Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Hello Stranger to review!
Katherine Center's newest romance novel follows a painter named Sadie that gets diagnosed with an inherited brain condition. This leads to brain surgery with a temporary diagnosis of face-blindness. This basically means that Sadie can't recognize faces anymore and when she sees a face she cannot even tell if it's a face that she should be able to recognize or not. This problem is made more difficult by the fact that Sadie is a portrait painter who needs to complete her best portrait to date in the next six weeks if she wants to win a competition that she became a finalist in. As Sadie's life turns upside down she ends up meeting two different men that she is infatuated with. When her impromptu love story starts unraveling at the most unstable point in her life she struggles to understand where to turn. This new romance has everything you're looking for as well as an unpredictable ending. For anyone who is a fan of romance or contemporary, this is absolutely worth picking up!!
When I read the first 25% of this book I was very hesitant about what direction it would turn. The Bodyguard was very obviously "fluffy romance novel" from the beginning, so when this book took a dive into brain surgery I felt a little bit out of my depth. However, once Sadie met Dr. Addison and Joe I could not put the book down. I read it in a day. I was obsessed with both Joe and Dr. Addison and the fact that there were two love interests. Everything about this book felt unexpected and unpredictable but that's what I loved about it. It gave me a really cute love story while not using the exact same blueprint that so many other romance novels use. I also ended up finding Sadie's face-blindness diagnosis very interesting and I thought her descriptions of what she was experiencing were very cool. By far, my absolute favorite part of this book was Peanut. Every scene with Peanut was made 10x better BECAUSE of Peanut. When Sadie picked him up at the vet for the first time and was afraid that she might not recognize his face I literally almost cried. I thought this was a super cute, fun romance novel that was different from anything I've read before in the best way possible. I will definitely continue to read more Katherine Center books in the future!

I loved this book!!!! It was crafted so uniquely and the characters were delightful. I highly recommend reading this. It will stick with me for a long while!

This was such a cute story that I loved so much! It wasn’t just about the romance aspect, but about keeping hope and moving forward no matter what difficulties you face in life. I loved that Sadie had so many real life struggles because it made it that much easier to relate to her. She was dealing with family problems, a career she hadn’t seemed to excel at, and having trouble with money. I was heartbroken to find that she’d have to have brain surgery on top of those problems, but loved getting to see her learn to deal with the difficulties that her temporary “face blindness” caused. It will definitely have you making sure you slow down and appreciate the things around you a little bit more.

I went into this one completely blind and am so happy that I did! There’s a little twist that I kind of saw coming that I know you will enjoy! Make sure to pick this one up, you won’t regret it! 💗

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter for allowing me to read and review!

This wasn’t my favourite Katherine Center novel I’ve read. It was an enjoyable read it just wasn’t anything fantastic that I will be raving about. Parker was awful and that whole story arc really bothered me. If you’re looking for a cute not spicy romance with some other topics mixed in this one is the one for you.

If Katherine Center writes it, I will read it.

All of her books read like a movie and while they do have a comforting sort of formula, she also comes up with some of the most inventive storylines to fit into that formula of hers.

They have all the nostalgia and sadness and joy and comfort that comes from a warm cookie.

One thing I specifically loved about Hello Stranger was that the FMC becomes an unreliable narrator after she has a brain surgery which leaves her "face blind." Sadie, no longer able to recognize faces, leaves the reader with this really fun mystery element you don't get in your average romance. I was left looking for the same clues to people's true identity as Sadie.

I laughed (out loud even), I thought really hard about prosopagnosia (face blindness), and grew attached to these characters (especially Peanut).

Loveable characters, lovable plot, and just the right dose of "wow this would never happen." Well done, Katherine! you've done it again!

An unusual plot and theme. I had never heard of face blindness and still can’t wrap my brain around how faces do or don’t appear to people who have the affliction.
During one scene it clicked into place and I knew what was going on and just had to wait for the dialogue to catch up.
Parker was pure poison and I hate that she didn’t get the punishment she deserved like being dropped down the elevator shaft.
I loved the Kims, they were my favorites in the story.
We do see people how we want to view them, through many prisms.

