I was so excited to read this book, but was sadly quite disappointed. Outside of the obvious editing and polishing that needs to still be completed with the book I just could not get into this. If you're looking for a book that is quick and lighthearted (for the most part) I do think this could fit the bill. If you're looking for a romance, you may want to keep looking.

This book is about a struggling portrait artist with a problematic family life. She suffers from a stroke and needs to undergo brain surgery. She is left with acquired face blindness after just receiving word of her big break.

Some things I liked about the book:
- I loved that they're bringing attention to face blindness. I honestly didn't know that it was even a real thing prior to this book.
- One of my favorite quotes from the book highlights some of the ridiculousness that is medical statistics: "It's life-threatening" he said, "but it can be cured. The survival rate is thirty to seventy percent." Thirty to seventy percent? What a useless piece of information. -- there were a few quotes in the book that made me laugh out loud, but this one was most memorable.

Things that didn't work for me:
- the characters and dialogue did not have much depth to them.
- I truly did not see a point in adding some of the components of her family life into the story. I think it was to tie in her mother and give her more of a background, but it just did not work at all for me.
- At times I felt as though I was being force fed information on face blindness. It did not seem to come naturally in the book at all. I appreciate that Katherine Center spent a lot of time researching this topic and wanted to give as much information about it as she could -- I just didn't like the delivery.
- The thing that probably upset me the most was there was basically no romance in the book. Sure there was sort of a romance starting, but the whole book was basically about her going to a coffee shop, trying to paint but feeling sory for herself, and weirdly planning a wedding in her head with someone she basically didn't know (oh right and denying her feelings for another person she also basically doesn't know).

This book was kindly given to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Another fabulous read from Katerine Center! I read the bodyguard and fell in love with it. While this one didn't surpass The bodyguard for me I still really enjoyed it!

This book was a one of a kind read for me. A portrait artist gets a brain injury and can no longer see faces.

It's intriguing, slow burn, deals with real life problems, over coming obstacles, crazy family members, not giving up and it was just so cute! I felt some parts of it was a little slow, but over all a great read!

I liked the first half of this book considerably more than the second half of it. I just felt like the ending was too convenient. Why had Oliver/Joe never mentioned any of the times they had met Sadie outside of the apartment building or the vet's office? I get that it made for a pretty cool reveal, I just felt let down by the ending. I did, however, really like Oliver and Sadie's relationship and I liked the other familial aspects of the story. This was my first Katherin Center and I would definitely read more by her, but this one didn't do it for me.

“This love story created fantastic anticipation.”

Thanks to Katherine Center for the perfect words to describe this - it’s totally true!! This is such a sweet love story, but one that leans into female strength and conviction (as so many of her books do!). The premise is very creative and one that allows for exploration of all sorts of emotions and in particular bias, which really is a great theme for the days we’re in right now.

It has all the characters you hope for in story like this: Strong female main character with a past that includes some parent issues, evil stepmother, mean girl step sister, loyal best friend and the oh so charming love interest(s?)!

You jump into the story quickly and immediately know where you are and whose story this is. One of the things I think Center does best is the details - she pulls you into the setting and surroundings with such great description you’re not even mad about it. It makes the story so vivid and helps keep you invested in the story while you wait for all the proper beats to happen. The pacing is fantastic.

The problems are real, the disappointments squeeze your heart in that uncomfortable way, and it all just drives the desire - anticipation - you hope for. Very satisfying ending!!

Great read, easy but interesting, highly recommend.

P.S. What I liked just as much as the book is the author’s note at the end about romance novels. I’ve never heard anyone talk/describe them in this way and it’s just perfect.

An absolutely stunning, beautiful, heartwarming, eye opening story. I truly haven’t read something like Hello Stranger before. The fact that Sadie had to rely on her other senses after being unable to see faces was heartbreaking, but oh so beautiful at the same time. She had to learn to fall for someone’s qualities (or negative qualities thanks to her step sister). When everything began to click into place, my jaw dropped. This was my first book of Katherine’s that I’ve read and it did not disappoint. I’m forever a fan. Do yourself a favor and read this beautiful book. Self love, self discovery, and overcoming negativity to become the best version of yourself.

4.5 rounded to 5 stars

I love this author. I have read 7 of her books and enjoyed every one of them. This one is no exception. It was the author, of course, plus the unique premise and learning opportunity that drove me to seek an advanced copy of Hello Stranger. Prosopagnosia plays a major role in this book. Prosopagnosia is the fancy word for face blindness. I’ve always suspected that I might have a touch of that as I often find it difficult to re-recognize a face I just met. I never took the time to research this issue, so I learned quite a bit about it from Ms. Center through her excellent research efforts. I was impressed, as how many times do you actually learn anything from a rom-com?

