Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors and this book is no exception! Her books are sweet, funny and heartwarming - you can't help but root for her characters.

The premise of this book is so unique and Katherine delivers once again. Sadie is down on her luck but doesn't let that keep her down.

This will be a highlight of Summer 2023 reading lists everywhere.

I absolutely devoured this book. It’s perfect in all the ways!! The cover is stunning and fits the story perfectly. I really loved the overall theme that we really do not know what others are going through, feeling or experiencing. Most times we form a confirmation bias just based on what we think. We find reasons in our own mind for them to be true while ignoring possible reasons it’s not actually true. Quoted from the book “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”. Absolutely loved the descriptive way this book pulls everything together for Sadie and her life. It’s a fun light hearted read with some romance included but more so about a young woman finding her own path of way of coloring outside her own lines. I think I resonated with more of the artistic side of the book as this is really how I see things most days. Not to mention the odd similarities to my own life- I’m a portrait artist with an Etsy shop and a pet named Peanut- I do not have a joe or hot vet in my life though. I’ll work on that from a different viewpoint! Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you St Martin’s Publishing, Netgalley, and of course, Katherine Center for the eARC!

The last few pages of this book gave me the best “I KNEW IT!!” Moment I’ve had since HOSAB.

Poor Sadie, what a rough few months. Like damn, girl. Evil step sister, sick dog, absent father, intrusive step mother, and wicked head trauma. Not to mention all the things reminding her of her mom.

I went into this totally blind to the plot/summary, so I truly had no clue what I was in for aside from romance. I had no idea this would be so sad in so many different ways and for a majority of the book. I don’t think I’d get by any better than Sadie does if this shit happened to me.

This is on me for not reading the blurb and just blindly thinking I would love it because I loved the bodyguard. When we got to the face blindness I cackled and could not recover. I know this is a real issue for some but the way it played out was not for me. I was going to keep going because like I said, I loved TBG, but the more I thought about it the more I felt meh about picking it up so I’m just going to call it and wait for her next romcom

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy.

Had an enjoyable time reading this book.

Ugh. I was so excited to try this after LOVING The Bodyguard which I have 5 amazing stars! This was only my 3rd by Center and I’ve been 1-1 with whether or not I’ve liked them. But unfortunately I had to DNF this one.

I just couldn’t get past the cringey inner dialogue. The fixation on her crush & how *extra* it was that she planned out their entire future within 2 seconds after talking. It’s just unbelievable and made me dislike the main character entirely. There were a few other things but ultimately, the dialogue & obnoxious main character drove me away on this. 😩

I throughly enjoyed Hello Stranger. I found it to be very unique and about something I’ve never heard of before. There was humor, happiness and some heavier topics throughout the book. I absolutely loved Sadie.

I loved this book! The humor is there, the dreamy guys are there, this book has everything you expect in a good rom-com! I really liked the concept of the story, a facial recognition disorder isn’t something I’ve read about before! There are a couple of cliche tropes like the evil stepmom/stepsister and love at first sight but it’s not overbearing. I stayed up way past my bed time to finish this one because I HAD to know what was happening. If you find yourself mildly confused half way through, push past the confusion it’s worth it! I really enjoyed this book! A fun read I would recommend!

Calling all fans of Katherine Center-Mark your calendars for July24th so you can add this one to your beach bag. This book is a little different than most of Katherine's books. A plot-driven, character development, contemporary romance. It is lighter, silly but somehow I found myself actually crying! It came out of nowhere as this isn't a sad book. Somewhere in the middle I stared getting a little bored as the plot really slowed to make room for the character development, but it picked back up. All the emotions in this one: giggling, at Sadie's perspective on her love interest, frustration with her family sadness, and then admiration for her tenacity. You really can't go wrong picking up a Katherine Center's book. She is so talented and I love her books.

