Thank you for the opportunity to read! Katherine Center is always one of my favorite authors and Hey Stranger did not disappoint. I loved the characters and the ending twist was adorable. I felt myself rooting for everyone (except maybe Parker) the whole time.

Hello Stranger is a sweet closed-door romance with a main character you want to root for and a love interest who is just the sweetest.
After an accident, Sadie acquires face-blindness, or prosopagnosia. This issue is the main conflict of the novel, and it was interesting and something I haven’t really read about before. (Which, by the way, is something I really appreciate about Katherine Center’s books!)
Unfortunately, a lot of the other aspects of the story felt a bit forced to me. The family drama was way over the top, the resolution for it felt rushed and too simplistic, and I had a hard time buying the way the romance came together in the end.
All of that said, I did appreciate the author’s note at the end. She explains what it is about romance novels that draw us in, and why some unrealistic elements are part of what build the hopeful anticipation in the reading experience. I agree, but for me, this one had just a bit too much suspension of reality.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy. I’m still a major fan of Katherine Center; this one just wasn’t my favorite!

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

I was so excited when I saw Hello Stranger on Netgalley! I immediately stopped the other book I was reading and started this one!

After devouring The Bodyguard last summer, Hello Stranger was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. It lived up to every expectation!
The main character, Sadie, suffers from prosopagnosia (the inability to recognize faces), which was fascinating to read about. I had no idea such a thing existed. Sadie was so endearing and quirky as a character, and she made me laugh out loud several times.

Katherine Center’s books always make you feel warm and fuzzy. They are pure happiness, and unputdownable. (Side note- I adored the author’s note at the end about romance books! 🫶)

The book cover is gorgeous, and I loved recognizing all the little details on the cover from the book after reading it. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my bookshelf in July!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This book is exactly what I needed! Light, fun and entertaining! I laughed out loud so many times. It had some cheesy and I-see-that-coming moments but the story was heartwarming and I loved how it came together in the end.

This is my third Katherine Center book. Things you save in a fire is my favorite!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To be wholly and genuinely dramatic, my eyes are practically bleeding from the stare-off contest I just had with this book. Skipping dinner should especially have me famished—but nope, not at all! Why, you may ask? Why is Rachel Viteri, the chunky 29-year-old who is the ultimate foodie okay despite her being the number one grump in the whole wide world when she skips a meal?

Well, it is because I just consumed this novel as a three course meal and I am MORE than stuffed. Every pallet from the sassy, salty, spicy Sadie Montgomery to the refined, savory, sweet (/sexy af) Joe felt like spoonful after spoonful of serotonin, dopamine AND endorphins. For goodness sake.

As you can probably deduce, I am experiencing symptoms very similar to what we call a “food coma.”

That is why.

I could give you a brief summary of what this book is about—but instead, I really just want to focus on how happy Katherine Center makes me. How happy her stories are, despite the sad, little and/or big bumps in life that her characters face. How happy you will feel to (1) literally laugh-out-loud, (2) conjure fantasies of dreamy, super attractive men that have more abs than your sweet innocent eyes have had the privilege of scoping out irl, and (3) heck, become giddy with the satisfaction you gain from screaming “you are a VILLAIN” to mean icky, evil stepsisters (obviously, on behalf of all the underdogs, we despise Parker and all of her hilarious ridiculousness).

The cherry on top to the giant hunk of brownie that is Joe though? The Author’s Note. Because, goodness gracious Katherine Center just gets you. She gets me. She probably gets your neighbor who sits on their front porch during every waking hour and smokes a pack a day. She JUST GETS EVERYONE—children and animals included. And as a gal who has been a single gal her whole life who has also loved being a single gal that greedily partakes in romcom after romcom, book after book, k-drama after k-drama—I dream of a love story so stinkin’ cute people can’t help but say “awwwwww” when they hear it and say, “wow guys like Min Min from Strong Girl Bong-soom DO exist!” To find love is a treasure. And, welp, you’ll have to wait to get there yourself—but dang it, Center SO eloquently conveys those exact feelings in her last words.

