Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I really hate to write a bad review about a book that I've been looking forward to for so long and i was so happy to be sent this copy into my inbox.

Katherine's last book, The Bodyguard, was such a delight to read and I loved it. This one, I didn't enjoy it at all. Sadie was a rather whiny MC and she grated on my nerves. For me believability is a big thing when a story has the premise of being a contemporary novel (romance) and here there were a lot of plotholes. Also, the evil stepmother and stepsister... totally unbelievable. Where is the nuances?

I'm sorry to say that I can't recommend this. I will definitely read her next book since I have loved several others by her :)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Hello Stranger.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I've heard good things about Katherine Center and her other books. But I guess I am just not the reader for this genre. I'm not huge on romance novels, typically because I don't like reading about descriptive sex scenes (which this book did not have thankfully) but I also struggle with the happy ending wrapped-in-a-bow trope that romance novels seem to have and this one definitely has that. Reading the Authors Note at the end showed me that Center also knows that so I suppose this is not news to anyone..

I'm not sure if the ending was supposed to be a big reveal or startling to the reader because I predicted a lot of what happened in the end and I am usually not very observant at all... I felt that the last few pages included a lot of over explaining that didn't need to be spelled out for the reader.

The writing itself was okay. I didn't hate the main character which is a plus. The secondary characters were 'whatever' and didn't add much to the story. I didn't find anything that happened all that interesting. I was waiting for more to happen and found that nothing really did that interested me.

I think I should just stop trying to read popular romance authors. They just aren't for me, and that's okay.

I've read Katherine Center's book The Bodyguard and loved it. I was so excited to read this book by her ! It was just as good, I can't decide which one I liked better. Seriously this book was great

This was a cute little romance. The FMC develops a condition, commonly known as Faceblindness. Which sucks because she is a portrait artist in a huge contest with a $10,000 prize. While her life is going way off course, she meets 2 guys that she begins to develop feelings for.

I liked this one. The faceblindness make it unique. It had a fun little twist. It was funny. But ultimately it’s not a favorite for me. I found myself feeling a little annoyed by the FMC at times. I wanted to keep listening and find out the ending, but it just didn’t give me that feeling I was hoping for.

I've read most of Katherine Center's books, and Hello Stranger is one of my favorites. The romance had just the right amount of anticipation and slow build, and Sadie's acquired face blindness added a unique twist to the story. This book, especially the second half, was so propulsive that I was constantly trying to find time in my day to sneak in just a chapter or two. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

A physical ARC showed up a few years ago for Things You Save in a Fire. It’s actually one of the reasons I decided to start a #bookstgram . I’ve got a definite soft spot for her books. I was thrilled to get a copy of the ARC on Netgalley and had hoarded it to read when I needed a pick me up, thinking it would be like many of her other books and be a fast favorite.

I think the overall concept for this story was interesting, but for me the execution fell flat. I had an extremely hard time getting into the plot. I think it was a combination of the overabundance of the facial issue (meaning I felt like I was being beaten over the head with the issue, and I’ve read and loved MANY books that had character disabilities, but it wasn’t compelling) Like a few other reviewers have mentioned, I often tear through a Katherine Center book, get roped into the story and feel like I’ve run the gauntlet of emotions. This one just didn’t do it for me, in large part because I just really didn’t love Sadie. I know that the anti-hero is the THING these days…. But there wasn’t enough good to balance out the self centered unlikeable aspects of her personality.

In Hello Stranger, portrait artist Sadie undergoes brain surgery and experiences face blindness, a “hopefully temporary” side effect. As she navigates needing help from a complicated family and friends that are like family, she’s also working toward her biggest break—a prestigious contest that her late mother also was a finalist in.

Katherine Center has a way of crafting stories that make you swoon, laugh, rage, hope, cry and learn something. I swooned for the romance between Sadie and Joe, but honestly also fell in love with the Kim family. I laughed at so many little moments and one-liners. I raged at the evil stepsister, who was quite literally the worst. I hoped alongside Sadie, willing her to find her way through. I cried for the big feelings, grief and family dynamic. And I definitely learned something new about face blindness as well as neuropsychology—you can tell just how much research the author did.