Hello Stranger - Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - NetGalley gifted ARC
Pub date: 7/23

There is a reason that Katherine Center is called the queen of cozy romances because she delivers with each novel. I loved her book, The Bodyguard, but Hello Stranger, is a fun story with the lead, Sadie, having a mysterious illness causing her to be unable to recognize human faces. Sadie falls in love with two men she can't see and has a great best friend, Sue, who I thought was terrific, Sue’s parents were even more impressive, but my favorite male was her dog, Peanuts. I loved the dog. The entire story is cute, with a lot of misunderstanding, sadness from her mother's death, being estranged from her father, and trying to make a career based upon her artistic skills but coming up short so many times. Sadie is fortunate, though, because she’s surrounded by people who love her and want the best for her, and in the end, that is one of the most extraordinary things about this book. I will read anything Ms. Center writes! I know Katherine Center fans will enjoy this one. #facialblindness #art #troubledfamily #wickedstepsister #dog #vet #bestfriends #love #loss #hope #witty #funny #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #KatherineCenter #HelloStranger
⚕️
I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: July 11, 2023. @netgalley @stmartinspress @katherinecenter

I’ve enjoyed many of Katherine Center’s books in the past but this one fell short for me. I guessed the plot “twist” very early on and it all felt a bit tedious after that. My biggest pet peeve with any romance novel is the lack-of-communication trope. While you could argue that didn’t really apply here, it did play a part. This was just “meh” for me.

What a rollercoaster! I loved the build up on this book, how it went from a character study to romance, ending in the perfect tie up. KC does a great job of bringing what should be a weak point and shining it up to a brilliant crown jewel of a plot.

5/5 great read!

I really loved this book. For some reason, the description made me question whether I wanted to read it - but I’m so happy I did.

Sadie has had a rough go of it since losing her mom: struggling to establish her portrait career, navigating rocky relationships with her dad/stepmom/stepsister, and dating..who has time for that?

After surgery that bring on faceblindness, Sadie is forced to confront her career, her family, and her love life all while trying to learn to live with this problem. She’s so endearing, it’s hard not to root for her.

I’m sad this one is over so soon.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Katherine Center has done it again.

I enjoyed Center’s previous release, The Bodyguard, which I read in one sitting. I’m happy to report that Hello Stranger has had the same effect.

Hello Stranger is a sweet, hopeful, uplifting romance novel. I stayed up late reading it (isn’t this always a sign of a good book?) and woke up early before work to finish it. I was hooked!

This novel was a delight to read. The author’s note, which I highly encourage you to read, was the cherry on top. Katherine Center clearly has an excellent understanding of the romance genre and genuinely wants to bring joy to others through her writing.

My only gripe is Sadie’s step-sister acting like a Disney villain. Too much time was wasted on the her that could’ve been spent showing Joe and Sadie interacting. By the end of the novel I was left wanting more of the sweetness and a little less of the drama. This in no way derailed my enjoyment of Hello Stranger. Rather, it just provided a few “eye roll” moments.

I would recommend this to readers of Abby Jimenez, Carly Fortune, Elissa Sussman, and Emily Henry.

If you are looking for a feeling of happiness, hope, and warmth - Katherine Center’s books will have it for you. As always this book has it all. Swoony romantic vibes, the sweetest characters, and a creative plot. I enjoyed this book, it was a quick and delighted read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center in exchange for an honest review.

At the most important time and potential turning point of her career, portrait artist Sadie has a near-death experience that affects her ability to distinguish people's faces: a devastating development for an artist selected as a finalist in a portrait competition. Thus, she has to figure out a new approach to painting and develop a new style to finish a portrait before the competition all while developing feelings for her "future husband."

I finished this book so fast! This is my second Katherine Center, and I thought it had a unique plot with bittersweet elements. The tone toes the line between light and fluffy and melancholy very well. I could feel Sadie's plight and loved her relationship with her love interest. However, I called the plot twist early on, and I felt the characterization of her stepsister rather one-dimensional. Nevertheless, this was a fun ride, and I can't wait to pick up another book by this author.

