I really, really love this author's books! I liked the story almost just as much as her other novel i've read "The Bodyguard" - it had that same optimistic undertone and butterfly-inducing romance.

The story here was extremely, extremely predictable, so if that's something that you usually don't like, this might not be for you. It was almost so predictable that I wondered if it was on purpose and the reader was supposed to know what was happening all along? But either way, I did enjoy going through the story picking up on all the hints pointing toward the big reveal.

Overall, I loved Sadie, I loved our male main characters, I loved the conflict with her family. It was all just so well done! This author will continue to be an auto-buy for me.

This was a fun romance that kept me rooting for the main character the whole way through. Though Sadie is stubborn and struggling, her true heart and all she's been through make her a lovable character. I struggle with the Cinderella retelling aspects of the story as that's not my favorite and felt a bit contrived. However, I loved the uniqueness of a story about face blindness and the problems that ensued because of it. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun read!

This is my second Katherine Center book and I loved it!

The narrator was fantastic! Sadie had a lot of self growth which was nice (because honestly at times she was annoying with her “I can’t get brain surgery because I have an art show even though I can’t see faces” 🤦🏽‍♀️ but overall watching her grow and realize things about herself and how she treated (and fixed) the relationships in her life was heartwarming.

Using the face blindness condition was a very interesting take. It was a fun change to the normal “don’t remember the guy”, since she was now meeting people without knowing if she met them or not. It definitely kept me on my toes, having to go off peoples descriptions, like their voice and their hair.

The audiobook for this, like I said the narrator was fantastic. It made it so I didn’t want to stop listening, so I started listening to this not just to and from school but when I was cooking and cleaning (shout out to this book for finally helping me unpack the second bedroom after 6months).

I had high hopes for this book after loving The Bodyguard so much but unfortunately this book didn’t meet them! I found the main character a little difficult to like and I felt like it took a long time to get into the story. I really enjoyed the relationship between Joe and Sadie but wish we had more.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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HAPPY PUB DAY to this super sweet read! After reading The Bodyguard I fell in love with Katherine Center’s writing style and was super excited at the chance to listen to this one early.
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Hello Stranger focuses on Sadie Montgomery, an aspiring portrait artist, who is learning to cope with a “probably temporary” bout of prosopagnosia, also known as “facial blindness”. Throughout her journey Sadie delves into her past, grows into a better person, and even befriends her neighbor Joe, who she thought is a total jerk.
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I found this to be a really easy and fast read. I was super hooked from the start. The concept was a fun one, while not completely unique, but very rare to read about, the idea of facial blindness, is not only interesting but downright scary. I appreciate all of the research Center did for this one. I found the character growth being so late in the story (you don’t see much until past 60%) to be a little bit difficult; Sadie’s can be a tad annoying with her stubbornness and need to “do things on her own.” Once her character shows that arc though - man is she a much better human.
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Hello Stranger is a romcom - totally predictable, and I will say in this case I felt the ending was pretty unrealistic, but still I was swooning like no other and I WAS HERE FOR IT. Katherine Center has a way of writing that will have you flying through the pages while making your heart sing. I love where this one went, the ups and downs and everything in between. It made my heart grow a few sizes and it made me eternally grateful for my ability to see faces. It’s worth ever second of that suspension of reality and enjoying the beautiful story.
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Overall, worth the read, worth the hype, Katherine Center is amazing, the end. Hello Stranger releases today! Be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved the narrator for the audiobook and I've loved every Katherine Center book I've read thus far and this is no different. Joe's character was absolutely swoon worthy and in so many ways reminded me of my own husband. Yes, I know how lucky I am. Sadie's character wasn't my favorite but I could relate to her insanity in so many different ways. Sadie overanalyzes things, I overanalyze things. Sadie is a good person, I like to think I am a good person. Sadie has a dog, I have a dog, and another dog. Sadie went through something traumatic, and though I didn't, at least not in the same way that Sadie had, I could see myself have acting in the same exact ways Sadie had.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I thought it was unique in a way I haven't read in any other book. I loved the side characters of Sue, Sadie's dad, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, and even Sadie's dad's wife. Ah, her name escapes me now, but that is the result of listening to an audiobook, I believe. I know it started with an L, but that's I can think of right now. I feel that woman's pain with having Parker has a daughter.

