I had previously read 2 books by Katherine Center and was happy to receive this one as an ARC. It has a unique plot line with Sadie's face blindness and great characters (including Peanut!). You can't help but want Sadie to succeed with both her career and her love life! It was funny and sweet and proves that sometimes you just have to take life one day at a time!

This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed every second!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Firstly, Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-Advanced Reader Copy.

2.5 Stars

I was very excited to get an ARC of this book because I heard great things about the author, but I just couldn’t get into it. I loved the cover. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, however, it seemed to drag out and felt too long. I became bored and uninterested.

I feel like there were some relatable aspects; Sadie’s relationship with her family and her struggle with her prosopagnosia diagnosis. Although I don’t have this, some people may have it and find it relatable. I found this relatable because of the way she struggled to interact with people because of her inability to see their faces and her embarrassment. I have a disorder that I too find it hard to interact with people because I feel embarrassed or feel like I can’t tell them about it. This brings me to Dr. Nicole. She was one of my favorite characters because she was very straightforward and honest.

The things I didn’t like as much about this book were the main character Sadie, her best friend, and the dialogue. I believe Sadie was meant to come off as a very independent and strong willed person. However, she seemed quite rude to me, which really put me off with the entire story. Sadie’s best friend was a bit too much for me as well, annoying and kind of egotistical. I found that the dialogue almost jumbled together at times and was hard to understand. The internal dialogue of questions/rhetorical questions was just odd. Maybe this writing style isn't for me.

Hello Stranger was such a fun and easy book to read. Initially, I didn’t think I’d be able to finish the book because I disliked the main character, Sadie, so much. However, as her backstory unfolded, she became a much more complex and relatable character. Katherine Center does a great job writing dynamic characters.
This is an unabashed romance that satisfies a reader’s craving and hope for happy endings.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley

Emotional yet breezy in a way only Katherine Center can do! I devoured this in one sitting. Reading Sadie’s story was a treat.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book

I loved this charming, heartwarming, funny book even though I figured out what was going to happen pretty early on - the thing with a good romance is you don’t need any surprises, you just enjoy watching them fall in love. This was quirky and weird and had such great, fun, lovable characters. It definitely had some sad moments, but such a good happy ever after because of all the struggles that got us there.

Amazing! I loved how well written face blindness was portrayed, character development and a little bit of mystery

This is probably one of my favorite books that I've read in the last few years.

The amount of research and work Katherine Center clearly put into this book was fantastic. I have a close friend who has face-blindness, and their experiences line up so well. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into what the world can be like for someone with prosopagnosia.

Beyond that, I loved the story. I didn't see the twist coming until right before it happened, which was delightful for me as I usually catch on quicker. I usually shy away from stories that pull on the heartstrings too much, the topic of grief can be hard to navigate- but this book did a great job of integrating the theme into most of the book but not feeling too heavy.

This book totally left me with the blissed-out, oxytocin-laden, tipsy feeling one gets when coming away from a great love story. (read the author's note at the end!!) Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted on Instagram on Thursday, January 26.

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

I thought this book was cute! I’ve previously read only one other Katherine Center novel, THE BODYGUARD, which I picked as a BOTM last summer. Similar to THE BODYGUARD, Center develops a complex female main character with deep-rooted family and personal issues that manifest confusingly for the more affable male main character.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist who has made it as a finalist in a prestigious art competition when she learns she has a brain tumor that needs to be removed urgently. Reluctantly, Sadie has surgery, but it leaves her with face blindness - catastrophic to a portrait artist on the verge of her big break. While Sadie struggles to navigate a faceless world, she meets Dr. Addison, a handsome veterinarian she’s immediately attracted to, and Joe, her friendly and helpful neighbor-turned-friend - and falls in love with them both.

This was such a feel-good book and just the ticket after a month of intense, emotional reads like BABEL and AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW. I really liked watching the relationships between the main characters grow. I enjoy banter and friendship in a couple so watching them really be friends and fall in love at the same time was really endearing. I also thought Center did a really nuanced job of having Sadie confront her family about their heartbreaking past.

