I have loved the books I’ve ready by Katherine Center, particularly The Bodyguard last year, and was excited to get an early copy of Hello Stranger.

The face blindness was an intriguing aspect, and though it it is real the way it was described made me trouble understanding and believing it. The romance was cute and I do enjoy how it’s not the center of her books, but there’s a lot of self growth and discovery.

But there were so many annoying storylines that just made me angry while reading. Parker is absolutely horrible and I couldn’t understand that she did such horrible things and got away with blaming Sadie and nobody even questioned it. Bullying another girl to the point that she tried to commit suicide, and Sadie is blamed for it even though it was her best friend, and her own father so easily accepted that and kicked her out? It just seemed glossed over for such serious actions. I wish there had been more resolution to that part of the story. And then Sue, for being Sadie’s best friend, seemed to abandon her so easily at such a pivotal time in Sadie’s life.

Overall this was cute, and I liked the self growth and romance aspects, but there were many things that annoyed me. The first half of the book I found to be a bit slow and disjointed as well, though once I hit the 50% mark I was more invested. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Just finished this book a couple days ago and...This book was So Good! Funny, yet deep in lots of ways! I loved the 2 main characters! And the ending surprised me so much it made me want to go back and reread it to see if I could see things differently the second time around now that I know!

Another great Katherine Center book! Love the characters! Fun, quick read! Will recommend to others for sure!

Hello Stranger is a delightful contemporary romance novel that follows the story of Sadie who is a potrait artist. After a medical emergency she has trouble painting because of face blindness. She falls in love with two men but really can't see either of them. This makes for some awkward situations.

This is an engaging and easy to read romance. Sometimes you just need to read something to feel good. With everything going wrong in Sadie's life there are also good things happening. The story is full of humor and heart. This is the second Katherine Center book that I have read. I definitely enjoy her writing style and will be reading more of her books. If you are looking for an enjoyable read that will have you laughing and rooting for Sadie and hoping her world will right itself then this is a book for you.

The Author's note is also excellent. It tells the reader how Katherine Center started writing romances. It is very interesting and I recommend reading it.

Thank you to #netgalley, #KatherineCenter, and #StMartinsPress for a copy of this book.

Here's the thing. I LOVE Katherine Center's books. I was so hoping this would be another favorite but it struggled a little for me.

*spoilers!*

I really couldn't handle how over the top awful Sadie's family was. It was practically Cinderella retold with how ostracized she was and how horribly every last one of them treated her. And somehow the very real abuse and gaslighting she suffered had a pretty bow tied on it at the end? That's the kind of shit you work out in therapy. And it's really important to validate what happened to you and not sweep it under the rug for a smiley happy weekly dinner just because cruella now lives in Amsterdam. I normally see her books as so real and beautiful since they handle tragedy and chaos with grace and romance, but this was a very flat answer to a cartoonish villain.

Also, the author kind of calls herself out for her own trope of "if only they would talk to each other, the plot would resolve" so that was a tired plot device. But hey, I love romance novels, so I won't get too picky.

*/end spoilers*

I still give it a 4 out of 5. I'm a tough critic, but I absolutely enjoyed my time speeding through the story. It can be a little heavy handed in forcefeeding some platitudes that seem like a shallow bandaid fix when they measure against the brazenness of the antagonist (her life was so hard too, maybe we shouldn't be angry with her 🙄) but mostly I remember the evocative storytelling for a good romance.

Recommend!

Katherine Center has done it again.
She’s a master of the pull into a book. The angle to grab and keep you reading, not wanting to set it down. (I read this in a day!)

The story was about Sadie who has a sudden medical condition that caused her to have to learn how to see people again – literally and figuratively. (Her condition was a real phenomenon, so that was very gripping to learn about.) I won’t spoil, but Sadie needed to learn to navigate her condition, which forced her to tackle some inner issues. She needed to learn to see and appreciate the people around her, how to ask for help, and learn not to take life for granted. All the while, the male love interest may be the perfect man, but she needs to get past her own confirmation bias to see it…

The story was super creative and lovable, and really dug in deep to make you rethink your own world.

We love romance novels for their happy endings and the lead up through angst and trials and tribulations to get there. This book was the same - but a very different take on the miscommunication trope. You will be hooked on hope and anticipation for that happy ending. I loved it. #IYKYK

“Knowing how much I used to be missing has taught me to pay better attention.”

Oh I just loved this book!! It was a “love story that created fantastic anticipation” (read it so you’ll understand this reference).

I need to read all of @katherinecenter’s backlist because it feels like she does good research on the attributes of her main characters. In this story, our main character Sadie has a medical emergency that leads her to have prosopagnosia, or face-blindness. I found myself googling things about it at many points throughout the story. It feels like she writes her characters with care as opposed to using it as strictly a plot-device or twist.

There were plot twists I did not see coming. There were moments that brought the characters together in really sweet ways, and moments that drove them apart in ways I wanted to yell at them to fix it. They were cute. Their stories had depth. I loved some of the main character’s inner dialogue.

There’s an author’s note at the end and I soaked up every word of it. Katherine, you nailed it. “Because tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice” 😭🥰

This beauty will publish July 11 so go get a slurpee and pick this baby up!

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. It brings me joy to have read and reviewed it!

10*stars
I can't describe in words how much I loved this book. You feel like you received a big hug after you're done with it.
So many beautiful lessons and so many beautiful feelings that you get from reading it. It was an experience.

