Sadie thinks she may have gotten her big break, but then a series of events leads her to temporary (maybe) face blindness. This is tragic especially considering her whole career is built around her ability to paint portraits. It's not all awful though, she finds herself drawing the attention of her dog's new (probably) handsome vet, and her (maybe) womanizer neighbour.

********SPOILERS AHEAD********

This was a pretty fun and quick read. It was predictable in a lot of ways. I don't know why she wouldn't tell Joe/Dr. Oliver about her condition. Also, why didn't he ever say anything to her that would give away he was the same person, either talking about his job or mentioning they were neighbours at the clinic.

Anyways, if you can suspend some disbelief, it is still a really enjoyable read. I will say, Sadie's whole family is awful. I don't think there could be any level of redemption.

I liked that this book featured face blindness. It's something I remember learning about in University, so it was a nice refresher on the condition.

Read this if you want something light and fun!

This was a fun read!

<i> Hello Stranger </> is about Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist who has been struggling in life. Her mother had passed away, she has an estranged relationship with her father, her stepmom and stepsister are nightmares. and she is in desperate need of some money. In a stroke of luck, she is a finalist in a prestigious portraiture competition. One day, she has a sudden seizure that puts her in the hospital, where the doctors uncover a anomaly in her brain. After getting brain surgery, Sadie develops a temporary side effect called acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia aka face blindness. This condition is not easy to adapt to, meanwhile the portrait competition is 6 weeks away, her dog gets sick, and her best friend elopes. ITS A LOT, to say the least. The upside, is she develops a ridiculous crush on her vet, and gets a smidgen of feelings for her neighbor, Joe. Anyways, chaos enuses.

There were some things I really loved about this book, I loved Sadie's relationship with peanut - a dog eating pad thai had me chuckling. Sadie's relationship with the Kim's (Mr. Kim especially) was so heartwarming since she was missing that familial connection with her own dad. Lucinda, was also surprisingly likeable. When she Karen'ed her way into getting back the dress, my heart was full. Regarding the loved interests, I loved Joe, I also loved Dr. Addison. While I found it predictable, I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Some things were a bit far fetched - ie. the girl at the portrait show who was Sadie's <spoiler> high school friend/art history lover/ girl with the dress was ridiculous </spoiler>. Parker was the worst, she reminded me of every awful mean girl in 2000s teens movie (early Sharpay Evans vibes). I could have done without her irrational mean girl vibes.

Definitely devoured this book and can't wait to read more from the author!

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have been (impatiently) waiting to read Katherine Center’s latest book ever since her first post about it, so when I was finally approved for an ARC I jumped in immediately.. and read it in 24 hours. She is one of my “auto read” authors and her books never disappoint!
This storyline was so unique and included a plot line I’d never read before— I loved it! I found the main characters so likeable and I LOVE me some good banter! After I finished it late last night (okay, early this morning tbh..) I immediately had to go back and reread certain parts of the story after all the puzzle pieces had clicked into place. The only downside to reading a book before it’s even published is now having to wait even longer for the next one.. 🙃
I highly recommend reading Hello Stranger ASAP!! It comes out July 11, 2023!

📱Hello Stranger, Katherine Center - Uncorrected Digital Galley ARC from NetGalley with St. Martin’s Press. Romance. Publication date July 11, 2023. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book so much! I loved learning about face blindness and put myself in the shoes of the protagonist throughout the story. I loved the journey this book took me through her medical issues, her past and her love story. I couldn’t get enough of it! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for an opportunity to read this book in advance of the publication date for an honest review.

As with all of Katherine Center’s lead characters, Sadie is super likable and I really enjoyed reading her story. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. This novel journeys through a difficult time and teaches us a valuable life lesson about how we see others. “Color outside your own lines. Allow yourself another way of seeing.” Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed it!

!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!


I was so happy to snag this ARC because I've been wanting to try a Katherine Center for a while. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the writing style, which dampens my enthusiasm for the story, however much I like it.
So, I did like the premise of this story - it reminded me of an old NR book where the FMC thinks <spoiler> she has feelings for these two people who turn one to be the same person </spoiler>.
I really enjoyed Sadie's tongue-in-cheek, dry humor. However, the pages and pages of inner monologues are not my favorite things to read in a book, and those parts did not work for me.
I loved the MMC. It's tricky to give any details without spoilering, so I'm just gonna day that I loved how it all turned out.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Every Katherine Center book just gets better and better! I’m so excited that this was my first ARC, it was a highly anticipated read for me!