I did find Sadie to be a tad annoying and reading her inner monologue felt repetitive, between the self-deprecation and quirkiness. I also thought some paragraphs and concepts, like the condition that causes face blindness and what Sadie is and isn’t seeing, is repeatedly explained. The backstory of the bullied high school friend also seemed out of place and then far too quickly and conveniently resolved.

Overall, despite a few critiques, I think it’s a cute and quick read that I think will fit nicely in summer beach reads and may even get you out of a reading slump.

There is a reason why Katherine Center is called “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” .. she knows how to tug at you heart with uplifting, feel good emotional stories with some of the most charismatic and charming characters .. all the while making you laugh. I need more books like this.

Hello Stranger focus on Sadie Montogmery, a struggling portrait artist who has not had the best of life luck. Her Mom, whom she emulates as an artist, died when she was fourteen, her dad remarries and that came with an evil stepmother, Lucinda and stepsister, Parker .. she is evil to the core. Sadie is barely making ends meet with her Esty shop and living in what was supposed to be her art studio. She just needs a lucky break and today she might have gotten it – she qualified for the North American Portrait Society’s career making yearly contest with a ten thousand dollar grand prize. What she wasn’t expecting was to end up with prosopagnosia also known as face blindness. How is Sadie supposed to paint a portrait if she can’t see the persons face?

With the support and encouragement from her best friend Sue (Soo Hyun), Sue’s parents, her elderly dog, Peanut, Dr. Nicole Thomas-Ramparsad and Joe the Weasel, Sadie will persevere through these difficult times despite all the obstacles and setbacks she will encounter along the way to end up with all she hope for .. Sadie’s happy ever after.

Hello Stranger is worthy of getting nothing less than five stars from me. Katherine Center brilliantly weaves these delightful yet unusual and eccentric characters into a rather unique storyline about face-blindness explaining along the way how people cope, strategize, and live their daily lives. Hello Stranger comes with hope, humor, romance, and the HEA.

Thank you, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on July 11, 2023.

This was my first Katherine Carter book so I didn't know what to expect. It took me a few chapters to settle into the casual style of writing, where the main character (Sadie) spoke directly to the reader as if addressing a friend. I enjoyed the character development (Peanut was my favorite) and plot but there were many cheesy parts and the ending was predictable. Overall an easy, light read.

Hello Stranger was such a great book. I’ve read several by Katherine Center and enjoyed them all but this might have been my favorite. The struggle of the main character was so unique and interesting I couldn’t put it down. I also loved all of the supporting characters with the exception of Parker. I thought she went too far in several scenes almost to a point of being unbelievable. I would definitely recommend. Great read!

I’m a big Katherine Center fan but I struggled connecting with the characters in this one a bit. I thought the family angle seemed a bit contrived with an overly simplistic and quick resolution. But I did find the overall story angle compelling and the level of description and character development I have come to expect from Center.

📚 Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my third Katherine Center book and my favorite so far! A delightful rom-com with a deep undercurrent. Lovable characters that you can’t help but root for. Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has “minor” brain surgery to save her life. But when she wakes up from brain surgery she can no longer see faces, a real condition called prosopahnosia, or face blindness. What follows is a sometimes hilarious and very moving story of the way our perceptions shape our reality.
Make sure to read the authors note at the end of the book. It explains why Katherine Center’s books make so many people so happy, including me. This book was just what I needed.

Another advanced copy book, thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the chance to read this beauty early. It comes out on July 11, 2023. In the meantime, check out @katherinecenter other books. They are well worth your time.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Immediately I took to the main character, Sadie, and her hilarious personality. I laughed, I got angry, and I was left feeling light and hopeful at the end. That’s what a good romance story should be.

Sadie is an artist who finds out she needs a surgery prior to her participation in a once-in-a-lifetime portrait contest. After the surgery, she finds that she can no longer see faces and has to learn to live with that (yes, as a portrait artist!)