I haven’t met a Katherine Center book that I haven’t enjoyed, so I definitely recommend adding Hello Stranger to your summer reading list. A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Oh these characters!! Sadie Montgomery ran into some unexpected health issues causing her to have acquired face blindness, which made it difficult to do the things she loved such as painting, not to mention making it very difficult to see the faces of new people. While trying to navigate life with this new difficulty, she meets Dr. Oliver Addison, This is by far one of the sweetest love stories I have ever read! And the author is sure correct when she says that love stories are the best with a happy ending. I am so sad to be done with this book! I wish that I could go on and read more about the life these characters build together. Definitely a 5 star read for me and in my top 5 books of the year for me so far! Thank you so much NetGalley, the Publishers and especially Katherine Center for allowing me the chance to read this phenomenal book! I cant say enough good things!!
I received the ARC ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Hello Stranger is a great romantic comedy that’s well paced and kept me wanting to find out how it was going to end. This is the first book I’ve read by Katherine Center and it did not disappoint. I especially liked Sadie, Mr. Kim, and Joe. I couldn’t stand Parker, but that’s good because she truly was an evil stepsister! This book has a satisfying ending and happily ever after. 

For those curious: this romantic comedy is not in the sweet romance category. There are sexual references and swearing. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions in this review are my own.

I’ve read hundreds of romance novels, but never one with this type of story before. I loved the uniqueness of it, the funny conversations, and the cute girl-next-door vibes. An entertaining and clean romance that will lift your spirits.

Sadie Montgomery is a painter. Or at least she was. After being urged to have brain surgery, she now suffers from a condition known as face blindness - which is rather upsetting when you paint portraits and you have a major art piece due in just 3-6 weeks.

As if dealing with the repercussions of a massive surgery were not enough, pile on top some family drama, neighbor problems, a sick dog, and a good dose of lust. Actually the lust part is a good distraction, so she leans heavily into daydreaming about the guy she’s lusting after. But things aren’t always what they seem and soon she finds herself making her way through life with a completely different view on it. Literally.

I got the feeling that the reader is supposed to guess the twist near the end because the subtle hints that were peppered throughout the story are not quite so subtle. Instead, you’re left anticipating how it’s all going to play out. For me, it was a little slow. While I enjoyed the character arc, I wish there was less internal dialogue and self-loathing and more communication and growth. Especially to make up for the lack of a romantic plot twist. That’s not to say there’s no plot twists! But I picked the book because of the romance aspect.

All in all, this is super cute and I’m actually really glad I read it. It gave me a glimpse into another world I didn’t know existed that was right out my own front door. And it changed my perspective on how to view life in ways I didn’t expect.

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

"Love isn't blind, it's just a little blurry"

Just when Sadie, an artist, thought her career was about to take off, she is diagnosed with the "probably temporary" condition of face blindness. Instead of giving up, much to her evil step-sisters dismay, Sadie finds new ways to cope and hone in on her artistic abilities to not pass up on the opportunity of competing in a portrait competition.

But what happens when you meet someone (or two people) and are ready to give love a chance without ever seeing their face(s)? Can you crush on two completely different people at once? And how do you know if you've chosen the right person?

This was a super cute, fast paced and easy read. The writing is great and holds your attention. I look forward to reading more of Katherine Centers work. I love a good HEA!

Thank you NetGalley & St Martin's Press for access to this e-ARC.

This book started out slow. I was easily distracted and caught myself setting it down after only a page or so. However, at about halfway through it picked up and I finished in one sitting. I have to say I saw one twist coming but when it came, I didn’t expect to laugh so hard. It was executed perfectly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

A heartwarming and hilarious book from Katherine Center about a portrait artist who has acquired prosopagnosia or face blindness. I enjoyed reading through Sadie’s journey of processing her condition and rewriting the rules regarding her art and life. A cute romance for the summer!

I absolutely adored The Bodyguard. Hello Stranger was no different. Katherine Center does a wonderful job telling the story of Sadie and her new disability. The story takes us along her journey in a way only a rom com can. With a fun cast of characters and a very unlikable stepsister. This book was such a fun summer read.

3.5 stars rounded up

I really enjoy Katherine Center's books. She's great at creating situations and inner monologues that elicit a chuckle. I didn't know a lot about prosopagnosia (face blindness), but I always love to see disability representation and it made me more excited to read the book.

Sadie seemed a bit lost. She has a largely absent father, a step-sister who seems to have taken notes from Cinderella's step-sisters, and a loving but distracted best friend. Luckily, she has a darling, senior dog to keep her company. She's also trying to make a name for herself in the art world.

I enjoyed watching Sadie navigate a new disability and the way the community came through for her. She eventually finds her way as one would expect in a romance novel.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Katherine Center always delivers a lovely and uplifting story and Hello Stranger fell nicely into those categories. I loved the art, the history of our main character, and all the complex relationships and people in her life.

