This is the story about Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist, who is gaining some traction in her career after being named a finalist in a large competition. A freak incident uncovered the need for her to have a surgery prior to the competition, but the surgery leaves her with a strange symptom where she can no longer see faces. Sadie is told this is likely temporary, but the looming competition deadline adds some stress to her life. She turns to some key friendships and blossoming relationships - all made slightly odd by her face blindness. Some humor is intermixed in Sadie's situation as she tries to compete in her competition, balance life and hope this condition goes away

Katherine Center can string any words together and I'll gladly read them. Her stories bring a fresh take to the genre, and Hello Stranger did that more than ever. Just when you think you have it figured out, think again! There are twists and turns and also so much warmth, humor, and heart. With a narrator who cannot trust her own brain and a story that requires you to take a closer look at every interaction, Hello Stranger once again shows Katherine Center's strength in finding that magical balance of filling your heart completely and leaving you wanting more.
"What if you just capture your story - right now - as it is."

I can honestly say I have never read a book by Katherine Center that I haven’t liked. This one, I loved. Experiencing a neurological condition from someone else’s perspective is always both fascinating and heartbreaking; experiencing a condition you’re unaware of is even more interesting. Ms. Center brings awareness to the condition with honestly and a sense of care that show she has either researched the way those afflicted see things (likely by speaking directly with them), or that she is the person affected. Knowing it’s likely the former, I have that much more respect for her writing.

This was a lovely book. Definitely one I would recommend.

Sadie finally gets her big break, only to discover she has to have brain surgery and then the side effects of the surgery keep her from achieving her dreams. While trying to find a way to work around her side effects, she befriends and handsome vet and a guy in her building and falls for both. Family problems, friends’ unexpected plans, and this new struggling with recognizing people brings unexpected complications to this new part of her life.

This book was interesting, but I had trouble rooting for Sadie. I felt as thought she wasn’t utilize all her friends and help as best she could and was just suffering through and complaining. With that, though, she really did have some frustrating trials and people in her life. The overall story was new and interesting; I just had trouble relating to the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish! It was fascinating, engaging, and unexpected. I learned about a disease I had never heard of and it got me thinking what it would be like to have that disease. I didn't see the ending coming, which was quite a treat.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you so so so very much for this ultra early copy of Hello Stranger!! Have I said I love Katherine Center’s books?!?! Cause I do. This book is another winner. As Katherine says in her author’s note, I’d describe this by saying ‘this love story really created fantastic anticipation’! I will say this book started out as a more regular fiction novel and it wasn’t until the lamppost comment that I realized the love story really started from the very beginning. Which of course it would cause I was wondering at the very beginning which of these men Sadie would end up with. Also when he compared her to an Irish setter who doesn’t like fireworks, I giggled. I hate Parker and will forever hate Parker. Loved when Augusta came into play and helped try and heal some issues between Sadie and her family. Also loved when she was coffee stain girl. Katherine is very good at bringing all the scenes together in the end. As always, Katherine is perfect and an auto buy author and I will be recommending this to all who read. Thank you again so so so very much for this ARC of Hello Stranger!

Synopsis: Sadie Montgomery 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.

Cw: neglectful parent relationship, seizure (off screen), deceased parent, description of brain surgery, mention of past bullying that led to suicide attempt.

I absolutely flew through this, as is normal with the previous Katherine Center books I’ve read! It’s not quite a grumpy/sunshine trope but more of a loves to help/refuses to accept help from anyone type.

Sadie is a starving artist, living in her studio space barely getting buy doing portraits on Etsy. After her minor brain surgery she realizes she’s lost the ability to recognize and process faces. Face blindness is the ability to see but not understand faces or as Sadie describes, it’s a bit like looking at a Picasso painting. Sadie worries about her upcoming contest but also her livelihood, knowing that selling portraits is the only thing bringing in income. Everyone is a stranger, including herself as she can’t recognize herself in the mirror which puts her in such a vulnerable spot. Ever since her mom passed away and dad quickly remarried at 14 Sadie shut herself down so that she would never have to rely on anyone or ask for help. This vulnerability panics Sadie and rather than open up and tell the blurry faces she has face blindness and needed some help, she tries to discreetly twenty questions her way into an identification.

