Hello Stranger is the newest romance by Katherine Center that follows Sadie, a bubbly artist who is about to get her big break when she finds out she has the opportunity to compete in an art competition. Then life really takes a turn when she has to have a brain scan after a near death experience and finds out she needs brain surgery. After her brain surgery, she develops face blindness where everyone’s face is jumbled and she cannot recognize even her closest friend. While her doctors assure her it is probably temporary and just because of the swelling in her brain, this leads Sadie down a spiral that may end with her finding just what she never knew to look for.

I have not previously read anything by this author but I always hear the most amazing things so I was highly anticipating this book. The premise sounded unique. I have read one other book about a character with face blindness and found it really fascinating. Unfortunately this book was a huge letdown for me. The first 20 percent felt extremely rushed as it tried to set up the overall story. I found Sadie to be a very immature character as well. Her best friend was the worst and did not take Sadie’s face blindness seriously especially when Sadie really needed her. Sadie had an evil stepsister who felt like she was plucked from Cinderella because she felt so cartoony. All of the romantic conflict was very predictable and the miscommunication was atrocious.

I could go more into the story but it would spoil it. There were some clever parts and I did enjoy the last chapter when everything was wrapping up. The author’s note at the end really showed how much time and research went into making this story as medically accurate as possible.

But this story requires a huge amount of suspension of disbelief because of how convenient everything had to be to fit into this story. This was probably a one and a half star read for me personally but I’ll round up for Peanut.

I loved The Bodyguard and Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center, so I was very excited about this new book, Hello Stranger. Unfortunately I didn’t love it, although many advance readers have.

It’s the story of an artist who specializes in portraits and suddenly, after a “minor” brain surgery, she can no longer see people’s faces. I had never heard of such a thing before, but apparently this “face blindness” is a real condition, sometimes permanent and sometimes temporary. Luckily for Sadie, the doctors feel it’s a temporary situation for her, brought on by post-surgical swelling that “should” go away. In addition to this face blindness, Center also has Sadie dealing with long-term reverberations of her mother’s death and continued bullying by her step-sister, Parker - which seemed a bit excessive to me, as they are in their late 20s, but childhood/teen trauma runs deep. Even so, I didn’t much care for Sadie, the main female character. She didn’t seem very likable, and as she was the main voice of the book, she seemed very immature. I had to suspend my disbelief as Sadie didn’t recognize people’s voices, even people she interacted with on a regular basis (other than her best friend, Sue). I did anticipate the twist in the story which involved two men she was interested in, but that’s okay. As Center says in an author’s note, she prefers to use “anticipate” as opposed to “predictable” and I get that. I just wish I could have enjoyed the journey to the anticipated HEA more than I did.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was nicely narrated by Patti Murin.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

After a debilitating accident, Sadie, an artist, has to learn new ways to interact and essentially to see. Throughout the story, Sadie has a series of adventures and interactions with a variety of interesting people.-including possible love interests. Dealing with her injury and a difficult family situation, the question becomes will Sadie get her vision back? Will she fall in love? Will she be able to continue with her art? This book will answer all of these questions with a surprise at the end. Like me, hopefully you will fall in love with Sadie (and Peanut) and her steps and missteps for a satisfying and dare I say extremely touching read.

This book was so unique and I have to start with saying that I absolutely adored it for so many reasons. The character development for the main lead character was so well written. The last line of the book made me emotional.

I loved how this story involved romance, but so many other topics too. It had me so curious about face blindness and I found myself constantly trying to put myself in Sadie’s shoes. And the way Joe supported her throughout the entire process without even knowing was so heart warming. This is definitely one of my favorite books from Katherine Center. Also, the cover aahhhh!!

My only critiques were that I wish there was a bit more character development for her step family. And Sadie’s instant obsession with the vet right away was a little bit cringy. Like, she did NOT need to break up with him, they did not date whatsoever lol. And last, I wish it was explained why his jacket said Joe. But these are just small little things I picked up while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC - I read this one in a day, I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait for publication day!

I know this is supposed to be where I gush how much I loved this book. I did. I completely and utterly loved it. But I honestly can't find the right words to describe how it made me feel - so I'll just leave it as this - this book will give you something to look forward to.

I’ve been binge-reading Katherine Center’s books in recent weeks, so I was thrilled to get approved for an ARC of Hello Stranger from NetGalley. Like all of Center’s books, this one is literary comfort food at its best: characters you root for, creative plot line, worldly wisdom, and pacing that makes you unable to put the book down. I had forgotten that reading could be so much fun. Another thing that I enjoyed about Hello Stranger is learning about face blindness. It is not a condition I had heard of before, and the author clearly did her homework by constructing a clever plot around it. Life lessons about confirmation bias and allowing others to help were well incorporated too. An added bonus is the author’s essay at the end on the joy of reading romance novels. Don’t miss it.

