This was my second book by Katherine Center and I really liked it! I can’t wait to dive into more of her books!

This book deserves all the stars. We meet Sadie who is a portrait artist who undergoes brain surgery and loses the ability to see faces. This was such a cute and fun read. Sadie was a really likable and relatable character. I loved that the romance in the book was not sappy or over done. It seemed very authentic and honest! In a way I did see the twist coming but it did not detour from the love story.

The idea for this book was interesting but it didn’t quite work for me.

I almost DNF’ed this a few chapters in. The whole Cinderella and evil stepmother and stepsister vibes are not really my thing and that’s what it felt like to me.

I have now read 2 books by this author and I feel like she has a very specific pattern she uses. There is always some huge twist at the end and there is always an antagonist who honestly doesn’t get what they deserve in the end. And there are zero sex scenes.

I enjoyed The Bodyguard, but after reading this it was clear it followed the same general pattern and it became predictable. The issue with this book was that unlike in The Bodyguard where the heroine was an awesome badass, I wasn’t super sold on Sadie. She wasn’t super likable.

Wow, wow, WOW!

I was *not* expecting to be so completely blown away by Hello Stranger but here. We. Are!

How to even describe this experience?! Illuminating? Intimate? Filled me with hope and longing and something to look forward to?

PLUS. After the novel’s incredible conclusion, you, dear reader, are treated to an author’s note, a love letter really, not just defending and proclaiming the virtues of the romance genre, but the heart and soul of humanity itself. All boiled down to one inexplicable concept: hope.

Do yourself the most generous of favors and snatch this one up as soon as you can!

Hello Stranger is a book that lifts your spirit and has y0u wishing it wouldn't end! This is my first book by Katherine Center and I absolutely loved it! Sadie Montgomery is a portrait painter and has loved to paint since she was a young child. Sadie's Mom was also a portrait painter and tragically died when Sadie was just 14 years old. Sadie misses her terribly and wishes she had her to talk to. Sadie and her Dad grew apart after her mom's death and he quickly remarried. Lucinda, the stepmother had a daughter referred to by Sadie as the wicked stepsister. Sadie didn't get along with either and was soon shipped off to boarding school. Those relationships are still estranged.

Sadie gets the best news of her career. She's been accepted as one of 10 finalists in the North American Portrait Society competition. Sadie has tried for this for years and finally she's in! When she breaks the news to her best friend, Sue, she's thrilled. Sue tells Sadie they need to celebrate with a party on the rooftop of Sadie's apartment building. Sadie just has to get some cheap wine as Sue will take care of everything else. Sadie walks to the local market and picks out 3 bottles of cheap wine. When she gets to the register to pay she realizes she left her purse at home. She decides to tell the person that she'll be back but she has to go get her purse. When the guy behind her hears this he comes to Sadie's rescue. He offers to buy the wine as he knows it's not going to be expensive. Sadie and he argue a bit about him helping and she leaves without the wine on her way home to get her purse. As she's waiting for the crosswalk signal the guy comes out carrying a bag that looks an awful lot like Sadie's wine.

You never know when your life will change, but Sadie's did as she was in the crosswalk. Sadie awakens in the hospital with her wicked stepmother at her bedside as her Dad is out of town. Could things get any worse? The doctor tells her that she had a seizure in the crosswalk and if not for the help of a Good Samaritan would've been hit by a car. They run all kinds of tests on Sadie and determine that she has a small growth in her brain that is near a blood vessel. She had the seizure because of that. He tells her that she needs to have brain surgery to remove the growth as it will get larger and cause more serious problems. Sadie tells the doctor that she'll have it after the competition in about 6 weeks. They let her leave the hospital.