My only complaint about this book was the cursing. I know Katherine is not a "clean" romance author, but I felt like there was way more cursing in this book than in the other's I've read and maybe there wasn't, but I've been reading more, and more clean fiction lately and I could just be picking up on it more now, than before. Regardless, Katherine still writes romance like no other. She writes positivity and the world needs more of that. I love Katherine's books and I'll be ready to read and review the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an audiobook copy for early review.

𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: to laugh and fall in love at the same time.
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: July 11

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙"

This is another Katherine Center book that just stole my heart since its first page. Every time I read a book of hers, I know that she’ll deliver something more than a love story, there’ll always be life insights sprinkled in them that I just absolutely adore.

So here we read about a woman who refuses to ask for any help and a man who is a compulsive helper. 😂 But when you suffer face blindness after a recent brain surgery, living life everyday would be a little easier with a little help. Otherwise, you’re cluelessly breaking up with people left and right 😅 That’s all I would say about this book, because I really think you should just go in blind with this one!

As a healthcare worker, I love occasionally coming across stories with a medical component to it, I loved reading more about prosopagnosia from a patient’s perspective and the author was so smart with how to use this storyline effectively!

It took a little while for me to like the female lead, but hello for amazing character development at the end! I just love the chemistry between the two leads! That rooftop scene? Guys, please DM me when you get to this part because I am just gushing with how cute that scene was! The male lead? Top book boyfriend material! The banter? Equally flirty and witty! The ending? It was everything! ❤️

Ugh go read this please! I wasn’t even able to keep track of the tropes because I was fully immersed in this story!

Buddy read this with my tagged girlfriends and it made the book even more special. As we all know, life is busy rn and I’m so happy I was finally able to join a buddy read again!

"𝙄𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝘼 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚"

Thank you @netgalley for the free digital and audio copy!

💭Are you good with remembering faces or you remember names better?
☕️ I’m bad at both 😅

What an absolutely beautiful and heartwarming story. This, right here, is the definition of why I love books that much. This story truly made me forget about my life while I was entranced by it and left me with a feeling of better understanding of how to look at things.

Sadie is such a cute, fun character to follow. She’s quirky and even though life is hard with her at times, she continues to go on and try to be her better self with every day. Sadie had an amazing growth as a character, such a satisfying evolution. I usually complain when I get only one POV, but somehow, with Katherine’s writing, it feels like enough. I don’t feel like I’m missing on something.

The story is the perfect mix of sad moments, funny ones and swoony interactions. When Katherine says that romance is all about that perfect anticipation of getting toward happiness, she is right, and she proves she understands it completely with this book. Hello Stranger has accompanied me during a hard time and succeeded in making me feel better. After ending this book, you are left with a feeling that things can and will get better, you just have to keep being hopeful and focus on the happiness around you.

“The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

I buddy-read this book with the #sqafbookclub and we had a delightful chat with Katherine Center. She shared her writing journey, her passion for Duran Duran, her books-to-Netflix movie adaptations, her recommended romance series on Netflix (see slide), and more! Katherine's friendly nature makes you feel like you've been friends forever.

🎨Sadie, the aspiring portrait artist, was about to enter a prestigious competition when an accident altered her life dramatically. She underwent brain surgery and was subsequently diagnosed with prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder that impairs facial recognition. Now, every interaction for Sadie feels like a new introduction.

🎨Sadie faced the daunting challenge of creating a sightless portrait for this life-changing competition. Her decision to create a touch-based portrait was truly fascinating! The painting scenes between Sadie and Joe, her charming neighbor and secret crush were truly captivating. I couldn't help but imagine this story evolving into Center's third Netflix movie.

🎨Sadie struggles with her new reality, facing an evil step-sister, distant father, eccentric stepmother, ailing dog, and two romantic interests. Concealing her recent diagnosis, Sadie relies on her heightened senses to differentiate between people. Engrossed in her journey, Sadie unravels her true identity and finds her desires amidst unexpected challenges. I was wholly invested in Sadie's journey as she unraveled her true identity and discovered her desires in the face of life's unexpected hurdles.

🎨I truly adored the unique storyline and Center's skill in creating unforgettable characters who capture your heart.

🎧 I enjoyed alternating between reading/listening. Patti Murin @pattimurin always brings the characters to life with distinct voices and engaging inflections.

It’s no surprise I love a Katherine Center book - this was my 6th and it was extra special because we got to chat to the author herself! She is just as wonderful and kind as you’d imagine, and I loved hearing her insight into the writing process and thoughts behind what all great rom coms should be.

