this book took me by a huge surprise. i honestly had no clue what this was about and went in blind, this was such a cute romance and even though i had suspected that little twist in the end, even as the story progressed, it was still enjoyable to read and to see it all unravel. i have never heard of face blindness before, and it was so fascinating to read about.

the narration was really good too although it did kind of glitch here and there more towards the middle. not sure if it was just me/my headset or the audio itself.

“I guess that’s the great thing about life; it gives you chance after chance to rethink it all.”

WHAT WAS IN THIS BOOK!? It was so good! I haven’t been liking romance books lately, but this was done so well! Even though I guessed the twist, I wasn’t upset about it. The author’s note at the end made me teary because she nailed why the romance genre is so important to all of us! I highly recommend reading this when it comes out!

I absolutely adored listening to Hello Stranger by Katherine Center! What an interesting premise that the FMC, who is a portrait artist, loses the ability to see faces. Sure, there are some predictable plot points but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The story's development and it's ending are so satisfying. It is deliciously sweet (no spice) and must be added to your summer reading list. Patti Murin is always a joy to listen to narrate a story. Highly recommend!

📚 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀!
HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center follows Sadie, a portrait artist who is struck with acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia, or face blindness, just as she's experiencing a significant breakthrough in her career. Center skillfully weaves together a romantic tale as Sadie finds herself torn between two very different men. While romance is a central theme, the book goes beyond that, exploring themes of personal growth, resilience, and the importance of letting go. Center's writing is captivating, and I found myself fully immersed in Sadie's journey. The author's meticulous research shines through, as she vividly describes Sadie's experiences, allowing readers to easily visualize them. Humor plays a significant role in the book, helping Sadie navigate her challenges, and adding to the overall enjoyment of the story. I particularly appreciated how the plot unfolded, with a satisfying ending that didn't diminish the pleasure of the journey. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a feel-good novel that explores love, self-discovery, and the beauty of unexpected encounters.

My first experience with this story was reading the ebook. This second time around I had the pleasure of enjoying the audiobook. And enjoy it I did! The clear-voiced narrator was perfectly expressive and slightly changed her voice to fit the varying characters.
I was tickled to hear certain humorous elements of the story, after having already known the ending. It added an extra element of enjoyment for me!
Still don’t care for the character of her best friend though…

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

At first, even the characters' names bored me along with everything else. But, while reading and finding out little things about the characters I got sucked in. The way Daniel would stop and spend time with stray cats really just won me over. I grew to enjoy the characters and even yearn for them to be together.

There were, however, some things I definitely did not enjoy. Everytime the female MC would get dressed or see her reflection she would make a comment about her weight. She would say these out loud sometimes and other characters would ask questions like did you say something and of course she would just say no. This happened so frequently that along with the main plot of finding their friend and getting him help I was sure another major plot point would be Kate's support group helping her realize she needs help too. I was just waiting for the big eating disorder shoe to drop and it never did. Without there being a point to including all of the harsh judgemental comments Kate makes to herself it just furthers the idea of body criticism. This, in my mind, took this book so far away from the realm of comedy.

Hello stranger by Catherine Center

I was able to consume this book via audio and it was amazing. They did a great job on the voice actor, which really made it that much more enjoyable.

This story follows Sadie, a struggling artist, as she goes through a rollercoaster of ups and downs. From finalist in a portrait contest, to face blindness you find you're self rooting for her.

I love a good happily ever after and redemption character arcs. If you like a good romance with no spice, this book is for you. Now excuse me while I go read her other books. 🤣

I received this book as an arc and I couldn’t stop listening to it! I loved it from start to finish. The characters were all very real like and the different relationships are so relatable! I can’t wait to recommend this to my patrons at my library and I will also be reading her other books! It is a very clean romance novel and filled with hope!

4⭐️

If you like cute romances without spice, this is the book for you. I consumed this book through audio and the reader was really great (and hilarious) to listen to. She embodied the character and I was attached and rooting for Sadie from the get go. That’s also attributable to the writing style of Katherine Center, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Although this book can be classified as Adult Romance, I would have no problem allowing a teenager to read it.

