Sadie Montgomery has just placed as a finalist in a huge (for her) competition. It’s been her lifelong dream to make it into the competition. But an accident puts her in the hospital, and she ends up with face blindness. The doctors tell her it’s probably temporary, but as an artist, it’s definitely devastating news. Now, she can’t recognize people, so her dreams seem to be going down the drain.

Sadie really loves her dog, Peanut. He’s 14, and when he got sick, she was freaking out. I was honestly worried that Peanut wasn’t going to make it. It just reminded me of my dog, because like Sadie, I’m very attached to my dog. Also, Peanut doesn’t like dog food and neither does my dog.

Anyway, Sadie learned to adapt to her temporary condition, and she stood up for herself against her POS stepsister, Parker. Seriously, I hated Parker. She was the WORST. And I was so irritated that no one believed Sadie over her Parker.

But back to Peanut. So when Sadie rushed him to the vet, she formed a connection with the veterinarian, Dr. Addison. He did save Peanut’s life, after all. But, she also started getting attached to her neighbor, Joe, who always wore a bowling jacket, which is how she identified him.

Joe was really so sweet. He was ALWAYS helping his neighbors, including POS..I mean, Parker (yes, the evil b*tch moved into their building). Anyway, Joe was just a great guy, all around. He saved Sadie’s life…in more ways than one.

There was a slight miscommunication, but it actually made sense in this case. And I really didn’t see it coming, though I did guess correctly about Joe being the guy in the very beginning. Also, Parker got her karma, so f*ck yeah.

Anyway, this was my first Katherine Center book, but I look forward to reading more from this author.

What a sweet romance! Was it obvious what was going to happen? Of course. Did it take away from my enjoyment? Absolutely not. Katherine does a great job writing adorable romance novels

I really, really liked this story! The unique premise that incorporates neurocognitive dysfunction got my attention, but I stayed for the emotional journey with a fabulous cast of characters. It has everything from the charming divorcee upstairs, to the evil step sister. There are several twists and turns I did not see coming. Overall the story just felt fresh!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book by Katherine Center is about a woman named Sadie who suffers from a neurovascular issue called cavernoma and prosopagnosia. Sadie's father disapproves of her life choices, and after losing her mother, her life changes. She has a seizure and finds out she needs surgery for cavernoma. After the surgery, she can't see people's faces and falls for two men. She has to make a choice. The book is emotional, inspirational, and heartwarming. I give it five stars. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing the digital reviewer copy.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ⭐️
HELLO STRANGER
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: chick lit/romance
📖 336 pages
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🎨🐶🌫️😮🩺🥼💕

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy!

HELLO STRANGER is an absolute delight. The cuteness factor is off the charts 📈 , & while some elements are predictable, the overall enjoyment surpasses any predictability. The story evoked a myriad of emotions, delivering that signature depth characteristic of Center's work.

The heartwarming tale revolves around Sadie Montgomery, grappling with face blindness post-accident. Amidst the funny mishaps, the plot thickens with the added complexity of her recent invitation to a competitive art 🎨 competition. And it wouldn’t be a true love story if the leading lady wasn’t struggling with 1, but 2 men right? Sadie's journey is endearing, & her character's growth left me truly impressed. She is 💯 a bigger person than me 😅

The novel's charm lies in its ability to keep you hooked, & I even found myself pondering the mystery of how Sadie managed her makeup without sight for a good portion of the story 😂 .

Center's narrative prowess shines through once again, delivering a captivating romance that balances humor, depth, & the unpredictable nature of love. Sadie's character, despite the challenges she faces, resonates with readers, making this a must-read for anyone seeking a heartwarming & engaging romantic tale.

⚠️ death of a parent, bullying

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ animals
◽️ art 🖼️
◽️ romance with a twist
◽️ forgiveness

I loved Katherine centers the bodyguard. This one was harder to get into at first but I did end up connection to the characters and truly feeling their connection! It felt like something was holding back. Thoroughly enjoyed and know it is going to be popular !

I had high expectations but this just didn’t meet it. The writing from Sadie’s POV felt very juvenile. The condition is really hard to imagine. The ending was pretty predictable. Will definitely read more about face blindness though as it sounds fascinating.

Center weaves words in a way that's incredibly easy to read. I've loved some of her other titles, and was very excited to dive into this one! The premise is unique (a portrait artist who develops face blindness), main characters Joe and Sadie were likeable, the romance wasn't too cheesy, and the conflict didn't feel overused. Unfortunately, multiple points of conflict were built up and left unresolved. I was left wishing for just a bit more.

It was an easy, entertaining read but likely won't leave a long-lasting impression.

This romcom between a woman with face blindness and the two men she’s torn between was a fun read. This wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book, but still worth diving into if you’re in the mood for a sweet, fun romance.

