted there to be more conversations between Sadie and her terrible ass father. Don't get me started on no buses hitting Parker. I thought that it would have been better if there had been more follow up there instead of just a kind of slow shift out of the main story.

The writing was great and so was the flow.

The setting of Houston feels way too quirky here for me though. Felt more like how Austin is than Houston, but what do I know. I have only visited both places once in my life.

I loved the romance we get and the slow burn of Sadie and [redacted]. I was smiling at the end with how things work out. We don't get any sex scenes (boo) but we do know who she ends up with.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Pannill Center is such a great read! I laughed, sat on the edge of my seat and stomped my fee and was breathlessly surprised! A fun lovely!

Katherine Center did it again! I love her stories and how she can combine romance with more serious topics. How her characters not only fall for someone but also work through their situation and whatever it is there are having to go through. Hello Stranger started a little slow for me but then once it picked up I was hooked. I loved the original story here, how the characters met and fell for one another, and the lessons the main character learned by the end of the book.

Well Katherine Center has done it again. She’s the queen of feel good romances. I really enjoyed this one. I will admit that it took me a little bit to get really into this one but once I did, I was hooked. Loved Sadie’s personality and her inner dialogue was so funny. I’m a sucker for witty banter and hilarious inner dialogue so this one was right up my alley. Can we talk about Joe? We need more Joes! Always willing to help, calm, nice torso (😂) and supportive. Give me all the Joes! The vet romance storyline was a little cheesy for me but it all makes sense for Sadie’s character. I can’t say too much because I don’t want to give anything away but can we make big twists in romances the new thing? I didn’t see this one coming! Anyone see that one coming? Center’s books are such comforting reads for me. I typically smile goofily throughout the entire thing and then close the book with a warm fuzzy feeling. 😊 This one was no different. I loved the message of always looking for the good in situations and when we train our brain to look for good, we usually find more of it! Don’t miss reading the authors note too! It’s a gem.

Read if you like:
▫️feel good romances
▫️quirky female leads
▫️twists in romance!
▫️heavy pet storylines (🤍 Peanut)

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is a sweet and uplifting romance novel.

When Sadie, a struggling portrait artist, develops Prosopagnosia (face blindness or facial agnosia) following brain surgery, her whole life changes.

No longer able to recognize people by their faces, including her evil step-sister, she needs to find a way to navigate the world, and this includes dating.

I loved this novel so much and was happy for the use of a lesser know medical condition.

Oh Katherine Center, you have done it again! Katherine Center has been an auto buy author for me for a long time. I absolutely love everything she writes and Hello, Strange follows suit.

📚 Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center
✨ Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
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 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.

Thoughts:
💕 A feel good read that I could not put down.
💕 This was a book that I was able to listen to in one session.
💕 Loved Sadie and the journey she goes on. When life does not work out as planned she continues to forge ahead to accomplish her goals.
💕 Family drama, laugh out loud moments and hopeful romance wrapped in this super cute cover.
💕 I just loved the author’s note at the end. It makes me like Katherine Center as a person as well as an author.

I liked this a lot, just like all of Katherine Center's books it's the perfect amount of sweet, heartwarming, a nice closed-door romance, and a story of redemption in some way for the main character. She has a bit of a formula to her books but it really works for me and I will continue to read her novels as they come out. In this case there was a tiny bit too much predictability for me (I saw the ending coming a MILE away) but it was really cute and I loved the way things wrapped up in such a loving, kind way. The type of book that feels like a hug, or like a warm cup of tea. What a lovely read.

