Katherine Center just never misses for me. Another well written book full of characters to love and hate and an ending I actually did not see coming!

If you have even remotely liked any of her previous books, you will love this one! Absolutely a 5 star read for me and any rom com lover will agree!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In true Katherine Center fashion, this book is pure joy. With a super unique premise I was instantly drawn into this story. Sadie and Joe were so sweet, and I loved getting to be in Sadie’s head.

My only drawback was that I don’t think this should be categorized as “romance.” I definitely think it’s more women’s fiction with a side of romance than just straight romance. This was still cute, and I enjoyed!

When I saw Katherine Center was releasing a new book, I knew I had to read it, especially after reading The Bodyguard and loving it. I was not disappointed at all with this book!

This book was so good, that I could not put it down! The characters were perfect (yes, even Peanut who I cried for) and the drama was to die for. I looked forward to the scenes with Joe and Sadie honestly.

While I did guess the ending or the big plot twist much in advance, it was still exciting to read the book and experience things as they unfolded.
Also, I am not going to lie, I did get teary eyed during several parts of this book. Both from being sad for Sadie but also happy for her!

Highly recommend this book, especially to other fans of Katherine Center!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A New Katherine Center Book!!! It was a fresh, engaging and fun read. The characters suck you in and you can't wait to see what happens next!!

4.5 stars!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Another favorite from Katherine Center! I wasn’t sure what to expect after reading the synopsis for this book, but was hooked less than 50 pages in! Definitely recommend!

This is the first of Katherine Center's books I've ever read, and it makes me want to run out and buy the rest.

For me, the premise of a portrait artist who acquires face blindness was intriguing, and the romance aspect of the story was fun, but what made this a 5-star read was the voice of the main character. I was immediately captured by Sadie, and I remained spellbound until the end.

The 'twist' wasn't a surprise to me, but I suspect that's the point: only Sadie, with the specific challenges she was facing, couldn't have seen it coming -- and I felt for her as I waited for her to figure it out.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this terrific book in advance of publication.

I always love the quirky and fun humor balanced with serious storylines that this author often writes. Sadie Montgomery is about to get her first big break as a portrait artist with an upcoming contest that could be the start of a flourishing career that has been stalling for a while. But after a surgery renders her blind to the faces of people, Sadie has to figure out how to continue her career in the one area she used to specialize in. Not to mention all of the obstacles that come with this new challenge regarding all of the people around her. I did love the aspect of Sadie seeing the world differently, including the people she already knew, as well as discovering new people. Her journey in trying to reinvent herself vs working with her dilemma and acting as though it didn't exist was well portrayed. The parts that seemed a little bit contrived and even unnecessary had to do with the embedded lessons, such as her stepsister and how the author often tries to spin a negative into a positive which is great for character growth and development, but sometimes the unlikable characters are best suited as unlikable rather than empathized with. I would've liked more out of the open conversation between Sadie and her father and his perspective on the things that Sadie had been wrongly blamed for in the past. As for Joe, he was lovable in all the ways and while I knew what was going on early on, it was hilarious to see Sadie not put the puzzle pieces together until much later. The ending was sweet and fit the story's paradigm that things aren't always perfect, but they are how they should be based on the journey.

Sadie is a struggling artist. She's hoping her luck will turn around with a portrait competition she's landed a finalist spot in. But from there things seem to go down hill. Including needing a brain surgery that results in her being unable to see faces... making her submission to the competition that much more difficult. Her dog gets sick, needing to go to the vet. Her obnoxious neighbor is always there to witness embarrassing moments. But what she doesn't expect during all this is to fall in love with two different men.

I did enjoy this book, but it wasn't my favorite by this author.

I LOVE Katherine Center. This story is phenomenal and I could not put it down! She has a beautiful ability to balance seriousness with comedy regarding topics with love, loss, illness, family and dreams. KC is a must have author for me and she did not disappoint!

I am so grateful for a copy of this book in an exchange for a review! Thank you SO much to the author, publisher, and netgalley! <3

Huge fan of Katherine Center ! Only she can take a serious subject and make it funny. This is a truly unique story. Thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. This book is about love, loss, illness, family and dreams. I highly recommend this book !

Katherine Center does it again! I first fell in love with her writing when I read How To Walk Away and I have devoured her work since.

THAT TWIST THOUGH! Really did not see it coming. This was such a great read.

Thank you for approving my request to read this! I may have squealed when I got the approval :)

Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life―placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition―the next she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls in love―not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Making judgment calls on anything right now is a nightmare. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to have it all.

This book was amazing! It was funny and heartbreaking at times. The characters were great, family drama… love triangle. And such a unique plot. I highly recommend, but am not surprised as Katherine Center lives up to her reputation of being an amazing author.

