As always, Katherine Center can do no wrong. This is the 4th book of hers that I have devoured. Her characters are so likable, and relatable without being over the top or too cheesy.
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

This was a really fun read. Nice, feel-good story about Sadie - a struggling portrait artist - who ends up with face blindness right as she's gearing up for the possibly biggest break in her career.

As Sadie is trying to navigate her new world in which she does not recognize any faces (and being determined to not tell anyone about her condition) she develops a crush on her delightful new vet, Dr Oliver Addison, and strikes up a friendship with Joe/Helpful in her building.

She's also trying to figure out how to still submit a freshly painted portrait to the portrait competition final, as per the rules, when she can't see faces. I thought this was a really fun part of the story.

If I'm really picky, I didn't care for the whole story arc with Parker. And to me, that didn't add anything to the story, so it could have been left out. But still, overall, 5 stars for this fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life―placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition―the next she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls in love―not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Making judgment calls on anything right now is a nightmare. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to have it all.

————————————————
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Hello Stranger! This book was so sweet. I loved the plot and it felt very unique. At times, I felt myself get frustrated with Sadie, but overall I loved the book!

4⭐️

Just finished up Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center and I am sad that it is over. Center is a relatively new to me author and I’m burning my way thru all her books. Was super excited to receive a galley of Hello Stranger but now I’m a little sorry that it’s over! Really really enjoyed Sadie Montgomery and Joe and despite the serious nature of dealing with face blindness, this book really kept me laughing!

Hello, Stranger is another well written, contemporary romance by Katherine Center. The h, aspiring portrait artist Sadie Montgomery, is dealing with an especially frustrating post-surgical complication – face blindness -- following a serious accident. This leaves her unable to see faces clearly; if she concentrates hard, she can see individual features, but faces as a whole appear as an indistinct, deconstructed jumble of parts – almost like a modern painting by Picasso. The condition can even affect her ability to accurately recognize individual voices. And her doctors have no idea if this situation is permanent or, if not, how long it will last.

The timing is particularly devastating for Sadie as she finally earned a finalist spot in a prestigious portrait competition, after years of struggling financially. Now she is facing the challenge of trying to meet a tough deadline to create a portrait good enough to submit to this national competition – something that would be hard enough under normal circumstances, but seems impossible when dealing with face blindness. In addition, Sadie has been trying to earn the respect of her father, a celebrated surgeon, who has never understood or supported Sadie’s decision to drop out of medical school to become an artist like her deceased mother. Sadie’s father remarried a year after her mother’s death and she is not close with either her stepmother, Lucinda, who always takes the side of her half-sister, Parker, a vindicative, manipulative schemer.

Sadie’s dog, Peanut, is also having some health issues and her vet, Oliver Addison, is one of the bright spots in her life, along with her best friend Sue Kim, Sue’s parents and Sue’s boyfriend, Witt. Sadie also keeps running into a guy in her building, Joe, who is constantly helping her – and others in their building.

This story is skillfully plotted with a clever twist at the end and some enjoyable humor throughout. However, as a reader I felt somewhat detached throughout the story, much more so than when reading previous Katherine Center books. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the story is written in Sadie’s voice, and due to the hurt she has suffered due to her mother’s death and her estranged relationship with her father, stepmother and stepsister, she has become very closed off from new relationships, even before dealing with face blindness. I also felt that the appearance of her former childhood friend, Augusta Ross, at a critical moment, was too much of a coincidence; and that Parker got off way too easy, given all the trouble she intentionally and unrepentantly caused.
In short, this is well done, but not as emotionally engaging as other books I've ready by this author.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC!

Best rom com of 2023! You fall in love with Sadie, a struggling artist who develops acquired face blindness when she has a tight deadline to meet with a new portrait. She has lots of family drama with an evil stepsister, father who doesn’t like her career choice, aging pooch that her dead mother gave year as a child, douchebag neighbour. This book had me in tears at one point. I did figure out the twist but still enjoyed the amazing ride of this romcom!

Very cute and fun read. Will be adding this book to my permanent collection.

Thanks to St Martins press, netgalley, and the author for the arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. .

