I've been on such a Katherine Center kick since The Bodyguard and the premise of Hello Stranger was so intriguing. Sadie, a portrait artist, gets the chance of a lifetime when she is selected to compete in a huge competition. However, after an accident leaves her with the inability to recognize/"see" faces. I love learning more about a subject I'm unfamiliar with through fiction, and this book was no exception. The ending totally took me by surprise, and I'm not sure if I really liked it, but I can see how it would work for so many! I'd definitely recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Katherine Center’s books. They just make me feel good and I fall in love with the characters every time.

Sadie feels like everything is falling into place with her art. She’s got her big break with the National Portrait Society with the chance to win money for something she’s been striving to do. Not only to prove to herself that she’s on the right path but also her dad. The night she’s going to have a celebration that was sprung on her by her friend Sue, Sadie forgets her wallet and a do gooder tries to pay for her wine and dog treats. As she’s walking back to her apartment she has a seizure and her whole life changes in a matter of minutes.

This shows you that sometimes with the bad and stormy there is positive things that do indeed happen.

Thank you #netgalley for the advance copy

Unfortunately DNF’ed this one. Maybe its due to the headspace I’m in currently but I just could not get into the story. I found the formatting SO distracting, with every single sentence on a separate line. I’m not sure if that’s an ARC issue or just the way this is written (haven’t read anything else from this author), but it felt more and more infuriating as I read father.

This book was amazing. Simple as that. Katherine Center wrote a book that delicately balanced grief, trauma, emotional crises/turmoil, humor, friendship, and love. It was exceptional. I love when books make me feel the emotions of the main character and I viscerally felt all the emotions. All the side characters had very distinct personalities, I too am a huge stan of Dr. Nicole. The love interest(s) had such a dead-pan sense of humor and was so incredibly lovable. BUT the main star, of course is Peanut. I love my dog pretty much more than anything in the whole entire world so it was very easy to feel and relate to Sadie in her bond with Peanut. Overall, this book made me cry, laugh, and swoon and I had an amazing time reading this. This is the type of book you mourn when it’s done because you miss the characters. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the ARC!

4.75-5 stars

This was such a fun read! I thought the premise of a portrait artist with acquired face blindness was so interesting and made for a great story. Sadie was so endearing, and I found myself really rooting for her and her hot mess self. This book did such a good job of weaving grief, complicated family dynamics, and chasing your dreams but feeling like a failure throughout while still very much being a romance. I think this works well, because it’s told from Sadie’s perspective, so the reader is experiencing everything alongside her. Did I mention that Sadie’s best friend Sue is a gem, and her parents love Sadie like she’s their own? We love to see it. And of course, there’s Joe, Sadie’s neighbor with a heart of gold and an “intriguing torso,” like come on! This book has it all, including a hot veterinarian and an adorable dog companion. The only thing that I had a hard time with was the Sadie’s stepsister who truly seemed too cruel to be believable. I would have like to have seen her more consequences.

I highly recommend this romance for anyone looking for a fun time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"Hello Stranger" by Katherine Center is exactly the kind of substantive romance I needed to read, and am highly recommending it as a book to seek out this summer. While I consistently enjoy Center's creative story telling, this particular novel was an unexpected delight. From fun, complex characters, to learning about rare neurological side effects of certain brain conditions ("sciency" fun), to family disfunction, relationships and love, "Hello Stranger" is a refreshing example for just how varied the scope of romance novels can be. Ultimately, Center's work reminds us of why we read; Yes, a desire to feel hope, joy, and love (romantic, platonic, familial), BUT also to be captivated by the unfolding of a beautiful story that still offers a surprise.

Rating: 4
Laughing:3
Crying: 0

I loved this story - it was different from other books I’ve read. It reminded me of The No Show, where I was trying to figure out how or IF all the characters were connected.

I love how Katherine Center writes, and so many parts of this book just had me smiling because I loved the dialogue. Sadie was funny in a way I don’t think she meant to be. Some of her quirks were relatable, and I kept thinking, I could see this happening to me.

My favorite part of this story was Peanut, the pad thai-loving adorable dog. I loved the role that he played, and I loved Sadie’s relationship with him. I felt like, for most of the story, I couldn’t quite figure out how I felt about Joe, there wasn’t anything swoony about him (to me), but I was happy that he was in Sadie’s life; I liked him in as a person in this story. He was Sadie's constant.

If you’re looking for a feel-good story, I’d recommend picking this book up; it comes out on 7/11/2023!

Katherine Center somehow hits it out of the park every single time. She had the unique ability to create such unique story lines that should sound far fetched… but makes them come alive and feel so real and possible. This book exceeded my expectations & I am officially a Katherine Center Stan for life.

I absolutely loved this book!! Hello Stranger was my first book by this author but I’ve now added all her books to my TBR!!

They story was sweet, swoony and fun, too! Poor Sadie saw her life falling apart but didn’t want to let anyone see her vulnerabilities.

“…from now on, I would not burst into any more tears at that clinic. I would show up looking a hundred percent “Fine, thank you. and yourself?” As a point of pride.”

I loved the humor, the emotion and all the wonderful (& evil) characters in this story. This was a wonderful and entertaining read and I can’t wait to discover more books by this author.
-5 Stars!-

I was so happy to get an ARC copy of Katherine Center's new book. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I think this is my favorite one so far.
The main character is a portrait artist who develops face blindness from an accident and has to figure out how to keep her life together. She has a difficult family story and is fiercely independent so she doesn't want to accept help.
This book was lovely, just bright and hopeful and fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

Loved the writing style in this book and tend to love all of Katherine Center's books. The story was very cute but the ending was a touch odd and fell a little short for me overall I did like it.

