This has to be the most original twist on “amnesia trope” I’ve ever read. I was hooked from the grocery store and while the slow burn and angst was stressful I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Of course you see the twist coming from the jump but when the reveal happens…. *swoon* I would have liked a little more closure with her parents and stepsister. It honestly felt like she was a doormat to her whole family and I’m not sure they made up for that in the end. Delivers lots of laughs like the other books I have read from Center but will still get you in your feels as well…. The memorized voicemail?! Cue the tears.

Mood: when you are feeling sorry for yourself and need to read about someone who has it worse but still gets an HEA
reverse grumpy/sunshine
Closed door (some kissing)
rare disorder representation

Absolute perfection. Katherine Center wrote another masterpiece. I thought The Bodyguard would be hard to top, but Hello Stranger gives it a run for its money! Thank you, Katherine, for your beautiful stories. Please write more! Love, a fellow Houstonian

I enjoyed Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. It was my first book I have read of this author and I would read more of her work! It was a quick and light read and I enjoyed learning about Sadie's disability and how it affected her life. I did see the twist of the book coming and thought it was pretty predictable though.

This missed the mark for me… Center seemed more preoccupied with the face blindness plot than the actual romance. No spice and little to offer in the way of joy. Interestingly enough, the author included a note at the end about joy and hope in romance novels… Didn’t really get those feelings here, unfortunately.

ARC Book Review: Hello Stranger 🌸

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book!

Title: Hello Stranger
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 336
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Pub Date: July 10, 2023

Review 💭
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, so I am very happy to have been able to read it ahead of its release date.

This book was great! 💗
Something about Katherine Center's writing style makes reading a delight and it feels like you're not even reading in the first place. I was swept into this story and turning the pages as fast as I could, enjoying every minute of it.

This story has depth and emotion, but it's also funny and witty. I found the storyline to be very creative, specially for a romance book (it’s for sure the first time I read a romance book in which the main character has a condition known as face blindness… and yes, it’s a real thing). The author did an amazing job at bringing awareness to this medical condition while keeping the rest of the story entertaining and lighthearted.

Sadie is a character who I think we can all relate to in more ways than one. It was so satisfying seeing her grow out her old ways of thinking and rediscover her own definition of success and happiness.

Also, the romance in this book? So cute! I laughed, smiled, and simply had such a fun time reading.

This book had me guessing who to root for.
Things began to make more sense the more I read.
I kind of guessed the “twist” early on but
already knowing it just built the anticipation even more and didn't take away from my enjoyment of the reveal. Getting to that "Aha!" moment was so exciting and adorable.

Katherine Center has done it again! If you’re a fan of her books, you’ll totally love this one. 📖
I can’t wait to reread this book in the future and see all the tiny details I missed the first time! 🤭

Read this book if you like:
🌸 closed door romance
🎀 loveable main characters
🛼 funny banter
🎨 feel-good books
🐾 puppies
💗 happy endings

Oof ok, this probably should have ended up on my DNF shelf. I really struggled to finish this one.

Basically, the premise is: Sadie is a portrait artist who all of a sudden needs correctional neurosurgery, which ends up severing the part of her brain that allows her to recognize faces. Sounds like it could be interesting! In fact, I think I would have really loved the book if it was centered on Sadie's self-reflection.

However,
1) The romance just added a layer that didn't really need to be there.
2) The rest of cast of characters also just felt too cartoonish for me.
3) Yet, Sadie wasn't enough of a compelling main character to enjoy the story without the other characters.

Overall, still a fun read. It just didn't quite make the mark.

“We’re all so steeped in our own confirmation bias. We’re all so busy seeing what we expect to see.”

I was a little unsure of this book at first but ended up really enjoying it. I never figure out what is happening in the thrillers I read, but I actually guessed the twist in this story fairly early on! I found the first half to be a little slow but I couldn’t put the second half down! The second half was totally worth it for me. It gave me warm, fuzzy feelings and left me smiling.

Sadie goes through a pretty tough journey after discovering she needs a surgery that cannot wait. Her life is turned upside down afterwards when she can no longer identify faces. She can’t paint the way she’s used to and has to adjust to life being totally different from what she’s known. Can you imagine no longer being able to recognize the faces of your friends, co-workers or family?

There’s some characters I could have done without. I’m looking at you Parker. But I really enjoyed the Kims. Joe was such a sweet MC. And Peanut! Peanut was a little star. I love pets in books.

Also, read the acknowledgments! I cannot agree more with how Katherine describes romance novels. I love romance and how happy it can make me to read other people’s love stories.

I recommend you check this one out if you want an uplifting romance about a unique love story!

Hello Stranger was a very sweet and earnest story. I always enjoy Katherine Center’s character development and this one did not disappoint. I wish there had been a little romance and time spent with the characters as a couple, but I did love learning about facial blindness. That aspect was so informative and interesting. I love books that teach me something. This book also taught me about putting pride aside to lean on the people in your life that want to help you when you need it even when it’s hard. Overall a solid read.