Love love love this author! I have given so many of her books 5 stars. This one was good but slightly predictable and got old pretty fast. I also felt like some of the story line seemed a little too far fetch. With that said, I was glad to be learning of a brain issue that I previously hadn't heard of.

Love this RomCom! Katherine Center has done it again with this cute story, fun characters with wit and charm, and overall a great summer read! Can't wait to listen to the audio of this book. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

This was a very cute love story. There was drama, romance and even an evil stepsister. It would have gotten 5 stars but the self questioning was too much.

Did you like this book? Yes.
Are these questions annoying? Also yes.

But looking past those I can honestly recommend this book to you.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC on exchange for my honest review.

I like Sadie's character and all that she went through in this book! This book has plenty of humor and also lots of growth and discovery. I liked the facial blindness aspect as we learn how Sadie has to notice other things, and I also liked the veterinary aspect!! This is a great Rom Com, if you are in the mood for a cute story with fun characters and of course some struggles and misunderstandings, this book is for you!

Hello Stranger is yet another charming, feel good novel by Katherine Center. Her novels never fail to leave me smiling while I read. The premise of the novel reminds us that there’s always positives in a situation, even when all you can see at the time are negatives.

Sadie Montgomery is an artist who specializes in photorealistic portraits who finds herself with acquired prosopagnosia, or face blindness, after needing a brain surgery to repair a cavernoma. As she try’s to navigate her new life with the inability to recognize faces, she also is faced with family drama, a work crisis, a sick dog, and a not one but two potential romances!

Katherine Center’s writing is easy to read, and light hearted with the right amount of wit and humor. And Sadie is so easy to relate to, even with a complicated medical diagnosis. The ending was a little predictable, but that didn’t make it any less charming!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader’s copy!

This is a fascinating story! Katherine Center is a master storyteller and always surprises me with a plot that I would never have thought of. Sadie is a strong woman with a bright future, after struggling to get her career on track. Unfortunately, the future very suddenly changes. She is diagnosed with face blindness and besides that being a hardship in normal life, her potential emergence as a prize-winning artist has come to definite halt since she cannot paint the portrait that would show her talent.

I was consumed by this book and read it in two days, which is very fast for me. I could not put it down and then of course was sorry that the story was over.

I truly enjoyed this book so much! The characters are perfect for the story. The plot is magnificent! I had so many emotions flowing through me. At times laughing, sometimes crying and a few times I wanted to smash the book into a character’s head. (Of course, I would not do something violent like that, just wanted to.)

I definitely recommend this book very highly!

I want to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Another gem from Katherine Center! Katherine is a must buy author for me and I am guaranteed to buy and love any book she writes. This was no different. After receiving the advanced readers copy, this one will be getting a permanent spot on my book shelf.

If you need some sincerity and happiness in you life, look no further. This book is just a complete delight from start to finish. It has some sad undertones at some points, but it is definitely a feel good book. Unconditional love, encouragement, and friendship are all major themes to this book. It will undoubtedly brighten your day, week, or month.

4.5⭐
Awww, this was such a feel-good and happy read!! When I finished I had this big grin on my face and felt I want to give strangers a hug like a crazy woman that I am, hahaa! 🤗🥰

Kathrine Center has become my top go-to romance author. Hello Stranger is my third novel by the author and I find her greatest strength to be her characters. I fall in love with her characters every single time.

Her characters are likable and quirky. They often have some sort of challenges in their life and are surrounded by characters that are equally memorable.

Sadie Montgomery's a portrait artist down on her luck and kinda broke. A sudden seizure put Sadie in a hospital and surgery resulted in her temporary (?) face blindness. How will she paint? Her beloved fur baby Peanut is sick and needs to see a vet. Her BFF Sue elopes while she's going through all of this. She can't even see the face of her evil stepmother and sister. That weasel neighbor Joe is just too helpful.

Wow, that's a lot for poor Sadie to overcome. I love how the author adds humor to all that life throws at Sadie. The crush on Dr. Addison, Peanuts's vet who she fantasized about marrying (without knowing what he looks like), and her wonderful landlord Mr. Kim who is like family.

I love the message of joy and strength and how one overcomes her challenges. The author gives readers another heartwarming and clean romance. I completely enjoyed this romcom and yes, I did see the reveal coming a mile away but it was still a pretty amazing read. Don't miss the author's note! Loooved it!

Sadie is a portrait artist who just found out she is a finalist in a prestigious art competition. Life is great, until she has a seizure and has to undergo a medical procedure. When she wakes up she discovers she is experiencing face blindness. She can't tell the difference between her best friend, Sue, and her evil step-sister Parker. This makes finishing her art for the exhibit nearly impossible. Not only that, she is seeing things differently than before and seems to be falling for two guys, Joe, her neighbour, and Dr. Oliver Addison, her vet.

