Katherine Center is an immediate read for me. I’ve read every book she’s written, so my loyalty runs deep. Prior to this book, her stories followed certain patterns. They were all unique, but they had a similar feel. The same rhythm. Hello Stranger is wildly different. The plot was so unique. You know this is going to be a HEA romance, but getting there had me reading almost compulsively.

The two main characters were great. Sadie was so quirky and full of life. I found so many things about her fascinating. And Joe was a MMC cinnamon roll if there ever was one! Some of the side characters were either annoying or fell flat to me, but I loved the two main characters so much that I could overlook the side characters.

The moments with Dr. Nicole were so thought provoking to me. Everything that she said gave me something to really think about long after the book is over.

If you like unique and quirky characters and plots, you’ll like this one. Don’t forget to read the Author’s Note at the end. You’ll be glad you did.

I was provided this eARC by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center is, as always, absolutely lovely. Did I stay up way past my bedtime reading? Of course. Did I have a good cry or two? Definitely. Is the love story perfectly sweet? Absolutely. I normally gripe about closed door romance, but Katherine tells such a compelling and propulsive story that I don't realize the the door was closed until I'm looking back at a finished book.

Hello Stranger …
reading a Katherine Center book is like being enveloped in a cozy blanket, warm comforting and not strange at all.

Meet Sadie, an artist who lost her Mom at a young age and after her father remarried spent her life defending off the evil step sister.

Sadie is a struggling artist but has been invited to exhibit at a prestigious art show. Weeks before she is to create and show her piece she has a bad fall which ends her in the hospital where she is told she has to have brain surgery. A simple routine procedure. Sadie wakes up from surgery and slowly realizes she has developed temporary facial blindness.

Sadie is determined to get through this without sharing her condition and finish her piece to exhibit, not an easy task when you can’t see faces.

We follow Sadie through her trials and tribulations and new relationships she is forging all while learning about the disadvantages Sadie must overcome which opens your eyes to a condition many have probably never thought about.

Center has a way to make you fall in love with many of her characters in her book and each one is developed and written about for a reason. The supporting cast to the lovely, kind Sadie will have you laugh out loud, swoon, smile and generally lift your spirit as you enjoy this fabulous read.

I just devoured this book. I vaguely heard of face blindness before, but it was so interesting to learn about it and read about it from the POV of someone who acquires it. Sadie was such a lovable character. I don’t want to spoil anything but the plot was unique and I found myself trying to anticipate how things would shake out. I also read The Bodyguard by Catherine Center and loved it. I’ll be checking out more of her books.

Omg this book was delicious!
Thank you jet galley. St martins press & Katherine Center for this arc of Hello Stranger.

I seriously feel like this is my favourite book of 2023 so far!

Just a perfect book to get all the feels I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m not going to give a plot overview but when I realized things oh I was so happy.

Just read this book- you won’t be disappointed

Before finishing Hello Stranger, at about the halfway mark, I had already decided that this review would say that this book was predictable - but in a good way. Instead, now that I’ve finished it, I think I’d rather write that Hello Stranger created fantastic anticipation, incredibly well.

Hello Stranger didn’t just invite me into the story, share some thoughts, give me some feelings and send me back into the world, instead it built a home (or hovel) in my heart.

As I read this book, I was SCREAMING (not just internally). I was wide-eyed and wet-eyed more than once. I was puzzled, mad, happy and sad. I was hopeful and doubtful and often left wondering when, why, what, where and how? I had my questions, and I got my answers.

I was so hung-up on the predictability factor of this novel that I got distracted. I was so focused on one aspect of the book that I felt was just a bit too predictable that I forgot about the *details*. The beautiful, messy, wonderful details of the book that had been laid out throughout the story and needed my attention. In Katherine’s incredible way, she brought my attention to each detail, slowly but surely at just the right moment. Things I had forgotten about, things that went undiscussed, things that needed to be reconciled. This care and attention to detail left me shocked, satisfied and so full of hope and joy.

At one point in the novel one character says to another, “You’re very in your head”. And then encourages the character to “dip into (her) heart” instead, insisting that we don’t really live in our heads but rather in our hearts. I started this book very deeply in my head but my heart was so wonderfully welcomed into the story that soon I had left my head behind entirely.

I deeply appreciated the way Katherine Center writes in a way that does not allow the characters to fix, solve, or ignore the complex problems and challenges they are facing. There is no reason or rush to make things magically better, and I deeply appreciate that.

I have read two other books by Katherine Center, The Bodyguard and What You Wish For. I gave both of those books 5 stars and I stand by my rating…BUT THIS BOOK IS FIVE STARS.