The book itself is charming and funny as we follow Sadie through her diagnosis of prosopagnosia at a turning point in her life and art career. I love a good dog relationship and there’s an adorable one at the center of this book. While I did guess what would happen early in the book, I had fun the whole way through watching Sadie find her way. The characters are a little larger than life and so much fun. I highly recommend this and any other Katherine Center books for a lovely pick me up.

The audio was also fantastic for this read and gave extra life to the characters!

"Hello Stranger" by Katherine Center is Her Best One Yet!

Wow! It's been over two years since I've read a Katherine Center book. Two long years! So, I was worried about starting "Hello Stranger" and more than a little nervous, as well.

During this two year gap, I read less and less of the Romance genre, especially Rom-Com, as the stories began to sound muddled in my ears, my head, and in my heart. The thought of reading one more with the Insta-Love troupe or another with the bedroom door completely torn down, well let's just say it's not my idea of romance. I'm a little old fashion that way.

When I began reading and listening to "Hello Stranger" "all the feels" of a Katherine Center story came rushing back to me and all my concerns melted away. It was like visiting an old friend and getting a great big hug.

What I truly love about this author's storytelling is how she picks a topic, wraps it around a female main character who's struggling through it and trying to get to the other side as whole as possible.
Then, love walks in. And why not? Everything's a little better with it than without it, right?

In "Hello Stranger" our main character is Sadie Montgomery and she walks you through her story in a first person point-of-view that is touching, humorous, and believable. She's a struggling portrait artist who's having trouble seeing a few things clearly right now. That's enough to get you started and like all this author's stories, this one isn't only about romance, it's about life, dealing with challenging situations, memories from the past, and through it all, trying to carve out a future that works.

"Hello Stranger" was a joy to both read and listen to. My preference, by far, is the audiobook with the excellent narration by the talented Patti Murin. Her voicing is fabulous and worthy of a second listen!

There is one more thing you'll need to know about this author. I ugly cry with every single book I've read from her. Heck, I cried writing this dang review. I suggest you plan on having plenty of tissues to get through "Hello Stranger". It's a doozie.

I think I say this about every Katherine Center book after I've read it, this is her best one yet. I mean it this time. Really. I highly recommend "Hello Stranger" to everyone that reads!

5⭐

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for a DRC and ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

What You Wish For was one of the first ARCs I ever read and reviewed and while not my normal genre, I was so captivated by the story and the writing style. Fast forward a few years later and I can say those same words about this story too. And this face blindness. I had not heard of this a until a few years ago and it keeps showing up in all the books I read. Up until now it’s always been in thrillers, where the inflicted person is at a disadvantage with a killer, but this was a clever use in more of a women’s fiction/romance novel. Having Sadie need to rely on things other than a face to recognize the people surrounding her. I loved all the descriptions of people and how she remembered and recognized them.

Weirdly I rely a lot on the sound of someone’s voice and was surprised that wasn’t something she used. I am a knitter and will knit while “watching TV” and I put that in quotes because I am usually focused on the knitting and follow the show based upon hearing the characters. I am always recognizing someone in a movie based on that voice. Am I the only one?

But back to the book. I really was so invested in Sadie’s journey and her struggles to cope with her condition. How she filled in the blanks, both wrong and right. Katherine Center does such a good job of bringing characters to life and having you step into their shoes and feel what they are feeling. The good, the bad and the ugly. And while I continued to ponder Sadie’s perception of the world around her, the author pulled the wool over my eyes on the romance. I was a little slow on the uptake to the love triangle brewing. This would have been the perfect summer read and a contender for my favorite of the month if there was just a little less of Sadie’s parents being oblivious as to what was happening between their two daughters.

I flipped back and forth between the book and audiobook and loved the narration of Patti Murin. She expertly represented Sadie and all her emotions while allowing the story to shine. I really enjoyed both versions.

If you are ready for some slightly quirky characters and to get invested in the story, this should be part of your summer reading.

