Katherine Center always takes me for the most beautiful ride, I loved all of the elements in Hello Stranger. It's heartbreaking but hopeful, and completely hilarious, which keeps it from feeling too heavy. Sadie's doing her best trying to make it as an artist when an emergency medical issue derails her plans. Watching her struggles, learning to cope, discovering more about her mom, was all perfection. I loved Joe and Oliver, and the love/hate Sadie had with him. This was a great read, I was totally consumed from start to finish.

(3.75/5 stars) This is my second Katherine Center romance novel (the first being The Bodyguard) and I almost feel like I could copy/paste my review of the last book here:
Easy to read and somewhat predictable, this book was more rom-COM than ROM-com (honestly you could classify this more as romance-adjacent than romance)...The characters are endearing and it's easy to get caught up in their story. However parts of the book felt exaggerated, perhaps almost cartoonish? Overall a fun read but not one that I would say is top of my "must read" list.
Not much has changed with this book, and I'd definitely put it on a beach read list or a summer-by-the-pool list.

I read Hello Stranger back in June, and after reading a few lacklustre reviews I have to admit that I had some regrets about requesting it on Netgalley. But sometimes I think it’s good to read a book after I’ve set the bar low in my mind, compared to when I read a book that’s hyped up and I go into it expecting great things. I enjoyed it! Yes, was predictable, but thought it was still super sweet and perfectly entertaining.

When I found out that facial blindness was a bit part of the storyline, I was surprised because the first time I’d even heard of this condition was after reading Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney back in fall. I thought that book was FINE (I didn’t review it), but found I was rolling my eyes a lot, and thought that the face blindness seemed like way too convenient of a plot point to use in a thriller. So again, I was a little cynical about this storyline, but this time there was a lot more context and explanation. Including an author’s note about it at the end. But I think if I’m going to read a third book about face blindness, it better be a memoir, and not a plot point.

So I would say that if you’re going to read this one, maybe go in with lower expectations like I did, and definitely don’t over-think it too much!

Katherine Center, the Author of “Hello Stranger,” has written an entertaining, witty, captivating, and heartfelt story. The Genres are Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Family Fiction, and Fiction. I love Katherine Center’s books, and this is wonderful. The author vividly describes the events, the scenery, and her colorful characters. The characters can be described as complex and complicated. I especially like “Peanut,” the elder dog with distinct culinary tastes.

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist who has placed as a finalist in a Society Competition with a $10,000 prize. Unfortunately, after an accident, Sadie finds herself in the hospital needing brain surgery. She had a previous condition and needs surgery that could save her life, but the complication is that she is left with actual “face blindness,” where facial features become a blur. For a portrait artist, this could be a disaster.

At the same time, she meets two men that she is drawn to. Sadie also has a dysfunctional family, and her troublesome step-sister shows up to make her life miserable.

The author discusses the importance of perception, family, friendships, love, and hope. I highly recommend this delightful and thought-provoking story.

This was such an amazing story! I LOVED the prosopagnosia aspect, it made this story so unique and captivating! And Joe/Oliver is now a new a favorite MMC! I love a golden retriever MMC and Joe was IT! Sadie and her independence reminded me so much of myself - always feeling like we need to do it ourselves & never ask for help, needing to prove ourselves to everyone. Overall a 5 star read for me and I can’t wait for more Katherine Center!

Another winner from Katherine Center!!

I loved this unique story, and its message of hopeful perseverance and finding love when you least expect it.

I thought the storyline about Sadie’s onset of Prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness) fascinating!! I’d never heard of that before, and it was really interesting to learn about it while seeing how it affects Sadie’s job as a portrait artist, as well as her interactions with her family, friends, and love interests.

I also loved little details, like all the scenes set on the rooftop overlooking the city, and the fierce bond she has with her dog, Peanut.

Overall, this was a fun and heartwarming read, with lots of moments to cheer for Sadie. I really enjoyed it!!

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc.

Katherine Center is becoming a must read romance author for me. Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist with the sassiest and most refined pup, Peanut, an absent fauther, standoffish stepmother and an EVIL step sister. Sadie finds herself a finalist for a prestigious portrait contact when she has a medical emergency and passes out in the middle of the street and is saved by a stranger. She ends up having a brain edema and needs to get surgery. After her surgery she becomes Face blind due to swelling in her brain.

