Katherine Center is always a ‘must-buy’ author for me, so naturally I had to read the upcoming HELLO STRANGER releasing July 11. I continue to be amazed at how well Katherine immerses an important message/lesson into each book. In this one, I learned about facial blindness - a condition which the main character Sadie is newly maneuvering through. The book gives so much hope, humor, happiness and so much more. I enjoyed every bit of this read and can’t recommend it enough! Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Katherine Center books are the dessert of literature! Her books are full of sweet romance and are a delight to read, with fun characters and interesting plot elements. This one is no exception. The plot centers around a young artist who is dealing with a brain injury that has caused face blindness. Were there some easily predictable parts? Ok, yes. But did that stop me from devouring this book in 24 hours? No. And come July when this book comes out, don't let it stop you either.

4.5⭐ I am finding that I like to read Katherine Center books. They are easy reads with fun pilots. Some predictability, but it did not take away from the joy of reading the story. I enjoyed that this was not an instant-in-love kind of story. For those who only love hot and racy stories, this is not for you. This book has kissing and closed-door romance.

I also paint portraits and dabble in the art world. Strangely I also feared losing my site, but from old age and natural deterioration. That fear has always made me wonder what would happen if I lost my ability to work within my medium. So Sadie’s face blindness story hits me in all my feels.

I think the fear of getting by and surviving day to day is a genuine issue for artists. Until one can get a break or establish themselves, their work isn’t always enough to pay the bills. As for the medical aspect, I do not know how accurate the surgery and prosopagnosia storyline is, but I know I enjoyed it. I liked thinking about how the brain processes information.

I was very intrigued by Sadie's view and side vision of Dr. Addison's movements. I was not as impressed with her thoughts on Dr. Addison at first. I was worried Sadie was delusional. I was grateful that she was aware of her fantasy being fantasies. Sadie wasn’t the type to believe her dreams so much that she would embarrass me, the reader, with her actions. After I realized that I could relax and thought the romantic interest was good and not over the top.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of Sadie’s opinions of Joe, the neighbor. Her perception of everything around her before and after the surgery was so unique. How she ignored details before and after and how her mind processed her information is fascinating. I can see how she would take for granted seeing the people around her before the prosopagnosia issues. I am unsure why she didn’t doubt her perception more than she did. I would have.

I would have loved to know more about her step-sister Parker's back story. The author touched on it a little at the end of the story. It perked my curiosity.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher St. Martin's Press via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC of this book!!

This was my first Katherine Carter book and I was impressed. It was a beautifully written romance novel.

It did take me a while to get into the story and I wasn't sure where this book was going at first. The beginning seemed to drag on a bit, but once I got past the beginning, and really into the story, I couldn't put it down. The characters were lovable/relatable and the ending was so good!

Katherine Center did an amazing job creating a story that is captivating and I would definitely recommend this book. I am going to have to check out her other books now.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5178048638

Is it possible to fall in love with more than one person?

I mean, we see it every season on The Bachelor, so I suppose so.

I have always been obsessed with my husband, we met when I was 18 and we have been together ever since. I could not imagine having the capacity to love another at the same time. Lets be real, it sounds exhausting. Double the laundry, double the food shopping, double the D......

well, I'm sure that part wouldn't be so bad.. hehe

Lets get back to the book before I have to stick my foot in my mouth.

As I am sure you already know, I am a huge fan of thrillers BUT when it comes to specific authors, I would read just about anything they write as long as their name is attached to it. Katherine Center, is one of those authors. Actually "literary genius" seems more appropriate for Center.

Carter has a way with lighting up a sentence that will instantly captivate you. The characters, especially Sadie, are extremely life like that I had to continue to remind myself that I was reading a work of fiction and that "Sadie" did not really exist. There were many unexpected twists that I could not have anticipated. I also appreciated the face blindness aspect of the book and totally absorbed the moral of the story and loved watching Sadie evolve.

Sadie's story is one you will fall in love with. I am not the typical warm gushy type but I will forever root for Sadie.

