📚Book Review 📚

Title: Hello Stranger
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Edition: Kindle
Date(s) read: March 15-17, 2023

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Sadie is a struggling portrait artist waiting for her big break when she has an accident. Following surgery and during her recovery she realizes she can no longer see faces, a brain disorder called acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia.

What does this mean for the portrait competition she’s won a spot in? She has 6-weeks to relearn how to paint faces. Thankfully she has the support of Sue, her best friend, and Sue’s parents.

Along the way we meet ‘Joe’, who lives in Sadie’s building and is not at all who he seems; her beloved Peanut, a 14-year old dog; Dr. Oliver Addison, who takes care of a very sick Peanut; Lucinda, the wicked step-mother; Parker, the truly horrid step-sister; and of course Sadie’s father who has kept her at arms length since her mother died.

It’s no secret I’m a huge Katherine Center fan. Think - I own all her books then went back and bought them all again when the covers were redesigned. That being said, I didn’t love this one. I realized while reading Hello Stranger that I really dislike the whole evil step-mother and step-sister storyline from something a non-fairytale read. And sadly, so much of this story circled around how much Sadie hated said steps.

Was it worth reading? As a Center fan, absolutely. Would I add this one to my physical book library? I don’t think so.

*Thank you St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley, for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.


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I liked the story but I think that more potential could have been brought out of the story. The twist at the end was not a surprise to me because I had already figured it out. I loved Joe, he is so cute. Sadie's character is a bit more complicated because she's the opposite of Joe's, in that she doesn't allow herself to be helped. I liked being able to see Sadie's character evolve in terms of getting help. There were times when I found the reading a little heavy because I felt like the plot was getting too technical when talking about Sadie's condition or was slow to start developing the romance. But I liked the story of the protagonists, they were cute together and helped each other when the other needed it. I take this opportunity to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just incredible. All of the characters, especially Emma, make you fall in love.

Emma goes through something that few people comprehend. After having brain surgery, she loses the ability to identify people by their faces. Her response to this is so relatable. Emma depicts the difficulty that arises when accepting circumstances beyond your control, and at times our responses are less than ideal.

Emma's friendship with Peanut was wonderful. I felt this was a sweet portion of the narrative because I love dogs. I loved watching Emma use her other senses to get to know Joe.

I don’t know how Katherine Center does it, but her books pack an emotional punch that leave their mark. Hello Stranger was a combination of humor, hope, and heartbreak that I thoroughly enjoyed. It took me a minute to warm up to Sadie, but as soon as I did I was sucked into her story. Watching Sadie navigate her face blindness in addition to confronting demons from her past made for an engaging story filled with growth. Add in an adorable dog and a dash of romance and this book had all the components for an amazing read that made me both laugh and cry. Center is one of my auto-buy authors and Hello Stranger solidified her place on that list for me.

*Thank you to the author and publisher for an e-arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Hello Stranger by Kathrine Center had me laughing out loud, almost to tears, the entire book!

The story follows Sadie, a portrait artist, who finds out she is a finalist in a portrait contest. After an emergency brain surgery, Sadie is left not being able to see faces. Hello Stranger tells the story of Sadie’s recovery and how she handles her new found problem and how she finds love along the way.

The characters in Hello Stranger are so lovable. The story is fast paced, heartwarming and hilarious I couldn’t put the book down. I cannot recommend this book enough! It left a giant smile on my face.

I’ve been a Katherine Center reader for a while now, but Hello Stranger takes the cake as my favorite of her novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh gosh, I LOVED this book. Our main character discovers she has a rare condition that affects her day to day life in a major way. A lovely cast of characters swoops in to help her during one of the biggest moments of her career. A touching story, made me melt at times, and I just love the emotion Katherine Center was able to create. Counting down until her next one.

“This love story really created fantastic anticipation” what a great quote and a fantastic modern love story. The characters are unique and endearing. This is a must read for anyone looking to cheer up their week!

