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.

CUTE! That is the best word to describe this book. Also, I enjoyed how things were handled in the end. My questions and doubts were answered and cleared up. I greatly appreciated the author’s note as well. Also…the dog!!!

*Amazon Editor’s Pick: Best Book of the Year 2023!
*Loved this story!
*Couldn’t put it down
*Learned a lot about Prosopagnosia or face blindness
*I loved how Sadie grew as a person because of her disability-she had to learn how to ask for help from others
*Audiobook ⭐️⭐️⭐️-the character voice distinctions weren’t that great and there was no emotion expressed in the reading

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC and MacMillan Audio for the Audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center does it again. She infuses heart, romance, humor and family dynamics in a way that feels safe to step into.
I read this quite a while ago and I am still thinking of it and its characters. I would say this was the first one where I didn't see the ending clearly for how Center wrote it. Great book!

"Hello Stranger" by Katherine Center is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that explores the transformative power of connection and second chances. Center crafts a compelling story around the characters of Cassie and Will, who navigate the challenges of starting anew after unexpected life changes. The narrative is filled with genuine emotion, humor, and a deep sense of hope. Center's writing is engaging, capturing the nuances of human relationships with warmth and authenticity. "Hello Stranger" is a beautifully written tale of resilience and the unexpected joys that come from embracing life's unpredictable twists, making it a delightful and satisfying read for contemporary fiction enthusiasts.

Absolutely adored this book in every capacity. I love Katherine Center’s writing and the love story she developed. While our main character faced adversity, we watched her grow and develop into a strong female lead. An absolutely delightful story.

My first Katherine Center novel and it was an enjoyable read! I would definitely recommend this author to a friend!

Fast easy read, but with substance. I had an emotional reaction to the characters’ love story which is the mark of a good storyline to me. I also didn’t catch on that the neighbor and the vet were the same person for the longest time, so I appreciated the twist.

I absolutely adored this book. It was so cute and quirky and the perfect light hearted read. I thought the main character, Sadie was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. The face blindness aspect of this book was so unique and so interesting to read about. It really makes you think! Although I guessed the big plot twist pretty early on I still really enjoyed the reveal. I highly recommend this one!

Such a cute cover, I'm sad to say this one was a miss for me.

I just never connected with the MC. I found the evil people in her life just a bit over the top (really, they have nothing else going on in their lives?). I found the lover interests just silly (really, he just rolled with the name?) and at a very odd time in her life. She's falling apart, I have a tough time believing any guy would jump in to be in the middle of her mess.

I did like finding out about face blindness. The author note at the end about it was fascinating and it's definitely something I don't read about often. I also loved the author note about reading and why we tend to sway towards one genre over another. "love is a form of hope" is such a nice idea for why some gravitate to romance. I tend to like horror, thrillers and mysteries, so it makes sense that I struggle to connect with a lot of romance novels.

So take my review with a grain of salt. If this one sounds good for you (and you love this author), grab this one. I bet you'll love it!.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Katherine Center has done it again!! I had such a fun time reading The Bodyguard, so I hard really high hope for this new book. Starting from the first page, I was in love with our characters, the setting, the little details, everything.

Center has a great way of writing sweet and meaningful romances that still have you swooning and itching for more. I love that this was closed door but you could still feel the intimacy, I loved the banter and romance. Everything about this was so fun. It wasn’t a life changing story, but if you’re looking for a sweet romance that is a quick read and a fun time, you’ve come to the right place.

Love love Katharine Center’s books! She writes such heartwarming stories but they also have depth. The characters have growth and are relatable. I have loved all of her books. She is a wonderful author.

I did have a hard time getting into this book. It was not my favorite Katherine Center book. I struggled to connect with Sadie. I also am not a big fan of love triangles so if that’s not your trope, maybe skip this one.

