I always look forward to a new Katherine Center book. This one did not disappoint. I loved this book so much.

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist. She ruined her relationship with her father to switch majors from medicine to fine arts. Sadie has spent the last 8 years lying about her success to her father and step-mother. However, Sadie finally got her big break, she is finalist in a art contest. Unfortunately Sadie has a mishap and her life is derailed a bit. After nearly getting hit by a car, Sadie is diagnosed with a cavernoma and must have brain surgery. She wants to put it off until after the contest but her dad won't let her. Seems that a cavernoma is what caused her mother's death 14 years ago.

The surgery is a success and Sadie is a model patient until she is about to be released and realizes that she can't see faces. Seems that some swelling from the surgery is causing the part of her brain that recognizes faces to not work. She is diagnosed with acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia aka face blindness. This makes her painting a portrait for the contest nearly impossible.

Sadie has spent the last 14 years not asking for help or admitting that she is not okay. So in her coping with face blindness, she is going to pretent it doesn't exist. She doesn't want to tell anyone. Imagine not being able to recognize people you have know your whole life. Sadie does her best, but her life is a bit of a mess. Her evil step-sister moves into her apartment building, she falls for not one but two men. And painting a portrait without being able to see faces proves to be a near impossible task.

I loved this story and I have to say I cried both sad and happy tears as this book resolved itself. Sadie is a very likable character. She is easy to love and root for. I kept hoping her dad and step-mother would finally see what a horrible person Parker (evil step-sister) truly is. If finally came about but in one of the saddest ways possible. My heart hurt for Sadie so much. I was glad she was redeemed in the eyes of her father and that he works to earn Sadie's forgiveness.

As for the falling for two different men, the way it resolves itself is absolutely my favorite part of this book.

I loved this book so much. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming. I recommend this book to everyone.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger was a very pleasant surprise for me. I had been struggling lately with the romcoms I had been reading, not finding one that fit me but this one totally hooked me. As someone who studied prosopagnosia I was curious to see how it would be portrayed in this book. This book really played with my heartstrings and I loved the focus on how romance is about how the other person treats you and not how visually appealing they are. Parts were heartwarming, and others more angsty, but the book kept a good tonal balance and ended on such a hopeful note that it left me feeling warm. It didn't have the craziest plot twists, and I did anticipate how the ending was going to go but I didn't care! Just getting to the end was the fun part and I was looking for a jaw dropping plot twist.
This was a great read for someone looking for books on heavy topics taken on from a gentle, hopeful approach.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This book made me laugh, cry and believe in fate. I loved Sadie and Joe. They just had a connection and got one another. This a sweet story of overcoming grief, unexpected illness and a dog named Peanut. A must read.

Katherine Center strikes again with another adorable, laugh-out-loud romance. Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has finally gotten her big break--the chance to enter a portrait contest with a grand prize of $10,000. But when she suffers a seizure in the middle of traffic, she's left with a rare condition called prosopagnosia....or facial blindness. How is an artist supposed to paint faces when she cannot see them? The main storyline of this novel focuses on Sadie's budding romance with her downstairs neighbor Joe, a man she develops an attraction to without ever seeing. The book has some deeper themes, too, exploring the death of Sadie's mother, the abandonment from her father, and her evil stepsister quite literally from hell (seriously--could Parker have been any worse???) A super cute meet-cute with a twist, Hello Stranger is a nice heartwarming romance that fans of Center will most certainly enjoy .

I am a huge Katherine Center fan, so I was really excited to get an advanced reader copy!

Overall, this was a good rom com read - I was able to finish the audiobook in a few days. It was engaging, funny, emotional, and (of course) had a happy ending. The premise of "face blindness' was interesting and something I haven't read much about before.

I wasn't surprised by the twist and sometimes the plot seemed a bit far-fetched, but oh well - that happens in fiction sometimes!

This wasn't my favorite Katherine Center, but I'll always love anything she writes!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

HELLO STRANGER follows Sadie, a young woman who comes out of brain surgery with face blindness, a condition hoped to be temporary. With this condition she isn’t able to recognize any of the faces of those around her, not even her closest friends and family. Making matters even more complicated, Sadie has just been announced as a finalist in a portrait competition, an art which largely relies on the translation of faces into art.

Sadies’ life is further complicated in her relationships. Though she has a supportive BFF, that BFF has a busy life of her own. Her family life is complicated with a strained relationship with her father, and a step sister who lives up to the wicked label. The only face she really recognizes is that of her dog! Sadie doesn’t want to admit to anyone the condition she is in even as she meets and falls for two men she can’t even recognize.

There is something about Katherine Center’s writing that just makes for a cozy read and this definitely lived up to that expectation for me. It was a fun read and one that I could easily fly through. The audio was really well done as well.

I did struggle a bit in this book with Sadie because she definitely could be frustrating. While I could definitely feel the distress she was feeling in this situation, I did find her self-centered nature to be a bit extreme at times. I think it was probably necessary for the route the plot takes, but it did make it a little harder to connect to her. I did also find the wicked step-sister to be a bit over the top for me as well.

While this didn’t wind up being my favorite book by this author, I did still have a lot of fun reading it.

This was a story unlike anything I ever would have expected. What an interesting medical diagnosis. I can't imagine having to live life not being able to see faces. I really enjoyed all the characters in this book aside from Sadie. She was ok, but I really struggled with some of her reluctance to let people in and be more open. It made for drama throughout the book but I just felt, if I was in her situation, it would be exhausting and it was so counterproductive. Joe was incredible. Mr. Kim was the absolute sweetest. Who doesn't love when a pet plays a huge character in a book as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and feel grateful to have learned about this very real diagnosis that people experience.

