Struggling portrait artist Sadie Montgomery is finally getting the longed for chance to be recognized she’s been hoping for when tragedy suddenly strikes and she is ultimately left with facial blindness. No longer able to visualize faces as they are, her life is completely upended. As if that isn’t enough, family dynamics, two very different men, and the fight to keep her career on target make for a story that keep the pages turning.

Katherine Center knows how to write both main characters you want to root for and supporting characters you want to hear more about and does the same with this story! I loved straightforward best friend Sue so much and would love to read more about her in a follow up novel. While the evil stepsister plot line felt a bit heavy handed at moments, I appreciated Parker’s commitment to her evil ways as it lent some serious outrage and don't we all just love to hate a good villain? Filled with funny moments, warmth, and substance, I was happy to spend time in another of Center’s written worlds.

I cannot stop thinking about this book. Katherine Center is the QUEEN of romance books where you are rooting for the main character to love themselves (almost) more than you want them to fall in love. She has this way of writing about real life and heavier issues, while still making you giggle and kick your feet. Sadie's story is no different. You learn so much about yourself as you watch her struggle with a new reality and that is the highest compliment I can give a book. Highly recommend Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (and her whole catalogue).

Oh this book was wonderful. The author clearly did her research on face blindness, and this approach to the disorder did nto appear insensitive or light. She applied an appropriate amount of heavines to it while also not making the story too dar. I'll be honest, I did not see the twist at the end and really enjoyed the suprirse. THis was a great break from some of the darker books I read, while also bringing awareness to a medical condition that I am aware of, but may not have known as much about.

I love this book so much! It is so sweet and hopeful and absolutely beautiful. This is the kind of novel that really perks you up and teaches you how to forgive. Love it so much!

"Hello Stranger" is absolutely adorable! You can tell when the writing is good when you absolutely hate the villain. And boy did Katherine Center create a good villain in Parker. This book was so sweet, wholesome, and a bit heartbreaking. With an evil step-sister, prince charming in a bowling jacket, an immortal dog named Peanut, and a fairy godfather acting as a landlord, this book has it all. Of all the characters we meet throughout this book Mr. Kim was my favorite. He became the father-figure that our main character, Sadie desperately needed. What I absolutely loved about this book was Center's attention to foreshadowing. There were so many moments to play off as throw away comments, but they become full circle moments that round out the story. You can tell that every word was intentionally written.

Katherine Center is a reliable win for me every book! I loved learning about a topic I knew nothing about, while swooning over the character's building romance. Another solid romance, not my favorite of hers, but still with the read!

I will likely pick up another book by this author in the future but this particular type of relationship centering around a love triangle isn’t for me.

I really enjoyed this book! It Katherine Center has always been a go to author for me and this book was no different! Books that make me want to stay up past midnight reading are the best and this one definitely fit in that category. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! I will certainly recommend it to all of my reading friends!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

This was a cute book! It was delightful and entertaining love story. I had so much fun reading the book and meeting these characters.
Recommend to everyone reading romance novels!

Hello Stranger has a really unique premise with Sadie experiencing a condition that causes her to not be able to recognize faces. This is especially inconvenient as she is a portrait painter who is a finalist in a prestigious competition. What was interesting, though, was how she adjusted to compensate for not being able to recognize the faces of those around her. It allowed her to connect in a different way with those around her, and to find a bit more strength within herself. The pacing was a bit slow at first, but I really started to connect more with Sadie as the story went on.

This was another solid read from Katherine Center! After reading this book and The Bodyguard she has become one of my must read authors. I can't wait to read more of her books.

This book was so promising at first and, considering it's written by an author whose work I have enjoyed in the past, makes this being a miss even more disappointing. The interpersonal relationships between the characters felt lackluster, and the characters felt one dimensional to me. I did appreciate Sadie’s story and the themes of blindness and understanding, opening up to love, and working out of family relationships. I liked what Center highlighted about growth, forgiveness, and compassion, but those times were overshadowed by a writing style that bored me. Perhaps she just tried to pack too much into one book.

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me as she always takes complicated human emotions and makes them so…simple. Hello Stranger is another homerun from her and I’m anxiously awaiting the next one…

Katherine Center writes such beautiful stories that always leave me feeling like the characters are my friends and I’m cheering them on the whole time. I felt intrigued by the medical diagnosis which is very relevant to the main Character’s experiences throughout the book - what a unique storyline outside the “tropes” often represented in romance reading. Well done Mrs. Center you never disappoint!

This was a big disappointment for me, unfortunately. I love every single Katherine center novel, but the premise of this one was just too unbelievable to enjoy it. I almost didn't finish it. So sad because her release every year is usually a favorite each year. I'll still read each of her books though !

This was a surprise! Very cute, fun characters, the rare disease was a twist that lent itself perfectly to some romantic comedy setups. I did see the inevitable conclusion coming, but the execution was particularly fun. Definitely will recommend Katherine Center in the future!

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

Heartwarming. Adorable. Uplifting.

Sadie’s life is full of “the hard.” A freak accident led to a blood clot, and the surgery to fix it led to face blindness. Difficult for any person. Impossible for a portrait artist. Utterly tragic for a finalist in the life changing North American Portrait Society competition.

Oh, how I rooted for Sadie! I went through the gamut of emotion alongside her as she faced challenge atop of challenge. And when she fell for two guys? I wanted to roll my eyes. Instead, I felt my heartbeat pick up.

This is a refreshingly unique tale brimming with humor and heart. It reminded me to always be on the lookout: “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

Like every other book I’ve read by Center, this one radiated joy. Her writing is laced with comfort and hope, which allowed a supported exploration of the hard stuff. And in so doing, her books reach into the soul, delivering the warmest of hugs every time.

There’s no doubt in my mind, @katherinecenter wields pure magic. Her author’s note at the end reminded me of this.

“Romance novels all run on a blissful sense that we’re moving towards something better.”

I vividly remember the overwhelming JOY that reverberated in my soul after reading my first novel by Center. Happiness. Bliss. Delight. I found myself completely surprised by the mood lifting power she wielded with her writing.

It was like crack. I needed more.

And that feeling of BLISS is why I keep returning to her novels year after year. Each book is like a warm hug. Always uplifting. Exactly what I need.

🎧 Patti Murin excelled in depicting Sadie and her wide range of emotions. But it was her portrayal of Joe’s snarkiness that made me swoon.

This was a do not finish for me sadly. I LOVE Katherine Center but I was wanting more romance than this had to offer. The memory loss was something I was struggling with as well. I got too far in with nothing happening.

took me a bit to get into this one. i enjoyed the ending but i wish i enjoyed the beginning a bit more

Sadie Montgomery was a talented portrait artist on the verge of her long-awaited big break. Unfortunately, tragedy struck and Sadie was told that she would need brain surgery. While the surgery went well, she was left with face blindness and the doctors couldn’t guarantee that it would resolve. Sadie was forced to interact with her world using new strategies and from a new perspective.

This book was just amazing! I really wish that I had picked it up sooner! The story was an emotional rollercoaster and I was glued to every minute. Katherine Center continues to present her stories in such a compelling manner. I was invested in each character and really hoping for their success. Can’t wait to read more of Katherine’s works!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.