Sadie has always wanted to be an artist, and her father wanted her to be a doctor. This is hard for her dad, because Sadie’s mom was an artist as well. He tells her he will not support her if she chooses this life so of course this caused tension.

She enters a portrait competition, and finds out she is a finalist. Winning this contest can be life changing for her! She is thrilled at the potential to win the contest. Unfortunately, she needs minor surgery. When she wakes up she discovers she can no longer see faces. This becomes challenging as people come to see her. Her best friend Soo Hyun is always supportive and encouraging. Sadie’s family, not so much.

Sadie does not want anyone to know about her face blindness. She gets home and recognizes her dog Peanut, so that is a positive thing. When he gets sick she takes him to an emergency vet. Dr. Addison ends up asking her out on a date. Adding to this novel is her neighbor Joe, who is annoying, but helpful when Sadie needs it.

As relationships form, can she navigate the face blindness? She is trying to face her past and look forward to her future. How can a portrait artist paint if she does not see faces?
Centers novels are always sweet with a happy ending. If you want a nice feel-good novel, this one is perfect. Love this Texas novelist and cannot wait to meet her this summer.

Such a fun little romcom. I adored that this book was written by a Houstonian and SET in Houston — I'm a local, if ya couldn't tell. Now, this book is kind of silly and not entirely believable, but it's totally a fun ride with some great characters. The mystery of who our main character is going to end up with — the dreamy vet or obnoxious (at first) neighbor had me reading on for sure!

I love this book so much. I had high hopes because I’m such a huge fan of Katherine Center and my anticipation of this one was well placed. The raw emotions all throughout this story are so moving - I laughed and cried and was enraged at different points as the story progressed. Reading this story is like a warm hug. I went into this story without reading the synopsis and I highly recommend that approach.

Also, thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance! This is one that I'm absolutely going to be adding to my shelf!

I think I read a different book then everyone else?

I need to note the 20 year old “don’t help me I’m independent! except I really need a lot of help please and will never appreciate it” is a massive turnoff for me. So bam, right out of the gate I struggled with our FMC, Sadie.

The premise however was interesting especially since I’ve never even heard of prosopagnosia. Basically Sadie entered a portrait contest, had brain surgery, then couldn’t see faces anymore. Insert bizarre love triangle that was fairly obvious.

I enjoyed the Bodyguard quite a bit and will absolutely be back for more Katherine Center but this one wasn’t for me.

As fascinating as the concept of face blindness for a portrait painter is, it took me a bit to get into this book. At the beginning, Center tried SO hard for her audience to understand what face blindness felt like for our FMC - almost TOO hard - there were like three separate but similar iterations of explaining the symptoms Sadie has and how she feels. Like bestie I get it?? I do?

And the MMC? “How’s your health?” in an elevator? I would call 911 immediately. That felt SO UNNATURAL LOL that it took me out of it. Overall the pacing of this novel was pretty slow, I feel like the romance didn’t start actually happening until the half way mark. But once it does, you really start to like the male MC!

Sadie is kind of hard to empathize with because she doesn’t voice her opinions/wants very much at all. It got frustrating seeing something right in front of her and Sadie not letting herself go get it! But I liked the family dynamic in this book, since it EXPLAINS and SHOWS us why Sadie is the way she is - like her stupid step sister??

By the time you as a reader realize what’s going on, it feels a bit frustrating waiting for our MCs to figure it out. But the reveal was NOT a let down!! I love the characters’ chemistry and feel like their relationship felt natural.

And the very end of the book is just a huge life lesson rolled up neatly in a bow. It was almost TOO neat lol.. Like if the author didn’t make the big idea clear enough through Sadie and how everything is wrapped up in this timeline, she made SURE to spell it out! So it does come somewhat unnaturally, but I guess looking back (hours after finishing it), it wasn’t unwelcome. I thought the true message is sweet, important, and it made me feel proud of Sadie as a character. As a whole though, It felt like Center was kind of repetitive throughout this book, as if she doesn’t trust me as a reader to understand what she’s trying to get at. So the romance part was pretty okay, and I liked the love interest, and the storyline of face blindness made this book stand out, but I still didn’t absolutely love it in execution.

I love Katherine Center’s writing but holy I’m frustrated with a a fat phobic comment. Fatphobia is so common and a cheap thing to use even if it ended up not being what we were lead to think it was. Not to mention, I KNOW that would be enough to alienate a chunk of readers right off the bat. That being said I did enjoy this one. I just think this comment took away from how beautiful this book was as a whole. I will say I’m not totally sure what a good alternative for it would have been either given the nature of the book.


‘I’ve been pretending to be okay pretty much since the day my mom died.’ wow mood.

Flew through this one! While I don't know anything about "face blindness", I cannot say whether or not this was an accurate and fair representation of the condition. I can however say that it made for an original spin to a romance. I loved Joe & Sadie. I loved Sadie's humor. The writing style had me chuckling throughout, especially when it came to the incessant rambling or Sadie talking to herself. Great story and great ending that, a part of me feels like I should've expected.