Wanna make me fall in love with your romance novel? Add in a love story about a girl and her dog. I’m sold 🫶.
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Struggling portrait artist, Sadie Montgomery, finally gets her big break when she places as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. The only problem is, a recent medical condition has left her with “probably temporary” face blindness. Faces are nothing but disconnected pieces, and she can’t draw a portrait to save her life. As her personal, professional, and family life begin to unravel, she falls for two very different men. But which man has her heart? And will she recover in time to paint a masterpiece portrait for the competition?
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What we think we see isn’t always what is, and nobody feels that more than Sadie. Center did a ton of research on prosopagnosia (face blindness), and it shows. I enjoyed experiencing the world through Sadie’s eyes, watching her work through grief and family drama, and cheering her along as she fell further in love (with both her dog Peanut and a man 😁❤️🐶).
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I laughed so much while reading this book! I also had approximately 4 tear-ups and 1 sob 😭🫶. Y’all know, any book that can make me cry this much is 5⭐️ 🥹.
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I read and listened to this book. Adding Patti Murin to my list of favorite narrators to watch for because she did a phenomenal job narrating. Thank you to @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress and @netgalley for these ARCs in exchange for an honest review!
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Hello Stranger - Katherine Center
5/5⭐️

"Love isn't blind. It's just a little blurry." What a perfect way to summarize this one, including my blurry eyes as I completed this beautiful novel.

At least 5 stars from me - Katherine really wrote with her heart for this one. This book brought me to tears on more than one occasion. To start, thank you to the author, Katherine, and to her publisher, particularly Erica Martirano at St. Martin's Publishing Group for advanced access to this one. I wish I could go back and read this one sooner so I could love it longer.

Sadie really gets put through the ringer in this book, and while she's a painter and her brain is leaking or something, which caused onset face blindness, I deeply connected with her character, particularly in relation to her family struggles and the way that she fixated in her world. I oftentimes find myself so in my head that I miss looking up and seeing my life (although I'd like to think I'm more observant than she is - haha). How would it feel to wake up one day and not be able to recognize your own face? Katherine lets us into that world for just a few hundred pages, and wow it makes me compassionate towards people. I get migraines, and that makes me see the world differently, but it isn't a permanent situation. Sadie's face blindness doesn't go away after a few hours or a few days, and the reader gets to experience how she navigates her new (but hopefully temporary) normal, first with her best friend by her side, then leaning in and relying on strangers for help (hence the title, Hello Stranger).

The parts that made me cry though? Her TRULY evil stepsister, her stepmother who buries her head in the sand so she doesn't have to deal with uncomfortable confrontations, and her dad who disappeared the minute Sadie's mom died 13 years ago. Her best friend? Doesn't seem to make Sadie a priority (the girl KEPT FORGETTING THAT SADIE COULDN'T SEE FACES, like it wasn't a big deal! Kinda made me mad!). PRAISE THE LORD FOR JOE. Seriously. He saw her and, actually, he saw EVERYONE, in a way that Sadie really needed. He wouldn't take no for an answer (but not in a demanding, creepy way). He just HAD to help.

Other highlights from me:
1. When Peanut is literally put on prednisone and cyclosporine - my dog, Bear, was on both of those for the past year (I might have a little PTSD but it's great to see that recognition)
2. Peanut eating Pad Thai
3. Peanut wanting to take a nap and Sadie laying on the ground watching him sleep
4. Dr. Oliver Addison
5. Hazel One and Hazel Two
6. When Sadie lets down her walls and lets that joy from within shine (only confirmed at the end by a little surprise from her dad, but no spoilers here)

I'll read anything and everything that Katherine writes. Check this book out!

AND, I was granted early access to this audiobook, and let me tell you, I thought the book was emotional, but I was even MORE of a wreck listening to Patti Murin perform this story. It was moving and engaging and funny and just an overall joy to listen to! This audiobook was lovely! Patti Murin performed with such emotion it brought me to tears at times (though that was also thanks to the lovely Katherine Center for her emotionally driven characters). I particularly enjoyed listening to the banter between the main characters, which were brought to life by this performance.

Thanks to NetGalley/St. Martin's Publishing Group for the ARC of this book, and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This book is about a young woman, Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist, who finds herself in need of brain surgery to repair a weak blood vessel before it ruptures. The successful result of that surgery comes with a serious repercussion, face blindness, the inability to put together all the pieces of a face into a whole. All Sadie can see are the separate pieces, a nose, a mouth, an eye, but she can’t put them together into one piece. For a portrait artist, little could be worse. For a portrait artist who has just made the finals of a major competition and only has a few weeks to paint a new portrait for a showing in that competition, it’s a disaster. But friends and previously distanced family step into the picture, some to lend assistance, some to further what originally led to their separation.