As someone who has reached their limit of health problems I resonated with Sadie’s acknowledgement of living in the “after” and that whether or not she regained her senses she would never be the same. The obsessive googling and being afraid to leave the house choosing to stay in her pajanket for days. Even if you understand on a technical level that things have changed the practicality is hard to endure.

Joe is introduced as “The Weasel” because Sadie hears him on the phone talking disrespectfully about a one night stand, and seems him leave the apartments of all the single women on their floor. She may not be able to recognize his face but can recognize his jacket, hipster glasses, and floppy hair. As their paths keep crossing he shows her how sweet and helpful he is, including posing for the contest portrait. Painting Joe was such an intimate moment, with a vulnerability that Sadie usually avoided. I really enjoyed how comfortable they were together and safe they felt in vulnerable moments. They really blossomed allowing themselves to open up and smile towards the sun, glowing when they were together.

Can we get a special shout out to Dr. Nicole! When Sadie is spiraling about the possibility that her face blindness may be permanent she gently shifts her focus into self-encouragement and not indulging in unproductive thoughts. She meets with Sadie out of the hospital to get real emotions out of her. She reminds Sadie that she can’t trust her senses right now nor her brain and to give herself a little kindness about it. She is truly the warmth and genuine care that Sadie doesn’t receive from her own family. And we can’t forget Peanut! I’m a sucker for a charismatic scene stealing pet in any books I read! Peanut has been Sadie’s other half since her mom died. He is Sadie’s salvation as the only thing in her life who she can recognize. Described as a foodie, his favorite meals include croissants, toritllas, rigatoni bolognese, saag paneer, and chicken pad Thai with each noodle hand fed. Peanut is Sadie’s tangible connection to her mom so she is desperate for him to be in her life as long as possible.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Expected publication is July 11, 2023.

Another winner from Katherine Center! Sadie has had setback after setback (mother's death, father's near-ghosting, psychopath stepsister, cold and manipulative stepmother, poverty) but she perseveres. Now she has a chance for one big break: after years of struggle (starving portrait artist) she's been chosen as a finalist in a big art competition that can make her career. And then she has a surgery that kills her ability to see faces! This is a real thing, and Center's depiction of face blindness is compelling. Sadie's life becomes crazier, but she is a striver, so she copes with the help of a great best friend, a new love interest (whose face she can't see), and her dreamy veterinarian.

The writing is snappy and fun. Lots of dramatic tension, emotional weight, and joy. It's complex without being confusing. There are some delightful surprises. And underlying it all, a great theme: we look, but we don't always see. We should try to be more mindful, aware, observant. A great read, highly recommend!

Love, love, love Hello Stranger so far. Granted that I’m only just started. I can’t wait to finish, grabbing a chapter or section when I’m on my own. (Wishing that the holidays weren’t a week away and that I could just stop everything and finish. What the heck, I’ll be finished by thanksgiving … so just finish now … right?)

Sadie is a character to fall in love with, well developed and so much personality. And I wonder, does Katherine Center have some sort of medical training? I may have to skip to the end to see.

I can tell you with 100% certainty, I will recommend to a future book club and can't wait to purchase when released. Looking forward to the re-read again! And I’m only in chapter 4. So good!

Update: chapter 18 … still loving it!

update: Finished … staying up way too late … and pulled over on the side of the road … avoiding people and (not) getting ready for the holidays. It’s been years since I’ve cried over a book. This one got me (even a couple times). I so loved the characters in this book, every one … well, almost every one.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Katherine Center and a huge thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. Publication date June 2023.

Katherine Center gets it right every time. This book is sweet, funny, serious, sexy, and meaningful. Every time I read one of her books, I know I’m going to get a great story, some fun romance, and a lesson. Tears were shed, I snort laughed, and I commit to asking for help (or at least accepting) help when I need it!

I was beyond excited to get the email offering me the chance to read this early and it did NOT disappoint, I love Katherine Center and this may be my new favorite of hers. It’s such a sweet story of not just romance but of how grief and loss shape us. Highly recommended!

