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.

I liked this book so much that I got it as my BOTM so I could have a print copy to match Katherine's other book, 'The Bodyguard'. Perfect for fans of sweet romcoms!!

I am always excited to see a new Katherine Center book. I always love the covers and titles. This book is no exception. Great, light hearted story dealing with a topic that was unfamiliar to me, face-blindness! She knows how to push and pull at your heart but always leaves me feeling happy and content.

Katherine Center wrote a story that I read in a day because I didn’t want to put it down. The relationships are intriguing and I loved the characters. A feel good book that you will love if you like enemies to lovers and friends to lovers troupes.

This book was surprisingly thoughtful and deals with a lot of heaviness, all while keeping with a classic romcom feel. I loved reading from the perspective of the main heroine, who is dealing with a life-altering disability. This made her a somewhat unreliable narrator, so when she was surprised with information it was very easy to feel surprised with her. It was very well done.

This sadly was a miss for me. It was a fun premise, but I just didn't love it. It was full of ridiculous mishaps that felt over the top and lackluster at the same time. The love "triangle" was more cringy that cute and I wish it would've been done in a better way. This may also be a right book wrong reader situation!

I love how heartwarming the author's books are. She makes you feel like you are a part of the story, you can picture exactly what she is describing in the story.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a cute rom com while also tackling some deep topics. This book was well researched and handled the topic in a sensitive manner. 10/10

It's a heartwarming romance with a unique premise that kept me engaged even at moments it was somewhat predictable.

Sadie is an amazing portrait artist celebrating her acceptance as a finalist in a big portrait competition when the unthinkable happens. One moment Sadie is talking to a stranger and crossing the street and the next she is waking up in a hospital bed. What's worse is Sadie realizes something is right when she looks at people's faces... she can't recognize them and nothing matches up. She is diagnosed with "face blindness" and given the not-so-reassuring opinion that it is probably not permanent but they don't know how long it will last. As Sadie struggles with her new reality, she finds herself caught up with two very different men. One is the player who lives in her building and the other is the caring vet who helps her dog Peanut when he takes ill. Her life is a mess and she literally can't see things clearly, but Sadie might learn that it isn't all about what we see, but what we feel.

This book was so fun. I found myself googling "face blindness" because it sounds fascinating, but also terrifying. Sadie has to learn to rely on her other senses and place more trust in people than she has before. As always, Center delivers a heartfelt romance that is both lighthearted and emotional. While I figured out the twist prior to the ending, I still absolutely enjoyed it and fell in love with all the characters. As with all of Center's book, I definitely recommend!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is available now!

Sadie is just hitting her peak as a portrait artist when a sudden medical condition leaves her unable to recognize faces. Not ideal timing. But with the help of her friend, a handsome veterinarian, and an always helpful neighbor, she might just be able to get through this, and hopefully be able to recover just in time to compete in a portrait contest.

Although somewhat predictable, I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and funny, and I loved the inner monologue of Sadie as she crushed on the vet, and dealt with all the blows life kept sending at her. She felt very relatable, other than the rare face blindness. But her quirks and humor always showed through.

I’ve enjoyed other books by Katherine Center as well, and I will definitely be on the lookout for upcoming releases!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book!

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life, and the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

I've only read one other book by Katherine Center, but she is fast becoming a new favorite author! I loved this story and the characters (the fact that the main character shares a name with my dog doesn't hurt 😆) and how well they work together. She has a way of tying everything together in a way that's perfect. This should have been a quick read, but I did put it down many times between work, life, and school, and for some reason, I had trouble picking it back up. Once I did pick it up, I flew through it! There was 1 "big" twist in the book, which I did see coming from the beginning, but I really enjoyed how that twist settled and didn't linger. I also loved Joe, and I'm wishing to meet my own one day! 😍 Sadie learned through her face-blindness event and grew from it. I can't wait to read more from Kathrine Center

I rate this book 4.5 🌟

I'd like to say a huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a Katherine Center fangirl so I knew I was going to enjoy this. I don't have any prior knowledge of face blindness nor have I read a character with it, so I was invested in navigating this journey with Sadie. Center does a great job of balancing Sadie's self-discovery and the romance. This was such an easy read which it was I desperately needed. I am looking forward to Center's next release.

This book was so refreshing. The miscommunication that caused the breakup was completely believable given the circumstances. I really enjoyed the look into what face blindness looks like for someone. The characters were relatable and I found them to be enjoyable as well.

As always this was adorable and hilarious. The characters were lovable and the story immersive. I’m so excited for the next book by Katherine Center!

Hello Stranger was my second Katherine Center book and it was absolutely adorable. If you’re interested in the concept of face blindness and like a cute and clean romance, you’d probably love this!

Also, I can’t get over how cute this cover is 😍😍😍

I am not sure Katherine Center’s books are for me but that is okay!! Strong character development but I personally prefer my romances with a bit more spice! I did love the Bodyguard and this one was not quite there but I am still going to look out for Center’s next books. Thanks for letting me read this one early

I have yet to read a bad Katherine Center title, or even one that was not a very good read. Hello Sttranger sets the reader right in the middle of the best and worst moments of Sadie's life. With everything she knows and loves threatened by a condition that may or may not be correctable, the characters surrounding her will force her to face the possibilities head on, while she'll discover that her life before and her life after do not have to be dramatically different to be wonderful.

Katherine Center never fails to leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling in my heart and a smile on my face! While this was not my favorite from her, it was a quick and light read with a loveable love interest. Center will always be an auto-buy author for me!

This is the perfect book to go into BLIND as can be. I loved everything about this, and the characters and their chemistry were outstanding. I even appreciated the author's notes at the end, and I hardly ever read them! This was a very poignant and beautiful story, and I am so glad I read it.

The author did a great job incorporating a rather serious illness with the light hearted nature of the story. This book reminded me of why I started reading this author.