Another fun novel by Katherine Center. This story about 2 “strangers” meeting and falling in love was full of fun and conflict. The characters in this book are strong, complex and realistic. Lots of complicated relationships just like real life. I admire how she takes a serious topic and addresses it with humor.
I admit I did figure out the male stranger “ issue” about 3/4 through the book. I still wasn’t certain until it was revealed at the end. Loved this twist. Thanks for another great read. I read it in less than 24 hours. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #HelloStrange

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me, no matter what subject she takes on, I know that I will close the book feeling more hopeful and joyful. Hello Stranger has one of the most unique storylines I’ve come across in Women’s Fiction in recent days. Our MC, Sadie, is struggling with face blindness following a medical procedure, and it’s has ramifications in every corner of her life. I hesitate to share too much of the plot, but just know that there is plenty of swoon, a few unexpected twists, and lots of imperfect humans muddling along into becoming their better selves. 5 big stars for this one! Thank you to @NetGalley and St.Martin’s for my gifted ARC!

Katherine Center has done it again!!! She really is the master of romantic fiction for me. She manages to write fresh, unique love stories that never feel cheesy. Hello Stranger will undoubtedly be another hit, I am going to recommend it to all of the readers in my life!

Four stars because it kept me hooked and turning the page! But it needs some work… I read an ARC copy through NetGalley, hopefully it gets some more editing before its release.

I enjoyed reading Hello Stranger written by Katherine Center. I fell in love with this author last year when I read The Bodyguard. I know this was an ARC, but there were quite a few editing errors that need to be corrected before publication. For example, Sadie was wearing her mothers dress to her art show, but the text said something about wearing Sue’s dress as she walked downstairs to leave. Overall, it was a really cute read and I had a hard time putting it down. Looking forward to reading the next Katherine Center book for sure!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sadie is a constant disappointment to her surgeon father, ignored by her stepmother, and bullied by her stepsister. (Seriously, her step sister is cruel for literally no good reason).

However, things are looking up. Sadie is a portrait artist who was just chosen for a prestigious portrait competition. Unfortunately, on her way home from picking up party supplies to celebrate her news, she had a seizure in the middle of a street. Although saved by a Good Samaritan, thank goodness, she needs brain surgery for a cavernoma.

The surgery is successful, but comes with a side effect. Sadie can no longer see people’s faces, she is face blind. A portrait artist on the cusp of her big break…can’t see faces.

A neighbor, Joe, makes a terrible first impression but keeps trying to help. A vet saves Sadie’s dog Peanut, asks Sadie out, but then seems to disappear. Who will win Sadie’s heart?

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The love story was sweet, if predictable, and both MCs are pretty great. You just want to root for them and hope for the best. The side characters are well written, too. I wish we got to know more about Lucinda and Robert. (I’m still irked at Lucinda for sharing medical details, but … she won me over in the end) Parker was extremely villainous. Sue was, surprisingly, not that great? She had her hits and misses, but still, a best friend should’ve been bit more thoughtful and considerate. Mr. Kim was charmingly naive about Lucinda but sweet and kind. The winner of the best supporting character award was Peanut.

If you like rom coms, I highly recommend this one!

Hello, another great read by Katherine Center! This one was interesting because it reads more like a story of self-discovery and healing with a side of romance rather than pure romance, but I didn't mind that at all. I loved Sadie, although, especially towards the end, I was DYING for her to catch a break. Poor girl had been through too much. Also, I'm usually, like, an ace at spotting twists. Didn't see the twist here coming at all.

In terms of comparisons between her past stuff, I would put this at a similar level to The Bodyguard in terms of being more lighthearted than How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, What You Wish For, etc. I loved those for how heavy they are and how they show how you can find love through trauma, but I don't mind this new, more fun route she's going with her stuff at all.

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

Hello Stranger 📚 by @katherinecenter

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ugh, I want to go back and re-read this right after finishing it. I read this in less half a day, which happens with most of Katherine Center's books. Being one of my favorite authors this was on the top of my most anticipated reads for 2023! Thank you to @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy to read it before it's publication date!

Katherine Center's characters are always so likeable, realistic, and endearing. And the romance is 👌. She also tends to throw in an interesting plot, and this one tackles facial blindness (prosopagnosia). Katherine Center always ends with some powerful message that leaves you thinking (and most of the time crying) long after you finished reading.

This would be the best book I've read so far this year...definitely recommend!

#winterreads #justread #bookstack #booklovers #romance #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #instareads #goodreads #bookworm #bookaddict #readersofig #bookreviewer #bookaddict #bookstagram #booklovers

📖 Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎵 invisible string
🖊 “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

I would give this book 100 stars if I could. I laughed, I swooned, I cried (like, a lot). I will be recommending this book to everyone I talk to for the foreseeable future.

