I first read Katherine Center last year when I got “The Bodyguard” from Book of the Month. I loved it and knew she’d be a new favorite author! “Hello Stranger” was so much fun, while also including depth to the characters.

I was interested in learning about facial blindness and felt for Sadie as she navigated this set back considering all the anxiety it causes. Joe was a fantastic male lead - mysterious, handsome, funny. I had the ending figured out fairly early but that didn’t matter. Center writes such likable characters that you can’t help but fall in love with them and root for them until the end.

The amount of laugh out loud funny moments makes the book worthwhile, too! I’d definitely recommend this one to anyone!

This was my first Katherine Center book and I absolutely loved it!

Sadie is a portrait artist who’s just gotten her big break. She’s been named one of ten finalists in a huge competition. The same one her mom placed in right before she died. On her way to celebrate her accomplishment, Sadie suffers a seizure and is told she needs brain surgery because she has a cavernoma, and it needs removed before it bursts. Her father demands she have the surgery because an untreated cavernoma is exactly what caused her mother’s untimely death. She’s assured that everything will be fine and she’ll have plenty of time to finish her portrait for the competition. Except Sadie wakes up and everything is not fine. She can’t see anyone’s faces. She’s told that this is sometimes a side effect of the surgery and it usually resolves when swelling from the surgery goes on.

The story that ensues is a fantastic one. Sadie has to learn how to cope and live with her prosopagnosia but she doesn’t want anyone to know. Unable to see faces, she finds herself once again being bullied by her evil stepsister Parker, not recognizing old friends, and falling in love with two different men, her neighbor and her veterinarian. The plot of this story was so unique and refreshing which I think made me love the story even more. When I caught on to the plot twist, I found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how it would play out. From the relatable, lovable characters, to the great slow burn romance of the book, I don’t think I’ll be able to recommend it enough. I will definitely be rereading this one in the future.

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

I absolutely loved this story. It was fresh and so unique. Such a feel good sentimental story!
I didn't see the twist at the end so that was a nice little surprise.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Katherine Center, and Netgalley for this ARC!

Every time I think I've discovered my favorite Katherine Center novel, she comes out with a new one and then I have a new favorite! I'm a huge fan. Hello Stranger was sweet and heart wrenching and hopeful. Even though I could see the twists coming, I couldn't put it down because I was desperate to get to those big reveal moments. Sadie is a flawed protagonist but I was rooting for her so hard! I cannot wait to see what Katherine Center comes out with next.

The first 5 Star read of the year goes to Katherine Center’s newest book!

I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I was fully immersed in Sadie’s life and truly could feel everything. My jaw was definitely hurting by the end of the book!

Pick up the book if you enjoy swoony romantic antics, fabulous main characters, family drama, and some unique plots!

Thank you to Netgalley for this advance reader copy.

Oh gosh. This was so wonderful. And so very clever! The amount of research that Katherine put into this is very obvious. Having an unreliable narrator under these circumstances was perfect. I didn't for a moment stop to think it was unrealistic. It was very predictable, but I absolutely loved how everything unfolded and played out. I saw a lot of myself in Saide which I think helped me connect with her character even more. Five whole stars for this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

"Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces. "

Very much a Katherine Center novel - much like several others of hers I've read. She's very good at bringing the story together through unseen bonds and concluding a story with a feel good ending.

I have posted the link to my review from goodreads. Thanks for the advance copy. Katherine Center did it again.

Pub date: 7/11/23
Genre: romcom
Quick summary: Sadie Montgomery is a portraitist - until a surgical complication leaves her face-blind and struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy. Making things worse, she falls in love with two men - not complicated at all.

Katherine Center's books always feel like a warm hug, and I love that they encourage readers to look on the bright side! Sadie was just a wonderful MC - I was rooting for her so hard as she fought to adjust to her new life. Her dog Peanut was the cutest sidekick, and Sadie's love for him shone through the narrative. The ending and Sadie's reflections made me teary in all the best ways.

This one didn't quite get five stars from me because slowed down a bit in the middle, and I guessed some of the plot twists. But I will still recommend it, and I think it's a lovely story with another great Katherine Center protagonist. It's a perfect match for your summer beach bag! While you're waiting for it to release, you need to read THE BODYGUARD!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have really mixed thoughts on this book. I found the plot line super interesting - the main character undergoes brain surgery early on and develops face-blindness as a result and can't recognize the faces of anyone around her, including herself.

However, even the most interesting plot can't propel a story forward. The first half of this book DRAGGED for me and I struggled to get through it. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because I did really enjoy the second half of the novel.

