This novel was a lovely visit to hope and happiness that I really needed after a few darker reads. It was light and happiness wrapped into a cute little book that just brought me joy! The conceit of the entire book was interesting and compelling which was the heroine (a portrait artist) finding herself with prosopagnosia, or face-blindness. That is really the thing that the entire story is centered around. And I think Center handled that one particularly well. And I think that is why this novel was so successful for me. If I hadn't bought that, the entire novel would not have worked. And I think that's the magic of Katherine Center. She can make things that may or may not be fully 'believable' from a logical standpoint, feel true and real. And this is a well-written, engaging book that I read in almost one sitting which isn't typical for me. I really enjoyed the entire reading experience and do recommend it.

I picked up my first Katherine Centre book a few months ago when I read The Bodyguard and absolute LOVED IT. I immediately requested this ARC and was so thrilled to receive an eARC - thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley!

Katherine Centre is a great writer of rom coms - I thought so in The Bodyguard and her writing in Hello Stranger is no different. She manages to write comedic light moments and intertwine them with truly traumatic moments for the characters to deal with - in this case dealing with a traumatic brain injury and family drama. Her blend of rom com with dramady is very well done and I can see why everyone has been telling me to read her books.

I was actually a bit taken aback by how low in sex scenes Center’s books are, but her writing and chemistry that she instills in her characters more than makes up for any lack of steam. If there is good romantic tension I dont need a ton of spice! And Katherine Center knows how to write good chemistry and good tension.

I enjoyed Sadie as a character, she’s quirky and well meaning - she comes across so bubbly but you can tell she is hiding some pretty deep issues with her family. Joe, our male lead, was just so gosh darn nice and it was refreshing to see a male lead who wasn’t a complete jerk to the heroine at first.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I had two major issues with this novel that kept it from being a 4/5 Star read for me:
1. The face blindness concept was cool - I actually have a friend with face blindness and it was fun to ask her about the accuracy of this book. However, the key role that face blindness played in the romantic “twist” of the novel was… pushing the bound of believability. I am sorry but if someone is consistently calling you the wrong name for WEEKS… wouldn’t you eventually correct them? The whole “I thought it was a joke cuz I wore that bowling jacket (IYKYK)” was just a really lame cop-out explanation for why Joe never questioned something that any normal person would’ve done. I understand rom coms have many elements of unbelievability but this was too much for me. Plus the face blindness twist really just relied on the miscommunication trope, which I hate.
2. I appreciated Sadie’s family drama with her dad - I honestly think we could’ve just had her drama with her dad and a step mother she can’t connect to and the trauma with her family would’ve been sufficient. The evil stepsister angle that was thrown in was so over the top it felt like the stepsister character was pulled from a different novel. Her cruelty and manipulation felt out of place and more in place with a soap opera than a rom com.

This book had such a great message! So much more than just a typical romance. Even though I saw the ending coming from very early on it.was such an enjoyable ride getting there. I can't wait to read more from this author.

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 by Katherine Center
Published: July 11, 2023 by @stmartinspress
Reviewed by: Mel
Format: eBook ARC [thank you @netgalley]

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆
✽ Miscommunication trope
✽ Accidental romance
✽ Katherine Center’s writing (it’s too perfect!)
✽ Overcoming obstacles
✽ Dogs

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
Katherine Center does it again! 2023 is my year of bingeing Center’s backlist — so when I requested the ARC of Hello Stranger, I thought it would be a long shot. It took me far too long to finally pick it up, but I’m so glad when I finally did. This was one of my favorite Katherine Center books!

I absolutely adored Sadie, “Joe,” and Peanut - and absolutely despised Parker. I don’t know if I’ve ever hated a character in a book so incredibly much. The book was so adorable and so well written that it unfolded so perfectly - and I didn’t put all of the puzzle pieces together until approximately 80% which was absolutely perfect timing — in a lot of books similar to this, it’s fairly easy to predict most of the plot points way ahead of time.

If you haven’t picked this one up yet, I definitely recommend it — it was a wonderfully enjoyable read!

Sadie Montgomery is diagnosed with face blindness after an unexpected brain surgery. She can still see, but she’s seeing faces as jumbled puzzle pieces. While she’s been told the condition is probably temporary, Sadie has to figure out her new normal. As a portrait artist, Sadie makes her living from being able to see and paint faces. While she’s learning to cope with this, she meets two men and begins to fall hard for one of them.

Hello Stranger is such a cute romance. The twist was a little predictable, and I felt like it dragged a little bit getting to that point, but overall I really enjoyed the characters and storyline.

This is true Katherine Center! I love everything about her writing style, the characters, the plot lines, and how she weaves everything together. This one did not disappoint!

Yet another amazing story from Katherine Center. I absolutely loved this book. She has mastered the art of story telling & crafted so perfectly the lanes of loss & love. When I'm in the market for a book that will rip my heart out, yet make me feel pure bliss at the same time, I know to reach for Katherine Center. I am already in anticipation for her 2024 release!

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center is a captivating read that solidifies her position as one of my favorite authors in this genre. This novel offers a thoughtful and touching romance that goes beyond the surface.

The book introduces us to Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist newly diagnosed with facial blindness following neurosurgery, which adds a unique and intriguing twist to the story. Sadie's condition naturally complicates her livelihood and relationships, making her journey even more challenging.

Sadie's struggle and growth throughout the novel make her a truly likable and relatable main character. Family drama enriches the narrative, adding conflict and personal growth, complementing the central romance with depth and substance.

Katherine Center's writing shines through once again, weaving a heartfelt and engaging story. If you're looking for a romance novel that goes beyond the usual clichés and leaves you with a sense of understanding and appreciation for the characters' journey, HELLO STRANGER is a refreshing read.

