This is my second Katherine Center book (I read The Bodyguard last year). This is my favorite of the two. I flew through it, happily swiping page after page.
Sadie Mongomery needs brain surgery. She’s told it’s minor. After the surgery, she is completely face blind. They say it should be temporary but…. Will it be? And how does she manage her work as an ARTIST in the meantime?
I loved this book. It was optimistic but realistic. The author writes characters that are easy to get to know and to root for. I had never heard of the facial recognition issue that Sadie had in this book but the author did a fantastic job of helping me learn more about it. I was so excited about where the story was going that I couldn’t wait to get there and isn’t that what romance books are about?

The only problem I have with starting a Katherine Center book is that I know once I start reading, I won't want it to end. Hello Stranger had fantastic characters (loved Sadie, Joe and Peanut) and an engaging plot. My mom passed away 30 years ago and the mother-daughter sub-story really spoke to my heart. I could see where the story was going, but still felt the wonderful anticipation that is characteristic of Katherine Center books. I'll be re-reading this one for fun many times over again.

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC e-book.

Katherine Center has created the perfect lovable, but flawed heroine. Her struggles are relatable and you cannot help but root for her!

This book was just as amazing as every Katherine center book I’ve read; I was hooked by how unique the story was - originality is a delight with and Center manages to weave a wonderful tale of love while also showing the remarkable strength and growth within her characters.

This book was absolutely amazing! I laughed, I cried and I cheered for Sadie. I read this entire book in one sitting staying up until 1am reading. Sadie and Joe will be living rent free in my mind forever. This is one of the best book I've read in a long time!

I honestly didn't even know people suffered from cavernoma prospoagnosia (face blindness) and appreciate the author's note at the end of the book. I was amazed with Center's ability to write an entire book on cavernoma prospoagnosia and heavy topics in a beautiful, thoughtful way.


Thank you so much to NetGallery and St. Martins Press for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Everytime I read a Katherine Center book, I always wonder how does she come up with a uniquely different concept for her books. Who would have thought to write a book regarding prosopagnosia? I truly and completely appreciated the uniqueness of this book.

Before reading this book I never knew about face blindness and after reading this I am awe-struck by the complexity of human brain. Imagine waking up and not being able to recognize your ownself in the mirror. Sadie had it right. That must feel lonely and scary.

I absolutely loved Mr. Kim. He was so sweet and hilarious. And Sue. The way she encouraged Sadie but never lied to her or gave her false hope. Thats how a friend should be. I loved the love triangle twist and I hated parker which I guess was the plan.

Overall a highly interesting book. Thank you @netgalley for providing me with an AR copy.

This was an absolutely delightful read. Sadie, our main character, is in an accident and finds herself temporarily dealing with face blindness as a result. She can see people, but the complexities of faces are too much for her brain to handle. She finds herself relying on clothing, gestures, hair, even the way someone walks to identify them.

This happens, unfortunately, weeks before a huge art competition in which she has placed in the top 10. Our lady, naturally, specializes in painting portraits so she finds herself in a bit of a pickle.

The characters are quirky yet realistic. So often I get frustrated when characters talk around a problem but don’t clearly state what they mean - this is something that annoys Sadie as well yet when it happens in this book, it feels so real and human.

The love element here is a cherry on top of a delicious story. If you’re looking for a fun, cute, lovely read, this is it.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Hello Stranger in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you St Martin's Press & NetGalley for the ARC! I read the bodyguard and enjoyed this but this by far my favorite novel of Katherine's! Such a funny swoony book! I mean the grocery store guy, Joe, Dr Addison swoonnnnnn alert for all those men! Throughly enjoyed this book with such a unique and fascinating topic with the main character experiencing face blindness through majority of book! Read this book you won't regret it!!

This book was exactly what I look forward to anytime I start a new Katherine Center story! The health issues faced by Sadie, along with her attempts to overcome the obstacles created by them, were fascinating (Especially given that she’s an artist by profession) The author describes the dynamics of Sadie’s family and extended family friend group in such detail that you find yourself interested in side characters, such as Mr & Mrs Kim and Parker, almost as much as the main characters.. This book is funny, heartwarming and easy to read—I just loved it!

Another great book by this author. It has all the ingredients of a good romance but with some deep topic included in the mix. It prompted me to educate myself about face blindness and put life into perspective. As with many of her books you will laugh out loud with some of her one liners but will also tear up at the struggles of the main character. Read with hope and positive angicipation this is a solid 4 star book for me!