This was an interesting story. I liked Katherine Centre's writing of face blindness and also seeing Sadie learn about it interesting. I did find Sadie a little whiny at times, and for a person who said she wanted to do things on her own, she really relied and expected others to help her. I know she was experiencing a lot of trauma, and I cannot imagine what she was experiencing, but she seemed so helpless.

The relationships she developed throughout the book were interesting, but I found it weird that she wouldn't take the time to get to know the people she was around (particularly Joe and Dr. Oliver) and who were helping her with her life.

I did forsee the big twist in the book, but that didn't ruin my enjoyment of it.

Katherine Centre's writing was great. Though I didn't love the characters, the message Centre offers us is clear, that looking at the pieces of a picture doesn't always makes sense, but it allows us to learn different things about each other.

This was a great story, with some flaws, but I will still continue to pick up Centre's books. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This book hooked me from the start with the first meet cute and then her accident, but even more than that...face blindness?!?! How is this a real thing? I had to do a Google search to deep dive into learning more. Our brains are so interesting and I loved how Sadie had to navigate the world with it. I loved the tricks she used to figure out if she knew the person she was talking to, all her awkward escapades from said interactions, and that she was able to learn more about herself, how to accept help, and be more compassionate to people throughout the story. Joe was great and I loved how sweet he was, Parker was an amazing villain, and the Kim's definitely have a part of my now melted heart. I think this is my favorite Center book yet!

I loved this book! I found it compelling and thought provoking and did not want to put it down. Of the three books by Katherine Center that I have read, this one is my favorite!

The book centers on the troubled life of Sadie Montgomery. Nothing ever went well for Sadie. Her mother died very young; at the time Sadie was only fourteen. After her mother’s death, Sadie’s father turned his back on her, blaming her for her mother’s stroke and death. Within six months Sadie’s father had remarried and a new stepmother and stepsister moved in. To keep the “Cinderella” theme going, Sadie and her evil stepsister got along like oil and water. Parker hated Sadie and proceeded to make her life miserable, culminating with Sadie being kicked out of her school for a crime Parker had committed. Sadie was moved to a resident academy one step up from juvenile detention.

Now an adult, Sadie lived an insular life cut off from everyone but as couple of trusted friends. Her time was spent in her art studio painting portraits for customers. Then one day on her way back from the local bodega Sadie froze in the middle of a busy road and was almost killed. Saved at the last instant by an unknown Good Samaritan stranger, Sadie awoke in the hospital where she learned that she had the same condition that killed her mother, but unlike her mother Sadie was to undergo brain surgery.

What happened next both destroyed Sadie’s life as she knew it and sent her on a journey of self-discovery. With her new Face Blindness, Sadie’s painting career was doomed just when it was about to take off big time. Never before had Sadie allowed herself to accept help. Now alone since her best friend headed off to be married, Sadie needed help. Two men came to her rescue; Dr. Oliver Addison, the veterinarian who saved the life of Sadie’s beloved dog Peanut and a man Sadie only knew as Joe assisted her on her journey.

Sadie’s quest toward self-understanding as well as coming to grips with the death of her mother and the betrayal of her father—as well as the hateful behavior of Parker—leads Sadie to the one thing she needed most. Hope! She needed to find the hope that was still in front of her. Shed had once said, “If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust.” By the end of the book, Sadie learned to really trust herself and in doing so, learned to trust those around her as well—even her father and stepmother.

I loved this book and thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

Hello Stranger is a book about Sadie, an artist that loses the ability to recognize faces after having brain surgery from a random seizure. During this face blindness, Sadie is trying to prepare for an art competition that she will have to complete a portrait. Talk about difficult when the girl can't see people's facial features in their correct spot! As she tries to cope with her diagnosis she meets two men, Joe her helpful but womanizing neighbor and Dr. Addison her dog Peanuts vet. Stuck between the two she has to decide which of these faceless men she actually wants to pursue.

I love Katherine Center's light romantic books and Hello Stranger was another fun read for me, Even though I saw one twist coming I still enjoyed the book and the unique plot on facial blindness.

Absolutely adorable!

This made me laugh out loud. It’s funny, sweet, and so cute. A great summer read!

Did you know that if you damage a certain portion of your brain, you will see faces as scrambled features resembling a Picasso painting? It's called prosopagnosia, a real-life ailment which is usually temporary, but sometimes a permanent condition. Face-blindness due to this ailment is the premise behind Katherine Center's latest book, Hello Stranger. Particularly of note, the title is perfection-as every person the main character, Sadie, meets is a stranger until she speaks with them and figures out who they actually are. Additionally, once you know what Sadie's chosen profession is, you will understand how debilitating the prosopagnosia truly is. As you can imagine, it would be tricky to live a normal life suffering from face blindness, much less fall in love, so it's not only interesting, but fun, to follow Sadie's tale. Ms. Center does an excellent job keeping up with the details of Sadie's impairment, realistically showing the trauma associated with her injury and prolonged illness. This is a great book with an interesting and unique perspective.