The book's ~twist~ is also extremely obvious from the beginning, but it was executed nicely and I enjoyed reading the end of the story.

Overall, while it wasn't my favorite book of all time, it was still an enjoyable read at the end and definitely a unique story.

What can I say, Katherine Center is a queen of fun and light romance novels! She knocks it out of the park again with this fun and witty new novel.

I enjoyed this book.Sadie Montgomery has routine surgery and ends up with Facial Blindness. This is very unfortunate for Sadie since she is a portrait artist. You follow Sadies’s journey with the facial blindness. I felt Sadie’s family with the evil step sister didn’t really make sense to me. There is a twist at the end though I felt the end of the story wrapped up to easy. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

Katherine Center is a relatively new find for me, and Hello Stranger did not disappoint! Sadie is a portrait artist who finally hits her big break when adversity hits. Not only does Sadie have to overcome an unexpected surgery and recovery during the opportunity of a lifetime, but she has to face and reconcile the events of her past.

I absolutely love the characters in this story, as well as the story! it feels like I have known every one of them for a lifetime, and Parker is an instant enemy. If you've read it, you know! She is just awful!

You will come away absolutely loving this book! Thank you NetGalley for this delightful romantic comedy. I loved it!

Oh this is the first Katherine Center book I have read, but won’t be the last! This romance (and so much more) about Sadie, an artist, and her story as she loses the ability to see faces through a medical phenomenon is so tender, sweet, and moving. Center’s lessons about family, seeing what you look for, and love resonated with me from page one. The plot moves quickly and despite there being several tropes mixed throughout, the ending isn’t always obvious. I give this book 4.5/5 stars. Thank you Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of the e-book!

Thank you the St. Martin's Press, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sadie is a portrait artist barely scraping by when she gets a big break and is one of ten finalist in a portrait exhibition. While walking home Sadie looses consciousness, when she wakes up in the hospital she learns she has facial blindness. Can she still create a portrait for this exhibition? Can she learn to live with facial blindness? Can she find love?

I loved this book. Katherine Center is quickly become an auto-buy author and she did not disappoint with this one. I love the layers of the book, you have the portrait exhibition, the medical issue, the face blindness, and love. This book had the perfect amount of romance, drama, and laugh out loud moments. I also love how unique the plot was and what I learned throughout the story. Thank you Katherine for another great read!

I didn't love <i>Hello Stranger</i> because it was just a little too much of everything. The premise is just a little bit too outlandish, the female antagonists just a little too cartoon villain and the miser just a little too miserable. I think the art show was the point that pushed me over the edge in terms of finding the book a little too ridiculous. I'm still excited to read other books by Katherine Center, but this one missed the mark for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Hello Stranger is definitely a cute story with some deep emotional undertones. I picked this up without reading the synopsis right after reading Rock, Paper, Scissors and was amazed that I’d picked up two books in a row that discussed prosopagnosia, a disorder that I’d never heard of before. This book goes into depth about the disorder and how it impacts our main character Sadie who is a portrait artist. I found that this book did not pull me in and I’m not really sure why. It was just very slow and I wasn’t super connected to the characters. The supervillain stepsister story was pretty overdone in my opinion and I’d rather the focus have been on her dad. I did think the romance was cute but the “twist” if it was intended that way, was a bit cringe in light of the disorder.

This is my first Katherine Center book and I think I will give another book of hers a try, maybe the Bodyguard.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Oh my stars!! I absolutely was enthralled with the story of a portrait artist who, after brain surgery, can no longer see faces. Her diagnosis is called prosopagnosia and often times is a permanent condition. The way this story unfolded, with layers of family dysfunction, medical conditions, and the love of best friends, both 2 and 4 legged, kept me riveted until the end. I closed this book with a happy heart and the knowledge that just because you appear to live a life without emotional hardships doesn’t mean they aren’t there to see. Ms. Center has become one of my “must read” authors.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book!

This was my first Katherine Center book and I can say confidently it will not be my last. Hello Stranger takes “meet cutes” to a whole new level with main character Sadie experiencing prosopagnosia, or face blindness. Center does an excellent job eliciting the feelings one might have while navigating the world in a new and frightening way. This book also handles parental loss in a beautiful way that makes you feel deeply for the MC and relate if you’ve ever experienced anything similar. Charming and heartfelt, this is a rom com that I really really enjoyed. I laughed and cried and felt satisfied.

I love Katherine Center's books and have read most of them over the years. The plot twist was easy to guess early one but I still enjoyed it. I think Happiness for Beginners is still my favorite. Hello Stranger felt cheesier than her other books, like a beach read.