So, great premise and great learning op. Score! What else did I like? I loved the protagonist Sadie who is saddled with family issues, career issues, and health issues, including the newly acquired prosopagnosia that threatens her livelihood, which happens to be portrait painting. I also loved her little dog Peanut who is a great example of how an animal can improve one’s quality of life. Then there is, of course, the guys. Joe is a wonderful fellow who I was quickly drawn to, and Oliver is the type of vet you really want to find to take care of your beloved animals—and he’s not bad looking either. One of the best things about Ms. Center is that she gets a smile or a laugh out of me on almost every page. And what a beautiful epilogue and a just as beautiful and inspiring Author’s Note. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned that phenomenal book cover—consider it mentioned.

The themes of the story include learning to accept help, to allow people into your life who will teach you things you need to know, to allow yourself other ways of seeing things, to pause from all the hustle and bustle and take things in, and to be YOU. Also, to be compassionate with yourself as that will allow you to be compassionate with others. Some great lessons here.

The book lost a half star as I found the ending hard to grasp as believable despite the fact that I did predict that was what was going to happen. But coming from someone that has The Likeness by Tana French on her top ten faves of all time, that’s not that huge a deal. Hello Stranger is a sparkling read that captivated me and gave me joy. So there.

Ms. Center is one of perhaps 10 authors I will jump to without even reading the blurb, and she will always be that way for me. Thank you, Katherine for always giving me a big lift, especially when I really need one!

Thank you Ms. Erica Martirano of St. Martin’s Press, Net Galley, and Ms. Katherine Center for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. First, let me say I love Katherine Center books. They are always charming. I would give this book 4.5 stars. I love the twist at the end. I felt silly when I finished, but I honestly did not see that coming. I liked this book because it was different while still having the romance book formula. I also, learned about Prosopagnosia, which I never even heard of before, so that was really interesting. Another thing is that if you like "closed door romances" then this a good book for that. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good romance.

This is a sweet story about Sadie, a portrait artist whose world has just been turned upside down with a diagnosis of face blindness, learning to thrive when the world feels against her. When we meet Sadie, she is lowkey obsessed with proving herself as a successful portrait artist. She copes with the effects of childhood trauma from her mother dying, her father retreating into his grief, and an evil stepmother and stepsister, by never accepting help from others.
After her diagnosis, Sadie tries to find her purpose and place in the world with the loss of the skill set that is arguably the most important for a portrait artist. As she learns to navigate the world without seeing faces, she falls in love with her vet and her neighbor. The story that unfolds is about redefining success, trusting intuition, and being open to seeing the best in others.

I think some readers may be annoyed by Sadie's cynicism, pessimism, and overall stubborn distrust of others. However, I think her reaction is completely reasonable- particularly given the past trauma that is unveiled as the story continues. I appreciated Sadie's journey through self discovery and how her friend Sue helps her accept that success can look different for each of us at different times of our lives. I also liked how Sadie learns to be an artist in her own right and moves away from emulating her mother's path.

Hello Stranger will be at the top of my recommended beach reads!

Sadie has lived her life trying to make her father wish he believed in her all along. So far It hasn’t been going very well. After an unexpected medical diagnosis requires emergency brain surgery, this budding artist is left with prosopagnosia i.e., face-blindness. Timing couldn’t be worse as she has only 6 weeks to paint her best portrait to date.

Already a struggling artist, with an evil stepfamily, it takes all of Sadie’s strength not to be swallowed up in despair. With the support of amazing Neuropsychologist Dr. Nicole’s, Sadie must focus on the art of self encouragement. (Is Dr. Nicole accepting new patients?..asking for a friend)

Along her way to a new normal, Sadie’s brain interprets beliefs about people in a way that supports her understanding of them. It’s fascinating and surprising as the facts unfold about characters in her life, especially the handsome new Vet, her clueless stepmother and her womanizing neighbor.

“The more good things you look for the more good things you find.”
But can Sadie find good things in a bad situation, or love in someone she hates? I devoured every page - with tears and laughter - watching her try.

Warning: Hello Stranger may leave the reader with feelings of hope and joy.

For author: I would have liked better physical descriptions of heroine & hero - maybe from Sue's POV?
For publisher: You ran up against one of my pet peeves: did the cover artist not read the book? Is that dress supposed to be flower-appliqued dress? And put the hero either in a lab coat or a bowling jacket (what is that anyway? a letter jacket?) or a navy blue suit. And why a paint brush? And that's not Peanut or a bulldog.

What a lovely little novel!

This is my first time reading one of Katherine Center’s books. The buzz surrounding her previous book made me curious and I can’t say I was disappointed!

In Hello Stranger, we meet artist Sadie Montgomery. She’s just been given her big break, a finalist in a portrait competition. Just as her big break is coming though, an underlying medical condition starts to affect her, and post surgery, she’s been diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but faces now look jumbled and disconnected. As she navigates through this new normal, Sadie finds herself falling in love with two different guys, the god-like Dr. Oliver and Joe, the neighbor downstairs with the floppy hair and glasses. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Katherine Center does a great job with establishing her characters in this book. I loved following Sadie and all the obstacles thrown in her way, from her complicated family life to her dear dog Peanut’s old age. I felt for Sadie’s struggles and laughed with her as she learns to live with the face blindness. I really liked this world and would love to spend more time in it.