Sadie is a portrait artist who has finally gotten her big break. She is one of ten finalists in a portrait competition and she has six weeks to complete a new portrait and submit it. Right after finding out she’s a finalist, she has a seizure and is told she needs brain surgery. After the surgery, she discovers she can no longer see people’s faces and has acquired face blindness. Which isn’t super convenient for anyone, let alone a portrait artist.

At the beginning of the book, I thought “this is one of the most bizarre plots I’ve read and it’s not even fantasy”. But it truly sucked me in. Sadie can be super dramatic, but I got a kick out of it. It was more her inner thoughts or kind of joking with her best friend or neuropsychologist. While dealing with her new normal and trying to figure out how to be a portrait artist with face blindness, she develops an unlikely friendship with her neighbor down the hall.

This is definitely a feel good romance, with no spice, but the story keeps you hooked. Cute, quick read.

Sadie’s brain surgery couldn’t have come at a worse time. She is a finalist in a major art competition in the upcoming weeks. Adding to the issue? Her surgery has left her with the inability to recognize faces. Also terrible timing? The fact that she is developing feelings for her neighbor Joe and her veterinarian Oliver.

This is a cute little rom com. It does delve into some heavier topics and family drama. There is a bit of a miscommunication trope in this although it’s not done in the typical miscommunication way. Enjoyable and easy to read.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This was the third Katherine Center book I have tried and unfortunately the writing of each just turns me off. I find it stylistically lacking and overly cheese. I hope others enjoy but unfortunately, it’s not for me.

✨Book Review: Hello Stranger✨

Pub Date: July 11, 2023

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Buckle up everyone…I have a LOT to say about this book!

I don’t know how else to say this other than…THIS BOOK IS ADORABLE! Whatever summer plans you have, make time to read Hello Stranger by @katherinecenter.

This love story is definitely filled with anticipation!

Sadie is about to get her big break! She is a finalist for a big art contest and has about a month until her portrait is due. The bad news? She just had a terrible accident that left her suffering from Prosopagnosia (face blindness). (For those of you who’ve read Rock, Paper, Scissors, it’s the same disease from that novel.)

Part of Sadie’s journey is one of growth and self-discovery but another part is romantic. Even though she can’t recognize faces, Sadie falls for her dog’s veterinarian and is already planning the wedding! (I can totally relate to Sadie’s obsess ion with her sweet pup, Peanut!) At the same time, she is trying her best to avoid her awful apartment neighbor who she only recognizes by his jacket and stay away from her evil stepsister! On top of all that, she must re-learn how to be a portrait artist without being able to see faces.

Sadie’s banter and self talk were so fun to read! I could hear her voice jumping off the page. My favorite parts were her self dialogue where she was becoming a better, stronger version of herself. Sometimes the toughest struggles in life are exactly the thing we need to grow.

There were so many times where I found myself mentally applauding Sadie as she embraced her journey through face blindness and ultimately found herself. Katherine Center filled this book with so many nuggets of wisdom that Sadie uncovers along the way.

* “That’s the great thing about life; it makes you rethink it all.”

* “It takes a certain kind of courage to be brave in love. A courage you can only get better at through practice.”

* “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

On top of this being an incredible book…I also got to Zoom with the author! Thank you to @kelseyandherbooks for organizing the buddy read and Zoom call with Katherine Center! She was a delight!

My favorite quote from our chat:

“The love story is where the hope comes from but the struggle is where the wisdom comes from.” -KC

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Thank you St Martin Press for the ARC! This book was 4.5/5 stars for me. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I feel like it’s one of those books that you can guess the ending. But if you’re in the market for a feel good story, this is it!

After loving The Bodyguard last year, i was so excited to read Hello Stranger and Ms Center did not disappoint! I think Katherine Center is my new favorite author, there were so many laugh out loud moments. I loved the plot, i loved Sadie and Joe, and I loved Sadie's journey throughout the book! 5 stars! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc

KCenter does it again!! I was so excited to receive this ARC from Netgalley and it did not disappoint!!! I couldn’t put it down!!!

