Absolutely fantastic! The definition of the perfect romcom and officially up there with Happiness for Beginners as my favorite KC book. KC brings her typical wit and humor with heavier themes that are uplifting rather than depressing. I don’t remember the last time a book made me laugh so hard! And it was such an easy read, I finished it in one sitting. That third act conflict was hilarious and even though the twist was obvious, it didn’t takeaway from the enjoyment for me. I’ll admit that I didn’t love The Bodyguard but after reading this and a few off her backlist, KC is an auto-buy author for me and I’ll be recommending this to any reader looking for a feel-good romance.

🎨 BOOK / REVIEW 🎨

In true @katherinecenter fashion, #hellostranger captured my ENTIRE HEART. Man, I had no idea I needed this book as badly as I did (I have been on #thriller binge for the past few months) and this was a breath of fresh air. Ps ... if you use @netgalley, this gem is currently #READNOW - run to grab it❤️

You will literally LAUGH OUT OLD during this entire story. The characters are the absolute #chefskiss - I think Sue may have taken the cake for me, but I would gladly add any of these people to my inner circle.

And while this is a funny and romantic book, it did touch on a serious condition called cavernoma, which I had never heard of before this book.

Giving this one all the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - this one publishes July, 2023. Thanks for my copy @stmartinspress!

I absolutely devoured this book. It was my first book by this author and I will be backtracking to read her other ones! I thought the concept of this was fascinating and truly enjoyed reading it. It was nice to see the character's growth throughout the book. I'm giving it 4 solid stars because I do feel like there were a few parts that were a little too slow.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGally for an honest opinion.

This book confirmed one thing (that didn't need much confirmation), I love Katherine Center and I hope she never stops writing quirky books that make me cry and laugh and want to be her friend.

Let's start with the cover: OBSESSED. And everything on the cover ties in so perfectly to the story!

Katherine has a way of weaving deep tragedy with a lightness that makes you feel like hope is always on the horizon. I love that her books never shy away from the hard topics of life, but that she faces them so ferociously.

I'm not going to give any spoilers, but I will say she really had me going with this one and wondering how I was going to end up satisfied with a conclusion. I was surprised and satisfied in a way I did not expect to be.

This is one you're not going to want to miss! It comes out on July 11th, so place those pre-orders now!

Thank you so much to St, Martin's Press for the gifted ARC.

4.5 Stars

This book has such a unique concept and was such a charming read. Despite the plot being a bit predictable, I enjoyed every minute of it.

The characters felt well developed and easy to connect with, I couldn’t help but root for them throughout the story. I also enjoyed learning about prosopagnosia (face blindness), a condition I knew very little about before reading this book.

This is my first time reading a Katherine Center book and I will be adding more to my TBR immediately. (I even loved her author’s note at the end about romance books and why we love them)

Lastly, thank you to NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I will always love whatever Katherine Center writes. Her books are the perfect mix of comedy and romance. This book was no different. I have read books on Face Blindness before, but the way Hello Stranger was written was so different from what I’ve read in the past. I loved Katherine Center’s take on it. Parker was an evil witch of a character, but her character development was fantastic.

I absolutely loved this book! Katherine Center has done it again. I read this book in about two sittings because I simply could not put it down, I fell in love with the characters and thought they were perfectly developed and I loved the witty banter and interaction between them. I will be recommending this book, just like I do all Center's others, to everyone I know!

Katherine Center is one of my favorite and go to authors. When I had the honor of receiving this digital ARC I read it immediately and in one sitting. I was not disappointed and loved it so much. This is the spot where I would usually provide a synopsis, but I think it's best to go in without knowing, just like I did with this. It helps with the "what's going to happen next?" with this story. I loved the messages, growth, and the romance. I also love this cover and can't wait to get a physical copy.

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

Huge thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this early in exchange for an honest review!! As someone who doesn't see faces when they dream this book really called out to me haha. After reading The Bodyguard I was stuck on Center's work. I'll be completely honest, this book started off as not my favorite. It felt just like all Sadie wanted was revenge. On her sister, on her stepmother, and on her father. But that all changed once she has the surgery. As Sadie navigated her changing world of not being able to make out faces and falling in love with not one but two guys, her entire view of the world changed, something that is definitely scary considering she's an artist. I was not expecting to be moved as much as I was by this book. It was so good and I could not put it down once I got past the rocky beginning!

Five cozy, heartwarming stars. Katherine Center has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and this story was no exception. She writes such relatable characters, and it always feels like escaping with my friends to read one of her books. Our main character Sadie finds out she is a finalist in a big portrait competition, then promptly discovers she needs brain surgery immediately. The surgery leaves her with possibly temporary, possibly permanent facial blindness. The story that follows made me laugh and swoon over and over. There’s characters I love, and even some I love to hate. Sadie’s daily struggles and mishaps felt so relatable to my life, and I enjoyed learning more about facial blindness outside of a thriller setting (I also appreciated the resources included regarding this topic). I did think that it was a very predictable ending, but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less. Another instant KC favorite of mine.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Stranger is the newest romcom release of Katherine Center. When I got this ARC, I started reading it immediately and finished it in one day (which is a feat because I work full time and have a toddler and a baby). This story was so cute and had a really unique twist to it that I had never seen before. Sadie, our main character, is a struggling portrait artist. Her dad wanted her to become a doctor (like him) but she disappointed him when she changed her major to art. She finally gets a big break when she becomes a top 10 finalist in a huge portrait artist competition. Six weeks before the competition gallery opening, she suffers a seizure and discovers she has a brain problem that needs to be corrected ASAP. After her surgery, she realizes she can no longer recognize or see faces properly, which is the one thing she needs to do her job well. Through a series of crazy events, she ends up falling for both her dogs veterinarian and the man who lives in her apartment building.

