Thougths: It is no secret that I am a huge Katherine Center fan. So there was very little doubt this would be any less than a five star read for me. And yet I had no idea I would love it as much as I did. From the wonderful, quirky characters to the very unique plotline, I found myself completely immersed in Sadie’s world and never wanted to leave.

First and foremost, Center creates *the* most relatable characters I have ever read. Whether the MC is a female firefighter struggling to succeed in in a male dominated profession, a thirty-year-old divorcee struggling to find her place in the world, or an executive protection agent assigned to a reclusive moviestar, I always feel as though I know the ins and outs of each of these characters. I knows what makes them tick and what demons lurk in their shadows. By the time I have finished reading, they have become the best literary friends.

Sadie is no different. From the moment she busts out a Smokey Robinson performance in the middle of the corner store, I knew Sadie was my kind of person. At every turn, I felt as I knew her. I laughed at her silly antics, cried at her struggles, and swooned right along with her as the least likely candiate became a potential love. And Joe, well there are not enough words to express my love for character. And let’s not forget the loveable Peanut who dare I say, eats better than I do.

If you are looking for a book that has a whole lot of humor, swoony romantic vibes, fantastic main and supporting characters, and a whole lot of heart, this is the book for you. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Read if you like:
•unique plots
•well done love triangles
•laugh out loud dialgoue
•family drama
•swoony romance
•charming characters

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the writing in this book, but the storyline, and subsequent twists felt too far fetched.

I could accept the facial blindness, but then the too perfectly timed appearance of Augusta, and then the twist with Joe and the vet felt like too much.

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

This book was SO good! I loved the mystery and really felt like I was seeing (or not seeing) everyone and everything from Sadie’s eyes!

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely loved it! Katherine Center wove a story that evoked hope and joy even when the plot touched on heavier subjects. I couldn’t put the book down as I found myself cheering for Sadie as she tried to find her way through an unexpected complication after brain surgery.

Overall, the plot was quite unique, fun, and found balance between Sadie finding her place in the universe and the romantic elements. This book felt like a big bear hug!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Net Galley for an advanced reader copy of this book. I have enjoyed every book that I have read by Katherine Center and Hello Stranger continued that trend!!
When I first read the premise of this book and saw that it was about face blindness, I really wasn’t sure if it would be for me. However, I fell in love with the characters in this book and Sadie reminded me of the main character in my first Katherine Center book, How to Walk Away. Sadie’s uncertainty and vulnerability drew me in. She was complex and you just wanted to root for her. She had a complicated family life. I felt that it was handled tenderly and realistically in that families can be messy and sometimes remain that way. Having lost my own mother, I loved the sweetness of her remembrance of her mother and the little nods of her mom that she incorporated into her life.
Then there were the love interests. When we first meet Joe, the first impression is so not good. Sadie and her best friend even make up unflattering nicknames for him based on their first impress. As the story continues, we unpack the misunderstandings and embrace the sweetness that Joe brings to the growing friendship with Sadie as she learns how to open up and acknowledge her need for help. Having Joe’s helpfulness be such a part of his character was a nice complement to what Sadie was facing in dealing with her face blindness. Then there is Dr. Addison, Sadie’s dreamboat vet. I mean, he is gorgeous, takes care of animals (including precious Peanut) and makes them well. What’s not to love!?!
There is so much to say about this book, and I haven’t even talked about face blindness. Even though this story centers around Sadie’s struggle when she acquired this condition, the story is nuanced, complex, and layered with so much more. Sadie grows and changes throughout the story, learning how to truly see the world around her more clearly.

Loved this book! I think Katherine Center is just getting better and better.. I just devoured The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger was even better. There are some twists that you really don't see coming and I loved that. The main character was so likable and understandable. I also think its so interesting how her medical issue is woven throughout the book. The author does a wonderful job of helping us understand it without it reading like a medical report.. I'm sad it's over.

I am slowly becoming a Katherine Center fan. I read one of her books prior to this one and devoured it. So once I saw that this one was available on NetGalley, I immediately got it. It did take me a little bit in the beginning to get into the book itself but I ended up loving every bit of it.

I loved Sadie and “Joe’s” relationship. I enjoyed the side characters. A couple of the side characters made me angry with them for their behavior but that was so Sadie could grow into the character she did in the end.

Overall this book made me feel emotions from happy to sad to angry to happy again. I adored this book. I can’t wait to read more by Katherine!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s press in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to get an advance copy of Katherine Center’s new book, Hello Stranger. Katherine Center is usually a hit for me and her last novel, The Bodyguard, was one of my favorites of last year.
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Hello Stranger’s premise was a little off for me. The main character is a portrait artist who loses her ability to see faces as a hopefully temporary side effect of a surgery. This leads to challenges in her personal and professional lives.
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My biggest issue is that the main character didn’t tell anyone about the challenges she was facing so everything was harder than it needed to be. Overall, I was rooting for her to get what she wanted and for things to work out, but I was often frustrated with her lack of forthrightness. I also was irritated with her family which was dysfunctional at best and toxic at worst.
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The depiction of friendships, both new and old, were one of the highlights. And the portrayal of the grief of losing a parent was also touching. The love story was generally cute even though predictable.
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If you enjoy Katherine Center’s books, it’s worth a read. It’s a quick read. If you’re new to Katherine Center, I’d start with How to Walk Away or The Bodyguard.

