3.5 rounded up to 4 because of the epilogue and writers note! She explained why “predictable” should be “hopeful anticipation”. I completely changed my rating and point of view because I looked forward to the characters figuring out what I did earlier on. I know some people ignore writers notes but in this case it made the book something much better and personal for me… so DONT SKIP IT! Book itself is 4 stars but her note is 5.

It was also very interesting to get into the mind of someone who was not able to recognize faces and all that came with it.

The audiobook version is just as wonderful as the actual book! I’ve quickly become a huge Katherine Center fan, and I can’t wait to read more of her books. I also love that the two books I’ve read by her (this one included) are set in Houston — my hometown!

The audio of this is what kept me engaged. The narrator did a great job with what she had to work with, but I found the story itself rather frustrating and very predictable. This reminded me how much the miscommunication trope bugs me.
I found the MC unrealistic and whiny and the rest of the characters did not seem fully fleshed out.

So I this is like the fourth Katherine Center book I’ve read! (Thanks, Netgalley for the early read.) I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I was already expecting to purchase, and it’s currently on its way to my house with my book of the month shipment but I’m grateful for the early read! The concept of this book was really cute- a portrait artist who ends up with face blindness (THE IRONY). The idea that there may be two suitors also really dug my interest.

I 100 percent knew once I started reading it, and she ended up with the face blindness that the guy that she was interested in Joe and the hot vet were the exact same person. Always a sucker for a misunderstanding, I felt like this book was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was adorable in the end, and I think, resolved itself nicely.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, not spicy read.

This was by far my favorite Katherine Center read. There’s something about a book with topics and themes personal to the author that just hit the reader at such a different level.

I really enjoyed Sadie’s overall journey and what the face blindness allowed her to overcome/breakthrough in a way. To me, it felt like she was overcoming the need to hold herself back and to become more than the shell she was permitting herself to live in. And I think breaking through the “shackles” you may put yourself in is incredibly important lesson in life.

There were some issues with lack of communication and miscommunication I just could not get behind. If you have strong feelings toward someone, why would you not ask for clarity? Or talk through things? The blind acceptance was frustrating to say the least.

Sadie unfortunately was surrounded by mediocre people or awful people. It almost seemed like she settled for herself..including in friendships.

Emotionally, this book has my heart. Sadie grips you with her struggles of parental death, an evil step sister, then has to go through some pretty life altering events. She was hit from every direction and I felt that all the way through.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Patti Murin. I really enjoyed listening to this book via audio. Patti did a phenomenal job with allowing the emotion in her voice to convey just how the characters were feeling. It was a bit slow, so while I typically listen 1.75x-2.25x I had this up at 3.0x.

3.75/5

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Contemporary romance.
Sadie is a portrait artist. She’s won a spot in an upcoming contest that’s she’s feeling good about. But she has a seizure that causes her to have brain surgery and suddenly she can’t see faces or recognize anyone. Features are out of place for everyone. Sadie needs to find alternative ways to identify people and then figure out what to do with her portrait painting career. Hair, clothing, posture and gait are some of the ways she’ll need to use to identify people she sees everyday. Including Joe, the man on her floor who always wears a leather jacket with that name stitched on the front.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook narrated by Patti Murin. The performance of the audiobook was marvelous. There were distinct voices for Sadie, Joe and several of the secondary characters. For me, the timing was perfection. I clearly heard the anxiety, the fear, the confusion and ultimately the hope in the story. Of course, those feelings are in the written word as well, but I think this book comes across phenomenally well by the narrator.

From the author notes: “Romance books are unapologetically hopeful and optimistic. Joyful. Positive. The lead to Emotional bliss.”
Yes, that’s why I love them.
And I loved this book for the same reasons. The heroine had a temporary physical disability that meant she couldn’t recognize faces. But she didn’t give up. She still painted to the best of her ability and ultimately she found love.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

“It’s a disorienting thing to know there’s something wrong with you. It made everything about my life seem different, worse, false. Like I’d been misunderstanding everything all along.”