I did figure out the twist by the end and felt that the epilogue was completely unnecessary. Other than that though, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a quick lovely read and would love to spend more time in this world! It definitely makes me want to check out more of this author’s books.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for giving me this digital ARC.

I can’t explain why I loved this…but I did! Sadie’s life is turned upside down when she had a near-death experience that involves her requiring brain surgery. As a result of the surgery, she is plagued with face blindness, an inability to see faces or recognize people. I have to admit I have a hard time grasping that but I do know it’s a real thing. Anyway, this is especially detrimental because Sadie is a portrait artist who is a finalist in a prestigious contest that she needs to win, both for financial reasons and to prove herself.

Sadie’s family, aside from maybe Lucinda, is really awful. And it sometimes make Sadie seem unlikable too. And Joe is a literal saint. How is he so nice? The parts with him were predictable but I still ate them up and couldn’t wait to keep reading. I was sad when it was over.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange of an honest review.

I was very on the fence about this book until roughly the 75% mark. The beginning and the middle just did not do it for me—Sadie’s self-pity was overwhelming and not enjoyable. Which is the point, I guess.

However, I loved this sort of take on the miscommunication trope. A trope which I usually dislike. It was interesting and fresh and I liked Sadie and Joe’s relationship. It developed very organically and genuinely.

Overall, this was a 3.5/5 for me. I’ll round up to four, for the sake of stars. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Hello Stranger.

This story follows Sadie, a young artist trying to catch her big break, after a medical emergency leaves her with no choice but to have brain surgery. This surgery leaves her with an unexpected complication - face blindness. Sadie has to figure out how to navigate this new world and find a new way to make her art (portraits) the best she can.

I would have given this book a 3.5 if I could do half star ratings. I enjoyed this book overall - the concept was new and interesting to me, the main character was fun and the love interest was a really lovely character.

I think for me, this book fell flat with the family relationships. I personally would have wanted those relationships to be a little more complicated, rather than just “evil stepsister” and “evil stepmother” (something Sadie says quite often). I also saw certain things coming and for me, that was a little disappointing.

Overall, a fun love story!

Thanks to NetGalley for St. Martin’s Press for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

A cute little romance that has a unique storyline from most other books I’ve read. The main character, Sadie, was a tough, but super loving character that most females can relate to and want to be friends with. After a freak medical incident that left her with face blindness, Sadie has trouble adjusting to her world and completing a portrait painting for a prestigious art contest. Reading about how she went through this was actually kind of interesting; what a crazy medical issue to have. I will say that from the very beginning I made a prediction and I was right; so a little disappointed I could call out the ending so quickly at the beginning…but still worth the read! For some reason I thought it was going to be more of a rom-com, but I didn’t get that vibe so much. Am I glad I read it, absolutely! A quick, fun sorry to add to your TBR list!

Katherine Center has a big hit on her hands. Hello Stranger is not your average sappy romance. It is a novel with a most unusual premise - a portrait artist is struck with a side effect from brain surgery, which causes facial blindness. Sadie has been chosen from thousands of talented artists to compete in a prestigious art competition. She needs to be creative in how she will go about her portrait. Classic Katherine Center - she is surrounded by many colorful characters who made me smile and frown throughout the pagers. The author brings warmth and wit into her books without making them corny. I love this book so much that I ordered it on Amazon for two friends and my daughter. I can hardly wait til it is published. They are going to love it!!!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. I've read The Bodyguard and Things You Save in a Fire - of those, I liked The Bodyguard more. I do want to go back and read her previous works. Hello Stranger features Sadie, a struggling artist. At the beginning of the novel, she has a life-altering accident and surgery that affects her painting ability as well as regular daily activities. Shenanigans ensue as a result. I loved the chemistry between Sadie and Joe, though the way she revealed the gotchas at the end were not satisfying for me. She has a difficult relationship with her dad, and I really wanted more development with them, as there were points of connection that did not seem to get explored. This was 3 stars for me.

Hello Stranger

Rating- ⭐️⭐️- I really struggled with this one. The main character was involved in an accident and is learning to cope with a new diagnosis. I felt the story was choppy, lacked character development, and overall just fell flat for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

From the start I was hooked! It’s a story that I felt so many emotions happiness, anger, excitement and I even shed a few tears. It’s a story of tragedy, triumph, frustration and the willingness to work through obstacles so that you get to the point where you fully cherish life and all the people in it. I didn’t want this book to end it deserves 5 stars all the way!

Hello Strangers grabbed me from the opening page. It was an easy read with the author descriptions. I will gladly read another of Center's books, as an escape from reality.