It’s all a very interactive, experience looking back on the last 7 hours of my life.
So much so, I can confidently say to whoever may reading my positive review rant: “there’s no time: skip the synopsis & just get to it already!”

Amyways, I have to awake my sister from her slumber now and bully (not really, because that’s mean & not needed) her into reading this book anddddd…
eat bag of tortilla chips.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and last—because we all know we have to save the best for last—Katherine Center for this delicious, dessert, anticipation of an arc!

It was cool to read an ARC of this book, however this book was not for me. There was so much unnecessary family drama, it was like high school between the two sisters. I felt like it took away from the story rather than added to it. I was looking forward to the romance but that ended up being such a small part in the story.

SCREAMING. That is what I do after I read a Katherine Center books. This was so fluffy, so sweet, though I knew the twist before it happened I still loved when it happened. As someone who also has a BFA, if what happened to Sadie happened to me while I was getting my art degree I would have lost my mind. I Googled a lot reading this book, I learned so much about face blindness. Overall this was such a good first NetGalley read of 2023! I cannot wait to add the paperback to my shelf! Also long live Peanut!

“You were a joy.”

I knew I was going to love this book from the very first chapter. This is the 3rd book I have read this year and it will probably stay my favorite romance of 2023. This is my second Katherine Center novel and I don’t think I could love her more; I am officially on a quest to read everything she has ever written.

Hello Stranger has such a unique plot that I don’t want to share too much because I want the reader to go in totally blind :) In order to avoid any spoilers, I will choose one word to describe this novel and my feelings towards it: “serendipity”. One reason I loved this book so much was that I was wholeheartedly invested in Sadie’s personal journey while also invested in her love story. Center does a great job of running the storylines perfectly parallel, that I was so excited over what I was reading that I never wanted to put it down. Seriously, at one point my heart rate was elevated because I was so invested in this romance novel.

I don’t have enough kind things to say about this ARC. It was absolutely perfect for anyone that loves romance novels and also values an intriguing plot line. Also, if you love charming men, back rubs, dogs, bowling, painting, polka dot wrap dresses, your therapist, and the constant feeling of butterflies flying around in your stomach... yeah, this is the summer read for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erica Martirano at St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Canter for thinking of me to be a part of publishing this novel. I can't wait for it to hit the shelves in July!

This is the first book I’ve read by Katherine Center and I’m already at a loss of which one to read next because now I need to read them all. Hello Stranger made me laugh out loud, cry, and kept me up late into the night. I loved her take on the classic “Cinderella” trope.

I found myself highlighting half of the Author’s Note at the end of the book. Katherine Center eloquently verbalizes why books like Hello Stranger are just so incredibly binge-worthy. They bring such joy and hope! And this book certainly delivered.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Stranger was an adorable and hilarious romance that I was barely able to put down!

Sadie Montgomery is trying to follow in her mother’s steps as a portrait artist- but she is struggling. She’s finally about to get her big break in an art competition when she has to have last minute brain surgery. A surgery that should have been an easy recovery caused swelling which left Sadie with face blindness. How can a portrait artist paint if she can’t see faces?

Katherine Center creates the most lovable characters. I loved Sadie and Joe and their comedic love love story. It was sweet with no spice. I really enjoyed the aspect of Sadie working on herself and overcoming childhood trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy!

"Seeming okay and being okay are not the same thing."

All I’ve got to say is that I am loving this new era of Katherine Center romance. 5 ⭐️

Sadie Montgomery is what some would say as unlucky. Not only is is estranged from her father, but she is starving artist hoping to catch a break. After discovering that she is a finalist in a portrait competition, Sadie needs a minor surgery; however, the surgery leaves her with face blindness. She can no longer recognize faces to do her one job. On top of all of this, Peanut, Sadie’s dog, needs to be checked out by the emergency vet. But she never expected to be asked out on a date by the Vet. While Sadie learns to live her new life, she begins to befriend an annoying neighbor who wears a bowling jacket.

I am continually in awe of how Center weaves her story together. Not only is this a story of healing, love, and self acceptance, but it is a story of hope.

This is perfect for those looking for a love triangle, unique family dynamics and beautiful romance.