The real star of the show, though, was Peanut, the hilarious and lovable dog that has been in Sadie’s family for years. I don’t usually love animals in books, but I was a Peanut fan from the first sentence.

Overall, this is a Hallmark-y rom com that gives you some good feels while also exploring complicated medical obstacles and family issues surrounding grief and sudden loss.

3.5/5 stars. Cute story. Predictable in quite a few places, but still leaves you smiling.

Love is blind is a phrase that many of us have heard over and over and again throughout our lives and Katherine really put her own spin on that in this novel.

Sadie, a struggling artist, has dreamt of little else besides following in her mother's footsteps. Soon after being selected as a finalist in a competition she has a seizure and find's herself in a rather strange situation - she can no longer see faces. EEK! Can you imagine being an artist that prides herself in her ability to create realist art and then all of that being. snatched away in an instant only to be able to create works that would make Picasso proud?

To keep this short and sweet, Sadie struggles to find herself again(as an artist), to separate her feelings for Joe and the sexy vet, and figure out her unresolved feelings for her family. This is a HEA, feel-good story that fans of contemporary romance really need to give a chance.

This was my first Katherine Center and I'll definitely be checking out her other books based on reviews. I guessed the twist very early on with this one. This book is definitely a big embodiment of the dreaded miscommunication trope, even though there is a good reason behind it. I still just found it a tad unbelievable. I did really enjoy the narration though and it was great on audio. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one.

Hello Stranger was a super cute romance by Katherine Center. Besides the twist being a bit predictable (something that Katherine herself remarks on in her author's note as why she loves Romance... because the predictable gives you hope while reading), this story was a really cute development of the relationship between Sadie and a faceless man she shares a building with and can't stop running into. Some characters had a lot of redemption, which i am a sucker for in a book, and some were just the absolute worst from beginning to end (ahem, i'm looking at you Parker). There was even an adorable, quirky dog named Peanut thrown in there for dog lovers like me (hi!). I found it particularly interesting (albeit dumbfounding) to learn more about Face Blindness and the challenges that can add to everyday life. This was one of my favorite books from Katherine Center and i've read quite a few!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

As a huge Katherine Center fan, I was beyond excited to get the opportunity to read her newest novel before its publication. I always love her characters as they have hilarious banter with one another and feel like “real people”. Unfortunately, compared to this author’s other books, I was not impressed with this one. There is a plot twist that is crucial to the story’s development that I figured out very early in the novel. I would recommend Things You Save In A Fire, another title by Center, over this one.

Such a unique take on a story! The plot of it centers around a woman who can't recognize faces. She knows they have one, she can see everything around her but her brain doesn't compute the face. Which is not ideal, as she is a portrait painter. She begins to enlist coping mechanisms and going on about her life. Determined, she won't let this temporary setback deter her.

She begins to fall for two guys, her vet and a guy in her building. While she is grappling with that, she has to deal with her twisted step sister whose only goal in life is to make hers miserable. She does what she can to finish her portrait painting for a contest.

I loved the premise of this book. It is so different than anything I usually read. Yes, it is a romance. Yes, it has a bit of dramedy. But the whole plot of it, is amazingly different. I loved this book so much! You get to know these characters based on their personalities! So well done!

The audio is incredible!

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center (Patti Murin, Narrator)

Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has lost the ability to see faces. (acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia, or face blindness). “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.”

RomCom done right is a joy, and this one was done right! Yes, there is an easily corrected miscommunication. Yes, there is some mistaken identity and some melodrama. Yes, I knew how it would end. Yes, the evil stepsister was over-the-top, but in a fun way (and you knew she would get her comeuppance!).

But as Center explains in her Author’s Note, that’s not predictability. It’s anticipation. We read romances to smile, feel good, know how it will end, and be rewarded. It’s why we re-watch movies and tv shows we love. It’s comfort. Pure comfort.

This was my favorite by Center so far. It was joyful and fun, with the added benefit of learning something new (face blindness in this case). Her novels are as happy as her covers.

I was also delighted by the narrator! Her delivery was the frosting on an already delicious cake. Each character’s voice was distinctive (Sue was my favorite), making the story fly faster than a roller skater listening to disco.

QOTD: Can you roller skate? Do you have any tricks?