Katherine Center, when I fall in love and get married someday, I’m inviting you to my wedding. You continually invite me into a world where love is rooted in wonder, bravery, and vulnerability. I’m so glad. I’m so grateful.

I cannot wait for the world to read this wonderful, challenging, honest book. I think we’ll all be a little kinder, a little more honest with ourselves and others, and a little more hopeful for having read it.

Favorite Quotes:
“I think I’m in love with you, by the way.”
“I’ll be Joe for you, if you want.”
“It didn’t exactly look like Joe, either, to be honest. But it felt like him.”
“I just want so badly to have somebody with me.”

ike all of the other Katherine Center books I’ve read, this was charming and delightful. It was such a unique idea, and although I thought it sounded far fetched when I read the summary, it actually worked really well.

I suspected the ending early on, but I was nevertheless cracking up when it was revealed. The dialogue is great and the characters are fun and charming. You really root for everybody. Well, except Parker. I found that part upsetting and we never got an explanation as to why she is so horrid!

I would have liked a little more insight into Sadie’s childhood with her mom and a bit more about her relationship with her dad. I felt like there was such nuance to what she went through that I would have love to have seen explored.

Overall this is a book about grief, making the best of your circumstances, and finding supportive friends and relationships to help you along life’s ups and downs. It was a wonderful read! Can’t wait for more from KC!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center has done it again! Sadie is such a lovable character. I feel like almost everyone will connect with her on some level. I loved her growth throughout the story. Joe was charming and just wonderful. I was sucked into this story and wanted to see the happy ending at the end. It was a beautiful read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh Em Gee this book so so adorable! This light hearted romance is centered around Sadie Montgomery; a starving artist who does portrait work. Things have been rough but she’s excited to catch her big break when she is one of 10 finalists in a national portrait contest. Sadie’s mother died when Sadie was 14 and was also supposed to compete in the same contest. Sadie has been trying to live up to her mom’s memory and live her life as happy as she can.

The same night she finds out she is a finalist Sadie has a seizure in the middle of the street and is rushed to the hospital after a Good Samaritan saves her life. Sadie finds out she has do get a life saving brain surgery and quickly gets it done even with the deadline of the contest quickly approaches. When Sadie wakes from the surgery she is sad to discover she has acquired face blindness. How can Sadie paint a portrait if she can’t see any faces - not even her own?

Sadie is definitely saddened by this and a trying to do her best. She doesn’t have the best support from her father, step mother or step sister, but she has it in her best friend Sue, Sue’s parents and a neighbor she is starting to know - Joe. Joe is always around; his nickname is “Helpful” and never says ‘No’ to any favor or request. Joe is such a fun and interesting character!

Peanut, Sadie’s dog, is super cute and the only face Sadie can see. When Peanut gets sick she takes her to an emergency vet - Dr Oliver Addison and it’s love at first ‘sight’. The doctor is very handsome and so good with Peanut. He seems like a very nice man and is very thoughtful and respectful of Sadie’s time and deadline of her portrait contest work.

Suddenly there are two men in Sadie’s life that offer what she needs; but which one will she get closer to and get to know better? When her senses are all going haywire maybe she can ‘see’ things more clearly than ever.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this digital copy with me for my honest review.

I'm not going to lie, for a moment I thought I was going to have to do the unthinkable and rate a Katherine Center book below 4 stars. There were too many things not clicking with me and I didn't particularly understand. Well, there is a reason she is the author and I am the reader because *of course* everything was perfectly tied together in her signature Katherine Center way. The final third of this book was INCREDIBLE. As usual, the story was more about the personal journey Sadie was on. I felt the romantic plot was treated independently from her journey with facial blindness but tied together in such a sweet way. I finished this book feeling cheerful, optimistic, and ready to take on the world ready to enjoy all the beauty it has to offer.

Another wonderful book by Center. I liked learning about face blindness and hearing from the pov of a character dealing with the struggles that come with the disorder.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! OMG i cannot say enough good things about this book, honestly what a great start to this year. This book had me literally dying of laughing and for background I really don’t laugh with books even when it’s funny, but this was like full on cackles. Sadie was the most perfect FMC, she was funny, weird and so so relatable. She also made me cry some real tears, the love she had for her mother is gut wrenchingly beautiful and the complicated relationship with her father is something that many people can connect to their own lives. I know this book may give the premise that it’s her falling in love with two different people but I think it’s really about how she fell in love with herself. Her journey of self acceptance and change was inspiring and thought provoking.

I will gladly be recommending this to all my friends as the read of 2023!

love and kisses <3

This was my first book with this author and boy did it not disappoint. I read this in one afternoon, which is a rarity for me. I have her other book The Bodyguard on my book shelf and it is being fast tracked in my queue. I can’t wait for more people to read this.

