!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!


I was so happy to snag this ARC because I've been wanting to try a Katherine Center for a while. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the writing style, which dampens my enthusiasm for the story, however much I like it.
So, I did like the premise of this story - it reminded me of an old NR book where the FMC thinks <spoiler> she has feelings for these two people who turn one to be the same person </spoiler>.
I really enjoyed Sadie's tongue-in-cheek, dry humor. However, the pages and pages of inner monologues are not my favorite things to read in a book, and those parts did not work for me.
I loved the MMC. It's tricky to give any details without spoilering, so I'm just gonna day that I loved how it all turned out.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Every Katherine Center book just gets better and better! I’m so excited that this was my first ARC, it was a highly anticipated read for me!

This was such a unique story, and I feel like I could give so much away easily, so I’ll keep this review short and sweet.

Katherine Center books are like warm hugs from someone you love! This is my third book of hers that I’ve read and it was so good! I had never heard of prosopagnosia before, and it was such an interesting concept to build into a romance novel. I highly recommend this book, it’s release date is July 11th!!!

My favorite quote from the book, that’ll stay with me for a while, was: “It takes a certain kind of courage to be brave in love. A courage you can only get better at through practice.”
Even though I’ve been married for almost 8 years, and with my husband for nearly 12 years, I feel like this quite still remains true! Love takes courage and work!

Struggling portrait artist Sadie Montgomery has just gotten her big break: she's a finalist in a prestigious portrait competition. The only problem? Following a recent accident, she's developed face blindness... an issue for someone who exclusively paints faces.

I've only also read The Bodyguard by Katherine Center so far, but she's clearly got a tone and style to her writing that this matches, so if you've been a long time fan, I think you won't be disappointed - and if you're just starting out, this is a delightfully fun rom-com romp with the best excuse for the miscommunication trope I've seen. (Or not seen. Get it?)

You've got a swoony veterinarian, a geriatric dog named Peanut who loves Pad Thai, and a potentially womanizing neighbor who has an inexplicable love for bowling jackets. I enjoyed all of the characters with the exception of Parker - she felt almost too over-the-top villainous to me. There's some background given, but I would have preferred a little more nuance.

Overall, I absolutely flew through this and laughed out loud more than once. I recommend this if you're looking for a fun summer romance!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My first Katherine Center novel....and this book was phenomenal!! I loved every part of it. It had a little bit of everything, it was funny, heartwarming, family drama, loss and super sweet moments....and OH!! the twists and turns!
Sadie was such a fun character. I loved that she was strong and i was cheering her on.
Sadie is an artist and she is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, one of her biggest achievements. Suddenly Sadie is in the hospital being diagnosed with temporary face blindness, Sadie struggles to cope and is worried about her upcoming competition. she deals with family drama and is juggling two love interests at once....sort of!
This novel had good character development, i loved the friendship between Sadie and Sue, and im happy that Sadie and her dad's relationship is on a good path to healing.

Definitely recommend this book!!

I’ve heard so many great things about this author and had her recommended so many times, I couldn’t resist trying this newest read from her.

From the start, I could tell that the writing itself was great and I’ll definitely be trying others from the author.

The premise of the story itself was intriguing, but overall not a perfect fit for me as a reader. I had trouble connecting with our main character- which for me is necessary to really vouch with a story. However, I really do look forward to trying more from the author and already have two more lined up on my TBR shelf.

Thank you to NG and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy!

4.5/5 stars! This author has done it again!

This was a great book! I absolutely loved "The Bodyguard" so was super excited to read this one as well! Katherine Center really knows how to write a great protagonist and Sadie is no exception. The whole cast of characters were really interesting, but my favorite relationship to read was Sadie and her best friend. That was such a sweet friendship!

Quick Summary:
Sadie is an aspiring portrait artist given the chance to show her work and finally get the big break she's been looking for. However, she is also due to get a surgery that will temporarily impair her ability to see faces. As a portrait artist, this is going to be a huge problem! The story then follows her journey through this debacle and she is not only facing this challenge, but also issues in the past that have lingered for too long. This story is a great romcom, but it's also so much more than that and serves as a great reminder about the importance of resilience.

This one was just SO GOOD.

I didn't expect the twist reveal, and found myself going through all the emotions that the main character was experiencing throughout the book. Such an interesting storyline about overcoming situations that are out of your control, and taking back the control that was taken away from you.