This was such a unique story, and I feel like I could give so much away easily, so I’ll keep this review short and sweet.

Katherine Center books are like warm hugs from someone you love! This is my third book of hers that I’ve read and it was so good! I had never heard of prosopagnosia before, and it was such an interesting concept to build into a romance novel. I highly recommend this book, it’s release date is July 11th!!!

My favorite quote from the book, that’ll stay with me for a while, was: “It takes a certain kind of courage to be brave in love. A courage you can only get better at through practice.”
Even though I’ve been married for almost 8 years, and with my husband for nearly 12 years, I feel like this quite still remains true! Love takes courage and work!

Struggling portrait artist Sadie Montgomery has just gotten her big break: she's a finalist in a prestigious portrait competition. The only problem? Following a recent accident, she's developed face blindness... an issue for someone who exclusively paints faces.

I've only also read The Bodyguard by Katherine Center so far, but she's clearly got a tone and style to her writing that this matches, so if you've been a long time fan, I think you won't be disappointed - and if you're just starting out, this is a delightfully fun rom-com romp with the best excuse for the miscommunication trope I've seen. (Or not seen. Get it?)

You've got a swoony veterinarian, a geriatric dog named Peanut who loves Pad Thai, and a potentially womanizing neighbor who has an inexplicable love for bowling jackets. I enjoyed all of the characters with the exception of Parker - she felt almost too over-the-top villainous to me. There's some background given, but I would have preferred a little more nuance.

Overall, I absolutely flew through this and laughed out loud more than once. I recommend this if you're looking for a fun summer romance!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My first Katherine Center novel....and this book was phenomenal!! I loved every part of it. It had a little bit of everything, it was funny, heartwarming, family drama, loss and super sweet moments....and OH!! the twists and turns!
Sadie was such a fun character. I loved that she was strong and i was cheering her on.
Sadie is an artist and she is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, one of her biggest achievements. Suddenly Sadie is in the hospital being diagnosed with temporary face blindness, Sadie struggles to cope and is worried about her upcoming competition. she deals with family drama and is juggling two love interests at once....sort of!
This novel had good character development, i loved the friendship between Sadie and Sue, and im happy that Sadie and her dad's relationship is on a good path to healing.

Definitely recommend this book!!

I’ve heard so many great things about this author and had her recommended so many times, I couldn’t resist trying this newest read from her.

From the start, I could tell that the writing itself was great and I’ll definitely be trying others from the author.

The premise of the story itself was intriguing, but overall not a perfect fit for me as a reader. I had trouble connecting with our main character- which for me is necessary to really vouch with a story. However, I really do look forward to trying more from the author and already have two more lined up on my TBR shelf.

Thank you to NG and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy!

4.5/5 stars! This author has done it again!

This was a great book! I absolutely loved "The Bodyguard" so was super excited to read this one as well! Katherine Center really knows how to write a great protagonist and Sadie is no exception. The whole cast of characters were really interesting, but my favorite relationship to read was Sadie and her best friend. That was such a sweet friendship!

Quick Summary:
Sadie is an aspiring portrait artist given the chance to show her work and finally get the big break she's been looking for. However, she is also due to get a surgery that will temporarily impair her ability to see faces. As a portrait artist, this is going to be a huge problem! The story then follows her journey through this debacle and she is not only facing this challenge, but also issues in the past that have lingered for too long. This story is a great romcom, but it's also so much more than that and serves as a great reminder about the importance of resilience.

This one was just SO GOOD.

I didn't expect the twist reveal, and found myself going through all the emotions that the main character was experiencing throughout the book. Such an interesting storyline about overcoming situations that are out of your control, and taking back the control that was taken away from you.

Sadie & Joe are the best and I loved their banter. 10/10 recommend to everyone, especially if you were a fan of The Bodyguard. Love Katherine Center's writing and can't wait to experience more!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this amazing book in advance of it's release in exchange for an honest review.

Out July 11th!

THIS BOOK! I read Hello Stranger in 24 hours. My house is trashed. My children have turned feral. My husband probably thinks I ran away. But really I was just curled up reading this book the whole time.

