Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist on the cusp of her big break when a life altering medical condition unexpectedly detracts her present life path, sending her on a journey to self discovery where she must confront the disappointments and heartache of her past while she comes to terms with the devastating impact her condition plays on her present.

Packed with humor, emotion and delightful characters, I absolutely loved this story from the very first page right through the very last. The characters were well drawn and the story moved along at a good clip. Sadie was easy to fall in love with. She was vulnerable yet strong, and independent almost to a fault, stubbornly pushing though on her own for fear of being pitied. She was funny and kind and just kind of person I would want for a friend. I absolutely loved that she was able to find love during the chaos of her life.

Katherine Center has done it again, penning a fantastic story of triumph over adversity that is full of courage, hope, resilience and forgiveness. It was a gentle reminder that life is not always simple, easy or may not be what we expected, but we are surrounded by blessings and reasons to be grateful, and with love, you can conquer all.

A hearty thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book that is due to publish July 11, 2023. Pre-order your copy now. You won’t be disappointed!

PHENOMENAL!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!❤️❤️Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

AMAZING!! This is my favorite book by Katherine Center!! There are some books that stay with you forever and this is one of them. Literally everything I could ever want in a book. Hello Stranger is such a unique and heartwarming story that is so much more than a romance. It is about finding hope and persevering, despite all the struggles and difficulties in your life. Center has a way of pulling at your heart strings and making you fall in love with the characters. I cannot recommend this book enough!! I felt ALL the emotions!! Definitely, one of my top reads for 2023!! 🥰🥰

Purposefully, I am not discussing the plot because I feel like it is better to go into reading this blind. I will say that I did foresee the big twist but that did not take away at all from the story. Center has author notes at the end that you will not want to miss! Her description of the romance genre was on point. I was completely captivated from start to finish and highly recommend this book!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have quickly become a Katherine Center fan as I have made my way through her backlist so I was very excited when I received this ARC from NetGalley. I really enjoy how she works medical issues into her books and I always learn something that I didn’t know. Hello Stranger was no different and this concept of face blindness was fascinating. Add in a portrait artist to whom this diagnosis would be devastating, a sweet, slow burn romance along with some family drama and you have a great read. Sadie’s personal growth and healing, both physically and emotionally was well done. I was definitely surprised by the story because this was going to be a 4 star book for me until the very end and I LOVED the plot twist when it hit.

I highly recommend reading the Author’s Note as she profoundly described exactly the reason that I love a good love story and long for the happily ever after.

Romantic Content: Kisses

This was a solid 4.5. I loved it but The Bodyguard is still the top KC book for me. This was a close 2nd.

I just loved the progression of this one and couldn’t have been anymore satisfied with how everything came together in the end. Plus I learned more about “face blindness.” I loved that KC really raised awareness for it in this book and took the time to describe how it feels to the person experiencing it.

The object of Sadie’s affection was just the best. Sadie was very likable.

Although the trouble with Sadie’s dad, stepmother and worst of all evil step sister Parker, just really made me so mad. Parker was the worst, seriously she had no redeeming qualities and I loved that KC didn’t make apologies for her…she just let her be the awful person she was and that helped the overall story arc and with Sadie’s growth. Seriously…Parker. Is. The. Worst. She wins the award for most unlikable character in my recent memory.

I just loved it…I’m not surprised. KC writes so well and I’m always instantly drawn into her novels and rooting for her characters (except for that awful Parker)!

I highly recommend this one.

Katherine Center is a must read/must buy author for me - so I was elated when I was approved for this new KC book - and it did NOT disappoint in the slightest, actually it may be my new favorite!

Sadie wants desperately to make it big - or at least be able to pay the bills - as a portrait artist. Her big break is finally here and she's ready to knock the competition out of the park. She'd love to prove her father wrong and pay the rent without stressing. An accident leads to a must-have surgery and Sadie's surgeon father will not let her wait a minute longer than necessary. They found something on her imaging that has lead to the inability to see faces - hopefully temporary - but the six weeks until the competition is rapidly dwindling and she’s not going to back down. Throw in then two gorgeous men and a twisting love aspect too and you’ve got yourself a book you won’t want to put down.

