Katherine Center never disappoints!

I loved the character, Sadie, and the writing. I truly felt I was Sadie's friend going along for the journey of self discovery, navigating challenging medical/health situations and of course falling a bit in love.

The book had me laughing out loud, smiling at the book and thinking deeply about what makes me happy and why I do certain things - is it for me or for someone else?

This book was the perfect romantic comedy for a lighthearted read. I can honestly say it had me completely guessing and in shock with every turn of events. The ending tired it all together in a sweet and romantic way that was totally unexpected!

Katherine Center can do no wrong and Hello Stranger just solidifies that!

The Bodyguard was one of my favorite books of 2022 and I was dying to get my hands on Hello Stranger. This books makes me want to instantly go back and read all of her previously published books to see what else I am missing. *Adds everything to TBR*

This book was absolutely amazing from start to finish. As soon as I finished all I wanted to do was start over again. There are very few books that make me do that.

I loved Sadie, Peanut and the all the work you can tell that Katherine put into researching acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia.

I'll admit that when I first started getting into this book that it seemed a little far-fetched. I mean, a portrait artist who gets into an accident and has to have brain surgery which then produces face blindness as a side effect... come on, right? But surprisingly, the author did a phenomenal job at creating a fun and quirky story line that had the most satisfying ending. If you are looking for a fun read with a complicated and messy main character with a side of romance, this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book is unique in that it focuses on Sadie, who after surgery, develops acquired prosopagnosia, or face blindness. A lot of the book focuses on how difficult it is to adapt to a world where everyone feels like a stranger all while dealing with the uncertainty of starting something new with someone. Overall, this book is a fun, light, 3.5-star read. However, the big twist is predictable even before picking up the book and the source of a lot of the tension in the book is caused by characters who are over the top villains "because it's fun." Some of that characterization is filled in towards the very end of the book, but feels over the top and cartoonish throughout. Most of the characters seem immature relative to their ages. What keeps this book enjoyable is the added uncertainty around her romantic interests caused by her sudden inability to rely on her brain to tell her who she is seeing. Overall, it's worth the read, but isn't hitting my best-of Katherine Center list.

"Seeing the world differently helps you see things not just that other people can't, but that you yourself never could if you weren't so lucky. It let's you make your own rules. Color outside your own lines. Allow yourself another way of seeing."

This is my second Katherine Center book and I would say it’s probably my favorite so far. I laughed, cried, smiled and just FELT SO MUCH with this one.

Center did an amazing job with the character development throughout this story which always makes me feel that so much more connected with the story.

This entertaining, finding yourself, light romance is centered around Sadie, a rising portrait artist who just got the spot in a portrait competition for $10k. This same competition is the same one her late mother was working towards before she passed away. Needless to say, winning this competition is important to her for a lot of reasons.

Sadie lost her mother when she 14 years old. Her father then spiraled and removed himself from her life while he was suffering himself. He married a Martha Stewart lookalike that came with an evil stepsister. Those three then turned completely against Sadie and never believed anything that Sadie said. Eventually sending her to boarding school. Sadie grew up feeing alone and never wanting to ask a single person for help.

Sadie was walking home one day when she suddenly had a seizure in the street and a Good Samaritan saved her life. At the hospital, she was informed she had to have brain surgery. She thought that brain surgery was going to be the biggest hurdle to cross over before the competition; however, when she woke up with face blindness it was life changing.

Sadie underwent therapy, learned that it was okay to ask people for help, and accept help, from others, mended relationships and fell in love. She saw life in a different way than she ever had before.

This was a 5 star for me that I devoured in a short time. Throughly enjoyed this novel by Katherine Center.

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

I love all of Katherine Center's books, so I was excited to read this one! Although it wasn't my favorite of hers (still swooning over The Bodyguard), I still really enjoyed this book. My one complaint is about the evil stepsister. I felt like her character was a little far-fetched and it seemed to "cheapen" the book by making it too over-the-top. Other than that, it was a solid read for me. Also, not to be missed, the author's note at the end. She nailed it.