AND I LOVED IT! Such a fun and unique premise , and I am a huge fan of the writing style. It felt natural and was so funny. I feel like Sadie talks the way I talk, so she came off as highly relatable. Ok, and who knew painting could be so sexy? I tried explaining a painting scene to my husband, and he thought I was nuts, but the HEAT was tangible! This book is swoony, goofy, and addicting, so would I recommend it? Heck to the freaking yes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hello Stranger will be published July 11, 2023!

CW/TW: occasional profanity, kisses (passionate), affair (prior), death of a parent (prior)

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC!

I have loved every book I’ve ever read from Katherine Center and this one was no different. This was a unique story with a trope that felt like it had a different spin on it. I highly recommend this book!

I absolutely could not put this book down, finished this in a day. Sadie’s growth in this book, from start to finish, is amazing. Her world completely turns upside down when she is dealing with face blindness. Her family is a mess, she lives in a hovel and she knows she isn’t going to win her portrait competition. But, she is stronger than she thinks. I went through all the emotions in this book! A must read!

3.5 ⭐
thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

this book was good, but it wasn't for me. i had high expectations since i really loved <i>the bodyguard</i> but <i>hello stranger</i> has extremely different vibes and didn't work for me. i didn't click with sadie's character and i think some of the information about sadie's relationships with her family could have been revealed earlier to avoid me thinking that she's just a bratty person. aside from that, the book was pretty enjoyable! the first bit was a bit slow, but around 30% in, i was hooked and i finished the rest of the book really quickly. also, i thought it was really interesting to read about face blindness and i learned so much about it!

overall, this book wasn't bad and it might be for other people even if i didn't love it!

This is a story about hope, forgiveness and love. The characters are relatable and enjoyable. I didn’t want to put this book down. I was anticipating the plot twist and couldn’t wait for it to happen. Don’t skip the authors note.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for early access to this e-book! It publishes on July 11th.
 
I’ve read a handful of Katherine Center books now, and I typically enjoy them, but this one was kind of a miss for me. I really liked the overall idea and thought it was cute, but it was super predictable yet somehow not at all plausible.
 
FMC, Sadie, must get an emergency brain surgery which is successful yet leaves her with a temporary condition: face blindness. She can see facial features, but her brain can’t turn them into a cohesive face. Although this is a very real condition, and I can’t imagine how difficult it would be, I just wasn’t convinced with Sadie’s experience. That and Sadie was overall just an unlikable character, IMO.
 
Also, this story leaned a bit too heavily on the miscommunication trope which is one that frustrates me to no end. Obviously, it was a bit different because there was a medical condition involved, but still, if the characters would’ve just talked a bit more I really think this whole thing book could’ve been a couple chapters long lol.
 
The ending redeemed it a bit, and the MMC, Joe was very likeable, but all in all this one just didn’t really do it for me. I am certainly in the minority here though, so your mileage may vary!!

This starts as a fluffy chick lit book but it quickly gathers substance. Sadie is “face blind” as a result of a series of unfortunate events. The technical term is prosopagnosia. But Sadie is a portrait artist and has just been selected as a finalist in a painted portrait competition. It is very difficult to portray a face on canvas if you can't see it.

Most of the story is about Sadie coping with her new disability. There are lots of humerous mishaps along the the way. I can empathize with her frustration. I really like Sadie as a main character, though at times I wanted to give her a little shake.

This is a light hearted story about a serious and real condition. It was actually quite entertaining but, as I was reading it, I kept thinking that a more serious approach about coping with face blindness would have been interesting too.

But, writing with humour is the author's style. I knew that when I chose this book. I appreciate the research Ms. Center put into the subject. I know it takes a lot of time to learn about a medical condition and then put it together cohesively into an entertaining tale.

I did enjoy the story. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments. And, there was drama. The little knowledge I have now about face blindness will spur me to look for books with a little depth on the subject.

Best of all, the ending was a wonderful surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Katherine Center is such a great writer. I love her books so much! This one is about Sadie, who is a portrait artist, but when she has necessary brain surgery she develops face blindness. This causes difficulties in recognizing people because she can’t see their faces. I don’t love the love triangle trope and there was a bit of one here when Sadie develops feelings for both her dog’s new vet and her neighbor. Plus there is a bit of miscommunications due to Sadie’s condition. However, I still loved this story, which goes to show how much I love Katherine Center. It was funny and sweet! A quote that I liked said “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”