I enjoyed this book - it’s heartfelt and emotional and imo well researched. I am not sure what I thought going in, but I’m glad it was a little of a surprise. With that being said, this book relies on miscommunication and assumptions, and some of these things are easier to guess than others which might make it a little predictable (I guessed the twist within the first 50 pages). BUT, the point of the book is still worth it. That we make assumptions about people and their actions everyday. And we miss opportunities for love and connection and friendship when we do that. I cried, and felt so much emotion. And that’s a sign of a great book for me.

Who doesn't love a Katherine Center novel? I am forever a fan and will read whatever she writes. Hello, Stranger had everything I wanted in a book from KC and I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy KC or general romance/literary fiction. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

As always, Katherine Center has written a book that will captivate you with interesting characters and a great storyline. Hello Stranger introduces you to the world of face blindness and the trials and tribulations that go along with it. I really enjoyed the main character Sadie, and how brave she is to be dealing with this complication that has arrived in her life.

I adore Katherine Center and was so excited to be given the opportunity by netgalley to read this arc! All in all, it was typical KC - a light, fun romance with something “extra”. The extra in this case was that the main character, Sadie, has brain surgery and ends up with facial blindness as a result. This adds to the conflict, as she’s a portrait artist, and it also creates a variety of hilarious foibles that she falls into. The story is cute, playful, with a very likeable male lead (Joe) and a cast of other quirky characters. I found some of the writing to be a little less polished than previous works written by the author (but that may change once more edits occur), and it was a tad predictable and drawn out at the end. All in all, I really enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.

I am a big fan of Katherine Center- how to walk away and things we save in a fire are awesome books. But the last two books, including the Bodyguard and Hello Stranger, have not had the same magic.

I was particularly interested in this book because I am a speech language pathologist that has worked in neuro rehabilitation, so I have had patience with acquired prosopagnosia. I thought that the treatment of this diagnosis and the perception of the world around someone with an acquired brain injury was well done. I think what felt off for me is that the characters were too broad… Parker was too evil, Sadie too stubborn, Joe too pure. As a result, I never felt completely invested in any of the characters. Also, I didn’t feel there were enough descriptions of Joe, physical, or emotional, that made me invested in him as a romantic partner for the main character. The twists were very obvious. And the thing that bothers me the most was that there were some obvious inconsistencies in the plot… Revelatory conversations happened twice and spoiler alert: Parker could not have been both on a plane to Amsterdam and in the coffee shop on the same afternoon.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I liked the topic, but not my favorite by this author .

I love a book where I learn while I'm entertained. In Hello Stranger, Katherine Center combines a great storyline with realistic characters and a medical condition I was unaware of.

Sadie is a portrait artist with complicated family relationships who has struggled to find success. Barely making by, she has a glimpse of hope when she is a finalist in a portrait competition. In a moment, life changes and Sadie experiences acquired face blindness.

Ms Center does an amazing job writing Sadie's struggle to trust others and accept help as she learns to identify people by other characteristics. This is also an amazing work of adapting to change, defining success, seeing what you want to see, and learning to accept yourself and others. There's alot packed into this book, much more than I expected. Within this story, there's also romance, friendship, and family - and a dog with a fancy palate. It was interesting to have the usual rom-com communication issues have a new twist to them.

This is my first read of a Katherine Center book but I'll definitely be looking into her others. From Hello Stranger and Sadie: "We’re all just muddling through, after all. We’re all just doing the best we can. We’re all struggling with our struggles. Nobody has the answers. And everybody, deep down, is a little bit lost."

Thanks to Goodreads, St Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the opportunity to read and review the ARC.

I binge read this book in a few hours because I couldn’t put it down which is rare for me nowadays. The book is cliche is some ways but a take on a different issue that people don’t tell to discuss in romance novels – face blindness. It was so interesting to read how much Sadie struggled with knowing who she was talking to and knowing that it’s something we all take for granted. Her relationship with Joe was also so wonderful. He was so patient with her even when at times I wanted to yell at her to tell him her secret.

Sadie is strong and independent but also a frustrating character. She never wants to show weakness which makes sense given her upbringing and I’m so glad we were able to encounter her family dynamics and understand what made her who she is. I have so much more to say, but I don’t want to give away and spoilers. For all those contemplating if they should read this book, my answer is a resounding yes.