I’m sure I’m not alone in finding the miscommunication frustrating at times but knowing the HEA was coming definitely helped! This story was overflowing with love, an adorable dog named peanut, and humorous moments. I loved it!

I read a little of this to start but the audio was done so well that after I switched I ended up binging the rest of it in a day! I don’t think you’d go wrong with either route.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the arc and MacMillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Sadie Montgomery is a lovely main character that we can all empathize with. She is a struggling artist who lives in her art studio that is owned by her best friend Sue’s parents. She is the daughter of her surgeon father and her deceased artist mother. She started out pre-med but then pursued her love of art and followed in her mother’s footsteps much to her father’s dismay. She’s had a tough life mainly due to the struggles of growing up with her mean step-family and then barely making ends meet as an adult.

Then one day, she gets a big break and is a finalist in a portrait competition and the prize money would be a game changer for her. Sue encourages her to throw a party at her apartment/art studio even though she doesn’t have much money. Sue handles the guest list and Sadie goes out to get the cheap wine. At the shop, she realizes she forgets her wallet and although a cute guy offers to pick up the tab, she heads out for it anyway. In the street, she has a seizure and a Good Samaritan pushes her out of the way of an incoming car however she does suffer brain injury in the form of face blindness.

This is of course a huge blow for her for many reasons….one of the main ones being that she paints face portraits for a living and also needs to do so for the competition. The doctors don’t know whether her face blindness is temporary or permanent and thus she navigates through her new life with many unknowns……particular the people she encounters since she can’t see their faces properly. And yet, she handles her evil step-family with gusto and tolerates her father and even meets two competing love interests along the way.

Overall another very touching story by Center that highlights perseverance in the setting of a neurological illness and gives us that happy ending that we all look forward to…..highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

"We see what we're looking for."

I absolutely LOVE this author so I was beyond thrilled to get a copy of this one early. Her stories always have such great life lessons woven in. I admit that this one wasn't a favorite but that ending tacked on another star to my initial rating.

Sadie is a struggling artist who paints portraits and is celebrating her biggest achievement when she’s diagnosed with a condition that requires surgery.  A surgery that leaves her with a condition known as face blindness.  A condition that leaves her not being able to see faces.  Trying to cope with family problems and a condition that she hopes is temporary, she meets two men offering her something she didn’t think she needed. 

Sadie was a little quirky and full of sunshine.  She’s not a perfect character and faces quite a few crises but her struggles, feelings of grief, and mean step-sister made me want to wrap her up in a huge hug.

This is a story about healing and finding love. The plot was unique and the characters were lovable, including Peanut the dog.  It’s romantic and whimsical with the perfect mixture of hope and happiness.  

The ending pulled the entire story together.   It answered all of my questions, but at the same time made me want to go back and see what I missed. I felt like I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t.  I was so wrapped up in the journey that I read with anticipation of what would happen.

In the end, the story was reflective and left me thinking about the things I miss and don’t see.

Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: July 11, 2023.

I genuinely don't know if I like Katherine Center's books as I've had a RANGE of experiences. I really enjoyed [book:Things You Save in a Fire|41150382], thought [book:The Bodyguard|58724801] was decent, and didn't like [book:What You Wish For|51168993]. Unfortunately, [book:Hello Stranger|61884987] has joined the latter category.

Premise: Due to an unexpected side-effect of brain surgery, Sadie, a portrait artist, has developed face blindness which couldn't come at a worse time. On top of just being named a top finalist for a prestigious portrait artist competition despite not being able to see faces anymore, Sadie's dealing with years of family drama, including an evil step-sister and distant father, two love interests- Joe, her neighbor, and Oliver, her vet-, and a serious lack of financial security.

What didn't work for me here is that there were zero surprises. Zilch. Nada. As a romance reader, I know exactly what I'm getting into when cracking one open. But, I still want to <i>feel</i> the emotions the characters have to go through and be surprised every now and then by how our HEA comes to be. [book:Hello Stranger|61884987] didn't have any of that.

Worse, this <i>entire</i>book embraces the miscommunication trope, which as a reader, I find extremely annoying. At one point, Center adds a little aside where Sadie comments on how it's easy to judge miscommunication as a reader but that it's realistic... but... I'm not reading a romance novel for realism? I'm reading it for the feels. And when the feels are constant frustration that characters are acting like idiots because they can't observe the obvious or you know, talk (whoa), it ruins the whole experience.