So I absolutely loved the Bodyguard. This book was over a really interesting concept, but I felt like I was struggling to connect with the character a bit. Like, I could obviously tell she was going through a lot and didn't want to tell people about not being able to recognize faces... but I also didn't really understand why she wouldn't to some when it would obviously help her. The big twist was a bit obvious but I did enjoy the ending. It was cute overall!

This was such a unique story that had me coming back for more! Once I started it, I loved how the author brought awareness to different areas such as invisible illnesses, grief, and feeling behind in life. Sadie is a MC that many will relate to. Let’s be honest though, Peanut is the selling point. Who doesn’t love dogs?! Some parts were predictable but overall was a refreshing new take on a romance novel! Definitely would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced digital copy!

Believe it or not, this was my first Katherine Center book! I loved it. I really did.

Romance novels are hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed this one from beginning to end. This CLEAN romance story follows Sadie, a portrait artist, as she acquires face blindness and has to learn how to navigate her life without visually recognizing anyone’s facial features. As you can imagine, Sadie’s professional life as a portrait artist and her dating life are both highly impacted. This book is full of twists and turns, funny moments, and sweet moments. 💗

I’ve already recommended this one to a couple of friends. Go ahead and add “Hello Stranger” to your summer TBR!

Hello Stranger follows the life of portrait artist Sadie Montgomery. She hasn't necessary had an easy life but she's self sufficient and has just gotten her big break in a portrait competition. This is her moment. Until she needs brain surgery and her uninvolved father shows up to force the issue. The surgery is a success, except for one small issue. It leaves Sadie without the ability to see faces. With her world changed, possibly forever, this book follows her as she redefines her life, not just as an artist, but as a person facing a traumatic past.
I loved this book. I loved Sadie and her dog Peanut. My heart hurt for the trauma she endured, but also for the struggles she brought on herself. As a self proclaimed pessimist, I could easily identify with Sadie. This novel attacked some core thoughts on how I few life. There's a neuropsychologist in this book that encourages Sadie to grow out of her comfort zone and accept her life as it is, and I ate up every word she said.
That said, this book is a romance. There are plenty of swoon worthy moments, and I identified with Sadie even more when she'd planned her marriage to Dr. Oliver Addison moments after meeting him (obviously I'm not the only one who's done that). Sadie quickly learns that preconceived notions aren't always correct and unsupported bias can lead to missing out on meaningful human relationships (thank goodness for her furry friend, who is ever the constant love of her life).
I easily guessed how this book would end, but that doesn't mean I didn't love the journey getting there. This is another emotionally packed novel from Katherine Center, with her lovable humor sprinkled all the way through.

I just finish Hello, Stranger. Less than 12 hours after I started it, because I could not put it down. Not that it was suspenseful, but it was purposeful and important, and you felt that from the very beginning.

This story follows Sadie, who is a struggling portrait artist, she's had a hard go at life and at the moment she is just trying to get by and make something of herself to prove her father wrong. WHOOO BOY! The day she finds out she was selected out of 2000 people to be showcased in a prize gallery with a 10k dollar prize she knows this is life changing. What she didn't know was her life was about to change, and not in the way she anticipated.

Sadie ended up needing a minor surgery, with supposedly no issues, a 4-day hospital stay, and she will be good as new. But nothing is EVER that simple when it comes to doctors and our medical system.... Sadie comes home from the hospital with prosopagnosia and six weeks to finish a portrait to change her life.

Everyone in her life has let her down, and in my opinion so did her friend Sue. Big Time! Sadie wants to continue her life as normal in a "fake it till you make it' fashion. She has to deal with some really trying circumstances and rely on virtual strangers throughout this process.

This book literally had me smiling, laughing, crying and reevaluating my life and current headspace. I really enjoy the authors level of depth and research. that goes into her books. Her characters are always so relatable, and she always does a fantastic job of giving you enough information to have you eating out of her hand but also keeping you in the dark about the true purpose of the journey you are on. And this book is no exception. Dare I say that this book is my favorite read for this year so far! I will be buying it and rereading it.

I do have Netgalley to thank for the Advanced E- Reader copy of this book. I feel truly privileged to get to read this book. I have to add that my opinions are that of my own and have not been swayed in any way by the author, publisher or Netgalley.

Cute story with a somewhat predictable plot twist (but still fun). Loved the character development and learning about the condition Sadie had. Also, can we all agree to just hate Parker? lol

This was fantastic! I was very curious about how the author would craft a story about such a specific issue. Very well done! I was cheering for Sadie the whole way!