Sadie's Dad comes to her apartment and tells her that she has to have the surgery now because this condition is hereditary and her mother had it and died from it. He has already scheduled the surgery in a few days. Sadie's Dad is a well known, successful surgeon and she believes him when he says she needs to have it now. When he tells her that her mom had the same thing, she couldn't believe it. Everyone told her that her mom died from a stroke! It turns out the stroke was caused from the growth in her brain as she had put the surgery off until a later time. Surgery goes well, but when Sadie wakes up she has what's called face blindness. She can no longer see people's faces, including her own. They're all jumbled up and she can't recognize anyone because of that. The doctor tells her that once the swelling goes down it should get better or go away all together. The timing of this problem couldn't have been worse as Sadie has to paint a portrait for the competition.

Sadie bumps into a guy who lives in her building. He wears a bowling jacket with the name Joe embroidered on it. She doesn't think much of Joe as she sees him coming and going from various apartments at all times of day and night. She thinks he's sleeping around with many of the women in the building. When she overhears him talking to someone on the phone about a huge whale who snored and slobbered all night, she was disgusted. She decided Joe was quite a sleaze and to stay away from him. Sadie's dog, Peanut, is her closest family. Peanut is quite old and one morning he is not himself. He won't eat and wants nothing to do with his toys. Sadie is a mess over this and rushes off in her pajamas, robe, and slippers to the vet.

The vet tells Sadie that it's quite serious but he's going to give Peanut blood transfusions to help him fight it off. Sadie sits in the waiting room all day waiting for an update. Sadie is attracted to the vet even though she can't see his face. His hair is gorgeous, he wears nice suits, he has a warm voice, and he's very comforting. Sadie decides she's going to marry him and starts planning their wedding, where they will live, and how many kids they will have. When the vet tells Sadie that Peanut is making progress, she's relieved. She goes home as the vet says he'll need to stay overnight with more blood transfusions. When she comes back later, the vet is about to leave but stays so that Sadie can visit with Peanut.

Back at her apartment building Sadie is overwhelmed with everything going on and has a panic attack. Joe sees her and comes to the rescue. He tells her he had a friend who had panic attacks and he can help her calm down. Sadie is amazed how good Joe is at making her feel better. Maybe she misjudged him after all. Will Sadie get her ability to see faces again before the competition date? What will she enter into the competition if not? How do you paint a portrait when you can't see a face? Will Sadie and her Dad get closer now that she's had her surgery? Will the nice vet help Peanut enough so that he can go home? Will Sadie and the vet get closer? Who is Joe and what is his story? Will Sadie and Joe become friends or more? You'll have to read Hello Stranger to find out the answers!

Hello Stranger will have you laughing, crying, and feeling for Sadie during the difficult times she must endure with face blindness. It's a wonderful book and I rate it 5 stars with my highest recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Hello Stranger in exchange for a fair review.

Such a lovely book! I really enjoyed everything about this book…the writing, the plot, the characters, the humor, the chemistry…..it was all SO good! I highly recommend this one to everyone!

Thank you Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. I loved this book it had all the aspects you love in a rom com and it was so wholesome. Nothing overly inappropriate and the characters were so strong. What an absolutely amazing plot, the flow was great. I had only briefly ever heard of facial blindness one other time and hearing about the different variations was very interesting.

I’ve enjoyed other books by Katherine Center and this one was no different. A feel good romance that dished out some life lessons along the way. I liked the characters, the story pulled me in, and of course just a little bit of conflict to make it interesting. The topic of face blindness isn’t something I’ve come across much, so that was refreshing.

I will say, I figured out the twist quite early, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Would recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a delightful read! I have had a lot of luck with Katherine Center’s books so I was incredibly excited to dive into her newest offering. There were parts of the story that were fairly predictable but I didn’t care since I was having such a great time. Once I started reading this one, I did not want to put it down. I had a wonderful time with this book and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out in the end.

Sadie was a great character and I loved getting the chance to see her work through some pretty big issues, including the sudden inability to see faces. Sadie is a portrait artist so seeing faces is vital to what she does. I couldn’t imagine dealing with some of the things that were thrown at her in this book. I really liked how the romance of the story was handled and thought it added a lot to the story. l I was eager to see Sadie find her happily ever after.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Patti Murin did an amazing job with this story. I thought her voice was perfectly suited to this book and enjoyed the various voices that she used to represent the cast of characters. I felt like she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I listened to this book for hours at a time and believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment.

