While I wasn't a fan of Center's previous book, this one was great! The plot was very unique and the characters were realistic and heartwarming.

A humorous yet poignant view of a struggling portraitist and her startling diagnosis after brain surgery. Readers will "see" Katherine Center's Sadie though the foggy lens of face blindness. Through therapy with Dr. Nicole, Sadie and readers learn about confirmation bias, how to let friends help, and how to face tough truths about life, ourselves and healing family hurts.
Another recognizably memorable reminder of Katherine Center's ability to help us see ourselves in the reflections of others. Find truth and hope in Hello Stranger.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I have seen lots of friends post about their love for Katherine Center books and now I understand the hype! While I was able to predict how things were going to go about halfway through the book, I loved the premise of the story and following Sadie as she navigated the adventures of face blindness following brain surgery, especially as a portrait artist who relies on being able to paint faces. I'm also emotionally attached to Peanut and he has to live forever. This may have been my first Katherine Center book, but it certainly won't be my last. Highly recommend this one for a fun summer read.

I'm a huge fan of Katherine Center and this may be my favorite of all of her books. There is such a strong readability factor that I found it hard to put down. The relatability of Sadie's thoughts stands out as a highlight that made her really likeable. Saying things like "did I just break my brain?" after she falls or referring to her face blindness as "this face thingy" were hysterical because they felt so real. I adored that the woman who detests help falls for the helper. I thought it was interesting that removing her ability to see faces makes Sadie hyper aware of other (shallow) ways she takes in people's appearances. It really speaks to not judging people, on appearances or first impressions (like the unfortunate elevator conversation). I also really loved that the first face she sees is not just her own but her younger self. It's like she has to acknowledge her past self before being able to move forward.

Perhaps better than any author I can recall, Katherine Center has a talent for mixing a nourishing love story with real life challenges, making for a satisfying feel good, feel everything read. I don't love the misunderstanding trope but did enjoy that it was called out and the bit of mystery and surprise that it gave to the story. I'll call it frustrating fun. I chuckled when Sadie referred to wanting to yell to the characters to "just talk to each other".

To directly borrow from the author's note, "this story really created fantastic anticipation.". The author's note in and of itself was a gem that put words to why I love romcom novels. Spoiler alert! I realized part way through that it was very likely that Joe was the vet and the Good Samaritan. It was a fantastically fun realization and made me look forward to the reveal. The two giveaway hints for me were the vet's extreme reaction to the breakup, and her thinking Hazel 1 and 2 were two different people. Then the other questions I had melted away as everything made sense if Joe was Oliver. The only remaining question was why the two names, which was enough to make me wonder if I was really right or not in my prediction (which was perfect by the way... if I was too certain that I had it all figured out it would have been less fun).

Hello Stranger is my favorite romance of the year so far.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: July 11, 2023

Katherine Center is one of my go to authors and this one did not disappoint. I will say that I didn’t overly connect with the main characters and I was able to predict pretty early on what was going to happen, it still gave all the feels one is used to after reading a Katherine Center book!

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist that has just been selected out of thousands to create a portrait painting for a chance to win ten thousand dollars. This is her big break! Cast off from her family after her mother dies and her father remarried, Sadie has been a struggling artist and this prize money can help her keep her independence.

As Sadie gets ready to paint the portrait of a lifetime, she has an accident leaving her with a condition known as “Face Blindness”. This means Sadie can see people and details but faces appear to be puzzle pieces. How can a portrait artist paint portraits without seeing faces?

While Sadie struggles through her diagnosis she meets two men (Joe from her building and Dr. Oliver Addison the new sexy veterinarian taking care of Sadie’s dog Peanut) who she connects with but cannot properly see their faces. Using recognition tips and tricks from her doctor Sadie spends time getting to know both through her other senses.

Sadie has limited time to paint her winning portrait and determine which of the two men she cares about is in it for the long haul, all while struggling to put the pieces together of all the faces she loves.

This was a four star read for me! I enjoyed learning more about this unique condition and loved the way it was weaved into an epic love story! This is perfect for any rom-com fans out there!

