Hello Stranger is the second book I’ve read by Katherine Center. While I did not enjoy this one as much as the previous book, I still found it enjoyable and easy to read.

My biggest issue with the story was the basic concept. While I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, I’m just wondering how likely it is to happen. Does that make sense? I’m sure Center researched the medical side before writing, but it still feels farfetched.

Though I did enjoy how Sadie’s face blindness plays out throughout the story, it shows how we use other tells about a person than just their face to inform us about those around us. How a person wears their hair, voice, and walk can tell you so much about a person. Those cues can be used for good or evil (looking at you, Parker!).

If you enjoy reading about people growing and learning more about themselves, you should read Hello Stranger.

“Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.”

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read the Bodyguard this summer and liked it good enough; but Hello Stranger had me hooked! I guessed the plot miscommunication early on, but still loved the characters and their relationships. Sadie was the independent female lead every romantic comedy needs!
Her relationship with her family was so relatable to many, after the death of her mother. It reminded me of Cinderella and the evil step mother and step sisters with Lucinda and Parker, her step mom and step sister. Her quest to be more like her mother and make her proud was admirable and her financial struggle, although comical at times, was easy to understand and sympathize with. I loved her relationship with Joe and her attractive veterinarian.

Synopsis:

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.

I typically LOVE Katherine Center's books but I struggled with Hello Stranger a bit. As a character I didn't find Sadie to be terribly appealing and so I wasn't as invested in her story.. Still I'm willing to think this was a me problem as so many others have enjoyed this book greatly. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.. Hello Stranger is on sale now.

📚 Book 58/25 of 2023 📚

⭐️ 5/5 stars!

Thank you Katherine Center & St. Martin's Press for this ARC via NetGalley! I loved getting the opportunity to read this book.

My first Katherine Center book and by golly, it won't be my last!

Hello Stranger had such an interesting plot that had me constantly revising my theories about what was happening and how we were going to get to that happily-every-after (HEA). It gripped me in such a way that reminded me of how it feels when a good thriller book really has its teeth sunk in. The Author's Note also made the book even better for me as I got to hear the author's voice and passion for romance novels. As she discussed in the Note, her book was filled with clues for you to find, but with anticipation that has been positively valenced. I wasn't glued to my Kindle in fear of what would happen to Sadie (our main character), but because I was excitedly hopeful as I wanted to see her get her HEA. How DELICIOUS of an experience!!

Also, Mr. Kim is the best (iykyk).

Sadie is a struggling artist, but life looks up when she is selected as a finalist for a prestigious art competition. Suddenly, Sadie is in a hospital and needs a brain surgery that leaves her with face blindness. How does a portrait artist compete in a dream contest with face blindness? She is also struggling to decide between the hot vet and the guy at her apartment. How Sadie navigates through life in this difficult phase forms the premise of the story.

Must say, this was a super unique plot! The character's despite their unique situations were super relatable! The family drama and complications were all handled really well. Most of all I enjoyed the fact that the plot was so well written and was truly engaging!

Thank you @macmillan.audio & St Martin's for the complimentary ALC & ebook.

It's hard to beat Kathrine Center. I adored this book, the premise, the whole lot of it. I grew quite attached to the characters and I went out and got myself a paper copy, haha.

How your life changes as a portrait artist when all of sudden you have face blindness. Sadie had just entered a portrait compensation when she is faced with face blindness and how she tries to remain in the running. Her step mother tries to help but they have strained relationship and then her evil stepsister tries to sabotage everything. I must say I loved Joe, her neighbor, always willing to help Sadie. Plus, you will fall in love with a Peanut a faithful companion to Sadie.

This is my first book by Katherine Center and will not be my last. Many laugh out moments and a bug smile at the end.

This wasn't my favorite read from Katherine Center. It was not at all a realistic premise and after getting past that hurdle, it still didn't do it for me. The main character was not at all likeable and the pace of the novel was a bit too slow. The ending brought me up to a solid 3 stars, but the majority of the book was a 2-star read.

