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!
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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.

I have loved every one of Katherine Center's books and this one is no different. I loved the quirky, funny characters. Even though Sadie had been put through the ringer, she didn't give up on her dreams. The apperceptive prosopagnosia was something I've never read about or honestly learned much about. It was so interesting learning about it and how it can make one feel, struggles they face, and things they can overcome. I couldn't read this book fast enough but also did not want it to end. 5 stars for Hello Stranger!

First off, I love KC. The Bodyguard was a top read of 2022 for me.

So for me to not love this book makes me so sad.

Hello Stranger was just too much for me. Sadie had issues everywhere you looked around. Mother dead, dad and step mom weren't caring and Parker? Good grief she was a nightmare. Her character was way over the top for me. I did appreciate learning about face blindness and that was a cool spin to the story. But face blindness in the middle of all the other terrible in her life was just too much. Also Sue of course had to elope in the middle of this?

Sadie was hard to cheer for in ways because it just seemed too dramatic for me. It felt too much like a soap opera for me so I couldn't empathize with her because I kept questioning what wild thing is going to happen next?

Then the Joe/Oliver thing? I understand her not knowing what was going on but surely he would have clarified at some point? Wasn't a heartwarming reveal, kinda bizarre to me.

No matter what I will always read a KC book. this just wasn't my personal jam!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

"The more good things you look for, the more you find." Which, coincidentally, just about sums up how I feel about Hello Stranger!

Hello Stranger follows Sadie Montgomery just after FINALLY getting her big break in the art world. She is on her way to celebrate her place as a finalist in the National American Portrait Society competition when her world is turned upside down. After undergoing a brain surgery that saves her life, she is left with a case of face blindness - the worst fate for a portrait artist weeks before her big break.

The story goes on to follow Sadie and her journey up to the competition, and how her experience with face blindness does, in fact, change her views on the world. As she states, "But I guess that's the great thing about life - it gives you chance after chance to rethink it all. Who you want to be. How you want to live. That's what really matters."

The first 50% of the novel was a bit slow for my taste, and some of the supporting characters were just awful, but the second half certainly makes up for it. I actually laughed out loud at some of the dialogue at the end! I enjoyed the twist and the "anticipation" between the two main characters, and couldn't stop turning pages to see how it would all unfold.

The portion I struggled with was the backstory of the supporting characters; namely her "best friend" who never seems to be aware of what is going on with Sadie and the family drama of Sadie versus her dad, step mother and "evil " step sister, Parker. While there was partial resolution by the end, it was hard to stomach Parker's character and all of the actions she took just for the sake of being vicious. Sadie comes out on top and does show some growth reflecting on these relationships - but Parker, lacking any redeeming qualities was too much for me, and could be toned down a bit.

Overall, a charming book with a solid message and I cannot wait to read more of Katherine Center!

Thank you to the Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really liked this book, the characters were bold and fleshed out beautifully and had excellent growth. Well done !

Another magnificent story by Katherine Center! I sat down one night to read a few chapters before bed and found myself up past midnight finishing the story in one sitting. Without fail, Center's books COMPLETELY absorb all of my mental and emotional energy; I find it very hard to focus on anything else, and Hello Stranger is no exception. Portrait artist Sadie Montgomery's world is turned upside down when complications from an unexpected brain surgery leave her with face-blindness. Caught in a world where recognizing even her closest family and friends is nearly impossible, Sadie must grapple with alternatives to create her art, while wondering whether her brain will every heal. In the midst of it all, she finds herself torn between her dog's veterinarian and Joe, a friendly neighbor who on the surface, seems to play the field. I thought I knew from the get-go where this book was going to go, and I was both right and wrong in the best way. As usual, Center balances the line between a lighthearted rom-com and more traditional women's fiction with finesse and depth, crafting a story that is simultaneously beautiful, heartbreaking, and oh SO hopeful. This was my second book by Center (though I have already read 2 more from her backlist since), and I was pleasantly surprised with how COMPLETELY different it was from The Bodyguard (which I also loved). I absolutely loved Hello Stranger and already look forward to re-reading it someday!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed a free e-ARC copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance writers. Romance is not always my favorite genre’s, but her books hit all the right notes for me. And Hello Stranger was one of her best! It was funny, it was real, and I loved watching Sadie struggle not only with her face blindness, but with her complicated feelings about her mothers death and complicated family. It was sweet and funny and such a satisfying ending. I loved this book!