I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

This is my second Katherine Center novel, and I must say, she has a real talent for taking a truly over-the-top romantic comedy premise and telling a fun, charming story that has you rooting for the main characters instead of rolling your eyes at their antics. In “Hello Stranger”, struggling artist Sadie Montgomery finally has gotten her big break: she’s a finalist in the North American Portrait Society’s annual competition. She has six weeks to paint a new portrait of a live model. However, shortly after Sadie receives the career-changing news, she has a non-convulsive seizure, medical tests reveal a cavernoma, and the corrective surgery results in swelling around the area and acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia—or face blindness. How does a portrait artist work when she cannot see faces?

The condition is likely temporary, but the looming contest deadline and stubbornly self-reliant Sadie’s refusal to accept help causes more stress and frustration. On top of that, family drama from her emotionally distant father, oblivious stepmother, and conniving stepsister makes her situation even more unbearable. And while a bit of a love triangle with her dog’s dashing veterinarian and her womanizing yet oddly sweet neighbor is a nice distraction, the fact that she can’t see either’s face does further complicate things.

Sadie’s life is quite a mess. But “Hello Stranger” is a fun read. I admit a few plot twists were a bit too wild to believe, and some characters came off like caricatures—namely her laughably evil stepsister, Parker, and her cringingly inconsiderate best friend, Sue. But overall the novel is amusing and enjoyable as it explores the pitfalls of confirmation bias and the importance of vulnerability and compassion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted on April 15, 2023 to https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5222904192.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting. Joe is my next book boyfriend! And Sadie is a protagonist who grabs you from the beginning and whom you can’t help rooting for! Highly recommend. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year so far, and now I'm going to read her backlist.

I've said this before in my previous reviews of Katherine Center books, but I'll say it again: her ability to write such beautiful stories full of hope, light, and optimism are what makes her a favorite author of mine. While HELLO STRANGER, OUT JULY 11 was not my favorite of her books, I still really enjoyed the story and the message it conveyed.

This book, for me, was pure escapism. I relished the concept for the story of portrait artist Sadie, our FMC, developing prosopagnosia (face blindness, an actual medical condition) while falling in love with two people, Joe and Oliver. The author did a fabulous job explaining what life is like for Sadie with this condition and how, really, those who don't have face blindness take for granted this particular function of the brain. The side characters were great here and they often made the book. Center's ability to create a story that connects individuals and makes them understand what it is to be human is such a special ability and is very much highlighted in this book.

There were a few issues with the book that I couldn't overlook that impacted my rating. The first is Sadie herself. She is not a character I relate to. I found her to be immature, obstinate, and judgmental in most of her interactions. However, I will say that the author, in creating a complex story, did a great job explaining WHY Sadie is this way. Others might see her as strong and independent, going out of her way to protect herself after her experiences, which I can see. But I just didn't vibe with her or view her this way. And, as a result, I wasn't overly invested in the romance. I also did not like the fact that the central conflict in this book veered too close to miscommunication trope.

Overall, while this book was not my favorite Katherine Center book, I think the story was enjoyable and a good read. You should read this if you like a twist ending, beautiful writing, impactful while light reads, and finding one's purpose and identity.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center has a wonderful knack for creating protagonists you can’t help but love. Sadie is a struggling artist trying to follow in her mother’s footsteps, which helps her feel close to the mother she lost at only fourteen. She is not close to her surgeon father, whose second wife has always pushed Sadie away while Sadie’s step-sister Parker has made Sadie’s life miserable in myriad ways. Parker is the ULTIMATE evil step-sister, who has cost Parker her school, boyfriend, and family. You have to admire Sadie’s spirit and courage, despite all odds. Even after an accident yields a diagnosis of a blood vessel in her brain that needs to be repaired, she is determined to push past the surgery to finish her ultimate painting to win an art contest for which she has been named a finalist. The next blow that fate has in store for her is a condition called prosopagnosia, or face-blindness. It may be temporary or permanent and only time will tell, but she has to finish her painting which is a PORTRAIT. How can she do that without being able to see a face? Friends, her dog Peanut, and two new guys, the hot vet who treats Peanut and the annoying but strangely helpful neighbor, all come together in the story, and Sadie finds herself in the process. In spite of all the hard knocks which conspire against Sadie, Center managed to add the humor and light notes that are a hallmark of her stories. Resilience and determination, as always, win the day in unexpected ways. A satisfying read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As usual, Katherine Center takes you on an emotional journey that makes you think about life. Imagine suddenly having to have brain surgery and waking up to find that everyone's faces are like jigsaw puzzles. Unfortunately for Sadie, a portrait artist, this is exactly what happens. Sadie takes an unimaginable journey that makes her see what is important in life.