Hello Stranger is a cute, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking rom-com with a bit of a twist. Sadie is a struggling artist who has suddenly lost her ability to see faces. This makes creating the perfect portrait for an upcoming competition next to impossible. Throw in a wicked stepsister, a jerky neighbor, and a sick dog, and you have a story filled with both devastating and comical misunderstandings. I appreciated the author’s note at the end regarding anticipation and hope! This is the first book I have read from Katherine Center, and I can’t wait to read more! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Wow. My second read from Katherin Center and I must say I was even more impressed. This book touched on so many necessary topics that you won't be able to not stay entertained. The main character Sadie trys to work through life after she's had surgery on a brain tumor which leaves her with face blindness. Her journey trying to cope with family issues, her career, and then falling in love while trying tot balancing the diagnosis made this book a page turner. Can't wait for the next read!

Katherine Center has provided her fans with another feel good contemporary fiction romance novel. I am constantly looking forward to the pick-me-up I get from reading her books and I know that it is the perfect antidote if I've just read an emotionally heavy or difficult novel.

Sadie, the main character, is a struggling portrait artist whose life seems to have more ups and downs than a roller coaster. She meets a handsome veterinarian and then ends up having brain surgery after an accident. She is chosen to compete in a prestigious art show but ends up with face blindness. Then, she meets an adorable guy in her building, but she doesn't want to admit to him that she can't see his face. Her stepmother drives her crazy and her stepsister has basically ruined Sadie's life since high school and shows no signs of stopping. Loves and losses and numerous challenges force Sadie to reevaluate her goals in life, even when a certain surprise changes everything. Definitely read the Author's Note at the end of the book and her perspective on writing love stories.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC of another great Katherine Center book!

This book!!!! I adore it so much. I went into this one blind (ironic, if you actually read the synopsis), and I pretty much immediately fell in love after one page. I have read one other book about face blindness, so it was very fun to stumble upon another randomly. Reading about love when one person can’t recognize who they’re falling in love with is so special. I did see the “twist” coming, but as this isn’t a mystery novel, I don’t find that a big deal.

This book is pure sugar, swoon-worthy, and I truly did not want it to end. You need to put it on your radar now!

(Now I don’t want to start a new book bc I need to savor this giddiness)

5⭐️ for all the vibes!

(Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc)

Review

Hello Stranger By Katherine Center

Sadie is a struggling artist who discovers she has a lesion on her brain that requires immediate surgery. A rare side effect from the procedure causes her to no longer be able to see people's faces. While she's still reeling from this new development, she starts to develop feelings for her dreamy veterinarian and her problematic neighbour at the same time.

I loved this book. I felt that a character suffering from Prosopagnosia was a really original idea. I loved the way that Sadie and Joe's relationship developed. She catches feelings for him similar to a lot of romance novels, but she's doing it without really being able to see him. I also liked the way her family dynamic played out, even if I was tempted to strangle certain members of her family on more than one occasion.

This is my first time reading a Katherine Center book. The Bodyguard has been on my TBR list for months, but halfway through reading Hello Stranger, I bought it!

Wow! Katherine Center did not disappoint with this book. I love that all her books are so different and this book brought to light an uncommon medical condition that was devastating to the main character. The magic was how the author portrays the progression of life with a new medical condition and how that changes her life. This one was a complete 5-star for me, so just pick it up. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Katherine Center does it again with an incredibly written rom-com. As in Center’s Things You Save in a Fire and The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger has a main character who is trying to overcome an internal struggle before she can let herself love and be loved. Center’s writing always made me laugh and cry, and there are so many profound lines in it, especially in the closing chapter. READ IT.

What a good book! read it in one day.
The characters were relatable and fun (except for Parker).
Ilearned about Prosopagnosia.
felt for Sadie.
When knew, I knew! It made me smile.
The writing was a delight.

Katherine Center never disappoints! I've enjoyed each of her releases and Hello Stranger is no different! I could not put this down. Her author's note put it best when it spoke about hope. How romance is a comfort for so many because it gives us hope and something to look forward to. Hello Stranger follows Sadie Montgomery, an artist who is diagnosed with face blindness following an accident. This book was unique, quirky, and filled with love. It truly filled my heart with so much joy! I can't to see what Katherine Center releases next and can't wait to sing the praises of this to everyone I know for the next few months! Thank you so much for the advanced reader copy.

You will laugh, you will cry, you will swoon, and laugh and cry and swoon again. This story of Sadie and Joe and Dr Addison is so powerful and uplifting.

Katherine Center has such a skill for building storylines and creating unique characters that are both the light enough for my tired brain to decipher and serious enough to stay clear of the too sappy lane.

I found Hello Stranger developed at a slow burn pace while remaining unputdownable. It has easily climbed the ranks as one of my favorites that she has put out.

I enjoyed learning about facial blindness and loved Sadie's pad thai loving dog, Peanut, just as much as the other main characters-if not more.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a gifted copy

My first taste of Katherine Center’s stories was The Bodyguard. Since then, I have devoured almost all of her books and have enjoyed every one. I appreciate her quirky, real characters along with the satisfaction and joy that comes with the resolution of each story.

Hello Stranger was nothing short of my expectations. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and enjoyed the anticipation and nourishment of the love story! Learning more about acquired face blindness was an added bonus and made me appreciate the development Sadie’s character went through in the story. Word to the wise, don’t skip out on the Author’s Note!

Thank you, NetGalley and Katherine Center, for the opportunity to read the ARC. I definitely stayed up past my bedtime getting lost in this beautiful story!