I absolutely adored this book. It was so cute and quirky and the perfect light hearted read. I thought the main character, Sadie was hilarious! Even though I guessed the big plot twist pretty early on I still really enjoyed the reveal. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

such a fun read from katherine center! i read her last book and it was an easy 5 star and this was such a good book as well! she’s definitely an author i will continue to read and buy!

Katherine Center has become a favorite author for me, and her books always feel like a warm hug when I finish.

The characters and storyline were so well written, and I thought this was a fascinating take on prosopagnosia, facial blindness.

While the story does have a bit of a love triangle, I didn’t mind it once I finished because it all came together so well for that HEA I’ve come to expect with Center’s heartfelt and emotional storylines.

I paired the audiobook with the book and loved the immersive reading experience so much.

*many thanks to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

***3.75 Stars***

It’s been some time since I finished Hello Stranger, my first read by Katherine Center which has for a long time been on my radar under authors I had to check out. I started the audiobook sometime in the morning and didn’t realize I had basically finished it by the end of my work day, that’s a sign of a good time. Our Protagonist Sadie is funny and what seems to be accidentally charming, everything seems to be going well when we meet her until it’s not. Living in her bestfriends parents studio space that really was never intended to be lived in, Sadie is trying to accomplish some goals and if that proves her dad wrong along the way then so be it. She’s a Portrait Painter finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition and is on task to produce the painting that will get her a win. It seems attainable until she develops Prosopagnosia, also known as facial blindness. Every face she comes across is unrecognizable seeing as they looked jumbled, all except her cute dog Peanut who she is able to see. Sadie’s path first crosses with her sweet caring neighbor Joe while at the grocery store singing as if she were alone in her shower! (cue our beloved hate-to-love trope) at this time she’s already developed Prosopagnosia and does not know he is her neighbor. I chucked off her rudeness towards him as more of a defense mechanism because of how vulnerable she must’ve been feeling at the start of having facial blindness. I sure would probably be very hesitant talking to any strangers I couldn’t fully recognize.

Fast forward to Sadie needing to take her dog Peanut to the Veterinarian where she meets Dr. Addison who we really don’t know much of but hey, he’s a Doctor so that checks off Sadie’s box. This is where I started feeling a way about our MC even while still fully enjoying seeing her navigate through all of the things being thrown at her all at once. The one moment I was able to connect with Sadie and feel empathy for her character was when she was experiencing a cold front from her father. She doesn’t have a good relationship with her step mother or step sister which leaves her isolated from family. She has this one in a million best friend who has become found family but otherwise she’s alone. Since that aspect of the book really landed with me, I was not left satisfied with how quickly and neatly the family issues were squared away. I wanted more for Sadie even though she wasn’t my favorite Contemporary Romance protagonist. That being said, there’s no denying how hilariously entertaining this was or how compulsively readable it is. I’d be down to give this author another go, I’ve heard great things about The Bodyguard which is on my TBR.

I have been a long time fan of Katherine Center’s - ever since I read Happiness for Beginners back in 2016! - and reading her latest book is always a highlight of my year! Hello Stranger was of course, no exception. I think there is just such a wonderful feeling of comfort going into one of her books. I just know I’m going to enjoy the next several hours of what I’m reading, im going to love the main female character, and I’m going to turn the last page and feel all warm and fuzzy even if I’m a little sad it’s all over.

In Hello Stranger, our main character Sadie suffers from a stroke early in the book which results in a condition called acute prosopagnosia (facial blindness) in which her brain literally cannot see people’s faces. Where one would should see a face, Sadie just sees a jumble of blurred features. I thought this was just fascinating and loved the spin it put on the story. The diagnosis is thought to be temporary, but only time will tell. In the meantime, Sadie, a struggling artist, needs to figure out how to complete her entry of a painted facial portrait for a contest she’s a finalist in, a contest that could really accelerate her career. I also really loved the different ways Sadie attempted to continue painting portraits when she couldn’t even see what she was painting.

And of course, the love story part of the book was super cute and even though I figured out where the story was going, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book at all. Katherine Center, thank you once again, for writing another delightful book for us to devour and enjoy.