After reading The Body Guard, I knew I had to read Katherine Center's next book Hello Stranger. And it did not disappoint; I loved it. Maybe not quite as much as The Body Guard, but it was still a fun, enjoyable story that kept me intrigued.

For one thing, I cared about Sadie; she was so human as she tried to adjust to a new way of seeing the world after surgery left her with face blindness. This was a devastating blow to her career as a portrait artist, especially since she was just named a finalist in an important portrait competition. Unfortunately, her emotional well-being also depended on accepting and working within her limitations.

For another thing, I loved the romance. It was not sappy and overdone but authentic and honest. I did see the twist coming, but it did not detract from the love story.

And finally, although the family drama was a bit over the top - I still enjoyed it, especially Sadie's relationship with her best friend and landlord; heartwarming and a joy to read about. This is a fabulous read for fans of Katherine Center and anyone who loves rom-coms.

“I didn’t want to not be okay. I thought, if I just pretended to be fine and not need anyone or anything, that would be enough.”

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist waiting for her lucky break in life. When she finds out she’s been chosen as a finalist in a competition with a prize of $10,000, things finally seem to be going her way. That is, of course, until she ends up in the hospital and finds out she needs brain surgery. The doctors assure her she’ll be recovered in no time and ready for the competition. However, after the surgery, Sadie finds that she can no longer see people’s faces. The doctors assure her the loss of facial recognition is temporary, but the timing is terrible.

Throughout the story, Sadie struggles with her loss of being able to recognize those around her. She suddenly finds that she can no longer trust her senses and perception of her surroundings. Will Sadie finally have her break?

Change is a hard pill to swallow and Katherine Center did a great job writing about the change and struggle that Sadie underwent throughout the story. I felt like Hello Stranger was cute; I liked the premise of it and the characters were relatable (with the exception of the evil step sister). I also entirely identified with Sadie’s refusal of help from others and need to do everything herself. Let’s also not forget that hilarious miscommunication… Good one, Center! Last but not least, I liked that the author included a note about Prosopagnosia at the end to educate readers!

Overall, cute romance with some family drama, laughs & tears, and an overall unique plot. Check it out for yourself when Hello Stranger comes out in July!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger is the story of Sadie, a portrait artist who just made it to a career changing art show when she suddenly has to have brain surgery. Doctors assure her it's a minor surgery, but Sadie ends up with a side effect no one was prepared for - she can no longer recognize faces. We follow Sadie through her journey of trying to paint an award winning portrait, meeting two love interests, and dealing with her cruel step family - all while she is unable to see anyone's face. 

This book was SO CUTE! As a previous psych major, I loved getting to read about a main character who was dealing with prosopagnosia. The storyline of this book was so interesting and intriguing for a romance. The main character Sadie was so relatable and likable and I loved following all of her stories. There were parts in this book that made me laugh out loud and parts that made me want to tear up, it was all truly done so well. 

It took me just a bit to get into this book, but once I did I was hooked and finished it in one sitting! This was my first book by Katherine Center and I cannot wait to read more from her.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC of Hello Stranger.

Katherine Center is a favorite author of mine! Her books are funny, witty, and always has great relationships developing from friends to more AND Hello Stranger was no different. Because she is a favorite author i seldom read what the book is about and was surprised to read about a serious condition that her main character deals with. I was not familar with face blindness prior to reading this book, and her description of what she encountered was vivid. I did some minor research as it was an intriguing topic. She spun a fun, romantic spin on the condition that left you wanting to hear more about her characters. As with many of her books, the characters make a cameo in future books - so I hope to hear more about Sadie and Dr Oliver in the future.

Pick up a copy today!

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

This was such a sweet read! I loved it from the first page to the author's note! I have previously read Center's book The Bodyguard which I thoroughly enjoyed so I was delighted to see this one available on NetGalley.

Hello Stranger follows a woman named Sadie, who is a struggling artist who has recently earned a spot as a finalist in a portrait competition. She believes this will be her 'big break' and looks forward to proving herself to her father in the same competition that her mother entered and was unable to complete prior to her death. On the night of celebrating her win, Sadie experiences an accident that causes her to undergo brain surgery. She is left with 'facial blindness' six weeks away from her big deadline of completing a final painting for the competition. Throughout all this, she finds herself falling for two men whilst unable to see their faces.