Hello Stranger by @katherinecenter

I always love snuggling into a new book by Katherine center. Her ability to make you fall into the story and make characters feel so real…. Is truly unparalleled. So when I saw she had a new book coming out I had to snatch an ARC (advanced reader copy) for myself. Thank you #netgalley ❤️❤️❤️

There is so much to say about this book. Taking on writing a character with any sort of health issue is tough. But writing a character that is a portrait artist suddenly faced with face blindness. I was blown away at how well she connected us to Sadie’s pain, and grief and yet the book wasn’t overwhelmingly sad by any means. There were fun, light hearted moments throughout but I LOVED the dancing in the grocery store scene who hasn’t sung along and bobbed in the grocery store and felt the need to dance?!

I give this one 5⭐️ and I hope you give it a read and enjoy it as much as I did.

Hello Stranger was such a fun read! I loved the unique premise: Sadie, the main character is a portrait artist who unexpectedly suffers from face blindness after a brain operation. To make matters worse, she’s supposed to be working on a portrait for an art competition…how is she supposed to paint a portrait if she can’t see her subject’s face?

Not only is Sadie dealing with her own health issues, she’s struggling to pay the rent, keep her geriatric dog healthy, and navigate a tumultuous relationship with her evil stepsister who has just moved into her apartment building. Amongst all of this, two new men enter Sadie’s life: her dog’s super cute vet and a neighbor in her building who makes the worst first impression imaginable.

The love triangle was super cute and I didn’t guess the big twist at the end so that was a pleasant surprise. The only issue I had with this book was the plot line with Sadie’s stepsister, Parker. Parker bullied Sadie from the time they were teens and continued to do so into adulthood. I didn’t find this to be very plausible and that part of the story felt a little YA to me.

Overall, this was a fun, lighthearted read. I always enjoy Katherine Center’s books and look forward to her next one!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger is a an enjoyable, light hearted read that also tackles some deeper issues. Sadie suffers from a surprise medical issue that causes her to lose the ability to see faces and recognize people. She has to adjust to this new disability and figure out a way to still create the portrait art that she loves in time for a competition.

Along the way we meet her best friend, her best friend's parents, her neighbor Joe, her dog Peanut and the new vet that treats Peanut in an emergency. We also meet her estranged family and witness the drama that ensues whenever they are on page.

I liked the premise, which was different than typical romance stories. I was engaged from the beginning and I finished the book fairly quickly, wanting to know how everything played out. At the very beginning, I didn't care too much for Sadie. Her first interaction with someone in a convenience store came across as rude because she never wanted help from anyone. She acted selfish and complained, even if it was just internally. She was rude to her family, and at the early stages we don't really know the history to see if this was justifiable behavior. We do not get the full details until much later in the book.

I liked how Sadie's character developed as she was dealing with her crisis. We learn a lot about her condition, which was obviously well-researched. We see her in therapy as she tries to deal with what has changed in her brain. We see her meet new people and try to accommodate for her new disability and still paint a portrait for the contest that means everything to her. Along the way she learns to think differently about some things and what's important in life. I enjoyed her interactions with Joe. Their banter worked well together and I laughed out loud when some things were cleared up between them.

All in all, a fun, heart warming book.

Hold onto your hearts, folks! My favorite romance author is back with another five-starred hit that's sure to pull at your heartstrings. Katherine Center is tackling some serious topics this time around, like face blindness and cavernoma (look it up), and showing us just how many people are affected by these conditions. But fear not! Her uplifting, feel-good writing style will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired to never give up on hope. And let's not forget about her sweet characters who go through some seriously intense experiences. If they can handle it with such admirable perseverance, then we can handle anything! Plus, you'll learn a thing or two along the way.
Trust me, you won't want to miss this one.

I've read a few books by Katherine Center and I've enjoyed them, but they haven't blown me away.
This book? Hello Stranger? It absolutely blew me away!
Hello Strangers does everything necessary to be the perfect romance read: It has compelling characters. It puts our main character in a difficult situation, which allows for great character growth. It has an amazing romantic trope (friends-to-lovers). It provides a villain, but allows for a hint of hopefulness at the end. It's endearing. It makes the reader swoon. I'm telling you... PERFECT!
I usually enjoy a romance with dual points-of-view, which this story doesn't have, and I honestly think it works in its favor! Sticking with the point-of-view of our main character keeps you in her headspace, her difficult visual work, and heightens her current struggle.
The way Katherine Center makes you fall in love with the main characters in this story... It almost isn't fair! You feel so deeply for them, which makes the lows so so difficult, but it also makes the highs absolutely amazing!
I was so invested in this story and could not put this book down until I reached its conclusion.
If you love romance: Read this book. If you like romance: Read this book. If you're interested in giving romance a try: Read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and Sr. Martin's Press for the ARC of Hello Stranger.

