Sadie was such a sweet dreamer. My heart hurt for what she was going through. Katherine Center always knows how to pull on my heartstrings. And still keep me entertained with the comic relief and romance. I couldn’t decide if I was team Oliver or Joe, since all the characters were amazing! Minus the evil vapor step mother but so hilarious! Not going to give any spoilers but please go preorder and read or listen to the audiobook!
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

While I might be biased as I love a good Katherine Center love story, this one hit it out of the ballpark. I LOVE LOVE LOVED this unique story about Sadie. Sadie is an artist about to finally reach a major goal in her career when her life is quite literally flipped upside down. Sadie is diagnosed with acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia, yes say that three times fast, also known as face blindness. As if that weren’t a challenge for a member of the normal population, Sadie has to attempt to paint a face without being able to see it correctly. Cue in Sadie’s hot mess family situation, two potential mates, an amazing doggy companion and a best friend named Sue with the kindest parents, this story held my interest beginning to end. While slightly predictable, the twists and turns that this love story took had me melting from the inside out.

I was gifted an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

SinceI started reading her books, I've found that Katherine Center never writes a bad one. She still doesn't, and this one is particularly fantastic. Full disclosure: as I was reading this book, I thought of MY friend Sadie who has face blindness and I reached out to her so she could read this book, too. It turns out that book Sadie was named after my friend Sadie and Katherine Center reached out to her to talk about living with face blindness! So I feel a personal connection to this book--which only made it better.

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist with the biggest break of her life in a few short weeks but she has to have brain surgery. When she wakes up, she's fine except for one thing: she can't see faces. Katherine Center details what it's like living with acquired prosopagnosia (face blindness) exceptionally well. Sadie, however, struggles with it, and doesn't want to share it with her friends. She meets another resident in her apartment building and they start dating--but she also really likes her dog's super hot vet. What's a girl to do? As she works through her challenge of not being able to recognize faces, she also works through her art, her new relationship, and some of her old ones.

In the epilogue, Katherine Center talks about the rise of romance novels during covid and how she enjoys writing them so that we can read with joy. I loved reading her books because there's always something to overcome and all her books end with joy and hope. This one was no different--it's a wonderful , feel-good book with a fun and very happy-ever-after.

Katherine Center books are my absolute favorite and I was BEYOND excited to get this one early! And it was absolutely no surprise that this one was another 5 star favorite for me! It was a complete joy to read from start to finish, even though it definitely covered some heavier topics and pulled at the heart strings.

Sadie, a struggling portrait artists, is saddled with a new reality - face blindness. Center really nailed this part - I truly could feel how Sadie was "NOT" seeing faces. I could feel Sadie's anxiety and confusion and felt that I was seeing the other characters through her eyes - WOW!! This was so well done.

Sadie was so lovely and brave and I thoroughly enjoyed following her journey. I don't want to say too much but the romance was beyond sweet! I spent much of the book anticipating the final scene and it totally delivered! AHHH I just loved it so much!I devoured this book and already can't wait to read it again!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all many thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC to me in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book because Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. However, I had a similar reaction to when I read "What You Wish For". Specifically, I mostly liked and related to the two main characters but there were parts of the plot that didn't make sense to me.

The positives included Sadie and Joe who were very sweet and I enjoyed their interactions. Especially enjoyable was a scene at the end of the book when they're discussing Joe's "one-night-stand" that had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Pure Center genius! I also loved Dr. Nicole and her straight talk. AND overall, the idea for the plot was very clever.

Not so enjoyable were Sadie's best friend's behavior which I found annoying and self-centered. However, I had trouble believing the "reasons" for some of the other characters' behavior (Sadie's dad, stepmom, and step sister) and how they were explained and supposedly clarified at the end of the story. It just didn't ring true for me.

My recommendation is to get some of Center's better books including "The Bodyguard" and "Things You Save in a Fire". Each a very different type of story but both worth the time to read.

I have said it before and I'll say it again - Katherine Center can do no wrong. I adored this book. I loved even more the author's note at the end about romance and why we love them so much. You don't need a reason to read and enjoy romance, but if you were wondering, Katherine explains it all: we love breathless anticipation and we love hope. And romance has that in spades. All of Katherine's book do, really. Hello Stranger is easily one of my favorite books this year, and I will certainly be buying myself a copy when it comes out next summer.

Thank you to Netgalley, Katherine Center, and St Martin's for the eARC in exchange for my review.

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!