I adore Katherine Center’s novels. They are quirky, and fun yet I always walk away having learned something new. Hello Stranger is full of heart and surprise. Sadie is a truly special character. Her interactions with absolutely everyone had me laughing out loud. Yet I knew she deeply felt the pain of her family and the fear of her possible loss. I loved that there were multiple times that I was caught unaware (along with Sadie) of the details yet to be revealed. I highly recommend Hello Stranger.

I’ve been a big fan of Katherine Center’s works, but I also take off a star depending on what happens. And in this case, not only am I taking off a star for language, but also for inferences of sexual situations.

I'm not much of a romance fan, but I do like a cute rom-com, and this fits it.

Sadie, a portrait artist who's tight on funds, and just getting by, is getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to display a piece of her artwork in a prestige contest. It needs to be a new piece of work, and your specialty. She has a good friend ready to model for her and she's happy!

Then it happens. She winds up at the ER, put in a hospital room and discovers she needs brain surgery. After her surgery she is diagnosed with "face blindness", she can no longer see faces. She wants nobody to know, but of course her evil stepmother and evil stepsister know and her stepsister pick on her about it relentlessly!

Peanut, her sweet dogs face can be seen, and becomes ill. She rushes him to the the vet and Dr. Oliver Addison is a miracle veterinarian and she falls head over heels in love.

There's a rude and crude dude, Joe, according to his jacket, that lives in the building and she is totally disgusted with him. However, she does start talking to him and learns he may not be that bad after all. She's getting a crush on him now and it may be getting stronger faster.

She's trying to get through life right now ( might be a spoiler), but she is keeping her face blindness a secret out of embarrassment. With this and from here on, I cannot say I was Sadie's biggest fan after that. She was on the whiney side and refusing help from those who knew and refusing to inform others of it leading to the trope of "lack of communication", which is an eye roller. Also Sadie not recognizing voices she heard for years along with ones she hears almost daily, became a total eye roller also!

However, I did not let this ruin the book for me. I did love the sweet story, but the eye rollers in there did get stars removed. If I could mark with half stars it would be a 3.5 stars. This also is not going to prevent me from reading her next book.

Thank you #StMartinsPress for allowing me to read #HelloStranger though #NetGalley

Katherine Center has become a must-read author for me in the past few years, and I've been reading her backlist as well. I had high expectations for this one, and they were definitely fulfilled. It has the romance and the depth that I look for, and was a solid 4 star read. Artist Sadie is trying to carve out a career as a portrait painter, pay the rent, and just has gotten great news when she gets hit by a car. The accident results in the loss of being able to see faces, and hilarity and sadness ensue. There is a great love triangle, funny scenes with her step-sister and step-mother, and the fun romance. The neighbors in Sadie's apartment complex were great side characters, especially Sue. This is a contemporary romance you are going to want to read this summer. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-copy, all opinions are my own.

It’s a shame I enjoyed this so much until the last 25% or so, then it kind of fell apart?? The last minute twist felt like such a cheap shot. We’re supposed to assume that even though these characters talk so often it’s never come up that he sees her at the clinic?? He doesn’t know for most of the book she has a brain injury so he has no reason not to bring it up?? What started like a cute enjoyable book (with some heartfelt moments) really lost me. Little to no remorse from the family on the issues surrounding the mom so that also felt disappointing. I would give this author another shot, but this one went from a solid 4 to a 2.5 generously rounded real quick.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center has done it again. This was a delightful read! Sadie is ready to celebrate her biggest accomplishment to date - being a finalist in a portrait art competition. As she's picking up some wine for her celebration, she has an accident which leads to brain surgery and the discovery that she is now face blind. This couldn't have come at a worse time for her as she's preparing for her art competition that requires her to paint someone's portrait.

While she's recovering from her brain surgery, Sadie needs to learn how to navigate the world without recognizing anyone that she encounters. From the cute vet who helps her dog Peanut out in an emergency, to the cute neighbor who helps her out in unexpected ways, to her family who keeps showing up in inopportune times, Sadie keeps hoping that her brain will work correctly by the time her portrait is due for the competition. This is a tale of missed communications and missed opportunities bur also one of hope and perseverance and to never give up even when it looks like all is lost.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved this book. Watching how the main characters life changed due to her diagnosis was great. I had a feeling about the ending of the book, but it was great to see it all come together. The chemistry was so good.

I discovered Katherine Center's books after reading The Bodyguard last year. Since then, I've been slowly working my way through her back-list. However, Hello Stranger, which is set to release on July 11, 2023, isn't on that list. Luckily, I was able to obtain an advanced audiobook copy, and boy was it a treat!

The story follows Sadie, who's in desperate need of a break. But just when she thinks she's getting one, something unexpected happens that sends her life on a completely different path. I found the book to be both fun and educational, as I even had to Google "acute prosopagnosia" (face perception blindness) to fully understand what was going on (unlike Sadie).