I found this just too light and predictable BUT I did enjoy it for an airplane read. Katherine Center writes perfect PG romances, which is why she sells so well to a demographic of our customers, but I hoped this might have a bit more depth! I will continue to read her.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Katherine Center, and I found the writing to be okay but the story was not for me. I did not once become connected to the story or characters at all, and if anything I mostly just felt annoyed. I don't have much to say about the book, as I dnf'd it at 60%, but I will say that the fmc was delusional 🤣. I am on a path of putting books down when I really don't want to read them, and this was one of those cases. There are so many great books in the world and I would rather not waste all of my time on one that I am not enjoying. However, I do still look forward to reading The Bodyguard by Katherine Center.

I don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. I’ve picked it up and put it back down several times. But now that I’ve read it, I wish I had read it sooner. I loved it. Such a sweet sweet book that was hilarious and inspiring at the same time. Yes, I could totally see the ending “twist” but I think the point was that we were all knowing as the reader and the main character was completely in the dark. I highly recommend this. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that I took entirely too long to read.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist on the verge of her big break. She's finally earned a spot in the portrait competition she's dreamed of her entire life.

And then, in a freak accident, she ends up with a condition where faces look like jumbled puzzle pieces— not good for someone who needs to paint a realistic portrait in just a few weeks!

On top of the painting drama, Sadie has TWO potential paramours— the charming vet and the bad boy neighbor with a bomber jacket.

Will she get her vision back in time to compete? Which man will she choose? You're going to have to read to find out!

I love that Katherine Center sets her novels in Texas towns, so reading them always feels like a hug from home!

This novel follows Sadie Montgomery, a painter, who temporarily loses her ability to recognize faces after brain surgery. Unfortunately, Sadie is a portrait artist. Despite not being able to recognize faces, Sadie decides to continue with the portrait contest. During this trying time, Sadie meets two men. She meets a charming veterinarian as well as "Joe" who lives in her building; who appears to be her annoying neighbor. Sadie navigates falling in love, saving her career and confronting her past including the death of her mother and her emotionally unavailable father. The characters are likable. This novel did not disappoint.

I am so intrigued by acquiring face blindness. I liked the full circle moments of the FMC and artistic ties, plus her relationships with the people in her life. I laughed, I cried, I lauded Katherine Center for the piece of work she is, in creating this little delight. It was a sweet little palette cleanser.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a Katherine Center book!! The quirks! The emotionally rich story!!

The trouble I had with this one was that there were a lot of mental hurdles to overcome to enjoy this story. Mainly relating to things that were unsaid that just didn’t add up.

I think the idea was compelling despite some truly overdone “villains.” But in typical KC fashion, it all came together by the end.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I read The Bodyguard last year and while it made me laugh and had some pretty good romance moments, I didn't like it all in all. Maybe I'm just not a fan of this author and her writing. I couldn't stand the heroine like at all. And please do not get me started on the misunderstanding and miscommunication trope. (insert eye roll here). I wanted to love this one, I really did. The synopsis got me and the overall layout of the story should've been great. Sadly it was another miss.

Love this! Katherine Center writes the most relatable female characters and just the sweetest romance novels. I have yet to read one I didn't like. As someone who works in the medical field, reading about Sadie's Prosopagnosia was really interesting. I love quirky MCs and the things that Sadie had to deal with were quite laughable at times. Definitely recommend this one!

I like Katherine Center’s works and so I will be honest and say I selected this one without reading anything about it. It was a super cute rom-com and oddly one that works only as a book and wouldn’t really work as a movie. It took me a minute to figure out the whole truth of the love triangle. I enjoyed the story a lot, but I struggled with Sadie as she felt a bit more self-absorbed than I wanted in my heroine….I know it worked better for the plot overall if she asked no questions, but it made me struggle to like her. I really liked Peanut and Joe and the Kims. Sadie is struggling to make it as a portrait artist, following in her mother’s footsteps despite her father pushing her to go to medical school. Right after she becomes a finalist for a portrait contest she discovers she needs brain surgery and a byproduct of this life saving surgery is that she can’t see faces anymore.

I really enjoyed the unique concept for this novel, which, in typical Katherine Center style, is much more than a simple romance. Sadie, a portrait artist, is hit by a bus, undergoes brain surgery and emerges with (hopefully temporary) face blindness. She can no longer recognize the faces of even the people she has seen many times before, As she adjusts to her new difficulty in observing the world, and does her best to conceal it, she also finds herself drawn to both the local veterinarian and a guy who lives in her building. The way Center uses the face blindness in the love story is nothing short of brilliant. I guessed what she was doing perhaps a bit earlier than I was meant to, but this didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. This was both a fascinating look into a different way of seeing the world and an adorable, believable romance.