This was only my 3rd book by Katherine Center, and it might have been my least favorite of the three I have read of hers. It was really slow to start, so I feel like it took me longer than it should have to really get into the book because I loved her other two I read (The Bodyguard and How to Walk Away) so much. I had a hard time connecting to Sadie at first, which also made it to read at first. I think I was finally hooked into the storyline about halfway through and did not see the twist coming until much later. I rate books based on the emotions it made me feel and whether or not it made me cry, and this one did leave me tearing up. Overall, it was a very cute book and a good romcom that I still recommend despite the slow start.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley! I really enjoyed this one! The story of the face blindness was really interesting and I really liked the idea of falling for someone without knowing what they looked like. I also really liked the side story of Sadie’s family and how the conflicts aren’t perfectly resolved- it felt much more real. The twist at the end is very cute- another winner for Katherine Center!

Katherine Center has done it again. I loved everything about this book (including the author’s note!) and devoured it in an evening. Hello Stranger brings you joy while also giving you space for introspection.

I struggled with this book at the beginning. I liked Sadie. I think the way she handled everything that was thrown at her was realistic and easy to understand. The ups and downs she went through felt very authentic. I loved Joe! I, like Sadie, was concerned at first, but he ended up living up to his nickname! 😉

I’m not going to go into many details because I think it’s best to go into this book blind and experience everything right alongside Sadie. But here are a few of my takeaways:

I did not like Sadie’s best friend, Sue, or her evil stepsister. Honestly, both of those characters could have been removed, and I don’t think it would have changed the plot much at all. I loved Sue’s parents though. They made me smile every time they showed up!

The entire book was fairly predictable. I was slightly confused at the beginning of the book, but very quickly guessed at how things were going to go down, and what do you know? I was right. But that’s okay. I still enjoyed Sadie’s story, and had a fun time reading it.

I’ve never read anything by the author before, but I’m going to buy The Bodyguard because I like the way this book was written and want to read more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Hello Stranger (eARC) — 4.5 ⭐️

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 11th

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
🤩 Addicting Read
💗 Contemporary Romance
🔐 Closed Door Romance
😂 Plenty of LOL Moments
🔥 Slow Burn Romance
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🥰 Feel-Good Story
🔺 Love Triangle

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
🐶 Your dog eats better than you do
🛼 You’re an expert roller-skater
🎨 Your dream job involves painting
💭 You can easily create an imaginary romance in a daydream
🍷 You think cheap wine is the best wine

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: If you enjoy stories with an evil step-sister, an adorable dog, a spontaneous best friend, and the chance to learn about a rare medical condition, look no further - this book is for you, and don’t get me started on the swoony romance!!

After loving The Bodyguard, I was so excited to read Hello Stranger, and it did not disappoint. I found it just as addicting, and the unique plot line kept me intrigued. While I wanted to shake Sadie for a lack of communication sometimes, she was a relatable main character, and I couldn’t help but root for her and laugh at her amusing behavior. Overall, this sweet story gave me a sense of hope and made my heart oh so happy!

𝐓𝐖: parental death, bullying, medical content, sick pet/vet visits, panic attacks, fatphobia (minor), suicide attempt (minor)

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an eARC and audioARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay everyone. Stop what you’re doing. And pre-order Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. Right. Now! This precious gem of a book comes out July 11th, and it’s the perfect summer (or anytime) read! ☀️

This love story really created fantastic anticipation .💓

Our main character Sadie is a portrait artist who develops face blindness just weeks before her entry for a career-changing portrait competition is happening. But that’s okay, she’s got this. She doesn’t need anyone’s help! She’ll navigate through this mess, plus the drama with her evil step-sister, PLUS her beloved pup’s health issues (don’t worry, he’s just fine!), PLUS PLUS falling for two guys!

This one made me laugh, had me feeling just as blissful as Sadie skating on the rooftop, and had the most unique love triangle. I cannot recommend this one enough!

I'm a simple girl, I see a Katherine Center book, I know I have to read it. This is my third Katherine Center book this year, and there's just something comforting yet emotionally captivating about each one of her books.

Hello Stranger is a story about an artist who loses her ability to see faces. A condition caused by an accident that makes faces appear more like jumbled puzzle pieces. This forces a lot of chaotic energy and misconceptions into her life and perhaps a little love too.