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center is a rarity from this prolific, uplifting, talented writer. It felt more like a puppet being directed with strings than the relatable, hilarious reads Center provides (as in the recent THE BODYGUARD). The premise is interesting: a portrait artist is struck with face blindness with weeks to go before the ultimate competition for portrait artists. She has already placed in the top ten of over 2,000 competitors, so the onset of her inability to see faces in their entirety is a particular torment, complicating her precarious life with family drama and a strange neighbor. All the pieces and parts were there, but somehow they didn't hang true nor create the magic of a Center novel for me. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Oh Sadie! She's a portrait artist who has been cobbling it together for years and just- just- as she's chosen to compete for a prize, she has a seizure which reveals a congenital condition that requires brain surgery. And then edema in her brain leads to face blindness. As much darkness as there's been in her life, there are also bright spots such as the Kims, who own the building where she lives, her little dog Peanut, and Joe, her neighbor, as well as oddly enough, her persistent evil step mother Lucinda. Not so much her evil step sister Parker. She meets Oliver, the hot vet, when Peanut is boarded at his office and reconnects when Peanut has a medical crisis but Oliver stands her up. The one who doesn't is Joe, who is a steady presence despite what Sadie thinks she knows about him. There are a lot of misunderstandings here (and you'll have to suspend belief that she would not have made one of the connections) but for each one, there's something sweet at the end. Can Sadie finish her painting? Will she find true love? Will she find a way to talk with her father? No spoilers from me. Center is a terrific storyteller who had me turning the pages. Don't miss her afterword about the romance genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great feel good read that made me smile.

I am a huge Katherine Center fan and this one did not disappoint. It was funny, quirky and heartfelt. I went into this book without knowing anything about it and what a unique storyline it was! I do feel that Sadie’s stepsister was a bit much and perhaps that storyline was a bit overdone, but other than that I loved it. So fun! Couldn’t put it down.

This book was perfect, but not nearly as perfect as that authors note! 🥹🫶🏻

This book was also just so wonderfully and beautifully hopeful!

This novel follows the story of Sadie, our FMC and Portrait artist, who acquires face blindness after a necessary brain surgery weeks before her big artist break!

I adored Sadie’s character so much!
Watching her life crumble around her had my heart aching and tears in my eyes more than once! I just wanted to hug her and tell her it would all work out! Seriously, 10/10 on the character growth and development! Watching her pick up the pieces of her life and embrace her now in a new a hopeful way was wonderful!

And the ROMANCE!! I was swooning, and laughing, and crying over and over! It was perfectly done!

I caught the twist before the big reveal, but I was a dramatic light bulb moment when things clicked into place and I was suddenly giddy and hoping I was right! (I was!)

As someone who reads A LOT of romance books, this story felt so fresh and unique! Can’t Recommend it enough!

Read this if you like:
-a geriatric dog with a very refined palate
-slight Cinderella vibes
-roller skates
-stories about face blindness
-a golden retriever of a MMC
-a FMC in the middle of a life crisis
-neighbors to friends to lovers
-fake kissing for good reasons!

CW: seizure, brain injury, death of a parent (before book), bullying to the point of attempted suicide (not to the MC but mentioned multiple times), familial emotional abuse, mention of cheating on a spouse

Katherine Center’s books are typically the perfect balance of witty, sweet, and tender, and Hello Stranger is so exception. Sadie is an extremely quirky and lovable artist who undergoes brain surgery and wakes up experiencing face blindness. This is particularly difficult for her, as she is a struggling portrait artist trying to make her big break. As she recovers and learns to live with this condition, we meet a cast of characters that help and hinder her, including her beloved senior dog Peanut, her best friend Sue, a neighbor dubbed The Weasel, a distant father, an evil stepmother, an absolutely wicked stepsister, a kindhearted landlord, and a dreamy veterinarian.

I loved being transported into Sadie’s world. This book made me laugh out loud, cry, and at some parts, cringe. Sadie’s stepsister was so incredibly cruel that I experienced an almost visceral reaction during her scenes. As always, Katherine Center did an outstanding job crafting and entire world of characters with very real problems. This was the sixth Katherine Center book I’ve read, and it was a pleasure as always!

A sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the digital arc of Hello Stranger in exchange for my honest review.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC and then Macmillian Audio for very kindly providing an early preview of the audiobook!

Hello Stranger follows Sadie, a portrait artist who, after an unexpected seizure and subsequent surgery, finds herself unable to recognize faces. While this would be devastating to anyone, it comes just after the news she's been selected to be in a life changing portrait competition. Compounding with her sudden onslaught of mishaps, she begins to have feelings for a handsome veterinarian and a charming man from her building.

I absolutely loved Patti Murin, our wonderful narrator. Her voice gave everyone such personality and life. Her inflections were top notch. I'm not one to laugh at books, but I found myself giggling so many times. This has to be one of the best narrators I've listened to in my burgeoning obsession with the medium. Obviously, a good narrator isn't much without good writing to read. I loved how this was written. It felt like Sadie herself was telling me all about her life. I found the writing witty and light.

