I definitely feel like I'm in the minority, but I sincerely did not enjoy Katherine Center's "The Bodyguard." Knowing that, I was anxious to read "Hello Stranger." I was, however, blown away just by the premise, so I gave it a shot. And I'm glad I did!

Center wrote Sadie so well. I absolutely would be her best friend. I laughed at her goofy antics, cried with her when she was struggling, and fell head over heels when she did. Joe and Peanut... no words can describe my love for them.

"Hello Stranger" was such a beautiful novel with the most unique plot I've heard of in a long time. There were quotes I laughed and cried to, characters I could see myself hanging out with, and a romance I couldn't stop reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

There is very little that makes me more disappointed than when a book I have the highest hopes for comes in super flat. And for me "Hello Stranger" was not at all what I expected from my beloved Center. Let me remind y'all I loved "The Bodyguard". I loved the e-book so much, I purchased the hardback and then listened to the audiobook as well. Trust me when I say I'm a fan of KC, but "Hello Stranger" was an absolute wreck of a book.

Instead of laying out the synopsis, I'm going to do a pro and con list because I don't want to ruin this book for those who haven't read it. I guess you can say my review is geared towards those who have read the book and are looking for someone who, like them, didn't love this one.

PRO:
-The amount of research the author did in regard to facial blindness.
-Quick and easy read; I finished in a little over 5 hours.
-LOL moments, although much less than what I'm used to from KC.
-Fun and slightly flirty storyline (this is a closed-door story).
-The author's note in the end was absolutely perfection.

CON:
-The dialogue was very choppy.
-Every character. Even Joe and the Kims. But I will admit those 3 were the cream of the character crop.
-The explanation on the good Samaritan/Joe/Oliver. I just couldn't buy it.
-The label of rom-com doesn't work here; this is women's fiction with a B-plot of romance.
-Predictable twist.
-The ARC from NetGalley felt very rough draft-ish to me. Like to the point that I'm curious of what the final book will be like because there were so many editing issues and a huge continuity error in one point of the book re: Joe and Parker.
-Poor character development.

Please read this and now that I respect KC as an author and will continue to hype her books I love, this just wasn't one of those. I do think this book will land with some, but it was a miss for me.

There is no doubt in my mind, if I had brain surgery, this book would still echo in my mind. A story this beautiful one does not forget.

Is it a romance? Yes. Is it more? Yes. It’s the journey of a women who loses her self worth and occupation (sort of) and how she rediscovers who she is. She’s an artist that ends up confiding in Joe, a seemingly unlikely character who trash talks in the elevator wearing a bowling jacket. But it’s not that simple, she has an evil step-sister, a crush on her (hopefully) hot Vet, and she lives in a hovel owned by her best friends dad.

I had moments where I put the book together, but I doubted myself. It make me squeal, and cackle, and cry, but I’m an easy crier. Read this book, no regrets. I found it working it’s way into my mind when I put it down, and even after reading it. It has staying power.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I love Katherine Center’s works and was really excited to read her latest book. The book has a unique premise which I liked.

But this one was a huge letdown for me. I found the main character Sadie really annoying and could not connect with her or the storyline. Some parts of the book felt ridiculous and a bit of stretch at times. The ending of the book was very predictable.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for arc.

At first I thought the book was predictable til I read Katherine's Author's Note. She writes in a predictable structure, but towards a happy ending.

Hello Stranger was a delight to read. Funny out loud moments.

I started this book in the middle of a deep depression episode and it was exactly what I needed to feel some joy. I love how this book discusses grief and the loss of self that can occur in grief for years after a traumatic event. I also loved the development of compassion, particularly self compassion, in Sadie throughout the novel. The love story was quirky, sweet, and joyful. Many of my criticisms, such as being confused by what appeared as plot holes were resolved by the end of the novel, once the entire story and the extent of Sadies face blindness were revealed. After that, my primary criticism is that sometimes Sadie's voice almost felt silly and vapid, which was annoying at times. Overall though, I loved this book and will recommend it to my friends and family, and will watch for future books by Katharine Center, as I continue to love her writing and her storytelling.

Interesting premise, and while I know it’s real, it’s rare and was hard to buy into initially. Centers writing made up for it and I loved this by the end.

The way Sadie puts everything together at the end is such a relief. As a reader, I did not suspect the vet and the neighbor to be the same person. Sadie’s outlook on life really helped her future. I was glad to see she regained some control on her face recognition. Definitely a solid read!

Was it cute & entertaining? Charming even? Yes!

But was it also ridiculous and absurd? Unfortunately!

I also found it incredibly predictable…

Many details were highlighted and then not followed through on until way too late in the story (even sometimes not at all) and it felt inconsistent. An example is how the main character went gaga over the vet’s walk but then it wasn’t recognized throughout the story? (If you read this you will know why that’s important.) At one point (too late in my opinion it’s “explained” but it doesn’t actually explain it.

So ultimately this book was a let down for me.

I have always considered Katherine Center books to be incredibly popular but while I do own a few, this is the first I have read. I’m now wondering if I should even read the ones i own.