The Author's Note at the end was beautiful!

Wow.. this was so great. I read 'The Bodyguard' by Katherine Center last year & really enjoyed it, so of course I was pumped to read this; but this book blew my expectations out of the water! Definitely my favorite of hers.

Sadie is a portrait artist who finally catching her big break, only to be set back by a medical emergency. I don't want to give too much away; I went into this book almost completely blind & was just DELIGHTED. Equal parts sweet, maddening, poignant, and heartwarming.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/NetGalley for the ARC of this stunner!!

I really enjoyed this book.

I was unaware that "face blindness" was an actual thing. It was clear that Sadie was truly struggling with this; however, Center writes the with such deprecating humor that it was sometimes hard not to laugh at Sadie's struggles (except for with her step family). I wanted to kick Sadie's step sister in the shin which is exactly what I think Center was going for.

I loved the twist and turns and challenges that were introduced due to the face blindness. Sadie was already in a precarious place in her life, but somehow her life being turned completely upside down because of her accident put things into perspective.

I really just cannot express how heartfelt and enjoyable this book was! I will now seek out all of Center's books.

I absolutely loved this story and especially the character Sadie. It was so different than the average romance. I LOVED the bodyguard and was expecting something similar but this really had be staying up late to see how the story would end. There were moments where I felt Sadie’s genuine frustration about the face blindness because we couldn’t see who she was talking to either! It really kept me guessing on how everything would unfold. Will be reading again!

This was SO enjoyable! I’ve been on a reading slump and this one was a joy to read not not one to trudge through. I’d say it’s a half rom com and half contemporary fiction. Really interesting storyline with the face blindness. I can’t imagine having that at all, especially as a portrait artist! I loved how the story wove through Sadie learning to live with it, and ultimately fall in love (The Joe storyline was 💯❤️). But I also love that through the whole process, she became stronger and more true to herself.

The only thing I didn’t love was that I felt Parker was over the top in her villainess. I think if she was a little more believable, or a little less in the story, it would have been a 5 star for me.

I love this author’s writing style. There’s not a book of hers I won’t read and any time I pick one up, I know I’m in for an enjoyable ride. ❤️

A quick and easy read! Light and romancey, delightful to have the character with a disability. The twist was great and loved it!

I absolutely love how Katherine Center writes!! I really feel like I know the characters and they become my friends! I was soooo excited to receive this ARC and it did not disappoint!! Sadie just got her big break she’s been looking for in her portrait painting career and then after surgery she develops face blindness, she can’t see anyone face as it’s supposed to appear. She has no idea what she’s going to do with her big break. And because the universe likes to play jokes, in her face blindness she starts having a blooming love life with 2 men whose faces she’s never seen. Sadie soon realizes that not is all as it seems

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center was a delight to read and a work of art! (See what I did there??) The premise was unique and I loved how Sadie overcame her struggles and blossomed throughout the story. I loved the emotions throughout as well as the growth and love. All around it was a feel good read and a favorite of the year! If you loved Center’s book from last year, The Bodyguard, you’re sure to enjoy this one as well.

i love katherine center and hello stranger did not disappoint. it was engaging and kept me going the entire time. i will definitely recommend this to my followers!

Katherine Center does it again!!! This story was unlike any other that I've read which is so hard to find. I feel like many mainstream romances are similar and predictable but this was not at all. The beginning of the book was a tad slow but I flew through the second half. I loved learning about face blindness. It was a topic that I didn't know much about.

I love all of Katherine’s books and this is no exception, it’s like a warm hug,m, a comfort read, and a shot of pure joy. I will read anything she writes and recommend them all!

Hello Stranger was pure Katherine Center joy. I've read thrillers about prosopagnosia, but it was even more fun to read about a portrait artist with face blindness.

There was so much to love about this book: the storyline, the side characters, the dog, and the climax. I even loved the villian--Parker making fun of Sadie's condition was hilarious to me. I was fascinated to see how the love triangle would turn out and really enjoyed where she took it, although if Sadie was less self-absorbed it might have turned out differently.

The best part of the book might have been the author's note. I loved Katherine Center's message about romance books and what to expect of them!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for this ARC copy of Hello Stranger in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

This was my second book by Katherine Center and once again I enjoyed her work!

This time around we follow portrait artist Sadie Montgomery who seems to be in a continual state of crisis. It sort of reminds me of the saying you win some and you lose some. Sadie lands herself a dream opportunity as a finalist in a competition that will help her score some much needed cash. The only problem... well what happens when you can't actually see the faces you are supposed to be paining because you needed surgery and the side effects take your sight temporarily away just 6 weeks before the big competition?!

As she navigates this crisis - two different men enter her life that are involved in other chaotic areas of her life. A vet who is taking care of her dog after a health issue, and a neighbor who made a bad first impression.

I love how light hearted things were overall, but was annoyed with how self centered Sadie was a majority of the time. The main character did undergo a lovely growth within herself throughout the book that did make up for it.

Read if you love:
-Love Triangles
-Hilarious banter
-Family drama
-Endearing Characters

As per usual, Katherine Center's latest is a smashing hit!

In Hello Stranger, Sadie finally gets her big break as an artist... right as she needs surgery. Her vision isn't the same, and while she hopes it is temporary she can't be sure. Another change comes into her life when she meets Dr. Addison, a hot vet who is great with her elderly dog Peanut.

Although Sadie wasn't the most likable character in Center's books, I found myself rooting for her success. As always, Center crafts a heartfelt romance with a compelling storyline about growth and humanity. I definitely enjoyed this story and I know it'll be a hit among Center's many fans!