This romcom between a woman with face blindness and the two men she’s torn between was a fun read. This wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book, but still worth diving into if you’re in the mood for a sweet, fun romance.

I found this just too light and predictable BUT I did enjoy it for an airplane read. Katherine Center writes perfect PG romances, which is why she sells so well to a demographic of our customers, but I hoped this might have a bit more depth! I will continue to read her.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Katherine Center, and I found the writing to be okay but the story was not for me. I did not once become connected to the story or characters at all, and if anything I mostly just felt annoyed. I don't have much to say about the book, as I dnf'd it at 60%, but I will say that the fmc was delusional 🤣. I am on a path of putting books down when I really don't want to read them, and this was one of those cases. There are so many great books in the world and I would rather not waste all of my time on one that I am not enjoying. However, I do still look forward to reading The Bodyguard by Katherine Center.

I don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. I’ve picked it up and put it back down several times. But now that I’ve read it, I wish I had read it sooner. I loved it. Such a sweet sweet book that was hilarious and inspiring at the same time. Yes, I could totally see the ending “twist” but I think the point was that we were all knowing as the reader and the main character was completely in the dark. I highly recommend this. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that I took entirely too long to read.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist on the verge of her big break. She's finally earned a spot in the portrait competition she's dreamed of her entire life.

And then, in a freak accident, she ends up with a condition where faces look like jumbled puzzle pieces— not good for someone who needs to paint a realistic portrait in just a few weeks!

On top of the painting drama, Sadie has TWO potential paramours— the charming vet and the bad boy neighbor with a bomber jacket.

Will she get her vision back in time to compete? Which man will she choose? You're going to have to read to find out!

I love that Katherine Center sets her novels in Texas towns, so reading them always feels like a hug from home!

This novel follows Sadie Montgomery, a painter, who temporarily loses her ability to recognize faces after brain surgery. Unfortunately, Sadie is a portrait artist. Despite not being able to recognize faces, Sadie decides to continue with the portrait contest. During this trying time, Sadie meets two men. She meets a charming veterinarian as well as "Joe" who lives in her building; who appears to be her annoying neighbor. Sadie navigates falling in love, saving her career and confronting her past including the death of her mother and her emotionally unavailable father. The characters are likable. This novel did not disappoint.

I am so intrigued by acquiring face blindness. I liked the full circle moments of the FMC and artistic ties, plus her relationships with the people in her life. I laughed, I cried, I lauded Katherine Center for the piece of work she is, in creating this little delight. It was a sweet little palette cleanser.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a Katherine Center book!! The quirks! The emotionally rich story!!

The trouble I had with this one was that there were a lot of mental hurdles to overcome to enjoy this story. Mainly relating to things that were unsaid that just didn’t add up.

I think the idea was compelling despite some truly overdone “villains.” But in typical KC fashion, it all came together by the end.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I read The Bodyguard last year and while it made me laugh and had some pretty good romance moments, I didn't like it all in all. Maybe I'm just not a fan of this author and her writing. I couldn't stand the heroine like at all. And please do not get me started on the misunderstanding and miscommunication trope. (insert eye roll here). I wanted to love this one, I really did. The synopsis got me and the overall layout of the story should've been great. Sadly it was another miss.

Love this! Katherine Center writes the most relatable female characters and just the sweetest romance novels. I have yet to read one I didn't like. As someone who works in the medical field, reading about Sadie's Prosopagnosia was really interesting. I love quirky MCs and the things that Sadie had to deal with were quite laughable at times. Definitely recommend this one!

I like Katherine Center’s works and so I will be honest and say I selected this one without reading anything about it. It was a super cute rom-com and oddly one that works only as a book and wouldn’t really work as a movie. It took me a minute to figure out the whole truth of the love triangle. I enjoyed the story a lot, but I struggled with Sadie as she felt a bit more self-absorbed than I wanted in my heroine….I know it worked better for the plot overall if she asked no questions, but it made me struggle to like her. I really liked Peanut and Joe and the Kims. Sadie is struggling to make it as a portrait artist, following in her mother’s footsteps despite her father pushing her to go to medical school. Right after she becomes a finalist for a portrait contest she discovers she needs brain surgery and a byproduct of this life saving surgery is that she can’t see faces anymore.

I really enjoyed the unique concept for this novel, which, in typical Katherine Center style, is much more than a simple romance. Sadie, a portrait artist, is hit by a bus, undergoes brain surgery and emerges with (hopefully temporary) face blindness. She can no longer recognize the faces of even the people she has seen many times before, As she adjusts to her new difficulty in observing the world, and does her best to conceal it, she also finds herself drawn to both the local veterinarian and a guy who lives in her building. The way Center uses the face blindness in the love story is nothing short of brilliant. I guessed what she was doing perhaps a bit earlier than I was meant to, but this didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. This was both a fascinating look into a different way of seeing the world and an adorable, believable romance.

CUTE! That is the best word to describe this book. Also, I enjoyed how things were handled in the end. My questions and doubts were answered and cleared up. I greatly appreciated the author’s note as well. Also…the dog!!!

*Amazon Editor’s Pick: Best Book of the Year 2023!
*Loved this story!
*Couldn’t put it down
*Learned a lot about Prosopagnosia or face blindness
*I loved how Sadie grew as a person because of her disability-she had to learn how to ask for help from others
*Audiobook ⭐️⭐️⭐️-the character voice distinctions weren’t that great and there was no emotion expressed in the reading

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC and MacMillan Audio for the Audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center does it again. She infuses heart, romance, humor and family dynamics in a way that feels safe to step into.
I read this quite a while ago and I am still thinking of it and its characters. I would say this was the first one where I didn't see the ending clearly for how Center wrote it. Great book!

"Hello Stranger" by Katherine Center is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that explores the transformative power of connection and second chances. Center crafts a compelling story around the characters of Cassie and Will, who navigate the challenges of starting anew after unexpected life changes. The narrative is filled with genuine emotion, humor, and a deep sense of hope. Center's writing is engaging, capturing the nuances of human relationships with warmth and authenticity. "Hello Stranger" is a beautifully written tale of resilience and the unexpected joys that come from embracing life's unpredictable twists, making it a delightful and satisfying read for contemporary fiction enthusiasts.

Absolutely adored this book in every capacity. I love Katherine Center’s writing and the love story she developed. While our main character faced adversity, we watched her grow and develop into a strong female lead. An absolutely delightful story.

My first Katherine Center novel and it was an enjoyable read! I would definitely recommend this author to a friend!

Fast easy read, but with substance. I had an emotional reaction to the characters’ love story which is the mark of a good storyline to me. I also didn’t catch on that the neighbor and the vet were the same person for the longest time, so I appreciated the twist.

I absolutely adored this book. It was so cute and quirky and the perfect light hearted read. I thought the main character, Sadie was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. The face blindness aspect of this book was so unique and so interesting to read about. It really makes you think! Although I guessed the big plot twist pretty early on I still really enjoyed the reveal. I highly recommend this one!