Be sure to read the author's note!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book has such an interesting premise involving a main character who acquires prosopagnosia also known as face blindness. Katherine Center really outdid herself with this one. I loved it even more than The Bodyguard. I appreciate and commend her for the amount of effort she must have put into researching prosopagnosia. I highly recommend that you read the author's note at the end because there is some good information given on prosopagnosia as well as Katherine's thoughts on the romance genre and what inspired her to get into the romance writing.

More about the story itself, I found myself laughing so much while reading this book! The comedy was excellent. The only reason why this book is not getting a 5-star rating from me is because I wish there was more romance. I absolutely adored both of the main characters and I enjoyed their chemistry, but the actual romance and courtship was lacking. They seemed more like two friends with crushes on each other. I would nearly almost want to categorize this book as women's fiction with just a hint of romance.

While I am used to and often predict twists due to reading a lot of thriller novels, I am always caught off guard when a romance novel has a twist, and man, did this book have a twist that pleasantly surprised me. I absolutely loved it!

I definitely look forward to reading more of Katherine Centers books in the future!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for the eARC.

Hello Stranger is out now!

Honestly, one of my fave things about reading Center’s books is reading them with @angiearoundwonderland and @daniiireads. It’s always more fun to read with friends, am I right?!
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In this one Sadie finally has her life headed in the direction she wants as she competes in an art competition that can change her life, but when she gets in an accident her life really is forever changed. She develops face blindness which is obviously not ideal but even more so for a portrait artist. Of course, there’s romance, a journey of finding oneself and humor.
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Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for and advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a charming book! Most of the characters were likable especially the main protagonist, whom due to a sad twist of fate develops a condition known in layman's terms as "Face Blindness" This book is the epitome of "love is blind" I didn't see the twist near the end coming which made this book even more enjoyable. A real comfort read! My third read from this wonderful Author and I have lots of her other books in my TBR pile.
P.S. Is it weird that I kept singing the song "Hello Stranger in my head every time I thought about this book?
Thank you to Netgalley, St.Martins Press and the Author Katherine Center for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have absolutely loved everything I’ve ever read by Katherine Center! She’s am Auto-buy author for me and, as expected, I can 100% recommend Hello Stranger to anyone! The plot is intriguing and putting a spotlight on a condition I’ve only heard about briefly in the past. KC makes the reader question their own hypothetical choices and strategies on how they would overcome the MCs challenges - and all that wrapped up in an adorable romantic read ❤️ I just had the best of times. Thank you so much, Katherine! (Oh and happy adaptation release day for your Happiness for Beginners 🌟)

Katherine Center has done it again. I loved everything about this book - the story line, the characters, the unique diagnosis, the artistry. This book was an easy read and it would make an excellent beach, vacation or weekend binge read! I'm not a big fan of romance, but I am a big fan of Katherine's writing. I found myself highlighting many sentences in her author's note at the end of the book and she has me believing I just might need more of the romance genre in my life right now. As is her usual, Katherine inserted an overall positive theme/life lesson into this book and it is a good one worth remembering. Did I have the overall theme of the book figured out pretty early? Yes. But it didn't interfere at all with my enjoyment of the book as the story played out. The main characters, Sadie and Joe, were very easy to like, and for me there was even a character to despise and I just love it when I get big reactions from a book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center

This author has never let me down. Center, in all of her novels, has the unique ability to enmesh romance with life’s difficulties. Ahh, if only it were that easy…

Much thanks to @NetGalley & @macmillanusa for this advanced review galley.

This book was so quirky and such a fun read/listen. I felt a little bad for Sadie because it felt like everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Having a seizure in the middle of the street, almost getting into an accident, needing brain surgery, and then as a side effect, having temporary face-blindness, a condition where she can't even recognize faces. The irony, of course, is that she's a portrait artist and has a deadline for a major competition.

I loved the storyline of her cultivating new relationships while having face-blindness, and also figuring out her old relationships (Parker, Lucinda, and her father). I also really really loved her found family, the Kims, and how supportive they are of her. The "plot twists" were a little predictable - I had a feeling that Joe and Dr. were the same person, and was also waiting to see how the man in the beginning of the story who bought her the wine and flowers was going to fit in to the story. But I love that the story leaned less on the romance, and focused more on Sadie's growth and development as a person.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Great rom-com with a twist. Enjoyable characters and plot and who knew so many people were affected with face blindness. Really enjoyed the book.

Thank you #Net Galley for the ARC of one of my favorite authors, Katherine Center. She did not disappoint. One of the things I love about reading her books is that she will often include a topic that I was completely unaware of before reading or topics that I don’t see often. This book included a storyline of face blindness, which of course lead me to researching the topic, which is so interesting. I even took the topic to my 7-8 language arts students, who then also went online to research and find the actual name of it. She masterfully wove this into a story of girl meets boy. What would you do if you met someone for the first time but couldn’t actually see the person’s face? What would your identifiers be?

I cannot wait until the book comes out so that I can actually own my own paper copy to see it for myself.❤️

Yay! I have a signed copy!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I am a fan of Katherine Center and this one was another hit. The premise was so interesting. A person with face blindness who happens to be a portrait artist! I can't even imagine having that condition. Katherine has a way of mixing emotional, deeper issues with fun situations that bring laughter and a sweet, swoony romance (or two as is portrayed in this book.)

Yes, I saw the twist early on, but the execution still made me smile!

4 stars

This book is one of my top summer reads. The cover is beautiful and relates to the story. I really enjoyed the narration by Patti Murin who brings the characters alive!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy. I also purchased the audible copy.

She constantly and consistently gives us these characters that we not only can not get enough of, but we fall for them every single time. We see ourselves in them, or our sister, or our best friend, or the neighbor that lives a few apartment doors down. She has done it again with this one. Be prepared to like these two alot!