There is a reason Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, her books always make me happy, and hopeful, and Hello Stranger is no exception. I just loved following Sadie on her journey of self awareness as she dealt with something that forced her to look at things differently. I loved her quirkiness, and how she finally decided to lean in to her circumstances a bit. It’s another book that by finishing I almost feel like I am saying goodbye to someone that had become a friend through the course of the story. I cannot recommend it enough for anyone that just wants to read something that will bring them some joy!

A perfectly timed book and exactly what I needed to pull me from a reading slump. As soon as I started reading, I knew it would be in my top ten of this year. Every Katherine Center book I have read are the most enjoyable. This one just might be my favorite. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed. I love how she suggests describing love stories as creating “fantastic anticipation”. That is my sentiment of “Hello Stranger” after devouring it in less than 2 days.

Hello Stranger is a delightfully engaging story filled with some favorite romance themes and some great points about art/creativity, how we see others, and the good (and bad) of relationships. I really enjoyed how the plot set up a portrait artist, Sophie, to experience a truly complex challenge with face blindness, to see how she grew and learned from the challenge, and how a hard time in her life also lead into self growth and healthier relationships.

Strengths
1. Engaging characters and a fun plot, even with some sad notes. Katherine Center always delivers a fun and charming story and relatable characters but also brings in challenges from characters' past and present. I like how she uses the present day challenges to move her characters into resolution/closure on past experiences.

2. This book is not just about romance. I loved the friendship in the book, the characters in the apartment building, the pet dog (!!!!), and I loved to hate the step sister. The secondary characters made it easier to connect with Sadie as a dimensional character.

3. The focus on faces and how we recognize and "see" people. There were some really interesting points in the narrative about what it means to know and recognize people we know. How this intersected with portraiture was particularly cool (for lack of a better word, I did think it was cool to consider how an artist would cope with this experience!).

I am so glad I got a chance to read an early review copy. Thank you to St. Martins once again for the kindness of an early read.
Recommended for: fans of this author and rans of rom coms in general (Emily Henry, Ava Wilder, Kerry Winfrey, Ashley Poston). I think this will be a popular book for summer book clubs in 2023!

First and foremost, Center creates the most relatable characters I have ever read. Whether the MC is a female firefighter struggling to succeed in a male-dominated profession, a thirty-year-old divorcee struggling to find her place in the world, or an executive protection agent assigned to a reclusive movie star, I always feel as though I know the ins and outs of each of these characters. I know what makes them tick and what demons lurk in their shadows. By the time I finished reading, they have become my best literary friends.

Sadie is no different. From the moment she busts out a Smokey Robinson performance in the middle of the corner store, I knew Sadie was my kind of person. At every turn, I felt as if I knew her. I laughed at her silly antics, cried at her struggles, and swooned right along with her as the least likely candidate became a potential love. As for Joe, well there are not enough words to express my love for his character. And let’s not forget the loveable Peanut who dare I say, eats better than I do.

f you are looking for a book that has a whole lot of humor, swoony romantic vibes, fantastic main and supporting characters, and a whole lot of heart, this is the book for you. I would give it 10 stars if I could. Somehow Center always manages to speak to my soul.

I really enjoyed learning about Prosopagnosia. A condition where a person cannot recognize faces. Sadie is a good character who misses her mom who passed away years ago--who has a troubled past thanks to her evil stepsister.

The plot is not just about Sadie's unlikely condition due to a brain surgery that took away her ability to paint portraits. But, she awakens to the fact that you have to embrace your differences and her limitations. She doesn't want help, but does she?

I liked the romantic lead "Joe" and how their relationship develops. Sadie is not one to trust, but her new condition has her feeling more vulnerable and open than what she usually is. And you learn first impressions could be the wrong impression so maybe get to know the person first.

It's a classic Katherine Center read-- fun and fast read, a character with a limitation or struggle, an unlikely romance, and a goofy best friend, and a troubled family.