As usual, Katherine Center does not disappoint. This is my third or fourth novel by her and she is a must-read author for me. Her characters feel very real, she approaches tough situations with care, and her stories come together really well at the end.

Sadie is an artist, really trying to make something of herself and impress her father. She lost her mother young and has been on her own for a long time. She also has a stepmother and stepsister she does not get along with. She ends up winning a spot in a prestigious art competition and has a seizure which results in her not being able to see faces.

I don’t want to say more than that, because I don’t want to give anything away. This novel was so well written and interesting. The part about how you feel being stood up on a date made me tear up because I’ve felt that myself.

Definitely pick this one up on publishing day. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet, uplifting story about the MC coming of self and finding her place in a world where everything seemed against her. I enjoyed her journey throughout the story and her meetings and connection to Joe. The ending was so surprising and happy. I loved it! Definitely a must-read!

This book warmed my heart in so many ways. The character development through her trauma was excellent, and I absolutely fell in love with Joe. I devoured this book in a single sitting.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝.” -Katherine Center

If you’re looking for a feel-good rom-com with a beautiful representation on grief (loss of a parent) without being heavy, you will want to add this to your preorder list. It drops July 11. Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this early review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I should start by telling you that I love Katherine Center (no, we’ve never met) and I would read the phone book if those still existed and she re-wrote it into a story. The stories she tells are always a mix of heartwarming and realistic, with a dash of humor and adventure peppered in, and 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 was no exception.

This story follows our protagonist, Sadie, who had an accident that led to brain surgery which lead to prosopagnosia (face blindness). Whew! From there, we follow her journey of falling in love and also managing through her new challenges. Sadie lost her mother at a young age, and is also unpacking that grief.

There is an entirely lovable cast of characters (minus you, Parker) and some wily hijinx that propels the story along. I read this in one sitting, and simply adored it. Was it entirely unpredictable? Nope. And I sincerely didn’t care. I loved Sadie and her journey, and felt some warm fuzzies with the epilogue and closing paragraphs.

I truly enjoyed this book and will be preordering my very own hardcover copy to go with my other Katherine Center books. It’s a keeper.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and I was so thrilled to get a chance to read Hello Stranger. LOVED IT! It was sooooo good! Lighthearted, emotional, humorous, and relatable. I mean, what's not to love about rollerskating, devious stepsisters, art competitions, vets, coffee, brain injuries and pink polka dot dresses? Sounds like a recipe for good rom com! :)

What I loved most about this book was its main character, Sadie Montgomery. Luck hasn't always been on her side and it just felt like she was due for some "good." Sadie is witty, fiercely independent, and perseverant, She has had a lot of struggles, so I was rooting for her throughout the book. I felt like I was right there with Sadie throughout the whole book because of the seamless way that Katherine Center makes the reader feel like they are truly in it. Definitely go pick up a copy!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for an ARC.

This is my first book by author Katherine Center. I left this one feeling very intrigued about her other books. I am planning to pick up The Bodyguard very soon.

If you to try to explain the synopsis of this book to someone, they might think it was absolutely absurd! The author somehow took these unique circumstances and turned it into a heartfelt, humorous and romantic story.

The main character Sadie is a portrait artist about to get her big break in a national portrait contest. After experiencing a seizure and getting brain surgery, she develops a condition that causes face blindness. The story follows her journey during this difficult time in her life and discovering that something she thought was a terrible thing, may be exactly what she needs.

What I liked about the book:
- I thought the characters were very well developed.
- There were some unexpected twists and turns
- I found the book very fast faced and easy to read never feeling bored.
- I learned a lot about the condition Prosopagnosia
- I enjoyed Sadie's growth throughout the story and her relationship with her neighbor Joe

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an early copy of this book. I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

This one was unexpected. I honestly didn’t know what this book would be about based on the description. But this book delivered more than I would have ever wanted. It felt very coming-of-age for me. There was romance in there, for sure, but this book is about Sadie finding herself. It’s about Sadie evolving and growing and changing.

This book was brilliantly written. It was such a joy to read. I can honestly say that I predict this book will be one of my top favorites for 2023. There’s humor, romance, and so much information on a condition that I didn’t even know existed. Face blindness is something that I would never even imagine- but I’m so glad to know more about it. All in all- this story was well done. Executed perfectly.


Note: The medical words in the beginning of the book gave me the willies. I just hate hearing or thinking about internal body functions. It makes my skin crawl. So if this is something that bothers you- just know that it doesn’t continue the entire book- it’s only in the beginning.