Well, it's official: I simply adore Katherine Center and the stories she creates. Hello Stranger had big shoes to fill because I love love loved The Bodyguard last year. This book was all that I wanted it to be and more. Our main character, Sadie, is challenged by the onset of a medical condition that alters her whole world, especially her faltering career as a portrait artist. I could easily tell Katherine Center did her research in this area because she made me FEEL and SEE everything that Sadie faced. I love the friendships and family relationships KC writes and all the positive and aggravating truths that come with those relationships. I loved trying to figure out how this story would unfold, I guessed it, then I questioned everything and it was a blast to alter my thoughts on how the story would end. All in all, Sadie is deep in the depths of some hard stuff but this story never felt too heavy. It's hard and sitting with her in some of the blindness of her current life isn't easy. But you can trust Katherine Center to lead you to the light. Possibly my favorite part of this story was the Author's Note in the final pages. KC lays down the law about the greatness of romcoms. She does this genre so well and seeing her heart behind that felt validating and uplifting as a reader.

Readers of all genres, try Katherine Center. Hello Stranger would be a great place to start!! You won't be disappointed. This book is out on July 11 and will be perfect for long summer days. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my early copy to read and enjoy!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this early copy, I was SO excited to read this story about a woman who has brain surgery which results in issues with facial recognition.
Ok bookstagram friends, I know you all gave this 5 stars, so you can hate me now, but I thought it was so weird. The topic of this artist who can’t recognize faces was random. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but there is a major twist in the story that I figured out before it was told and it frustrates the hell out of me! I hate when there’s conflict over lack of communication and I hate when people are magically in love but barely know each other.
For that, although it was an easy flowing read, it did not gel with me.

Another wonderful Katherine Center story. She never lets me down. I didn't think this was as original as her previous stories have been, but sometimes there is comfort in the known.

Let me preface by saying I adore Katherine Center and would give her an organ but I just didn’t love this book. I really wanted to love it but I didn’t really care for Sadie. Her awful family was a little over the top too. I did like Joe and I enjoyed some of the banter / quips in the book but overall not my favorite from the author.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publishers for an ARC of this book. I am on spring break and this was the perfect pick me up. Although this book deals with a very real and devastating disease (Face Blindness) the author does a beautiful job. This book was everything that I love in Katherine Center books. The romance was pitch perfect, the banter was great and this one had an aging Doggo. Pick up this book as soon as you can it is worth every penny. I would def reread this for a little serotonin.

This book was SO good! I loved it. It was so different and I never heard of face blindness before so it made this book more fascinating. I really enjoyed Sadie's character to watch this change and challenger her. To watch her character grow and become a stronger person than before. It was also very clever what the author did with Joe's character. I did suspect her twist in the first half of the book but I didn't completely guess her entire twist which I appreciated and enjoyed. This is a wonderful story and a must read for me.

This book let me down! While there were some elements I did enjoy, overall I did not love.

I struggled to find the premise believable and I found Sadie to be way too cartoony and dynamic at all. Also didn’t appreciate the fatphobia miscommunication phone call thing. Even though Joe wasn’t talking about a person, the implication alone kinda sucked and the plot point could have been made in other ways that didn’t include harmful rhetoric like that. I also cannot believe that her love interest who is actually her vet too would be so ok with her not feeding her dog actual dog food. That was so weird.

Also, as a Houstonian, there’s no way anyone would survive living in a shack on a rooftop…. I can’t with that!!

That said, I did appreciate learning more about face blindness. I also liked how Sadie figured things out with her Dad and stepmom, and the progress she made in therapy. The stepsister plot line didn’t seem necessary to me, I don’t really understand the point of Parker’s character at all. Brb while I try to find a recipe for the coconut bread though!!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an early copy

In this deeper-than-just-a-romance-book, we follow Sadie, an aspiring portrait artist who recently had a medical freak accident resulting in her having facial blindness aka she can’t see people’s faces. We follow Sadie growing, healing, and trying to not lose hope and her painting career. There may even end up being an unexpected love interest for Sadie *cue the corny, classic romance*

This book made me laugh out loud. I loved Sadie’s wittiness and humor. I loved seeing her grow. This book is just an all around feel good read. But in the end, it overall just fell short for me sadly :/ besides the main character & love interest - I did not love the other characters. Especially her horrible family. As someone who LOVED the bodyguard - this one was kind of a let down. Loved the different concept and “twist” but was hard to get through it.