Hello Stranger tells the story of a portrait artist who loses her ability to see faces after having emergency brain surgery.

I'm just going to start by saying that I love the premise of this book! I thought it was very creative and didn't come off as ridiculous or gimmicky (which I was a little worried about). Sadie's face-blindness was obviously well researched and very well-written.

My main issue with this book was the use of certain character archetypes that I hate. I cannot, I repeat CANNOT stand antagonists that are needlessly cruel and lack nuance. Parker was just plain awful and completely uninteresting. She victimized Sadie in so many ways throughout her life, it was honestly overkill. I struggle with these kinds of characters because they really only show up when it's convenient to the story and feel more like a caricature of a person than someone you would actually meet in real life.

I also struggled with Sue. One of my main mottos in life is that life is too short to have shitty friends, and Sue was sometimes a shitty friend. Throwing her a party was a sweet gesture, but the girl literally just had brain surgery and oh yeah, she cannot recognize people's faces!! So it's obviously not going to be a great time! And also galavanting off to Canada to elope when you've made a commitment to your best friend is kind of effed up. I know she was "kidnapped" by her fiance, but don't pretend you don't have any control...

As for the romance, it felt like an after-thought. There wasn't much development between Joe and Sadie and even though it wasn't "insta-love", it just didn't seem like they spent a lot of time getting to know each other before the feelings started.

These few things aside, I really loved the plot twist at the end! Although it was a smidge predictable, I thought it was so creative, fun, and well-executed! Katherine Center is a great writer and I think she strikes a good balance between dialogue, description, and inner monologue, but some of the characters and elements of the plot just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another funny, heart warming, addictive read from Katherine Center. First I have to say I loved the cover. I think whoever designs your covers should get a bonus.

We start out with Sadie Montgomery, a struggling portrait artist who quit medical school to follow her dreams to be an artist just like her late mom. Sadie finds out she was selected to be a finalist in the North American Portrait Society and she is thrilled that finally she will be able to show her dad that she has accomplished something great in the art industry to make him proud (for once).

He best friend Sue decides to throw a party for her to celebrate but Sadie never makes it to the party because she suffers a still seizure in the middle of the street while on her way home from getting wine for the party. She awakes in the hospital with her evil stepmother, Lucinda, hovering over her.

Sadie finds out what happened and is told that she must have brain surgery due to a cavernova that was found in her brain. Sadie is encouraged/forced to have the surgery asap even though she knows it will take away from the time she needs to paint her portrait for the NAPS finals. Sadie successfully has the surgery with one small problem, the swelling in her brain is causing her to have "face blindness" which yes, is a very real thing. How is Sadie supposed to paint a portrait when she cant see anyone face???

There starts the very interesting storyline of how Sadie copes with her face blindness.

Peanut, Dr. Oliver Addison, Sue, Joe, Mr. Kim and especially Lucinda and her horrible horrible step sister Parker all make for great characters that complete a well rounded storyline.

I completed loved the redemption that Sadie gets in the end when Augusta tells the truth and the real monster is reveled, Parker.

Really cute romcom and very funny at times.

Thank you NetGalley & Katherine Center for my free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved it!!!!

Overall rating a 4.3

“Seeing the world differently helps you see things not just that other people can’t—but that you yourself never could if you weren’t so lucky.”

Hello Stranger is a Katherine Center romance novel about a woman with a brain injury.

This is not the first novel this author has written with a main character who is going through a major health issue. This time around, Sadie collapses and scans reveal she needs to have emergency surgery on her brain. When she wakes up afterwards, she can no longer see faces. Which is a problem because she’s a finalist in a portrait contest, her big break. And she can’t paint what she can’t see. Her dog then won’t eat and she rushes him to the vet. There she meets Dr. Oliver, a man whose face she can’t see but her brain knows is hot. And then she keeps running into an a-hole neighbor who with repeated exposure she begins to like. Thus a love triangle is set and the chief drama in the main character’s life is revealed.

I’ve read nearly all of the author’s books and request an advance review copy every chance I get. While I would say this was not my favorite of her novels, it certainly was good enough to require me to stay up late finishing it up—even though the final reveal I had figured out by that point.

