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!

I am a big fan of Katherine Center and have loved all of her books. This one was such an interesting story, and I learned a lot about prosopagnosia (face blindness). I really enjoyed the story in this one, and will be recommending it.

I had to DNF this book, got barely a few chapters in, and the fatphobia and hateful speech towards plus-sized bodies was unreal. I know we later find out that the male protagonist isn't talking about a human at all but there was just no need for the author to go in-depth on the subject. I was so disappointed because I loved her last novel and I wish there would have been more of a trigger warning at the beginning to warn readers.

I definitely enjoyed this new title by Katherine Center. There was plenty of drama, lots of personal growth, and all the feels.

I did figure out the big twist early on, which probably impacted my reading experience, but I still had fun walking through Sadie's progress with her. I wish I could have seen that portrait!

Of note, the author includes information on her personal experience with, and thoughts on, the Romance genre at the end, and it was interesting follow-up reading. Personally, I find her books to be a blending of women's fiction and romance, because the character arc of the female protagonist is always the driving force in the storyline, followed by the secondary thread of how the couple will finally achieve their HEA.

I am so thankful to have been gifted a chance to read this book during my long 4 hour flight! It was a bit of a slow start, and I was a tad confused by the topic & characters. I'm so glad I kept reading. The plot seemed a bit far fetched, but kept me entertained and I wanted to know exactly what happened and why certain characters did certain things (the elevator scene!)
I appreciated the author notes!
A fun, cute book.

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center. Hello Stanger is a lighthearted, feel good story with some tough trying times mixed in. I felt connected to the characters and enjoyed following the story from page one all the way to the end. I had guessed the twist early on, but still felt invested enough to keep going! So nice to have a piece of happy to read! I wanted to wrap the book in a hug when I finished.

I was expecting more drama as the story dealt with face blindness but it turned out to be a true romcom. Not sure the advertising was appropriate? This was not exactly what I was in the mood for reading.

I am not sure the author planned for a twist but I guessed from nearly the beginning so it did keep me from an exceptional reading experience. I thought this story was different from her usual genre as the author went for more comedy.

I would recommend for readers looking for a light and « predictable » story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.