During this time she ends up meeting a two new men Joe the neighbor who she can't figure out, and the most perfect looking (even without the face) vet Dr Addison for when Peanut gets sick. This story is cute and just made me happy.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Sadie Montgomery lost her mother at a young age, and after defying her dad to become an artist, she lost touch with her family. Now, as a starving artist living in her studio, she finally gets her big break! She is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society. Except, there is one catch – Sadie goes through brain surgery resulting in temporary face blindness. Now she must learn to paint portraits without able to see people’s faces. Learning to deal with trauma, she also encounters the horrible man-child from the elevator who seems to have a personality change, the handsome vet who saves her dog’s life, her evil step-sister who moved into her building, and her best friend and her family to help her through this transition.

Sure, this might be romance but in my opinion this is about Sadie’s ability to overcome her hardships. The romance definitely added spice to this novel but honestly I would just read this for Sadie alone. I was so proud of her and I hope she will always succeed in her fictional life. Joe was also such a sweet character, he was kind, helpful and sweet. The ultimate golden retriever vibes in the best way possible. I hope you pick up this book, even if you’re not in the mood for romance (I wasn’t when I picked it up), you will be hooked from the start!

"The face is where the emotions are, and where the story lies, and where the heart of the whole thing happens."

Sadie Montgomery has numerous struggles in her career as a portrait artist. When she finally gets the opportunity she always wanted as becoming a finalist in a prestigious artistic competition with a $10,000 prize, Sadie has a sudden seizure and finds out she has a leaking blood vessel in her brain that needs to be repaired with surgery. What nobody expected was that the surgery had a side effect: Sadie now has Acquired Apperceptive Prosopagnosia. Which means she’s not able to see faces anymore. With the contest deadline ahead of her, how she would do the paintings she needs if she can’t see faces?

This is my first book from Ms. Center and I’m eager to explore more of her work. It’s fascinating how the author mixes humor with serious topics in this book. Another fact that makes the story credible is the research job Ms. Center has done. I found myself searching on Google this condition! And with that she created a story worth reading it with scenes that balances humor and deep lessons that could be easily a movie script. I highly recommend this book if you like real life dramas with a humorous touch.

FULL REVIEW HERE:
https://aishasbookworld.wordpress.com/2023/07/17/review-hello-stranger-by-katherine-center/

• ARC given by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley. Thanks for your trust.

Hello Stranger
Katherine Center
4.5⭐️
Okay I really enjoyed this one! It was a totally unique situation and intriguing the whole time for me. Sadie acquired “face blindness” and really rocked her world. Her relationships changed. Her view on life changed. And she struggled! But this story really taught a lot of great life lessons and had a really cute and special romance. I would definitely recommend it.

I found the premise of this book--a woman who can't see people's faces except as separate puzzle pieces--intriguing and different. I read a lot of books, and the unique main character/plot probably made this one for me. The writing was good, too! It was the first book I have read by this author and I'm definitely looking to read more by her.

This was such an adorable read. My first Katherine Center, but I’m about to start her entire backlist because I’m in love.

Face blindness is something I had only heard of in passing, but didn’t know much about, before reading this book. It must be so disorienting to see faces…and then not all of a sudden. But I imagine, just like the MC, that many of us take much of what we see for granted and don’t remember so much of what we would hope to if we knew we couldn’t see that thing again.

I figured out the twist at about 70%, but it was still a heartwarming story with tons of personal growth. Yes yes, miscommunication trope…but done exceptionally well for a romance read. Plus set in the art world, with a rooftop bohemian-style (to be kind, lol) studio/apartment, made it so easy to picture where this was set.

Overall, this book was a delight. Read it!

"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." - shortened Goodreads summary

This book was so unique. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it (based on the synopsis) but I ended up loving it!! I can't imagine having face blindness but I would definitely tell everyone so they knew. Loved all the side characters and Peanut!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much. I had never heard of face blindness before this novel. It's scary to think that it's a real thing, and I honestly can't imagine having to live with it. I would say life could get pretty interesting much like Sadie's. I was laughing by the end of this novel with the predicaments Sadie finds herself in. This novel was fun, hopeful, and has happiness written all over it!!

Thank you, Netgalley & St. Martin's Press, tmfor this e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors as of late. She does not disappoint with Hello Stranger. While the topic centered in this story is a bit different than most of her stories, she still is able to pull at the heartstrings and make you smile and laugh all at the same time.