This book of love is out July 11, 2023 and I strongly suggest you pre-order yourself a copy!

Teaser :

Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces.

Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope―and hang onto her artistic dreams―she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That’s when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she’s pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn't want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He’s always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more?

As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places―and people― you least expect.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Love the relatable characters and unique plot points. This book is full of laugh out loud moments, family drama, charming characters and a lot of heart. The beginning was a bit slow to me and I had a hard time getting in to it. I was ready for a real connection earlier between the characters.

I had previously read 2 books by Katherine Center and was happy to receive this one as an ARC. It has a unique plot line with Sadie's face blindness and great characters (including Peanut!). You can't help but want Sadie to succeed with both her career and her love life! It was funny and sweet and proves that sometimes you just have to take life one day at a time!

This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed every second!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Firstly, Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-Advanced Reader Copy.

2.5 Stars

I was very excited to get an ARC of this book because I heard great things about the author, but I just couldn’t get into it. I loved the cover. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, however, it seemed to drag out and felt too long. I became bored and uninterested.

I feel like there were some relatable aspects; Sadie’s relationship with her family and her struggle with her prosopagnosia diagnosis. Although I don’t have this, some people may have it and find it relatable. I found this relatable because of the way she struggled to interact with people because of her inability to see their faces and her embarrassment. I have a disorder that I too find it hard to interact with people because I feel embarrassed or feel like I can’t tell them about it. This brings me to Dr. Nicole. She was one of my favorite characters because she was very straightforward and honest.

The things I didn’t like as much about this book were the main character Sadie, her best friend, and the dialogue. I believe Sadie was meant to come off as a very independent and strong willed person. However, she seemed quite rude to me, which really put me off with the entire story. Sadie’s best friend was a bit too much for me as well, annoying and kind of egotistical. I found that the dialogue almost jumbled together at times and was hard to understand. The internal dialogue of questions/rhetorical questions was just odd. Maybe this writing style isn't for me.

Hello Stranger was such a fun and easy book to read. Initially, I didn’t think I’d be able to finish the book because I disliked the main character, Sadie, so much. However, as her backstory unfolded, she became a much more complex and relatable character. Katherine Center does a great job writing dynamic characters.
This is an unabashed romance that satisfies a reader’s craving and hope for happy endings.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley

Emotional yet breezy in a way only Katherine Center can do! I devoured this in one sitting. Reading Sadie’s story was a treat.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book

I loved this charming, heartwarming, funny book even though I figured out what was going to happen pretty early on - the thing with a good romance is you don’t need any surprises, you just enjoy watching them fall in love. This was quirky and weird and had such great, fun, lovable characters. It definitely had some sad moments, but such a good happy ever after because of all the struggles that got us there.

Amazing! I loved how well written face blindness was portrayed, character development and a little bit of mystery

This is probably one of my favorite books that I've read in the last few years.

The amount of research and work Katherine Center clearly put into this book was fantastic. I have a close friend who has face-blindness, and their experiences line up so well. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into what the world can be like for someone with prosopagnosia.

Beyond that, I loved the story. I didn't see the twist coming until right before it happened, which was delightful for me as I usually catch on quicker. I usually shy away from stories that pull on the heartstrings too much, the topic of grief can be hard to navigate- but this book did a great job of integrating the theme into most of the book but not feeling too heavy.

This book totally left me with the blissed-out, oxytocin-laden, tipsy feeling one gets when coming away from a great love story. (read the author's note at the end!!) Loved it.

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

This review will be posted on Instagram on Thursday, January 26.

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

I thought this book was cute! I’ve previously read only one other Katherine Center novel, THE BODYGUARD, which I picked as a BOTM last summer. Similar to THE BODYGUARD, Center develops a complex female main character with deep-rooted family and personal issues that manifest confusingly for the more affable male main character.

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling artist who has made it as a finalist in a prestigious art competition when she learns she has a brain tumor that needs to be removed urgently. Reluctantly, Sadie has surgery, but it leaves her with face blindness - catastrophic to a portrait artist on the verge of her big break. While Sadie struggles to navigate a faceless world, she meets Dr. Addison, a handsome veterinarian she’s immediately attracted to, and Joe, her friendly and helpful neighbor-turned-friend - and falls in love with them both.