4.5/5

This was such a different kind of romance. The plot was so different and very captivating. I didn’t even know that face blindness was a thing until reading this. It’s so interesting and I honestly couldn’t imagine developing that. Especially for the main character, who is a portrait artist. Sadie has been having such a tough time, and has struggled since she lost her mother. Every time something good happens, it always seems to be followed by more bad things. It’s a very down on your luck type story. The romance aspect doesn’t really start until later in the book, which was fine because the story and Sadie's development through the story was really good and interesting. But a major twist with Joe. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it, but when I started to piece everything together and then that final confirmation of it all, I couldn’t help but laugh. Probably the funniest miscommunication/misunderstanding I’ve ever read. The fact that Katherine Center was able to kind of give off a “blindness” like Sadie’s to the readers about some of the characters before the big reveal was amazing and so well done.

This was also a very emotional story. Anytime Sadie reflected on her mother, their relationship and her struggles since her passing, my heart broke. A definitely cried several times through this book. Also, Sadie's evil stepsister is probably one of my most hated characters of all time. She is awful!

I have a couple of Katherine Center books, but this was the first one I’ve read and I really really liked it! I love her style of writing and her ability to bring the emotions to life through her words. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Portrait artist Sadie Montgomery is on the brink of her big break in the arts, when suddenly she finds herself in the hospital having brain surgery. To make matters even worse, after the surgery she discovers she can't recognize faces. As you can imagine this is very jarring and hard to get use to for Sadie. Not to mention, makes her career as a portrait artist very difficult. As Sadie comes to terms with a condition that may or may not be temporary, she attempts to learn how to paint faces without being able to see them properly.

There's just something about a Katherine Center book that makes me so happy. From the bright and colorful covers to the quirky characters, they bring joy. I don't want to give away too many details, as it's easy to get carried away and give to many with this story. However, this is an empowering story of a woman who refuses to give up, with a bit of romance and sexy men on the side. This story was unique and fun. If you're looking for something to brighten up your day or week, this fits the bill.

This book is being release Tuesday July 11th - go grab yourself a copy!

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#HelloStranger:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my gifted copies!⁣
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Katherine Center is one of my favorites, but this was just a middle of the road type of book for me. Now, that doesn’t mean I hated it. It just means it was middle of the run. I’m not dying on any Hello Stranger hills this year. I felt like the writing was kind of all over the place, and I didn’t really know where we were headed. All I knew is we were heading somewhere without seeing faces. It still had characters I cheered and rooted for, and I still got all the gushy squeals like KC knows how to make me feel. I enjoyed it, but it just wasn’t the 5 star I was hoping for. ⁣
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The audio was great. I listened to a lot of it while at the pool, and it kept my attention. Patti Murin is always phenomenal, so I’m always going to choose audio whenever she is the narrator. ⁣
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I’m a huge acknowledgment and authors note type of person, and I really liked KC’s authors note. I’ll leave you with my favorite part: “Because tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice.” So, overall it was a cute story that had me cheering for every party involved, the audio was great, but it did feel kind of choppy. Regardless, I adore Katherine Center and can’t wait to see what happens next. ⁣
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Hello Stranger is out July 11!

4.25 stars.

This was a feel-good romance book that I needed to read at this time. The story revolves around Sadie, a portrait artist who after an accident and following brain surgery, is diagnosed with acquired Prosopagnosia- or face blindness. This is right after getting her big break from being accepted to participate in a prestigious portrait painting contest. Needless to say, this condition makes this seem impossible and on top of it shes dealing with her dog getting sick and an evil stepsister moving into her apartment building. However, she receives some help in the form of a handsome veterinarian saving her dog Peanut and a helpful neighbor who is always there at the right time.

Center has a way of writing about tough topics (dealing with loss of a parent, medical diagnosis's, etc.) in a lighthearted way. The majority of the book felt more like contemporary fiction to me rather than a romance but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I've never heard of face blindness and she definitely did her research on the condition. There is a HEA and in all the book gives you all the good feels.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

When I first finished this book, I wasn’t sure how to feel so I let this review sit a few days.