I loved Sadie, I loved the romance, I loved the full cast - even that she-devil-who-shall-not-be-named. Katherine has this amazing ability to pull all of the emotions out of me and weave these threads throughout that seem innocuous until it means so much more later. Her cyclical style is impactful and makes me want to start over immediately to see what I missed.

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

Oh how I adored this book! This is my second Katherine Center and it won’t be my last. It had a lot to live up to and it exceeded my expectations. This book gave me butterflies, made me feel and warm and gooey inside but most of all, it made me laugh OUT LOUD. I laughed so much while reading this book and I didn’t expect it. It’s not a comedy (that I’m aware of) but it had such a good dry humor. This is a story that will stick with me for a while.

I read a lot of thrillers. Sometimes I really need to change up genres and I usually always go to Katherine Center. I was so happy to be approved for an ARC for Hello Stranger. I wanted to wait to read this until summer time but I just couldn't wait any longer! This book was such a breath of fresh air. There were definitely unexpected parts that I never saw coming. This is the perfect summer/beach read! Another 5 star book from Katherine Center! I think the Authors note was probably one of my favorite I have ever read, so do not skip it.

This is my third Katherine Center book, and my new favorite! She does such a wonderful job of creating real characters with new stories. I had never heard of face-blindness before and it was so interesting to learn about it. I don't want to give too much away, but I adored so much about the characters and how the book came together in the end. I highly recommend this book once it's available.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist who finally gets a break. She's been selected as a top 10 finalist in a prestigious and life changing art competition. On her way to celebrate this awesome accomplishment she has a medical emergency that lands her in the hospital. They find out she needs to have brain surgery due to a malformed blood vessel in her brain. surgery goes well but she ends up having edema near the part of the brain responsible for facial recognition. She can see, just not recognize facial features as we normally see them. Which for a portrait artist is the worst news possible! But, when life is at such a low point, she has no choice but to take this new perspective and grow with it. That is, with help of course of some great secondary characters and a couple horrible people that will teach her to overcome.

No spoilers but let's talk about the MMCs, this is a romance after all :) Dr Oliver Addison is the handsome vet at the new clinic close to her building. He is absolutely wonderful and saves little peanut from near death. She has an instant connection with him and is definitely in love at first sight. Joe is the obnoxious neighbor in her building that she slowly gets to know and who will become one of the closest people to her. But, can she really fall for 2 guys at the same time? What will she do, and who will she choose?

This book was great! The way Sadie dealt with everything coming her way was intriguing. There were sad moments, happy moments, infuriating moments and swoon worthy moments all woven into this wonderful book. I will definitely read more Katherine Center books and will go back and order her previous released books!

Goodreads review posted 5/11/2023
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_show_35648421&d=DwICAg&c=YFhW2PYwN3hsZhoCqLOPHsIEIPQ6qDXkZ40AlEYUG9c&r=popkmNN6QA1oq6QVJGJy4rmzVZpXQVeIiq3ZIJ3yUb4&m=V1OBZsNsHZxFnxkjJOPuUhx5Tn0lmd4RZBS5a1JFAffUGabSAZzaJxT9DcLf-Ei-&s=BEIOC806M2lL4ucinDVrOKD3Pe4swU1PPhTWRkVb-js&e=

TikTok review posted 5/11/2023: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRKPw4PN/

IG review to follow

Yay! Another 5🌟 book from my favorite go-to author Katherine Center!!! 📘🤩 I can’t imagine having to deal with face blindness. It makes you stop and think about the challenges someone faces daily that we take for granted.