This was just a super fun and heart warming read. I loved Sadie's journey of connection, not only to herself but to her mom and those around her. Because she can't see faces, she's forced to see things in a new creative lights. There is a message of hope amongst all the hardship in every one of Center's books and this was no exception. There's always a romance that secondary to the growth plot and he was a total gem...this brought many sweet little moments that will warm your insides.

Unpopular opinion alert, The Bodyguard was a bit too goofy for me so I was happy to see Center return to more of a heartfelt, emotionally dense story that i've come to know and love from her other books. Don't get me wrong, this still had a touch of silliness but it was lovable and I embraced it. I loved the quirkiness and whimsy that accompanied the bittersweet. Overall a wonderful read, and perfect for summer!

Loved the audio as well!

very light strong language (maybe and F word or 2), closed door just kissing fade to black.

This one made my heart shine bright like the sun 💛✨☀️ I can’t wait for more of you to read it this Summer!

KC has become a comfort author for me!

This one takes you on trip figuring out how to navigate life unexpected, confront challenges past & present, and identify what truly matters to you!!

Sadie never saw what was coming! One minute she’s celebrating her “big break” in life, the next she’s in the hospital! As she struggles to cope with her new reality and medical diagnosis, her life is completely out of focus.

It felt so relatable! Something happening out of your control. The fear of the unknown, but also holding on to hope! I felt so much for and so connected to Sadie. I loved seeing her personal growth through her struggles. I felt all the emotions - laughed, cried, smiled, hoped.

Of course there is a love interest because it is a romance, but I will let you read all about that 😉 I’ll just say I loved how it all came together!!!!

Another #mustread & must read author’s note!

Did KC write this one for me? 💁🏼‍♀️😂
I definitely felt like she was talking to me directly! I loved feeling THAT connected!! 🥰

All the 💗💗💗💗💗 for this one!!

While predictable, this book was enjoyable like curling up with your favorite blanket and a beloved movie. Sadie has an accident that causes face blindness, but she still manages to meet someone new and develop feelings. Overall this was a great book. I always love anything but Katherine Center!

3.5⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Publication date ~ July 11, 2023
Page Count ~ 336
Audio length ~ 10 hours 39 minutes
Narrator ~ Patti Murin
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ face blindness, slow burn, no steamage

Sadie is excited about some news that could change her life when she has a seizure that does change her life. She has brain surgery that results in face blindness, which doesn't bode well for her career as a portrait artist.

I fount it to be a bit on the slower side as Sadie had to try to figure out who was talking to her based on their voice and what she can recognize of something someone has worn in the past. While I'm sure this is quite disconcerting and something I never want to experience, and I know this is the main plot, but it got to be a little much for me. How many times can one person dupe her ~ and the duper was a doozie.

She has 2 possible love interests:
Joe ~ the helpful neighbor who she mistakes for a sleaze.
Dr. Addison ~ the veterinarian who tends to her beloved, Peanut.
Who will she choose? I must say I am very happy with her choice 😉

Overall, I did not love this one like I did The Bodyguard, but I still liked it well enough. There is so much love for this one from other reviewers, so go see what they have to say.

I was fortune enough to have a kindle copy and an audio copy ~ both ways were fine. The narrator did a fine job. She totally nailed a good voice for the rude bully step sister, Parker.

Katherine Center's books are so fun. They are mindless foray's into whimsy, light romance, and unpredictable situations that no one could possibly get into in real life. But there is a solid place for this sort of fiction in real life. I know I'm not going to be disappointed. I know I will laugh at unexpected situations. I also know that there will be redemption and happiness at the end of the book. So when real life gets tricky (spoiler alert: real life WILL get tricky probably when we least expect it), I choose a Katherine Center book to help me through. In this case, our protagonist is Sadie who is going through some heavy stuff herself. Now that sounds like a downer, and it could be, I suppose. But that's not what happens. Because Sadie makes rash decisions in her thinking. She's impractical sometimes. (Okay. A lot.) And the result is hilarious and oulandish. As you''re reading it, you know that all the time. You, as the reader, are the logical one just waiting for shoes to drop. It is so, so much fun tripping through the pages that you're kind of sad when you reach the conclusion. But you also know as you're traveling there that everything will be okay. Predictability is good sometimes. Especially when real life gets hard. You've probably already predicted what I think. But I'll go ahead and say it anyway. I predict you will love this book. Jump in and enjoy. Pub date July 11, 2023.

