After loving The Bodyguard last year I was excited to pick up Katherine Center's newest release this year and it definitely did not disappoint! The term "rom com" gets thrown around entirely too easily by marketing teams these days, but I think Hello Stranger actually nails it and deserves that descriptor. It has just the right amount of zany elements to feel like a true rom com without being over the top, and she manages to weave in some more grounded pieces of the story that hit right as well.

I thought this whole premise was a fascinating one and Center really nailed the execution of it. As someone with no expertise in neurology or the art world it definitely to me felt very well researched and believable. I was really rooting for Sadie as she faced her new reality and I liked the way everything ended up resolving in the end.

I enjoyed both potential love interests as well and liked Sadie with them. I think the romance in this book also resolved in a way I really liked and thought the conflict in the book was the most logical miscommunication conflict I've ever read. So if you're someone who hates miscommunication as the root of a conflict, I'd say don't let that steer you away from this on because I thought in this case it made absolute and total sense (for once).

After two winning books by this author I'm definitely intrigued to try some more of her backlist and excited for whatever she puts out next!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Could you imagine being a portrait artists and suddenly suffering from acquired face blindness? That was what happened to Sadie. Due to swelling following brain surgery, Sadie was unable to recognize faces. Not only did this pose great difficulties in her professional life, but it also presented some challenges in her personal life.

If this story wasn't told with Center's signature humor and warmth, I may have spent a lot of time shedding tears for Sadie. It's that double edged sword where I understood this surgery was necessary to save her life, but at the same time, it robbed her of such a vital resource.

While Sadie was wallowing (a bit) and trying to figure out how to get her contest entry completed, she met some men who brought a bit of brightness and welcomed distractions to her days. Luckily, she had support from her neighbor, her best friend, Sue, and Sue's parents. They were all so fabulous with great quirks that endeared them to me. Most importantly, they gave Sadie the affection that was lacking from her own family.

Even before her post surgery issues, Sadie was struggling. She had lost her mother in her teens and it had rippled through her life. Sadie tried hard to embrace pieces of her mother's life, and in the midst of it all, she failed to really find herself. Losing an ability that was always part of her had Sadie taking a harder look at herself. She had to figure where her mother ended and she began. This led to many important discoveries for Sadie, and I appreciated her personal journey.

Overall, this was a wonderful and heartwarming tale. A sweet romance, a fierce friendship, and some self discovery made this a fun and feel-good read.

This was a very cute, feel-good romance! I definitely had to suspend my disbelief a few times and ignore a couple plot holes but that didn’t hinder my overall enjoyment much. I loved the unique premise and it’s something you don’t read about all the time, so that was fun to learn about something new. I also loved The Bodyguard by her so Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my go to authors

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. Loved it! I am always drawn to books that are full of humor, hope and joy and I appreciate that Katherine Center focuses on these qualities in her writing. Add in a splash of romance-it's perfection.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an arc edition of this ebook.

KC is definitely one of my all time favorite authors and this book did not disappoint! Though, I will admit I was disappointed to not get an early Thanksgiving edition on Netgalley but later scooped this one up when available later. No worries, KC... I still love you and your books ;D

This story is one of romance and self realization . Sadie is an artist trying to win her dream portrait competition when disaster strikes and she is hospitalized and found to have a condition known as "face blindness". We follow her through her struggles in relationships with family and friends , while trying to heal after brain surgery and yet still be able to paint to earn a living.

An emotional roller coaster that had me cheering out loud and crying when nothing seemed to go Sadie's way. As usual, I would love to meet our MC and become friends, Katherine Center does a fantastic job at describing the characters and environment while capturing all the feels.

Another fav on my list! Thanks again for sharing Sadie, Peanut and Dr. dreamy with us!
Recommended for fans of Romance, Chick Lit and of course Katherine Center <3

It is hard to think that Katherine Center can top her own books but she does it every time!

Hello Stranger is such a sweet love story about Sadie, a portrait artist who is suddenly dealing with face blindness. As she copes with that as well as a myriad of other personal issues, she also encounters the kindness of two very possible suitors. How can she choose?!

Hello Stranger marries the severity of scary medical diagnoses like in How to Walk Away with witty, swoon-worthy banter as in The Bodyguard which only makes for a good time!

It was nice to have the digital version to switch between reading it and listening the audiobook!

4.5 Stars

When things go wrong for Sadie Montgomery, they really go wrong! Sadie is a portrait artist invited to participate in a renowned portrait competition that could change her life and her career path. However, with just six weeks until the competition, a lifesaving brain surgery leaves her with acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia (aka face blindness) …and that’s just the beginning. I was ready for the quirky, comfort read to play out in all its colorful glory and Katherine Center does not disappoint. This tale is an eye-opener for a neurological disorder that affects 2% of the population. The amount of research done in support of this warm, clever story is evident.