“You’re not just your face, is what I mean. But man, it sure is a big part of you.”

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

4.5 stars rounded up! I adored this book. I laughed. I wanted to cry. And I can’t even remember the last time I wanted to reach into a book and smack the sh*t out of a character the way I did with Parker. It made me FEEL things, guys. What a wonderful story.

The audio was absolutely fantastic! It is narrated by @pattimurin and she nails it! Her comedic timing is on point and she had me falling in love with these characters. She gave them life and so much heart. I just loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center really got me with this one. I loved loved loved The Bodyguard last year, I was so excited to receive an early audiobook copy of Hello Stranger. Needless to say, it did not disappoint.

This book was probably a four star for me right up until the very end when I read the author’s note. I guessed the end of this story pretty early on, but Katherine Center had it exactly right in her note to the readers. The knowledge of the ending didn’t detract at all from the enjoyment of the story. In fact it was quite the opposite, I was excited to see how Center would execute the ending. Even though I had a good idea of what was going to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat.

This novel had me experiencing the full spectrum of emotions, it made me laugh out loud, tear up, and sigh with happiness throughout. It was also the type of story that makes you reassess the things we take for granted every day. I walked away from this read with a new appreciation for everyday kindness. As well as remaining open and warm whenever possible.

This book is very low/no spice, so keep that in mind when you pick it up. But despite the 0 chili pepper heat rating I highly recommend everyone pick up a copy. I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy for my bookshelves. The audiobook was an excellent experience too, Patti Murin had me fully absorbed through her narration.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the audiobook.

4.5 rounded down 💫

What I’ve come to learn after my 3rd KC book is they’re a bit dramatic + unrealistic BUT it WORKS!

Were there plot holes in this that just didn’t make sense? YES, hence the half star reduction but this was my face while reading —> 🥹🥹🥹

You can expect :
✨an evil stepsister
✨a HELPFUL, pet loving, patient love interest
✨an emotional support pup
✨SO many “aha” moments from her therapist that had me like ✍️✍️✍️
✨to learn SO much about Prosopagnosia (face blindness)
✨an incredible authors note 🥲😭

The audio was great - I genuinely enjoyed this so much more than I thought I was going to!

Katherine Center has become an auto-buy/auto-read author for me! I love her character driven romance and this title was no different. It was such a unique, refreshing taste on romance, with a surprise ending? I LOVED it and loved Sadie as a main character. Reading about her life, relationships, family struggles and how she handled her diagnosis was so great to read. And I loved this in audio format. It flew by and I just adored it from start to finish!

I loved, loved, LOVED this book! I couldn't get enough. I was so sad every time I had to put it down and couldn't wait to get back to it!!

It's not often that romance novels surprise me but Hello Stranger really did! The plot line wasn't your typical romance and I loved that Sadie was facing a genuine struggle. While I've read a few books about face blindness recently which felt a little coincidental, this novel still felt totally unique and was flawlessly executed. How Sadie tackled her face blindness while also at a pivotal moment in her career added so much to the story and I appreciated the level of detail that went into her process.

I listened to this novel on audio and it was really well done. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she added the perfect level of theatrics. There were so many laugh out loud moments and maybe even more moments that brought me to tears! It was the perfect blend of emotion and heart.

I haven't read many by Center but it's safe to say this one will be hard to beat. I know it's one I'll be recommending for a long time!

Hello Stranger was the EASIEST 5-Star review I have had in several months. I admit, it took 2-3 chapters for me to get into the groove of the book, but once I was there...WOW!

Sadie Montgomery is the FMC and she has a whirlwind of a time in this book. She is a struggling portrait artist and has an accident that makes her not able to see faces properly. During her struggles, she meets her dream man and falls for him. How does it all work out? Read/Listen and find out. Do not miss out on this one.

I will recommend this book to anyone and I have already pre-ordered it.

Thank you for the ARC of this wonderful book. I have given a fair and honest review in exchange for it.

