⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.

First of all, this is a completely biased review because I find Katherine Center's books delightful. In addition, face blindness was one of those subjects I stumbled upon years ago and always thought was fascinating. So a book by Katherine Center with a heroine who is dealing with face blindness is intriguing to me before I've even started reading.

As is the case with Katherine Center books, this one is hard to put down. The main character, Sadie, is a portrait artist who has a surgery that leaves her with face blindness. She has to confront what that means for her career and how she interacts with others. Along the way, she deals with some significant family baggage. Of course, there is a love story here and we get a lovely happily ever after.

The medical plot was fascinating and, from the acknowledgements, clearly well-researched. The family was a bit exaggerated, with a too-evil-to-be-believed stepsister and clueless parents. Sadie's stepmother is vapid and that's believable, but her cardiothoracic surgeon father exhibiting some clueless moments is a little harder to believe. The relationship storyline is was predictable, but very cute and had a satisfying conclusion.

If I hadn't started this book in the evening, I probably would have read it in one sitting. It was a fun story with a fact pace.

3⭐️ for my second Katherine Center novel. I was hooked from the start by Sadie, a struggling artist hoping to catch her big break by entering a portrait competition. However things go south when she lands in the hospital and has to have a minor brain surgery, that turns out to be anything but minor! Upon waking she finds out she has face blindness and her struggles begin.

I thought Sadie was very likable and cheesy, exaggerating her condition comically at times while confusing the same people to be two different people. It was a predictable gag but I didn’t mind it.

I enjoyed Joe and Sadie’s interactions and banter but did not care for the toxic relationship from her step sister. I also wish there was a bit more closure for Sadie, her father and stepmom. Needed more Peanut, to be honest :)

There is a beautiful moment when she remembers her deceased mother’s birthday and how she celebrates it every year, that really tugged at my heart!

Ultimately a fun and lighthearted rom-com to be published July 11, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, and was excited to read Her latest, Hello Stranger! It had a lot of the same components that I enjoyed in her previous books, including relatable characters and a clever storyline with some unexpected twists. One of the main twists I found to be so unrealistic that it ended up clouding the story for me. Other than that, I enjoyed the book and it’s overall message.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is another winner from Katherine Center. Unique and beautiful story! She never disappoints.

This is my first time reading anything from Katherine Center, and after reading this little gem I am shocked and disappointed with that fact. All those nights I longed for a nice chick lit to read… *sigh*

This story follows a woman named Sadie as she navigates through life altering situations and finds love. The premise is something I have never seen before and the way the author chose to tell this story makes for a good read. Her characters are likable and well developed. The story was engaging, albeit sometimes a little over the top. But you know what? I’m reading fiction and if I wanted things that were completely realistic, then I’m in wrong genre aren’t I?

I spent a great afternoon reading this and can’t wait to see more from this author.

I didn’t really enjoy this one. I just felt myself a little board while reading this. However, I did like that it helped me to learn more about prosopagnosia. But the over all story I didn’t love.

There are just certain authors whose writing clicks with you - with your sense of humor and the way your brain connects words together. Katherine Center is one of those authors for me. Reading her books is such a fucking delight. I loved the wit that was woven throughout the narration and the characters.

While I have not gone through a traumatic cognitive disorder, I was still able to empathize with Sadie's journey and found it to be really cathartic in the end. A lot of themes in this book resonated with me - from the frustrations of one's body not being capable of what it once was, to feelings of inadequacy and hyper-independence.

I WAS surprised by the twist at the end. Not a lot of books can get a shock reaction from me, but this one did! I might have to go back for a re-read to see what my experience with the story is now, knowing what I know.

This is definitely one that I'll purchase a physical copy of once it's released, and I can't wait to keep following this author's works!

“This book created fantastic anticipation.” Another Katherine Center book read in record time. Her books are the epitome of page turners and I found myself telling so many people about the book I was reading because I found it all so interesting. I loved the author’s note giving more information for how she wrote the book, and got into romance writing. Thank you for the advance copy- I can’t say enough good things about this one!

It was my first novel by Katherine Center. The start was a little slow but once I got into it - I couldn’t put it down. I found Sadie to be very relatable character. She wants to succeed, she wants to be liked, she wants to be loved. I loved how she didn’t want to give up even when things weren’t going her way. Even though I predicted the twist pretty early on - it still kept me going and seeing how story unfolds. I loved comedy, witty and sarcasm that followed all the events. Also everyone needs best friend like Sue. Besides all the main romance novel feels it also teaches us not to give up on our self and find good thinks even in not so favorable situations.

Books like this are why I read as much as I do. After coming home after a long day of work, it is the comfort I find reading about what someone else is going through. I can laugh, cry, and find comfort in the pages of someone else's story. This is one of those stories.

Sadie is a starving artist and is hopeful that she is about to have her big break after she finds out that she is a finalist at a portrait contest. She almost dies but is saved by a good Samaritan. While at the hospital she finds out that she will need to have brain surgery. She decides that she is going to put it off because of the contest coming up but her father has other plans. Sadie's past is complicated so she decides to just have the surgery and make her father happy. However the surgery does not go as planned and now Sadie is face blind which is the worst possible outcome considering her occupation. What follows is an incredible romance with a great twist.

I am not afraid to admit that I stayed up way too late finishing this book because I just wanted to continue Sadie's story. I shed a few tears, I laughed, but overall I just felt better after reading what Sadie was able to overcome. It is stories like this that help you get through your own life as they bring a little bit of joy just when you need it. Thank you Katherine Center for taking my mind off the current pain that I am going through and giving me something delightful to escape with.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced readers edition. I feel so incredibly lucky to be given the chance to read this before it is published.

