Every time I read a book by Katherine Center, it becomes one of my favorite reads of the year. I just love her writing style and how layered and unique the stories and characters are, and how her novels always make me feel all the feels. And Hello Stranger is my favorite read by Center yet. I loved everything about this book!

First things first – I want to be friends with Sadie Montgomery. She’s a portrait artist struggling to get by, and she becomes a finalist in a prestigious art contest that could propel her career. However, her dreams feel shattered when she learns she needs to have surgery, and the operation results in prosopagnosia or facial blindness. She can see everything except for people’s faces, which look like Picasso's paintings. Not the best problem for a portrait artist.

Sadie goes through so much in the story as she deals with her new reality and faces some of the issues she’s been avoiding. Having prosopagnosia forces Sadie to see things in a new light, and this change in perspective influences her in ways she never expects. I thought her character was really relatable. We all go through things sometimes that feel totally out of our control, and it’s tough. Sadie, however, shows such strength and hope, and I love that about her. I think that’s why I hated some of the other characters so much because they treated Sadie so badly, and no one should be messing with Sadie.

I loathed her step-sister, and her step-mother and father weren’t much better, but their negativity and toxicity were balanced nicely with characters like Sadie’s best friend, her adorable dog, and so many other great secondary characters. Plus, there’s the romance, and if you know me, you know I’m all about a swoon-worthy romance! You might also know I’m not a big fan of a love triangle, but in this story, it totally works!

After Sadie’s diagnosis, she meets two men – Oliver, the new golden-voiced vet that helps her elderly dog during an emergency, and Joe, the brash neighbor she overhears speaking rudely about her but with whom she has sizzling chemistry. I loved trying to figure out who she was going to choose. They both bring different things to the table, and the banter and chemistry with each are fantastic.

I can’t say enough about Hello Stranger. Katherine Center has a way of telling stories that hook me from the first page. In Hello Stranger, the characters are realistic and relatable, and they have a lot of depth. And they’re so funny. There are a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments that completely endeared me to certain characters! Her stories are refreshing, funny, heartwarming, and fun, and the messages of resilience, taking chances, and knowing your worth are fantastic. And the love stories!! I adore them!!

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This story follow Sadie, a portrait artist recently diagnosed with face blindness after an accident. We learn early on that she is a finalist in this portrait competition that her late mother was also in when she died. From then on she goes through a rough period of six weeks, with constant blow after blow and unresolved drama coming back up. Not only this, but she ends up meeting two potential love interests during this difficult time. Sadie has to navigate and challenge everything she knows about living and her own self-efficacy.

Center's writing style is very easy to read and follow along with, making this very fast paced and a quick read. I enjoyed how this story took a disorder and brought it to attention in a light way with a good balance between heavy topics that this brought up for the main character and the general personality of the main character. Sadie's story was very entertaining to follow along with all of her complexities and quirks.

Some of the downsides of this for me was everything felt too predictable. I was guessing every plot point from the very beginning, which made it slow to read at points and would lose my interest. Sadie's relationship with her step mother and sister felt very forced and there more so for the plot than any actual development. It would have been nice to expand on their relationships a bit more to gain a better feel of the interactions instead of knowing it's a Cinderella like trope with evil stepsister. I would have loved to see a more of the defining moment in Sadie's life when she realized that she was living her mom's life and not her own. This was one of her main character flaws that was never resolved at the end, which would have enhanced the story.

I think this story, overall, was a novel idea that had a lot of potential. I've never heard of a romance plot like this and it caught my attention from the get go. This is an easily recommendable book for someone who wants a fast, easy pace, but is not something I would consider to read again. I would continue to read more from this author in the future.

This is my least favorite Katherine Center book that I’ve read. I should’ve know when I read the synopsis that this wouldn’t be for me, but I love &
Katherine Center and wanted to give it a try.

I’m sure that this will be a great book for some people, but for me it was a miss.

I've read a number of Katherine's other novels to date, and while this one started slow for me, it really picked up (and came together) in the last third. The family storyline felt a little incomplete, but enjoyed the will-they-won't-they romantic twist. To quote the author, "this love story really created fantastic anticipation"! Thank you to #NetGalley for my copy.