Thank you for my advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

Favorite Quotes:

“But I find the antidote to that is just keeping a sense of humor. And staying humble. And laughing a lot. And doubling down on smiling. We’re all just muddling through, after all. We’re all just doing the best we can. We’re all struggling with our struggles. Nobody has the answers. And everybody, deep down, is a little bit lost.”

“I don’t know how to describe it, but my chest would seize up so bad I thought I might suffocate. It hurt so much, it scared me- and I was afraid to feel that pain. So I turned away.”

“You can’t replace mothers like appliances.”

Genre:
Fiction, Romance (moderate level)

Summary:
Sadie Montgomery, is a young struggling artist trying to make a living. Finally, she lands the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to compete with some of the best portrait artists. Out of two thousand artists, Sadie is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, a chance to win $10, 000. Sadie is very excited, and ready to celebrate…however, her life takes an unexpected turn at exactly the wrong time. Sadie is independent, determined, and struggling to cope with her new temporary reality. Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance authors. She is my go too when I need an escape or quick getaway from life. I really enjoyed “Hello Stranger”. The story itself is more predictable than normal for the author, but nonetheless a great overall escape from my own reality.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#Katherinecenter
#StMartinsPress
#NetGalley

I was eager to dive into the latest from Katherine Center because I devoured last year’s “The Bodyguard”. “Hello Stranger” did not disappoint! While I initially thought the storyline was going to be a bit difficult to pull off, Katherine delivered with a layered + sometimes complex series of events . I particularly appreciated her exploration of the varying dynamics within Sadie’s family. There was a lot of a heart in this story + not just of the romantic variety.

I really enjoyed this book and I read it in one night! Katherine Center is becoming my go-to for a cute, feel good, romcom. The plot was really clever, I loved the banter with Joe, and thought the incorporation of grief and growth of the characters was really important. This was definitely a good slow burn (just don’t expect any spice). I also can’t pass up a story that includes rescue animals, like Peanut! Some things in the plot seemed too coincidental, and the ending was a little repetitive, but overall I would recommend this book to any fan of the genre!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center is back again! This one was pretty good, not a new favorite of hers but I still enjoyed it.

This is my first romance book with this trope. It’s food for thought and makes you just take it at its word. Logically it’s hard to compute how the twist really is possible.

I do love her writing style and look forward to her next book.

This love story really created fantastic anticipation. Each book by the author is better than the last. Her books are the soul-nourishing, page-turning, bit of magic that I need in my life.

You will love this book if you enjoy romance that has substance, characters that aren’t perfect, the inevitable communication issues, and of course a happy ending.

I’d heard of face blindness, but really didn’t know what that meant. The author did a very good job of talking about it in both medical terms and descriptively so that I truly could picture what Sadie could or couldn’t see.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication! I loved it!!

3.75-4⭐️

I was beyond excited to read this one after I was accepted for the ARC, especially after reading The Bodyguard, my first book by Katherine Center. I was on the fence with the rating as there were parts I enjoyed and others that just left me with underwhelming emotions. Took me a bit to get through the book.

I don’t want to give spoilers as it would take away from the enjoyment, but I feel my perception of Sadie throughout the book impacted my experience. I felt her immature for her age (28), her self-dialogues, her take on platonic feelings that were a bit exaggerated but I guess needed for the plot to work.

The plot and twist were okay. I was able to read into the story very early on but it didn’t turn me away from wanting to see events unfold. I enjoyed the learning experience I had throughout the book as I learned about Prosopagnosia. Would never imagine such a condition and that kept my interest throughout.

My biggest letdowns were how specific relationships and situations within each other were handled. It’s like nothing was really resolved but more brushed by with apologies. I guess I’m looking at things throughout my own eyes and after 28 years, things don’t just get forgiven as easily. Felt a bit superficial at times and would have wanted more connections to understand the secondary characters. Hated her family to say the least.

Overall, a book that I would recommend but not as a first for Katherine. Will definitely read more from this great author, but this one just didn’t make it into my favorite ones.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of Katherine Center’s most recent release, ‘Hello Stranger’, out on July 11, 2023.

“We’re all just muddling through, after all. We’re all just doing the best we can. We’re all struggling with our struggles. Nobody has the answers and everybody, deep down, is a little bit lost.”

Wow Katherine Center just played me like a fiddle.

This book was great, like really freaking great. I was nervous going into it because I’ve always liked her stuff, but her last release ‘The Bodyguard’ was so cringey and awful, I didn’t know what to expect with this one. But I guess every author has that ONE book you hate right? Because damn was this one fire.

I knew where the story was headed around 75% or so, but even though I knew what the reveal was going to be, I was still sitting there like “WTF”.

This is a great romance but it also is a wonderful story about how we need to be able to find ourselves, and be willing to open ourselves up to the idea that we can’t do everything alone and that asking for help isn’t a bad thing. And to appreciate the little things in life because you never know when you may not be able to see them.

READ. IT.

TW: This book deals heavily with parental loss.

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

4.5 stars!!!! 💗
The only reason it’s not 5 is because I love love loved the bodyguard so much and I can’t NOT compare hello stranger to that. If the bodyguard didn’t exist, we’d have a different story.

This book was so fun! A classic Katherine Center romance leaving me with a sense of happiness and hope. I loved the storyline as I’ve been interested in prosopagnosia since first learning about it in college. The art element was an excellent touch.

I laughed out loud at multiple scenes (i.e. had to pause to stop crying). I swooned at the romance (of people AND dogs). The angry side characters made the book a BOOK. I loved to hate them. I simply couldn’t put this book down because of how bingeable it was.