I'm giving it 3.5 stars because I felt as if I read this Center novel before, just different struggle and character name. I still enjoyed it. It'll be a good beach read.

I was THRILLED to have the opportunity to read this book by one of my favorite authors. Katherine Center never disappoints. This book checks all the boxes: cute, good characters, side characters with actual personalities and lives, family drama, reconciliation, dealing with grief, puppies with gourmet palates, etc. It was a pleasurable read and about a condition that I was unaware could be acquired. A face blind portrait artist is such a compelling choice of heroine. I did figure out the twist long before it was revealed, which may have been intentional on Ms. Center's part, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of this novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Katherine Center is on fire! The BodyGuard was one of my favorite books this year and Hello Stranger is just as good if not better!! I really loved the unique premise, the humor, the storytelling and the writing. You are in for a treat with this one!

A delightful love story with a side helping of self-love and forgiveness. Katherine Center has done it again! I love her stories because they’re always full of wit and humor and—even better—wisdom about life and love the art of loving. This new book is no exception!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center outdid herself with this story! She always has strong female leads, but Sadie, a portrait artist, loses not only her ability to see/recognize faces but her connection with her mother, also a portrait artist, who died when Sadie was 14. Her struggles are unimaginable. She's alone and unwilling to share her dilemma with anyone but her best friend.
I experienced so many good and bad emotions while reading this story, and I couldn't put it down. 5 stars -- more if I could!

Interesting concept and well done execution! I know of face blindness, but I'd never looked into how it worked before, nor thought about how limiting it might be if it occurred suddenly. I loved Sadie, though she did get a little mopey sometimes, but who can blame her? Joe was a perfect foil for her and their dynamic was excellent from the start. The misunderstandings and miscommunication partially due to her facial recognition issue were cleverly done and not frustrating because as the reader you were just as lost as Sadie. I hated how awful Parker, Lucinda, and her dad seemed, though Lucinda and her dad did redeem themselves by the end. Parker can rot for all I care, but that's the point. Overall, a really lovely read, though the steam was basically nonexistent (a couple kisses, but nothing more on the page).

Hello Stranger, Katherine Center
Sadie, a struggling artist, is about to get her big break...until she literally almost breaks! An underlying brain injury leaves her needing surgery. No "brainer"...she'll be back up and on her feet with plenty of time before the competition. Quickly after her surgery, she learns she's left with a face blindness condition, unable to recognize the faces of anyone. How will this ever work when she's supposed to be painting a portrait for her competition? Along the road to recovery, she develops a huge crush on her dog's veterinarian, and who's this guy in her apartment building she keeps running into? Can she really develop feelings for both men at the same time, all the while never being able to see their faces?
This is just the cutest book and I was rooting for Sadie the entire time! I really enjoyed this and I hope you do too! This releases on July 11th.

LOVED this fun story about Sadie, a budding artist and her inability to recognize faces following brain surgery! Sadie wins a spot in a prestigious portrait competition that will lift up her emerging career. Unfortunately, after procuring the spot, she is extremely limited in her ability to paint. Her aging dog, Peanut, is also having medical woes, requiring Sadie to visit the "very hot" vet regularly. She meets a fellow, Joe, in her apartment building that helps her in lots of ways. Adventure ensues, and we learn about "confirmation bias" and how it causes us to be blind to so many things.

Hello Stranger is a delight to read - just the right number of characters, each well developed and relatable. The story has fun twists and turns, and ultimately the ending is wonderfully surprising. Highly recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review Hello Stranger.

Once again, I stayed up until way past my bedtime to finish the last 40% of this novel by the fabulous @katherinecenter. I have loved all of her books and this one just adds to the love.

I loved the character buildup and the background. I had a harder time empathizing with the main character Sadie than I have other characters in the past. But I tend to struggle with being a realist (read pessimist), a wall-builder (read cold), and a loner (read bitchy). So I can empathize with characters I relate to.