I would highly recommend this book to others! I thought that this was a wonderful story about a resilient character that I couldn’t help but love with a nice dose of romance worked in perfectly. I will definitely be reading more of Katherine Center’s work soon.

I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio.

This is the second Katherine Center book that I have read...and I wish I loved it as much as I loved the first one. I gave this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 (because Goodreads won't let me do half numbers). The premise of the book was intriguing, and ultimately the reason I requested to read the book - but I just cannot support the FMC.

Sadie went through something truly life-changing, admittedly, but chose to lash out at those who would help her rather than accepting their help, or just explaining why she was choosing to do things the hard way. She seemed very concerned with herself, and was kind of a brat. I felt bad for the things she had been through leading up to this event, but I couldn't bring myself to sympathize with her past that. The love triangle between Sadie, "Joe" and the Vet was a bit much, and was easy to see through. I am a big "Joe" fan, even though I think he deserved someone better than Sadie.

All in all, the book was okay. There was a lot of drama that was unnecessary, and I wish the ending (especially as it relates to her relationship with her family) had been wrapped up better. It could be that my expectations were set super high, but this book didn't meet them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center does it again! Hello Stranger is the cute and fun follow up to last years The Bodyguard - my first Katherine Center book.

It did take me a few chapters to get into the book as I felt like the book kind of started in the middle of the story - with Sadie talking about her money and family issues. However, once Sadie has her surgery, the story does pick up and moves really fast.

There is a twist which I think most, if not all, readers will see coming. However, it was still a fun twist! It feels like a fun take on the overdone miscommunication trope typically found in romance books.

Overall, this was a fun book! It makes a great beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an ARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I'm thrilled to share my thoughts on my first novel by Katherine Center, and it certainly won't be my last. Center's exceptional talent as an author shines through in every aspect of her work. I was completely mesmerized by the lovable and relatable characters, as well as the unique and heartwarming plot that explored themes of self-realization and forgiveness.

In "Hello Stranger," we follow Sadie, a portrait painter who develops face blindness after undergoing surgery. This condition makes it challenging for her to recognize people by their facial features. Amidst this struggle, Sadie encounters the man of her dreams, Dr. Oliver Addison, when her beloved pet falls seriously ill. However, she's unsure if she can recognize him without his usual coat and neat hairstyle. Adding to the drama, Sadie grows close to her neighbor, Joe, whom she initially pegged as a womanizer, but time spent together reveals a different side to him.

One aspect I truly appreciated about this book was how it expanded my vocabulary. Katherine Center seamlessly incorporates medical terms that were new to me, prompting me to delve further into their meanings and explore them on the internet. This enriching experience didn't feel burdensome; rather, it added depth to the plot and enhanced my understanding of the characters' journeys.

The pacing of the plot was impeccable, and the first-person point of view added an element of mystery, keeping me eagerly turning the pages to uncover what would happen next. While I had a slight inkling of where the story might be headed a few chapters in, perhaps due to my experience reading numerous novels, it didn't diminish my joy and excitement in witnessing the story's unfolding. "Hello Stranger" was a captivating book that defied gravity, refusing to be put down due to its unique charm.

I found immense pleasure in immersing myself in the lives of the characters. Although a work of fiction, Sadie, Joe, and Oliver felt realistic and relatable. They faced challenges, endured wounds from life's trials, and needed time to heal and regroup in order to find a sense of normalcy once again. Their journey mirrored the complexities of real life.

"Hello Stranger" provided such an enjoyable reading experience that it immediately compelled me to reach for another Katherine Center book from my shelf. That's just how awesome this novel is. If you're in search of a heartwarming read that will evoke smiles, laughter, and tears as you navigate through the story, then look no further. "Hello Stranger" comes highly recommended!

