Romance can be repetitive or predictable, but this book had a different spin on it that was really compelling to read. I haven't read much from Katherine Center, but I have really been enjoying her books lately. I thought this was an interesting dive into a neurovascular disorder that was unexpected and ultimately incredibly fascinating to think about. The characters were complex here and I enjoyed the aspects of mistaken identity due to her facial blindness. Really not at all what I was expecting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review) 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. This was fun read, definitely consider this a women fiction. But I always enjoyed Katherine Center books & love the romance in her books.

Reading this book was such an experience. Hello Stranger was another anticipated read of mines this year and I am extremely grateful that NetGalley allowed me a chance to read the arc.

Hello Stranger is the second book by Katherine Center that I’ve read with the first being The Bodyguard. I fell in love with Center’s descriptive writing and humor along with her characters and I knew from then on out she would be another go to author for me. Hello Stranger tells the story of Sadie, a portrait artist, who has landed part of the top ten finalist in a portrait contest. Unfortunately, after experiencing a non-convulsive seizure which lands her in the hospital and would require surgery for it, she starts to experience acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia also known as face blindness. From there, Sadie struggles with her newly acquired condition while figuring out how she’ll be able to compete in the portrait contest. Among those struggles includes other factors that impacts Sadie’s life as well such as her relationship with her father and step-mother/step-sister, her neighbor, Joe, the vet, Dr. Addison, and Sadie’s memories of her late mother who was also a portrait artist.

Center’s writing is the book form of a Hallmark movie. It’s cozy, warm, and safe. But it’s also heart wrenching, thought provoking, and eye opening. I loved this book just as much as I loved The Bodyguard. It made me cry, it made me swoon and it made me laugh, and I cannot wait to read more of Center’s words in the future. If you read and enjoyed The Bodyguard then you might enjoy this one too.

Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was fascinated to learn of a condition I hadn't heard of before and the author did a good job of introducing me to it. I saw growth in the main character - and a reminder that grief does not have a time limit. The first book I have read by this author and I loved it.

Unfortunately this wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book. I usually love her books so this was definitely disappointing for me. The premise was super unique and interesting but it just wasn’t executed in a way that worked for me.

So cute! Katherine Center really did it again with this one. One thing I know is she is always good for a captivating romance.

Katherine Center writes the cutest romcoms! If you’re looking for no spice, sweet books, she’s the author for you. This one was a bit predictable but still a fun read. My main issue was the main character, I wish there was more personal growth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I found the FMC really annoying in this one, but other than that I really enjoyed the ride! I called the “twist” (did anyone not??? I’m terrible at guessing things and saw this from a mile away) so early on but it was still a fun and interesting read. I loved the author’s note at the end on reading romance. Recommend this on audio for sure too - I liked the narrator a lot!

Great book. Especially loved how the girl was the bodyguard. Great rom com that ended with a happy ending.

Katherine Center's books are amazing. I had never heard of face blindness until I read this book. It was so heartwarming and special. Sadie takes a while to accept her condition and be honest about it but her journey in her career and love life was so fascinating. This book gives you hope and gratitude.

I was obsessed with this book! I laughed, I cried, I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about it, much like my experience with her other books! Most importantly, the dog!!!!!

This was my first Katherine Center book. I will be looking into her other books. This was a cute rom-com where the main character has a condition commonly referred to as face blindness. She is a portrait artist that suddenly can no longer see faces. Her brain is unable to put features together to form a full face. I really enjoyed her banter with her neighbor and the characters backstory with her mother. I also really enjoyed the character's stepmother and I don't know if enjoyed is the right word for her stepsister, but the character is definitely memorable.

3.25 stars

Okay.

So, I didn't really like this book. It had a super interesting concept, the FMC has an indecent that causes her to experience Face Blindness. She is a person who paints portraits, so yeah, that was an issue for her. I mean, kinda an issue for anyone, but especially for her.

Aside from the intriguing plot line, that's all I really liked.

Sadie had an Obsession with being independent, obsession with a capital O - never wanted help from anyone, even for minor little things.

Her dog: while I love dogs, and can talk about dogs all the time, this is a book and that gets old fast. She talked about her dog a lot, mostly his description and eating habits, it was annoying for some reason.

She is the biggest pushover. The Parker storyline was so unbelievable, like, what?? What were their interactions?? Was Parker an actual psychopath/sociopath and that's why she did all this?? So so dumb. And she "tries to forgive her"????? No! Some people DO NOT deserve forgiveness, just forget-ness. Cut her out of your life and never think about her again.

