DNF. I hated to do it but I just found this dull and packing. I needed more chemistry to care about and be invested in these characters. They felt cold and immature.

Katherine Center never fails to deliver. There were several frustrating moments that I wanted to admonish Sadie and Joe to talk to each other more, but of course we wouldn’t have the story without their miscommunication. Overall, a fun and easy read.

I loved this book so much. I laughed, I swooned, I got really mad, and I cried. A whole roller coaster of emotions from this book. It was absolutely wonderful, and I cannot recommend it enough! Please read this! 😍

4.5 but rounding up.

I fell head over heels for this adorable, charming, and often funny story! There’s face blindness, a tiny white dog named Peanut, a cute vet, family struggles, an evil step sister, and so much more! MC Sadie’s character is just so quirky and lovable that I couldn’t help but root for her throughout. While she is definitely flawed, not knowing when I to ask for help due to pride issues, I found her overall presence endearing. Yes, a lot of the drama and miscommunication could have been cleared up if she put aside her own issues, but I was happy to be along for the ride and watch how the madness unfurled. I loved about this romance book was somewhat unpredictable, unlike a lot of “boy meets girl but there’s a reason they can’t be together” romance stories. About a third of the way through I wasn’t even sure I knew who the main love interest was…I was kept on my toes, and still not entirely correct! The twist at the end was fun and had me rethinking earlier moments. While I typically can’t stand the miscommunication trope, I didn’t mind here at all due to the prosopagnosia (face blindness) playing a part. My only issues were some repetitiveness towards the end and more telling rather than showing. In my opinion, this took away from the impact of the ending a little bit. But overall, I felt like I was constantly laughing and smiling throughout. It was an absolute joy to read/listen to.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! There were so many interesting nuances, that left you guessing. I loved how the main character was really put to a challenge and she brought herself through on her own terms. I loved her little dog too!

I absolutely love Katherine Center's books! Hello Stranger had me laughing out loud.It was like being thrown into a beloved romcom. I loved the love story and how it evolved.

First of all, thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the copy of this novel. I have loved every Katherine Center book I have read, and this one was no exception. The main characters, Sadie and “Joe”, are so adorable together. There were many moments in this book that I found myself laughing out loud at their banter, which is always Center’s strong suit.

I did find the plot a little far fetched. I just couldn’t find it believable that Sadie couldn’t recognize the voices of her loved ones, or even Joe’s for as many times as she was around him.

Overall, I gave this 4 out of 5 stars. Center is always an “auto read” author for me!

I don't think this book is for me at this time. The discussion of the main character's mother at times just hit a little too close to home at times. Additionally, I found the main character to be a little bit annoying. However, I do want to give this book another chance when I am in the mood for this kind of read.

2 Stars - DNF

I really wanted to like this book but I found the main character more annoying than endearing. I’m sure the plot would suck most people in, but for some reason I couldn’t get lost in it like other books. Not for me, I guess.

Katherine Center is an absolute favorite of mine, and this book definitely cemented that status. Hello Stranger's Sadie is a struggling artist who finally may have her big break: she has just been notified that she is a finalist in an portrait artist contest. After a fainting incident and emergency surgery, she wakes up to discover she has face blindness. How Sadie navigates her career, her relationships , and her "new normal" had me devouring this book. There is a twist at the end of this book - and one most readers will likely see coming - but that doesn't make this book any less of a joy to read.
If you haven't ready any of Katherine Center's books, I cannot recommend her work enough. There is a reason she is called "the queen of comfort reads" and I am here for all of it.
Thank you to Katherine Center, NetGalley, and St. Martin's for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hello, Stranger follows Sadie, who is having a rough time of it. She lost her mother, she's living in a teeny apartment, her family is awful, etc. But things can still get worse - as she has a seizure, is almost hit by a car, and then finds out that she needs brain surgery. Yep, this is a rom-com. So, she has the surgery and has a side effect in recovery of face blindness, which is hopefully temporary, but comes at the most inconvenient time possible, as she's a finalist in a portrait painting contest. Portraits kinda need for you to see faces. So, she's struggling. Along the way, she meets and develops an infatuation with her dog's vet. Then, she develops a friendship with the guy in her building that she previously thought was a big grump. All while dodging her evil stepsister and trying to paint a portrait.

This book was a light-hearted and fun romp until right around 70% or so, when I knew that the end was going to be a twist that I predicted but assumed couldn't exist because that would have been too predictable and dumb. But guess what... that as the exact twist. I was disappointed. It's more than just being predictable, the twist is virtually impossible in terms of miscommunication. At best, the major twist could have been a first act mishap. This book had a great deal of potential, but certainly fell flat for me.

The premise of this was soooo promising but the execution did not work for me. Not a fan of this title

What a cute romance novel! I love Katherine Center's books and thorough enjoyed this one too. The story was unique and the characters were great. 5 stars!

A great premise which led to a grey story. Heart warming, twisty and romantic all wrapped up into this lovely book. So enjoyable!

I really enjoyed it though I didn't love it or relate to any of the characters, in fact the whole book was very different from what i normally like to read. The story dragged me along and kept me hooked for the entire ride. I recommend <3 Katherine has such a way with writing romance and self discovery all in one. I really liked Sadie's character and the romance was super cute. It was predictable for sure except for those mmc but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all of it. I did have very mixed feeling through the whole book but still recommend.

I loved this book! The story caught me in the first chapter and I just didn't want to stop reading. I highly recommend this book and author!

First of all Katherine Center has empicable writing. Her books are always different and i find myself getting lost in the story, Definitely recommend this book asi thought it was complete different from anything i'd ever read before.

Katherine Center never disappoints me when I pick up one of her books. They are the perfect mix of humor and romance while also being a little serious. Hello Stranger might be my favorite one of hers yet!

Katherine Center comes through again with a sweet and delightful story that I finished in one sitting! I loved this story and these characters and as always I loved Katherine's wit.

3.5 rounded up. I found the MC annoying and couldn’t find myself cheering for them. Predictable ending