If I want a cute RomCom Novel (which I do typically enjoy), there are plenty of books out there that aren’t filled with Chapters that literally make me cringe.

This book had way too much juvenile drama for my liking.

Disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to read & review the ARC of this novel.

This is the first Katherine Center novel I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing. Center’s ability to show the reader what it is like to have face blindness in an approachable way while also making it a rom-com was genius. Center was able to explain the medical side of the disorder without it being confusing, but also in enough detail that I am sure that someone in the medical field would appreciate the accuracy.

I found myself laughing out loud at several instances as Sadie and Joe were such genuinely funny and interesting characters.

I liked how the plot twist was set up. I caught on pretty early on, but was so eager to keep reading to see how Sadie would handle it. I even felt the second hand embarrassment when I knew things that Sadie didn’t yet, and knew that she was going to screw things up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would recommend to anyone who wants a good laugh but also a compelling love story.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book... which makes it all the more painful that this book just didn't hit home with me. It too me a full week to get through this book (and that's a long time for me) because I didn't connect with the story at all. The actual idea behind the story is interesting and I was intrigued by prosopagnosia. I think a lot more could have been done and/or done better in this book.

Our main character Sadie is... Oh man... I don't think I can describe her fairly because I just really did not like her at all. Never before have I disliked a main character as much as this one. She was so selfish and immature and just annoying. The whole book is basically an inner monologue of her saying "Oh poor me", "my life sucks", "no one understands me". She legit pushed everyone away from her... I'm surprised her best friend still wanted to be her friend after the way Sadie treated her.

Let's talk about the "twist" for a second... I figured it out way too fast and I'm not sure if it was intentionally written for readers to put two and two together so early/quickly... but it just made a lot of the book very cringe worthy.

And that family... What the heck? I'll leave it there.

My two fave character was Dr. Nicole - She was the best part of the book.

I really appreciate the positivity of Katherine Center's novels. This is another feel-good romance with sweet characters and funny moments. Unfortunately, I didn't find it as charming as some of her previous (and in my opinion, better) novels. The character of Parker is excessively mean and almost caricature-like in her wish to cause trouble. Would a mean step-sister go to such lengths to cause grief?! I found that plot line too exaggerated to be realistic at all and thought it detracted from the story. The same was true of some other plot points as well. The entire dress debacle where a woman gets soaked and trades dresses with Sadie was okay, but then for said woman to be the childhood friend was just too much of a coincidence! Granted, I know novels use coincidences and cute tricks, but this felt completely impossible! Other details like Sue eloping, the veterinarian and Joe confusion (which was a transparent plot point from the start), and the parental behaviors (also a bit questionable and unrealistic) took away from my enjoyment of this particular novel. It was still fun to read but The Bodyguard and What to Save in a Fire are both superior works in my opinion.
I still love Katherine Center books and will continue to read her work. I just hope her next one will be better!

This was a fun book! Sadie really has a way of working her way into your emotions, as she reminded me of some quirks that my friends and I have. The story is a build, in a good way. I really felt like I got to know, appreciate, and understand the characters without it feeling like a slog and just piles of information. There are lots of moments that interweave beautifully as the story continues on, which is rewarding as a reader.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m a huge Katherine Center fan, but HELLO STRANGER was a miss for me ☹️

My thoughts:
-instant love trope is not for me
-unique plot involving a tumor that causes prosopagnosia (face blindness)
-MC Sadie was not my cup of tea. o found her to be immature & annoying
-some of the interactions were just weird, imo
-saw the *twist* coming from a mile away

Even though this wasn’t the book for me, I will definitely continue to read Centers work in the future. My recommendation is to check out THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE and HOW TO WALK AWAY by her. Those were 5⭐️ star reads in my eyes 🤩