Sadie is a portrait artist who seems to finally be catching her big break, until sudden brain surgery leads her to lose her ability to see faces. On top of all that she is falling for two men at the same time, even though she can’t see their faces.

4 stars for the audio narration. Patti Murrin does it again. Her narration of Hello Stranger is pretty much the only reason I finished this one. She totally made the characters come to life.

2 stars for story. Oof, I feel like an outlier here, but this story just didn’t do it for me. I really struggled to connect with Sadie and found myself increasingly frustrated with her. I hated her relationship with her family and honestly just wanted her to grow up. I also just didn’t believe in the romance, especially the “love triangle” between Sadie, Joe & Dr. Addison. The ending had some redeeming qualities, but overall this was a miss for me.

The author’s note at the end was beautiful, though!!

Oh Katherine Center, you have done it again! Katherine Center has been an auto buy author for me for a long time. I absolutely love everything she writes and Hello, Strange follows suit.

📚 Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center
✨ Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Synopsis:
Love isn't blind, it's just little blurry. Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming ... Literally! One minute she's celebrating the biggest achievement of her life-placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition-the next, she's lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a "probably temporary" condition known as face blindness.She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features.

Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie's new reality with every face she sees. But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into-love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?-with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn't be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren't looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

Thoughts:
💕 A feel good read that I could not put down.
💕 This was a book that I was able to listen to in one session.
💕 Loved Sadie and the journey she goes on. When life does not work out as planned she continues to forge ahead to accomplish her goals.
💕 Family drama, laugh out loud moments and hopeful romance wrapped in this super cute cover.
💕 I just loved the author’s note at the end. It makes me like Katherine Center as a person as well as an author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of the audiobook for Hello Stranger by Katherine Center through NetGalley. I really enjoyed The Bodyguard, so I was excited for this new book. I was not disappointed because Hello Stranger might be one of my favorite books of the year. It was such an interesting story and it was written so beautifully.

Portrait artist Sadie Montgomery is ready to celebrate her big break, becoming a finalist in a national portrait competition, but Sadie unexpectedly suffers a seizure and has to undergo elective brain surgery. While the surgery is a success, Sadie discovers that she has acquired Prosopagnosia (face blindness). How does a portrait artist paint when she has face blindness? With the hope that the Prosopagnosia is only temporary, Sadie must figure out to create her piece for her contest and how to get by without letting anyone know that she can’t recognize any faces. Sadie is just trying to win her contest, take care of her dog Peanut, and figure out her life when she falls in love or lust with Peanut’s new vet Dr. Addison and also the obnoxiously helpful guy Joe from her building. Sadie also has to contend with her wicked stepsister Parker and a stepmother that just won’t leave her alone.

The narrator, Patti Murin does such a wonderful job conveying all the emotions that Sadie goes through as she tries to make sense of her new life. The shifts in her tone between characters are seamless and her timing was perfect. I was fully captivated with the narration and story from start to finish.

This book made me feel so many things. It was funny and light, but also had elements there were so heartbreaking. It gave me hope and a sense of anticipation for what was to come for Sadie. Sadie was so likeable and I wanted nothing more than to protect her and be her best friend. She was so relatable and her frustrations and despair felt incredibly real. Even now, after finishing the book with a beautiful ending, my heart still aches at all of the heart wrenching moments. Without giving away anything, I really enjoyed the developing relationships in this book and reading all the cute banter. Along with the romance, Sadie’s uncomfortable relationship with her father and stepmother and her antagonistic relationship with her evil stepsister are very compelling. I did feel like Parker was over the top evil, but I suppose that made the relationship more interesting. There was so much to love in this book, all the small details painted such a beautiful story. It’s one of those books that I wish I could listen to it again for the first time.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC and then Macmillian Audio for very kindly providing an early preview of the audiobook!