Sadie & Joe are the best and I loved their banter. 10/10 recommend to everyone, especially if you were a fan of The Bodyguard. Love Katherine Center's writing and can't wait to experience more!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this amazing book in advance of it's release in exchange for an honest review.

Out July 11th!

THIS BOOK! I read Hello Stranger in 24 hours. My house is trashed. My children have turned feral. My husband probably thinks I ran away. But really I was just curled up reading this book the whole time.

AND I LOVED IT! Such a fun and unique premise , and I am a huge fan of the writing style. It felt natural and was so funny. I feel like Sadie talks the way I talk, so she came off as highly relatable. Ok, and who knew painting could be so sexy? I tried explaining a painting scene to my husband, and he thought I was nuts, but the HEAT was tangible! This book is swoony, goofy, and addicting, so would I recommend it? Heck to the freaking yes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hello Stranger will be published July 11, 2023!

CW/TW: occasional profanity, kisses (passionate), affair (prior), death of a parent (prior)

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC!

I have loved every book I’ve ever read from Katherine Center and this one was no different. This was a unique story with a trope that felt like it had a different spin on it. I highly recommend this book!

I absolutely could not put this book down, finished this in a day. Sadie’s growth in this book, from start to finish, is amazing. Her world completely turns upside down when she is dealing with face blindness. Her family is a mess, she lives in a hovel and she knows she isn’t going to win her portrait competition. But, she is stronger than she thinks. I went through all the emotions in this book! A must read!

3.5 ⭐
thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

this book was good, but it wasn't for me. i had high expectations since i really loved <i>the bodyguard</i> but <i>hello stranger</i> has extremely different vibes and didn't work for me. i didn't click with sadie's character and i think some of the information about sadie's relationships with her family could have been revealed earlier to avoid me thinking that she's just a bratty person. aside from that, the book was pretty enjoyable! the first bit was a bit slow, but around 30% in, i was hooked and i finished the rest of the book really quickly. also, i thought it was really interesting to read about face blindness and i learned so much about it!

overall, this book wasn't bad and it might be for other people even if i didn't love it!

This is a story about hope, forgiveness and love. The characters are relatable and enjoyable. I didn’t want to put this book down. I was anticipating the plot twist and couldn’t wait for it to happen. Don’t skip the authors note.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for early access to this e-book! It publishes on July 11th.
 
I’ve read a handful of Katherine Center books now, and I typically enjoy them, but this one was kind of a miss for me. I really liked the overall idea and thought it was cute, but it was super predictable yet somehow not at all plausible.
 
FMC, Sadie, must get an emergency brain surgery which is successful yet leaves her with a temporary condition: face blindness. She can see facial features, but her brain can’t turn them into a cohesive face. Although this is a very real condition, and I can’t imagine how difficult it would be, I just wasn’t convinced with Sadie’s experience. That and Sadie was overall just an unlikable character, IMO.
 
Also, this story leaned a bit too heavily on the miscommunication trope which is one that frustrates me to no end. Obviously, it was a bit different because there was a medical condition involved, but still, if the characters would’ve just talked a bit more I really think this whole thing book could’ve been a couple chapters long lol.
 
The ending redeemed it a bit, and the MMC, Joe was very likeable, but all in all this one just didn’t really do it for me. I am certainly in the minority here though, so your mileage may vary!!

This starts as a fluffy chick lit book but it quickly gathers substance. Sadie is “face blind” as a result of a series of unfortunate events. The technical term is prosopagnosia. But Sadie is a portrait artist and has just been selected as a finalist in a painted portrait competition. It is very difficult to portray a face on canvas if you can't see it.

Most of the story is about Sadie coping with her new disability. There are lots of humerous mishaps along the the way. I can empathize with her frustration. I really like Sadie as a main character, though at times I wanted to give her a little shake.

This is a light hearted story about a serious and real condition. It was actually quite entertaining but, as I was reading it, I kept thinking that a more serious approach about coping with face blindness would have been interesting too.

But, writing with humour is the author's style. I knew that when I chose this book. I appreciate the research Ms. Center put into the subject. I know it takes a lot of time to learn about a medical condition and then put it together cohesively into an entertaining tale.

I did enjoy the story. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments. And, there was drama. The little knowledge I have now about face blindness will spur me to look for books with a little depth on the subject.