Once this book all fell into place, I was along for the ride the rest of the way. I kind of knew how it was all going to happen really early on and honestly am always grateful for KC’s promise of happy endings. It’s not silly to want a happy ending - that’s what we all want.

Oh the story; let’s chat. Sadie is a portrait artist who suffers a seizure that ends up being a brain hemorrhage. The fix the problem but she develops face blindness: she cannot recognize nor see the full faces of the people she comes in contact with. As an artist, this is a problem because she’s just placed in a prestigious Art contest with a grand prize of 10K. But she can’t paint portraits if she can’t see faces. Hence the dilemma.

I loved this story - pre-order and mark your calendars for July 2023! (I also love that KC’s books come out right at my birthday - happy birthday to meee!)

Thanks for @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter for letting me have this copy sooooo far in advance

Unique and charming.! Liked it quite a lot. Good chemistry and humor, one scene in particular made me laugh out loud. Interesting premise here with the face blindness, an affliction I admittedly didn’t know much about beforehand. Thanks for the advanced copy!

Oh my gosh! Katherine Center has done it again. She has become one of my favorite romance writers with her last two books. This was so cute and funny! Her books always make me laugh. I absolutely DESPISED Parker, but this sweet book made me forget about the unlikeable character. Just an overall feel good book.

I so love this story!
I especially adore Sadie, the main character of this novel.
Sadie has brain surgery that creates an unusual follow-up complication she never expected to happen.
How will this young, creative painter learn to regain or gain some control over her life as she attempts to cope with the difficulties that she now must face?
There is actual laugh out loud moments, anguish, fear and hope as Sadie moves forward each day.
I was determined to figure out how life for this sweet young woman would turn out and I read it quickly.
There are so many layered pieces in this story that all come together nicely in the final pages.
I had no idea how the this would happen, but Catherine Center nailed it and this book will definitely be one of my favorites!
Thank you to #NetGalley and to #St. Martin's Press for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review. Well done!

Katherine Center does it again by giving us a lovable, quirky character who triumphs again and again while failing in family, work, and dating. Sadie undergoes a brain surgery after a near death experience. The aftermath is more than just physical healing. She learns to accept help, speak up for herself and fall in love with the dashing veterinarian. Or Joe. Or no, maybe it is the vet. Lovely to read and satisfying to finish.

k.Center never disappoints a reader. Hello stranger is a look into a brian trauma that cause a person not to have face recognition. The charter needs to learn to trust internal natural abilities - while dating, family relationships- life.
I enjoyed the store line, but I did find it a bit too wordy.
All in all enjoyable read.

Thank you to #partner St Martin's for our copy of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

This book is available on July 11, 2023
Rating: 4.5 star
Genre: Romance/Fiction

Thoughts: I just LOVE Katherine Center's books. We were so excited to receive a copy of Hello Stranger. When you finish this book, you MUST read the author's note. I think it summarizes why I love romance books, as well as why I love Katherine's books so much!

This story highlights a medical condition that I wasn't even aware of to be honest. I love that her books portray real life situations...the struggles, but also the beauty and the light in the world. I truly always finish her books feeling better about life.

This book was wonderful...Highly recommend picking this one up!

Spoilers Included!
I thought this story was very engaging. I literally stayed up all night to finish it. I did think there was one hole in the story that bothered me., but I would still recommend.
Spoiler....
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If Sadie were leaving multiple messages on Joe's phone, wouldn't he likely have a VM message which stated his actual name? Especially as a vet he would specify who he was in his messages. So, even though I knew it was the same person for all of the story (and I think we were supposed to able to easily figure that out), Sadie should have known as soon as she first called his phone. I also thought that since she specified Dr. Addison's very specific gait that she would recognize that gait on Joe.. If not in his jacket, I thought this would be a way to recognize him and she would see him as the vet and not the neighbor. So, those 2 elements were questionable to me, but overall I loved the story line and would recommend this book.