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.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: July 11, 2023

After loving The Bodyguard, I was so excited to read this new one from Katherine Center. Unfortunately I only enjoyed the final third of the book. The first two thirds were a real struggle for me. This continuously made me so uncomfortable—with its content and the casualness of constant awful things. Her mom died and her stepmother, stepsister and father are AWFUL humans—there are repeated abusive interactions and it’s seemingly for no reason! There’s a laundry list of toxic or stressful situations. Page after page left me feeling uneasy. But wait! There’s a very attractive man who asks her on a date so everything is fine! Even though this ends with some ah-ha/gotcha/cutesy moments, the journey there was be unpleasant.

Unfortunately, our MC Sadie is a jerk along the way as well. The male MC is a gem though!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center’s books remind me of my favorite movies, maybe they're yours too, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping and the like. Hello Stranger is no exception. Sadie is funny, quirky, in so many ways deeply relatable, and truly lovable. I haven’t met a Center leading lady who wasn’t just right. We meet Sadie just before she is diagnosed with face blindness, experiencing disability and navigating the diagnosis and reality of its impact on her life and career. She isn’t just dealing with her new reality as a result of her condition, she also is on the precipice of a career changing competition and dealing with childhood trauma, grief, and complicated and strained familial relationships. Surrounded by a cast of fantastic supporting characters, another Center hallmark, Sadie struggles, stumbles, triumphs, learns, and grows. She also meets some handsome, charming, and compelling strangers along the way! I am hesitant to say too much because I don’t want to spoil your fun reading their sweet story but buckle up for some delightful, laugh out loud, hopeful anticipatory sweet romcom-y love story goodness.

In her author's note in this book describing her love of this genre was the best description I have read about the hold these stories have on me. She references Nora Ephron and I often read Center’s books and imagine them in an Ephron-esque world. If you’re new to the genre or to Center’s work this 10th book is a great place to hop in.

atherine Center strikes again. I won’t go into detail about my KC love because I already did that in a recent post. But this is, yet again, another banger.

In this, Sadie has a medical event that leads her to having face blindness. As she’s trying to navigate her new (temporary?) life she keeps running into her previously-horrible but now not-so-atrocious neighbor, Joe. Joe insists on being kind and helpful which leads Sadie to a dilemma - does she cut off hot veterinarian Dr. Addison when things may just be getting started, and go for Joe? All of this on top of dealing with her less-than supportive family and a PORTRAIT competition she’s in the running for, Sadie is spiraling. Love and hijinks ensue.

Now listen… this is a book about face blindness. You don’t go into it expecting normalcy, 100% realistic situations, and no funny business. There’s obviously a level to which you’ll have to suspend your disbelief, and that’s absolutely ok with me. This is like an early 2000s romcom and it was ADORABLE.

Read this if you like -
🛼 Senior dogs
🛼 Vintage vibes
🛼 Hot men
🛼 Family drama
🛼 Strong women

I would recommend this for just about anyone who likes cozy romance! Or just anyone in general.

I love Katherine Center, but unfortunately this one wasn’t a hit for me. I had a hard time buying into the romance and didn’t relate to the main character very much. It still contained the sense of humor readers come to expect from Center which kept me reading. The plot point with the MC’s family was also a sticking point for me. It seemed so big and so traumatic but then it felt like the “resolution” at the end was rushed or didn’t meet the level of what happened. Thank you for net galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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!

👁👁Sadie, Sadie, struggling artist with a major dilemma🎨

I loved this story, with so many challenges for struggling young artist Sadie to handle and the possibility of romance showing up in the midst of a medical disaster. And the two men she is attracted to despite not being able to recognize their faces: original. Will she be able to complete a painting and win the portrait competition? Will her geriatric, Pad Thai-loving dog survive his medical crisis? Will Sadie come to a truce with her evil step sister and leave past hurts behind or get the support and validation she craves from her father? Can she settle on the right man? And will she recover from her medical issues? Every new challenge made me grow more attached to Sadie and more invested in the answers.

The story has plenty of disappointments and cringeworthy situations that test Sadie's character and resolve. The characters are realistic; I particularly liked Mr. Kim, her landlord/father of her best friend, who knows when to turn a blind eye, and Joe, the neighbor who can't resist helping others. And I liked the little twists the author included, like when Sadie kindly helps a distraught woman remedy a wardrobe disaster caused by her stepsister and the woman comes back to return the favor at a most opportune moment. But the biggest twist was the best and made for a lovely climax that stunned and pleased me to no end.

The plot also has an educational element to it as it delves into face blindness and how it manifests and affects day to day existence.