How does Katherine Center always write such a damn good story?! I loved Hey Stranger so much. What an interesting read about an artist who develops a visual impairment right when she needs to produce a portrait for a contest she placed in. I had never heard of facial blindness before, but the was Katherine described all of Sadie’s experiences put me right there with her as she struggled to find her way.
Such a beautiful story about triumph in the most difficult of times. Absolutely loved it, 5 stars!

I don't usually like books with a miscommunication trope but this book acknowledged it and worked around it surprisingly well. The writing is so well done and there was an equal mix of character and plot development, which really kept me compelled to keep reading.

Worth reading if you liked the bodyguard.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute delightful read!! This novel is a brilliant piece of art! This story is so brilliant in its concept - and even when you “figure it out” you simply cannot put it down. Sadie is a strong independent woman and Joe is well, bowling jacket Joe. Sadie must deal with her family while her adopted family tries to take care of her…. And it’s is truly a Peanut that brings them all together. This is a story that will sit with me for awhile. A true book hangover thanks to St Martin Press and NetGalley. Put this on your TBR list because it just may be Katherine Center’s best work to date - and I have loved her work all along!

Katherine Center’s books always bring me so much joy. About 75% into this book everything clicked for me and I still could not put it down because I had to see it through. I finished this in less than a day.

Read this book if:

✨You've ever worn a pajanket
✨You feed your dog pad thai
✨You enjoy disco roller skating

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Whenever I get a new book of hers, I drop everything I'm doing in favor of her book.

While Hello Stranger wasn't my favorite of her books, I did devour it and finish it in a day.

One of the things I love most about her writing is how funny she is. This book was no exception. There was a a geriatric dog, a hovel of an apartment, and more misunderstandings than one could count.

This was such a unique storyline. The main character was an a portrait artist who was suffering from face blindness. She somehow managed to fall in love, despite the blindness.

I think the thing that may have been the hardest for me to love about this book was how far fetched it was. While the misunderstandings were funny, they did not seem like something that would actually happen in real life.

Overall, I would say this was a cute romcom and it was worth the read.

5 stunning stars

Katherine Center is a “drop-everything” author for me. When I was offered the chance to read her newest book, that’s exactly what I did! All other books were pushed aside, and I savored this read! If there was a way to give it 15 stars I would!

This story features Sadie Montgomery, she’s a portrait painter determined to get her big break one day and find success. That day might just be coming because she’s one of ten finalists in a big portrait competition. Interestingly, her mother was a contestant in this very contest before she tragically died when Sadie was a teenager.

She’s about to celebrate one night when something goes horribly wrong with her health, and she discovers that she needs brain surgery. Initially, she wants to put it off until after the portrait competition, but doctors convince her she should do the surgery, and all will be fine. Unfortunately, she experiences a (hopefully short-term) side effect after the surgery called face blindness in layman’s terms. This is awful news for a portrait painter and the competition, how can she paint a portrait if someone’s face is a jumble of shapes?

As Sadie tries to find other ways of coping, her elderly dog gets sick, and she must take Peanut to the vet. Even though she can’t see his face, she knows that Dr. Oliver Addison is charming and handsome. Things take a brighter note when he asks her out on a date.

One of the coping mechanisms Sadie learns is to take notice of other things about someone, like their clothing or gait. She recognizes her neighbor Joe because he always seems to wear a bowling jacket. As Joe helps Sadie out a few times, a friendship starts to develop, and I was Team Joe in the romance department. Although Dr. Addison was still in contention, especially when he puts Peanut back in good health.

Sadie’s family is no help with the situation with a wicked stepsister and a stepmother and even her father constantly siding against Sadie. Luckily, Sadie’s best friend Sue and her family have informally adopted her and serve as a great support network.

This book was the perfect one to read at this time and thanks to the author’s note at the end, I now realize exactly why. It’s the anticipation effect with this genre, you somehow know that things will end in a good way for the characters. It doesn’t create anxiety like some thrillers can as you read them.