4 stars! Hello Stranger was a delightful read. Center never disappoints with her engaging story line and thoughtful character growth! I loved the main characters and both of their kind hearts. The sweet romance was a treat. I thought one of the side stories could have been eliminated and the story would have been just as good. Overall, a great book!

Imagine you are a portrait artist. You’ve entered a competition and beat out over 1,000 other artists. You’re in the top ten, and have six weeks to produce a portrait that could win you $10,000 (which you desperately need).

At the same time that all this is happening, you have a freak accident where a total random stranger saves you. After going to the hospital, and getting an MRI, you find out you need to get brain surgery, and it needs to happen quickly. You hesitantly get the brain surgery and when you wake up….

You can’t see any faces.

All of this happens to Sadie Cunningham. She now has only a few weeks to paint a portrait, but she finds out, due to her surgery, she is now suffering from face blindness.

Hello Stranger follows Sadie’s journey as she tries to navigate her new life without being able to see anyone’s face. She has to try and avoid her evil step sister, figure out how she’s going to paint a portrait of someone, and how she’s going to do this all in such a short span of time.

I absolutely loved this novel. Sadie is such a relatable character, and I loved the lessons that are intertwined through the entire book. I can’t wait to read more from Katherine Center.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is an incredible novel that is sure to capture the hearts of readers everywhere. This book is a perfect combination of romance, humor, and suspense that will keep you turning the pages from start to finish. Its is a charming and heartwarming novel that will make you believe in the power of human connection. I adored The Bodyguard and Hello, Stranger delivers in the same way! Sadie is a relatable, and engaging protagonist who you can't help but root for throughout the book, through it's many twists and turns. Its one of those books that makes you forget what youre reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC!

Another great book by Katherine Center. Hello Stranger will have you laughing out loud and smiling nonstop. Her books make you feel like you personally know the characters. I couldn’t put this book down until I finished.

Katherine Center is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her way of storytelling is captivating. This one started slow for me but I couldn't stop. Sadie is a struggling artist who is just hoping things turn around for her. She lands a coveted spot at an art competition. However, it's the same time as a surgery she needs to have. The surgery shouldn't impact anything, but when she wakes up, she can no longer see faces. Which is a problem for a portrait artist. She can see her dog, Peanut though and the vet Dr. Addison. She doesn't want anyone to know about her face blindness, especially not her neighbor Joe. Sadie was so likable and I was rooting for her the entire time. I enjoyed this heartwarming and emotional book!

This book was like a weighted blanket. Brought me a lot of joy. Was great mood reading and just made me reflect about how I treat others.

3.5 ⭐️ for GoodReads.

Super fast, fun, & light read. I really would say this is more of a fluffy fiction vs romance novel. There is a romantic relationship in the novel but the rest of the story is the best part. The romance is the cherry on top.

The Author's Note bumped this book up to a solid 4 stars for me. The best review of Hello Starnger comes from the author, Katherine Center. In the Author's Note she writes, "Two people meet-and then, over the course of 300 pages, they move from alone to together. From closed to open. From judgy to understanding. From cruel to compassionate. From needy to fulfilled. From ignored to seen. From misunderstood to appreciated. From lost to found"

There really aren't any huge surprises in this book; like most romantic comedies, the way the reader thinks it should end is how it is going to end. In her note she reminds the reader that "tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice." This is perfect book to dive into if you want to choose joy. It is sweet and funny and completely closed-door (if that matters to you). It is not earth-shattering and I'll likely forget the plot and character's names soon enough, but like her previous books I have read, it was exactly what I wanted and needed it to be when I picked it up.

Katherine Center's books are categorically rom-coms, but she also serves them up with a small side of heaviness. In this book she has the reader step into the shoes of a twenty-something with Prosopagnosia. (Think Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven only not YA.) There is also a possible trigger warning for grief/loss of a parent.

Center writes that she hopes this book gives the reader "that blissed-out, oxytocin-laden, tipsy feeling." The answer is that yes, it does!

Another super great read by Katherine Center! She is becoming one of my favorite authors. Just a wonderful book! Thank you!

I struggled at the beginning of this book because for what felt like multiple chapters all I read were descriptions of face blindness in every other paragraph. But after that the story really came together and I started to really enjoy it. I loved her and Joe. I was sucked in by 50% and couldn't put the book down and read it in a day.

Ok - I really adored this story and Sadie’s journey. I would almost categorize this book as a contemporary woman’s fiction with a closed door romance. The first 25% of the book, there are potential love interests mentioned but we are really focused on Sadie, her family, and her personal struggles. The story speaks to me about overcoming family dynamics, personal struggles, and letting people in to help you.

Sadie’s family reminds me of a Cinderella-esque family with a jerk of a step-sister and Sadie grieving her mother. I also found Sadie’s best friend to be really aggravating and insensitive. She was incredibly unaware most of the book and honestly just a bad friend at times.

As far as the actual romance, I really enjoyed watching Sadie open up and let someone in to help her. Though I had an idea of how the story would wrap up pretty early on, I still really enjoyed Sadie’s journey and the ending had me smiling.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone needing a feel good, easy read.

(Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy of this book.)

Another great book by Katherine Center! She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I loved all of the characters. Even the ones that you hate in the beginning grow on you a bit by the end. Loved reading a romance that includes a medical issue. I've heard a bit about face blindness and it was a really interesting addition to the usual romance. 5 star read for sure!