Best of all, the ending was a wonderful surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Katherine Center is such a great writer. I love her books so much! This one is about Sadie, who is a portrait artist, but when she has necessary brain surgery she develops face blindness. This causes difficulties in recognizing people because she can’t see their faces. I don’t love the love triangle trope and there was a bit of one here when Sadie develops feelings for both her dog’s new vet and her neighbor. Plus there is a bit of miscommunications due to Sadie’s condition. However, I still loved this story, which goes to show how much I love Katherine Center. It was funny and sweet! A quote that I liked said “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

4.5/5 - Katherine Center has moved up to be one of my favorite authors. Sadie is such a likable character and I can’t imagine going through what she goes through. There were definitely times I found her way of thinking to be frustrating, but she’s an endearing character nonetheless.

My one critique is about Parker. I don’t really understand her as a character—she feels too extreme. And I’m not sure why Sadie’s dad seemed to take Parker’s side in the past.

But overall, I really liked this book. I thought the romantic subplot was done well and I also enjoyed how this book is about Sadie’s relationship with her mother as well as her relationships with her dad and Lucinda.

Note: I received free advanced copies of this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book and plot were so fascinating. I have never read anything like it and it held my attention from the very beginning. I’ve only read one book from Katherine prior and this book just showed me I need to read many more. It was a joy to read and I always love when I read a unique to me plot.

Sadie is grappling with life after an accident that causes facial blindness. As a portrait artist, this is her worst nightmare. In hopes it’s temporary, she works hard to navigate around it and not let it ruin what she’s worked for. While navigating this new phase of life, she meets two men that capture her attention, but she has no clue what they really look like. Not only is she dealing with this, but her family life/trauma is yet another thing weighing her down. It really feels like everything happened at one time, the worst time for Sadie, and we see how it unfolds.

With every new interaction with people and/or work Sadie does to push through the facial blindness, I got more intrigued. Katherine described it so well and made me feel like I was in Sadie’s shoes. I truly empathized with her during hardships and celebrated her accomplishments.

Now the biggest kicker of all- her attraction to two different men. This was really the most exciting part of the book for me and I absolutely loved how it played out. Sadie handled this situation so well and I really loved seeing her personality come out in her interactions with these men.

The writing, storyline, and characters all hit the mark for me. It was such an enjoyable, entertaining story and had much more than just the romance arc, which always makes things fun!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. I'm voluntarily leaving this review without receiving compensation.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Spice Level: Great kissing scenes!
Themes: Be true to yourself, Kindness matters, People are more than a pretty face

For the themes, I put what I got out of it—these may not have been the author's intent. But this book is filled with goodness and hopefulness, contrasted with the evil and meanness of some. I'm also calling this women's fiction because it's really all about Sadie's journey. Sure, some of the other characters grow too, but their character arcs don't drive the story forward.

The conundrum Sadie experiences with face blindness is particularly interesting to me because I'm an artist. What would it be like if I couldn't see faces in the proper manner to draw or paint? I can only imagine how confusing and discouraging that would be. I can even understand why she wouldn't want to tell anyone. Sometimes, the "fake it 'til you make it" thing is overrated. And here she is trying to smile and power her way through this devastating development.

Both Dr. Oliver Addison and Joe are so interesting—and I love how Sadie relates to both. Parker, Sadie's step-sister, is someone I cannot relate to at all. Are there really people like her? I'm sure there are. And Parker's mom is pretty much cut from the same cloth. But the dynamic between the three of these women plus Sadie's dad kept me on the edge of my seat to see what would happen. Pretty great for secondary characters, right?

This romance made me think about how we each act and react to negative situations. It's a charming story, and I loved it for the romance alone, but this added layer made it even better.

I highly recommend this book! This story is such a fun ride!

Happy reading!

Katherine Center is an autobuy for me! Her quirky characters are amazing and the stories are well written and thought out. This one was no different.

What a truly beautiful story. This is the first book by Katherine Center that I have read and I am so thankful that this is where I got to begin. Lifelong fan out of me.

A story about a 28 year old woman, Sadie, who loves art and to paint portraits. She recently found out she was accepted into a prestigious contest and feels like things are finally looking up.. until they aren't and her whole world and perception of this world changes.

With familial struggles, self-doubt, and always questioning herself, this story has it all. Including, a beautiful romance story. And I will leave it at that.

I don't want to accidentally spill any specifics or give any spoilers. You will just have to get this book for yourself. Pre order it now on Amazon or anywhere that is your go to bookseller.

Pub date: 7/11/23

I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this beautiful story. One of my favorite romances to date.