S-W-O-O-N. That spells *I freaking loved this adorable, charming, delightful, lovely, warm-hug-of-a-book!* Adjectives. Just all the happy adjectives! When I get this excited, I speak only in thesaurus.

The Plot: After collapsing in the street, Sadie learns that she has a malformed blood vessel in her brain that will require surgery. As a portrait artist, faces are kind of a big deal to her, so you can imagine her horror when she develops face blindness after the procedure and can no longer recognize faces. Uh oh. Along the journey to recovery, she learns to navigate her new reality—with a little help from Oliver, the handsome veterinarian who treats her dog, and from Joe, her annoying yet attractive neighbor. I know, I know: It would appear that I’m describing a love triangle, but hear me out. This is a really good one. Everything about it feels organic, nothing contrived or manipulating about this geometric dilemma of love. In fact, it’s THE BEST love triangle of all time. Promise. What follows is literary bliss!

Beyond a doubt—while the plot is simply wonderful and the pacing is absolute perfection—the characters are where this book truly shines. Sadie is as authentic as they come and someone I’d love to have a cocktail with. She’s smart, competent, and inspirational, not to mention witty. If I could reach into these pages and hug her, I would. And the fellas! They are stand-up-and-shake-your-pom-poms cheer
-worthy. Buy the book for the characters; stay for the heartwarming thrill of it all.

Seriously, If you’re looking for something comfortable and comforting, something pleasing to the senses and oh-so-satisfying, congratulations, you’ve found it! Grab a copy and get cozy. You are about to be thoroughly entertained. Simply put, I adored every page of it, so much so that I’m signing with review with a squeal. Squeal!

What a fun read! I devoured this heartwarming story in 1.5 days (would have been shorter if not for those tiny humans I have in my house who don't yet understand the draw of a good book and having to work). This is the perfect escape to a land of a great story and loveable characters. I had high hopes for a Katherine Center book and she certainly delivered.
I will be begging my friends to pick up this book as soon as possible so we can dive into conversation about some of the themes it brings up.
As a high school educator, this is a book I could share with with students, as it can drive good discussion on so many topics when it comes to resiliency, forgiveness, and relationships.
This book is an easy 5 start read for me!

Sorry but this was just okay for me. The story of her brain injury was interesting as I had never heard of it before. However, I just didn’t feel it was as good as some of her earlier books.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist, barely making ends meet. After being selected to participate in a prestigious portrait competition that could finally bring her the recognition and success she’s being working towards, the worst happens. Sadie has a seizure while crossing the street and ends up being diagnosed with cavernoma and needing brain surgery. Oh yeah, no big deal. We’ll just zip through that and carry on with life. Oh wait… surgery went well, but now she’s face blind and she’s a portrait artist. Needless to say, things aren’t going great at the worst possible time.

Katherine Center so brilliantly captures people going through some of the toughest moments of their lives. She makes you feel hopeful and she makes you feel like everything is going to be okay. Her writing is like a big, warm hug and a cup of hot cocoa.

Hello Stranger is another installment of the greatness of Katherine Center. Do your heart some good and read this twisty, entertaining, and lighthearted read.

After reading a lot of heavy books in January, I was looking for something light and fun and this new release from Katherine Center fit the bill. It didn’t quite live up to The Bodyguard (which I loved). There were places that dragged a bit, but also many charming scenes with unexpected laugh out loud moments.

Reading Hello Stranger was, for me, the literary equivalent of sipping a steaming cup of English breakfast tea while curled up in cozy pajamas in front of a crackling fire. This novel by master storyteller Katherine Center sparked hope and joy. It inspired me to try on different perspectives. It caused me to keep turning pages past my bedtime. It introduced me to a medical condition about which I previously knew practically nothing. And above all, it was soul nourishing. I loved it! Highly recommended!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the privilege of receiving a complimentary ARC of this book. Opinions are entirely my own.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was wondering how Katherine Center was going to handle this novel, after reading the description, and it looks like my musings were for nothing. She again, delivers a fun, heartfelt story that makes you feel so happy once you've finished it. It was slightly predictable, but that's why I read these books. Life is unpredictable enough.
Joe was a wonderful character, and it was so easy to dislike Parker. Mr Kim was amazing, and so was Sue. I love that these characters are in stories like these. Sadie's development was a huge part of the plot, so I'm glad it all ended well.