Hello Stranger is a touching story about a woman still dealing with her mother's passing and her new step-family, giving off some serious Cinderella vibes. While the middle of the book was a bit slow, the last quarter was enjoyable as everything came together. I loved the ending, it surprised me in ways I didn't anticipate. It's always a joy when an author can keep me on my toes.

Overall, Hello Stranger is a well-written and entertaining story about family, grief, and trusting oneself. I highly recommend both the author and the book.

My thanks to St. Martins Press for the digital arc and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review, all via Netgalley.

This is an absorbing and fascinating novel! I know a lot about art but almost nothing about the medical condition commonly called face blindness. Katherine Center’s latest novel reveals what happens when a portrait artist develops the condition after brain surgery—how her professional life seems utterly devastated—and how her personal life changes in so many other ways. I was completely sucked into this story and while I have loved previous books by this author, this one is now absolutely my favorite. One thing that I have always loved about her novels is that the characters are relatable and three-dimensional and that was very true here, even when one of them didn’t always recognize the other! The aspects of medicine and psychology that are woven into this story help flesh out the unusual situations that occur and made it un-put-downable. In the author’s note at the end Center notes that a frequent criticism of the romance genre is that the stories are unrealistic. And that may sometimes be true, but even scenarios that may be unusual, such as this one, can seem possible if they are written with the warmth and compassion that Center gives us in every book. This is what brings her readers back book after book. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this joyful book.

Over the last few years, Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors. Her books tend to straddle that line between romance and women's fiction, which I really love. While her last book THE BODYGUARD was definitely a straight romance, her most recent release HELLO STRANGER goes back to that genre blending area.

Sadie Montgomery, a struggling portrait artist, has finally hit her big break, being selected as a top 10 finalist in a prestigious competition. Unfortunately on her way to celebrate she has a medical emergency and ends up having to have surgery leaving her with something called "facial blindness". Basically, everyone's faces look like puzzle pieces not put together correctly - pretty much a portrait artist's nightmare. She can't recognize anyone's faces, and has to rely on the sound of their voices, which she isn't very good at.

Left trying to cope with her new life and taking care of her elderly dog who has his own medical emergency, Sadie becomes infatuated with her dog's new vet. She also strikes up a friendship with a neighbor that she originally didn't like, but realized that maybe he isn't so bad after all.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It might be my favorite Katherine Center yet. Sadie doesn't have it quite together, and then her life totally implodes, forcing her to function without her primary sense. I absolutely adored her, and most of the characters (not the evil stepsister lol). And there's a really great twist that the whole time I kept saying "I hope this happens." It's excellent. Highly recommend it!

HELLO STRANGER comes out July 11th. Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

I love Katherine Center's books. This one was no exception. Sweet story about facing challenges and being resilient: a shared theme in her novels. Good summer read!

Another Katherine Center winner! Why do I love her books so much? She has this tremendous ability to introduce fresh, well-researeched topics into her novels that both interest and entertain the reader. Not only was I captivated by the story of Sadie and Joe, I was equally interested in her complicated relationship with her father and extended family. I thought she tackled the issue of face-blindness with grace, dignity, and humor. This book just make me feel good.

The audiobook was extremely well done and enjoyably to listen to. I'll be looking for this narrator in the future. The perfect beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book introduced me to something I didn't know existed: inability to see people's faces, face blindness, or Prosopagnosia. This condition can not only be traumatically induced but people can be born with it. It teaches us about how people with this condition come up with mechanisms to recognize people. I never realized how much we rely on faces to recognize people!
This is my second Katherine Center book. Her writing is solid, though her cadence took some getting used to.
The topic she chose was rather heavy: how to cope with a trauma that leaves one of your senses unable to operate. The main character, Sadie, is an artist. How can an artist do their work without being able to see? Sadie begins to compensate and see she can use other senses to help her in her art.
With her facial blindness fully in place, she begins to recognize people through other ways: voice, the way they walk, what they wear, etc.
I will say I figured out the twist in the romance early on. But that didn't leave me not wanting to see how it turned out in the end.
This book is a quick read with some good information on a condition that affects about 10 million Americans. There is a great deal of comedy in the book, which definitely adds some lightness to it. And I did like the romance that bloomed. I also liked the fact that Center did not take Sadie's condition and make all the things ok all the time. She struggled and learned how to do things a different way. She also learned to stand up for herself and be honest about who she truly is and what she truly wants to do.
Overall this was an enjoyable read and I would read more from this author.

Hello Stranger was another cute addition to Katherine Center’s collection. The premise was unique and I actually learned a thing or two based on Sadie’s experience. (Trying not to give anything away here.)

Once I reached the halfway point I will say the book took a turn towards predictable. The intrigue wasn’t there for me, but I was already along for the ride and enjoyed the book anyways.

If you are in the mood for a feel good and uplifting rom-com this is one you may consider.

There were a few kissing scenes, but overall the story was clean.

I would recommend going into this one blind, don’t read spoilers!