A sweet romance that I definitely recommend.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Katherine Center books are always warm, fluffy goo-balls of humanity and this one is no exception BUT. Some of this story just felt *too* contrived. The evil step-sister. The mom who died of the same condition and the family that didn't seem to... talk? For over a decade? The evil ex-wife. The too-good to be true but also perfectly fine hovel in HOUSTON? The magic appearance of a key character from the past. And the twist that could be seen from a mile off... The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get that Sadie so easily forgave a man who called a woman "blubber" and a "b*tch." But even with all that, I still feel like a better person for reading a Katherine Center book. So yay.

This was my first time reading a book by Katherine Center, I’ve seen so many incredible things about her books! While I thought Hello Stranger was super cute, there were a few characters that I really didn’t like, and unfortunately that affected what I thought of the book as a whole! The medical condition that the mc Sadie has was so interesting to me because I had never heard of it, although I can’t imagine how incredibly frustrating it must be to have to live with it. The ending though, ugh, it was so freaking cute, I loved it so much!

So I have never read a Katherine Center and this was truly delightful. If I'm being honest, I was super skeptical and assumed I knew the twist but there were multiple twists!

I know some people called the protagonist was a little whiny but my god! Her life sucked! I couldn't imagine being in her situation. But I will say, the romance was sweet. The romance was sweet, the family situation was interestingly done, and I did really like her friend.

My GOD her step-sister is a fucking psychopath. Like, every time she showed up, I was like "Girl I need you to stop being so mustache twistingly evil. Like everyone can tell except the people who matter apparently!!!"

But if you want a cute story with truly a bonkers premise, check this out. There's a nice author's note at the end about wanting to escape into a story and tbh, this did just that in such a nice way.

Anyway. Highly recommend!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for a review.

This was the perfect refreshing, feel-good beach read I was seeking, and I read it faster than I expected because I was having so much fun. I am not a big romance reader, so I’m no expert, but this had all the elements of a compelling romance without being cheesy. Sadie is a relatable protagonist, and thankfully not annoying as she grappled with her myriad challenges. I audibly chuckled when the twist was revealed, and that’s about the best review I could give this little gem. So fun!

Sadie is an artist who is finally getting what she hopes is her big break after struggling for so long. She is a finalist in a portrait competition, the same one that her late mother placed in but never got the opportunity to compete in, as she passed away suddenly weeks prior. When Sadie finds out she's made it into the competition, she and her best friend Sue plan a party to celebrate. On her way home from the store to pick up party supplies, Sadie suffers a seizure and is almost run over, but is luckily saved by a kind stranger. It turns out she has something on her brain that caused it and requires surgery. Unfortunately, after the surgery, she develops face blindness, all while she needs to paint the best portrait of her life for the contest. A series of mishaps and frustrations ensue, including her dog getting sick, and she develops a crush on her vet, while at the same time, getting closer with a helpful neighbor - but she can't see either of their faces! Sadie tries to handle it all with grace, but finds this unlucky love triangle to be more than she can handle with all of her other trials and tribulations.

This might be one of the best books I've read so far this year! Katherine Center has such a gift for complex stories with so much heart, and this one was no different. I loved the twists and turns in this story and watching Sadie's determination to paint her portrait and try to make a name for herself. The love triangle was hilarious and had me smiling and kicking my feet the whole time. I just loved this story and how the relationships developed. Two thumbs down for Parker, Sadie's evil stepsister - I hope she got what she deserved. Overall, this was such a unique, un-put-downable story that I'll be thinking about for a long time to come!

TW: Toxic family dynamics, death of a parent

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

This book deserves all the stars! I can't get over how absolutely phenomenal Katherine Center's newest story is. This will easily be in my top five books of 2023. I am not exaggerating. It is amazing.

This is the most beautiful love story I have ever read. It shows that true love can exist blindly and I can't think of anything more romantic.

Sadie's story. She got me. I could not put this book down. I finished it in two sittings. I have never read a book like this. NEVER. This romance is insanely unique.

I have to admit that I am a little bias. I can't help that I personally fall deeply in love with a story when our main character is an artist and it just so happens to be that Sadie is talented at drawing and painting portraits. We love when authors appreciate artists! I have not seen a higher form of respect for art than when an author researches and truly understands the hard work that goes into the creation of poster, drawing, painting, logo. It makes my heart so happy seeing art represented in books.

UGH!! I don't know how Katherine Center does it. She absolutely makes my heart soar after I read one of her books. They are filled with endless amounts of sparkly rainbow studded joy and sprinkled with the angel song of happiness. KC is the queen of writing the best stories. I will never get over it. I am always sucked into her words. I am always in a happier place when I close the back cover.

This is my personal thank you note to Katherine Center for helping all the romantic bookish souls out there believe in love but even more important for giving us a little slice of happiness from your stories.

I don't know why I need to convince you anymore to immediately pre-order this book...