So the romance part of this book was good, but the character’s family background was a bit odd. Her beloved portraitist mother died when she was 14, and her father remarried six months later. She then had a stepsister her same age who managed to get her kicked out of school and sent to boarding school. For reasons that were not clear to me, her stepsister wanted to ruin her life and continued to taunt and torture her throughout the book. This never was resolved and the main character, Sadie, doesn’t ever figure out why. Readers are given clues, but we don’t walk away knowing why this stepsister is after Sadie.

Also, Sadie’s random infatuation with the vet is more humorous than confusing, but it did leave me scratching my head. It seemed so random that there was a triangle in the character’s head.

I did love her best friend Sue. Cute character who was allowed to have her own love story in the novel. And I really appreciated her realization that she refused help to a fault and that it was time to move past that instinct.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. I fell so hard for How to Walk Away and my all time favorite of hers is Things You Save in a Fire! **Sigh**
So of course I’m going to read this! KC always surprises me with her unique story lines and I would have never guessed this one if I tried. It was different and sweet with a lot of non communication. But I did get my HEA! Yay! I read and listened to this and liked both formats. The audiobook was narrated by Patti Mirin. She was awesome if you’re wondering.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

This is my first Katherine Center book. I didn’t hop on The Bodyguard book trend so I went in with zero expectations. It started off good and fast pace, with potential, but shortly after a few chapters I got annoyed by the main character, Sadie. There was a lot of internal dialogue, and not enough of anything else. Yes, towards the end her character did grow but for more than half of the book it had me skimming through the pages looking for that growth.

When it came to her love interest…well there was a twist, but it was kinda predictable. Very exciting and it really could have been better anticipated but the lack of bonding and actual romance coming to life there was not much there for us to enjoy. The twist was nice, but not enough.

Also her evil step sister was just ridiculous.

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist. After years of struggle, she's finally gotten her big break - she's a finalist in a portrait contest that would change everything if she wins. But just as she's getting ready to start her portrait, she narrowly avoids getting hit by a car and when she wakes up, she's suffering from face blindness, meaning her brain can't comprehend facial features. How can a portrait artist not see faces? To top it off, her elderly dog is struggling and Sadie finds herself torn between 2 new men in her life.

Somewhat predictable is some elements, but still such a good read. There were things that bothered me - Sadie's friends aren't very reliable and also her family SUCKS, and her determination to follow in her mother's footsteps to a fault - but Sadie's struggles got her to the end which was good. If you're looking for a feel good summer read with a satisfying ending, this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available July 11, 2023.

I’m happy to be reviewing another enjoyable novel by Katherine Center. I love how Center always gives readers a main character worth rooting for and Sadie Montgomery is no exception.

When Sadie wins a spot in a prestigious art contest, the last she she needs to have happen is an unforeseen medical emergency. But that is exactly what happens and because of it, Sadie develops temporary face blindness.

This is a catastrophe because Sadie is required to submit a portrait for the art contest. With a bit of help from her friend Sue, Sadie figures out a way to paint a face. But instead of using Sue as her model, Sadie ends up having to use Joe, her neighbor that she isn’t sure she trusts.

To add to the charm of the story, Sadie has an adorable little dog named Peanut and an evil step-sister named Parker that brings the drama to the forefront. Everything that needed to be resolved comes together near the end in an exciting and positive way.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my positive review and recommend this book to other readers.

Hello Stranger was one unique and heartwarming story that I really needed! This is my second time reading a book by this author, and I should really read her more often. I read this at the perfect time because I am also in the middle of reading a dark romance and this was such a great change in pace. I really just needed something warm and fuzzy to sink my teeth into! I could absolutely see this entire book coming from the beginning. But I strapped myself in and enjoyed the ride. It was so sweet and dealt with real life issues, but it wasn’t all in your face about it. Though Sophie and Joe annoyed me at some parts, in the end, I really loved them both. They grew on me and I thought they were such a great fit for one another. This is easily one of those books that you can read in one sitting and is a perfect book for the beach. It’s a fun book that will captivate you from beginning to end.