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center's newest book focuses (pun intended) on Sadie Montgomery, a struggling portrait artist who finally catches what could be her big break as a top ten finalist in an important art competition in her home town in less than six weeks. As she leaves the grocery store with wine and dog biscuits in anticipation of celebrating her good fortune, she suffers a seizure in the middle of the street. After being saved by a Good Samaritan, an MRI at the hospital reveals a blood vessel in her brain that requires surgery. Pressured by her estranged cardiologist father and her less than understanding step-mother, Sadie agrees to the surgery immediately instead of putting it off knowing that it will seriously reduce the time for her portrait. Her ability to produce an award winning submission is further complicated when she wakes up from surgery with swelling in her brain causing prosopagnosia (facial blindness).
As Sadie copes with her condition, she must figure out how to use her senses to navigate the strange and frustrating world where she looks at faces but cannot recognize anyone including her best friend or her hated step sister. Believe it or not, the author utilizes this difficult and potentially depressing situation as the frame work for a romantic comedy. Successfully! As the story evolves, I rode the roller coaster of emotions with Sadie as she worries whether she will recognize her dog Peanut, develops a crush on Peanut's new Veterinarian, works through her feelings about her deceased mother, struggles with her relationships with her family, and begins what could be more than a friendship with her obnoxious/man whore neighbor Joe. The author provides detailed and interesting information about the medical condition along with fabulously developed secondary characters that keep the book moving and upbeat. A compelling read that I finished in one sitting because I wanted answers to all my questions. Will Sadie end up with Dr. A or Joe? How will she place in the art show? Will she even submit an entry? Is her facial blindness permanent?
Pre-release copy received from Net Gallery/Publisher St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Katherine Center, I knew I needed to read her upcoming novel Hello Stranger. Katherine has a signature style of writing and characters. She brings unique twists, obstacles and characters to her stories that leave with the most inspirational, heartwarming endings. There is always a lesson to be learned when you finish Katherine's books. Sadie Montgomery is a quirky and kind portrait artist who has been down on her luck with success. She's aching for her big break and gets it when she places as a finalist in a big contest. Disaster strikes though when she undergoes unexpected brain surgery just weeks before the contest deadline. She's left post-surgery with prosopagnosia - face blindness. We don't realize how much we rely on facial recognition daily. From loved ones to strangers. Sadie is faced with many challenges, especially how to finish her portrait... of a face! In a series of mishaps, disasters and small wins, she falls for two men who enter her life (whose faces she cannot see!). I loved the supporting characters in this, minus Paper who is the biggest bully I have ever read. Lucinda was an interesting character, as was her father. Sadie was raw and real with her emotions, insecurities, and struggles with all that was going in her life. We all struggle and face obstacles and being kind, having residence and redefining what it means to win were huge messages I came out of this book with. The love story was sweet and gentle and I felt that Sadie and Joe really built something. It was not an insta-love! All in all, I loved everything and I finished this book in a day! Katherine Center nailed it again.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the free ARC!

After loving The Bodyguard, I was so excited for this book. Especially when you add in that I’ve seen so much love for this book going around.

Unfortunately for me, it missed the mark a bit. Since I have seen so much love for this book, I’m going to chalk this up to it’s just a me issue. If you like silliness and a good plot twist, then this would be a good book for you. This just wasn’t the book for me.

AHH Katherine Center can do no wrong with romances!
Not only did I think this was the perfect romance book, I learned about a medical condition that I had never heard of before. Thank you Katherine for bringing light to this condition.

Sadie, our main character is a portrait artist determined to make a living off her work. But....she is drowning. Most of her income is coming from her Etsy store and she really needs a big break to hopefully maybe become the artist that she truly sees herself to be. Her break comes when she is nominated as a top ten contender in a portrait contest where the reward could really help Sadie out. The conditions of the contest are that she has to paint a brand new portrait and submit to the gallery. Her portrait will be voted on and the one with the most votes wins the grand prize. Easy peasy right?

Then Sadie gets into an accident, has to have brain surgery, and learns that she has a condition called Prosopagnosia, also known as Face Blindness. Sadie can't see faces. So she can't paint portraits. As she is coping with how to get this portrait done, she seemingly falls for two different men...her vet and one of the neighbors in the building that she is living in.

I did see the twist coming, but over all I thought it was a heartwarming book. Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

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

Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH! When I tell you that I had ZERO expectations for this novel, that is the truth. Center’s last book, The Bodyguard, was straight trash. We’re just gonna pretend that book isn’t in her catalog, because this book… THIS BOOK!!!!! Wow. I noticed quite a few plot holes throughout but the ending was magnificently glorious. I really did not see it coming at all. This is not a story of strong relationships with others but rather the fact that your relationship with yourself should always come first. Once you reflect, and maybe even start to ask for a little help, things will always get better. I read this early, and I can’t wait for its release so I can talk about it with everyone.

I’m so glad I read this story. I heard it was a romance and one of the characters has face blindness and then saw it had so many good reviews, I had to try it, plus I’ve never Katherine Center before so this was a real treat.

Sadie wakes up in the hospital with face blindness after having a seizure and surgery. She is trying to make it as a painter (like her mother) and was excited to be a finalist for a prestigious portrait competition. She looked forward to sharing her achievement with her father who had wanted her to follow in his shoes and become a doctor. She worries about how she will paint portraits if she can't see faces.

There is also a very evil, nasty stepsister, Parker. Her father married Lucinda soon after the death of Sadie’s mother when she was fourteen. Parker caused so much nastiness for Sadie, Sadie was kicked out of her home and school and ended up at a boarding school. Parker hears about Sadie’s face blindness and moves into her building to taunt her..

Luckily, Sadie has good people in her life like her best friend Sue (Soo Hyun) and Sue's parents who own the building Sadie stays in and they are so encouraging. She also has peanut, her old dog (and she can see his face, yay!) The romance is sweet and with a good twist. Joe was so kind and helpful to all. Sadie’s journey was special as she learned to navigate with face blindness as well as watch out for trouble from Parker. The ending was so good! It was a quick read, I didn’t want to put the book down. I recommend Hello Stranger and now I want to go read another book by the author, like The Bodyguard.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Valentine surprise.