#NetGalley #hellostranger #katherinecenter

Hello Stranger is a great summer rom-com! Katherine Center knows how to write a romance with just enough of a twist that the book is unique but still checks off every box that a good romance book should have. I really enjoyed that the book talked about different coping mechanism's Sadie had to use to help her adjust to face blindness. I look forward to reading the next Katherine Center book!
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Hello Stranger was my first book by Katherine Center and I loved it. The main character Sadie is faced with a condition that causes face blindness while having to navigate everything in her life in a way she’s never had to before. I loved the romance arc of the story and Sadie learning to rely on other senses to identify the people in her life. The descriptions for how Sadie explored her art while trying to produce portraits in ways she never had before really resonated with me and will stick with me long after putting this book down. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.

This was a cute, albeit super predictable, story from Katherine Center. It’s not my favorite of her books but it was an enjoyable read. I struggled to ever really feel the chemistry and connection between Sadie and Joe, and the seemingly one sided infatuation with Dr Addison wasn’t overly believable.

I mostly listened to the audio of this book which is narrated wonderfully by Patty Murin. Her voices for each character are excellent - I especially loved how she portrayed Parker!

I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This story uses an interesting concept to delve into some heavy topics. What do you see, do your really see other people for who they truly are, and how do you see yourself? The concept of facial blindness as the hook was really unique, and I found myself googling the subject to learn more.
Very enjoyable novel that can provoke some heavy thoughts about perception.

Well, she did it again. Is Katherine Center a romance wizard? I think so.
Throughout the whole book I was thinking, “How can this woman write something that feels familiar but new, predictable but in the best possible way?” Then I got to the end and read the Author’s Note (I LOVE when an author includes an authors note), and she talked about just this thing. Predictability in romance books that she renamed as “anticipation” because of hope. And we all need the hope of something good to look forward to. Just as all beautiful writers do, she put my exact feelings into words.

The uniqueness of Sadie’s situation was thrilling. And I just loved the male lead (trying to give no spoilers)! Also, the way things played out with Lucinda was so satisfying. I could not have wrapped up the story any better if I ever tried.

This may not have been my favorite KC book (because I don’t know what could beat The Bodyguard, in my opinion), but it was so solid and so good. I seriously have never seen KC go wrong!

This was a great book! This was such a fresh take on how i view romance and i really appreciated that. I usually don't like the miscommunication trope too much but i actually enjoyed that aspect of the book! It was so funny so unlikely that it just made sense! I loved Sadie and Joe / Olivers relationship and how they functioned around each other and how comfortable they made each other. Their vulnerability towards the other made my heart swell and i was shipping them so hard lol. i was like there is no way Joe is a bad guy?? That conversation must have been out of context and oh how true that was. I felt so bad for Sadie and everything she had to deal with growing up and losing her mom, it just made me root harder for her. Joe / Oliver was so patient with Sadie and was down to do weird and unconventional things with someone he hardly knew. Ah, humanity. Anyway, this was a great book and i learned about face blindness! 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc!

I loved everything about this book! Katherine Center is an author who never disappoints. Her books are super quick, fun, and adorable. I breezed through this book in a day, granted I listened to the audiobook (the narrator was amazing by the way), which really helps me in the long run in terms of reading speed, but still a day is pretty quick for me. I just had to see how everything turned out in the end.

I figured out pretty early on the twist that happens at the end of the story, but it didn't take anything away from it at all. I still loved the entire journey of Sadie and her adapting to the situation at hand. The main guy was so loveable too! You are really rooting for them from the very beginning.

Katherine Center is an author I can always count on to provide me with an entertaining read with characters that feel real to me. A heroine with prosopagnosia was a different storyline. I found it interesting to follow Sadie's journey with the condition while also dealing with family issues. Despite the heavier topics, the story still had a lighthearted feel to it. The story had a satisfying ending and I would recommend it to everyone.

Basically, the female is a struggling portrait artist who gets selected for this big special competition but she ends up needing brain surgery. As a result of the surgery she’s experiencing face blindness. It’s a lot about her growth with dealing with this new reality.

