When you receive a copy of a Katherine Center book, you drop everything and read it. That is exactly what I did.

Hello Stranger was a cute story with a main character you rooted for till the very end. I enjoyed the humor and how the relationship between Joe and Sadie grew. I figured out what was going on pretty quickly, but I think you were supposed too (maybe).

I will say that this wasn't one of my favorite Katherine Center books, There were parts of the story that fell flat for me. The story of Sadie's family felt weird and I didn't connect with it. It felt off and unrelatable, I had a hard time connecting to the story and to the characters. It didn't grab me the way her other books do.

Despite my review I know this book will do amazing and I think it would be a good book to read pool side this summer.

Thank you NetGalley for my gifted copy. It was such an honor to read this one and review it. I look forward to hearing what others have to say about this cute read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opporutnity to read and review!

I really enjoy Katherine Center's novels and this one did not dissappoint, it also prompted me to go back and read The Bodyguard which had been burried in my TBR pile.

Katherine Center has a way of developing characters and place in her novels that draw the reader in and keep them engaged. As Sadie is on the brink of the biggest break in her career as a portrait artist, she undergoes a brain surgery that leaves her with facial blindness. Center describes Sadie's struggle in a way that while the reader can't quite picture how Sadie is seeing faces, it is possible to picture how things have changed for her.

Center develops multiple facets to the storyline, from her facial blindness, the relationship with her step-mother and evil step-sister, and the budding relationships with the hot Vet who saves her dog and her neighbor, Joe.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.

This was very cute, I loved Sadie and her internal monologues and appreciate all the side characters. I loved the romance and how it all played out. But I really hate miscommunication tropes and at the end when they were avoiding each other is where it lost the 5 star feel for me. This would have been perfection if that one chapter was handled differently, if we can stop having characters miscommunicate and just be open and honest would really be a step forward for the romance books.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"I didn't know exactly what he was to me, but he wasn't a stranger. All the touching I was about to do to him... it couldn't be just an art project. It couldn't be just about shapes and textures and tones. There were emotions involved. I didn't know how to get rid of them. And I didn't want to get rid of them...

Hello Stranger is my first Katherine Center book and it is phenomenal! The humor is on point, the romance is quirky and fun, and the story is engaging and insightful. I absolutely adore Sadie and I enjoyed reading from her point of view. I was so thoroughly invested in Sadie's story and Katherine Center's writing. It's been a long time since I've stayed up real late to finish a book and I did not want Hello Stranger to end! Believe it or not, I almost started re-reading the book right after I finished it. I have Katherine Center's The Bodyguard on my shelf and I definitely plan on bumping it up on my TBR pile.

If you love Katherine Center's books, Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics, and Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese, you will fall in love with Hello Stranger.

5 stars

Hello Stranger
By: Katherine Center
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels

-As a native Houstonian, I love that this book is set in Houston. <3

-This book was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got into it, I was so intrigued by all of the layers of this story.

-Sadie’s family is wild, but it was wonderful to see her cared for by her best friend’s family.

-I love her interactions with Joe.

-There were some plot twists that I did not see coming.

——

Hello Stranger was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 7/11/23

I was SO excited to receive a copy of Hello Stranger from Netgalley, I dropped everything and started reading it immediately.

It was fun to learn about Sadie and her struggles as an artist, how the surgery she needed to have shaped her work, and how she fought to care for herself in the face of an unexpected adversity.

I also really enjoyed her interactions with Joe and her best friend Sue.

This book was a bit of a slow burn for me. It took me awhile to get into, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to others.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #stmartinspress #hellostranger #katherinecenter

HOLY CRAP THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE. I AM JUST SO STUNNED RIGHT NOW AND WHY IS IT OVER??

Okay, first off, I started this novel and felt that it was going a little slowly. But thankfully it picked up fairly quickly and oh my god did it get so much better. The plot, the characters, the research that Katherine Center did--all so amazing and incredible. I never felt like anything was dumbed down, but I was also able to understand along with Sadie.

The twist at the end-- it wasn't really a twist because I figured it out early on. However, I would have been so disappointed if I was wrong, so I'm so glad that I was right even though it wasn't a surprise.

After I finished reading I just sat on my bed for ten minutes and stared at the wall. I literally just sat there thinking about how amazing this book was.