I was so impressed with Center’s descriptions of what face blindness is like for those experiencing it, she clearly did her research!

As I finished this one, I had such a joyful feeling, hence my desire for 15 stars! I toyed with immediately re-reading it, but I think I will save that for a day when I need to reclaim joy!

Perfect light romance for fans of the "slow burn".
Sadie is a portrait artist, and is so close to her big break. She is a finalist in a huge portrait competition and is determined to win. One problem, she has an accident and needs brain surgery. When she wakes up from surgery, she feels great! Until she realizes she can't see her face, it's a jumbled scene of parts, like a Picasso painting. The doctors ensure her that it may be temporary, but how is she going to win a portrait contest when she can't see faces?!
When she arrives home, her dog has an emergency, and when she takes him to a new vet, she falls in love. She's met her future husband, she is crushing hard on the vet, even if she can't really see his face.
Later, she runs into Joe, a man in her apartment building. He keeps popping up in the right place at the right time, and is so helpful and kind, despite her first impression of him.
Will Sadie be able to choose between Joe and the vet? How will she manage to complete her portrait in time?
Charming and fun, Katherine Center books are always a joy to read.
Thank you to netgalley for an eARC to review.

Oh my, oh my!! I stayed up half the night finishing this book. It’s Katherine Center’s most brilliant novel yet. It’s also super frustrating. Why? Because (1) it deals with the condition called “face blindness,” which is extremely hard to understand, and (2) it addresses the consequences of face blindness, mainly “confirmation bias,” which means that if you think something is true, you are selective about the available facts to convince yourself of that truth. (Think of those perpetual hot button topics like politics and religion, the ultimate examples.)

A teeny tiny percentage of people will ever experience face blindness. BUT 100% of us yield to confirmation bias. We do it constantly. And THIS is the brilliant part. Katherine Center does to the reader what face blindness does to her main character, Sadie—essentially creating a puzzle, purposefully leaving out information, forcing us to use our confirmation bias crutch (without realizing we’re doing it,) then offering those missing puzzle pieces we didn’t know we needed in her best ending EVER of any of her books. (I’m playing my CB card here and calling it a fact.) 😁

I’ve done so much thinking about HELLO STRANGER since finishing it at 3:30am. It is a book you really have to read twice—once without all the puzzle pieces and then again with the complete picture. And yes, I’m leaving out a plot summary on purpose because making these discoveries is part of the experience. Just know that if you still want to punch the wall after reading half of it, keep going! It’s SO worth it.

And don’t worry! Along the way you’re still treated to Sadie’s journey of self-discovery, an annoyingly cute neighbor, a dashing vet, an adorable dog, a looming work deadline, an evil stepsister, and the karmic satisfaction of being helpful and compassionate despite immense challenges. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!

What a delight of a book :-)

I gravitate towards literary fiction, often with a speculative or dark twist, but every so often I crave a palate cleanser - a cozy blanket of a book that'll leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. But here's the catch: I have to like the writing! Over the years, I've discovered Katherine Center is my go-to (along with Casey McQuiston) for this sweet spot. And her newest book, Hello Stranger, delivers everything I've come to expect from her. The premise is fascinating - yes, it *would* be incredibly challenging for a portrait artist to develop face blindness!

After an accident leaves Sadie with acquired prosopagnosia - just a few weeks before she needs to create a piece for what could be a life-changing portrait competition! - and her beloved dog Peanut falls ill, everything seems to be going wrong. It doesn't help that her evil stepsister - taking advantage of the fact that Sadie literally can't recognize her - keeps popping up and adding to the chaos. Things are further complicated when she develops an immediate crush on Peanut's kindhearted vet. Plus, there's a cast of characters in her building - particularly Joe, who at least she's always able to recognize through his ever-present bowling jacket. All that to say, this story is quite a ride!

A few nits - I feel like the stepsister was 2D to the point of caricature, even after something unexpected (and a little too pat) happens towards the end. I also guessed a major plot point early on - but honestly, I still really enjoyed the story! If you like other Katherine Center books - particularly Things You Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away - or if you're just in the mood for a well-written if not 100% realistic romance, I recommend!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.