HOLY CRAP THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE. I AM JUST SO STUNNED RIGHT NOW AND WHY IS IT OVER??

Okay, first off, I started this novel and felt that it was going a little slowly. But thankfully it picked up fairly quickly and oh my god did it get so much better. The plot, the characters, the research that Katherine Center did--all so amazing and incredible. I never felt like anything was dumbed down, but I was also able to understand along with Sadie.

The twist at the end-- it wasn't really a twist because I figured it out early on. However, I would have been so disappointed if I was wrong, so I'm so glad that I was right even though it wasn't a surprise.

After I finished reading I just sat on my bed for ten minutes and stared at the wall. I literally just sat there thinking about how amazing this book was.

A VERY WELL DESERVED FIVE STARS.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Katherine Center for the ARC! This beauty comes out later this year on July 11th!

REVIEW: Hello Stranger

Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle Advanced Copy
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4.5)

Summary:

Sadie Montogmery, a struggling portrait artist, has finally hit a stride of good luck when she is chosen as a finalist in an art competition. She only has six weeks to come up with her best work when she unexpectedly has to have brain surgery.

The doctors tell her it isn’t a big deal and she will be back to herself in no time. However, after the surgery Sadie can see everything around her but one thing: people’s faces. Some would say facial blindness is not a convenient thing for a portrait artist to have.

Throughout these six weeks, her beloved dog, Peanut, gets sick. She takes him to the vet where she meets Dr. Addison, who promptly asks her out on a date. But, she doesn’t want him or anyone else to know about her facial blindness, especially not her annoying neighbor, Joe. As Sadie tries to save her career, manage two developing crushes, and confront her dysfunctional family, she realizes happiness can be found in places you least expect.

Review:

I was so excited to be able to read this before it comes out in July, because The Bodyguard was one of my favorite romances last year! This book is so sweet and very funny, and really cemented the fact that I just love Katherine Center’s writing.

I thought the the story was so clever and definitely not something that I have read in romance before. This is for sure going to be a hit when it is released later this year!

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

4 / 5

This book was a cute quick rom com read about an artist who loses her ability to see faces but through it learns how to truly see the world around her.

Was it the best book ever? No.
Was it the perfect little book to spend a Sunday night reading ? Yes.

Main character is well written, the love interest is actually interesting and the plot while a bit of a stretch moved quickly.

I desperately wanted to like this book. I have read most of Katherine's past novels and have enjoyed them. I loved her most recent work, The Bodyguard, and rated it one of my top reads of last year. I was so surprised that Hello Stranger fell flat for me.

While it was interesting to learn about prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder where you cannot detect facial features (face blindness), there was way too much time spent describing it. For some reason I just did not feel or connect with the main character's journey with it. The ending and "twist" was insanely predictable, and not in a comforting way- in an annoying way. The protagonist, her evil stepsister, was so unbelievably mean and outrageous that it was comical. I am so sad that I didn't like this one.

I am really interested to see what others have to say about it! I'm sure there will be many that adore it.

Oh, how I love Katherine Center. She is my hero. The Bodyguard was one of my favorite books of 2022. I really liked Hello Stranger. It was such a unique premise which made it really interesting to read. It was cute, emotional, and funny - with a fun twist. I just wish there was more romance between the two main characters. I would have loved one more chapter before the prologue of them just being happy after their miscommunication. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

Thank you so much for the ARC!!
This was such a good book. I was immediately drawn into the story and could tell that I would love Sadie.
This book has everything.
*Starving artist
*Funny meet cute (kinda)
*Precious dog
*BRAIN SURGERY
and of course Joe and dreamy vet guy.
(I did guess the little *twist* early on but still loved it)

I absolutely adored this book. 5 stars.

Why haven’t I read more books by the amazing Katherine Center? Her latest masterpiece “Hello Stranger” is funny and uplifting, as well as serious and emotional. Sadie is my new hero as she faces a complex medical condition that changed everything about her life. She desperately wished her beloved mom, Nora, was still alive to help guide her through this difficult time. The special memories Sadie has about her mom brought tears to my eyes as I realized how close they were when she was growing up. I admired Sadie’s kind heart, her zest for life and her ability to ignore the naysayers as she traveled down her own road to success! The brightest light in Sadie’s life is her dog Peanut, a spry and energetic 14 year old Maltese/Yorkie mix. I worried along with Sadie when Peanut became ill, as she bundled him up and walked as fast as she could to the emergency vet, praying he could save his life.

