Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC! After loving the Bodyguard, I needed another adorable romcom by Katherine. Hello Stranger did not disappoint! Although I was mad for at one certain part, by the end I was smiling like an idiot when everything came together perfectly! I love a face blindness trope and this was the first time I saw it done with a romance.

I don't even know where to start with this one. I freaking loved it! It grabbed me from the first chapter and I didn't want to stop reading it! Katherine Center not only wrote an amazing love story but made Sadie feel like the most genuine person you know who has plenty of baggage and life issues that when you root for her you root for yourself! The storyline of acquired face blindness was very unique and for me it made the whole story 1,000% more interesting and I felt Sadie's emotions through it all! Worth the 5 stars (probably more if I'm honest!) and highly highly recommend to all!

"Are you asking me to be your anybody?"

Sadie Montgomery has spent a good deal of her life determined not to need anyone. Not again. Not after losing her mom at a young age, and losing her father to his grief. But things are finally looking up for her when she places in the top 10 of a prestigious art contest--she knows this is her big break. She is about to finally prove her haters wrong. Until she's headed home one day and wakes up in the hospital. Soon her whole life is thrown upside down and she has to rely on other's help more than ever before.

Oh. My. Goodness. Katherine Center does it again. I absolutely adore this book. This book is a lot more serious than some of the others I've read, but still light enough to definitely stay in the rom com category. Sadie is going through A LOT and I think having it any more lighthearted than it is would have detracted from her struggles. It was a perfect balance of reality and escapism.

I was completely invested in Sadie's story and I loved how it played out. My only complaint, and it's minor, is that I wanted this to be longer. Mostly to get to know Joe and Dr. Addison a little bit more. I think it would have been fun to have Joe and Dr. Addison's POV once they were introduced into the story. I think it would have given that extra layer. But that's easy for me to say. I just sat on the couch and read this work of art. I didn't have to figure out all the fun details.

All that to say, this is a book that was totally worth staying up until 2am to finish.

As with the other Center books I've read it is a closed door romance so keep that in mind going in. Not a lot of steam but a lot of sweet and swoony.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Katherine Center for the eARC. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

Sadie Montgomery finds out she needs brain surgery, and bad luck turns worse when she ends up with temporary face blindness when she wakes up.
The main character, Sadie, was a Debbie downer and pessimistic for much of the book. Even though it may have been for good reason, it got very repetitive.
I will say, the last couple chapters redeemed the tone of the book and was much more lighthearted. It even made me laugh out loud. This was an easy read, but overall this book was average for me.

Absolutely wonderful! I have loved every single Katherine Center book I've had the chance of reading and this doesn't disappoint! The love for Sadie that Katherine has poured through every word and embraced you as a reader.
Sadie faces mountains of obstacles, some of which some of which seem insurmountable, and feels like a strong, real, young woman attempting to make it through life. Sadie is an indestructible force of nature that shows an exceptional level of resiliency.
The plot was fun and unique and it all really comes together with the quirky characters.

3.5 Stars. The beginning of this book felt a little immature in the writing, but as it progressed I enjoyed myself more. The highlight for me were all the scenes with Joe. Overall a quick and easy read.

I very literally could not put this down. This would’ve been read in one sitting in my pre-toddler life. It was a breath of fresh air during a hard month where I just couldn’t bring myself to pick up a book. I am so glad I chose to pick up this.

This was my second Katherine Center novel. I read The Bodyguard and absolutely adored it, so when I saw this on NetGalley I just KNEW I had to have it.

This was another charming, cheerful novel that just leaves your heart happy. Like The Bodyguard, this one read like a Hallmark movie (cheesy in the best ways) but I’m not mad at it. The plot wasn’t anything like I’ve read before and I loved the uniqueness. I also appreciate while there was a love interest, this was more about the MC finding herself.

The biggest reason that this didn’t get 5 stars from me is that Sadie seemed very immature for her almost 30 years. I’m 30 and I can tell you that I kept forgetting Sadie was my age and not in her early/mid- twenties. I wish that she would’ve been more self-assured and headstrong in many instances, especially when it came to her evil step-sister. That whole plot line was cringey and I hated it. And the entire drama with her father left me feeling gross too. But I did love that Sadie was who she was and that she was able to love herself even more at the end.

BUTTTTTT what really and truly made this entire novel was Joe. I figured out his identity super early on but not having that big plot twist didn’t ruin anything for me. I was absolutely in love with him and nothing was gonna take that from me. He was perfection.

Overall, I didn’t love it *quite* as much as The Bodyguard but I was still captivated.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC.

Oof. This was a painful read.

I like the premise of the book well enough. I understand that it’s meant to be a cutesy rom com story, but I found the characters incredibly hard to relate to and the forced diversity especially off-putting.

As a person of color myself, I totally get the representation aspect! What I don’t get is why we have to insert lines like “My Trinidadian surgeon” or “My Filipino consultant.” What does that add to the story?

I had to force myself to finish this. Would not recommend.

I love Katherine Center. I have loved everything I have ever read by Katherine Center. Her books are warm, smart, well-written and have complex characters. Hello Stranger brought that same warmth and intelligence of previous Katherine Center books but it didn't quite live up to my love of her other books.

