An absolutely adorable book packed with emotion and struggle! Sadie’s character was facing such a life altering diagnosis and as optimistic as she was, she still had a pessimistic side they came through when she was most vulnerable. My heart broke for her and the absolute tornado that blew through her life. On the flip side, I loved her perseverance and out of the box way of thinking and surviving.

The ups and downs in this read were utterly captivating. I felt as though I was right there in Sadie’s world, struggling alongside her. Celebrating alongside her and falling for the hero alongside her. Katherine Center has such a way of sucking you into her characters’ world!

The ending of Hello Stranger was everything I hoped for! Loved, loved, loved it!!!

I was overjoyed when I was asked to preview an early copy of this book. I was looking for something fun and uplifting and this book did just that. Sadie Montgomery is the leading character. She is a struggling actress who is looking for a big break through in her career.
She struggles financially and also has a strained relationship with her father, stepmom, and stepsister.
Sadie's motto is basically " can do it on my own, I don't need your help." Without spoiling the rest of the book, something happens to Sadie that alters her outlook/ perspective on life. She meets a veterinarian who helps her through some life's challenges but it is not an easy road for either of them. Once again, I loved Katherine's one liners that are so deep and perplexing. As Katherine puts it, "This love story really created fantastic anticipation."
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Absolutely wonderful. Like, REALLY wonderful. I loved every single word of this entire book and cannot wait to reread it in the future. I stayed up too late and woke up early, eager to continue reading about Sadie.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary e-arc. All opinions here are my own.

Sadie is a portrait artist trying to make a living doing what she loves. After a medical emergency and surgery on her brain she loses the ability to recognize faces, spelling disaster for her career. As she tries to recover, hoping the damage is temporary, she meets Joe in her apartment building and Dr. Addison at the vets office and falls a little bit in love with them both. As she gets to know them, she knows she'll have to choose one and tell him about her face blindness if she wants to have a real relationship.
Katherine Center's books are always so fun and each so unique. I've never heard of face blindness before and it was interesting to hear how someone with it could have issues navigating the world, especially someone like Sadie, whose condition was new and affects her career to such an extent. I really liked Joe and his inclination to help everyone makes him that much more likeable. Sadie's attempts to paint his portrait were funny, especially with her friend Sue's various descriptions of the results. I'd have liked to see more of the aftermath of the gallery show with Sadie's family, that was a bit too brief and vague for me. I also guessed the big twist here almost at the beginning though it was still a fun read. I'll definitely be picking up any new works by Center as they are always entertaining.

There was an element of suspense that I didn’t realize I would have throughout this novel. I so desperately wanted the characters to know what I knew and couldn’t wait until it all unfolded. I think there is something missing from this novel. It has the Katherine Center shine but not the sparkle. Still a great read!

The easiest 5 stars!

The more books I read by Katherine Center the more I love her! The writing, storytelling, her characters and the message of hope is exceptional. I was completely drawn into this fun and original storyline and could not put this book down! The thing I find so meaningful with her books are the added insights, awareness, and observations her characters share, especially Sadie, in this book. I tend to highlight sentences that speak to me while reading, but in this case it would have been the whole book!

Thank you Katherine Center for saying so many things I needed to hear. Thank you, and to NetGally for my advanced reader copy of Hello Stranger which publishes on 7/11/23. I could not have loved it more!

Katherine Carter is not your typical rom-com writer thats for sure. Her books are not only comforting but have unique plots, strong character development and she has a great sense of humor. I loved The Bodyguard so i was super stoked to read another novel by her. Absolutely fabulous- I loved this one too! Thanks Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me. Things I love about her books: they’re normally set in Texas and they always give me all the warm fuzzies. She’s definitely a comfort read and as always, I was stoked to get an ARC of Hello Stranger.

Sadie Montgomery, after hitting rock bottom, is a top 10 finalist in a portrait contest that could be her big break. On her way to celebrate her exciting news, Sadie is saved from almost getting hit by a bus and finds out she need emergency brain surgery. While the surgery goes off without a hitch, her recovery isn’t quite as smooth and has left her unable to recognize faces. Face Blindness isn’t great for her prospects of being a portrait artist, but at least her neighbor Joe and her best friend are willing to help her practice and hopefully save her career.