Sadie faced her illness with courage and humor as she bravely navigated the world of faceless strangers. Sadie needed to rely on her other senses to help her recognize her friends, acquaintances and her annoying family members. Romance was in the air for Sadie as she fell in love with Peanuts veterinarian Oliver, and also her helpful neighbor, Joe. I found Oliver to be more like a book boyfriend, too good to be true whereas Joe made Sadie laugh, kept her company when she was sad, and was always there with a tender hug. Sadie showed the world that with determination and the help of good friends and the man of her dreams, life goes on and the future is what you make it. Sadie had a decision to make though, and it was a big one. Which handsome man, vying for her attention, would win her heart?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

This was more of a 3.5 star read for me. I had never heard of face blindness before this book, so that was really interesting. I was so annoyed by her step sister. You were supposed to be, but it got to a point where it felt like it didn’t need to be that big of a plot point. It gave it a Cinderella-esque feel and just felt like it was doing too much and taking away from the rest of the story. Another thing that I didn’t like that goes hand in hand was the story about the bullied friend from HS and how she randomly showed up at the perfect moment. It just felt unbelievable in a way that wasn’t needed, and would have not been in the book if the stepsister storyline wasn’t so overdone. Overall, I enjoyed this one and enjoyed the friendship and the romance. I just wished the book had attempted to do a little less.

As per usual, Katherine Center did it again! Excellent character development, great storyline, and another book I will be recommending.

This is my second Katherine Center book(previously read The Bodyguard), and I find her books to be warm and comforting. I thought the premise of this book was interesting where the MC is an artist dealing with face blindness. However, the romance missed the mark a little for me. The romance felt a little forced and far-fetched. I enjoyed the way the book wrapped-up and found Sadie (the MC) to be very loveable. The cover is absolutely stunning. Thank you to St. Martin’s press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Hello Stranger is a solid five stars read. It’s my first Katherine Center, and now I know I want more and more and more of her writing!

Sadie, a struggling portrait artist, is finally about to have her big break when she places as a finalist in a huge competition. But she suddenly has to have brain surgery which changes her life. Suffering from face blindness in the aftermath, Sadie must discover how to overcome her struggles in life, painting, family, and falling in love.

Sadie is a very unique character that really drew me in and had me absolutely obsessed. She’s a little quirky in a fun, sing to the music in the grocery aisle kind of way.

As she struggles through her face blindness, she begins to grow as an artist and a person. The romance is super sweet on this, but it doesn’t feel like you could call this just a romance book. It was so much more than that.

Hello Stranger was a cute, feel-good self-discovery that made me feel as if I was growing with the main characters while also staying light and funny. And you can’t not mention her adorable dog Peanut. I HIGHLY recommend. #oneforthebookshelf

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC!

Sadie is the definition of a starving artist. She finally gets her big break as a finalist in an elite portrait competition. But then Sadie has an incident and discovers she need brain surgery. After surgery she learns she has face blindness that could or could not be permanent. Sadie begins searching for ways to paint a portrait without actually being able to the subjects face.

Every book I have read by Katherine Center has been excellent. This is no exception. This book has a lot going on and I loved every bit it. A love triangle, a senior dog and legit evil stepsister just to name a few!

4.5⭐️rounded up!

This book was so cute and sweet! I read quite a lot of rom coms and this one was so unique with such lovely and endearing characters.

Sadie is a portrait artist who unexpectedly needs brain surgery. As a result of this surgery, she suddenly has face blindness -- which is hopefully temporary. As Sadie figures out how to continue painting portraits as well as navigate this new way of interacting with the world, she meets and starts accepting help from her neighbor Joe.

The romance in this book is definitely a slow burn but I thought it was just perfect. All the characters are so sweet and unique, and it's impossible not to love Sadie and truly want the best for her. Her best friend Sue, and Sue's parents, are great supporting characters and their love for Sadie is so apparent.

Sadie shows so much growth as a person through this book -- in a very real and authentic way. She has had a strained relationship with her father, as well as a negative one with her step-mother and step-sister, and I thought all of those were written so well.

So much of this book had me smiling and I couldn't put it down -- all the qualities I look for in a rom com!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely adored this book! I read it in one day, I couldn't put it down.

I honestly felt Sadie was a little immature in the beginning and wasn't sure how I would like her character, but ended up loving her and seeing her growth throughout the book. You can't help but root for her. There was a lot of emotion and drama and laughs throughout. I also thought the face blindness was very interesting and the story had me captivated.

This story was so unique and heartwarming. I love it.


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:
Love isn’t blind, it’s just a 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.

This is the third book I’ve read by Katherine Center, and I loved it just as much as the other two! She has a way of balancing humor and heart that comes through in every novel, and I am so glad I had the chance to read this one early.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Katherine Center’s books have become some of my most anticipated reads each year. I’ve been thrilled to be blessed with advanced copies the last two years. She’s an author that you know will deliver a “feel good” story, and this was no exception.