A VERY WELL DESERVED FIVE STARS.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Katherine Center for the ARC! This beauty comes out later this year on July 11th!

REVIEW: Hello Stranger

Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle Advanced Copy
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4.5)

Summary:

Sadie Montogmery, a struggling portrait artist, has finally hit a stride of good luck when she is chosen as a finalist in an art competition. She only has six weeks to come up with her best work when she unexpectedly has to have brain surgery.

The doctors tell her it isn’t a big deal and she will be back to herself in no time. However, after the surgery Sadie can see everything around her but one thing: people’s faces. Some would say facial blindness is not a convenient thing for a portrait artist to have.

Throughout these six weeks, her beloved dog, Peanut, gets sick. She takes him to the vet where she meets Dr. Addison, who promptly asks her out on a date. But, she doesn’t want him or anyone else to know about her facial blindness, especially not her annoying neighbor, Joe. As Sadie tries to save her career, manage two developing crushes, and confront her dysfunctional family, she realizes happiness can be found in places you least expect.

Review:

I was so excited to be able to read this before it comes out in July, because The Bodyguard was one of my favorite romances last year! This book is so sweet and very funny, and really cemented the fact that I just love Katherine Center’s writing.

I thought the the story was so clever and definitely not something that I have read in romance before. This is for sure going to be a hit when it is released later this year!

“The more good things you look for, the more you find”

4 / 5

This book was a cute quick rom com read about an artist who loses her ability to see faces but through it learns how to truly see the world around her.

Was it the best book ever? No.
Was it the perfect little book to spend a Sunday night reading ? Yes.

Main character is well written, the love interest is actually interesting and the plot while a bit of a stretch moved quickly.

I desperately wanted to like this book. I have read most of Katherine's past novels and have enjoyed them. I loved her most recent work, The Bodyguard, and rated it one of my top reads of last year. I was so surprised that Hello Stranger fell flat for me.

While it was interesting to learn about prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder where you cannot detect facial features (face blindness), there was way too much time spent describing it. For some reason I just did not feel or connect with the main character's journey with it. The ending and "twist" was insanely predictable, and not in a comforting way- in an annoying way. The protagonist, her evil stepsister, was so unbelievably mean and outrageous that it was comical. I am so sad that I didn't like this one.

I am really interested to see what others have to say about it! I'm sure there will be many that adore it.

Oh, how I love Katherine Center. She is my hero. The Bodyguard was one of my favorite books of 2022. I really liked Hello Stranger. It was such a unique premise which made it really interesting to read. It was cute, emotional, and funny - with a fun twist. I just wish there was more romance between the two main characters. I would have loved one more chapter before the prologue of them just being happy after their miscommunication. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

Thank you so much for the ARC!!
This was such a good book. I was immediately drawn into the story and could tell that I would love Sadie.
This book has everything.
*Starving artist
*Funny meet cute (kinda)
*Precious dog
*BRAIN SURGERY
and of course Joe and dreamy vet guy.
(I did guess the little *twist* early on but still loved it)

I absolutely adored this book. 5 stars.

Why haven’t I read more books by the amazing Katherine Center? Her latest masterpiece “Hello Stranger” is funny and uplifting, as well as serious and emotional. Sadie is my new hero as she faces a complex medical condition that changed everything about her life. She desperately wished her beloved mom, Nora, was still alive to help guide her through this difficult time. The special memories Sadie has about her mom brought tears to my eyes as I realized how close they were when she was growing up. I admired Sadie’s kind heart, her zest for life and her ability to ignore the naysayers as she traveled down her own road to success! The brightest light in Sadie’s life is her dog Peanut, a spry and energetic 14 year old Maltese/Yorkie mix. I worried along with Sadie when Peanut became ill, as she bundled him up and walked as fast as she could to the emergency vet, praying he could save his life.