Even with a supremely unique condition, Sadie is relatable and real and everything I want in a main character. She’s not a perfect person, she’s been hurt time and time again, but she grows and struggles (and then grows some more). She is just trying to make the best of her situation even when it seems life is targeting her in particular. Her growth is just magnificent.

I loved how well fleshed out the supporting characters were. Everyone was charming and had depth (even her “evil” family had their moments).

Sure, you can see the “big twist” coming from miles away, but the beauty in this story is how it’s told. We know that Sadie gets a happy ending, but the real pleasure comes from seeing Sadie learn how to get there.

I think the author’s note at the end summed it up best: “Love stories don’t have happy endings because their authors didn’t know any better. They have happy endings because they let readers access a rare and precious kind of emotional bliss.” I will happily deal with blissful anticipation if every book felt like this one.

Thank you so much for the chance to read this ARC!

What a clever, witty story. I loved Sadie’s navigation of this new world with prosopagnosia. It really makes us think about how we approach every day encounters with people.

I loved her journey with Joe and Dr. Oliver and even seeing her relationship with her dad and Lucinda was very fulfilling.

Overall, I think what stuck with me most was the concept of confirmation bias and how true that really is in our everyday. We see what we are looking for!

Thank you again!

This book is now one of my favorite romance books. It’s basically the epitome of romcoms. It was so beautifully perfect. It has such heart and soul in it. I loved Sadie’s voice and character from the very beginning. She’s snarky, funny, sweet, and a little broken, kind of like all of us. We all have things that don’t go exactly our way in our lives. What I loved about Sadie is that she faces her problems head on.

And the romance! One of the best I’ve read. Made so much better because of Sadie’s face blindness. Oh boy, it was so good, almost frustrating, but it made me laugh and smile and wish that Sadie would figure out her love life soon, because it was almost giving me anxiety! Anxiety because I knew from the beginning what Sadie obviously didn’t know.

The way that the author explored the intricacies and problems of face blindness was crafted so well, and really let me see what Sadie saw, and couldn’t see. And when she falls in love, you know it’s for real because she’s not falling in love with a handsome face, she’s falling in love with the person behind the puzzle pieces face that she can’t see.

I loved the tone of this book, the voice, the characters, the romance, the animals. Basically everything. Even her evil stepmother. Even the role that her evil stepsister played, though I really don’t like the wicked girl.

I really hope that someone makes this into a romcom movie. It’s basically crying out to be made into one. It would be so perfect and romantic and beautiful and fun.

One last thing, I loved the author’s note at the end, where she talks about romance books and why we love them and why they’re not just formulaic stories that don’t deserve attention. They deserve all the love, because they provide such hope and beauty for our own lives.

It releases this summer, and I am definitely buying it the day it releases! I need the beauty of the hardcover in my hands. *cue happy sigh as I stare dreamily at the beautiful cover* She even has her roller skate on!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc!

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It made me smile, laugh and get teary eyed. While I had heard of face blindness, I had never seen it in a romance novel- or anywhere actually. It made for a really unique story with some very different and interesting problems for the characters which is always great. Sometimes it feels like books rely on misunderstandings or a failure to communicate to move a plot along (meanwhile nothing else is really happening) all while leaving the reader wanting to shake the characters and yell at them to just talk already! But with the face blindness, the misunderstandings were understandable- her brain literally wasn’t working properly. In the end, it seems like the message of the book is: we need to slow down and see the things we’re missing and not be afraid to ask for and accept help. If Sadie had taken the time she might have noticed “Joe” sooner. Also, Parker is awful.
I read a free arc from Netgally and this is my honest review.

Omgeeee!! She did it again! Katherine Center does not disappoint in this fabulous, interesting and thoughtful new book! Her books are always filled with beautiful pros- I love her descriptions. Bring someone who is fascinated with brain science, I loved learning about an interesting facet of our brains from a personal perspective. And of course, the love story is perfectly balanced and nuanced. Trigger warning would be on grief and parent loss- but is very honestly dealt with in such a tender way.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors to read. Hello Stranger was on my most anticipated list for this year. Oh I loved it so much! That twist! My jaw dropped. I loved Sadie’s journey to overcome her new condition. It was so interesting. I went into this book actually pretty blind and I’m happy I did.