I can’t recommend this book highly enough. In addition to being an adorable rom-com, Hello Stranger does an incredible job of conveying the unique challenges of face blindness. I’ve read other books that have used face blindness as a plot device, but none have did it as well as Hello Stranger. I found myself frequently pausing to try to imagine what Sadie was going through, made possible only by Katherine Center’s incredible use of details and narration.

Totally inconceivable but cute!

The writing kept me engaged even though I figured everything out pretty early on. Sadie kind of annoyed me that she wouldn’t disclose her ailment to anyone. All the Parker stuff was pretty nonsensical but then again so was the entire storyline.

Katherine Center is now one of my favourite authors. Her stories (or the ones I’ve read so far anyway) always leave you feeling so good and hopeful.

I really enjoyed this book. It had ups and downs and you were really rooting for Sadie to be able to paint her portrait for the competition. And I loved Joe. He was so kind and gentle with Sadie, even though she should have told him about what was going on with her.

The side characters were also something special! They were so supportive of Sadie and wanted to help her and see her be happy. Except for her stepmother and stepsister. We don’t like them.

With the twist, I did see it coming. There were a few hints but the scene at the vets clinic put it all together for me. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it, I just kept hoping that the characters would also figure it out to find their happy endings.

So once you settle into the story, prepare to be invested all the way to the end!

This is my 3rd Katherine Center book so far. While I did ultimately enjoy it by the end, I'd also say that I felt a little underwhelmed with it through the first half; it took a while to really get into it for me.

This was mainly because some things were just so clearly and easily predicted right from the get go, and I couldn't tell whether this was intentional or not (small spoiler alert: after reading Katherine's acknowledgements at the end, it appears that it was indeed.) I will also say that even though a lot of things were pretty easy to deduce early on, she still had a few tricks up her sleeve with some other parts that got me. That (as well as the aforementioned author's notes at the end) salvaged the underwhelming notions I'd had early on in my reading.

It took me a little while to get into the medical drama aspect. I think this was mainly because I'd never even remotely heard of such a thing and almost wondered if she made it up for the book (she did not; it truly does exist 😂). It was such an interesting, obscure, and unusual medical dilemma to use for this book, but Katherine crafted the story and plot so well around it.

Also in true Katherine fashion, she developed the most endearing male character ever. I just read Things You Save in a Fire about a week ago, but I think it's safe to say I now have a bigger crush on Joe from Hello Stranger than I did with the rookie from that (and that's quite an accomplishment!)

There seemed to be a few *tiny* plot holes that I noticed, BUT considering this was an eARC, those might have been ironed out already for the final product when it's released. That being said: thank you to Net Galley, St Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance. (Also a thank you to my bf/ book buddy/ wifey Jenna for introducing me to Katherine Center books last year 💕) Hello Stranger will be released July 11, 2023!

I am usually a huge fan of Katherine Centers book but this was miss for me :(
Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who gave up premed to pursue her dreams of becoming an artist like her late mother, much to the disdain of her renowned famous surgeon father. Her break finally came when she was selected as a finalist in a highly prestigious portrait competition. Now all she had to do was create the best portrait of her life and her career would be set and she could finally ‘show’ her dad that art was her calling. The day she got the news, she had a near death calling when she fainted in the middle of the road and later discovered that she had a nerve in her brain that needed surgery to be fixed. Her life turns upside down (literally!) as soon as the surgery is over, and to add to the stress, she seems to have met the perfect guy(s?) in the midst of it all.
The story was okay, some parts believable but as a reader I hate discrepancies and there are so many of them. I can’t list them without spoilers.
Things just didn’t add up, made no sense most times. And the big reveal at the end with her family just fell flat and unbelievable and over the top. And not to mention the last 10% of the book which was just repeating what happened in the past few pages to her friend and could have totally been omitted from the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book for my honest opinion.

I love how Katherine Center tackles topics in her love stories that are unique, sweet, and inspirational. I was not aware of prospagnosia (face blindness) and found myself completely captivated by Sadie's journey in this book and her growing slow-burn friendship with Joe. I can't imagine being in Sadie's shoes after surgery and feeling like your family wasn't truly in your corner. Her feelings and the carefreeness of forming a bond with Joe after roller skating into him (loved that!) made this book one that I could not put down. And Joe, let's talk about him for a minute - the guy that Sadie's landlord/friend's dad had nicknamed, Helpful, seriosuly, amazing. All along you find yourself hoping and really wanting this to fall into place for Sadie - this budding romance with the gorgeous, pet-loving, nice, genuine guy in her building.

I feel conflicted. I really enjoyed the last 30% of the book, but I didn’t love most of it. So even as I suspended much of my disbelief to allow the story to work (but really, most of it was ridiculous and unbelievable), I still struggled.

First, I had to remind myself that Sadie was in her late 20s. She behaved like a teenager for most of the book, and if the author meant to have her stuck in the age her mom left her in, then good job, I guess.

Second, Parker? More of an evil caricature than an actual human being. She was just written for the ridiculous, over-the-top drama, which wasn’t enjoyable. I thought we left characters like this in 2010.

And finally, I hated Sue. God spare any of us a best friend like that. Her friend is going through something extremely traumatic and once in a lifetime-y, and she a) is extremely inconsiderate and rude about it and b) abandons her after she made a serious commitment about something very important to her friend. There were other ways of bringing the heroine and hero together other than giving her a shitty best friend.