Thank you so much to the author and St Martin’s Press for providing an early copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hello Stranger, Katherine Center
July 11, 2023. St. Martin's Press

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center's books, while they can be boiled down to romance novels, always carry a theme that makes me feel optimistic about life in general. A modern day Aesop, there's always a lesson to be learned and Hello Stranger is no different.

Sadie is a starving artist on the brink of her first professional success when she has to under go brain surgery that leaves her "face blind." That is, she can see, but cannot see faces clearly nor recall people she knows well. This creates quite the dilemma for Sadie both personally and professionally -- as she needs to submit an original portrait for a competition.

During this difficult time, Sadie finds herself having feelings for two men -- her dog's Vet and a man named Joe in her apartment building. While she cannot make out their faces, she can identify the vet by his white lab coat and Joe by a bowling jacket he often wears.

While Sadie figures out her purposse professionally, which man she should continue to pursue and sorts out a lot of family baggage (including an evil stepsister), she must do all while struggling to figure out who she is dealing with.

This story made me so proud of Sadie and was such an intersting perspective on love and life. I might even say this is my new favorite Katerine Center book -- and we know she's written some great ones!

#arc #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley @netgalley @stmartinspress @katherinecenter #hellostranger #hellostrangerkatherinecenter #chicklit #romancenovel

Katherine Center is an automatic read for me. Whatever she writes, I already know I need to hit request from NetGalley (I can't possibly wait until the publishing date), hit the purchase button, search the library's catalog, whatever is needed I'll do it to read her books.

Once again, Katherine's story hits all the right strokes on the canvas in a romance novel. Her stories typically have serious topics as the backdrop. In HELLO STRANGER, our heroine, Sadie, must have brain surgery which results in her getting a condition in which she can no longer recognize faces.

Faces are now nonexistent for her. The irony is, she's been chosen for an art contest because she draws ... FACES.

I've read a couple of other stories (mysteries) regarding this condition and HELLO STRANGER was the first to really describe how difficult it is for those who have it. I learned so much in this romance story. Sadie has to find other ways to identify the people around her. It's tough. She actually has a lot of things go wrong in a short amount of time. You really feel for her.

Then in the middle of all of that she finds herself falling in love with two men.

I can't say more without giving away anything. I admit some of the plot turns were a bit unbelievable, but did not take away from the waves of emotions.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of HELLO STRANGER to review.

I rate HELLO STRANGER four out of five stars.

Now THIS is a romcom!!!!!!

Katherine Center's stories always have a specific kind of predictability, I'll be fully honest. Sometimes that works for me, sometimes it doesn't, but I always know that her books are going to be generally very heartwarming with a happy ending, and with little to no smuttiness along the way. If you've never read her books before, you should probably know this from the beginning, in case that's not your thing, but if it IS your thing on occasion, there's truly no one who does it better.

This particular story was, quite honestly, pretty slow for me through the first third or so, but that's because so much of this story centers on the internal experience of the female lead, Sadie Montgomery, who has developed a temporary form of facial blindness after a brain surgery. The entire book is MUCH more about Sadie and her story than it is about any romantic involvement, so you don't see much of any romance at all for a solid half of the book. Instead, you get a beautiful, frustrating, complicated and emotional ride through Sadie's life being turned upside down in such a way that forces her to confront trauma she's been burying for ages.

Hello Stranger really worked for me because of that characteristic Katherine Center charm—the way her characters are infused with this warmth even in their worst moments. What didn't work quite as well for me, admittedly, was the pacing. The thing is, the pacing has its own clear purpose, but you don't know that purpose until you're around 90% of the way through the book. Kind of like when people swear that you JUST have to make it through the first entire season of a TV show before it gets good, I can see a significant amount of people abandoning this one before they reach the end. That said, the back third of this really makes it all worth it, and completely clears up the things that slow it down in the beginning, so I hope I'm wrong! I'm mostly including this non-critique so that anyone who reads this and has any urge to abandon in the beginning can use this as encouragement that it really is worth it in the end!

Overall, this story managed to harness a certain 2000's-romcom-Nora-Ephron energy that is SO few and far between, and while employing a trope that could really ONLY work in written form. Also, not that this should technically be included in my review of the story, but the author's note from Katherine in the back of the book made me cry—THAT is peak Katherine Center.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to an ARC of this book, I'm so so excited to see what the general Goodreads population has to say when it officially releases.