I really love the way Center crafts her characters. They tend to be extremely realistic, full of flaws, but ultimately, we see so much growth in them throughout the story. I really wanted to love Sadie, but I thought she was just an ‘Ok’ main character. I can’t put my finger on why, so it’s probably a ‘Me’ problem. Her relationship with her family was also a bit unrealistic and those two factors took this down a star for me. I could have done without the ‘wicked stepsister and stepmother’ bit.

On the positive side – Joe is such a great love interest. I loved his patience with Sadie and the way they interacted. I LOVED LOVED peanut. As a major dog lover, throwing in a dog who eats better than my own dog SADIE, just makes my heart happy. Lastly, you can always tell that Center spends time researching her books. The details and depicts of face blindness within the story was really well done. This is also the first story about face blindness (that I’ve read) that dives deeper into the different types, how it can be developed, and how people’s experiences can different.

Honestly, I just adore Katherine Center’s writing, and having met her a few times I also think she is such a joyful human. While this isn’t my favorite of her recent books, it’s still adorable and you won’t regret reading it.

Hello Stranger comes out July 11, 2023! Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

I knew I would love this book because the author is Katherine Center! Sadie is an aspiring artist. She has just won a place in a portrait artist competition. She is excited and wants to win. Just weeks before the competition she suffers a seizure. A problem is found in her brain and she needs surgery immediately. The surgery went well but there is a complication, she has what is commonly known as face blindness. It might disappear but it might not. Sadie is frantic, she is a portrait painter who can’t see faces. I can’t say too much more through fear of giving away too much of the story. Sadie learns an enormous amount through her ordeal, about who she is, expectations, connections with other people and love. It is truly an amazing story, unique and heart warming!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will forever read anything Katherine center reads. She’s the best!!! This one was a cool concept and I flew through it!!! I don’t think it’s my favorite by her but parts were so cute

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a holiday read but it sure feels like one. It’s light, funny and full of heart! I love the feel-good story with a bit of light drama thrown in just like any Hallmark Christmas movie. The fact that the main character had acquired prosopagnosia (face blindness) is a bonus IMHO - love that the author integrated this rare condition into the story to raise awareness.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Whenever I am craving for comfort reads I always go to KC books and so far, I haven’t ever been disappointed!!! I always end up rooting for and loving her characters! Hello Stranger is such a nice book that I am sad it isn’t out until next year (July 11, 2023). I wish it’s available now because the WORLD needs to read it ASAP! Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin Press for my ARC. Love love this book!

Perfection!
Can I give this more than five stars? From word one to the end, it was perfect. Perfect for my mood, Perfect for my reading preferences. I adore Katherine's writing and whatever book I read last is my favorite. As with her other releases, Hello Stranger will always be in my go-to re-read pile.
Sadie wants desperately to make it big - or at least be able to pay the bills - as a portrait artist. Her big break is finally here and she's ready to knock the competition out of the park. She'd love to prove her father wrong and pay the rent without stressing. An accident leads to a must-have surgery and Sadie's surgeon father will not let her wait a minute longer than necessary. The swelling has lead to the inability to see faces - hopefully temporary - but the six weeks to compete is rapidly dwindling.
I loved Sadie, I loved the romance, I loved the full cast - even that she-devil-who-shall-not-be-named. Katherine has this amazing ability to pull all of the emotions out of me and weave these threads throughout that seem innocuous until it means so much more later. Her cyclical style is impactful and makes me want to start over immediately to see what I missed.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I love Katherine Center!! And not just because we are both C(K)atherine’s 😉

As usual with Katherine Center’s books, the banter between the characters and the inner monologues of our main character Sadie had me literally laughing out loud! I learned a lot about prosopagnosia (face blindness) that I didn’t know before and really appreciated the informational note at the end of this book.