Thank you for the opportunity to find one of my most anticipated reads of 2023! Another solid read from Katherine Center. She finds a great balance of humor and hope. Her quirky characters are easy to love. I found myself not wanting to stop reading, but also not wanting it to end!

Another absolute win by Katherine Center! I loved having a chance to read this early so I can let everyone I know they need to buy this at the release date. A unique story centered around facial blindness - saw the “twist” about halfway through the book but very much enjoyed the process of getting there.

I absolutely loved this book!

Katherine Center has done it again! This book was wonderfully written. I rooted so hard for Sadie, and thoroughly enjoyed this emotional and thoughtful book! Another fantastic read from one of my favorite authors. I devoured it in a day.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Publish date is July 11, 2023.

Sadie is a struggling artist who finally gets her big break and a chance to prove to her estranged father that she is thriving. However, things take a turn when she requires surgery which causes her to lose the ability to see faces. As Sadie works to cope with her new face blindness, she meets two men. Dr. Addison, the veterinarian who saved her dog, and Joe, the neighbor she tries to avoid.

This is the first book I’ve read by Katherine Center but it definitely won’t be the last! I absolutely adored the characters. There were parts of the story that made me laugh out loud and parts that had me crying. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Katherine Center’s writing feels like sunshine and hope. Her characters are complicated but like-able. She puts them through tough situations but there’s happiness in the end. This book taught me about a condition called “face-blindness” which I had heard of before but wasn’t sure it was a real diagnosis before reading and learning about it as I read. Understanding what a person with this diagnosis goes through was eye-opening. It helped me shift my own perspective and recognize my own confirmation biases.
Near the end of the book she writes, “Isn’t it lucky when we’re drawn to people who can teach us things we need to learn?” I love this idea and that this book reminds us that “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”
Add this book to your TBR, reserve it from the library, pre-order it, etc. - just make sure you read it!

This is my third Katherine Center book, and it did not disappoint!

Sadie doesn’t need help - ever. She learned that it’s best to maintain independence. But then a series of unfortunate events happen that requires her to reevaluate what it means to be independent.

I loved the characters in this book, even the ones I wanted to hate. Center describes their rich personalities perfectly, including Peanut the dog.

Highly recommend this book. It’s a fairly quick read that was hard for me to put down.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Stranger

Thank you NetGalley for access to this masterpiece!

I loved it!! I didn’t want to put it down. Even in her despair, Sadie is such a quirky and lovable main character. She has a dysfunctional family complete with an evil step sister that adds layers to an already great story. Sadie is an artist and has a medical scare that leaves her face-blind only weeks away from her career changing portrait contest. As if that isn’t enough, her love life becomes complicated.

As for Joe and Sadie, you can’t help but root for them, besides the elevator conversation of course… the author made reading Sadie’s internal monologue so fun. So many times I was laughing or cringing with the characters.

I can’t wait to get a physical copy for my shelves! I will now be reading all Katherine Center’s books because I fell in love with her last two! The Bodyguard by Center was why I requested this novel, and I’m so glad I did.

#bookstagram #fictionlover #fictionbooks #booksbooksbooks #netgalley

Hello Stranger was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and it did not diasappint. Katherine Center can do no wrong in my book!

Hello Stranger had a different feeling to it than Katherine's typical books. Even though if delt with a hard subject matter (face blindness), it felt lighter, quirkier. It also had a touch of mystery that kept me turning the pages.I liked that a lot!

Sadie is oh so adorable and very relatable. Her romantic lead(s) were oh so swoon worthy. (I don't want to give anything away).

If you like adorable, quirky characters and a dash of mystery, you'll love Hello Stranger. It releases on July 11,.

Thanks to NetGalkey for my ecopy. I definitely will be buying this one for my collection.

A cute, predictable read about a woman with facial blindness. As someone with the other form of facial blindness (developmental, not acquired), this was a great read with pretty good representation! I've never heard of another character having facial blindness before. Obviously everything wrapped up nice and neat at the end, and I would've preferred Sadie learn to adapt with the facial blindness, rather than it being magically better, but I still appreciated it.