Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an ARC!
I absolutely love Katherine Center's books and this one was just purely adorable!

Sadie learns that she needs brain surgery and wakes up to discover she has developed face blindness. As a portrait artist, this is especially difficult for her. She meets Joe and learns to accept help from others. Throughout the book, Sadie discovers how to cope with this unexpected side effect and learns to love and put herself first.

This book is a bit strange, a bit far-fetched, silly while also serious - there is a lot to love here. Sadie is really going through it, and her acquired face-blindness makes for a really interesting novel. I saw the "twist" coming from a mile away, but really didn't mind, since it was all very sweet. I think Sadie being a portrait artist and having the face blindness made for an engaging plot, and it kept me on my toes wondering how she would manage the contest. There's a little bit too much mean-girl/evil-stepsister antics for me which I think took away from the book a bit. It would have been more thoughtful in my opinion, for us to see Parker as just a flawed human instead of how she is presented. Overall though I couldn't put it down and it was a very fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

This one just didn't work for me. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and this novel took it to the next level. It felt repetitive and lacked the romantic connection I was looking for. The male MC was definitely a redeeming factor. I've loved Katherine Center in the past and will continue to read her books but can't recommend this one. If misunderstandings and miscommunication is your thing though, this may work for you.

An artist with prosopagnosia.- face blindness - is no laughing matter UNLESS it’s Sadie Montgomery. There are so many moments that are actually laugh out loud funny. She is so smart but so clueless, you can’t help but love her. The characters in Hello Stranger are intricately connected. The friendship between Sadie and Sue is real, not a make believe unrealistic friendship. Joe and Dr. Addison are not fake either. You really find yourself caring what happens to these people. Except maybe Parker - she is vindictive. This book was hilarious, touching, fun and enlightening. A totally enjoyable read from start to finish.

Wow I loved this book so much and need to read the rest of Katherine’s books! This book kept me on edge wondering if the main character would ever overcome her illness. With a crazy twist at the end that I was so excited about!! I loved it and am going to get a physical copy so I can re-read it and mark ALL the AMAZING things throughout it :)

I’m pretty new to Katherine Center but I love the tone of her books and this one was great.

Sadie is a portrait artist that just had a stroke and the surgery has caused some swelling in the part of the brain that connects faces to memory. (prosopagnosia)

It was a pretty predictable story but so enjoyable to be in. Such a fun story with great characters, nothing too wild but definitely gets a little emotional.

I also really liked that I learned about prosopagnosia which I had never heard of before. If someone just told me about it I would have just been like okay I don’t really know what you mean but that sounds really tough. But seeing Sadie’s story still seemed very tough but a little more understandable seeing the day to day interactions.

Overall I had a great time reading it. I did want a little more healing/closure with her family.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eARC.

This book was a really fun ride. Having just become interested in Katherine Centers books I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the lessons learned by Sadie, learning to live with a disability, how to make her way through it but also how resentments she was holding onto were effecting her like. Joe was a great character as well, a genuine good guy wrapped into something crazy. Though I sort of called the "twist" I really liked how it was done.

Full review: https://theweatherwriter.wixsite.com/blog/post/book-review-hello-stranger-by-katherine-center

Sadie Montgomery, a struggling artist, has landed a spot in a coveted portrait competition. Unfortunately, she has an unexpected seizure which reveals the need for immediate brain surgery. While the surgery is successful, swelling around the surgical site has resulted in face blindness - she can recognize a person's voice, but not the face. Hopefully, it will clear up, but it may not be soon enough for her to complete the portraits needed for the competition. Will she be able to find a way to circumvent her face blindness? How will relying on people's voices and actions affect her relationships especially when she chooses to hide the problem? Will the face blindness become a saving grace?
A heartwarming read.
#HelloStranger #NetGalley

Just like Katherine Center’s other novels this one is quirky and adorable. At some points there is almost too much adorable that you may need to combine yourself to keep reading. There is always some aspect of these novels that is so sweet the sugar starts to turn your stomach a bit. Luckily for me I was rooting for Joe. I thought the main character Sadie was a bit annoying and dramatic. Her problems, though real in the world we live in, seemed made up. Joe on the other hand was normal and I wanted to keep reading so I could keep rooting for him. The only seemingly real person in this book. Was this the author’s intention? We may never know. But I can say that by about the halfway point of this novel I was hooked and had to keep reading to make sure Joe got his happy ending.