When Sadie’s path crosses that of veterinarian, Dr. Addison, she’s taken by him, especially after he saves her desperately ill and aging dog, Peanut. But nothing is going Sadie’s way, and their connection is fraught with difficulties. There’s also her neighbor, Joe. He doesn’t make a good first impression on her. In fact, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. But when he steps in and offers to help her, she’s not in a position to refuse.

This audiobook drew me in from the very beginning and held me through to the very end, one that may surprise you. It’s touching, funny, serious for short periods, and charming. Honestly, I might listen to it a third time while I have the book in my library. The writing is exceptional, and the narration is absolutely perfect for this book. If I hadn’t loved Katherine Center before this book, I’ve fallen head-over-heels with this book.

I highly recommend this book.

I received an advanced audiobook copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reaction to reading this book.

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me. I love her witty contemporary romance writing style. The Bodyguard was my first 5 star read this year so I was really looking forward to Hello Stranger. Hello Stranger has everything I look for in a RomCom and more. It was funny, heartwarming, and had a few twists along the way. It also brought awareness to prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a very real condition that I knew nothing about until this book.

I enjoyed the fast paced plot and the well developed characters. Sadie, the main character, is faced with an unexpected challenge and has to figure out new ways of facing life’s challenges. Normally the MC tends to be a favorite but I’d have to say that Sue may have been my favorite character. She was so ditsy and brutally honest but in a fun loving way!

The story had several great life lessons:
—life is all about perspective…”we only see what we’re looking for”
—face life’s challenges
—look for the good in life and in others…”the more good things you look for, the more you find”
—help yourself by helping others
—see the good in people

Audiobook–
Patti Murin delivered a spectacular performance from start to finish. She did a fantastic job with change in voices, pace and inflections while creating a believable narration. I must say the neuro-psychologist’s voice made me laugh a few times.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read and listen to this ARC in return for an honest review.

I’m so glad I got to binge this. I loved how unique this storyline was. It captivated me and I wanted to know more. I also always love that “moment” where the title is quoted or suddenly makes sense in the novel. This was another hit for Katherine Center. Great summer read.

The audiobook was fantastic and I loved the changes that were present in it that weren’t in the book. I’m happy for those changes making the final draft of the book and getting to hear them. Loved.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I went in blind and was so happy I did! I have never read anything by Katherine Stranger before now and all I can say is that I have been missing out. I don’t usually read clean romances, but in this case, it did not matter. This is one of the best books I have read this year!

The characters were amazing, I love dogs and I can’t say enough about the extremely compelling plot. The story was so well written that words are escaping me. The ending made me feel the story was complete and whole, utterly satisfying!

The narrator, Patti Murin, was so amazing! I loved her voices and I listened to this audiobook in one day. I could not stop!

I wish I could read it over again for the first time!

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the chance to read and listen to this amazing #ARC!

So much research went into this book to make the difficulties of Sadie’s condition really come to life in this story. I learned so much about prosopagnosia from this book. However, there were parts of the story related to the condition that didn’t make any sense. The recognition of some but not all voices, how long it took for the big misunderstanding to be cleared up; all of this led to a lag in the story and really dragged it down. Even when she realized her mistake with the servers at the coffee shop, she still couldn’t make the connection? Otherwise, this was an interesting, cute story but not up to what I usually expect from Katherine Center.

When artist Sadie Montgomery develops face blindness, her world is turned upside down. It may be temporary, it may be permanent but only time will tell. Not only does Sadie have family issues, a struggling love life and a career in jeopardy but she now has to learn how navigate her new reality — but the odds all seem against her.

Thank you to Katherine Center, NetGalley & Macmillian Audio for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and 100% HONEST.

I received this book in the audio format & LOVED it. The audio was clear and read at a great rate. I enjoyed the way Patti Murin articulated & narrated the story as well. They were animated, which made this book enjoyable. I was able to feel the emotion of each character while listening to the audio.

Hello Stranger was my first novel by Katherine Centers & it was a perfect 5 star read. This novel conveys a beautiful message about life and the outlook of how we may see things. While reading I felt an array of emotions — I was intrigued, confused, laughing, angry, nervous etc. I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. There were many likable characters and huge character developments as the story progressed. Katherine Center’s writing made me feel invested in both the storyline and the characters. Lastly the Author’s Note was beautifully written, if I were able to rate this book higher than 5 stars I would. I HIGHLY recommend picking up this book!



Expected Pub Date July 11,2023