"Sometimes we really are the best versions of ourselves. I see that about us. And I’m determined to keep saying that about us. Because that might be the truest thing I know: The more good things you look for, the more you find. “

I freaking loved this book! I have only read The Bodyguard from this author and now this book. I loved both so much! I honestly really need to read her backlist. This book started off a little bit slow for me, and I didn’t know where it was going. I went in a little bit blind so that’s probably why lol. But after a few chapters, it definitely picks up! It was interesting, reading how Sadie had to deal with not being able to recognize faces. There were a few times where I was a little bit annoyed with her personality and the way she viewed life. But I honestly don’t know what I would be like if that happened to me. I loved her relationship with Joe, her neighbor. It went from a little bit of loathing and annoyance to realizing he’s a good person and then falling in love. I loved how caring he was with her. The two of them made each other feel comfortable, in each other’s presence. I I am really happy that there wasn’t much of a love triangle in this romance. There was a quick moment where Sadie was infatuated with her pet’s vet, but that quickly burned out. There was a little bit of a plot twist to this book and this is actually the first time ever that I figured it out early on! I am really happy how it all played out in the end! The only thing I wasn’t too keen on was Sadie’s stepsister. I know you’re not supposed to like her character, but she was so mean!!! I find it hard to believe that someone at 28 could honestly still be a mean bitch and act like that. I wouldn’t even believe someone at the age of 16 to act like that. Maybe I’m just sheltered from the world. 🤣

Read if you like:
Heroine’s POV
Neighbors to lovers
Heroine with a medical condition
Swoony hero
A small love triangle
Hilarious moments
Kissing only
Mean stepsister

Okay, this book was adorable. I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did! I was a little hesitant to pick this one up as the reviews have been so mixed. Thankfully, Hello Stranger was a total winner for me. What can I say? Sadie and Joe stole my heart. I loved, loved, LOVED this couple. Center has a knack for creating the most charming and dynamic characters, wouldn’t you agree? They’re always so relatable, lovable, and realistic. I adored Sadie and Joe on their own, but together they were just perfect. (Insert chef’s kiss here.) Their story is extremely unique, and Center puts a clever little twist on things that I’ll refrain from saying more about. You just gotta read about their wonderful journey all on your own! I also loved the artistic flair present in Sadie’s storyline. She’s a painter, and also a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. Her creative process was extremely intriguing to me because I’m a sucker for imaginative and expressive characters. Plus, I learned SO much from this novel! Have you ever heard of Prosopagnosia, aka face blindness? I didn’t even know that it was a thing, so I truly appreciated learning so much about this medical condition. Also, don’t forget to read the author’s note at the end of the book. Center’s take on romance novels will make you appreciate them in a whole new way. So, if you’re a Katherine Center super fan, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll love her latest. Grab a copy now—it just released yesterday! Hello Stranger gets 4/5 stars from me!

My first book by Katherine Center and I'm completely in love with this one. Like a book you want to hug when you finish. Original and unique are two perfect words to describe this contemporary romance. This book gave me all the feels and makes you really want to just appreciate life. I don't know what took me so long to read a book by this author but I'll definitely be picking up more now. I have maybe heard of face blindness a time or two in my life…but never really thought about it. So reading about this was really mind blowing.

Sadie is a portrait artist and is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. She couldn't be happier with this accomplishment. When she winds up in the hospital and ends up with a diagnosis of facial blindness, her career as an artist is now on hold until she can hopefully improve. There are two men that Sadie crosses paths with that she is smitten with. Her mother has passed away but is brought up throughout the story and you get to see how she still plays an important, positive role in Sadie's life. Her father, stepmother and step sister are another story….like some nasty people. But anyways, this was such a fun book to read!

Out now.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon.

I love, love, loved this book. The character were fantastic and the plot kept me reading. So happy to have had the chance to read an advance copy~

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

I absolutely loved this book. The ending and the authors note tied everything together so well and made me love it even more.
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I enjoyed reading about Sadie and her story. I empathized with her and her challenges and struggles with her medical diagnosis (don’t want to spoil anything!) . I also loved the friendship and the romance in this novel.

There were some miscommunication aspects to this novel but I was able to look past it with how it was set up and based on Sadie’s situation, ending and authors note.

