Sadie is a portrait artist who has just been named a finalist in a major competition--her career is finally beginning to take off! However, as a result of a necessary and urgent medical procedure, she develops face blindness. How can Sadie continue as a portrait artist if she can't see faces? I found the information about face blindness, the issues Sadie and others face, and the ways they learn to cope to be fascinating. The story was cute and had some good characters. Some of the story and characters were too over the top, but it still was a fun and interesting read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

"Hello Stranger" by Katherine Center is a truly captivating and heartfelt novel that follows Sadie Montgomery, an artist diagnosed with a rare condition known as face blindness. Center expertly explores themes of resilience, self-discovery, and love as Sadie navigates the challenges of her condition. The book delves into the complexities of human connection and offers a compelling and thought-provoking reading experience. Center lands another fantastic read here with evocative writing and well-developed characters, creating an engaging narrative that tugs at the heartstrings. While the plot may have some predictable moments, the emotional depth and relatable protagonist make "Hello Stranger" a touching and worthwhile read.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

In Hello Stranger, Sadie suffers acquired Prosopagnosia following surgery for a serious medical condition. As a struggling portrait artist on the edge of making it big, luck definitely isn’t on her side.

On top of having face-blindness, she also has to deal with an evil step-sister, a distant dad, an annoying stepmom, and a sick 14-year old pup at the same time.

Not all is bad though, Sadie meets Joe and Oliver, who couldn’t be more different, and falls in love with both

This is a sad, sweet, funny, exciting romance. There isn’t a lot of spice here, but definitely enough heat to keep it interesting.

In the author notes section, Katherine Center describes why likes romance novels and it made so much sense to me. It’s all about hope, potential , anticipation, anticipation. They lift your spirit.

This notes section made me love Katherine Center even more! I’ll be looking for more from this author.

Thanks @netgalley and @stmartinspress and the author for an #arc of this book.

IG post to follow

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. This fun little rom-com is about Sadie, a struggling artist who develops facial blindness just as she's about to start on a portrait for a huge art competition she's qualified for. It's a little predictable and a lot over the top, but who cares! A great summer read.

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.