5 stars. Every time I read a new book by Katherine Center I think… this book, this one is my favorite. Only to be eclipsed by the next book I read from her. So I’m here today to say that Hello Stranger just may be my favorite book Center has written. Yes, parts of it were predictable. And it kind of played out exactly how I thought it would, but I don’t care. Hello Stranger felt like getting a warm hug and it will surely be one I read over and over again. Like The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger was less emotional than Center’s other books. Sadie, the main character, is faced with a medical condition that drastically alters her life, but it’s not necessarily life or death like in Center’s other books. Like a lot of Center’s characters, Sadie has a difficult relationship with her family, so part of the book is about improving those relationships. And of course, the romance. I loved helpful Joe. Center truly writes some of the sweetest characters, and Joe is right up there with the rookie with regard to how sweet and patient and kind he is to Sadie. Center is one of my favorite authors, and books like this are exactly why. Even though her books deal with some serious subject matter, I always walk away feeling good. Because at their core, Center’s books are about love and hope and finding happiness. And I think that’s something we could all use a little more of.

Thank you so much to Center, St Martins Press, and netgalley for the advanced copy.

I love a good Katherine Center set-up and this was no exception. She has a special way of bringing things full circle and I loved how this one ended. Appropriately funny and sarcastic, but also heartfelt. I love when good guys finish first.

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the eARC!
•••
Hello Stranger • Katherine Center
[releases July 2023]
•••
I have slowly been working my way through Katherine Center books and was thrilled to get to read her newest! What these books do best is have romcom elements along deeper themes that make you connected to the characters. This one has a very unique plot line that made me interested but also make me scratch my head a few times. Due to a large plot point, parts of this book had me wondering at the plausibility. I did enjoy it very much (read in a day), but this one won’t make my list of my faves! .

This novel was absolutely delightful!

"Hello Stranger" is about Sadie, who's had a tough go at life. After finally getting her big break drawing portraits she is in an accident and ends up with brain surgery that gives her a Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, which her art heavily relies on. This spins her life an entirely different way. Through her healing she meets Joe, her neighbor, and Dr. Addison - both of whom end up in her head, and heart. As she figures out her new normal, she learns a lot about herself that would never have been possible without the surgery she curses.

I just love a book that makes you feel ALL THE FEELS. This book made me laugh out loud, smile till my face hurt, frustrated at times, and HOPE. There was an awesome twist, that I didn't see coming, until it was right there. As with all of Center's books, I absolutely adored the female lead - Sadie. She was so endearing, funny, and I rooted for her throughout the whole book.

The best part of Center's books is the feeling you have after reading. It's just pure happiness. This is a book I can't wait to buy, because it'll always give that fluttery feeling, and I need those kinds of books when life gets to be too hard sometimes. 5/5 glowing stars!

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I'm so appreciative!

As usual, I love Katherine Center. This book was great! I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. So many great characters that kept me hooked!

This book was sweet! Sadie is an artist, struggling on a lot of levels, who has a brain surgery that leaves her face-blind. This causes a whole lot of chaos for a lot of reasons, namely that she begins to develop feelings for her neighbor Joe and vet Oliver simultaneously.

It’s no surprise by the end of the book that Joe and Oliver are the same guy, but the book does a lot of self-referential justifying to get there. It’s a fun, sweet romance story, but the last bit feels like the end of a crime story where the bad guy lays out his whole plan in a monologue.

Will keep reading Katherine Center, and I did really love Sadie!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC! I love Katherine Center books and Hello Stranger was a lovely story!! Some say love is blind, Sadie would say Love is Blurry.

I loved the humor and character growth in Sadie. Forced to overcome several tragedies, including the loss of her mother and the life she knew, Sadie created a life for herself. While not the most optimistic person, she learned that how you see things in life is a choice. And when you can't physically see things, you have to use your other senses to help you!

Katherine Center does it again! This book was such a fun ride. It centers around face blindness, which is a condition I knew nothing about, and I love learning a little something while having so much fun swooning. I loved anticipating what came next and falling in love with Joe. KC had an author’s note at the end about romance novels that explained why I love romance novels and I wish it was published somewhere for me to share widely. Can’t wait for her next book!