I absolutely love Center’s writing, she is able have me connect and empathize with her characters so well.

Another amazing book by Katherine Center!

Loved Sadie immediately. Her struggles were a lot, but she kept on plugging along with grace and humor. Was not so sure about Joe at first, especially that elevator phone conversation, but oh my he grew on me.

This story is so unique and every character was perfect. I didn't know much about Sadie's condition going in but feel like I do now.

And Peanut - you had to love Peanut and his foodie ways!

From start to finish this book just warmed my heart!

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for both an ALC and an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up

Katherine Center's The Bodyguard was one of my favorite reads last year. I requested Hello Stranger immediately as soon as it became available. This book felt a lot different than I was expecting. In the end, I really enjoyed it but getting there was definitely a journey. At about 30% in; I considered DNF'ing but decided to push through since so many people gave it high praise. I'm glad I read until the end but didn't find it as groundbreaking as most. It was obvious to me fairly early on what the "twist" would be.

Sadie is struggling in life. She just needs her big break in order to become a successful portrait artist. She receives news that she's a finalist in a portrait competition. On her way to get wine to celebrate she has a medical emergency that ends up giving her face blindness due to the side effects of surgery. Rather than just tell people she has face blindness she bumbles through the whole book questioning who everyone is and trying to paint a portrait for the competition without being able to visualize faces.

This book is a little bit slapstick if you realize the "twist" early on. It definitely read more as women's fiction than romance. I hate the "evil stepsister" angle .With all that being said, I did enjoy myself and found myself crying over roller skates. I'll keep picking up Center's books because she is an excellent storyteller.

Thank you to Katherine Center, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #hellostranger #stmartinspress

This was my 2nd Katherine Center book, so different from the last one I read, but still soo good. How would you function if all of a sudden you couldn't see people's faces? That's exactly what happens. Imagine not knowing someone by anything but their jacket. What if they wear something different.

This was a cute romance with a fun medical twist. I predicted the ending before the end but that's ok.

#netgalley #katherinecenter #hello stranger

Title: Hello Stranger
Author: Kathrine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction

“The anticipation—the blissful, delicious, oxytocin-laden, yearning-infused, building self of anticipation—is the point. It’s the cocktail of emotions we all came there to feel.”

When I read this in the author’s note it smacked me over the head with exactly what I love about this genre and author. It’s what annoys me when I see so many harsh reviews in this genre stating that it’s predictable. Well, of course it’s predictable!!! These are books we read for a happy ending. We read for hope. I might’ve seen where Hello Stranger was going mile ahead of time, but it didn’t have me smiling any less and rooting for these characters! I was smitten.

Thank you to @macmillian.audio for the listening copy. It’s narrated by Patti Murin who had me binging this book at record speed! I also had access to a netgalley read now copy. So amazing when the publishers put those up!

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

Sadie gave up following in her father’s footsteps and going to medical school; instead she became an artist instead like her late mother. She’s been struggling to make it but has finally become a finalist in a big portrait contest. One minute she’s on her way to the store to pick up party supplies to celebrate and the next she wakes up in a hospital bed. Her freak accident reveals and issue on the scan and the need for brain surgery. When she wakes up from the surgery she is diagnosed with condition known as face blindness. It’s assumed to be temporary; a scary nightmare for anyone, but especially a portrait artist. She needs to see faces!

Over the next couple of weeks Sadie must cope with this condition, her dreams of being a successful artist, family drama, and taking care of her elderly beloved dog Peanut. Since she’s going through so much, she figures it’s okay to lust after her dog’s vet as a distraction. Of course, she connects another guy in her apartment building that she always though was kind of a jerk, but when you lose one sense and have to rely on others, maybe, just maybe, you were wrong. She ends up torn on which guy!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book had just about everything going for it for me. Main characters that I loved and could root for. Secondary friends. Family drama. Good dialogue. A dog! I loved the audiobook so much I decided to buy a book of the month copy to match my others on my shelves! I highly recommend this book!