Why are book women (idk, maybe real-life women too) always so damn forgiving? Does no one have a backbone? Does no one expect an actual apology, just more of a "I'll get over it"

Now for some spoilers for the end. This is the reason for the 3.25 stars instead of 3 stars 😂

My initial thoughts:
What the fuck were the two guys? The vet and the neighbour? One guy who ghosted her on a date and the other who ghosted her at the end when she needed him?
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SPOILERS BELOW
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“You never dumped me,” Joe said in amazement as it sank in. Then, correcting: “I mean, you did dump me. But you dumped me . . . for me.”
“And you never ghosted me. Or— you did, but only after I had broken up with you . . . without realizing it was you.”

My last thoughts:
What the fuckkkkkkk. Same guy???? What???? Literally, what?? Did other people realize that and only I didn't? My brain turned to mush when that was revealed, like, literal mush. I had to pause the audiobook (while I did receive an eARC, I listened to a library audiobook copy).

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SPOILERS DONE

Overall, super interesting concept, poorly executed, but I wouldn't write it off completely.

Predictable but oh so cute anyways. I devoured the book, it was exactly what I needed.

Bonus point for raising awareness for a rare condition named Prosopagnosia (face blindness).

I'm loving every book of Katherine Center that I've read so far. I just want to read her backlog.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center has a unique and original plot, despite the usually predictable genre.
I enjoyed the story very much!
The lead character dealing with face blindness adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, making it a fun and quirky read.
I have not read other books by this author yet, but now I agree with the many positive things readers say about her writing.
She writes in such a relatable and engaging manner which definitely makes me want to read her other books!
There was a satisfying flow to this story and fulfilling ending.
I highly recommend this book!

Thankyou to author Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release date!
Charlene 📚🌸🤗 @lastnownext

Love may be blind. But what if . . . what you see isn't what you get?

We follow our MC Sadie Montgomery who is named a finalist in the national portrait competition of her dreams. But reaching her dreams falls short when she is diagnosed with prosopagnosia or also referred to as face blindness. Feeling like she's lost and all out of hope she scrambles to embrace this new challenge in the best way she can. Along the way her adorable dog Peanut winds up being sick and she ends up meeting a handsome vet who she falls head over heels for, but also starts to catch feelings for the hipster guy also living in her apartment building. What happens next made me gasp!

This is a first time reading a Katherine Center and this certainly will not be last. I felt that she had such a way of immersing her readers within this story, making her characters relatable and feel all the emotions. Not only is she an great character depth, but she also did her research with this one due to elements of Prosopagnosia & what it takes to be a portrait artist. This is a story that will stick with me for long a time and looking forward to reading her others now.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for a review. This one has been out for a while, but wish I would have read this sooner!

Hello Stranger is a unique and heartwarming story that is definitely not your average rom-com!

The main character, Sadie, gets into an accident which causes her to experience face blindness. What an absolutely harrowing trauma to go through and then continue to try to make the best of the life you were gifted. This story is so rooted in lessons on finding hope and persevering. That despite all the struggles and difficulties in your life, you are meant to be here and that you will experience so much good when you open your heart to it. I knew Katherine Center wrote hilarious stories, but now I know she can wring a tear out of me too.

Two strangers fall in love and it's the perfect, sweet slow-burn romance. You know a book is a hit when you love both main characters and no matter how much time it takes, they're a sure thing. The forced proximity also added to the general hilarity of this story!

Joe - you big sweetheart. You want to swoon over a male lead? This is your man alright. Also - there's a puppy y'all!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would definitely recommend to fans of the authors previous books!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I always love a good Katherine Center novel!
This one was a little bit of a miss for me, but still fun and enjoyable.

A portrait artist loses her ability to see faces in this chaotic yet sweet rom-com.
Sadie Montgomery is about to finally have her big break - she's placed in one of the biggest art competitions of her life - and she needs to submit the perfect piece of art for the North American Portrait Society competition. If she wins, it would be life-changing and legitimize her career choice as an artist to her father and friends. But when a freak accident results in a necessary surgery she wakes up and nothing looks the same as it did before - especially faces. Where she once could see the composition of someone's face, now is a jumbled mess rivaling even Picasso's artwork. With her competition looming and her inability to even piece a face together, Sadie does what she can to cope - namely falling head over heels for her veterinarian (whose face she cannot see) and finding friendship with the man in her building who she assumes is the ultimate player.

As Sadie grapples with her face blindness and comes to terms with her own emotions and career aspirations, she learns that love can be found in the most unexpected of places.

A sweet, silly rom-com with all the classic Katherine Center charm.

A light-hearted, fun romance; this is my second Katherine Center book and I must admit that I love her style. She writes stories you can get wrapped up and lost in. A funny, easy read.