The whole dynamic with her step sister didn't really provide the most value to the story, in my opinion.

I was so excited to see this book was available to read! I absolutely loved The Bodyguard by Katherine Center so I just HAD to read this one. Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist that learns she is picked as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. Sadie feels like this can finally be her big break, she could win the 10 thousand dollars, pay her rent and prove to her dad that she is a successful artist. As she’s on her way to celebrate the announcement of the finalists, she has a seizure which changes her life. The seizure brings out the news that she will need to get a surgery as it is life or death for Sadie. Her dad forces her to get this surgery and as a result she suffers from acquired face blindness. Center does a beautiful job telling the perspective of someone who has acquired face blindness, and what it is like to try to live a “normal” life. The themes within this book feature family issues, past drama, and finding love. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up a physical copy once it’s available!

I'm always up for reading a new Katherine Center novel. They always leave me feeling uplifted and and like I just got hugged by my best friend. We meet our lovable heroine Sadie Montgomery as she faces incredible challenges after sustaining a brain injury that leaves her with prosopagnosia (face blindness). You can Google it if you're unfamiliar - I remember seeing a news story about the condition several years ago and just couldn't imagine what it would be like to experience it. I thought Katherine Center did a wonderful job bringing it forward in her story. Imagine being a portrait artist who suddenly has face blindness. Center worked family dynamics, past drama, and learning how to deal with a new kind of normal in such a way that made it a one-day read for me. I loved her author's note that addresses Romance novels - something that resonated with me. All in all, a warm hug of a book. Recommended.

Katherine Center writes the coolest love stories. Hello Stranger has a super unique premise--a portrait artist, who has just learned she's a finalist in a prestigious competition, has a seizure, which requires brain surgery--but as a side-effect of the surgery, she now has acquired face-blindness. She can't see faces. Period. She strikes up a friendship with a man in her building, who she can only identify because of his unique bowling jacket. But she also has a crush on her new vet--Dr. Addison. As her feelings for Joe get stronger, she has to decide which man she really wants, all while trying to paint a portrait for the competition even though she can't see faces to save her life. There's also family drama, with a side of trauma and gaslighting, but it's handled well, in a way that I don't think people will find triggering.

The ending is absolutely delightful. And honestly, this book has my favorite author's note of all time. It's more like an author's manifesto about the romance genre as a whole, and I may or may not have cried at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saint Martin's Press for my advance review copy.

This was such a delightful read! I discovered Katherine Center earlier this year after reading The Bodyguard for a book club, and was excited to hear she has another title coming out.

This book follows Sadie Montgomery, a struggling portrait artist who finally has a chance at a big break when she has an opportunity to participate in a prestigious art competition--but her dreams, and her life, come crashing down around her when unexpected emergency brain surgery leaves her with acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness). Sadie, still navigating her grief years later after losing her mother (who was also a portrait artist) at a young age, struggles to find her footing after the surgery and cope with her face blindness. In the middle of trying to create a painting to meet the competition's deadline, she also finds herself falling for both her new veterinarian named Dr. Oliver Addison as well as a man living in her apartment complex named Joe. Sadie has a nice supporting cast of characters around her in her friend Sue Kim and her parents, and was a realistically awkward and endearing character to cheer for. It's clear the author did a lot of research around how to portray face blindness accurately, and the book touches on larger concepts of grief, forgiveness, and self-identity, which adds some emotional depth to this romance novel. Overall an optimistic and uplifting read.

Katherine Center's books are always enjoyable, and this one once again fits the bill. Sadie, a portrait artist who is a finalist in a competition, has a type of seizure and is saved by a Good Samaritan only to learn that she needs surgery. Once she awakens from surgery she quickly realizes that she can't recognize anyone's face and learns that she has a type of facial blindness. The story continues with Sadie trying to cope with not recognizing anyone, figuring out how to paint portraits when she can't see faces, and getting to know her neighbor Joe and her veterinarian Oliver. As the story goes on Sadie develops feelings for one and has to break it off with the other, while still struggling to paint. This story was fun, enjoyable, and sweet. The "Big Misunderstanding" trope was a bit frustrating, but that is an essential part of this story. I recommend giving Hello Stranger a try!

Absolutely phenomenal concept and storyline. I loved this quick book and devoured it as soon as I got it available!

My favorite part of this book was the message of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.

Although I did love Sadie, I didn’t build the usual connection to the characters that I do when I read Center’s writing. I also found it hard to love the premise. All and all, Hello Stranger will not go down in history as my favorite Katherine Center novel, but I can’t wait to continue as a Center reader!

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

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist and is getting ready for a huge competition that she believes will make her career. However, after a string of terrible events, she ends up in the hospital diagnosed with a very rare condition known as "face blindness". She cannot recognize the faces of anyone, even her best friend and her family members. While this would be difficult for anyone, as a portrait artist, this is quite possibly the worst thing that could happen to Sadie. As she struggles to cope and deal with her new reality (that is hopefully temporary), she falls in love with two men.

