Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist looking for her lucky break where she can finally make her famous cardiac surgeon father proud. Things appear to be looking up when she lands a finalist spot in a portrait competition and has 6 weeks to create the painting of her career.

Unfortunately, a little accident requires she have a routine surgery that everyone reassures her is needed and minor. During her recovery in the hospital, however, Sadie realizes she can see but she can no longer see or recognizes faces (prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder known as face blindness). How is a portrait artist supposed to paint when she can’t see faces?!

What happens next is a series of events of self-discovery and acclimation as Sadie adjusts to her new normal and attempts to save her career. Along the way, Sadie finds herself in a love triangle between the womanizer bad boy living next door and the good-hearted veterinarian who saves her senior dog’s life. The writing accurately covers the emotional and mental adjustments Sadie has to make and the fun new ways she learns to recognize people.

This one was sweet and heartfelt! I picked up on the big twists but it was still a super fun ending and I enjoyed the revelations nonetheless.

I’ll be honest I was a bit annoyed the first 20% of the book. It felt like the FMC was really whiney about her situation in life. I was a little confused at where the plot was going and I disliked the way the medical professionals were portrayed, but I quickly learned it was all necessary for Sadie’s journey and loved it by the end.

Center tackles the difficult themes of family, grief, bullying, and loss beautifully and the story is inspiring. The character growth really made a difference for me and the romance made me smile like an idiot. I ended up finishing this book in less than 24 hours and keep thinking about the humor, heartwarming, charm of it all.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me read this one early! Its out July 11th and you should pre-order it NOW.

CW: death of parent, bullying, pet medical emergencies, medical content and procedures, panic attacks

Let me preface by saying I guessed how this book would end before I even started it. I read this book with my predicted ending in mind. I also started out not enjoying this book- I thought it was kind of cringy and stiff. However, I really recommend pushing through. Once I got to know these characters, I felt so invested. I wanted only the best for them and their relationship. The face-blindness concept was really unique as well. Overall, I just really enjoyed this book a lot.

This book was a joy to read! I just couldn’t put it down.

4.5/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫

Sadie is a portrait artist who has had some bumps in her life. She just got her big break and is the top 10 finalists in a portrait competition. Only problem is she recently found out she needs brain surgery. After undergoing the surgery she realizes she has apperceptive prosopagnosia, otherwise known as face blindness. Sadie has to figure out how to do life with this new (hopefully temporary) normal.

While this book could be called a little predictable I loved it. The authors note talks about the predictability. However, while I was thinking “this has to be it right?” I was constantly doubting if what I thought was happening was actually happening. That fact kept me very entertained.

Sadie was a strong main character who has some major trauma. This book felt a little chaotic, but I really enjoyed each part. There was a lot of growth for Sadie. I will say her best friend was not it and really bailed on her. I wish her character had just been a better person.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

True to her name, Katherine Center delivers another comfort read for those who love a good slow burn romance. Sadie, a broke portrait artist who can’t seem to find her stride in life, is suddenly almost hit by a car when she has an unexpected seizure that changes her life. After needing brain surgery, there’s swelling in a part of her brain that causes her to not be able to recognize faces. This is inconvenient enough, but she’s also a portrait artist who needs to be able to see a face for a living. When she meets who she suspects is the love of her life, her current prognosis becomes all the more inconvenient because she can’t actually see his face.

I really, really enjoyed this book! I loved the down-on-you-luck romance and the twist at the end which I suspected, but was pleased to read all the same! I was a huge fan of The Bodyguard, Katherine Center’s latest contemporary romance, but I liked Hello Stranger even more. Sadie, the female main character, was funny and very likable. There was a lot of internal monologues throughout this book, so I'm glad that the Center was able to write Sadie in a way that made you want to be inside her head. If you’re a Katherine Center, Emily Henry, or Christina Lauren fan, you’ll love this one!

Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center in exchange for my honest review.