Sadie Montgomery made her big break as an artist and is a finalist in a portrait competition. Things are finally going her way until an accident lands her in the hospital where she discovers she needs an unexpected, minor surgery. When Sadie wakes from surgery, she can see everything around her except people’s faces. They tell her it’s temporary and the face blindness will go away over a few weeks time. Sadie tries to navigate her normal, while refusing to tell anyone but her best friend Sue about her face blindness; which leads to some complications when she meets a new love interest.

I loved that the story focused more on Sadie’s self discovery and growth as a person and artist, and her love story was woven in between. I loved Sadie and of course the Kim’s, her bestie Sue and obviously Joe! The characters were so likeable!

Did I know how it was probably going to end? Yes. Did I absolutely love it? Also, yes!! As Katherine Center wrote in her authors note “this love story really created fantastic anticipation”. What we all love about romance novels is the hope and happy endings that we know are coming. So although we may sometimes think romance novels are predictable, it’s the predictability/anticipation that makes us want to keep reading this genre!

Thank you NetGalley and Katherine center for the advanced readers copy. This book was everything I needed!

I was so blown away by this author’s book, How to Walk Away, that I immediately read all of her previous books and eagerly awaited her follow up novel, but unfortunately each book always disappoints me. They just have not been anywhere as captivating or moving. While this book is still not as amazing in my opinion it does have its own charm. It took me a bit to get into it, and it didn’t help that the author derisively described someone as a generic white guy, and the the main character Sadie is so prickly that she is rude. Despite that it’s worth giving this book a chance because it is a very unique story as Sadie must grapple with so much at once. I strongly recommend if the concept intrigues you that you just dive in as there is a lot that could be spoiled if things are given away in the reviews. Personally I saw where it was going but it’s still a fun journey to get there. I think I have now read all of her books and this one I believe is the next best one to my favorite of hers which you should definitely read if you have not. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5, that I'm rounding up to 5 because I just love Katherine Center's writing. It is insightful and captures the reality and messiness of being human. I rarely ever re-read books, but I think this is one I might just re-read just for the chance to read the ending again (insert happy little sighs). Trust me when I say that if you are struggling with certain aspects of this story (as I was), you will get your payoff in the end when it all comes together.

I really adored this story and its characters, especially the MC Sadie. She was so sweet, despite some pretty tragic circumstances she has faced in her life.

My only issue with this was personal. I saw the big twist coming very early so that led to some frustration while reading. I know other people have read this and didn’t predict it so it may not be THAT obvious.

Overall, I still really enjoyed it and think Center’s likely got another summer hit on her hands.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun and intriguing read! If you've read anything else by this author, you'll love this one too! Can't decide if I liked this or The Bodyguard more!

This was my first book to read for pleasure in months! An early release by Katherine Center was an obvious choice - all of her books are wonderful, feel-good reads. I especially enjoyed the uniqueness of the story paired with the author's extensive research on Prosopagnosia. It was interesting to learn about something that is not well-known in the context of a beautiful, romantic story. Though I guessed the twist, the "anticipated hope" made the story a joy to continue reading.

Artist Sadie Montgomery is rebuilding her life after a series of struggles. When she learns that she'll need brain surgery, she is told that the recovery will be easy and she will be able to move on with her life. However, she suffers a complication that renders her "face blind", unable to recognize faces. This was an interesting dilemma to read about, and to follow Sadie's highs and lows. As she finds herself torn between two men, a sweet and satisfying love story emerges.

First I have to say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Katherine Center, the author of this book. So as soon as I got my hands on this book, it went straight to the top of my to-be-read list. However, I have to say that this was not my favorite of her books.

Hello Stranger follows Sadie, an up and coming portrait artist who has just had her first big break and makes the finals of this big portrait show. Then she has brain surgery and ends up with Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, so she can't see faces to paint anymore. The rest of the book follows her struggles to become accustomed to this huge life-altering thing that has happened to her.

I felt like the main character was lost alot and didn't show much growth. So even though there is a sweet romance plot line, at the end of the book, I felt like the character was still at the beginning of her journey. So I guess there was no closure for me.

I think that if you're looking for a romance that maybe explores new things (like prosopagnosia), has some other unexpected twists, and is a little "heavier" than your typical romance, it is worth a read. Especially if you already like Katherine Center like I do.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!