Thanks, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio, for the DRC and ALC. US Pub Date: 11 Jul 23

Sadie is an artist who has been trying to make it in the industry for awhile and just when she gets her break, she faces a traumatic medical issue which forces her to have surgery that doesn’t go as planned. Sadie can no longer see people’s faces but she can recognize how someone dresses, or walks or by their voice. She can see her dog perfectly but when he gets sick she is forced to take him to the vet. She is faced with a hard decision when she starts to fall for two different men who she meets under very different circumstances.

This was a fun, pretty light read for the most part. There was different emotions and then the aspect of trying to stay positive when things aren’t going the best. Sadie truly had to see the world differently.

This was my first book by this author although I know there are others I want to read just haven’t yet. I enjoyed this so much and it was a quick read and can’t wait to read other books by her.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillion Audio for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

I honestly do not know what I would do if I lost my ability to see faces.

Sadie Montgomery is on the brink of getting what she has ever wanted out of her career when tragedy strikes. She has a tumor that has been causing her to have seizures. The latest one almost got her killed if it weren't for a handsome stranger who pushed her out of her way. There is a lot resting on her eyes to get her everything she has ever wanted but the question is whether or not her ability to see faces will return in time to get her there.

What this book has:
~Single POV
~Disability Representation
~A Hilarious Misunderstanding
~Redemption
~Slow Burn
~A Slight Cinderella Retelling

Thank you so much to Katherine Center, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved this book! It was very well written and was such a unique story. I loved all of the humor and found myself laughing out loud several times. The characters were well thought out; including well fleshed out side characters. Sadie is a little whiney at first, but as you get to know her you learn where it comes from and she learns to help herself. Joe is a compelling love interest. The twist(s) were predictable but so fun.

The narration was great, she brought the FMC to life. I felt sad when Sadie was and I was ready to scream when Parker was a bully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of this book.

I LOVE Katherine center How to walk away was beautiful and this one was to , My only gripe was the miscommunication , it wasnt as clear as how to walk away.
But I really loved Sadies growth through this book . Also the narrator was amazing


Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I am absolutely in love with this book. In the interest of a spoiler-free review, I’m changing a few tactics on my usual review formula. Usually I start with a short synopsis, focus on the characters and their connection, and then what I liked about the writing and the story itself. But I refuse to spoil anything about this story or the love interests, so instead I will focus on the FMC, who tells the story in first person narration, the audiobook, and the incredibly masterful storytelling by Katherine Center. I didn’t read the synopsis before diving in, and I REALLY encourage you to go in blind as well.

The story revolves around Sadie, a portrait artist whose ability to see the world around her changes dramatically just when she gets her big break, and I absolutely adore her. She is a fiercely independent person with a past, and because of this past, she is determines to never need any help, except for a few exceptions from her inner circle. Perhaps because she’s an artist, and because her perceptions of the world around her change, I found myself obsessing over the way she describes this new strange place she finds herself in, and how incredibly isolating this journey is for her. I also found her reaction to the ordeal, the mistakes she makes along the way, and her response to adversity incredibly relatable and human.

I want to champion how incredibly well written, entertaining, swoony, thought-provoking, infuriating (there’s an evil step-sister) and endearing this story is. It is such an interesting story, such an interesting trauma, that naturally create interesting interactions, connections (or disconnections as the case may be). And because it is told from Sadie’s point of view, you only have the information that she has, and are left, as she is, to wonder about who these characters are that are coming into her world at such a turbulent time. Characters that I want to love and swoon over as much as Sadie does, but have to navigate in new ways.

I listened to the audiobook, and I feel that Patti Murin was given an incredibly hard task - establishing a character who is then very quickly thrown into a state of severe mental anguish while the world around her carries on as it always has, somewhat oblivious to what Sadie is going through - and she absolutely succeeded. I hung off every word as I, alongside Sadie, try to navigate her life without the ability to perceive it as she once could. I really felt the moments of frustration, determination, and joy. Moments of attraction, moments of defeat, and moments of utter confusion. Meanwhile she also brought to life the disconnect between Sadie’s thoughts and the people in her life.

Bottom line: you need to read this, and the audiobook is an excellent way to do so.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this Advanced Listener Copy. My review and opinions are my own.