I will say that I had the pleasure of listening to this on audio as well. It was such a great listen. The narrator, Patti Murin, did a fantastic job. This is the first time I’ve read a book that she narrated and I listen to her again.

The final thing I’d like to say is fuck Parker 🖕🏻😊 (I say this as nicely as possible)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Wasn’t that what kisses were for, after all? To light a little spark in someone else? A spark that would always burn for you?.”

Sadie, a struggling portrait artist, is finally getting her big break as a finalist in a national portrait competition. A medical emergency forces her to have brain surgery, but when she wakes up she can no longer see faces. There is nothing that can be done for acquired face blindness but wait and hope it resolves. Sadie must learn to navigate her world without recognizing faces, including dealing with her evil step sister, falling “love at no-sight” for her elderly dog’s veterinarian, and becoming friends (or more) with the maybe-not-so-obnoxious neighbor.

Katherine Center just does falling in love perfectly. This is my third book (I’ve read The Bodyguard and Happiness for Beginners) and it was just as good as the others. I loved the bit of mystery with a touch of unreliability since Sadie couldn’t see anyone’s face. The ending was perfection on how it all came together. If you’re in the mood for an emotional romance that makes you angry and laugh at the same time, this one is for you.

I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (5 Stars)

Steam: 0/5 closed door, just kissing

Out: July 11th!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review

No spoiler review 👇🏻

The Bodyguard by this author was one of my favourite books of 2022 so I was so excited for this one!

This book was beautiful and I loved it! Kathrine Centre is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I can’t wait to read. Ore from her, and catch up on her backlist.

This book follows Sadie, she’s a portrait artist. One day she suffers an accident and it results in her having facial blindness. She can’t see people’s facial features. Which makes it hard when you are in a portrait competition….

It has its sadder moments but it’s all beautiful, funny, and romantic. I absolutely enjoyed this book. It’s a closed door romance with family drama, and learning how to adjust to a new life. I highly recommend this book!

CW: family drama, medical procedures, medical trauma, death of parent (past), bullying (past)

Katherine Center has done it again! She never fails to deliver a laugh out loud funny, tear-jerking, banter-filled novel that I love every minute of. I also enjoyed learning about acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia (face-blindness and did lots of googling for even more information. Who knew that was a thing?! Read this if you enjoy smiling.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release of this novel. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

i LOVED this book. Its sweet and not spicy, which is a bit unusual for me as someone who loves spice. But the anticipation of them falling in love is what had me glued to the pages
I really like when romcoms take on a deeper issue, I feel like it connects us more to the characters, and this one was a really heartwarming story that I highly recommend to anyone who likes their romances to have a bit more depth

Sadie is a portrait artist, albeit a starving portrait artist. Hopefully that is all about to change when she gets a spot in a contest that she could win $10,000 for her portrait and prove her doctor father that she isn’t a failure. But when she has a non convulsive seizure in the street and is saved by a stranger, she finds out she needs brain surgery. The worst part? When she wakes up from surgery she can’t see faces. A portrait artist that sees faces like puzzle pieces. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Or could it be a blessing in disguise?

I love Center’s books. She does such a great job spinning characters in a way that just make you want more and more. This is a sweet, yet unexpected love story! Highly recommend!

This could have been just another chick lit book, but Katherine Center's main character has a condition called face blindness where she can't recognize faces - even her own. This would be bad enough, but for Sadie, it's made even worse because her profession is as a portrait artist. The story is interesting, characters are well defined, and there's a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. I actually laughed out loud.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book.

I really enjoyed Katherine Center's last book, The Bodyguard, as well as others of hers I've read, so I was excited for this book to come along.

The concept is interesting. Sadie is a portrait artist who ends up with Prosopagnosia (face blindness) after undergoing surgery. How does one navigate life without knowing exactly who they're talking to? Especially when entered into a contest where they have to draw someone's face.

I really wanted to like Joe more. There's a bit of a misunderstanding, but you don't find out that it's a misunderstanding until much later in the book and it paints him in a bad light to start. He's really swoony during a lot of it, but I was left with the first impression and it took til the end of the book for me to finally like him.