Love isn’t blind, it’s just a 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. 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.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the idea of someone who is heavily reliable on her sight have to figure out how to paint without it. I recently found out I have some eye issue’s but rely heavily on sight for work/life so I related heavily to Sadie. It was so frustrating that she wouldn’t tell anyone her problem, but I also totally don’t share when things go wrong, so I get it! I liked to see this issue played out in the book. There’s a love triangle, a slightly unreliable best friend, and a ton of family drama! What is not to love? While I did find this slightly predictable, I was still so connected to see how the author was going to play it out. Katherine Center has a way of pulling at your heartstrings and this book was no different!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC this book releases 7/11

Katherine Center is a great author, but this book was a disappointment, to say the least. The premise, a portrait artist who suddenly experiences face blindness could have been interesting, but I had trouble buying the rest of the story overall. The main character, Sadie, was not likeable and she lacked chemistry with her love interest. Not only that, but there were multiple inconsistencies when it came to her face blindness. This made it hard for me to take serious Sadie's core struggle. I found myself getting irritated more than empathizing with her. I will still continue to read Katherine Center's novels but this one was a miss for me.

I love Katherine Center's books, even though romance is not my usual genre. It's just really nice once in a while to read a book where you know there will be a lovely happy ending. What sets Ms. Center apart from other romance writers, however, are her creative plots and beautiful, descriptive writing. Her books rarely have much spice, but graphic sexual descriptions aren't necessary to craft a great romance novel when you have well developed characters whose lives make you feel all the feelings. I loved the plot of "Hello Stranger" and I think it is Ms. Center's best work yet. I loved the messages that we often see what we expect or want to see as opposed to what is really there and that the more good we look for, the more we will find. Though there was the expected happy ending, there was also a twist that I didn't completely see coming. Don't skip on the author's note as it is excellent. It's a perfect summer read or for anytime when you need a little dose of positivity in your life.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this lovely book.

The authors note about romance at the end perfectly described how I feel about this book! KC as always writes amazing characters, with great anticipation of what's to come. Couple that with a super unique plot and incredible writing made a story that I absolutely loved!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Perfect Stranger by Katherine Center.

First of all, I LOVED this book!!!

Sadie Montgomery is a down-and-out struggling artist who has experienced the tragic loss of her mother, as well as estrangement from her father caused by his "new" family. When she places as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, she figures this is her big break to explode onto the art scene. Winning this contest will mean making some money doing what she loves, and proving her father that she is a capable artist after all. Everything seems to be looking up for Sadie until a medical emergency requires her to alter her plans. The operation leaves her with a complication that will forever change how she "sees" the people in her world. During the weeks following the surgery, Sadie finds herself struggling to realize her dream and overcome the obstacles placed in her way. These struggles help her learn that the most important things to see in life are not always with the eyes, but with the heart.

I loved this story so much. Sadie is a great character that you can't help but root for throughout the book. Her family, love interests, and friends are endearing, funny, aggravating, and so real. Center has woven all of the characters together in such a beautiful way. The love story is a perfect blend of frustration and preciousness. Everything about this book made my heart smile and I did not want it to end!!

I was so excited for this book - I've read a lot of other Katherine Center books and the premise of this one was intriguing and so different from anything I've personally read. Sadly, it didn't really live up to expectations for me. It was difficult for me to fully connect with the main character, and I really wanted to sympathize with what she was going through, but she made everything so much more difficult for herself by not being honest that it became frustrating to read.

There were too many things that felt way over the top and unnecessary to me. Some of the misunderstandings were widely unrealistic to me (and my threshold this unrealistic things in books is quite high). There's a character is that so ridiculously cruel, it's like a caricature of an evil villain and I half expected them to be twirling an invisible mustache in the corner while plotting their next horrible act.

That said, I really did love some of the conversations and moments between Sadie and other characters in the book that were peak Katherine Center. There were tender and moving moments, times of vulnerability and forgiveness that were lovely.

I'm sad this one didn't hit the mark for me personally, but I appreciated the chance to read it.

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

HELLO GORGEOUS! I loved this clever , cute , read! Perfect for a summer read! It was my first by this author and won't be my last! I loved it!

Good god this was a five star read all the way through!! Another amazing book from Katherine center.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

The main character is Sadie Montgomery. She is a struggling artist who paints portraits. She has recently entered a competition and she might have the chance to win 10000 dollars. This is the same competition her mother, who passed away, entered too. Sadie wants to demonstrate to her father that she can be successful in doing what she loves.

However, six weeks before the competition, she learns that she needs to have brain surgery. The surgery has minimal risk and after it, she could begin painting her portrait. What Sadie was not expecting is to stop being able to see faces. After her surgery, she develops acquire apperceptive prosopagnosia. When she realizes this, she freaks out. To make matters worse, her dog, Peanut gets sick. She takes him to the emergency vet. Dr. Addison is able to save Peanut and even without seeing his face, she falls for him. She's thrilled when he asks her out. But things can't be easy, she also meets Joe. He lives in the same building as she does. At first, she dislikes him but the more she gets to know him, the more she starts falling for him too.