Hello Stranger was my first book post-op and my first book by Katherine Center and it was so fitting as the books main character was also recovering from surgery (something I didn’t realize till I started reading it) though mine was wrist and hers was brain 🧠 big difference.
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Anyhow, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pick this book up for the cover (peep the little white dog who looks suspiciously like Lila)
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Unfortunately though, the surgery and the dog were the two parts of this story I enjoyed most. This book fell short for me as I felt it lacked romance and intrigue and was mainly based on miscommunication which is my least favorite trope since I am very direct person
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The writing style at first felt quirky and easy to read, but by the second half it turned repetitive and a bit irritating with its casualty. One too many rhetorical questions for me 🤷‍♀️
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Did I enjoy this book in the moment? Yes
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Would I recommend it to others? Maybe to the right reader
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Do I remember much of it only 2 weeks after finishing it? Nope, honestly cannot even remember the characters name 😅

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book! The concept was so unique and once I got into the story, I couldn’t put it down! I read the whole thing in one evening 😅

Center’s voice really connects you to her characters, much like in The Bodyguard. The premise of the book was also clearly well-researched, which took a bit of an unbelievable story and made it made it something you didn’t have to spend the large part of the book trying to understand. Even though I was able to predict the main plot twist about 2/3 of the way through the book, I still was hanging on to every word trying to figure out how it would happen and whether my suspicions were correct!

I definitely recommend checking out this new release! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoy Katherine Center's writing!

Her characters in this book were developed, animated and seemed to feel real.

This book gave me a a. lot of anxiety because I knew on the earlier side what the twist was.

I am not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope but this book did a better job than most!

Overall, I enjoyed the different components of this book, our main character had her goals and her issues that didnt center around romance.

Thank you to Netgalley, for the e-arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really wanted to like this book. Especially since I LOVED The Bodyguard so much. I was super excited to see I was approved for a book by Katherine Center.

Unfortunately, this book did not hit its mark with me. I only made it about 32% before DNFing. I did like the unusual storyline, where she couldn't recognize faces... however, the pacing just seemed off? 32% in and I still have no idea who the potential love interest is. She's also super obsessed with her dog, which I get, to an extent.... Her relationship with her dad is non existent, but all of a sudden, he cares enough to make her get brain surgery? I'm not sure. This one just didn't work for me :(

Hello Stranger equals Hello Fun!

Katherine Center’s newest book gives us a darling rom-com with a unique premise. A portrait artist experiences face blindness, a problem for anyone, but especially for an artist. I don’t want to give too much away, but just go get this one right now if you need a heartwarming, LOL summer read.

I absolutely loved this one!

Sadie is a portrait artist with a sudden onset case of face blindness. As she struggles to adapt to her world with unrecognizable faces, she also has to re-imagine her livelihood, and forge new relationships.

Fascinating storyline, engaging writing. Didn't love that she was going after two guys at the same time not being able to even tell who they are. She was a little too emotionally unstable for my tastes, but I guess that's kind of the point of the story.

Okay, extra points for that one! At first based on the book blurb I assumed <spoiler> it was one guy, but as the story progress, I really did start to think I was wrong. </spoiler>

Please note that I received thos book feom NetGalley. This did not affect my rating.

I absolutely loved this book!!! I read it extremely fast, which is unusual for me. The characters were well written and the storyline was very well written. The flow was perfect!

Sadie's storyline is very believable. The tension between her and her stepsister, Parker, was so believable, I was hoping the karma train would come for Parker.

Everything about her relationship with her father and her stepmother, Lucinda felt so authentic.

I loved Sadies's doggie, Peanut!

I am not always the one who likes romance novels. I find them drawn out, boring, predictable, and just lame. I usually roll my eyes so often, I end up with a headache, bur not thos time. I actually e joked this one and will recommend others read it as well! Tha k you publisher and NetGalley!

Katherine Center has a way with telling gritty stories that have a happy ending. (Do yourself a favor and read the author's note at the end of this book, she explains this so much better than I can.) Suffice it to say, she builds hopeful anticipation like a master, even in the midst of trauma.

In Hello Stranger, Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist who just got a big break for a competition. When she is struck with face-blindness after brain surgery, she doesn't know how she will complete the portrait required to compete. As she tries to re-find eye for faces, she must also address her relationship with her father after her mother's death when she was young. All the while learning how to identify the people around her without being able to see their faces. She does find people to help her along the way, and even falls for a couple of them! Ooops, that is a bit inconvenient. But she also learns to second-guess what she thinks she knows (couldn't we all do better at that?).

This book was a treat from start to finish. Anyone who has been bullied by a mean girl will doubly appreciate the little gotcha at the end of this story. Almost makes me wonder, will we see Parker's story somewhere down the road?

I am thankful to @netgalley for an electronic copy of this book. I purchased the audio and multiple hardback copies for myself.

Sadie Montgomery, a struggling artist, finally gets her big break — or she hopes… After brain surgery, she’s left with “probably temporary” face-blindness. She doesn’t have long to prepare her final submission for a major competition. Sadie needs the money AND validation (hello, disappointed family), but how can she paint a portait when she can’t see faces?

Her condition forces her to look at life in a different way, — including the two men who enter her life —which leads to self-discovery that Sadie wasn’t expecting.


What I liked:
🎨 Sadie & Joe’s relationship — I loved that he was so willing to help her, and that little bits of him were unraveled along the way

🎨 Writing — engaging from start to finish. It’s charming and sweet sprinkled with bits of humour.

🎨 Slow burn — I’m not typically a huge fan of these, but it worked for me here. I anticipated the ending, but still enjoyed how it fell into place.

What I didn’t like:
🎨 Not much romance — if you’re looking for spice, this isn’t it. There’s not really anything until the latter half of the book.

🎨 Evil step sister — couldn’t stand her (which is the point, I suppose)

I really enjoyed The Bodyguard, and this was a great follow up to that! I really enjoyed, and even selected as my BOTM! Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? Katherine Center manages to create stories that remind me of what it means to be a human at the most basic level. And that's my favorite thing about her writing! She's not "just a romance author"... she's fundamentally epic at writing human beings in general.

This story tells a tale where love really is blind. Face blind at least. In lay terms, Sadie had an irregular blood vessel in her brain, which caused her to collapse... in traffic, in front of a really handsome man... The surgery to repair this blood vessel caused her to wake up with face blindness. The rest of the story is Sadie trying to find ways to live her life as normally as possible. She finds associations to match people to who they are, and its really quite fascinating. The romance was just a complete bonus. I mean, how does she choose between a modelesque veterinarian and her downstairs neighbor who she thought was a sleazy (but very helpful) petsitter? Seriously, just read this! It's amazing!

This book was nothing short of incredible. I cannot stop thinking about it and I read it months ago at this point. I’ve always loved Katherine Center’s books – and I refuse to pick a favorite because they’re ALL just THAT good, but this book left me without words.

Sadie creates portraits for a living… at least until a routine procedure leads her to being diagnosed with temporary face blindness. Suddenly everything she took for granted is infinitely more difficult and no one seems to be who she thinks they are.

While I 100% predicted the ending of this book, I was amazed throughout. I loved the significance of the title – especially after going into this book blind (no pun intended), and each step of Sadie’s journey just pulled me in deeper. I couldn’t put it down, and better yet, I didn’t want to.

This book is so much more than a romcom – although I can promise you’ll both laugh and swoon. It’s heartbreaking, healing, and all-around enlightening, too. If you haven’t read a Katherine Center book yet, stop putting it off and get started, because I promise you you’ll want to buy her entire backlist once you get started.

I adore Katherine Center's writing and love the way that she makes a story more than a romance. She weaves in real life conditions and hardships with witty banter and hilarious situations. I appreciate how she can develop relationships with depth without having to add open door scenes. I am definitely on my way to being a KC completest.