DO NOT skip the author’s note. It made me laugh and who couldn’t use more laughs? She shares when she realized that books could be fun and how she fell in love with romance novels, “I felt like a person who’d spent her entire life eating boneless, skinless chicken breast . . . and I had just discovered chocolate cake.” It is an author note that will stay with me, why do we admonish romance novels with an eye roll? They bring joy to our lives and yes, they offer a HEA, but is that a bad thing? “…tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice.”

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review Hello Stranger by Katherine Center in advance of the release.

This was such a heartwarming story!! This is the first book I've ever read from Katherine Center, but I need to read more from her. I absolutely loved the way this story was written and I loved the character development. The main character, Sadie, had finally become a finalist in a portrait competition, but as a result of her brain surgery, Sadie experiences "face blindness". She can still see everything around her as normal, except for people's faces. Hopefully it's a temporary side effect, but how is she supposed to paint faces for a contest if she can't see them? I loved this premise and thought it was very unique and refreshing.

Although I liked both of the love interests - Oliver, her dog's vet and Joe, a guy who lives in her building, I didn't connect with them as much as I had hoped I would. Sadie cannot see their faces, but we never really learn much about either man. Their interactions picked up in the second half of the book and things started to open up, but I never grew much of a connection with either love interest.

Overall, I still loved this book and thought it was such a sweet romance!! I definitely recommend it for all my lovers of sweet, heart-warming romances!! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free arc in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center continues to be my go-to author for meaningful Women’s Fiction. She knows how to craft a thoughtful story that has humor, love, and deeper meaning.
Hello Stranger, is a romance, and good one at that — but it goes deeper with Sadie’s unique situation and how it impacts every aspect of her life that made this book so engrossing to read. Sadie is a portrait artist who is diagnosed with a malformed brain vessel that requires immediate surgery. When she wakes in the hospital after surgery, she realizes she now has a condition called acquired prosopagnosia, otherwise known as “face blindness”. The surgery has left her with swelling near the the part of the brain that processes faces, and there’s no telling whether this is a permanent or temporary condition. Right before the surgery, Sadie learned that she was a finalist in a portrait competition that could finally give her the big break she is looking for — but if she can’t see faces, how can she paint them? Sadie’s life was already messy before the surgery — barely making ends meet, dealing with her estranged family, a truly evil stepsister, and a pesky, yet helpful, neighbor. Even though I could see what was about to happen, I still enjoyed the journey getting there.

I appreciated the author’s note and acknowledgements for it gave great insight into learning about the real disorder that Sadie has: Prosopagnosia. I also really related to her insight into the romance genre and how all stories run on anticipation, but romance uses positive valanced anticipation. Don’t we all need a little more positivity in our lives? I would highly recommend adding Hello Stranger to your summer reading list.

This was my third Katherine Center read, and after finishing Hello Stranger, I can now say that she will be one of my auto-purchase authors from here on! I just absolutely loved this book. I loved the depth of characters, the fun storyline, and how the book was engaging throughout its entirety. I could develop a clear picture of each setting and character in my mind. I just wish I had started the book sooner!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I absolutely adored this book. In true Katherine Center fashion, the characters are well rounded, full of personality and believable quirks. I found myself smiling and laughing out loud repeatedly while engaged with this novel. Yet another five star Katherine Center read for me!

Thank you Katherine Center and NetGalley for this eARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. I LOVED it! 5 stars for sure! Since I was not familiar with the author, I read The Bodyguard a few weeks before reading this ARC so that I could be more familiar with her writing. Well, I found a new favorite author in the process. I really enjoyed both books immensely.
For Hello Stranger, I really enjoyed how Katherine Center took an old trope - a take on amensia - and made it fresh and new with the main character's head injury and face blindness. She took "meet cute" to a whole new level. I found her characters fun and likable. More than anything, this book radiates pure joy, second chances, and working to make the best version of yourself. Highly recommend it!
Will have a review posted to my Bookstagram on June 30th.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Hello Stranger in exchange for an honest review.
I have loved other Katherine Center books I’ve read so I was very excited to snag her newest release.
“We see what we are looking for”
Hello Stranger is full of betrayal, hope and happiness. Sadie has been given an amazing artist gift from her mom. When she is stricken with a brain injury, she has to find a way to still produce works of art. This brain injury causes her to not see faces so her art work suffers among many other things. While dealing with her brain injury from a surgery that her absent father forced her to have sooner rather than later, she also had to deal with an evil stepmother and stepsister. They were the worst! Every time they were mentioned, I rolled my eyes.
Her doctors and therapist kept giving her hope that things would improve so she could compete in this important art event. It didn’t turn out how she wanted but she still tried to give it her best.
I hated to laugh at poor Sadie when she started dating “2” men, who in a sense were completely different. I figured out the twist very early on but I loved to see it unfold. In the end, Sadie finds happiness in her love life, friendships and even with her father.
(Side note: I went down a whole rabbit hole researching Facial Blindness. I had no idea it existed.)

*I did find some errors. I believe they are just typing errors. I was able to keep reading without the errors messing with my flow." I'll be happy to provide those to the publisher.

