Oh I LOVE Katherine Center books and this was no exception!!! This is beyond just being a romance book, but its about growing in all areas of your life. I felt like I understood the main character and what she was going through. I know I read this post-pub but I will be sure to add this to my recommended reads list! Thank you so much for the ARC!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC!

What I liked:
- the *very* unique premise
- no spice
- sweet characters
- pets!!

What I didn't:
- too unique and entirely unrealistic conclusion. i can understand that romcoms are FICTION and not real life. that's why i read them. this was on another level.
- sadie was annoying i'm sorry?? where is the critical thinking??
- the characters were one dimensional. joe was perfect and parker was evil and sadie was clueless. the dad was the only one with some character development.
- took 50% to get into it. i almost DNFed.

glad i did not DNF - sweet ending and fun book to read while students are testing!

I liked the book and understood the message it was trying to convey. The main character was a little hard to like. The story was a little over the top for me but the book was a quick read. It also had me reading more about true facial blindness.

I absolutely love Katherine Center's writing and I think I've read nearly all of her books. This one didn't *quite* hit the mark for me, but was still an enjoyable read.

Despite the fact that Sadie had some pretty serious medical issues early in the story, it's still written in that Katherine Center-esque heartwarming and fun way, full of plenty of humour and heart. Just like reading some of Lisa Genova's books, this story deals with a medical issue called "face blindness" and it's hard to read about when you've never actually experienced it yourself (think, Left Neglected, by Lisa Genova). However, the story goes on about how Sadie has to learn to view the world and the people in it a bit differently - especially if she wants to submit her portrait for the contest that is sure to set her life on track.

I will say, I did not like Sadie's family, and Sadie did come across as self-centred throughout the story (but is it really hard to imagine that, given what she's going through? She's bound to feel frustration.). There is also a "twist" at the end of the story (as there usually is) that was not much of a surprise at all.

However, as with all Katherine Center books, this was still an enjoyable read, despite my issues. I will still recommend her books to readers who love romantic comedies, laugh-out-loud stories, and interesting characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eCopy of this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and these thoughts are my own.

I will read anything Katherine Center writes. She is pure magic on paper! This book is about a woman who has suddenly acquired face blindness and wakes up in a hospital room and all the faces she sees are all jumbled. I cannot even imagine this! And here's the kicker, she's a painter, and paints portraits!! As always, there is a love interest, a dog and all the feels. Highly recommend!

While I didn't like this book as much as I liked The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, I still thought it was an enjoyable read. I also thought the premise was clever and it slightly reminded me of the movie 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. I still think this would be a book that I would purchase and/or read again. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an early copy of this book with me!

My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44083250-julia

Instagram/bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/bookreviewsbyjules/

I've read a few Katherine Center books (and enjoyed them). However, this one wasn't for me. I ended up DNFing this one honestly. The premise of the book is really unique - our female main character ends up diagnosed with face blindness. She is a portrait artist, which makes this increasingly difficult to do her work. What also ails the FMC, is that she is a finalist in a competition - one of her greatest life achievements. Cue the difficulties that ensue when it comes to the final piece for the competition! In addition to this struggle faced by our main character, there is a budding romance as well. I found this book to have a great idea and I've heard great reviews on this one!! I just was not vibing with this one....it'll certainly work for many, just not for me.

I love Katherine Center's books. They are always heartfelt, heartwarming, and sweet. This is no exception. A character with face blindness sets the premise for looking at the world in a different way. The characters are real, easy to fall with with, and relatable. There were laugh out loud moments and I couldn't put the book down because I had to see how it all resolved. Safe to say I will read anything this author writes (I already have her next book on my shelf!).

Such a cute love story with complex characters and fun side stories. I really wanted more of Sue and Witt, maybe next book? Parker and her issues got annoying, like could anyone be that bad? Is that even accurate? I loved learning a bit more about facial blindness.

Thank you Net Galley for a free e-arc of this book.

I’ve loved Katherine Center books in the past, but this one didn’t hit for me. It felt rather simple and a little cliché. Although I learned a bit about facial blindness - I found it odd she couldn’t distinguish people, she’s known forever, by their voices.

Overall it was a cute story with a nice message and I’d recommend it to people who are looking for a that type of read.

This was a very cute rom-com by Katherine Center. I felt that it had a unique premise with the facial blindness and enjoyed learning more about prosopagnosia. It was full of witty banter as I've grown to expect from Center. I'll be honest that it wasn't my favorite of her novels, but I still really enjoyed it overall and her novels are quickly becoming "Auto Buy" books for me.

Struggling portrait artist Sadie Montgomery is finally getting the longed for chance to be recognized she’s been hoping for when tragedy suddenly strikes and she is ultimately left with facial blindness. No longer able to visualize faces as they are, her life is completely upended. As if that isn’t enough, family dynamics, two very different men, and the fight to keep her career on target make for a story that keep the pages turning.

Katherine Center knows how to write both main characters you want to root for and supporting characters you want to hear more about and does the same with this story! I loved straightforward best friend Sue so much and would love to read more about her in a follow up novel. While the evil stepsister plot line felt a bit heavy handed at moments, I appreciated Parker’s commitment to her evil ways as it lent some serious outrage and don't we all just love to hate a good villain? Filled with funny moments, warmth, and substance, I was happy to spend time in another of Center’s written worlds.

I cannot stop thinking about this book. Katherine Center is the QUEEN of romance books where you are rooting for the main character to love themselves (almost) more than you want them to fall in love. She has this way of writing about real life and heavier issues, while still making you giggle and kick your feet. Sadie's story is no different. You learn so much about yourself as you watch her struggle with a new reality and that is the highest compliment I can give a book. Highly recommend Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (and her whole catalogue).

Oh this book was wonderful. The author clearly did her research on face blindness, and this approach to the disorder did nto appear insensitive or light. She applied an appropriate amount of heavines to it while also not making the story too dar. I'll be honest, I did not see the twist at the end and really enjoyed the suprirse. THis was a great break from some of the darker books I read, while also bringing awareness to a medical condition that I am aware of, but may not have known as much about.

I love this book so much! It is so sweet and hopeful and absolutely beautiful. This is the kind of novel that really perks you up and teaches you how to forgive. Love it so much!

"Hello Stranger" is absolutely adorable! You can tell when the writing is good when you absolutely hate the villain. And boy did Katherine Center create a good villain in Parker. This book was so sweet, wholesome, and a bit heartbreaking. With an evil step-sister, prince charming in a bowling jacket, an immortal dog named Peanut, and a fairy godfather acting as a landlord, this book has it all. Of all the characters we meet throughout this book Mr. Kim was my favorite. He became the father-figure that our main character, Sadie desperately needed. What I absolutely loved about this book was Center's attention to foreshadowing. There were so many moments to play off as throw away comments, but they become full circle moments that round out the story. You can tell that every word was intentionally written.

Katherine Center is a reliable win for me every book! I loved learning about a topic I knew nothing about, while swooning over the character's building romance. Another solid romance, not my favorite of hers, but still with the read!

I will likely pick up another book by this author in the future but this particular type of relationship centering around a love triangle isn’t for me.

I really enjoyed this book! It Katherine Center has always been a go to author for me and this book was no different! Books that make me want to stay up past midnight reading are the best and this one definitely fit in that category. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! I will certainly recommend it to all of my reading friends!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!