I really enjoyed this book! But honestly, I've enjoyed ALL of Katherine Center's books. There isn't one that I haven't liked a lot. She just has a way with storytelling and romantic novels that is just right.

Sadie is a portrait artist who just made it to the finals of a big competition. One day she has a seizure which causes her to have a cavernoma. She has surgery to remove the cavernoma and when she wakes up she is unable to see faces. Her brain can’t process the visual of a face. It may be temporary or could be permanent. This changes how she has to create her art for the show and with the help of her neighbor she begins the journey to figure it out.
I really enjoyed the romance elements in this story. There was definitely enemies to lovers with a bit of a “love triangle” twist. There was a pretty big miscommunication towards the end, but let usual it was needed to move the story into the climax. I loved the character Joe once Sadie really got to know him and his true nature was revealed. He was so attentive and caring and really helped Sadie. I also love the found family element with her best friend Sue and her family. It was difficult for me to get past what an awful human Sadie’s stepsister, Parker was. She was the epitome of an evil stepsister and didn’t have a soul. Which was hard to believ that someone like that could actually exist, but reading fiction is all about suspending belief so it worked. She definitely added an interesting element to the story. Over all I enjoyed this story and would recommend it. Side note - definitely read the author’s note at the end on why romance novels are important and why we love them so much!

There are twists and reveals in this book only in the sense that you can tell that the author intended for there to be twists and reveals. Literally everything in this story was obvious from the very beginning, so much so that it made me feel like I wasted my time.

Blurb:
Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—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. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

My thoughts:
This was my first book from the author and I'm definitely interested in reading her other books. Sadie does come off a little whiney/bratty thoroughout the book which I didn't enjoy but overall it was a decent read!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for book in exchange for my honest review

I’ve never read a Katherine Center book before this one. I’m a fan now!! I’ve also never considered a book where the main character has face blindness. How intriguing? I loved how authentic and real the characters seemed to be. Ending was a fun surprise!

Round up to 3.5 / 5 stars

I enjoyed this novel and thought it was in interesting take on the strangers to lovers theme. About 60% through I started having an idea about the possible ending. This was both fun and frustrating because I kept waiting for the characters to confirm my suspicions or for something to happen to disprove them. I liked the author’s writing style and found it an enjoyable read.

Wow, wow, wow.

Katherine Center had been on my list of authors to read for awhile, and now I wish I hadn’t waited so long. Hello Stranger pulled me in with its unique premise, but it was Center’s writing, which such a distinct and entertaining voice, that had me giddily flipping each page. Sadie’s story had me laughing, cringing and unexpectedly crying. The emotional payoff is so high in this book that I definitely needed more than a few tissues by the end of it.

I do recommend going into this book pretty much blind, no pun intended. Not knowing much and being along for the ride with each twist and turn made this so much more enjoyable. While there were moments that I was worried the plot was getting too ahead of itself, Center managed to pull it all together in a beautiful web of chaos, self growth and ultimate triumph. This was my first Katherine Center book, but it will definitely not be my last, and I can’t wait to see what journey we go on next. Maybe love is just around the corner and may we all be lucky enough to fall in love with men in bowling jackets.

Katherine Center is amazing. This book did fall alittle flat for me but it was still a great KC book. I love her writing style and her stories are just so good.

I JUST LOVE LOVE AND THIS MADE ME WAY TOO HAPPY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO NETGALLEY FOR THE ADVANCED READER COPY VERY COOL!

I love Katherine Center! She has a whimsical way of telling stories rooted in reality. And dealing with real life issues. This one is fun and real and whimsical all rolled into one!

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist who lives in the "extra space" of a store owned by her best friend's parents' store. Susan has been her best friend since college and appreciates the assistance as she lost the financial support of her father, Richard Montgomery, a respected cardiothoracic surgeon, when she refused to go to medical school. He discouraged her from pursuing art as an occupation like her mother who died prematurely from a brain tumor. Her relationship with her father became further strained after he married a woman named Lucinda whose daughter, Parker, coincidentally, bullied Sadie through high school. The last person Sadie wanted to seek help from would be her father until a terrible accident occurs just before the deadline of the North American Portrait Society competition where she is a finalist with a substantial financial award.