When anyone recommends @katherinecenter books to me, the words “feel good” are used every single time. This was my first of hers and I’m officially a fan. The storyline in this was so unique and nothing like I have read before. I don’t know how much I can contribute to the audio- but her tone just brought this character to life so much for me. I’m not even going to post a synopsis because truthfully I went in blind, and am so glad I did. I listened to this audio in a day, and am running to get more of her books.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book (and audio)- I have been SO excited to read this and it did not disappoint.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@katherinecenter The relatability with this character (specifically her relationship with her dad) just hit so close for me. I was invested from the very first chapter and it feels rare with any reads for that to be the case. I can’t not wait to read more of your work!

#bookreview #booksbooksbooks #bookrecommendations #tbr #advancedreaderscopy #ARC #hellostranger #katherinecenter

I finished Hello Stranger by Katherine Center in less than a day. By page 30 I was hooked in and dedicated my Sunday to finishing this novel.

Hello Stranger is a contemporary romance following Sadie whose life has been turned upside down by her inability to see/process faces after a life-saving brain surgery. Not only is this inconvenient for her normal life but it also causes a problem for completing a painting for a art portrait competition. How is she going to get her big break now?

Hello Stranger is heart-warming and funny. I loved Sadie and her determination to persevere, and her delightfully hilarious best friend as well as doctor. The romance was a full of misconceptions and misunderstandings, which at the end made it fun to see righted.

Highly recommend this novel to lovers of romance looking for a fun read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Can’t wait for the next novel, @katherinecenter. Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me to review this e-arc.

Hello Stranger is my first Katherine Center book but definitely not my last! Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who finally got her big break. On the way to celebrate, Sadie has a non-convulsive seizure and wakes up in the hospital being told she needs brain surgery. After her surgery, Sadie is diagnosed with prosopagnosia, unable to recognize faces. She can see them with her eyes, but her brain isn’t transmitting the recognition information to her. As she struggles to relearn how to recognize faces, Sadie meets her helpful next door neighbor, battles her evil stepsister, and meets a cute veterinarian. But with a competition deadline approaching, what happens as a portrait artist if she does not recover her ability?

Hello Stranger was such an enjoyable and well-written story. Sadie was very relatable and I really liked learning more about prosopagnosia. Prosopagnosia is very interesting because in developmental prosopagnosia, many people do not know they have it because they assume the world is that way for everyone! Sadie has acquired prosopagnosia so she immediately realizes. I enjoyed seeing how Sadie dealt with it as an artist and also how she used clues to figure out who people were, especially reading emotions when she found it difficult to look at their faces. In the end, I loved that she was able to accept herself and view her diagnosis as more of a superpower than something wrong with her.

I loved Sadie’s dog Peanut!! I adored his diet of human food and his discerning gastronomic taste. The romantic escapades that Sadie goes through are great, though I don’t want to say too much about them and spoil them. Her neighbor Joe is one of my favorites, especially because he always tries to be helpful even when absolutely befuddled. Sadie initially does not tell him about her diagnosis, because she does not want to be judged and looked down on. I think it was very understandable that she was going through this cycle of grief/acceptance, even though as a reader I wanted her to just tell him already!!

Hello Stranger would be the perfect book for readers who enjoy a well-written romcom, satisfying standalone, and a heroine who finds joy even in difficult and life-changing circumstances.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

I wasn't sure anything could beat The Bodyguard, but I absolutely loved Katherine Center's new book Hello Stranger. A perfect read for this summer, so do not hesitate reading this gem of a book!

Sadie is a portrait artist, and one day, a freak accident lands her in the hospital where she finds that she now has face blindness. She cannot make out faces of anyone, which is obviously a huge problem when a competition in which she is a finalist needs her to submit a portrait within 6 weeks. Not only was her deceased mother a finalist in this competition, she really needs the money and the opportunity to prove to the world that she can do this. However, how do you create a portrait when you cannot see faces?

What comes next is the story of Sadie, her family who has excluded her most of her life, her best friend who really does not understand what she is going through, her beloved dog Peanut and his vet that WILL be her husband, and Joe, the bowling jacket wearing guy from her building who comes off as rude and crude.

This book will give you all the feels, and best of all, you won't want to put it down. It's one of those books where when you are done, you are going to miss the characters. These are the best books to me!

Full disclosure, I do not usually read romance but I have heard wonderful things about this author's books so I wanted to give her a try. Overall, I did enjoy this one and I found the premise interesting but I enjoyed the humor most of all. This is a perfect book to read over the summer by the beach or at the pool.

Reading a Katherine Center book always leaves me with a smile on my face. I was excited at the chance to listen to the audiobook version of Hello Stranger. The narrator does a great job and the story is full of emotions. You will experience love, loss, warmth of friendship, the angst of family dynamics, insecurity, encouragement, and humor. Sadie’s life journey will have you laughing one moment, full of anger the next, and then crying tears of sadness. I had never heard of prosopagnosia (face blindness) but appreciated the author’s notes at the end of the book with information about this condition. This is a romance, but not syrupy sweet. It’s lighthearted and emotional. What a great book in which to get lost and enjoy great characters. Put this on your to-be-read list. You’ll be inspired and filled with joy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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