All the feelings. Every single one. Name an emotion, and I can confirm that I experienced it while reading this book. There is beautiful anticipation built in the story and in the characters (to use the phrase found in the Author’s Notes), and it’s made me so happy and hopeful that I could burst into song!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

4.5 rounded up! This book annoyed me when I started it, hence the 1/2 star reduction. I was SUPER annoyed with her father for being so distanced in their relationship(possibly a touchy subject..😑🤷‍♀️) and more annoyed that literally everyone was so nonchalant about brain surgery. (Possibly another touchy subject)

(I mean I have zero triggers when it comes to my endless Thrillers I read but when it comes to reading a romcom….🚨🚨🚩🚩)🙄 go figure

BUT I will say it did quickly turn around and it ended up being a really cute story! There was definitely a lot of drama there but I ate it up! …and honestly I love to hate a book! When the reader is literally yelling out loud(spoiler: it was me) at the characters in a book, the author wrote it well!

Ooooh but Parker made me so mad and I was almost crying for Sadie at one point! Like come one people!, how much are you gonna throw at this girl!? 😡😧

In the end it was a a really cute, lighthearted, sentimental, HEA romance and I’d absolutely recommend it!

Hello Stranger follows a portrait artist that has lost her ability to see faces. The story is cute yet some chapters can be a bit sad as they cover some heavy topics.

Overall if you like Katherine Center books you’ll enjoy this one.

I’ve recently discovered Katherine Center’s work and I am a big fan.

This story did not disappoint. It was such a great love story, that doesn’t let the love overpower the plot.

Center has the ability to make all of her stories feel like nonfiction in their delivery. The aspect of face blindness in this work was so interesting to read. And made for such an intriguing conflict.

My only complaint is that we didn’t get more of the love story once the characters were together. I could have read about them for hours more!

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

What a unique contemporary romance! This is a story that won’t be easy to forget. Sadie is a portrait artist who undergoes brain surgery that leaves her with face blindness. Sadie had to learn how to deal with her new disability, her negative mindset about the situation, and her traumatic past. Sadie faces several bumps along the way, but then she meets two men who seem to make things a little better. She starts to feel herself again and looks forward to dating. In the end, who will she choose?

Thank you to the publisher for the egalley in exchange for a review. I've read everything by Katherine Center and she always writes a good story. I was intrigued by the "face blindness" topic of this rom-com as it was something I had heard of before but really didn't know a lot about. This read very quickly and I enjoyed the character development. This would be perfect to throw in your beach bag this summer.

THIS BOOK! If you love a fun romance that will make your heart flutter, definitely pick this up and read it. I absolutely loved Sadie as the main character. I had so much fun reading this and I think Katherine Center did an amazing job with this one! 5 Star I absolutely loved it and I can’t wait to read more by her.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgally for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read, like other Katherine Center books! I enjoyed the characters and I enjoyed the prosopagnosia aspect. It was a quick read for me as I couldn't put it down!

Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors. I have loved all of her books. This book is a great book club selection. So many topics to discuss. I loved the themes and characters. Very relatable.

Thank you Net Galley for an early peek at “Hello Stranger.” It made for a fun escape. The characters were interesting and the storyline was new.

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.

This one started off with a unique story line that had my attention. Sadie is independent, but I found her to be unlikeable. Yes, there are major family issues along with her accident, but I found her character to be immature. I normally love Center’s adorably quirky MC’s, but I felt Sadie was too much. There is a lot of internal monologue and a lot of Sadie refusing help that just made her story feel repetitive.

I enjoyed the twist in the end and how everything came together. I thought the research and presentation of Prosopagnosia was well done. I’m just not a fan of the ‘lack of communication’ relationship struggles.

This is the second book I've read by Katherine Center and the second one I gave 5 stars to. This is a fun, cosy, love story where the characters face real issues. The conflict between the two main charaters is great.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have enjoyed Center's previous books so I was so excited to receive this one. At first at the mention of face-blindness, I wrote the book off because in the last two years I can name two to three books that have mentioned that in the book. HOWEVER, the depth that Center goes into with it was great. And the ending was absolutely amazing. The whole take away is about changing your perceptions about yourself and others and when the MC has an accident that causes the face-blindness, she is forced to do just that. I loved it. Readers will enjoy this one as much as her last books.

funny enough, i think i loved this more than the bodyguard. the prosopagnosia aspect of it was definitely different and really interesting to read about it from sadie’s pov. i could feel her panic at times. i am also just completely obsessed with sadie and joe, and how they met and missed each other so many times. i love them.

This is the romcommiest of romcoms! I laughed out loud all throughout the book. Sadie, the main character, loves her dog more than people, and that is relatable af.

What a unique storyline, with the struggle of face blindness.

My only critiques are that there were A LOT of typos--I saw one every few pages; and I would have loved more scenes with Joe and Sadie. The book felt a little short and the falling in love felt quick.

Hello Stranger is a unique story written by Katherine Center, who never fails to impress. In this story we follow Sadie Montgomery, who is a portrait artist. She was waiting for her big break and it comes when she is selected as one of the finalists in a big portrait competition.
Her luck changes when she finds out she needs to have surgery. The problem is she experiences a strange side effect called face blindness (She can't see faces).
During this time she relies on Peanut, her old dog. When Peanut gets sick she takes him to the Vet where she meets Dr. Addison who is handsome, sweet and very charming. Things get a bit complicated when she starts to develop feeling not only for Dr. Addison but for her neighbor Joe.
This book was an easy, beautiful read. You will fall in love with the characters and their personalities.
Katherine Center fully develops each character making sure each one is well rounded and fully represented in the story.
If you want a feel good book, this one is for you. Loved it!

First of all, five stars for the author's note! I'm not generally all-in in romance novels and Center kind of hit on why I wasn't, but why I should be. I loved her explanation of yes, they might be predictable (or slightly unrealistic), but that love stories "don't work like other stories." Her idea of changing "predictable" to "hopeful anticipation" of a happy ending sparked a lightbulb moment for me. Honestly, I never thought of love stories that way, but it all makes sense and it does make me enjoy this book more. I wish the author's note was upfront so I didn't wait until the end of the book to have this epiphany.

Now to review the book itself. As I mentioned, I admittedly was viewing this read through the wrong lens before reading the author’s note. I found the story to be unique and quirky with some humorous moments thrown in. The premise of the book was sort of "too coincidental" for me at first, but the more I read, the more the storyline grew on me. I was fascinated to learn more about prosopagnosia and I felt the author did an impressive job showing the realistic daily struggles Sadie faced. Sadie's family though--- what a drag! Some of their actions just seemed a little far-fetched, even for an evil step-family. Any appearances of her step-sister (Evil with a capital E) really brought down the flow of the book for me. Overall though, an enjoyable, quick read.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this book! I appreciate you!

I really liked this book, the cute romance between the MCs was swoon worthy. I really look forward to the books written by Katherine and this book did not disappoint.

Katherine Center did a fantastic job making her characters feel very relatable, while also being able to feel their emotions. Sadie experienced a traumatic incident that changed the path she expected her life to go in. Sadie experiences push back and lack of support from her family, which makes her experience that much harder. This book has has love triangle that leaves your heart wanting more. overall, I really enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters.

Katherine Center has done it again. She has this way of taking the human conditions we all suffer from (jealousy, not-enough-ness, grief, fears) and turning them into this tangible feeling, one we can all conquer with the right people in our corner.

This book was a joy, and is my newest favorite by Center. Even though I could see early on where the story was going, it was still an absolute joy to watch it unfold on the page. I will definitely be purchasing a copy for myself once this hits shelves in July.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the advanced copy!