When (not if) you pick this book up, might I encourage you to read the Author’s Note first? Romance and rom coms have a certain reputation—they’re supposedly not “as good” or worth reading because they’re “light” reads. I’ve long struggled to put into words why so many people are drawn to them, especially since the pandemic. Center does a beautiful job of describing two things in her Author’s Note—

1. Why we’re drawn to romance stories
2. Why they’re worth reading

I wish I had read her Author’s Note *before* reading the book. I love how she describes romance novels as not just being predictable (which has a negative connotation), but that these love stories create anticipation. That anticipation is full of hope. I don’t want to butcher her note to her readers, but please do yourself a favor and read it first.

Center does a magnificent job presenting a character who has a unique medical experience—a seizure, followed by brain surgery, which presents itself with some unfortunate side effects, the primary of which is face blindness (prosopagnosia). I have only ever seen this featured in a book once before, but it wasn’t memorable beyond the unique medical diagnosis. This story line focuses heavily on Sadie’s struggles with face blindness, especially since she’s a portrait artist!

In addition to Sadie’s struggle with face blindness and her job as a portrait artist, she finds herself in a love triangle with Dr, Addison (her dog’s handsome vet) and the unlikely neighbor in her apartment building, Joe. Sadie is determined to keep her diagnosis to herself, but with that will come a host of complications. Will she be able to overcome her frustrations and insecurities? Well, you’ll have to read to find out.

One line that particularly stuck out to me was this—
“It forces me to reevaluate some ideas that I’d never questioned about who we all are and what it all means. Because things were so overwhelming, I had no choice but to accept some help. And then I found out that letting people help you isn’t so bad.”
That spoke to me in a way I desperately needed to hear, and I know many other women will resonate with this, as well.

Katherine Center, you did a fantastic job of doing what you set out to do—creating fantastic anticipation in a story that I didn’t want to let go of. I look forward to reading anything you publish!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Be sure to pick this up with it’s released in July!

Format: ARC

I haven’t yet read the other popular book written by this author but now I’m moving it to the top of the list. I loved “Hello Stranger.” Even if I anticipated the twists and turns of the plot. Even if Sadie has face-blindness and doesn’t tell anyone. Even if Joe is a womanizing weasel who also is steadily helpful whenever Sadie is having a tough time…just loved it. Happily read it in one sitting.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC!

The premise of this book sounds like a far fetched episode of Greys Anatomy. An accident that leads to sudden face blindness? For a portrait artist who has to see faces? Who is in a portrait painting competition in just a few weeks?
When I tried describing it to someone I started laughing because of how ridiculous the plot sounded. Somehow, it was the cheeriest feel good novel that was fun, clever, and really satisfying. It was a warm hearted rom-com that had moments of depth. My favorite unexpected part of the book was all of the details about how portrait painting works. You can tell that the author researched a ton and she included multiple stories about artists, galleries, and techniques that were enjoyable to learn about
Katherine Center is such a fantastically consistent author. I have read the majority of her catalog and have yet to walk away from one of her books disappointed. Even if you originally laugh at the premise of sudden face blindness from a portrait artist, I have a feeling you will end up loving this book!

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, so I have been anxiously awaiting her newest release, Hello Stranger. I literally jumped for joy at the chance to read an eARC from NetGalley! I loved this book.

Hello stranger was so much fun! As someone from the Houston area, I always love when a book is set here and the author represents it well. This book surprised me several times. It’s is funny and romantic but it also tackles some serious issues as well. Learning more about Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness) and what it’s like for those who have it was so interesting. I also felt like it made this story stand out, as it’s definitely a unique plot device. I also throughly enjoyed all the fun side characters in this novel, especially Peanut! I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

At first I wasn't sure about this book I was 40% in and going ... why did I add this book! But I am glad that I kept going and reading Hello Stranger. This book will give you all the feels and more!

The main character Sadie is a finalist in a portrait drawing competition in the top 10 to be more specific. Her mom was in the same contest that she was working hard in currently but she passed away when she was younger. Sadie was diagnosed amidst the time crunch of the portrait painting with something wrong with her brain and needing brain surgery and atlfter the brain surgery she got acquired Prosopagnosia (aka face blindness). It changes the way that she to paint in the portrait for the contest. And within this timeframe of 6 weeks when it it is due soooo many thing happen to Sadie. She likes two different guys (well she thinks they are two different guys) Joe and Dr. Oliver Addison (Veterinarian for Peanut her dog). And then comes in her evil step sister Parker who has been traumatizing her for as long as she has been in her life 6 months after her mom passed away.

Quotes I enjoyed and agree with:

"Confirmation Biased: Basically we tend to decide on what the world is and who people are and how things are - and then we look for evidence that supports what we've already decided. And we ignore everything that doesn't fit."

"The more good things you look for, the more you find."

In order to understand all the things. Definitely check out this book! I promise it does become a good read. And romance is the mushy kind that you want to keep reading. No spice in this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️