I am a huge Katherine Center fan. How to Walk Away - audiobook version was one of my favorite books. The main character in this book is a portrait artist who suffers a medical issue and suddenly can no longer see faces. Prior to the incident you learn that she is already struggling in her career and her relationship with her family. She finally gets her big break - a chance to compete in an exclusive art show and then after accident the one thing that she believes makes her special is taken away. This book started out a little slow for me. I didn’t really like the lead character (Sadie) but once the storyline began to develop and you meet the surrounding characters I was much more empathetic towards her and then really liked her.. I was actually emotionally invested in whether or not she could complete a portrait! I think this author does an amazing job with character development. Every book by her I read I feel like I could be friends with the protagonist . Without giving away any of the plot, I will say I absolutely loved Joe. I love the way he was written, and the small twist towards the end of the book tied everything together nicely. I also enjoyed learning about Prosopagnosia. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I've read from author Katherine Center and I'll definitely will be reading more of her books. Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist, she enters a competition where she could win 1000o dollars, unfortunately six weeks before the competition, she learns that she needs to have brain surgery. After her surgery she develops acquire apperceptive prosopagnosia (the inability to even perceive and cognitively process the face), she freaks out, then her dog gets sick and when Dr Addison saves Peanut she falls for him even tho she can't see him, then she meets Joe and starts falling for him too. But what will she do? If you want to find out you should definitely read this amazing book. Thank you so much Netgalley for this E-arc!!

Katherine Center has become a must read author for me and her books always draw me in! This latest one is no exception! So many lines that I had to retead just because I loved them and the little tidbits of wisdom that made me think "aha!" I found this storyline to be unique and I loved the family relationships as well as the live interests!

Katherine Center has written another beautiful novel. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was such a great story with a deeper meaning. I always love that Katherine Center is able to bring joy and learning into her novels. This romance has such cute and real life characters with their flaws. I love that Sadie goes has her struggles and we come along for the journey and learn from them.
This is a beautiful story about Sadie Montgomery a struggling artist, who is still grieving her mother. She has just become a finalist for a prestigious art show. Unfortunately, then she has to have brain surgery in the time frame that the show needs her to start on a portrait for the final show. This brain surgery is supposed to be minor, however it leaves her with face blindness. Sadie is not able to recognize faces. Which makes completing the portrait painting for the competition challenging. Sadie also meet a few of her neighbors in the apartment complex where she lives and makes a lot of assumptions based on the way they act without knowing exactly who they are. Sadie starts spending time with Joe a neighbor she has deemed a major player. She realizes that maybe her assumptions were not as accurate as she thought!

Read if you enjoy:
Romance
Enemies to lovers (in a unique way)
Art
Family drama
Growth from a MC

I received an ARC from St Martin's Press and NetGalley. Thank you! All thoughts are my own!

So good! Thoroughly enjoyed this story and learning about things I hadn’t ever even heard of before. I had a hard time when she flip flopped from thinking the guy is a womanizer to objectifying him so much that she was okay with him. That seems like reiterating the thing she judged him for? But overall loved it!

There are some books that just don't work, aren't very well written, and lack likable, interesting characters...and unfortunately, you can add this one to the list. The set up in the first 20 percent of the book was promising, as we learn that our main character, Sadie, is overcoming some heavy things in her life - a disappointing career, a difficult stepmother and stepsister, and a difficult diagnosis that leaves her face blind. But, I found myself struggling to finish this one - an implausible storyline combined with poorly written, immature dialogue and ongoing, over the top drama.