I highly enjoyed this book! It was entertaining, sweet, cute! And also has a lot going on which I loved! Sadie’s character went through a lot during this book, and I loved being in the head of someone going through face blindness, it was interesting, the ending I didn’t expect, but also did ya know? Anyway total 5/5 loved it, and love Katherine Center!

Sadie Montogmery can't seem to catch a break.

She has to have surgery that leaves her with temporary face blindness. This wouldn't be so terrible if she wasn't a portrait artist that also is in the final stages of a competition that requires her to paint a portrait. Not only that, she has a terrible family and dealing with a psychotic stepsister, all while having to also come to terms with the loss of her mother. And on top of that, she's broke and living in a hovel. Falling in love seems like the last thing she needs.

What I loved about this book: Joe and Peanut. They were great. Joe is just so well written. That's what I love about Katherine Center's books. You can tell these mmc's are written for the female gaze. Joe starts out being someone Sadie doesn't care for, but as time goes on, and she learns more about him, she starts to fall in love. I appreciated her outlook on life, trying to make the best of things, it would also be something that would annoy me at times.

The Kim's are also AMAZING :)

Things I didn't like: Her stepsister. My god was she terrible. Like terrible terrible. Really, I just didn't like her family. Her father was awful to her and even towards the end of the book, I still thought he remained terrible. Her stepmother was also really bad. I don't like how she wouldn't keep her daughter accountable. Sadie's best friend was also, I don't know, at times, awful as well. There's a point in the story where she throws Sadie a party but was told, by Sadie that she didn't want a party or to see people because of her condition. But her friend doesn't seem to care. And seems to always forget she has this condition.

Overall, I really did like this book. Be warned, there isn't really any spice and there's also some twists and turns that I didn't catch on to, but that's bound to happen when you start the last half of the book at 12AM!

I would definitely recommend reading this!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book!

I had been reading a lot of books with heavier topics lately and this book was a breath of fresh air!! Sadie is so sweet and I really enjoyed learning more about face-blindness, it’s not something I was ever aware of! This is my favorite Katherine Center book so far, it was like a warm hug. Can’t wait to pick up the physical copy!!

I love Katherine Center!! Her books always make me feel all the things. Sadie is wonderful. The story is wonderful. Pick this one up this summer for a vacay read!

First off, I’m super grateful for St. Martin’s Press for offering me the chance to read this book early. I was immediately interested because the plot of an artist suddenly not being able to see faces, sounded so unique to me. I loved how Center explained face-blindness and the attention to detail was so well executed. I felt for Sadie and seeing things differently from her perspective really makes you realize how strange it would be to not see faces anymore. This book flew by and I loved Joe and the side characters a lot. I kind of knew what the twist was going to be, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This book would be perfect to cuddle up with under your favorite blanket and just zone out.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the eARC. Hello, Stranger is out this July.

"Maybe life was full of surprises. Maybe disappointments could turn out to be blessings. Maybe tonight would be end up being fun, after all."

I stayed up until almost 3am reading this book because I had to finish. Not because it was so intense. Not because it was so gripping. Not because I loved the characters so much I couldn't let them go. I stayed up because I had to know how it ended. Because it was so random, felt so haphazard and had my head spinning so fast from subplots and ancillary characters that I was dizzy. I just couldn't figure out how it would all come together. I didn't really connect wtih Sadie or any other character. In fact some felt so cliche and cartoonish. I wish I felt more sizzle between the main characters too. It wasn't bad by any means and was certainly an enjoyable, funny-at-times, meticulously-researched novel. I just didn't care about anyone enough and as @carolyn.reads.books said, it expected the reader to suspend a lot of reality. It was a great buddy read - some loved it, some didn't but it all touched us differently. If you're thinking about reading I say do it but maybe go into this one blind (no pun intended!!).