Now the romance part was cringy. So many cringy moments in this. Seriously, I may have dislocated my eyeballs from all the eye rolling I did while reading this! But dispute this, it’s still an entertaining story. I found that even though there were unrealistic moments I was still cheering for them.

3.5 stars. This book was a very cute quick read! It was a bit predictable but I enjoyed reading it. My first by this author and I will be checking out some more of her work.

As a huge Katherine Center fan, I couldn't wait for this one. Sadly, its my least favorite. I had a hard time following along and engaging in this one. I appreciate Sadie's journey and struggles she faced but really wish she had bigger wins. There were definitely funny moments that I really enjoyed as well as some really loveable characters. If you're a Katherine fan, you should check out. #HelloStranger #NetGalley

Cute, easy romance story to enjoy. A unique twist to your typical romance story. I didn’t expect the ending, but it really made everything better.

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

📝 Sadie is a struggling artist who is just about to make her BIG BREAK! After beating out 1,990 people, she has the opportunity to make a lot of money 💴 if she wins this portrait competition. All is going well until she has a nonconvulsive seizure in the middle of the street. While surgery was able to correct her brain bleed, it also came with the unexpected side effects of having face blindness. Sadie's life is spinning out of control, but the one positive is meeting two very different men, her veterinarian and her bad boy neighbor. Can her life get back to normal while meeting the love of her life?

What I 🤍:
🧠 Coping with a Medical Condition
🐶 Precious Support Dog, Peanut
🔺Love Triangle
🫠 Complicated Family Relationships
💕 Supportive Side Characters

I really enjoyed this book, especially once Sadie came home from the hospital and had to create a "new normal." I could tell Katherine Center did A LOT of research on prosopagnosia, and I appreciated the REAL feelings Sadie went through. If you lost the ability to recognize faces, your whole world WOULD be changed around. I loved how we watched her grow and go through the stages of grief while dealing with this medical condition.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Passion: 🔥 (Kiss)
Read If ➡️: You want a sweet romance with an emotional punch.
Read 📅: Springtime
CW ⚠️: Disabling Medical Condition, Death of Parent (off-page), Complicated/Unhealthy Family Situations, Divorce (Off-Page), Cheating (Off-Page)

In all honesty, this felt like Sadie's journey of healing with her condition and family trauma. But, the romance was perfect and helped lighten the mood of the book. The love interests were A+++, and I actually enjoyed this love triangle. I was able to anticipate the ending pretty early on, but I was grateful for the ending. The one thing that bothered me was Sadie's step-sister. She was over the top evil, and it just felt unrealistic to me. I recommend this book, and it comes out July 11th!

Thank you to Katherine Center and St, Martins Press for an ARC of this book.

My review will be posted soon to my Instagram Page (@LifeWithPrinceMan).

When you pick up a Katherine Center book, you can count on a few things: a woman battling difficulty; a wholesome, entirely lovable male main character who is probably also battling difficulty, a heartwarming story, a happy ending. As she acknowledged herself in her author’s note at the end of Hello Stranger, some may use those factors to call her books - or the romance genre - predictable. And maybe so, but it’s a comforting recipe. It’s knowing you’re going into a story that will build - as Center says - anticipation for the moment when it all comes together and there is joy for those who’ve struggled.

I loved Hello Stranger. I loved Joe, I loved Peanut, I loved Sadie, I loved Sue, and I loved Dr. Nicole. Hello Stranger is a remarkably visual book, and it was easy to dive into this world.

Were there parts I had to suspend disbelief? Sure. Did I see the end coming? Yup. Still loved it.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the eARC. Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I was thrilled to be approved for an ARC of Hello Stranger.

I loved this book. The characters were amazing - sweet, ridiculous and flawed. The love story is adorable. It is a truly feel-good love story. It is over the top, it is unrealistic and frankly unbelievable, but that only adds to the joy of it. I looked forward to escaping into this book every day - I split between audio and e-version and they were equally fabulous. Honestly, a perfect beach read for the summer. 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies.