Katherine Center writes love, loss, and other themes with such grace and wit. I leave her books feeling like I have found new friends and I feel like I grow in my own way, especially in regards to empathy for people of all walks and lives. Stellar book, once again!

An incredibly interesting premise about a girl with a brain injury and develops face blindness. As someone who works in Neurosurgery, I couldn’t get on board with the “wait and see” approach to edema that was the same 2 weeks after surgery and then all of a sudden was resolving. That’s what steroids are for. Alas, I found the twist at the end to be predictable. Not my favorite from this author unfortunately

To start, I have enjoyed reading most of Center’s books, especially last year’s The Bodyguard, but Hello, Stranger just was worthy of a 5 star rating. The storyline is unique as the reader learns of neurological condition called prosopagnosia (face blindness) which was brought on by cavernoma in her brain. Although this is horrible for anyone, Sadie is especially effected by this issue as she is a portrait painter causing her to not complete a portrait that has been submitted into a highly prestigious portrait competition. Besides Sadie having a difficult family, Sadie has difficulty asking for help. After a few unfortunate situations, Sadie finds herself in a love triangle between the helpful neighbor, Joe and the strikingly handsome veterinarian, who saved her dog Peanut’s life. She must ask both of them for help, and she falls for both of them, but she cannot not identify either of their faces.

The premise is inspiring as we should look within before judging someone by their face alone, and the parts of the story are heartwarming and funny. I would recommend reading this one if you feel good story with a little love triangle and a little steam.

Thank you Libro.fm for the advanced copy audiobook and Netgalley for the advanced copy eBook. And a special Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review the book.

Katherine Center wrote another book everyone is going to love. Sadie and Joe have such an unlikely start to their relationship and the way it all comes out in the end is a big surprise to anyone. The family dynamics of Sadie, her dad, Lucinda and Parker are another layer of complexity to this story. After Sadie lost her mom suddenly, her dad remarried rather quickly and that marriage came with an evil stepsister that did everything she could to get Sadie out of her life and turn her mom, Lucinda and Sadie's dad against Sadie. The sad part is Sadie has always been a genuinely nice person. When she develops prosopagnosia (face blindness) after a needed brain surgery her world is literally turned upside down. Her portrait career and chance of a lifetime to make a name for herself may just be slipping away.

I thoroughly enjoyed this silly and engaging romance.

Our heroine Sadie was a hot mess from the beginning (which, I liked because life is messy y'all.) Our hero Joe started out as more of a zero (yes that rhyme should make you cringe) but by the end of the book he had more than redeemed himself.

Like all of Katherine Center's books, the secondary characters were well written and did add to the storyline. There were a couple of the characters that I would have liked a house to drop on but for the most part they all had good and bad traits just like people actually do.

I would recommend this book to any fan of Katherne Center or anyone who enjoys hard won HEAs.

Sadie, the very definition of a starving artist, finally gets her big break when she is selected as a finalists in a renowned portrait competition. But after having brain surgery, she develops face blindness. She can't recognize anyone--let alone paint their features. She struggles through, trying to find ways of coping, all while developing a bit of a crush on two new men in her life: her dog's classically handsome, ivy league educated veterinarian and her floppy-haired hipster potentially playboy neighbor. But her inability to paint and truly evil stepsister make things challenging.

Wow! I love Katherine Center's writing, especially her newer works (which veer on the slightly less tragic), and this one didn't disappoint. I had intended to read an early copy last Christmas, but didn't want to mess up my (already-decided) best books of 2022 rankings, and @bookswithnopictures had been screaming about how good it was, so I held off... and somehow just managed to get to it it now. Oops. But it was just what I needed to pick me up after a string of perfectly average books. It had everything I wanted--a likable heroine, swoony hero(es), an interesting career and subplot, and ride-or-die BFF. I could have done without the literally sociopathic stepsister, but every book needs a villain, I guess. I really, really enjoyed this book and would whole-heartedly recommend.

Thanks to St. Martin's for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

Couldn't really get into this book. I wanted to love it as much as I loved The Bodyguard but just couldn't get there.

I did however like that Katherine Center chose a medical condition that I knew nothing about, acquired Prosopagnosia. Which allows you to see parts of a face but not the whole thing, essentially you're face blind. It was cool getting all sorts facts about this condition but that meant we go more inner thoughts of our main character Sadie. Who, for me at least, was just self-conceited and boring. BUT thankfully she could still recognize her dog Peanut's face. Because that would have gutted me.

I also liked the twist for which guy Sadie ended up with: our neighbor (sleaze) Joe or Peanut's veterinarian Dr. Addison.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I actually read and reviewed this earlier on GoodReads and forgot to send in my feedback, my apologies!

I’ve read a handful of Katherine Center books and I have enjoyed them all! Some more than others, this one wasn’t my favorite but it was still overall a good read! I found Sadie’s condition a little hard to wrap my mind around, but I also enjoyed that making the book a little different. Sadie was quirky and silly, which was sometimes annoying - but it wasn’t enough to make me not enjoy her character! She made me laugh with her judgements and her being so naive at some points! I would have liked to see a little more play out with the step sister, I felt like it was sprinkled throughout the book for it to be a little anticlimactic at the end.

3.5 stars overall! Looking forward to reading more from Katherine Center! She know how to write a good book and no 2 are the same!

While not my favorite of Center's books, I did enjoy "Hello Stranger." It took me a little while to get into the story, but I was eventually immersed in Sadie's world and grew to love the characters. I enjoyed the twist and didn't see it coming until later in the book. Center's fans will not be disappointed.

I have loved every Katherine Center that I’ve ever read, and this one was no different. I absolutely love her writing style and the characters that she creates.

One thing I often don’t like about romance novels is that they follow the same formula. I still enjoy the story, but nothing really surprises me and I need a little bit more. But this one was so unique and it actually surprised me a few different times!

I loved the representation of prosopagnosia. I had never heard of it before, so it was interesting to learn about and shocked me when it was brought into the story (not a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis…I just hardly ever read the synopsis).

I also loved all of the side plots that took place throughout the novel, and I would totally read a Parker redemption arc. Just saying.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

Katherine Center’s books are so special to me. Each one is filled with so much joy, and she always teaches me something about gratitude, courage, and optimism. Her newest book Hello Stranger just came out, and it is filled with all of those things and more.

Sadie is a portraitist on the verge of her big break when a routine surgery causes her to develop face blindness. The book follows Sadie’s journey as she learns to view the world in a completely new way. There’s an adorable dog, art, and a very compelling love triangle!

I first read this book in April and I was so delighted by it that when it came out in July I knew I needed to read it again. Plus, I am begging everyone to stick around for the author’s note, which contains a beautiful mediation on romance and its importance. I would like to frame it and put it on my living room wall. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy!

My favorite thing about this book was how multifaceted Sadie’s life is. Not plot point is at the service of the romantic storyline. She has a job, a family, a best friend, and a dog as well as a love interest or two. And honestly, no one part of her life gets more time in the spotlight than the other. And it all fits together and builds up at the same time. Seamless.

Near the end, I started to get really frustrated with Sadie. She kept ignoring things I thought were PIVOTAL to the plot and focusing on the most insignificant little details. She asked the wrong questions or didn’t ask any questions at all so many times, and I wanted to scream at her. One of her love interests wasn’t mentioned for 100 pages after an event that warranted if not a text exchange or a meetup, at the very least one single thought of him on Sadie’s part. Of course, this all played into the plot, so in the end I somewhat forgave her. But still, it took me out of the book and felt contrived.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and certainly not your average romance. Something Center says in the Author’s Note really struck home after finishing Hello Stranger. Basically, romances may be predictable, you may know who will end up with who and that it’ll all end happily. But the anticipation of getting there, the excitement of watching things unfold, makes romances so enjoyable. In the end, I felt a sense of satisfaction that made up for any frustration I’d felt before. And there were certainly a few things I didn’t see coming…

I think Katherine Center has become one of my favorite "Rom-Com"plus authors! With this and The Bodyguard (one of my favorite books of last year), I really appreciate the way she has a love story that I am invested in but that's not the main story. The main story is the beautifully written main female character and their family and friendships and the dynamics of those relationships as well as their inner struggles about who they are and what they do for a living. The characters are dynamic and likeable and I finish her books feeling emotions I didn't expect to feel in a "rom-com".

This book deals with art, loss, grief, illness, facial blindess (which was incredibly fascinating), an evil stepsister, and of course love. I enjoyed every moment of this book and the characters that Center brought to life. I extra appreciate that her books are closed door - this girl's face turns red real fast with open door scenes! At first I was going to say that this book is predictable but then I read the Author's Note and was hit with a great realization from the author.

"Sometimes I see people grasping for a better word than predictable to describe a romance. They'll say "it was predictable - but in a good way." I see what they are going for. But maybe the word predictable has become predictable...I propose we start using anticipation."

I love this - it's a rom-com - of course some of it will be exactly what I expected it to be. But why is that a bad thing? I was ANTICIPATING everything that I expected to happen in such as great way that I kept turning the pages so that I could experience that a-ha moment WITH the characters. Special shout out as well to the main character's dog Peanut who I loved with all of my heart! I had tears in my eyes in one scene and immediately had to go hug my dogs.

The Bodyguard is still my #1 of hers but this was such a lovely, enjoyable story of friendship, love and the power of kindness and hope. I want to immediately buy all of Katherine Center's backlist because her books just constantly bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by Katherine Center and it lived up to the hype. I loved both main characters and watching Sadie struggle with the that have happened to her but then watching her figure it all out. I plan to read more by this author.

Hello Stranger is the new reality for portrait artist Sadie Montgomery as she suffers from a side effect of brain surgery called prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces, in the latest from Katherine Center that arrived on bookshelves July 11.

Sadie had just placed as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition when she was ready to celebrate and start her entry only to be shot down thanks to her brain scrambling the pieces of people’s faces. She only has a few weeks to start and finish a new portrait to enter into the contest that offers a huge prize. While face blindness may be only temporary, there are no guarantees that the faces she sees will clear up.

As if suffering face blindness was not enough of a challenge, Sadie faces other problems: major family issues thanks to an evil stepsister, the failing health of her dog Peanut who her late mother had given her, and an obsession with two men, one her handsome new vet and the other a neighbor in her art studio/apartment building.

As she struggles to create a portrait for the competition when she cannot even see her subject’s face any other way but in “pieces,” her end result tends to look like something scrambled as in a Picasso painting, an entry the Portrait Society is not likely to favor. Because this is a contemporary romance, readers will get feel-good vibes as Sadie deals with life as a face-blind person juggling potential romances with two men whose faces she cannot see.

Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of nine other books, including The Bodyguard, Things You Save in a Fire, and What You Wish For. Her book The Lost Husband was made into a Netflix movie, and Happiness for Beginners will air on Netflix starting July 27 starring Luke Grimes from the TV series “Yellowstone.” Center lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting July 23, 2023.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Struggling portrait artist, Sadie, is one canvas away from her big break when her plans are thwarted by a sudden medical emergency and subsequent brain surgery that takes away her ability to perceive faces. Friends and family become strangers. Sadie suddenly cannot recognize her own reflection and is forced to reevaluate her career and her perception of her own life. A stranger becomes an unlikely supporter as she discovers the value of familiarity and learns what it means to be seen.
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I'll admit, I had my doubts about this one. I am always apprehensive about medical problems used as a plot device because sometimes they are misunderstood and misleading, but I felt like KC did her research and handled it delicately without beating it to death. I found it to be a fascinating and heartwarming perspective of a real diagnosis. The imagery used when describing Sadie's new perceptions and her painting are beautiful and touching. I liked the romance aspect of the story and felt like it came together well at the end, but it is also a tale of self-discovery that felt original and uplifting.
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The "evil stepsister" trope just felt so unrealistic to me and it was very interwoven into the story, which made it hard to ignore. It created a slapstick kind of comedy, but I think Sadie's clumsiness and disorientation fostered enough humor on its own. I also felt like the twist at the end felt far-fetched but there was an attempt to address a plot hole that made it more digestible. It is notably free of spice, not even any fade to black scenes, that are always kind of a bummer for me personally when I pick up a romance.
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I enjoyed this far more than the Bodyguard so I am looking forward to what KC has next on her roster.
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Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St Martins Press for this ARC e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center has done it again. Hello Stranger captured my heart with is sweet storyline and engaging characters 🎨

Read if you like
🖌️closed-door
🖌️friends-to-lovers
🖌️unique plot lines
🖌️found family
🖌️healing after trauma
🖌️lots of laughs

Katherine Center does it again with this cute, heartwarming book that will get readers hooked from the first page. I discovered Center when The Bodyguard came out which was my favorite read of last year. Let me say that this story did not disappoint at all. So this story follows Sadie who has something going on with her life until an accident and now has to struggle with her dream and family issues only with two men she had met. Usually I love my romance spicy which Center doesn’t do though that never disappoints me as her story are always great. The plot and story structure is well done and the pacing is just perfect. I love the setting and the conflicts in the book. Sadie was a wonderful character and I loved how much she developed in the story. I love how this story focuses a lot on self-development instead of just romance. The side characters were great and I loved seeing Joe and Oliver. The romance is a love triangle which usually I don’t prefer reading but I didn’t mind it for this book. I liked the outcome and the story was very cute. Everything turned out well for this book and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Now, romance is not my normal genre but I love Katherine Center and Hello Stranger was another hit for me. She is creative with her plots and that is why I love her books so much. This one was no different, and I have only read about face blindness in thrillers, and to introduce it in a romance novel was actually kind of genius, there were even times I was laughing out loud in here. The plot was great, I loved (and loved to hate) these characters and listened to this in one sitting as it was so good. On that note, the audio is fantastic, it was great to listen to and I think it is the way to go if you like audiobooks for sure.

P.S. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed!

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

Katherine Center really knows how to craft unique stories! I enjoyed the first bit of this one, but after I while I started to find myself peeved by and disinterested in the narrator. I know she had been through so much, but I found her to be a little immature, so it was hard for me to feel invested in her story. I also experienced way too many plot holes overall, but I still enjoyed the premise of the book and appreciated the chance to learn more about face blindness. Will continue to read Center’s books, for sure!