Katherine Center never fails to delight me with her books. I love the feel-good romance and the knowledge that the book will leave me with a smile on my face. I adored her author's note at the end where she talks about the joy of reading romance novels and that is the attitude I always have when I start one of her novels.

This one is not perfect, the main character Sadie really annoyed me with her absolute iron clad insistence to not accept help from anyone. I felt like that was very immature and her growth comes pretty late in the story, but props that it does occur. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but it was still fun and absolutely satisfying when it does.

When I first read that this book dealt with prosopagnosia (face blindness) I rolled my eyes and said "not again" because this seems to be a popular plot point these days. However, the way that Center uses it and describes it in this story made it completely plausible and was a very effective and intriguing premise. I understand it in a way that I didn't before.

Sign me up for the next Katherine Center book because I'm totally here for her thoroughly engaging and delightful stories. I listened to this one partially as an audiobook and Patti Murin's narration was wonderful for Sadie. She gives the story the exact amount of lightness and humor.

Well, she did it again. Is Katherine Center a romance wizard? I think so.
Throughout the whole book I was thinking, “How can this woman write something that feels familiar but new, predictable but in the best possible way?” Then I got to the end and read the Author’s Note (I LOVE when an author includes an authors note), and she talked about just this thing. Predictability in romance books that she renamed as “anticipation” because of hope. And we all need the hope of something good to look forward to. Just as all beautiful writers do, she put my exact feelings into words.

The uniqueness of Sadie’s situation was thrilling. And I just loved the male lead (trying to give no spoilers)! Also, the way things played out with Lucinda was so satisfying. I could not have wrapped up the story any better if I ever tried.

This may not have been my favorite KC book (because I don’t know what could beat The Bodyguard, in my opinion), but it was so solid and so good. I seriously have never seen KC go wrong!

(The narration for the audiobook is a must as well! She embodies Sadie as a character perfectly! Highly recommend the audiobook.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc!

I loved everything about this book! Katherine Center is an author who never disappoints. Her books are super quick, fun, and adorable. I breezed through this book in a day, granted I listened to the audiobook (the narrator was amazing by the way), which really helps me in the long run in terms of reading speed, but still a day is pretty quick for me. I just had to see how everything turned out in the end.

I figured out pretty early on the twist that happens at the end of the story, but it didn't take anything away from it at all. I still loved the entire journey of Sadie and her adapting to the situation at hand. The main guy was so loveable too! You are really rooting for them from the very beginning.

5 ⭐️

I actually already read the arc on kindle and loved it.. so when I saw the audio on NetGalley I had to request it & when I tell you that’s exactly how I pictured Sadie sounding how quirky she was. The narrator did an amazing job.

Now that I’ve e-read or & listened to it I just need the hardcover to add to my shelf 💙

Wow, what a great read Katherine Center has become a auto read for me! I absolutely love when a story catches you by surprise and keeps you engaged the whole time it’s funny, quirky, & with a unique story line. The way Sadie thinks .. is me 😂 I thought I was the only one talked to myself! I loved her character & of course Joe and the Kim’s but man oh man oh man did I despise Parker & her dad 😬

Very unique plot line & I actually learned how many people suffer from face blindness it’s very interesting topic. Story takes place in Houston Tx & like I’ve said before I love when I read A story that takes place here.

Please please please read the authors note when your done.
I absolutely agree this love story really created fantastic anticipation!

I cried in ch 26 & 27 😭
This is one I need in hand because I want to re-read it already!



Thank you #NetGalley for another great read!

Cute, easy romance story to enjoy. A unique twist to your typical romance story. I didn’t expect the ending, but it really made everything better.

OH MY GOSH. First of all, this book is stunning.. I LOVED IT. It is the perfect light read that is somewhat predictable in the BEST way!! PLEASE read the authors note at the end.. its worth it!!! 5 stars!

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist. Finally, she has gotten her big break placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the same competition her mother qualified for before she passed. This is her chance to prove to her father that switching from premed to art wasn’t a mistake.

All is going according to plan when she discovers she needs brain surgery. Her father, a renowned surgeon himself, insists she not put it off and schedules her before she has a chance to complete her final portrait for the competition. When she wakes from surgery her world is literally turned upside down as she discovers she has face blindness. Her doctors assure her its likely temporary, but cannot give her a timeline. How in the world is she supposed to paint a portrait when all faces feel like puzzles right now?