But if you need a little bit more of a push...here is a little snippet of what you will get when you read "Hello Stranger:"

- The sweetest mixed breed fur baby named Peanut
- The best FMC and MMC ever!
- Enemies to lovers
- All the humorous dialogue...I was obsessed with reading Sadie's thoughts
- The most unique plot. Truly, its unlike any story you have ever read.

"Hello Stanger" comes out Tuesday, July 11. You need this book. It's one of the best books I have ever read. Have I told you guys that I can't get over the magic and sparkling joy that Katherine Center's stories are? I will forever sing to the skies that her books are everything. If you need a shot of joy, go straight to those famous floral and bright covers.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy of this book!

I loved this book so much!

It has everything from love, loss, friendship, and finding family.

Sadie is an artist that has been going through a tough time when suddenly she ends up in the hospital needing immediate brain surgery. This is all happening during one of the most important career moments of her life.

She is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. She has to have her portrait done a few weeks before the competition. She wakes up from the surgery not being able to see faces. They come up jumbled for her. She can see everything just fine, only faces.

This forces her to rely on her other senses to feel people’s emotions and realize who they are. It really makes you look at life differently.

During this time you see her fall madly in love with her dog’s vet as well as Joe in the building.

She has been through so much and she is such a good person that it made you want to give her a hug.

All of the characters were fantastic. Well except for her evil step-sister Parker but everyone else were great supporting characters. My favorite had to be Mr. And Mrs. Kim. I loved how they became a found family for Sadie.

Also; the twist at the end was perfection! Such a great story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I could not put this book down. The plot felt so unique and it took me until the Hazel One and Hazel Two incident to figure out the twist. I just loved the MMC and MFC so much.

After really enjoying Katherine’s last book the bodyguard, I had high expectations for this one. I was a tad bit disappointed, I felt that Sadie was a bit immature for her age and felt it odd she didn’t want to tell people about her disability. However there were truly some very sweet moments in the book that had me smiling that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down. The whole premise of face blindness was so fascinating to me - it's something that I have heard of before but I've never come across it in a fiction book before! That aspect of the book alone was interesting to read about, and the romance was an added bonus. I guessed the "twist," if you want to call it that, but I'm not sure it was meant to be super hard to guess. It felt kind of like Katherine Center wanted the reader to know and was just building anticipating throughout the book.

I truly enjoyed this book, as I have all of Katherine Center's novels, and need to work my way through the rest of her novels. I would definitely recommend this one!

I was fortunate to receive a ARC of this book. It is Classic Katherine Center and a delightful escape into romance and character development. Though I figured out the big plot twist early on it was an enjoyable ending for me and I was rooting for the “good guys”. This title should be on your summer beach read list.

Struggling to keep herself afloat, Sadie desperately needs to win this art competition. With only several weeks before the show, Sadie experiences a seizure and is diagnosed with a rare congenital brain condition called a cavernoma. After proceeding with brain surgery, Sadie wakes up to find that she cannot recognize faces. Even her family and best friend look like complete strangers. She knows her chances of winning the competition are now totally shot.

While she recovers and learns to live with her own new normal, she meets (and falls for) two different men with two radically different personalities. The rest... well you have to read it for yourself.

So much of this book resonated with me personally right from the start, so my opinion here may be a little skewed based on my experiences. Just like Sadie, I too had a rare brain issue and subsequent surgery that resulted in some bizarre side effects. Though not nearly as extreme as face blindness, I felt like I had so much in common with her right from the start so I knew I would love this book. I also really appreciate how Katherine Center is drawing attention to rare disorders like Prosopagnosia. So many people live with invisible disabilities, and I absolutely love that this super cute story is highlighting issues like this, so bravo!

Such a unique, refreshing take on the same-old cutesy love story. I think you'll love it.

"Love isn't blind, it's just a little blurry,"

Oh boy, does this book take you on a wild ride! From the get-go, you're hooked on Sadie Montgomery's rollercoaster of a life. One minute she's on top of the world, a finalist in a prestigious art competition, and the next she's dealing with a face blindness diagnosis that turns every face into a jumbled mess.

But hold on tight, because Sadie's story isn't just about her vision problems. Nope, there's family drama, artistic dreams, and a couple of hunky dudes vying for her attention. Talk about bad timing! As Sadie tries to find her way through it all, you can't help but root for her.

Hello Stranger is an emotional whirlwind that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You'll laugh (possibly out loud in front of your coworkers like I did), you'll cry, and you'll discover that sometimes the things we're searching for are right in front of us. So grab a cozy blanket, settle in, and let this book whisk you away into a world where love and perception collide in the most beautifully blurry way. You won't regret it, my friend!

Hello Stranger is out July 11th!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.