Sadie meets Dr. Addison while taking her beloved Peanut to the vet after a scare and develops a huge crush- but here’s the kicker: she doesn’t want anyone to know about her side effect from surgery. She tries her hardest to keep it hidden but her “family” doesn’t make it easy. Don’t get me started on Parker…ugh! I could have choked her through the pages.

The end was totally unexpected and I appreciated how it was a slow burn and left me smiling. I love how Katherine Center creates these romantic stories without being overly mushy or cheesy. I will read every book she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! For one, I am interested in anything medical related so I really enjoyed learning more about Prosopagnosia (face blindness). The characters in this book are very well written. When I think about the main character, Sadie, the word that comes to mind first is RELATABLE! She is a very "real" character and I found myself laughing out loud when Sadie was going through certain situations and the commentary for each one of them. She is funny, lovable, sensitive, and also bold. I enjoyed watching Sadie grow throughout this book and find out more about herself and what really mattered to her in both her personal life and her career. The supporting characters added a lot to the book and it was entertaining to watch their stories unfold. Without giving too much away this book has an older dog with excellent taste in food, a hot veterinarian, an evil step sister, a supportive BFF, family DRAMA, and very interesting neighbors..

#romcom #onePOV #emeniestolovers #meetcute

Hello, Stranger follows Sadie, an up and coming portrait artist about to land her big break. However, right as she hears about her entry into a prestigious art competition, she is told that she needs brain surgery. After receiving the surgery, she is temporarily unable to recognize faces due to the brain swelling, which obviously becomes an issue as she tries to make a name for herself in the art world. As she deals with trying to navigate the world amidst this, she meets Dr. Addison, the swoon worthy vet that saves her beloved dog, Peanut. Add to this, a pesky neighbor/bad boy, Joe, and Sadie has a lot on her plate all at once.

I’ve only ever read one other book featuring a protagonist with prosopagnosia (Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven), so it was very cool to see it in Hello Stranger. The author wrote about this disease so thoughtfully and organically throughout the book. Her characters felt real and so lived in; I couldn’t help but feel drawn in and emotionally invested in Sadie’s life (and happiness). The dialogue and humor were such a warm complement to the fleshed out characters. I was so wrapped up in the slow burn romance that I could not put this book down! I highly recommend this heartwarming and sweet book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy!

I went into this book completely blind, and I absolutely fell in love with it! As someone who is a huge neuroscience geek, I appreciated the author's depiction of facial blindness and the mental and emotional impacts it can have on an individual. I loved Sadie's character and her journey with navigating her world with her diagnosis. Katherine Center did such an amazing job at creating a story that is captivating and makes you want to keep going.

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

Thanks @netgalley for read number 13 of 2023. I really enjoyed my last @katherinecenter read and was excited to read this book. While I anticipated the twist and there were some overly descriptive parts (with a tad bit of repetition), I really enjoyed the story. I loved the main characters, and I found myself tearing up more than once. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read in my books. Definitely recommend, and check out her other books too.

Last summer, I read and enjoyed The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, so I was happy to receive an ARC of her newest book from NetGalley (big thank you to them and to St. Martin's Press). The synopsis of this one didn't draw me in as much as The Bodyguard did, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved this one even more.

Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has just been accepted into a prestigious contest that could change her life if she wins. And then she has to have brain surgery suddenly and unexpectedly - and when she comes out of surgery, she is shocked to learn that she is now face blind. This leads to so many complications she has to deal with, in her career and just in life, and on top of that, she has not one but two potential love interests that have shown up during this time. I loved Sadie and most of the other characters. They were well developed, if sometimes over the top, and the dialogue and situations were often funny. I was rooting for Sadie all the way. I did see a couple things coming, but that did not disappoint me at all.

Hello Stranger is due to be released in July 2023 and I definitely recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. The MC was likable, I felt like she could have been a part of my friend group. There were times that I was laughing out loud while reading this. I did put some things together before they were revealed, but it didn’t take away from my overall reading experience.