This was such a feel-good book and just the ticket after a month of intense, emotional reads like BABEL and AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW. I really liked watching the relationships between the main characters grow. I enjoy banter and friendship in a couple so watching them really be friends and fall in love at the same time was really endearing. I also thought Center did a really nuanced job of having Sadie confront her family about their heartbreaking past.

I did find Sadie to be a tad annoying and reading her inner monologue felt repetitive, between the self-deprecation and quirkiness. I also thought some paragraphs and concepts, like the condition that causes face blindness and what Sadie is and isn’t seeing, is repeatedly explained. The backstory of the bullied high school friend also seemed out of place and then far too quickly and conveniently resolved.

Overall, despite a few critiques, I think it’s a cute and quick read that I think will fit nicely in summer beach reads and may even get you out of a reading slump.

There is a reason why Katherine Center is called “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” .. she knows how to tug at you heart with uplifting, feel good emotional stories with some of the most charismatic and charming characters .. all the while making you laugh. I need more books like this.

Hello Stranger focus on Sadie Montogmery, a struggling portrait artist who has not had the best of life luck. Her Mom, whom she emulates as an artist, died when she was fourteen, her dad remarries and that came with an evil stepmother, Lucinda and stepsister, Parker .. she is evil to the core. Sadie is barely making ends meet with her Esty shop and living in what was supposed to be her art studio. She just needs a lucky break and today she might have gotten it – she qualified for the North American Portrait Society’s career making yearly contest with a ten thousand dollar grand prize. What she wasn’t expecting was to end up with prosopagnosia also known as face blindness. How is Sadie supposed to paint a portrait if she can’t see the persons face?

With the support and encouragement from her best friend Sue (Soo Hyun), Sue’s parents, her elderly dog, Peanut, Dr. Nicole Thomas-Ramparsad and Joe the Weasel, Sadie will persevere through these difficult times despite all the obstacles and setbacks she will encounter along the way to end up with all she hope for .. Sadie’s happy ever after.

Hello Stranger is worthy of getting nothing less than five stars from me. Katherine Center brilliantly weaves these delightful yet unusual and eccentric characters into a rather unique storyline about face-blindness explaining along the way how people cope, strategize, and live their daily lives. Hello Stranger comes with hope, humor, romance, and the HEA.

Thank you, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on July 11, 2023.

This was my first Katherine Carter book so I didn't know what to expect. It took me a few chapters to settle into the casual style of writing, where the main character (Sadie) spoke directly to the reader as if addressing a friend. I enjoyed the character development (Peanut was my favorite) and plot but there were many cheesy parts and the ending was predictable. Overall an easy, light read.

Hello Stranger was such a great book. I’ve read several by Katherine Center and enjoyed them all but this might have been my favorite. The struggle of the main character was so unique and interesting I couldn’t put it down. I also loved all of the supporting characters with the exception of Parker. I thought she went too far in several scenes almost to a point of being unbelievable. I would definitely recommend. Great read!

I’m a big Katherine Center fan but I struggled connecting with the characters in this one a bit. I thought the family angle seemed a bit contrived with an overly simplistic and quick resolution. But I did find the overall story angle compelling and the level of description and character development I have come to expect from Center.

📚 Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my third Katherine Center book and my favorite so far! A delightful rom-com with a deep undercurrent. Lovable characters that you can’t help but root for. Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has “minor” brain surgery to save her life. But when she wakes up from brain surgery she can no longer see faces, a real condition called prosopahnosia, or face blindness. What follows is a sometimes hilarious and very moving story of the way our perceptions shape our reality.
Make sure to read the authors note at the end of the book. It explains why Katherine Center’s books make so many people so happy, including me. This book was just what I needed.

Another advanced copy book, thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the chance to read this beauty early. It comes out on July 11, 2023. In the meantime, check out @katherinecenter other books. They are well worth your time.