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

First off, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Unfortunately, I don’t have a positive review! It devastates me to say that I didn’t like this book at all! Since I love this author and her other books, it pains me that it was such a let down. I found the storyline to be incredibly frustrating and I hated the plot twist.

I absolutely loved this book!! Katherine wanted to and successfully wrote a love story that "really created fantastic anticipation"!! She tugged at the heartstrings, she gave the tickle of a new romance, she educated in such a visual way the diagnosis of prosopagnosia (face blindness) and gave hope that even when life isn't necessarily as expected, it still may be okay.
Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who isn't even barely scraping by. Just as an artistic opportunity of a lifetime comes her way, she has a seizure and needs emergency brain surgery. The surgery has left her with face blindness with no promise of ever resolving itself, but hope for a good outcome. Not being able to see faces has a profound impact on a portrait artist! Her best friend is unexpectedly unavailable, and her family is not part of her life, thanks to her evil step-sister! But two men come into her life and while she immediately falls for one, the other slowly becomes someone very important to her.
Sadie learns through her trauma, that there may be more than one way to see.
Did I mention I loved this book? It is a beautiful story and in its humorous way shares a very profound message!
Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for my gifted ebook!

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center was an absolute delight! Sadie was such a great main character, I kept rooting for her and wanting her to heal! I also loved Joe so much, he was such a great guy and reminded me so much of my mom because she is a helper too!

This was my first book by the author and I cannot wait to go back and read the others! Her style of writing is really easy and effortless for me to read! I lived it so much!! All the characters were great and I loved the ending! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced readers copy!! I received a complimentary copy of this book. This novel will be published July 11, 2023

I fell in love with Katherine Center’s writing in her book The Bodyguard, and that’s really the only thing that kept me going through this book. I couldn’t quite fall into this one as easily, which I think was more an issue with the plot than the characters or writing.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I think the story did a really good job straddling the personal issues the main character was working through while introducing a really compelling romance plot. I loved how the author seemed to have really researched the medical condition the character was dealing with, and did her best to accurately and safely portray the physical and emotional struggles Sadie deals with throughout the story. The love interests complemented her well, and they didn't draw the focus away from the personal growth Sadie needed to go throguh. My biggest issue with the story was that I didn't love the way they portrayed the female relationships in Sadie's life. I felt like those characters felt a bit like caricatures and I wished for a bit more nuance there, especially with the step-sister character. However, it didn't significantly hinder my enjoyment of the story. I had an excellent time reading this book, and I would absolutely recommend it to fans of Women's Contemporary Fiction and Romance.

Hello Stranger featured the most unique storyline I've read in a long time; I found it highly entertainingly and read the entire thing in one day.

I was so invested in Sadie's story and all the obstacles she had to overcome after suffering a brain injury. Obstacles that came on top of the difficulties she had experienced in the years since the sudden death of her mother when she was a teenager. I did guess the plot twist pretty early on, but in my opinion, it did not take away from the story. I was team Joe all the way. (IYKYK)

The did have an issue with the fact that the people who hurt Sadie the most, including her own father, did not suffer any real consequences for their awful behavior towards her. Their reasons aside, it felt highly unsatisfying as a reader to not see them at the very least grovel for her forgiveness. I understand why Sadie would choose to forgive and move on, but I would have like a bit more closure.

Overall, Hello Stranger was an emotional, angsty and unique read that made me tear up more than once and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Can I just say that I love Katherine Center’s books? I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to read her last one, The Bodyguard, and this one early through Net Galley. I have to say that this one is now my new favorite. Sadie is one of the most delightful characters.. She needs what should be somewhat routine brain surgery, if there’s such a thing, and ends up having face blindness as a result. She has other struggles too, but in the Katherine Center way, all these struggles seem to be handled with a light, humorous touch. In my book, Katherine Center is the queen of romance.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance writers. I never feel let down with her books. This book was no exception. I love how Center writes romance so there is an expected HEA but all of her books are so very different. I never feel like I’m reading the same book or same character.
Hello Stranger she’s light on something I had never given much thought to: face blindness. But the reality is many people live with this all the time. There were many times that I was reading and I had to stop and think about the feelings or the reality of someone in this situation.
The romance was, as always, amazing! I loved Sadie and I felt her emotions. Also, loved Joe and Dr. Addison! I’m not a fan of love triangles but this one worked!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.