Could you imagine having your entire world turned upside down because you could no longer see faces? "Face Blindness" is a condition many people struggle with, but it rarely talked about. Along with explaining the general difficulties one faces (pun intended)
when diagnosed, Katherine Center spins the story in such a way that keeps you guessing, rooting for the MCs, and laughing throughout.

GUYS WHEN THIS BOOK COMES OUT YOU GOTTA READ IT. I was BLOWN away. This was my first Katherine Center read, and I am so SO grateful I was approved for this Arc on @netgalley . This book follows the FMC Sadie, who is a portrait artist. She has a strained relationship with her father, and lost her mother. She has a wicked stepsister and mother, and the only great thing really going for her is her doggie, Peanut. Peanut has a vet visit where she meets this insanely hot veterinarian. Due to unseen circumstances, Sadie has to undergo a surgery and it quite literally changes her perspective of life. She starts kind of “seeing” this guy who lives in her apartment complex, but she can’t stop crushing on the veterinarian. After tumultuous twists and turns, I had my jaw on the freaking floor. This book was INSANE in all the best ways. And the title is absolutely perfect for what this read was about. I highly, HIGHLY recommend, because I promise you, while this may just sound like “another love story” it is NOT just that, at all. I audibly gasped and screamed at the turn of the events and as much as I want to TELL YALL WHAT HAPPENED we are spoiler free over here and will not be doing that lol! Pub date- July 11, 2023.
I will 100000% be pre-ordering because this book lives in my head rent free now and I have to own it.

👩🏼‍🎨 Hello Stranger - Katherine Center

4 ⭐️- This book was so cute with such an interesting premise! I am slowly but surely becoming a Katherine Center fan. This has romance, laughter, grief, hope and just all around made you feel good.

Sadie, a struggling portrait artist, finally catches her big break (or so she thinks) and places in the top 10 for a portrait competition show. That just so happens to coincide with a minor brain surgery she is told she has to have. When she gets out of surgery and learns she’s acquired *temporary* face blindness and no longer see faces, all she can do is panic over how to paint a portrait of someone she can’t see…

Without giving too much away, this was a really fun and sweet rollercoaster of a book. There’s so many deeper important messages in this book about relationships with family, love interests, and finding yourself. Sadie goes on a “blind” journey to learn how to cope with her sudden challenge, loss of a loved one, the dating scene, and ultimate the goal of loving yourself and finding your purpose. This was a fun, sweet, lightheaded read with a very cool concept of an artist with face blindness. I definitely recommend this one - hopeless romantics, beach reads, Katherine Center fans. This one’s for you. Keep your eyes peeled for this one coming out this summer, 7/11/23!

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter for the early ARC copy!

I was a little on the fence about reading this at first but I'm so glad I did! Sadie was such a great character and I loved how much we got to see of the inner workings of her mind as she went through the stages of placing in a prestigious competition, having brain surgery, acquiring face blindness, and falling in love. The beginning started off a little slowly but the pacing and all the characters grew on me immensely as the story went on. I simply loveddd the ending! A really enjoyable romance novel that made me think about the world a little differently. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy to review!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie Montogmery is a portrait artist who is desperate to win the competition to prove to her dad that she is not a loser. To her dismay, she had to undergo a quick brain surgery which takes an unfortunate turn and leaves her unable to recognize faces. Sadie is also annoyed to constantly bump into her obnoxious neighbour, Joe.

Katherine Center is one of my favourite romance authors. I like the cute little surprises and details I missed thinking it's not gonna add up to the plot. I felt the emotions Sadie went through, especially with her dad. I teared up a bit at the end. The encounters with the Vet and her obnoxious neighbour were fun! And I hate the evil step-sister. I loved the slow-burn romance, it was fun and cute. If you are up for some light romance reads, this book is perfect.

4.5 ⭐️

After reading “The Bodyguard” I just knew I had to get my hands on Katherine Center’s next book as soon as possible!! And one about an artist? GIMME!!!!