I was really curious to see how the 'facial blindness' topic would be explored in this book. In my opinion, Center beautifully balances a story about hardship - loss of a parent, absent parent, disability, toxic relationships - with romance. Perhaps what I best liked was how the hard feelings and moments were so honest and raw. There weren't any 'quick explanations' to problems, messy relationships weren't chalked up as 'misunderstandings.' The MC's trauma was validated. I loved how the ending and the author's note were intentional about spotlighting positivity and hope amidst the 'ugliness' of humanity.

This book and its characters were REAL. All that said, it was still deeply joyous and lighthearted to read. I started this book and nearly finished it in one setting. As always, Center's books are immersive and so much fun!

I would recommend this to any romance lover or reader looking for a pick-me-up book. It's a quick read that is perfect for a beach day!

This was my very first Katherine Center book, and it absolutely won't be my last. I am so lucky to have gotten this from NetGalley.
While this book was clearly a romance, it was also such a deep dive into trauma, self-confidence, passion pursuit, family struggles, friendship, and so much more. I had never heard of facial blindness and I'm sure the picture I have in my head of what the main character went through isn't realistic, but it made me really wonder what I would do if I couldn't recognize people, or myself. Would it change my perception? Would it challenge me? What could be a really simple story was so wonderfully crafted to make the reader root for the main character in every possible way.
I also love Joe. That's it. No more comments there.
I finished this in just a few hours and is easily my favorite book of '23 to date

What a book! I loved the twist at the end. I loved the side characters. I was glad to see Sadie work things thru with her father. Great ending.

Big thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! Pub date: July 11, 2023.

Hello Stranger was what I expected it to be and then some. As most rom-coms go, very predictable but in the best way. Despite thinking I knew exactly what was going on I couldn't put down the book until my suspicions were confirmed (aka the very end). The surprising part of this book was the amount of detail about face blindness. I truly learned something new! Sadie is such a lovable main character. What a perfect read to kick off February! If you can snag this book early, I highly recommend that you do :)

This was my first Katherine Center book and it certainly won’t be my last! I loved every minute of this book and couldn’t put it down! I thought the plot was unique and unlike the other romance books I’ve read. I thought there was good character development and I loved the twist at the end! Definitely a quick, easy and light read! I also thought it taught some good lessons about life in general. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advance copy of this book! 5 stars for sure.

Katherine Center’s books spark joy, and Hello Stranger was no exception. A unique storyline with authentic characters, this is a hands down winner!

Admittedly, Katherine Center's books have been a little up-and-down for me, including this one.... I've really loved some of her rom-com female heroines and their interesting jobs (especially the kick-ass ones - a firefighter and a bodyguard, for instance) so I will definitely keep coming back and trying anything she writes - but there are other times I've felt that the protagonists are a little bit all over-the-place, not quite striking a balance that works for me of between how the character deals with heavy issues + and how the comedy part of the rom-com comes out, feeling a bit slapstick or wacky. I was very interested in the concept of a heroine who is a struggling portrait artist with an "I need to do things myself" personality who has a brain operation that leads to the condition of face blindness. But it felt like her character was a underdeveloped in general (as well as the side characters - and side-characters really usually make a rom-com for me) - so while it entertained okay at the time of reading it won't really be memorable, unlike some of her others, as I wasn't invested in this underdeveloped character enough to get invested in the romance either.

This one didn’t really work for me. I loved The Bodyguard, but some elements of this just didn’t feel realistic (she really didn’t make any connection that the three separate guys were actually one? Her parents didn’t see at all that her stepsister was evil?).

2.5 stars. I must not have read the same book as everyone else. This didn’t get good until 70% into the book. I almost DNF’d. There was a good twist at the end that made it a 2.5 star rather than 1.5 star read. It was just so boring. And all the painting crap was…boring. Parker was too diabolical and Sadie’s dad too weak. I loved The Bodyguard so I’m just so confused about this. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

I’m convinced Center can do no wrong. I’m not going to lie- the first few chapters drug for me and I was waiting to get into the meat and potatoes, but once I got to them, I couldn’t stop. This book really shows that we can become more despite the crappy hand we may have been dealt. Center created such a relatable story with Sadie’s parents/step family, but also gave her the best support system truly proving blood does not make family. I loved watching Sadie grow and was completely enthralled by Joe. Maybe I’m naive, but I never saw the ending coming and loved how so many puzzles pieces fell into place. So many details made this book perfect- from Peanut, to her mom’s birthday celebrations, to the hovel apartment. I give this book all the stars and am sad it ended so soon.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy. My thoughts are my own.