What this has:
- Found family
- Love triangle (trust me on this, I know it's not popular but it works here)
- Healing from trauma/loss
- The cutest elderly dog

As with basically every Katherine Center book I've read, this book went extremely fast for me! For some reason, I'm always astonished at how readable the writing is and how compelling the story is, and I usually read her books in one sitting due to that.

Now I will say, I guessed the big twist in this pretty early on. However that did not detract from the book at all for me. In fact, it actually made it more enjoyable for me personally because I could try to see the clues from Sadie's perspective (truthfully they were very few!). I won't say more than that for spoiler reasons but it really worked for me in this case!

Boy is Katherine Center good at creating horrible family members that I could not hate more!! I am so glad that Sadie's stepsister did not get a redemption arc because I would have had a real problem with that! I was glad to see that her dad was able to recognize some of his failings and that her stepmother also came to some small realizations as well. This book walks the line between rom-com and real life issues.

I also loved the author's note at the end and am still actively thinking about it now. I've heard Katherine speak a few times about the romance genre and every time she does it's like she's taking the thoughts in my brain and making them coherent and beautifully said. Can't wait to see her for her launch event in Houston!!

Huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the message of this novel, but getting there was a struggle.

2.5 stars

"We see what we're looking for."

Hello Stranger is a novel about an artist who loses her ability to see faces and the two men she is torn between.

Sadie is a portrait artist who just learned she is a finalist in a prestigious art competition. She is flying high until she experiences a medical issue that requires her to undergo brain surgery. Sadie wakes up from surgery to her worst nightmare--she is face blind. Adding to the drama, she is now torn between two men--neither of whose faces she can see.

Here's the thing: the premise is compelling. The problem is Sadie’s character--I found her bratty, selfish, and whiny. Even before she experiences her crisis, she is self-consumed. I got bored of her feeling sorry for herself--I know she was struggling, and she should have had my sympathy, but her behavior put me off.

The triangle between Joe, Sadie, and Dr. Addison also was a failure. I was cringing almost the whole time while reading this. Sadie experiences crisis after crisis and is constantly helped by Joe, Sue, and other mysterious strangers (even though she prefers to rescue herself). Yet, she never takes the time to return the favor and ask others questions about themselves and what they do for a living. It's all about Sadie all the time. (I know part of this was for plot purposes but really?!)

Usually, with Center’s books, I pick them up and struggle to put them down. With this book, I had to coax myself into picking it back up once I put it down. I liked the premise and some of the characters. I loved The Kims and Peanut, and Parker was a great villain. Thankfyully, the last 10%, things took a turn for the better.

I am very much an outlier when it comes to this book. Most readers have loved it, so it might just be me. Check it out for yourself!

“So weird to think that this feeling had been there all along, hibernating in a box under my bed, just waiting for me to wake it up. Maybe I should have tried these skates on sooner.”

Sadie Montgomery is a Houston based portrait artist who is on the verge of her lucky break. Her dreams are just within reach when an accident sets into motion a series of events, resulting in a condition of prosopagnosia (face blindness) - the inability to recognize different faces. Alongside her companion, a 14 year old dog Peanut, Sadie copes with past heartache and new challenges on the eve of a game changing opportunity.

Take a highly unusual love triangle and add a sprinkle of Cinderella and a dash of Sleeping Beauty and you have a classic and fresh Katherine Center storytelling experience. This auto-buy author’s signature optimism and thoughtful takeaways created a breezy and fun read, perfect for the season.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the early copy in exchange for my honest review!

What if huh were a portrait artist and after years of struggling, you may finally get your big break and then you have to have surgery and after that surgery you can not see faces
This is what happens to Sadie.
Sadie has a lot going on… A practically nonexistent relationship with her father and her stepmother, so when her father family takes an interest in her life and tell her, she must have the surgery because it’s something her mother did not do that all of a sudden had Sadie’s attention

I always love this author in her books, Ii laugh. I cry, and the message always makes me stop and think and reflect.

I wasn’t super impressed with The Bodyguard last year, so I was as surprised as anyone to find myself texting my sister while reading this book: “This new Katherine Center book is just amazing… it’s like a 00’s rom com.”

4.5 Stars rounded up for Center’s afterward. Remarkable insight on the Romance genre!

Sadie Montgomery is in a rough spot…
✅ Living in a hovel.
✅ Only two real friends (and one is her dog).
✅ Doesn’t talk to her family.

Her luck finally seems to be turning when she beats out 1,990 applicants in an art competition for a shot at $10,000, but then she:
- has a seizure.
- has brain surgery.
- can no longer make sense of faces.
- finds out her dog is incredibly ill.

Scrambling for a distraction from all of this. She thinks she’s falling for her dog’s vet, but maybe her weasel of a neighbor will turn out to be more than she bargained for.

On top of nailing the vibe, this book did a great job of walking the line between being a rom-com and seeing a young woman navigate loss, heal from long trauma, and learn to stand on her own feet.

Would recommend for anyone who likes enemies to lovers, medical enigmas, and TRUE rom-coms. I laughed out loud multiple times.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions above are my own.

This book was an adorable surprising delight. I think my favorite Katherine Center book yet! Nice twist at the end