It's hard to get more into the plot without spoiling anything. There’s a twist to the story and the earlier you figure out the twist, the more frustrated you’re going to get with the last third of the book. I think the author handled the twist plot line as well as you can without the reader finding out, but it just made me frustrated and I didn’t enjoy it as much as others of hers I’ve read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. 3.5 Stars

Thoughts~
I have loved everything Katherine Center has ever written. She will always be an auto-read author for me, but this story missed the mark for me. I did enjoy parts of it, but then it just felt like it dragged on. The one thing I will always enjoy about Center’s writing is that she is so good at making us feel the characters' struggles. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to not recognize someone you normally would with the exception of her evil stepsister.

There is a fun little twist thrown in that was different, but cute in its own way. If you’re a fan of this author then I would give this a go! I will always read what she writes.

4.5 stars.

The thing about a Katherine Center book is that no matter what mood you are in when you pick it up, you will most certainly be smiling after finishing one of her stories. She's truly a comfort writer in every sense of the word! You might think - it's another contemporary romance, how different can it be from other books, but you'd be surprised my friend. Katherine Center has a knack for unique storylines that just feel like a big warm hug.

Hello Stranger was no different, it was sweet, sentimental and uplifting. And I can't stress enough on how utterly perfect that final twist was. I've read quite a few thrillers and yet, I could never have guessed that one, or should I say it was a classic case of "confirmation bias" haha (you'll get it, if you've read the book!) A story full of hope, heart and humor, Hello Stranger is a "love story that created a fantastic feeling of anticipation" (read the author's note to get this reference) and had me completely charmed. A must read for all romance readers.

I love reading Katherine Center’s books because they always fill my heart with joy and Hello Stranger did just that.
In this book we get to know Sadie, a struggling artist who just got the chance of a lifetime in a portrait contest. But life has other plans and after a necessary brain surgery she is left with face blindness. Now she’s having a hard time doing what she loves: painting faces; and also, being interested in two guys at the same time.
I loved Sadie, she was so funny and I could really connect with her and her fears and worries. I loved Joe too and even when I saw almost everything coming, I was still surprised of how everything developed.
The secondary characters are interesting too, although I hated Parker; and I liked how things changed for everyone, in a good way. I also liked how it talks about deep subjects but in a lighter way, making it easier to read. It was a gripping story and I really enjoyed reading it.

Even though Sadie Montgomery’s father, a famous surgeon, encouraged her to pursue a medical career, she chose to pursue her love of art. She has not found fame, but she is doing what she loves. On the eve of a possible win in an art contest, she suffers a seizure and learns that she has a cavernoma, a blood vessel issue in the brain and needs surgery. After the surgery, her life falls apart when she does not recognize the face of her best friend. What she sees instead are pieces and shapes and this is called prosopagnosia or face blindness. The doctors try to tell her that this may clear up once the swelling subsides, but if not, how will this affect her future? Meanwhile there are two men in her life, the veterinarian who saved her beloved dog, Peanut, and a man who lives in her building. How can she build a life with anyone when she may not recover enough to recognize them? The writing is done in a light hearted fashion, flows smoothly and the ending is a unique twist. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I absolutely adored this story! It's ironic because I would've said the plot was a little predictable and then I read the author's note about shifting our language and describing romance novels as being anticipatory and that's exactly what this story did. I might've been able to see where it was heading and the trajectory that the characters were on, but it didn't make it any less enjoyable to read.

I absolutely loved Sadie's growth as she tried to navigate herself in the wake of a medical crisis, dealing with a wave of grief, and trying to sort herself out within her different systems of support. Some of the things she said or did were so relatable, I wanted to just hug her.

Joe was a wonderful MMC and I love that he literally received the nickname helper. I wasn't sure if there was any way to redeem him from his super-sexist comments in the beginning of the novel but it was done so perfectly.

My only "negative" on this one was that the "evil stepsister" felt a bit too caricature-like rather than a flawed character, even with the addition of her own backstory.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an honest review in exchange for an eARC.