You’ll enjoy this book if you like
💙sweet romance
💙crazy misunderstandings
💙repairing family relationships
💙awesome best friends
💙interesting brain problems
💙cute love stories
💙love triangles

I know I loved a book when I read it and immediately want to own a copy of it. Rest assured I will be purchasing a hard copy of this book as soon as it comes out. Another fantastic book by Katherine Center!

Solid 5/5 stars! Katherine Center has done it again! Hello Stranger is a heartwarming compelling read that has left me days after reading unable to get the characters out of my head. You can’t help but feel for Sadie as she navigates a life changing brain surgery and adjusts to life being face blind. While reading this I couldn’t help but put myself in her shoes and anxiously read each page eager to find out what happens next. This was a beautiful unique story that left me wishing I could read it again for the first time.

Katherine Centers loves two things in her books: a very nice man and a Meryl Streep reference. Who knew a book about a portrait artist who gets brain surgery and suddenly can’t see faces would be so suspense building yet ultimately extremely satisfying in the end. What I loved most about this book is that it’s a love story built around the idea that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes and to let people help you through it. Sadie’s character is the perfect example of how falling in love is not just an emotion you feel, but a vulnerable choice you make to allow yourself to lean on other people, especially when your brain has turned the world upside down. A perfect, heart warming, romance story!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book for my honest review.

LOVED this book!! Katherine Center has quickly become a favorite author of mine. She could rewrite the phone book and I'd read it! Her talent for writing heartfelt romcoms that are relatable and realistic is truly sensational. I am always smiling when I finish one of her books. The positivity that she portrays in her novels is simply joyful and contagious. The characters are always so well developed and imperfectly human. She makes it so easy for us readers to become personally invested in each and every one of her stories. I am extremely sad to have to say goodbye to these characters, with the exception of Parker, of course. I just wanted to punch her in the face! I don't know if I can say that this is my favorite of hers because I loved them all, but it's definitely in my top three! I highly recommend this book to everyone!!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!

Katherine Center is a favorite of mine for a reason…she never disappoints!

Sadie is waiting for her big break to come as a portrait artist. All the sudden she finds out that she needs brain surgery. They say it’s elective and an easy recovery but…Sadie post surgery is a hot mess! She is diagnosed with prospagnosia, a condition affects the way you see faces. Seeing faces is major for someone who paints portraits as a career and she doesn’t recognize anyone!
Sadie is learning to cope while there is remaining grief from losing her mother as a child, family drama, the pressure of an art contest and of course a new love interest!

I love the way Katherine Center writes, it’s just magical!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC! Such a great read!

I loved this book! Have read all of this author’s writings, but this book has made a lasting impression. Although I would categorize this book as a romance novel, Ms. Center brings so much depth to her characters and an evolving plot line, that I would call it LitRom rather than ChickLit. Her description of physical and emotional healing among people is great and leaves the reader wanting a sequel.

This love story really created fantastic anticipation (iykyk). Of course I could see where it was going, and I enjoyed every second of the journey! I’m at the point in my reading journey where there are very few concepts I haven’t already seen (some so many times I never want to see them again), so I was delighted by this unique storyline.
To me, the idea of face blindness is daunting enough, so the fact that Center made her protagonist a portrait artist was extra compelling. I also really like that she fell for her man without ever seeing his face (sort of…).
One of the underlying messages really spoke to me too—the more we look for the good things in our lives, the more we’ll find.
All told, this was a well written, refreshing take on a fun trope, and I relished the time spent reading it!

4.5 stars! I go into pretty much every romantic comedy novel thinking it will be predictable. How funny the author actually mentions this in her Author's Note and suggests that "anticipation" is a better word! There was definitely some predictability here...but the anticipation of solving the puzzle had me reading chapter after chapter until way past my bedtime. I'm a mom of a 6 month old...I do not stay up past my bedtime for just anything! For sure a few laugh out loud moments and the characters were lovable.

This was my first NetGalley review. Was so excited to see this author available after reading The Bodyguard last year. This one did not disappoint!

Katherine Center strikes again! At this point, I am convinced this author could rewrite the phone book and I would find it absolutely riveting and this one was no exception.

This book has EVERYTHING, and that is no exaggeration. There was drama, tragedy, fun, and so much laughter!! A quick round of applause for the banter, because *insert chef’s kiss here*!!!!

Joe! Precious Joe. I know what Ariel was screaming about when she said “Daddy, I love him!”, because me too girl. What a man!

I could not put this down. I was huddled in my bed at midnight finishing this story with tears streaming down my face. Let’s be honest, I was ugly crying at how stunning this story was. I’m already ready for a re-read.

STICK AROUND FOR THE AUTHOR’S NOTE BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A TREAT!

~Special thanks to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press, and of course Katherine Center for an advanced reader copy.

The whole face blindness thing still is so interesting to me. This book while a romance was also so much more. Sadie is overcoming her illness, tragedy, and just an overall hard life since her tragedy. I loved Joe and how their relationship grew. Her family made me so angry though!

I kind of had a feeling about the mix up at the end way before it came out. If that seems vague, it is. You’ll just have to read to figure out what I predicted before it came out in the story 😘 Lots of laughs and a few twists along the way!

Thanks Netgalley for the copy of this book!