After undergoing brain surgery Sadie Montgomery experiences face blindness which complicates both her personal and professional life. I thought this was a very interesting premiss for a book that I had not seen before! The way it played out, however, felt a little frustrating given that a lot of the tension in the book was because of misunderstandings rather than actual problems.

That being said, I love a romance novel with smart and kind characters and Sadie and the male lead(s) of the book certainly were both smart and kind and the dog was a delight. It was a fast fun read filled with heart!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is another good one by Katherine Center! Hello Stranger kept me intrigued and invested, eager to find out what would happen next. I really enjoyed it!

I LOVED The Bodyguard a few weeks ago but Hello Stranger totally has me saying, “Jack Stapleton, who?!”

If you’re lucky enough to read this early, definitely do it - otherwise, preorder for its July 11th release. Easily my new favorite book 🥰 I went into this one blind (😉) and was so pleasantly surprised at every page. I loved everything about it (except Parker, she can go kick rocks) - I could just hug Katherine Center for such a joy inducing book to spend the day bingeing.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite Authors so this story did not disappoint. I love love and love reading about love. This is definitely a must buy for me & can’t wait to see what else Katherine has in store for us in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read this book before publication.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, and this one did not disappoint! My heart broke for Sadie during her prosopagnosia as a portrait artist. I loved the story and how she worked through it and didn’t allow herself to just wallow in sadness.

Also, Parker may be one of the bitchiest and miserable characters I’ve ever read.

My first Katherine Center book but definitely won’t be my last. This was such an easy story to fall into and become a part of. I totally loved the characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Loved this read! She adds so much depth and plot development to a genre that can be quite repetitive and expected at times.

Sadie Montgomery finally has a chance at making a name for herself in the art world by becoming a finalist in the North American Portrait Society. But after having a seizure, brain surgery, and being diagnosed with facial blindness, the way she used to paint portraits isn't going to cut it anymore.

This book takes you on a ride as Sadie rediscovers her love of painting, falls in love, deals with family issues, and worries about her beloved dog Peanut.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. I could barely put it down!

A great read: the protagonists are sympathetic, the trivial descriptions are kept to a minimum, and there is enough attraction and action to keep me reading (up too late!).

The story informed me about face blindness, and the condition made a great anchor for the plot. I wonder if there will be a spin-off about the only unsympathetic character, the only unresolved thread, in the story, Parker)?

You'll want to pick up a copy of this if you like Katherine Center as an author, or if you like perky heroines and just-the-right romantic lead. Coming out July 11, 2023. THANKS to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a really satisfying and enjoyable read.

I love Katherine Center's books. I love how there's a cutesy romance with a happy, feel good ending. I am in the minority with this one, but I really just didn't like it as much as I wanted to.

My review contains a lot of spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, please stop here.

My main issue was how long it took for readers to know Joe was bad mouthing a dog versus a woman when Sadie overheard his phone conversation in the elevator early on in the book. That scene made me automatically not like Joe, and I rejected any attempts at Center humanizing him and any positive attributes she gave him. I had my mind made up that he was a gross, misogynistic pig, and it took over half the book to find out that that wasn't the case. I really wish Center would have omitted this scene, because the book would have been a 4 star read without it.

I did like the inclusion of Sadie's face blindness as a portrait painter. It was an interesting plot point, and unlike other books I have read. I also liked how in the end, Joe was also revealed to be Dr. Addison. I had suspected that this could possibly be the case, but the reveal was nicely done.

I did notice quite a few typos and grammatical errors in the book. But since it was an ARC, I am hoping that these will be fixed before publication. They didn't effect my rating, but it was something that didn't go unnoticed.

Thank you so much @StMartinsPress for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 11 July 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has recently entered a competition to win $10k. However six weeks before the competition she learns that she needs to have minor brain surgery. What she doesn't expect is to wake up after the surgery with apperceptive prosopagnosia (e.g. acquired face blindness).

WHAT I LIKED:
- despite the heavy topics, it has such levity & ultimately is such feel good story
- how much research was done into prosopagnosia & the descriptions of what its like to experience face blindness
- the whole cast of characters (even the unlikeable ones)
- the "anticipated hope" made the story an absolute delight to read
- the authors note at the end

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- more resolution with her dad, stepmother & stepsister

I loved this book. Sadie is a quirky, independent 20-something, who finds out she needs brain surgery. After begrudgingly going through with the procedure, she has a problematic side effect - swelling in her brain has caused her to be unable to see people's faces. Doubly problematic when you consider that she makes a living as a portrait artist, and has weeks to go until her work for a prestigious portrait contest is due. Add in a couple of love interests, a lifelong nemesis (her stepsister), and unwanted attention from her family, and this quickly becomes a delightful read. Sadie's world has turned upside down, but she befriends someone in her building who helps her out along the way.

The main plot "twist" was predictable, but the characters are full of heart. Katherine Center creates a compelling protagonist, and it's easy to step into Sadie's world and root for her to figure things out.

Looking forward to Katherine Center's next book!