Okay, not going to lie here but I didn’t think anything could top Katherine’s 2022 release of The Bodyguard but my gosh Hello Stranger did!!!! It is rare that we both get an ARC and are able to read the book around the same time but we did so you are lucky to get a joint review!!

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist looking for one lucky break. Life has been finally starting to go her way when she lands one of the coveted spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Her Doctors tell her it will be easy, less than a week in the hospital and nothing will change. Upon recovery, Sadie realizes that she can see everything around her, except she can no longer see faces. She keeps being told it is only temporary and many people deal with it. As she struggles to deal with it and hang onto her artistic dreams, she finds peace in her 14-year-old dog peanut. Unfortunately, Peanut falls ill and Sadie has to take him to the vet. Where she meets and falls in love with the Veterinarian, Dr. Montgomery, now she is dealing with her diagnosis of not being able to see faces, and she is also trying to navigate new love.

Sadie’s face blindness was a concept that made me stop and think- I even kissed my kiddos extra times the next morning when I woke up and saw their little faces. I loved the characters, I was invested in their stories, and loved the development. The story was fantastic, but I really enjoyed reading Katherine’s author notes at the end; how she views the romance genre and the role in making us all feel ‘good vibes’ and how the predictability of a happy ending is a beautiful thing that many of us love and appreciate. Highly recommend this one!!!

I loved this sweet romance of Sadie. The development of the characters of Sadie, Sue, the Kims, and Joe were wonderful. It made me want to turn the pages quickly to find out what Sadie would do next. I loved how sweet the romance unfolded and the nervousness that Sadie had as things develop.

A wonderful read to sit by the pool with. A great story that I truly enjoyed.

Ever heard of Prosopagnosia? Yeah me neither, but it’s also known as face blindness. It’s obvious the author did a ton of research on it and it’s pretty fascinating. Anyway, no need for a synopsis or summary and this is gonna be right to the point. If you like hopeful stories that are light and just make you feel good, read Katherine Center. Period.

No huge surprises or shocking moments in her latest one. But it’s classic Center and just what I needed after a challenging work week. Easy, light, charming and hopeful.

This one comes out in July, but go preorder it now. I already know the perfect friend to send a copy to. 😉 My heroes in the book were Mr and Mrs Kim. I love them!

Do not miss the Author’s note at the end. It’s perfect and I wholeheartedly agree!

Big thank you to NetGalley and StMartins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger is a cute story, giving you a new perspective on how you see the world. After life not necessarily going her way, Sadie finds herself needing a brain surgery that ultimately alters her way of life by leaving her with face blindness. She now has to navigate learning a new way of life and also figuring out the boy next door.

It ends up being a little predictable half way through but I still enjoyed the ride until the end. I did enjoy learning about face blindness in general and the frustration it can be going from one way of seeing people to not.

The last notes regarding humanity and the way we all sometimes need to see the world from a different perspective was really inspiring.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

just..... oh my god. oh my god this beautiful amazing unique never been done before book. holy shit. I wish I had the words to explain how much sadie's journey captivated me. her struggle with her grief with losing her mother, which made me feel incredibly seen and made me feel like i had my heart ripped out, but also her love story. Her ability to believe in being helped and being loved by the end, to believe in herself and to believe in the good things in the world. this book was so incredibly funny, heartbreaking and beautiful.
this book has an insane twist which I predicted but didnt disappoint or fall flat. this is definitely a must read. Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this perfect digital reviewer copy with me.

4.5 stars rounded up! Katherine Center does it again! Hello Stranger took me on a wild ride and I could not put it down. There are so many notable relationships in this book (including dog and owner) that all kept me invested. If you enjoyed the Bodyguard I would absolutely recommend this!

SPOILER: Only points deduction was because it bothered me how she went so long without knowing the love interests name and he never corrected her.