Sadie faced her illness with courage and humor as she bravely navigated the world of faceless strangers. Sadie needed to rely on her other senses to help her recognize her friends, acquaintances and her annoying family members. Romance was in the air for Sadie as she fell in love with Peanuts veterinarian Oliver, and also her helpful neighbor, Joe. I found Oliver to be more like a book boyfriend, too good to be true whereas Joe made Sadie laugh, kept her company when she was sad, and was always there with a tender hug. Sadie showed the world that with determination and the help of good friends and the man of her dreams, life goes on and the future is what you make it. Sadie had a decision to make though, and it was a big one. Which handsome man, vying for her attention, would win her heart?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

This was more of a 3.5 star read for me. I had never heard of face blindness before this book, so that was really interesting. I was so annoyed by her step sister. You were supposed to be, but it got to a point where it felt like it didn’t need to be that big of a plot point. It gave it a Cinderella-esque feel and just felt like it was doing too much and taking away from the rest of the story. Another thing that I didn’t like that goes hand in hand was the story about the bullied friend from HS and how she randomly showed up at the perfect moment. It just felt unbelievable in a way that wasn’t needed, and would have not been in the book if the stepsister storyline wasn’t so overdone. Overall, I enjoyed this one and enjoyed the friendship and the romance. I just wished the book had attempted to do a little less.

As per usual, Katherine Center did it again! Excellent character development, great storyline, and another book I will be recommending.

This is my second Katherine Center book(previously read The Bodyguard), and I find her books to be warm and comforting. I thought the premise of this book was interesting where the MC is an artist dealing with face blindness. However, the romance missed the mark a little for me. The romance felt a little forced and far-fetched. I enjoyed the way the book wrapped-up and found Sadie (the MC) to be very loveable. The cover is absolutely stunning. Thank you to St. Martin’s press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Hello Stranger is a solid five stars read. It’s my first Katherine Center, and now I know I want more and more and more of her writing!

Sadie, a struggling portrait artist, is finally about to have her big break when she places as a finalist in a huge competition. But she suddenly has to have brain surgery which changes her life. Suffering from face blindness in the aftermath, Sadie must discover how to overcome her struggles in life, painting, family, and falling in love.

Sadie is a very unique character that really drew me in and had me absolutely obsessed. She’s a little quirky in a fun, sing to the music in the grocery aisle kind of way.

As she struggles through her face blindness, she begins to grow as an artist and a person. The romance is super sweet on this, but it doesn’t feel like you could call this just a romance book. It was so much more than that.

Hello Stranger was a cute, feel-good self-discovery that made me feel as if I was growing with the main characters while also staying light and funny. And you can’t not mention her adorable dog Peanut. I HIGHLY recommend. #oneforthebookshelf

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC!

Sadie is the definition of a starving artist. She finally gets her big break as a finalist in an elite portrait competition. But then Sadie has an incident and discovers she need brain surgery. After surgery she learns she has face blindness that could or could not be permanent. Sadie begins searching for ways to paint a portrait without actually being able to the subjects face.

Every book I have read by Katherine Center has been excellent. This is no exception. This book has a lot going on and I loved every bit it. A love triangle, a senior dog and legit evil stepsister just to name a few!

4.5⭐️rounded up!

This book was so cute and sweet! I read quite a lot of rom coms and this one was so unique with such lovely and endearing characters.

Sadie is a portrait artist who unexpectedly needs brain surgery. As a result of this surgery, she suddenly has face blindness -- which is hopefully temporary. As Sadie figures out how to continue painting portraits as well as navigate this new way of interacting with the world, she meets and starts accepting help from her neighbor Joe.

The romance in this book is definitely a slow burn but I thought it was just perfect. All the characters are so sweet and unique, and it's impossible not to love Sadie and truly want the best for her. Her best friend Sue, and Sue's parents, are great supporting characters and their love for Sadie is so apparent.

Sadie shows so much growth as a person through this book -- in a very real and authentic way. She has had a strained relationship with her father, as well as a negative one with her step-mother and step-sister, and I thought all of those were written so well.

So much of this book had me smiling and I couldn't put it down -- all the qualities I look for in a rom com!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely adored this book! I read it in one day, I couldn't put it down.

I honestly felt Sadie was a little immature in the beginning and wasn't sure how I would like her character, but ended up loving her and seeing her growth throughout the book. You can't help but root for her. There was a lot of emotion and drama and laughs throughout. I also thought the face blindness was very interesting and the story had me captivated.

This story was so unique and heartwarming. I love it.


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:
Love isn’t blind, it’s just a 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 is the third book I’ve read by Katherine Center, and I loved it just as much as the other two! She has a way of balancing humor and heart that comes through in every novel, and I am so glad I had the chance to read this one early.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!