With the help of her best friend Sue, her beloved dog Peanut, and the kindness of a neighbor Joe, Sadie works through this new normal. This health scare also helps her relationship with her father move through some barriers that have been up since her mother passed. Despite the fuzziness in her brain, clarity is on the horizon.

Hello Stranger is a delightful, feel-good book, reminding all of us to try to keep an open mind and a positive attitude. If you are a fan of Emily Henry’s books, Katherine Center is another great author for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course the author Katherine Center for the advanced copy of the audiobook. Hello Stranger is out on July 11th. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. The characters were amazing - sweet, ridiculous and flawed. The love story is adorable. It is a truly feel-good love story. It is over the top, it is unrealistic and frankly unbelievable, but that only adds to the joy of it. I looked forward to escaping into this book every day - I split between audio and e-version and they were equally fabulous. Honestly, a perfect beach read for the summer. 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies.

I did not finish this audiobook. I liked the narrators; however, this was not my favorite book by this author.

2.5 - “I just want you to know, that more than anything…I hope you find peace.”

Sadie is celebrating the the biggest achievement of her professional life when she’s suddenly in the hospital with hopefully temporary face blindness. Every face now looks jumbled and blurry, as a portrait artist, it’s less than ideal. Struggling to cope, she finds herself in a love triangle while dealing with her childhood nemesis.

I had such a hard time with this book. Sadie is insufferable. She’s nearly thirty and acts like a teenager, and that was so difficult for me. She spends so much time feeling sorry for herself that it doesn’t feel like she deals with her new face blindness that she doesn’t learn to cope. She doesn’t want to tell anyone, and if she did, it would literally ruin the entire plot. She spends so much time feeling sorry for herself when she could be pursuing a romantic relationship and learn to cope in a healthier way with her condition.

The premise of the book is interesting and really has so much potential, but it never seems to come together. Sadie is too self-centered. The love triangle is honestly cringey and I knew what was going on immediately. I also found it incredibly hard to believe that she didn’t realize that they’re the same man. At least by the voice she should have known. It’s also incredibly icky that she talks about planning a wedding right after she meets Joe. It makes her sound incredibly juvenile and it was hard to empathize with her. Because it feels forced, the story feels like it drags and everything is filler. It never fully picks up steam to the point where I needed to keep going.

The supporting characters don’t feel developed and Sadie’s issues with her father never feel fully explored. It’s an aside that is integral to her character, but doesn’t feel substantial. Parker is actually a great villain and the Kim’s were really fun. The book just doesn’t feel realistic and the overall plot feels jumbled. A lot of interactions and conflicts feel unnatural and uncomfortable. It’s disappointing because overall Katherine Center is a great author.

The audiobook is done incredibly well, though, and Patty Murin’s narration is excellent. She does bring the story to life and adds a good depth of emotion overall.

My second Katherine Center novel and it did not disappoint. A little more serious than the other novel I have read, but I enjoyed it just the same. Face-blindness. I have seen that Brad Pitt has it, but I didn't know what it meant. It would be crazy to me to not recognize the people closest to you.

I loved the main character, though if she would have just told people, it wouldn't have been an issue. I'm one to tell my life story to strangers, so I couldn't relate to her in that way.

I love the ending and did figure out the twist early but it did not take away from the story.

This was a cute book! I really enjoyed listening to it. It was an engaging story, the narrator used good expression while reading, and there was a nice surprise twist at the end. My only critique was at times, it felt a little too cheesy for my taste, as there was "wicked stepsister and stepmother" characters who felt quite one dimensional for most of the story. Regardless, this was a fun read, and the concept was very unique and also provided for some educational opportunities about face blindness. I liked that there was a note at the end to give a little more insight.

I throughly enjoyed this latest from Katherine Center. I am always a sucker for a romance with a dog as an important character and Peanut was a delightful little charmer. Our protagonist Sadie was a lovely character as well, her kindness was refreshing. I had vaguely heard of face blindness before reading this book, but this made me want to learn a lot more. It was an interesting spin to have a romance where the female love interest truly couldn't tell who she was talking to at any given time. It certainly led to some confusion and heartache. The only thing I wish had been fleshed out more was the relationship Sadie had with her dad and stepmom; we certainly did get to see some good progress made there, but I would have liked more sooner. Overall, another wonderful read from Center with excellent as always narration from Patti Murin.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is only my second Katherine Center book, and I genuinely enjoyed both the story and the voice of the narrator. I wasn't the hugest fan of Sadie through, like, half of the book, but I found myself rooting for her by the end.