Our main character Sadie Montgomery, being a portrait artist, is devastated to find she can no longer see faces.. I felt so emotional for her trying to cope with this “sudden” diagnosis.. and it couldn’t of happened at a worse time for her. She’s a finalist of only ten in the country picked to showcase a painting. This is her big break. But how will she be able to paint a portrait if she can’t see faces?!? Regarding her as an artist, she has no family support, they’re critical and judgmental. Especially her stepsister who has always wreaked havoc on every area of her life. One bright light is that she’s met two men she genuinely likes, although she pulls closer to her neighbor Joe as they spend more time with each other (plus the other guy stood her up). I thought her feelings of needing to be secretive (about her handicap) to be able to date, was a wrong choice, but I can understand why she chose to withhold that info. I loved the uniqueness of the romance with that one special twist that I haven’t read in any other book. KC always writes these fascinating stories about finding happiness when you least expect it. That’s why I enjoy her books so much. They’ve always been the perfect escapist read! This was equally interesting learning about face blindness or in medical terms, prosopagnosia. You can tell she put a lot of research into writing about it. I adored this touching story! ❥ 5 stars — Pub. 7/11/23

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press! All opinions are my own.

Such a beautiful comeback story by Katherine Center! If you aren't already a fan of her writing, its time to become one. I pick up every book she writes. They almost always feature a female heroine and an inspiring story. Loved this one!

“And the idea that anything could just disappear at any moment is something you suddenly understand in a whole new way.”

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. 

I have yet to be disappointed in any Katherine Center book. She has this charm she gives her characters that make it hard not to fall in love with them. 

What I loved about this story was Sadie's perseverance. She is faced with the unthinkable...face blindness when she is a portrait painter. She has finally got the biggest break as an artist in her life, and is unable to paint as before. I loved that she used her creative spirit to find a new way to paint. 

Oh Joe, what a great character. I loved his nickname, Helpful...he really was Mr Helpful!

This was another win from Center! And the audiobook is the way to go with this one, so perfect!

Thank you NetGalley, St-Martin’s Press and Katherine Center.
I have read most of her novels and I have loved them all.
She knows how to write about people, the intricacies of relationships.
Sadie has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things are going her way until she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition and needs minor surgery all during same time frame. After surgery, Sadie realizes that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces.
What a great story, I could not put it down, loved the characters.
Highly recommend.
5 stars

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is officially my favorite book by this dynamic author! Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors! I loved everything about this book, the premise was unique, and the character development was stellar.

Center is truly the master of writing complex relationships and emotionally charged events with care. I can always count on her ability to write stories with well-developed characters who I cheer on; characters that are flawed (like all of us) with interesting backstories that tug at your heart. This book did not disappoint because it was all of these things and more.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I can’t even put into words how much I adored this book! From
Start to finish I could not put it down and multiple little twists I loved the storyline and think this is her best book yet

Quick Summary: An epic, full stop wo-fi ro

My Review: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center was a dream read. I absolutely adored it! I laughed. I cried. I smiled. I empathized. I cheered. I understood. I celebrated.

About the Book: There was so much to love about this book. I was totally invested the whole time. Every character, every struggle, every moment was beautifully written.

My Final Say: This novel gets a 💖 rating. I highly recommend it. It should be read on repeat often.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Besties of All Time: Yes
Audiobook: Yes
Digital ARC: Yes

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to St. Martin’s Press, to Macmillan Audio, and to NetGalley who provided access to digital ARCs of this work. The words I have shared are my own and have been voluntarily rendered.

It was maybe two years ago when Brad Pitt started talking about how he suffered from face blindness. Do you remember that? It’s a rare neurological disorder called, prosopagnosia. I had never heard of it before then. It’s when a person struggles to recognize people’s faces. Not like you can’t remember people…but you literally can’t see their face organized like a face. What does that have to do with Hello Stranger by Katherine Center? The FMC needs brain surgery and as a result, she suffers from the same condition. Thus the title, Hello Stranger. 