This book was good, but not my favorite Katherine Center. The face blindness plot worked much better than I feared it was and was impeccably researched, and I really appreciated the way Sadie developed over time and experienced relatable personal growth. It was also well written and I enjoyed the tone and subtle humor, and it was a quick and easy read—I read the whole thing in one evening. I did feel that there were certain characters and plot lines that were just wildly oversimplified, like Parker, and while I don’t mind suspending disbelief for a good romance novel, there were a few things that were just way too coincidental. But overall it was a solid, enjoyable read.

Sadie Montogmery, a Houston artist on the verge of her lucky break, unexpectedly finds herself with one huge problem: due to a sudden health issue followed by surgery, she can’t see faces clearly.

Why is this a problem, you might ask? Sadie has 3 weeks to paint a portrait for a huge competition that could change her life.

As if the whole not-seeing-faces thing wasn’t a problem enough, she find herself dealing with evil-step sister drama, the weird neighbor Joe, her sick dog, and a massive crush on her new veterinarian, Dr. Addison.

Having read and enjoyed Katherine Center’s work before, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Hello Stranger. I went in, as I typically do, completely blind (no pun intended) and I’m so glad I did! I love the author’s writing style, the quick-pace, the humor, and the connection I felt to the characters.

I was rooting for Sadie and Joe from the start and thought their relationship was so sweet and genuine. I loved all of the twists and revelations. Were they predictable? Yes. Was it still enjoyable to read as they unfolded? Yes!

I would definitely recommend this book to friends who are a fan of this genre or author!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

“It wasn’t a real kiss,” I finally said.
“It was real enough.”

-unique and wholesome plot, close proximity, love triangle, lovable characters other than Parker (yuck x a million 🙄🚮)
-after a brain surgery, Sadie develops a conditions where she cannot see faces
-how is a portrait artist supposed to paint without being able to see her subjects 🎨👩‍🎨
-falls for the sweet vet, Dr. Oliver Addison, who saves her dog, Peanut 🐶 but also starts having feelings for her helpful and kind neighbour, Joe
-the ending was predictable but still super fun nonetheless
-thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read this ❤️ I enjoyed it so much!

I absolutely adored this story. I really enjoyed seeing Sadie diagnosed with this unique medical condition and falling in love. I loved seeing the growth of the characters of Sadie and her friendship with Joe. The author weaves in some funny moments throughout while also touching on some deeper themes. Overall a great story/ book. I will highly recommend!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Katherine Center for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Another Katherine Center amazing read!! After placing in an a portrait competition that her mother placed in years ago, Sadie has some traumatic events start spiraling in her life making her lose hope in her chances of winning. The only good thing? Joe. And her dog’s new vet, Dr. Oliver Addison. But when she breaks things off with one, the other ghosts her. Can get life get any worse? Can she turn it around? A unique storyline that is somewhat predictable but also definitely worth the read!!

I’ve read everything Katherine Center has written and have loved most of them. Hello Stranger wasn’t one of my favorites. I learned a lot about face blindness and that was interesting but the painting parts just seemed to drag. Also, I saw the twist coming so it wasn’t a big reveal for me. The wicked stepsister part was a bit unbelievable. No one saw anything that this girl ever did? I don’t buy it.
Overall, a good read, just not a favorite for me.

I have enjoyed Katherine Center books before so I was excited to get a copy of this book. This was a sweet romance and I loved the ending. I read this book slowly and even though I could predict the ending I wouldnt have envisioned it any other way. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Body Guard, I knew I had to read Katherine Center's next book Hello Stranger. And it did not disappoint; I loved it. Maybe not quite as much as The Body Guard, but it was still a fun, enjoyable story that kept me intrigued.

For one thing, I cared about Sadie; she was so human as she tried to adjust to a new way of seeing the world after surgery left her with face blindness. This was a devastating blow to her career as a portrait artist, especially since she was just named a finalist in an important portrait competition. Unfortunately, her emotional well-being also depended on accepting and working within her limitations.

For another thing, I loved the romance. It was not sappy and overdone but authentic and honest. I did see the twist coming, but it did not detract from the love story.

And finally, although the family drama was a bit over the top - I still enjoyed it, especially Sadie's relationship with her best friend and landlord; heartwarming and a joy to read about. This is a fabulous read for fans of Katherine Center and anyone who loves rom-coms.

“I didn’t want to not be okay. I thought, if I just pretended to be fine and not need anyone or anything, that would be enough.”

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist waiting for her lucky break in life. When she finds out she’s been chosen as a finalist in a competition with a prize of $10,000, things finally seem to be going her way. That is, of course, until she ends up in the hospital and finds out she needs brain surgery. The doctors assure her she’ll be recovered in no time and ready for the competition. However, after the surgery, Sadie finds that she can no longer see people’s faces. The doctors assure her the loss of facial recognition is temporary, but the timing is terrible.