Hello Stranger follows Sadie, a portrait artist who, after an unexpected seizure and subsequent surgery, finds herself unable to recognize faces. While this would be devastating to anyone, it comes just after the news she's been selected to be in a life changing portrait competition. Compounding with her sudden onslaught of mishaps, she begins to have feelings for a handsome veterinarian and a charming man from her building.

I absolutely loved Patti Murin, our wonderful narrator. Her voice gave everyone such personality and life. Her inflections were top notch. I'm not one to laugh at books, but I found myself giggling so many times. This has to be one of the best narrators I've listened to in my burgeoning obsession with the medium. Obviously, a good narrator isn't much without good writing to read. I loved how this was written. It felt like Sadie herself was telling me all about her life. I found the writing witty and light.

But, that's where my happy feelings end. While looking over the few negative early reviews of this book, I found many said Sadie was unlikeable. I actually did find her enjoyable, but again, it may be that Patti gave such an amazing performance. But I can't say I found any other character particularly likeable. We have the comedically evil stepsister, the complicit stepmother, and a cruelly distant father. While I was told that Sue was actually Sadie's best friend, there were two major things that she did that made me question that fact. In accordance with early review code, I won't get into spoilers despite my biggest gripe being the ending. The end conclusion was very obvious so I can't tell if it was truly supposed to be a reveal or not. There was something so obvious that could have been corrected right away and would have completely cleared anything and everything up. The fact that didn't happen still baffles me. I also feel like there was very little character development. Everyone was the same, for better or worse, at the beginning as they are at the end.

This book was great! I chuckled when I figured out what was happening and rooted for our girl (& guy)! There was so much hope and joy in this story. The sister was so fun to hate and the people that Sadie surrounded herself with were a delight! The audio for this book was great!

What a sweet fun rom-com! I'm a fan of the author and her latest is a great contribution to the genre and her works.
Sadie Montgomery, an artist, becomes the victim of face-blindness. For anyone this would be life-altering but for an artist, it is catastrophic. This is the take-off point for Sadie's trials and tribulations, compounded by an unusual romantic interest. "Unusual" is putting it mildly.
Sure, you had to suspend reality and wonder if a love situation as portrayed, could really exist, but the author is so talented that I was caught up in the story, rooting for Sadie all the way. Center's detailed explanation of face-blindness along with its ramifications and medical explanations were so helpful in bringing attention to such an illness.
The narrator was terrific and was able to perfectly differentiate between the appealing characters. Fun!

ok let me start out by saying that this book was good! i had so much fun listening to it.
this book is about sadie, a struggling portrait artist that when she finally gets her big break, ends up with face blindness after a complication from a brain surgery she needed to have. sadie must paint a new portrait to submit for the art contest she got accepted into before her surgery while navigating her new reality of not being able to see faces. as she is trying to cope with her world turning upside down, she meets joe, her overly friendly neighbor determined to befriend her, as well as dr. oliver addison, her new vet she is convinced will be her new fiancé after he saves her beloved elderly dog peanut. sadie goes on a journey of acceptance and perspective as she is forced to look at the world differently.
my biggest gripe with this book was sadie's head was not always pleasant to be in. i found her to be extremely self-centered and pitying for a lot of the book, but then i had to give myself a reality check that i, too, would probably be the same way if everything that happened to sadie happened to me. there were times that i literally wanted to shake this girl and say
"stop getting in your own way and just get a move on babes!" all that to say there was so much good in this book! the vibes were very whimsical in an adult way and also just joyful in small ways. i was giggling and smiling my way through this book and all of the terribly awful and funny experiences that happen to sadie.

Hello Stranger is a fantastic romcom! The journey the main character goes on is compelling, relatable, and hilarious! There were so many moments I wanted to tell the main character not to make a mistake, while also unsure whether she was actually making a mistake. The twists were wonderful. The storyline was not predictable. And the research by the author was thorough. This was a well thought out, well written, story that even non-romance readers would enjoy. I definitely recommend this love story!

I thought the audiobook was very well done! The narrator did a great job. I listened at 1.75x speed which is my normal speed.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio copy.