Now that I’m looking back on it, I’m seeing that it was actually a beautiful story about a girl who had to find herself again after a terrible loss. And I get that.

After losing her mother, and then years a piece of her that not only made her who she was, but connected her to her mother - Sadie was struggling.

But she found her way and she grew in the process, and truly it was beautiful.

If you like stories with some serious character development, with a lil romantic plot twist - Hello Stranger is friend you.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Katherine Center book - and I loved it! I read it in one day, and it's not often I do that.

Sadie Montgomery is an artist who has placed in the finals of a national art competition. As she's out walking one day, the next thing she knows she's in the hospital. After a procedure, she develops "face blindness", which is not ideal for an artist who draws faces for a living.

During this, her dog falls ill and she takes him to the vet, where she starts to fantasize about the doctor. At the same time, she runs into a weirdo in her apartment building, and has to untangle her feelings with him.

There is a twist that I didn't see coming and the story was funny, heartfelt, and emotional at times. Would recommend to anyone looking for a feel good story.

One of my favorite books from Katherine Center! I was super excited to receive an eARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press! Hello Stranger is everything that I wanted from a book - love triangles, amazing plot, laugh out loud dialogue, drama, and whimsical characters! I fell in love with Sadie and her journey to rediscover herself. I foresaw the twist at the end, but thoroughly enjoyed this whimsical and heartwarming novel. Hello Stranger is a must read! 4.5 stars!

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

The premise of this was interesting. Sadie is an artist with a specialty in portraits. She just found out she was one of ten finalists in a competition with six weeks to produce an original portrait when she has a seizure and finds out she needs brain surgery. The surgery results in face blindness.

I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them but this one disappointed me. The writing was fine and it was easy and quick reading but I just didn't like Sadie or most of the other characters other than Joe and Mr. Kim. She is determined that she does not want help from anyone and when it is offered she is downright rude. On the other hand she says that it is nice to have a reason to do something nice. Okay so let people be nice to you without biting off their heads. Some of the things she does seem so immature and rebellious for what I believe is a woman approaching 30.

There were some funny moments and I wouldn't tell anyone not to read this. Maybe for me it was just the wrong time. I still like the author and won't give up on her.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital copy.

This romance had me smiling. The premise was unique and Sadie was a heroine who was easy to root for as she navigated her acquired face blindness. I love Joe as the male main character. Peanut was a great dog! Highly recommend this romance!

This book was exactly what I expected it to be, in the best way. I sat down and read it in an afternoon, which is a big way I gauge the enjoyment level of a book — if it’s fun to read in one sitting. I liked the characters, I enjoyed the storyline, and I had fun guessing a few little twists. I loved the face blindness aspect of this, and even though it was completely predictable, it was such a page-turner and such a pleasant passage of time.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Very cute rom com again. I loved the face blindness aspect of this, and even though it was completely predictable, it was such a page-turner and such a pleasant passage of time. I will always love her books!

Katherine Center, the queen of comfort reads, returns following The Body Guard with her latest gem, HELLO, STRANGER —a heartwarming story of an artist whose life takes on a significant change where nothing is as it appears.

LOVE ISN'T BLIND. IT IS JUST A LITTLE BLURRY.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist who is broke and barely making ends meet in her little studio apartment. Her estranged surgeon father was unhappy when Sadie chose not to continue her medical career and followed in her mom's footsteps instead. He refused to help her out in the future due to this decision or offer his support. Plus, her evil stepmother Lucinda is horrible (her father remarried) and an evil stepsister.

Sadie paints portraits and is so excited that she has earned one of the coveted finalist spots in the competition that could earn her money to catch up. It would be life-changing. It was the same competition her mom placed in years ago. She died when Sadie was fourteen.

Tragedy strikes before the competition. She has a seizure in the middle of the street. A Good Samaritan saves her from being hit by a car.