But, that's where my happy feelings end. While looking over the few negative early reviews of this book, I found many said Sadie was unlikeable. I actually did find her enjoyable, but again, it may be that Patti gave such an amazing performance. But I can't say I found any other character particularly likeable. We have the comedically evil stepsister, the complicit stepmother, and a cruelly distant father. While I was told that Sue was actually Sadie's best friend, there were two major things that she did that made me question that fact. In accordance with early review code, I won't get into spoilers despite my biggest gripe being the ending. The end conclusion was very obvious so I can't tell if it was truly supposed to be a reveal or not. There was something so obvious that could have been corrected right away and would have completely cleared anything and everything up. The fact that didn't happen still baffles me. I also feel like there was very little character development. Everyone was the same, for better or worse, at the beginning as they are at the end.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: July 11, 2023

After loving The Bodyguard, I was so excited to read this new one from Katherine Center. Unfortunately I only enjoyed the final third of the book. The first two thirds were a real struggle for me. This continuously made me so uncomfortable—with its content and the casualness of constant awful things. Her mom died and her stepmother, stepsister and father are AWFUL humans—there are repeated abusive interactions and it’s seemingly for no reason! There’s a laundry list of toxic or stressful situations. Page after page left me feeling uneasy. But wait! There’s a very attractive man who asks her on a date so everything is fine! Even though this ends with some ah-ha/gotcha/cutesy moments, the journey there was be unpleasant.

Unfortunately, our MC Sadie is a jerk along the way as well. The male MC is a gem though!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center’s books remind me of my favorite movies, maybe they're yours too, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping and the like. Hello Stranger is no exception. Sadie is funny, quirky, in so many ways deeply relatable, and truly lovable. I haven’t met a Center leading lady who wasn’t just right. We meet Sadie just before she is diagnosed with face blindness, experiencing disability and navigating the diagnosis and reality of its impact on her life and career. She isn’t just dealing with her new reality as a result of her condition, she also is on the precipice of a career changing competition and dealing with childhood trauma, grief, and complicated and strained familial relationships. Surrounded by a cast of fantastic supporting characters, another Center hallmark, Sadie struggles, stumbles, triumphs, learns, and grows. She also meets some handsome, charming, and compelling strangers along the way! I am hesitant to say too much because I don’t want to spoil your fun reading their sweet story but buckle up for some delightful, laugh out loud, hopeful anticipatory sweet romcom-y love story goodness.

In her author's note in this book describing her love of this genre was the best description I have read about the hold these stories have on me. She references Nora Ephron and I often read Center’s books and imagine them in an Ephron-esque world. If you’re new to the genre or to Center’s work this 10th book is a great place to hop in.

atherine Center strikes again. I won’t go into detail about my KC love because I already did that in a recent post. But this is, yet again, another banger.

In this, Sadie has a medical event that leads her to having face blindness. As she’s trying to navigate her new (temporary?) life she keeps running into her previously-horrible but now not-so-atrocious neighbor, Joe. Joe insists on being kind and helpful which leads Sadie to a dilemma - does she cut off hot veterinarian Dr. Addison when things may just be getting started, and go for Joe? All of this on top of dealing with her less-than supportive family and a PORTRAIT competition she’s in the running for, Sadie is spiraling. Love and hijinks ensue.

Now listen… this is a book about face blindness. You don’t go into it expecting normalcy, 100% realistic situations, and no funny business. There’s obviously a level to which you’ll have to suspend your disbelief, and that’s absolutely ok with me. This is like an early 2000s romcom and it was ADORABLE.

Read this if you like -
🛼 Senior dogs
🛼 Vintage vibes
🛼 Hot men
🛼 Family drama
🛼 Strong women

I would recommend this for just about anyone who likes cozy romance! Or just anyone in general.

I love Katherine Center, but unfortunately this one wasn’t a hit for me. I had a hard time buying into the romance and didn’t relate to the main character very much. It still contained the sense of humor readers come to expect from Center which kept me reading. The plot point with the MC’s family was also a sticking point for me. It seemed so big and so traumatic but then it felt like the “resolution” at the end was rushed or didn’t meet the level of what happened. Thank you for net galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.