Last year, I really enjoyed Center’s book The Bodyguard, and was super stoked to receive an ARC of her new book. Our FMC, Sadie is a portrait artist. Yup…you got that right. And now you can imagine how devastating face blindness would be for her! She’s crossing the street one day when she suffers a seizure and is saved from being hit by a car by a good samaritan and is rushed to the hospital. The doctor tells her she has a genetic condition and needs brain surgery. Sadie doesn’t take it too seriously, I mean except for the blacking out thing, she feels fine. AND, she's just won a spot to compete in a very prestigious portrait contest. 

Sadie and her father aren’t close. Her mom died years ago, her dad remarried, and Sadie isn’t fond of her stepmother. And her step sister is her mortal enemy. Sadie's father is a prominent surgeon and convinces Sadie to get the surgery. It turns out that Sadie’s mom suffered from the same brain condition and…that’s how she died. She put off surgery. 

Sadie goes through with it, realizes that she can't recognize faces, and after a brief time recovering, decides she can and must continue with the portrait contest despite her new disabliity. While all of this is happening- Sadie meets two men. The first is a handsome, charming veterinarian who she meets when her dog gets sick. She convinces herself that she WILL MARRY him. Does she know him? Nope. Have they dated? Also no.  Next she meets "Joe," who appears to be absolutely vile when she overhears his phone conversation in her apartment’s elevator. Sadie then sees him again and again in her complex, always with female tenants and she’s sure he’s a total pig who plays the field, or more accurately, the apartment complex. 

Then, he’s nice to her. Helps her. He’s funny, he’s surprisingly not the pig she thought he was. But, what to do?! She’s pining for the handsome vet! And, the hot doctor asks her on a real date!

Sadie is trying desperately to deal with her face blindness, getting therapy, trying to find ways to still paint portraits and dodging her evil stepsister. This all sounds like a very corny rom com. Not normally my thing. But, I really, really enjoyed Hello Stranger. I laughed out loud. It was charming. I loved Sadie’s friendship with her bestie, I got her whole struggling artist vibe, and I definitely fell in love with Joe. The womanizer turned prince. I can’t imagine if every face I saw, including my own, looked like a Picasso painting with noses and ears and eyes all over the place. Sadie found her other senses got stronger and she started to recognize people from how they walked, certain clothing they always wore, and their distinct voices. 

I am addicted to spicy romance and this book had zero heat. And, I did not care. Not one bit. It was just a giant feel good hit for me. A joyful read with a terrific twist at the end. I did sort of see it coming…but that didn’t dull the smile on my face one bit. 

Read it. Review to come on SmexyBooks, etc....

Hello Stranger will be my last Katherine Center book. The premise was intriguing but the storytelling was lacking.

Sadie has a seizure that results in brain surgery. A side effect of the surgery is Sadie has facial blindness. And Sadie has just won a position in a portrait artist competition so this is very bad for Sadie.

As Sadie navigates this challenge in her professional life, she also navigates many challenges in her personal life

Overall, this story was okay. It takes awhile for the romance in this romance novel to happen. Sadie is an immature and, at times, frustrating character.

I loved her step-sister Parker, though! The scenes with her were some of my favorites but they also show the middle-school antics of these fully grown characters.

If you like fluffy romance, read this. I enjoyed this book until I didn’t. I never really loved Sadie, the romance took way too long to get to, and the Joe/Dr. Addison storyline made me want to throw the book.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advance e-ARC of #hellostranget.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was a my first Katherine Center book, so I didn't know what to expect, but what I found was a cute heart warming book that helped me learn about prosopagnosia or face blindness. It’s almost hard to write about without giving anything away. Katherine waves a beautiful web throughout the story with the characters and events. She really knew how to play with the strings of my heart with her uplifting, feel good, sentimental story and the sweetest characters.

She did it again!! Katherine Center continues to blow me away with her novels. The characters were so quirky and fun and the storyline was incredibly unique. Love love love this book and will be talking about it all year. Thank you netgalley for my free copy.