This was such a unique story - I have never read anything like it in my time reading romcoms. Sadie is on the brink of getting her big break as a portrait artist, but is impacted by facial blindness, hindering her ability to paint faces. I had never heard of facial blindness and found this portion of the story so interesting. I think Center wrote us into Sadie's mind so well - seeing her confusion, pain, and happiness in detail.

I did find myself a bit frustrated with Sadie at times - as I felt certain plot points and characteristics about her love interest were obvious, but she just could not pick them up. I ended up more frustrated than endeared to Sadie.

Overall, this book was easily readable and a fun romance story to read. I like Center's other books more, but enjoyed this one as well and would recommend it.

Katherine Center can do no wrong. I love the way she encapsulates real life into her novels. Real traumatic events that change the trajectory of where you think your life will be going- and who you are as a person. She writes lovable characters, and she writes characters so heinous you want to slap them through the page. KC does it all again in Hello Stranger. If you are someone who skips Authors Notes- don’t. Do yourself a favor and read this one.

Special thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Wow. Don’t read too much about this book. Just go in knowing it’s a great, feel-good read!

Spoiler at the bottom for dog lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

And for all you worried dog lovers, the dog does NOT die. This was my immediate worry as soon as I saw Sadie had an elderly dog.

This book seems to be eliciting some strong reactions. Ive seen friends say it reads YA or is too silly but I really enjoyed reading it. The premise is unique: the main character gets face blindness and cannot recognize even those closest to her. And so ensues a bunch of misconstrued situations. Sadie, the main character, ends up forming relationships while unable to "see" faces and we also get a look back at her past and familial relationships which are all very dysfunctional. If you go into this book thinking you're getting another Bodyguard, you'll probably be disappointed but if you need a silly fun and fast read add this to your cart. I dug it.

In Katherine Center’s latest, main character Sadie is a struggling artist who also has a difficult relationship with her dad, stepmom, and stepsister. At the beginning of the book, she finds out she is a finalist in a prestigious portrait competition which she thinks she will finally be able to prove herself - but then a freak medical condition leaves her with a condition called face blindness, which may or may not be temporary. The rest of the book finds her trying to cope with her new condition, while juggling friends, family, a sick dog, and maybe even some new romance as well.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors - I’ve read all her books and couldn’t wait to read this one, even though it comes out in July! Happy to say I loved this one too, though I must admit it’s not my favorite of hers. (My most favorite is Things You Save in a Fire, if you’re wondering.) I found the evil step-sister to be way over the top, and this one just wasn’t quite as affecting emotionally as usual for me. But I still really enjoyed it!

If the only book you have read by Katherine Center is her book from last year, The Bodyguard, then you should know going into this one that this one is less of a romance. There is a romance - and a very cute one - but more of the focus of the book is Sadie’s personal journey. And I absolutely loved the author’s note after the book how instead of talking about predictability in romances, we should talk about anticipation, since knowing there will be a happily ever after at the end is part of the fun, which I do agree with!

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were great and very well written. I felt like I was going through Sadie was as her life was changed so drastically. It was wonderful to see her so bravely face her challenges and navigate through life as she has never had to. Beautiful story.

4.5 stars
So the first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful artwork and Katherine Center’s name on the cover (I really enjoyed The Bodyguard and I was feeling hopeful that’d carry over). And then I read the plot and I was just wholly intrigued by how the main character would be able to go about her life unable to see anyone’s face. Plus she’s a portrait artist? Her job is literally to look at and then create faces! I was hooked just by that, but then I started and I was fully reeled in. Yes, Sadie is definitely the quintessential quirky girl, and some of her family dynamics were starting to skew towards this can’t possibly be a real person and real situations. There were also some moments with her best friend that just rubbed me the wrong way, a certain plot point that I felt should’ve been handled a bit more delicately than it was. But past that, I didn’t mind leaning into the absurdity a little bit, and I felt it made the ending a bit more satisfying as all the seemingly ridiculous moments culminated in the best karmic way.
And of course, there’s the bit about Sadie falling for two men while she can’t see anyone’s faces. I was skeptical about that plot in particular, but I absolutely loved how this love triangle played out. I loved her fascination with Dr. Addison, and her connection to Joe. It was a bit of a puzzle and I was just as confused as Sadie with how things would be able to piece together for her, and seeing as it all came together - I loved it. All those big romantic sentiments were definitely getting me misty eyed. Once again, it made the ending so satisfying, I just wish that it maybe didn’t have to happen so close to the end of the book.
While there was a romantic aspect to this book, the pacing also made it seem a bit like women’s fiction too. Since I’m more of a romance girly, it took me a little bit to adjust my reading experience to enjoy the nonromantic moments but surprisingly for me, I did get invested, and I was also crying towards the end seeing her family starting to work through some of their past traumas. I also loved learning about how our brains work - I’m no expert on the brain, so there might be things exaggerated for the story’s sake, it did make me stop to think about my perspective on the world and certain cues that I unknowingly take for granted because I’ve never known any other way.