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

I loved this book! As someone with face blindness it was great to see how someone deals with this issue as it suddenly appears. I've had it my whole life and didn't realize others saw faces until I had to describe one, I can't by the way it's all pieces to me. The love story was so perfect for the situation and the evil stepsister was so much fun to hate! I will definitely be looking for more by this author!

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for providing an unbiased review.

3.75

I’ll start off by saying that this is a cute, funny, occasionally heartbreaking tale. Plus, dog characters can offset a multitude of sins.

Unfortunately, if I really had to give my relationship with the book a status, it would be “It’s complicated”. I spent most of the book thinking that this was getting to be downright preposterous. In my opinion, the biggest mistake this book made was really explaining prosopagnosia (also called face blindness) and, especially, the feasibility of this storyline, at the end of the book and in the long author’s note afterward. There could easily have been a forward with some of that information up front so I could enjoy the story more. I shouldn’t need to do my own literature review when I pick up a book.

We learn early on that struggling portrait artist Sadie develops prosopagnosia and what it does to her already-chaotic life. Though the condition is rare, her new reality is believable, and I believed there were artists with prosopagnosia out there who painted portraits and could be a source of information for Sadie. It is the love story and other events beyond that that seemed impossible and bugged me for the remainder of the book. Yes, these books are supposed to be a little far-fetched. We are generally okay with unlikely celebrities hiding out in houses with average Joes/Janes, convoluted business and legal parameters leading to ridiculous circumstances, and other what-are-the-odds scenarios. Nobody wants to read about totally regular people in a totally regular life.

Of course, the book is mostly fueled by one character, in this case Sadie, keeping something secret from either everyone or the potential love interest in order to spare that person’s feelings or for fear of rejection. It’s annoying, but if I let that plot line deter me, there wouldn’t be a movie or TV show or novel left for me to enjoy. In this case, it caused Sadie to live a life that made me want to cry…had I not been so mad about the parts she brought on or perpetuated herself.

All in all, it’s a cute love story with a unique premise that reminds me of The Shop Around the Corner/You’ve Got Mail, but without the letter writing. I enjoyed The Bodyguard, Katherine Center’s last book, which was why I decided to pick this one up.

FYI, I give the narration a B+. I could see her as Sadie, but I’ve heard this voice in so many books of the same genre recently.

I do not read a lot of romance books, mostly because I always want to grab the protagonists by the shoulders and tell them to "talk to each other.!" And so it was for Sadie and Joe in this book, and yet I enjoyed the story, like I have enjoyed all of Katherine Center's books.
Sadie is a portrait artist who suffers from sudden face blindness, weeks before a big competition, that should give her the big break in the art world. That was an interesting background for the romance story, and what carried the story through the predictabilities and the sometimes-forced misunderstandings that Sadie and Joe had to work through.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Short synopsis: Sadie is a portrait artist and just earned a coveted spot in a painting competition, when she discovers she has to have brain surgery and is left with Face Blindness.

My thoughts: I just adore Katherine Center’s writing. She has a way of creating such lovable characters (and pets) that I just can’t help but binge her books.

I’ve never read a book about face blindness before. It’s so difficult to comprehend such a condition exists, but you can totally tell the research was done. Everything was explained so well, and the writers note and the end just amplified the condition.

Although I expected the “twist” in this story really early on, I loved the anticipation of watching Sadie unravel the truth herself.

Such a sweet story of love, growth, experience, following your dreams, and putting yourself out there.

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

Read if you love:
- Foodie Dogs
- Great friends
- Standing up for yourself
- Following your passions
- Growth and experience

A very unique romance! The main character struggles with face blindness after brain surgery. It’s an education of what life might look like with that condition! It was very well done!

3.5 stars
I always enjoy Katherine Center books! I enjoyed this cute romance story. I felt that the character read immature and there were some inconsistencies within the characters. I will continue to check out Center's writing, her books do always make me laugh.