This was my first Katherine Center book, but it certainly won't be the last. I loved this story so much! I honestly was intrigued by the synopsis. A portrait artist who has brain surgery and ends up with facial blindness. I really wasn't sure where the story was going to go, but it ended up being the most heart-warming and hopeful romance. Watching Sadie's journey of navigating through her new disability, learning a new way to paint and discovering that it's OK to need and ask for help was so uplifting. And Joe....all I'm going to say is *swoon* ❤.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I love all of Katherine Center's books, and this one did not disappoint. The twist at the end surprised me because I had a completely different guess in mind for how it was all going to come together in the end. The relationship was so sweet and so well developed. Some of the side characters and side plots were not as fully developed, which I struggled with throughout the book, but I do think it all makes sense because of the final reveal. Center's characters are always so relatable, lovable, and well-written. I love how witting and entertaining her writing is and can't wait to recommend this one to everyone!

Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard was one of my favorite romances of 2022 so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read an eARC of her upcoming book Hello Stranger.

Hello Stranger has a unique premise—Sadie Montgomery is a starving artist in her late 20s who has spent her adult life trying to prove to herself and to everyone around her—especially her estranged cardiothoracic surgeon father—that she can succeed on her own without help from anyone. She is on the cusp of her big break when she suffers a seizure in the street. She comes to learn that she has a congenital brain abnormality –one that killed her mother when Sadie was 14—that requires surgery. Reluctantly she agrees to undergo the surgery and when she wakes up she finds that residual swelling in her brain has caused her to have a condition commonly referred to as face blindness—she literally cannot see anyone’s face clearly, including her own. This is something that is more than a little concerning for a PORTRAIT artist, let alone one who is taking part in a potentially career making competition in just 6 weeks. If that was not enough, she has a hard time distinguishing among friends and family (including her horrible-and-potentially-psychotic stepsister) let alone strangers, and her beloved dog gets sick soon after her surgery. Enter both a new vet (Oliver) and an annoyingly helpful hipster in her building (who she recognizes by the bowling jacket with “Joe” embroidered on it that he constantly wears). Sadie is drawn to both men but attempts to keep them at arm’s length in order to avoid telling them about her face blindness and to avoid letting anyone get too close. But she soon realizes that to find happiness she might need to learn to see the world differently.

In the Author’s Note at the end of the book, Center writes about her appreciation for the romance genre, writing at one point “tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice” and that pretty much sums up the thesis of this book. Sadie’s life was forever changed when her mother died and it is clear that she never really dealt with that loss. The dog her mother gave her is her closest friend, she taught herself to paint copying her mother’s portraits and has taken her mother’s Norman Rockwell-esque style as her own, she enters the contest her mother was a finalist for when she died, and the few possessions she has left of her mother (the dress, the rollerskates) are her most prized. Her father’s grief caused him to make a litany of poor decisions when it came to Sadie and that, unfortunately, caused even more tragedy to befall them both and, as a result, Sadie’s view of the world is that you should never rely on anyone for anything.

That level of tragedy---combined with that of losing her ability to see faces and its impact on the competition Sadie is so desperate to win after so much struggle—would seem like enough to set up the romance that is to help Sadie choose joy, right? Unfortunately, Center piles it on further with the sideplot of Sadie’s truly “evil stepsister”, Parker, who literally ruined Sadie’s life as a teen (not an overstatement), further estranged Sadie from her father, and is intent on causing more trouble for Sadie in the present for no reason other than she seems to be a sociopath. I found this to be just too much and I thought the sum of Sadie’s tragic past overshadowed the romance.

That said, I still enjoyed Center’s writing a lot and appreciated what she was trying to do. I just never expected to cry so much during what I thought was going to be a light hearted romance! I look forward to seeing what Center writes next.

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

Katherine Center has done it once again with a clean and cozy romance. Sadie is a portrait artist who discovers what should have been a minor surgery has caused her to have face blindness, and right before a very important competition at that! While Sadie tries to get through this time she discovers that maybe people aren’t what they seem to be, and maybe she needs to be a bit more open to asking for the help she needs.

Katherine Center's novels are just the right mix of plot and romance. As a non-romance lover, I appreciate the unique ways that Center brings characters together and even when the outcomes are predictable, they're still fun. In this case, the sudden onset of face-blindness in the MC who paints portraits for a living creates lots of drama. The wicked step-mother and sister were a bit over the top, but brought some definite Cinderella vibes.

I loved the author's note on why romance books are structured as they are and how people seek them out for the predictability, rather than finding it off-putting.

And of course, I'm glad to know that most people with sudden face-blindness can still recognize their pets :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.