Every summer when the new Katherine Center novel is released, I immediately go on “Do Not Disturb” mode and get SUCKED into her book for several days. Her upcoming novel, Hello Stranger, was no different as I sat on my couch and binged it for two days. As I was reading, it was close to Valentine's Day, so it was the PERFECT romantic comedy to get me in the holiday spirit.
Hello Stranger focuses on a 28-year-old struggling artist, Sadie, who is just trying to prove herself in life. After getting accepted into a contest that could make or break her career, Sadie has a seizure in the middle of the road while crossing the street. Luckily, a good Samaritan saves her life, but while she is in the hospital, doctors find out that the seizure was due to something on her brain and will need “minor” brain surgery. When Sadie wakes up after her surgery, she realizes that she can no longer see faces. Although this is temporary, it is a huge issue with Sadie because she...wait for it... is A POTRAIT ARTIST and her competition is in less than six weeks. The story shows Sadie navigating her new life, falling in love with not one but two men without seeing their face, and coming to terms with her past and present.
Hello Stranger, it is such an interesting concept, and I have not read anything like it before. Being a counselor, I really resonated with the therapy aspects and all the psychology that went into the brain surgery and prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness. This was a light, fast paced read, and Katherine Center aways has a way of giving your whole-body chills like at the end of your favorite rom com movie. Although the ending was predictable, it was such a comforting book. Hello Stranger, will be out in stores Jully 11th 2023, and it will be such a feel-good summer read. 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend it for anyone to enjoy!

2.75 rating

before I write my review I will say tysm to the publishing company for the arc
^and netgalley<3

this beginning was slow in my opinion
the characters weren't my favorite and I couldn't connect to them with the book having a slow start but I definitely can see why people love this book


I will say I loved the bodyguard so I was expecting to love this I was so disappointed:( but it might've just not been my style of book 💜

Winner! Winner! Katherine Center does it again! There was nothing not to love!-interesting characters and an unusual situation is the perfect recipe. This is fun, witty and touching!

This book had an interesting plot. Sadie, a self portrait artist, needs to have minor brain surgery. Unfortunately, after the surgery, she can no longer see faces, temporarily the docs said. While recovering, she meets Dr. Addison, her dogs vet, and Joe, an annoying neighbor in her building. She begins to fall for both guys, is trying to save her struggling career, and has to deal with her past. Will Sadie find her happiness?


Again, intriguing plot. I enjoyed the friendship between Joe and Sadie and reading about how she handles her temporary face blindness. What a life changing thing. However, there were so many characters I just couldn’t get behind and the ending felt a little too clean. Overall, it was ok.

I had such high hopes for this one, but I found myself skimming the last 25% of the book just to find out how it ended.

Here's where it fell short for me:

-Zero chemistry between MC and love interest
-The feud with the stepsister. I refuse to believe grown adults would behave this way. And the way it resolved (kind of?) was just so bizarre and not at all believable.
-The "break up" scene with a guy the MC had never been on a date with was, again, bizarre. It makes sense later so I guess I see why it was there, but in the moment I was so confused.

Katherine Center does it again with a book that accurately describes getting back up after life kicks you down. This book will keep you engaged until the twist I never saw coming at the very end. One of her best to date!

Sadie puts up walls because the people you love are the ones that hurt you the most. At least that has been her experience. After a traumatic incident leading to brain surgery, and a recovery that isn’t what she expected, she is left questioning her life’s work as a portrait artist. No longer able to see faces, how will she survive and navigate the world, especially romantically? While falling in love with her handsome (she thinks) vet, she is determined not to let anyone know her struggles especially her obnoxious, bowling jacket wearing, neighbor, Joe.

Hello Stranger is a fun romance that wasn’t overly steamy, which I appreciated. The beginning seemed to drag on. I did appreciate, not only the round characters, but also the complex relationships of a blended family. I felt that the subplot of her step-sister seemed a bit cliche and over the top, but I enjoyed having a villain. The book was cute, fun, and I’d recommend it for those looking for a more wholesome romance.

Thank you to @netgalley @katherinecenter and @stmartinspress for my ARC of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

This is my first book by Center and I am excited to share that it won’t be my last! I already have her other books on my TBR and want to read them all! Center’s writing style was easy to follow, funny, descriptive, emotional, and was a read I wanted to come back to each evening!

Hello Stranger has a unique premise in that the main character, Sadie, finds our that she needs to have an important surgery and then loses her ability to see people’s faces.

Sadie is a struggling artist and this health problem sets her back. She finds relief in spending time with her dog, Peanut, because she can see animal faces.

One day, Peanut gets sick and Sadie takes him to the vet. Dr. Addison, the vet, asks Saide out on a date. She doesn’t want him to know what’s going on with her face blindness though or anyone else in her life. That includes her neighbor, Joe, who seems to be in and out of everyone’s apartment. What is he up to?

Sadie and Joe develop a friendship since they are living in the same building and what unfolds is a fun surprise. Although I saw the surprise coming, it didn’t make it any less enjoyable in the book!