What I liked about this story is I didn't know about face blindness, and it was interesting to know about this illness. Katherine Center writes books about complex women, but she has a way to show the strength of these women characters overcoming odds. I like strong women characters that overcome adversity and this one fit the bill for me.

Narrated by Patti Murin who brought this book to life and did a good job giving voice to the characters in this story. This was again another favorite for me though The Bodyguard was a tad better this one did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for a free copy of Hello Stranger for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I always know that when I read a book by Center, to abandon other books I have going temporarily because she will draw you into the storyline. Sadie is stubborn but fun. I laughed so much while reading this. Her stubbornness often got in her way, so many of her roadblocks were of her own making.

But to be fair, when you’re a portrait artist who suddenly becomes face blind, it can feel like all hope is lost. So even though romance should be the last thing on her mind, it added another layer to the storyline. Was Sadie too stubborn at times? For sure, she wants to do it alone. When you look at her history, it explains so much as to why she is this way, and that makes her more endearing.

I really do tuck into Center’s books. The characters are fun, encouraging, and you get to know them intimately. I love the storyline and the creativity in tackling this subject, and am amazed at some things I learned while reading this. It is such a truly fun read. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for the advanced copy.

Have you ever read a book, by a new to you author, and think I must consume all their books?
That was this for me.

Sadie is going through it. She broke up with her boyfriend, moved into a shed, then got a coveted spot in a portrait competition, just to lose her ability to see faces.

Overall, I think this book just feed my soul in a way I was not excepting. I guessed what I suppose is not really a plot twist pretty early on, but it didn’t take away from anything. I could not put it down!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Okay, wow. Why did I wait so long to start this?

This was so freaking cute. I've only read a few books by KC, and I enjoyed them all thoroughly.

The face blindness threw me off and I was worried it would get annoying. But not at all. The reasoning behind it was completely believable and accurate, and you can tell she did her research.

Sadie is an adorable character I loved from page one. Her family dynamics really bothered me and how horrible her stepsister was. Like seriously people. Why did she get away with so much damage? Anywho... I liked how it wasn't just about her face blindness and overcoming it to win the art show. I loved how it showed her grow as a person and explain how you don't always have to see things to understand them.

Was part of the book clear as day (pun intended)? Yes. I'll be kind of surprised if others actually don't catch on. But it's okay either way. It's a super cute read, I giggled a few times, and I loved how it ended.

Thank you so much for the ARC. Can't wait to buy a copy!

I absolutely loved this book!

Imagine going through your life, and then all of a sudden, you can’t recognize anybody’s face, even your best friend. This exact situation happens to Sadie at the worst possible moment: she’s a portrait artist and just got selected as a finalist in a career-defining competition.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sadie’s journey throughout the book, especially as she explored her relationships with Joe, Sue, and her family. Joe was such a great leading man (i almost cried when he said “I’ll be Joe for you, if you want.”), and the serendipity of the ending was spectacular and makes the reader think about fate with romantic partners. I know I’ll be thinking about Joe and Sadie long after I closed this book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and Katherine Center for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Sadie should be celebrating - she just placed as a finalist in a prestigious portrait competition - but instead she finds herself at the hospital after having a seizure. The seizure reveals that she needs to have brain surgery. She reluctantly goes through with it at her dad’s insistence but it leaves her with face blindness. As she figures out what to do about her portrait, she meets two men who she is interested in.

For most of this book, Sadie really bothered me, which is not great for a protagonist. She just acted so wildly inconsistent. I also found it crazy that Sadie’s dad and stepmom blindly believed Parker about literally everything. The last third of the book I really enjoyed though. That had more of the feel of Center’s other books I’ve loved. There was the growth and fun characters I’m used to.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger is a dramatic, emotionally intense read that you have come to expect from Katherine Center. Sadie Montgomery goes through a terrible traumatic event that also turns out to be such an inspiring life-affirming one. I must say this at time sad story with the wicked stepmother, okay maybe not totally wicked, and the totally wicked stepsister with the distant father broke my heart, but that is not nearly the entire story. I loved the gourmet eating dog, Peanut, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, the truth coming to light, the several mix-ups, the life-changing moments, and the wonderful conclusion. Without a doubt, I believe that Sadie will win the bet concerning the wicked stepsister, Parker.

The perfect book to read anytime but would make a perfect beach read too.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Katherine does it again! I love her stories and romances and this was yet another thrill to read. I love how her stories interweave