I've really enjoyed Katherine Center's writing in the past - in particular, Things You Save in a Fire - but Hello Stranger and her previous book, The Bodyguard, just aren't it for me.

Well HELLOOOO STRANGER!

I was thrilled to unexpectedly receive an ARC of Katherine Center’s upcoming book before its actual release date!

The thing I always love about Katherine Center’s books is that even when her characters experience difficulty in their lives, there is still an abundance of hope. You just know everything is going to to turn out okay one way or another.

The chemistry between Sadie and Joe in HELLO STRANGER is simply incredible. To the reader it is clear they are a perfect match, and their many meet-cute moments are both comical and wonderful all at once!

Simply put, I enjoyed every moment of this book!

HELLO STRANGER is scheduled to be released this Summer on July 11th! Just in time for everyone to add it to their beach reading list!
.
.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me the best surprise email with the offer to read this book, and Netgalley for providing the ARC!

3.5⭐️

Firstly, I love Katherine Center’s books! They always make me laugh out loud, think deeply and root for her characters. She does a fabulous job of sneaking in hard subjects that you would not expect to go into a rom-com but she does so seemlessly- it always gives the book a deeper feel.

I loved the premise of this book- a portrait artist that acquires face blindness at a pivotal moment for her career. While I think she did a great job explaining the situation and telling Sadie’s story, I hated that the underlying trope felt like miscommunication. It just kept feeling like everyone needed to have a sit down talk and then NOTHING would have gone wrong. And that drove me insane. I can understand a little miscommunication but when it feels like it’s what drives the plot, it’s an immediate turn off for me.

Additionally, I felt like they ending was kind of rushed and tied up. I would’ve loved to see more resolution with her family, more time where she dated (and realized which one she was dating) the MMC, and to see the finality of her healing journey rather than just hearing about it in the epilogue.

Overall, I enjoyed this book just wasn’t my favorite for the reasons above! I would still recommend reading it especially if the miscommunication trope doesn’t bother you!

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

Love love love! Katherine Center books are always such a treat to read. I almost always end up crying and would definitely recommend reading this one.

Loved it!! Katharine Center is one of my favorite authors, so I'm always excited when she has a new book out. It definitely didn't disappoint. The characters are so easy to fall in love with. It was so easy to root for Sadie and hate Parker. This book was everything. I loved the relationship between Sadie and Joe. The back and forth was hilarious. Sadie never wanted help, even though it was obvious she needed help. I don't know why she didn't tell people about her face blindness. Sue and Sadie had the best friendship. Sue's responses back to Sadie about her artwork are hilarious. Only someone who truly loves you will tell you the truth about your portraits. Serial killer!!! Plus all the words they had for Joe. Mutton monger was my favorite. It wasn't until the breakup scene that I realized what was really happening. Who wouldn't fall in love with Joe? Not only was he handsome, but he was an all around good guy. He was always there to help and ended up not being a weasel. All the nicknames crack me up. Parker was the worst stepsister. She took pleasure in being cruel. I hope Elvira peed on everything she owned. Loved the way the Kims made Sadie feel like part of their family. She deserved so much with the way her dad and Lucinda never believed her. I couldn't put the book down, but then I was sad to see it end. I felt like I really got to know Sadie and Peanut.

Definitely recommend the book. I loved the characters, writing style and story- so pretty much everything about it. It was a fun read that had me smiling throughout the whole book. I could see it made into a movie, it's the perfect rom-com. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Four stars for this upcoming romance! Katherine Center has a way of creating a story that focuses on self-growth and romance all in one book. The FMC is a portrait artist who experiences a period of facial blindness and falls in love with two men. I would have given this book five stars, but the beginning was a slow start and I found myself waiting for scenes with both the FMC and MMC. Once the interactions started happening though, I was HOOKED. Overall, I highly recommend this book for an easy, feel-good read.