Unfortunately, Sadie has a seizure while crossing the street where Joe saves her from being struck by a car. Sadie wakes up in the hospital unable to see faces. She is extremely confused as to what happened to her. Testing revealed she had a rare brain cavernoma tumor resulting in "temporary" facial blindness. She is panicked given that her financial well-being is solely dependent on her ability to see faces and is desperate to finish her project for the portrait competition. With the help of friends and eventually her father she discovers a way to "see" so that she might be able to return to her art. It wouldn't be a romantic comedy without the confusion of Sadie's attraction to her dog Peanuts' vet. Her obsession has her bringing the dog to the doctor more often than needed until she is persuaded to meet up with the man who saved her in the street after her accident. She feels incredibly vulnerable mistaking people as she cannot clearly see anyone's face, including Parker who finds this an opportune time to embarrass and humiliate her. Sadie finds a way to humor herself through all these missteps and discovers that sometimes you can "see" better without your vision.

My favorite part of Hello, Stranger was the more-than-romance feel. The main character has been and continues to overcome a lot. Center’s voice as a writer shines as well!

However, this wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center I’ve read. I wasn’t invested in the plot or characters. I would have loved a little more down-to-earth story- you really have to be ready for some outlandish details.

I will definitely continue to read and recommend her others!

Katherine Center books always give me the warm and fuzzies, so I request them every time they pop up on NetGalley.

Sadie is a portrait artist who may finally be getting her big break. When she is one of ten to get a spot in a prestigious portrait competition, she knows she can win and everything can change. Then she has a seizure that’s related to a formation in her brain that needs to be surgically corrected. Unexpectedly, Sadie comes out of surgery with fever blindness. She tells only those closest to her, keeping it a secret from new friends and acquaintances.

This book was so fun. I love how Center writes funny, punchy dialogue. Even though the plot is heavy in nature, the dialogue never feels too bogged down with emotion or too serious. She balances the fun romance with the serious plot points very well.

My only “complaint” is that I knew one of the big plot twists that was coming and got a little impatient waiting for Sadie to figure it out. But that didn’t change my love for the book overall!

Definitely recommend for fans of this author and/or fans of rom coms!

This was very enjoyable but it’s definitely one of those books where you have to suspend reality a bit. I’m sure it *could* all play out like this but it seems highly unlikely that she wouldn’t have been suspicious at all or that someone else would have clued her in. I also couldn’t fully buy in to her attraction since she didn’t always know who she was even talking to. I know it can be hard to pick up voices but if I’m attracted to someone I’m going to remember their voice. Overall though, I did really enjoy the story and the art aspect of it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
This was a book I didn’t know I needed, until I read it. The plot was so different from anything I’ve read before, and because of this it really captured my attention and held it throughout the entirety of the book.

I really do love a good romance where I’m pining for the two main characters the entire time, even if both of them don’t realize they should be together yet. That was definitely the case with this book. Mix a little bit of Cinderella, with a little bit of While You Were Sleeping, and you get Hello Stranger. I could definitely see this book playing out like a romcom movie in my head, and that made me love it even more!

What I really loved most about this book though were the characters themselves. The two main characters were so likable in my opinion, and I was really rooting for them both with everything.

I would definitely recommend this book to all of my romance and romcom lovers out there. This one is for you!

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- 🧠 Uncommon diagnosis plots
- 🐕 Animals
- 🌹 A good romance comedy

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: N/V Brut - Trius Winery🥂

Katherine Center books are like a big, warm hug. I love the author's writing style and how she tells a story. Center picks an important topic and wraps it around a strong female character. Then, of course, a love story develops. I suggest having some tissues nearby when you read Hello, Stranger. I highly recommend this book and ALL of Katherine Center's backlist.

Fantastic book! Katherine Center did it again. What a unique premise for a book. It seemed far fetched when reading the synopsis, but she has a way of writing about the characters to lure you in and be hooked!

This was a fun contemporary romance. I enjoyed my time reading it but it probably won’t stick with me.
I’d recommend to anyone who enjoyed her other books.

This was such a sweet read and perfect for bookclub. It held my attention from start to finish and absolutely love her writing. Loved the little twist at the end too.

I love Katherine Center! She is one of my favorite authors ever. Hello Stranger, quite honestly was not my favorite,
As always I enjoyed Center’s strong, authentic female lead and the importance she plays to the plot. Her books always read as women’s fiction to me and not just romance.
Out of Center’s recent works I like The Bodyguard much better..
The face blindness angle was different but I just did not enjoy it that much.
I would give Hello Stranger 3 and a half stars. Center’s fun personality and lovely writing saved the book. I did not enjoy either main character.