I devoured this book in two evenings. It is a sweet love story that is complicated by Sadie's facial blindness. Her facial blindness also hinders her ability to be a portrait artist. She has to learn to cope in this new reality and while doing that confronts her past. It is a fun, sweet read about a topic not normally written about

Thank you SMP and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Katherine Center is a queen. Hello Stranger is a charming, mostly light-hearted summer read. Sadie and Joe are quirky and utterly heartwarming. I adore their flaws, their banter, and their journey.

Yea, sometimes the storyline felt a little out there but it was so unique that I found myself looking past it.

Read if you love:
• opposites attract
• quirky, messy characters
• endings that will leave you with a big, cheesy smile

I loved this book, but then, I love all of Katherine Center's books. I've not been writing professional reviews for a while now, but I strongly recommend this wonderful story..

All along I was thinking to myself, "oh, this is cute, but not giving me any wow factor." It was solidly a 4 star read until the ending 😱🤩 tied everything together even better than I thought it could. Loved it. Perfect balance of seriousness and romance in my opinion!!

When I want a light, fun romance, Katherine Center is becoming a go-to writer for me. Her newest book, Hello Stranger, is no exception! I loved Sadie as a character, even when I found her a little frustrating, The concept of face blindness seemed fresh to me as a reader, and I liked how Center used it in Sadie's story. Talk about miscommunication! Grab this one when it releases if you want light and fun!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this early copy.

“Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry”

Before participating as a finalist in a once in a lifetime portrait painting competition, Sadie Montgomery suffers a seizure. Luckily, a good samaritan swiped her off of the road before she turned into road kill. Not so luckily, she requires brain surgery, forcing her to take mandatory rest days before the competition.

After the surgery, she notices everyone around her had the abstract faces of a Picasso painting. The swelling in her brain caused her a “probably temporary” condition of face blindness. She can see the people around her, and their facial features, but her brain can’t process them as a faces.

During this confusing time in her life, she meets falls in love with two different men and decide between the two without ever seeing their faces. And, figure out how to paint a portrait without seeing a face.

5 ⭐️

It was so interesting to read about Sadie learning how to live without seeing or recognizing the faces around her.

I actually almost cried for Sadie’s relationship with her family and even when she chose between Joe and Oliver. The love interests were so cute, there were so many sweet moments between them.

The plot twist was obvious to me, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be, but either way it didn’t take away from the story. If anything, it made it even more heartbreaking when Sadie chose between the love interests.

This book was such an enjoyable read, I binged it all in one day. This is Katherine Centers new best novel. One of the best romances to come out in 2023 so far.

Review will be posted to @whatsmadireading on instagram July 10, 2023.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC of this book!

Sadie, a portrait artist, has a mishap and discovers that she has a genetic medical condition that requires brain surgery. The brain surgery results in face blindness, which is the premise of the story. We follow Sadie as she navigates this new normal- trying to figure out who is speaking to her, dealing with an evil stepsister and all the drama that comes with her, attempting to finish a portrait for a competition she's entered, and falling in love.

Although there were some storylines that didn't click at first, the ending of the book wrapped those up for me and had a fun twist. I enjoyed Sadie's determination and quirkiness. There is a good mix of likable and unlikeable characters, which brought some good drama to the story. This was a fun romcom.

This is a perfect beach read for the summer!

a very cute story, and if you liked the bodyguard by katherine center, you are sure to love hello stranger!

Absolutely loved it! Sadie was the best- she was just wholeheartedly a great person. I felt for her and literally wanted to beat her stepsister up! I also didn’t love her bff but she redeemed herself towards the end. I definitely called the twist but I thoroughly enjoyed the redemption! I can’t remember a book where I swooned as much (I mean, Joe ugh soo swoony!). I went into this book completely blind as to what it was going to be about and I’m so glad I did. I highly recommend you do the same. The only thing I wished for was that there was alternate POVs but that’s just me! Highly recommend! Guess I’ll have to read The Bodyguard now