This is only my second Katherine Center book but it won't be my last. This one was a true delight. I enjoyed the banter and the developing friendship between Joe and Sadie into their grumpy sunshine romance. Sadie has learned the hard way to not count on anyone and to not ask for help. Joe cannot but help anyone who needs it, whether they ask or not. I also enjoyed that there was minimal angst in this. Obviously there is turmoil (Hello romantic fiction!) but it is bearable and not overdone.

The only reason for not 5 stars are a couple of minor things. The beginning was a bit slow and took me a bit to get invested but once I was I couldn't stop. I even had to read at red lights while driving home from work. The second difficult part was the illness. I had a hard time imagining what Sadie was going thru (and even googled images of face blindness). And while I appreciate this opportunity to learn more about a condition I had no idea about, at times it pulled me out of the story. And finally, Parker... while a good villain, I just thought she was TOO MUCH. Like the only thing she didn't do was kick Sadie's dog (that we know of).

My biggest requirement for romantic fiction I want the Happily Ever After but even if it's written that way, I NEED to believe it in my heart that the two partners will last and live their HEA. Sadie and Joe definitely will.

Posted to Goodreads and Instagram
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5130136729?book_show_action=false
https://www.instagram.com/p/Coa-WK0LdOW/

A

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling, down-on-her-luck artist who just can’t seem to catch a break. When she ends up as a finalist in a prominent portrait painting competition, she’s hopeful that her life is about to drastically change. However, an unexpected brain surgery that Sadie undergoes after having a seizure steals her ability to see and recognize faces…and suddenly, her ability to complete her portrait, along with her entire future, is up in the air.

This lighthearted romance was filled with hope, mostly because I expected a happy ending for Sadie — despite her unfortunate circumstances. Between her cold and distant brain surgeon father, her judgmental stepmother, and her truly evil stepsister…she doesn’t have a great support system. When her beloved elderly dog, Peanut, develops a life threatening condition, I was outraged on Sadie’s behalf. Like, can’t the universe cut her a break?! But the romance that unfolds with her neighbor is the rainbow after the storm. Their relationship strengthens organically, in movie-esque fashion, though it was a little too “right place at the right time” for me. If only romances that magical happened in everyday life! But that’s the beauty of these kind of novels…they offer an idealistic escape from real life struggle and monotony. The fact that I *knew* Sadie was going to come out on top after all of the hardship she endured kept me eager to keep reading until the very end. (I anticipated the plot twist, which felt super unrealistic — like, how in the WORLD did the numerous conversations between Sadie and Joe never hint at what was actually going on?! Why did Joe never tell Sadie his real name?! I’m baffled. The logical part of me needs answers.)

But overall, this was a cute story and I’d definitely recommend it to those who enjoy romance novels and/or need to get out of a slump!

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review!*

Hello Stranger by @katherinecenter 🛼🎨

Pub date: July 11, 2023

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist who just got the big shot of her career. She was picked as a finalist for a competition she’s been waiting for years. The problem? She’s scheduled to have a ‘non-emergency’ surgery before it. This surgery leaves Sadie unable to recognize people’s faces. If this isn’t problem enough for her job… she’s at a crossedroad between two guys that appear in her life at the most inconvenient time.

Katherine Center did it again! After reading ‘The Bodyguard’ recently I was excited to read another book by her. As a person who understands science and loves romance, to me this book has the perfect combination of both. This book explains science so easily it just clicks. There’s no way you can’t fall in love with Sadie, feel her frustration and struggles and cheer for her through it all. How she overcomes her situation, family struggles and messiness in her love life made this book fly by. This book will show you that it doesn’t matter how a person looks, what matters is the goodness and kindness of their heart. I will recommend this book to anyone, even if they don’t read romance. It’s funny, heartwarming and leaves you wanting to re-read it as soon as you finish it.

Thank you @NetGalley and @stmartinspress for sending this ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book had the perfect amount of hope, happiness, and optimism without being too cheesy. I love it that it embraces the love sight unseen trope, makes it very contemporary since this concept is a new thing on reality dating shows. It has the perfect twists and turns but was not dragged out. The lightheartedness and love just made this such a fun read.