I’m glad I enjoyed the story from 70% on, but it was a little too late, if I’m honest. And it would be great if we stopped making fat people the butt of the joke, even if it was a miscommunication. You know what you were doing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Oh, Katherine Center… I don’t know how you do it. Time and time again I explain that I hate rom-coms and time and time again, I fall into your trap! ❤️

I went way out of order on my TBR list to read this, just because I really needed all the feel-good vibes of a Katherine Center novel and it did not disappoint!

This one is chock full of anticipation! 😉

I have read several stories based on face blindness, but this is the first one that really made it front and center due to the person affected being a portrait artist! How can one paint a portrait if they can’t see faces?!?

Look, I knew what was going on for most of the book, but it didn’t bother me at all. I enjoyed the playfulness of the characters, the banter, the coincidences, the family background, and the anticipatory love story.

I also really loved Mr. and Mrs. Kim. Can we get a whole novel about them please? 😁

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy of #Hellostranger

Release date: July 2023

Summary: A portrait artist suffers from Face Blindness after brain surgery and if that was not bad enough, it happens while she’s placed in the top 10 of a prestigious art competition. While struggling to complete her final piece before the submission deadline, she finds herself falling for 2 different men!

My Thoughts: I have read and loved each book written by this author and this one was no different. I loved the humour, the drama, and the family relations. My only criticism (if you call it that) was that I discovered the main plot twist right from the beginning. But I’m not going to hold this against the book because I think being a writer has done this to me. I’m able to predict plots a lot more now than ever. However, I don’t think that it will be obvious to the average reader!

There were some moments throughout where the pacing was slower than I would have liked, but overall, a great book with great characters that I loved. A solid, four-star read.

I had such high hopes for this book because I wanted it to give me the same happy feeling that her first book, The Bodyguard, did. But I don't know what happened when she was writing this book because I wanted to DNF at 40% but I just powered through.

I gave it two stars because it had its moments but not enough to make me feel anything hopefull

Thank you @smpromance for a copy of Hello Stranger. I love Catherine Center's books but this one was not a favorite of mine. The story is about Sadie and her journey as she recovers from a temporary brain swelling that makes her not be able to see faces.

I felt the characters were all way over the top with their behavior. The only salvation was Joe, he was such a great guy and thought he was so patient and kind to Sadie. The big twist was predictable and I felt the relationship with her step sister felt unresolved. There were a lot of fun moments that I did enjoy.

This book was great. It was a
Light hearted read, and I loved the characters and the story. The author is a new favorite of mine as well.

Thank you to St Martin Press and Net galley for
a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review

“The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

Thank you Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces. Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope-and hang onto her artistic dreams-she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That's when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she's pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn't want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He's always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more? As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places-and people- you least expect.

I love Katherine Center’s writing style. The plot was unique and entertaining. The pacing was perfect, the characters were lovable, and while I guessed the twist at the end, I still really enjoyed it. “Hello Stranger”made me laugh and cry. This book is perfect for a summer relaxing in the sunshine. I highly recommend it!

Book Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While a little predictable, I did really enjoy this book. All of the main characters were fabulous in their own way (except Parker, she’s the worst). I loved that it centered around a condition I knew very little about because it made me learn more. I enjoyed it and will continue to read anything Katherine Center writes!

I actually like this author but I really struggled to get into this novel so
It was a DNF for me . I’d like to try and read it again at some point.

✨ Five-Star Romance Rec! ✨

Hellooooo my new favorite Katherine Center book! Hello Stranger is the sweetest, swooniest, most heartwarming book and will easily be one of my top reads for 2023.

The whole storyline was fascinating to me, as I’d never known anything about face blindness before. Main character Sadie was so endearing and I was truly sad to say goodbye to her. Her personal growth fought for center stage in this book with the two adorable men she was falling for. Every aspect of this story is gold!

And while the book is fantastic, the author’s note at the end was so affirming for romance readers. Yes, Katherine Center, yessss!!! Anticipation - delicious, sweet, angsty anticipation - is the reason I love romances in all their forms.

This is an absolute must-read!

Hello Stanger was a unique storyline that kept me engaged until the end. I knew it was going to be a happily ever after ending, but couldn’t figure how it was going to end. I just wanted to keep reading more. The writing seemed completely different and unique when compared to Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard, one of my other favorites. I also appreciate the clean romance themes and not having to force sexual encounters throughout the storyline.

I've read other Katherine Center novels and was eager to receive a ARC of Hello Stranger.

Hello Stranger is about Sadie , a struggling artist who becomes a finalist in a portrait competition. However, her elation is short-lived as she soon learns that she must undergo immediate brain surgery. Post-surgery, she discovers that she has developed face blindness, which may be temporary or permanent. As Sadie grapples with her new life, she learns to perceive the world differently. She embraces her new life and falls for two different men, neither of who's faces she's seen.

While the beginning of the story was slow for me, I'm glad that I continued to read on. I thought it was a very solid book by Katherine Center and you can tell that she did her research.

This book was such a cute book. An accident that leads to having face blindness for a girl who was already down and out. She has her pup which is her one love, living in a storage space, and barely making it by on her art. She ends up falling for two guys at once and slowly one of them makes her see her worth and enjoy her life. Tragedy strikes and she has to face things head on.. all to say that without the face blindness, tragedy may have never happened. The ending is adorable and will throw you for a loop.

This was my first time reading a book by Katherine Center and I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed it, albeit it being a slow-burn (for a reason though, not bad), the overall story came together really well. There is a twist in the story and it was unexpected, at least to me! When I got to that part, I was like why didn't I figure that out sooner. Only thing that I kind of got annoyed with was Sadie's evil step-sister, Parker, who was just really immature. Besides the evil step-sister and the step-mom being annoying, I really loved this book!

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC of Hello Stranger!