Throughout the story, Sadie struggles with her loss of being able to recognize those around her. She suddenly finds that she can no longer trust her senses and perception of her surroundings. Will Sadie finally have her break?

Change is a hard pill to swallow and Katherine Center did a great job writing about the change and struggle that Sadie underwent throughout the story. I felt like Hello Stranger was cute; I liked the premise of it and the characters were relatable (with the exception of the evil step sister). I also entirely identified with Sadie’s refusal of help from others and need to do everything herself. Let’s also not forget that hilarious miscommunication… Good one, Center! Last but not least, I liked that the author included a note about Prosopagnosia at the end to educate readers!

Overall, cute romance with some family drama, laughs & tears, and an overall unique plot. Check it out for yourself when Hello Stranger comes out in July!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger is the story of Sadie, a portrait artist who just made it to a career changing art show when she suddenly has to have brain surgery. Doctors assure her it's a minor surgery, but Sadie ends up with a side effect no one was prepared for - she can no longer recognize faces. We follow Sadie through her journey of trying to paint an award winning portrait, meeting two love interests, and dealing with her cruel step family - all while she is unable to see anyone's face. 

This book was SO CUTE! As a previous psych major, I loved getting to read about a main character who was dealing with prosopagnosia. The storyline of this book was so interesting and intriguing for a romance. The main character Sadie was so relatable and likable and I loved following all of her stories. There were parts in this book that made me laugh out loud and parts that made me want to tear up, it was all truly done so well. 

It took me just a bit to get into this book, but once I did I was hooked and finished it in one sitting! This was my first book by Katherine Center and I cannot wait to read more from her.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC of Hello Stranger.

Katherine Center is a favorite author of mine! Her books are funny, witty, and always has great relationships developing from friends to more AND Hello Stranger was no different. Because she is a favorite author i seldom read what the book is about and was surprised to read about a serious condition that her main character deals with. I was not familar with face blindness prior to reading this book, and her description of what she encountered was vivid. I did some minor research as it was an intriguing topic. She spun a fun, romantic spin on the condition that left you wanting to hear more about her characters. As with many of her books, the characters make a cameo in future books - so I hope to hear more about Sadie and Dr Oliver in the future.

Pick up a copy today!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet read! I loved it from the first page to the author's note! I have previously read Center's book The Bodyguard which I thoroughly enjoyed so I was delighted to see this one available on NetGalley.

Hello Stranger follows a woman named Sadie, who is a struggling artist who has recently earned a spot as a finalist in a portrait competition. She believes this will be her 'big break' and looks forward to proving herself to her father in the same competition that her mother entered and was unable to complete prior to her death. On the night of celebrating her win, Sadie experiences an accident that causes her to undergo brain surgery. She is left with 'facial blindness' six weeks away from her big deadline of completing a final painting for the competition. Throughout all this, she finds herself falling for two men whilst unable to see their faces.

I was really curious to see how the 'facial blindness' topic would be explored in this book. In my opinion, Center beautifully balances a story about hardship - loss of a parent, absent parent, disability, toxic relationships - with romance. Perhaps what I best liked was how the hard feelings and moments were so honest and raw. There weren't any 'quick explanations' to problems, messy relationships weren't chalked up as 'misunderstandings.' The MC's trauma was validated. I loved how the ending and the author's note were intentional about spotlighting positivity and hope amidst the 'ugliness' of humanity.

This book and its characters were REAL. All that said, it was still deeply joyous and lighthearted to read. I started this book and nearly finished it in one setting. As always, Center's books are immersive and so much fun!

I would recommend this to any romance lover or reader looking for a pick-me-up book. It's a quick read that is perfect for a beach day!

This was my very first Katherine Center book, and it absolutely won't be my last. I am so lucky to have gotten this from NetGalley.
While this book was clearly a romance, it was also such a deep dive into trauma, self-confidence, passion pursuit, family struggles, friendship, and so much more. I had never heard of facial blindness and I'm sure the picture I have in my head of what the main character went through isn't realistic, but it made me really wonder what I would do if I couldn't recognize people, or myself. Would it change my perception? Would it challenge me? What could be a really simple story was so wonderfully crafted to make the reader root for the main character in every possible way.
I also love Joe. That's it. No more comments there.
I finished this in just a few hours and is easily my favorite book of '23 to date