Sadie is a portrait artist who has made it to the finals of the North American Portrait Society after many attempts. The celebration is short-lived, however. After an injury leads to brain surgery, Sadie is left with face blindness. Hoping it's temporary, she faces her most challenging painting yet. The portrait for the competition must be completed in just a few weeks. And all faces look like Picasso paintings, except that of her beloved dog Peanut. Oh, when she least expects it she falls both in love- and in lust- with two men she can't even see clearly.

For those wondering if this is appropriate for teen readers, I would say yes. Interesting information about face blindness and there is no sex, even behind closed doors. Though Sadie does overhear a conversation that makes her very uncomfortable.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this free review copy. I love Katherine Center and she delivered with this one. This book makes you laugh, pulls at your heart strings and gave me butterflies! Check it out!

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist living in a studio. She is determined to get her big break one day and become successful. A life changing diagnosis has Sadie seeing things differently.
Katherine Center's notes at the end of the book are informative about the characters health issue. It made me see things differently.
A captivating and lighthearted romantic novel by Katherine Center. Entertaining and heartfelt. Her books have become must reads for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

I was excited to receive this ARC, as Katherine Center is one of my auto-read authors. This book didn’t disappoint!

It follows the story of Sadie Montgomery, who has just placed as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society Competion and is one her way to celebrate before getting to work on her composition. After a seizure like episode, and emergency brain surgery she awakes to find that she has face blindness. This condition may or may not be temporary, and may derail her life long dream of winning the portrait society competition.

As she is dealing with this, another crisis rocks her life. Her beloved dog Peanut, has a life threatening emergency and is rushed to the vet. Here Sadie meets Dr. Oliver Addison, who she has an instant attraction to (despite her facial blindness). She also is starting to have feelings for her neighbour, even though her initial impression of him was awful.

She is also trying to deal with strained relationships with her father, stepmother and horrid stepsister.

Despite all the serious situations, the author sprinkles in enough humor and heartwarming moments to make the reader hopeful that Sadie will emerge from this darkness and find herself again.


Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

Katherine Center does it again! Hello Stranger was a delightful read! If you are new to reading Center's books, I would not recommend starting here! Hello Stranger has all the classic pieces of Center's writing style that I have grown incredibly fond of. Center always picks unique characters and plot lines that immerse you fully into the story.

Sadie is broke. She's struggling to make ends meet as a portrait artist. She's estranged from her surly father and is absolutely unwilling to ask him for any assistance. When said enters an art competition, she sees her opportunity to change her luck. As she's walking home from the grocery store, she lose consciousness and wakes up in the hospital being told she needs to have surgery. Reluctant, Sadie is ready to refuse, but her father (a renowned surgeon) shows up and takes control of the situation. The surgery is scheduled. When Sadie awakes from surgery, everything seems ok, until she becomes aware that she can't see faces. They feel like blurry puzzles. A portrait artist with hopefully temporary blindness is a devastating hit to Sadie.

This is a story about coping with unexpected life altering challenges and persevering in the face of adversity without becoming cold or closed off. Sadie can't see faces, but she learns new ways to recognize people. Sometimes it works and sometimes she has to adjust on the fly. The way Katherine Center creates relationships between characters is truly a gift. I always find myself wanting friends, family, and lovers like the ones she creates. I think my favorite novel of hers remains Things You Save in A Fire followed by The Bodyguard. Hello Stranger is such a new twist on classic Center elements and I loved it!

If you don't follow Katherine Center on Instagram, I highly recommend you do. I love her energy and her descriptions for how her covers come to be. She's such a warm and genuine author. I can't say enough about how when you like the author, it only adds to the quality of the book!

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this title via NetGalley!

This book was so sweet! I loved how this story felt like so much more than just a book about a relationship, it felt about discovering yourself in the process. Sadie was so unique compared to other characters and I loved getting to follow her journey. Her relationship with Joe was also so sweet! This one had humor but was also so sweet at the same time.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Once again, Katherine Center does not disappoint, she gave me a book I read in a day and went to bed happy.

Sadie Montgomery lost her mom at age 14 to a stroke, or so she was told. Sadie follows in her mom's footsteps, must to the chagrin of her surgeon father, to become an artist. They had a falling out around the time her mom died and her father quickly remarried Lucinda who had a daughter the same age as Sadie, Parker.

Fast forward about twelve years and Sadie is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society. She has six weeks to paint a new portrait to enter win the top prize of $10,000. However, the night of learning the news, while out buying provisions for an impromptu celebration party, she is crossing the street when suddenly everything goes black. When Sadie comes to, she is diagnosed with face blindness. The doctors assure her it should be temporary, due to swelling in her brain, but in some cases, it does stay permanent. Now Sadie must decide how to do a portrait when peoples faces resemble puzzle pieces lying on a table.

As Sadie navigates this temporary? permanent? new world, she realizes that things can go right when you least expect them.

Again - I loved this book - and all works done by this author. I anxiously await the next book!!