Her evil step-sister Parker is at the hospital, and she receives the bad news. A malformed blood vessel in the brain: called a cavernoma. A lesion and needs to have surgery. The timing could not be worse.

A cavernoma is a cluster of abnormal blood vessels, usually found in the brain and spinal cord. They're sometimes known as cavernous angiomas, cavernous haemangiomas, or cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM).

After the surgery, she realizes she cannot see people's faces. Everyone is a stranger to her. How can she draw a portrait when she can see their faces?

Sadie's family is no help with the situation. A wicked stepsister and a stepmother, and her father constantly siding against her. Fortunately, she has her best friend, Sue, and her family, who have informally adopted her and serve as a great support network.

How will she cope?

Then she finds herself in a love triangle of all things. Two men, one a helpful Joe, who lives in the same apartment, and the goodhearted veterinarian who saved her dog Peanut.

As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys, she realizes that happiness can be found in the places—and people— you least expect.

An uplifting, witty, emotional, heartwarming bittersweet story tackling highly charged topics of neurovascular (cavernoma, prosopagnosia-face blindness), coping mechanisms, and survival, blended with some light-hearted fun romance. You will root for Sadie until the end.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Patti Murin for a highly entertaining and lively performance. I enjoyed the author's note.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC and St. Martin's Press for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #SMPInfluencers

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JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
July 2023 Must-Read Books

This is my second Katherine Center book, and I don’t know why I’m so slow to read her others, especially the ones being made into movies - The Bodyguard was one of my very top books of 2022, and now Hello Stranger is one of my very tops of 2023! She’s such a spectacular writer and a very talented storyteller! This book is just so incredible! I purchased copies of several other books last year after loving Bodyguard and now I pledge to get them actually read!

This book has such an incredibly unique storyline, with the face blindness aspect (a side effect after surgery to remove a cavernoma, discovered after a whole interesting situation at the beginning of the book), and not being able to tell who anyone is, let alone not being able to work (being a portrait artist) just when Sadie is accepted into the top 10 winners for a huge competition… the competition her mother was in at the time of her passing, so it’s a huge thing.

The friendships, the neighbors, the family dynamics - everything that Center has included in here has been so carefully crafted and planned, and she so carefully researched the face blindness (prosopagnosia) to make sure she did it justice.

This book is just a dream to read! 5-stars for the book and 1000% recommended by me.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, and this is my honest feedback.

We all know that sometimes we just don’t see clearly when it comes to love, but for Sadie Montgomery … she literally can’t see clearly.

In an unexpected chain of events, one week she’s painting photorealistic portraits and qualifying for a prestigious art contest, and the next she finds herself experiencing prosopagnosia, or face-blindness. Talk about bad timing! How is she going to paint a portrait for the contest when everyone’s faces now look like a puzzle?

On the brighter side, despite not being able to distinguish faces, she really likes her dog Peanut’s new vet, Dr. Addison, but there’s also her questionably-behaved neighbor Joe in the picture. Neither of them know that she can’t tell who they are by their faces, though she has definite ideas about which one she wants, until that starts getting fuzzy too!

Katherine Center shows again why she’s a master of her genre. This is funny, charming, and filled with entertaining characters. Sadie can be prickly at times, but I was always rooting for her as she worked through her painful past and present circumstances. Her best friend Sue was hilariously blunt, Joe was fun, and even her cruel stepsister Parker somehow made me laugh.

From the premise to the ending, it’s well written and engaging. The only downsides: I thought there was a little too much explaining at the end and a few story elements that my overthinking brain had to just roll with and not question too much, but as Center so brilliantly explains in her author’s note, it comes with the territory of the genre. Definitely read or listen to her thoughts!

I both read this and listened to the audio narrated by Patti Murin, who I absolutely love! I think it would’ve been harder to find the humor in some characters - especially Parker - if I’d only read it, but Murin’s voicing for her was snarktastic, and she does gender voicing perfectly, which I always appreciate.

It’s a great read, a wonderful listen and a whole lot of fun. I highly recommend it!

★★★★ ½