"Hello Stranger" is an incredibly moving and powerful novel that will leave readers feeling deeply touched and inspired. The story of Sadie Montgomery, a young artist who suddenly develops face blindness, is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. The author does an incredible job of bringing Sadie's struggles to life and making readers understand the challenges she faces on a daily basis.

The novel also delves into the complex dynamics of Sadie's family and the ways in which her condition affects them. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy for readers to connect with them on a personal level.

But perhaps the most striking aspect of this book is the way in which it explores the power of love and the ways in which it can help us overcome even the most difficult obstacles. Sadie's relationships with two men are both beautiful and heart-wrenching, and the author does an excellent job of capturing the complex emotions that come with falling in love under such challenging circumstances.

Overall, "Hello Stranger" is a beautifully written and emotionally powerful novel that will leave a lasting impression on readers. It is a must-read for anyone looking for a moving and uplifting story about the resilience of the human spirit.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artosts down on her luck and trying to make ends meet. She finally gets a break as she is a finalist in a potrait competetion and feels this is the lucky break she has been waiting for. Then she finds out she must have brain surgery or die just like her mother did. In recovery she realizes that she can no longer identify faces so as a potrait artist how is she going to complete her painting? You can feel all the raw emotions she is feeling and it is gut wrenching to experience.

She is blessed that she can still see the face of her beloved pet Peanut. Peanut gets sick and she is racing to the vet to save his life. She meets Dr Addison and through clues decides he is good looking, successful, confident and dreams of marrying him and living happily ever after with him. She is thrilled when he asks her on a date.

She meets Joe in the elevator of her building and thinks he is the largest jerk on the planet after overhearing his phone call. She later discovers that he is Mr Helpful and always there to help others out. They start hanging out together and wonders if she has misjudged him. When she is desperate and suffering from anxiety he is always there to calm her down and is so understanding.

Sadie tries to find a new normal, save her career and falls in love discovering that happiness can be found in unexpected places.

This book is so heartfelt, endearing and captivating all at the same time.

This book was so interesting to read! It had everything I love in a Katherine Center book. She always has a unique storyline, interesting characters with in depth backstories and of course a love story. I was rooting for Sadie the whole time and couldn't put the book down.

I absolutely adored this novel. 48 hours after starting it, I couldn’t wait to tell others about this fantastic narrative.
I started the novel expecting a romance, but became fascinated by the primary character’s experience of acquired prosopagnosia “face-blindness” an it’s impact on her and her experience of life. There is an existential lens- a reminder of how our perception can limit our life experiences. It’s fantastic.
There is an author postscript where she discusses the beauty of the hope that romance books provide… the anticipation. This book does that beautifully. Can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in July! Many thanks to Net Galley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin’s Press for this e-arc!

I enjoyed Hello Stranger but I don’t feel it is one of Katherine Center’s best books. I enjoyed the humor and silliness of the main character. I did feel it was really predictable and I found myself rushing to finish towards the end because I knew what was coming. Overall it was good but I was disappointed when I compared to other books if hers.

Katherine Center plays to her strengths in this one and knocks it out of the park with another unique storyline that I honestly can’t say I’ve ever read before. Don’t worry, even though the premise is new, we still get the beautiful love story and personal growth we’ve come to expect from Katherine Center’s loveable characters (okay they’re not all loveable but I’ll get to that).
I have never heard of face blindness and had to Google a few times to actually confirm that the things our main squeeze Sadie was experiencing were actually real- they are, there, saved you a Google session. Although it’s really fascinating to read about the actual condition if you find yourself curious.
Anyway, Sadie has had a hell of a past with the death of her mother when she was as a teenager, and a series of terrible events afterward including the accumulation of one evil stepsister who put soap opera stepsisters to shame with her true insanity- she was over the top in a way that made me anxious anytime she was even close to the page I was on.
Fortunately, evil sis’s plans to foil Sadie’s hopes and dreams don’t actually ruin the whole book, and we get to see Sadie grow and fall in love! With a guy! Whose face remains a mystery! What a fun premise, did I say that already?
I also loved the approach to Sadie’s relationship with her dad, as I have had a strained relationship with my dad as well, and that little push that keeps you trying to prove yourself to them and then eventually realizing they just don’t care is one I could really relate to. I highlighted several quotes from Sadie about her dad and connected with that part of the story big time. I’m glad Katherine Center gave that part of the story its time and allowed us to participate in that healing with Sadie.
Anyway, if you love Center’s books, you’ll need to read this one. The truly only thing holding me back from a perfect score is the love triangle/twisty part of the book which was kind of predictable and I held in a laugh when it actually happened (sorry if that’s a spoiler I’m trying to be vague). But if you suspend reality enough to just go with it, you’ll probably easily fill in that 5th star.

Dropped what I was reading because I needed a feel good story and like always, Katherine Center delivered! This story had the perfect balance of humor, romance, and heartbreak, plus I absolutely adored Sadie! She had amazing growth throughout the novel as she dealt with a failing career, family dynamics, romance woes, and the main focus of the story, her prosopagnosia (face blindness). Center did a great job educating about this condition and how it can affect people differently, many of whom don’t even know they have it. I guessed the twist early on but that made the story all the more enjoyable as I “anticipated” the reveal. Highly recommend if you’re in need of a book that lifts your spirits!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.