The second half of this book was absolutely everything to me. I flew through it!! As Center states in her author’s notes, it was all about anticipation. I had caught on and was just WAITING until the characters would catch on as well.

The family drama was close to home for me, and I was SO HAPPY when Sadie stood up for herself. 👏🏼 I saw myself in Sadie probably more than most main characters in other books I’ve read.

I cried. I smiled. I SWOONED!

Run don’t walk to the store on July 11 to read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed parts of this book but was annoyed by others.

I get why Sadie wants to make it on her own and not accept help from others. I mean, she wants to look like she has it all together and not appear flawed or weak from her brain condition in which she needed actual brain surgery to fix and then ended up with a pretty major side effect for a portrait artist of face blindness.

Her stepsister, Parker, is horrible. I mean who just tries to grab someone’s phone to steal a guy’s number, knocks coffee all over a stranger then just flounces out? Grrr. Who frames her step sister and bullies her step-sister’s best friend into attempting to commit suicide.

Sadie’s best friend, Sue, tries to help Sadie celebrate placing in the top ten of a prestigious contest by inviting 50 people to a surprise party while Sadie is still suffering from the face blindness and has a panic attack. Sue just keeps forgetting Sadie’s condition over and over again. If I was Sadie I’d have a panic attack as well being surrounded by a crowd of strangers I couldn’t identify either.

I enjoyed the story as it developed after getting over being annoyed at everyone during the first few chapters.

Overall: This story started out slow for me but got better as it went along.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is delightful! I always enjoy Center’s novels and this is no exception.

Sadie is a struggling artist about to compete for the chance of a lifetime, not only could this be her “big break” but the competition she enters has a unique connection to her late mother. A unfortunate accident leaves Sadie with a medical condition known as face blindness. Yes, this is a real thing and will make painting portraits, her life’s work, rather difficult. Sadie has a lot going on at the moment, she can’t see faces, her evil stepsister won’t leave her alone, and she finds herself falling for two different men! I had so much fun reading this one, it covered some heavy topics but was still laugh out loud funny. Center does a beautiful job weaving medical terminology throughout this compelling story. The romance was swoon worthy! 5/5 stars, would recommend!

Added bonus, the author’s note is not to be missed!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

I thought this was an adorable and heartwarming read. The main character, Sadie, acquires face blindness after brain surgery, which is the root of most of the conflict in the book. I thought the "big conflict" was creative and while most people will guess what the twist was in advance, I think the road to resolution was still entertaining. There's no spice here so if you're looking for that, this probably won't be for you. I also especially appreciated the author's note at the end that discussed how it's ok if romance novels are "predictable" and perhaps we need to be using a word with better connotation, such as "anticipation". Overall, a feel good book that I was excited to pick up and read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I received this advance reader copy for free from the publishers and Netgalley for reviewing purposes. If you know me, I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan. I was so excited when I was alerted by my book club to the availability of her newest novel "Hello Stranger" on Netgalley. "Hello Stranger" was a perfect read and I flew through it with lightening speed. The characters were all funny, flawed, and relatable. The plot was interesting and Center has a way of zeroing in on very unconventional "quirks" and challenges for her protagonists to face. The novel made me both laugh and cry (on the subway I might add)l. Katherine Center knows the magic formula and it keeps working time and time again.

A fantastic story of love and perseverance with a nod to the veterinary world, Katherine Center's Hello Stranger is a delightful romance!

Imagine being an artist, a portrait artist at that, who is about to make their big break, only to have their chances at notoriety thwarted by an accident that leaves you unable to create your art. That in itself is a tragedy but imagine further that that accident rendered you with the inability to see and/or distinguish faces. This is the reality for Katherine's main character, Sadie Montgomery.