Sadie is estranged from her father and trying to make it on her own as an artist. Of course, she's struggling. Then by a freak accident, she begins to suffer from a neurovascular issue that has caused her to have face blindness. We are taken for a ride through her troubles with coping to be an artist again, recognizing those she's near and dear to, and finding love even if she's not sure which guy is which!

Again, Katherine Center has written a delightful laugh out loud tale that will have you loving the characters, maybe even the evil ones just a little bit. Definitely worth staying up all night to finish!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGally for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and st martins press for giving me this arc. I love Katherine’s writing . She writes wonderfully stories with characters you love without the spice. Maybe a 1 on spice scale only 2 kisses in the whole book. This book has a different turn than the others I have read by her . The fmc has a blood vessel in her brain that needs to be operated on . She gets the surgery but than has swelling that causes her to have a particular vision issue that messes with her ability to identify people .
She is an artist and was chosen for a contest for her portrait ability but now she has a limited time frame to create a new portrait for the contest and it needs to be a portrait of a live subject.
She tries some new ways to create the art due to her vision issues but they don’t work 100% . She is able to improve slowly but her impairment greatly hinders her ability to make her art. We see her slowly heal and the trial and tribulations she must go through to navigate her new life

There are two mmc joe who lives in her building who she recognizes from his vintage bowling jacket and dr addition her vet as he has a more professional aura and wears his lab coat.

I loved how to the story progressed. We learn how her mother died and her stained relationship with her father. Her step mother and step sister and the toxic relationship their . The guilt her father feels about the death and how they both deal with the death of the woman they loved.

Parker (step sister) has lashed out from the beginning but after a surprise even we learn more about Parker and why she is the way she is.

Triggers: toxic family
, parent death, face blindness

I loved his book and think I say that about every Katherine Center book. It deals with face blindness and although have read two other books about that - Center clearly made it an integral part of the plot and explained how the character got it and how it affected her better than the other authors. Her descriptions were excellent about what the character actually saw. Although I could see the twists and where the plot was going well ahead of time - I was glad it was going that way.

Gosh do I love Katherine Center books! First off the plot oh Hello Stranger is genius - Sadie, a struggling portrait artist gets her big break only to lose her ability to see faces due to complications from brain surgery. Then add in an endearing love story where Sadie falls for not one but two men. Totally Telenovella vibes and I was 100% here for it.

The love story was cute and the witty banter with both guys sizzled but Sadie was the heart of the story for me.

She followed her dreams of being an artist even though her father didn’t accept it since he had high hopes for her to follow in his footsteps to be a surgeon. She lost her mother at a young age and struggles with that loss as well as feeling accepted. Seeing her journey to healing was so beautiful and I was so happy for her.

Read for:
🧠 Brain Surgery Recovery
❤️‍🩹 Family Trauma
🎨 Following Your Dreams
🔺 Love Triangle

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️/ 5

Sadie Montgomery is a (almost) starving artist. She feels like she's on the verge of a big break when she becomes a finalist in a portrait contest. She thinks she's sure to win the competition and the $10,000 prize with her next portrait. When an undiagnosed medical condition pops up, it leads to face blindness. How can she paint an award-winning portrait when every face she sees looks jumbled? If that weren't enough, she's also head-over-heels in like with her vet while also being drawn into a relationship with her neighbor.

This one was a little too predictable for me, but I still enjoyed it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a review copy.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an arc!

This book was definitely one of the most unique romance books I’ve read. Our main character, Sadie, lands in a situation that requires a hospital trip, where she learns she needs brain surgery. Post surgery, Sadie discovers a new, different condition- she has face blindness. When Sadie looks at a face, everything is distorted and jumbled, rendering her unable to recognize faces- even her own.

While being unable to recognize people and relying on all of your other senses to help piece together who someone is is stressful enough on it’s own, Sadie is a portrait artist, currently working on a portrait for a prestigious competition that she is one of 10 top finalists in. The competition is very important to Sadie for many reasons, more than just her career. But how is Sadie supposed to paint a portrait of someone if she can’t see their face?

At the same time, Sadie also starts to develop feelings for a new person in her life. Even though Sadie can’t see his face, she is determined not to tell him the whole truth about her condition.

Sadie learns a lot about herself, others, and her family along the way, and it was super interesting to go along on this journey with her as she navigates her face blindness and creating art in an entirely new way. Bonus points for Peanut, a cute dog sidekick with a love for pad-Thai.

I highly recommend you pick up this book! It will definitely entertain and surprise you!