Sadie is such an endearing character, it's easy to become a cheerleader for her given the series of unfortunate events that seem to pile up on her doorstep, some quite literally. Sadie faces (no pun intended) so many obstacles due to her condition, but is determined to overcome those obstacles and will not give in to the idea that her condition is permanent. On top of her condition, Sadie is dealing with caring for a pet who has medical issues, a step-sister who is the bane of Sadie's existence, an impending financial crisis, a puzzling romantic situation that is just as frustrating as her condition, and several other challenges. Despite the challenges, Sadie is determined to continue to chase her dream of becoming a successful artist, but will she reach that goal?

I enjoyed this story so much, how the events unfolded, and the twists and turns along the way. Coming from a background in veterinary medicine, I especially enjoyed the fact that a veterinarian love interest exists within these pages, as that is not something I've come across before. Even if that were not the case, the nature of Sadie's medical condition and the manner in which she refuses to give up chasing her dreams really allows the reader to connect to the storyline.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a heartwarming, endearing romance, but especially to those who enjoy the "struggling to find love against all odds" or "love triangle" tropes, as this crowd will not be disappointed! In the end, I found myself contemplating what I would do if I were in Sadie's situation and I can honestly say, this storyline is thought-provoking in that sense. What would you do if you suddenly could not recognize anyone's face, not even your closest friends or family?

As a big Katherine Center fan, it pains me to rate this book 3 stars. I really wanted to love this book. It has an unique premise. Following brain surgery, the main character, Sadie, suffers from facial blindness and cannot recognize faces. This is especially problematic for Sadie, as she is a portrait artist and is a finalist in an art competition that could be life changing for her. We follow along on Sadie's journey as she navigates her facial blindness, family issues and her relationship with her veterinarian and neighbor. Interesting plot, but I just couldn't get into it and the fact that Sadie could not recognize people's voices did not add up, which made the ending of the book bizarre.

I’m a huge fan of Katherine Center and her light romance reads that aren’t heavy on the spice factor. The Bodyguard was one of my top reads in 2022! This one had a really unique concept that kept me turning the pages, curious what would happen next. While it was a bit predictable for me, it was also quite endearing and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you’re a Katherine Center fan!

3.75 ⭐️

Release Date: July 11, 2023

Sadie is a 28 year old struggling artist who suddenly finds herself with acquired face blindness following what was supposed to be a simple surgical procedure. No longer able to recognize friends and strangers alike, she must rely on her other senses and memory to determine who people are.

When she meets Dr. Oliver Addison, the vet who saves her dogs life, she instantly falls head over heels in love with him. But then she meets Joe, a man who lives in her building and seems to be a social butterfly, and develops feelings for him too.

During this book, Sadie struggles to come to terms with her newly acquired disability, learn how to paint again as a portrait artist, and choose between two men that she’s fallen for. She does it all with cynicism and the help of friendly Dr. Nicole, and some bullying from her step-sister, Parker.

Overall, I found this book really enjoyable! It’s the first book I’ve read about face blindness that explained it in a way the reader could understand. The abstract art comparisons were really helpful. Sadie’s character was deep, well thought out, and multi-dimensional. The supporting characters were all fleshed out and served a purpose. I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves romantic dramas with a little bit of comedy mixed in!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for a honest review.

Katherine Center is one of my favourite authors. Her stories are full of so much heart, hope and humour it’s impossible not to get sucked into them. She writes characters that are quirky and flawed but always relatable and her banter always makes me smile. While HELLO STRANGER isn't my favourite book of hers (that honour belongs to WHAT YOU WISH FOR), I was charmed by the love story and admired how Center handled difficult subjects with care and compassion.

This book was beautiful! The storyline was so unique and the characters were great. This book made me go through all the emotions, I was laughing out loud during some parts, cheering during others and ended the book on the happiest sigh. Katherine Center did an amazing job at creating the characters and you really find yourself rooting for the main character. The little twist at the end had me in shock and I couldn't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. I'll be thinking about this book for days, it was so good!