Sadie, a struggling artist, becomes a top ten finalist in a major art competition, Her friend Sue convinces her that they need to throw a party. Sadie goes to the grocery store and has a cute guy pay for her wine after she leaves her wallet at home. However, on the way home she has a seizure and it causes the doctor to look closely and find a lesion in her brain that requires brain surgery. It causes her to have face blindness and leads through a funny love story between what she believes are two different people. Of course throughout the book, there is family drama, and the mean girl and Sadie overcomes it all. I loved this book. It was hilarious, and made me laugh out loud so many times! It was a delightful read.

LOVE LOVE Katherine was, is, and always will be a favorite author of mine. Hello Stranger has a unique love story that was hard for me to wrap my head around at time, but I never lost interest or was against the relationship. The chemistry was there and the comedy too. I laugh, cried, and smiled until my cheeks hurt.

Hello Stranger is the first novel I've read by author Katherine Center, and the premise of the protagonist, Sadie, suddenly faced with face-blindness had me intrigued right from the get-go.

While the story was a bit predictable, it was refreshingly funny, swoony, and enjoyable. There were definitely some over-used cliches, particularly with respect to some of the antagonists and the plot points surrounding them, as well as how poorly Sadie communicated at times, but she herself acknowledged how much of an unreliable narrator she was going through this journey.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it! I'll definitely be picking up future books by this author.

Thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Life is finally a bit on the upswing for twenty-something Sadie who just found out she is a finalist in an upcoming art competition. Then, boom, a sudden life changing medical event leaves her unable to recognize or assemble faces.. How does a portrait artist cope professionally and in life overall. Hello Stranger marks her journey through challenges she never imagined and romantic connections made even more complicated. Amidst a stream of heavy reads, Hello Stranger is a heartwarming story that gives one hope in humanity and in chance encounters.

Thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Hello Stranger was a nice and funny romance that had a few twists and turns up its sleeves, most of which were not major surprises, but nice nonetheless. The main character was a bit all of over the place, what with having brain surgery and not being a person for details it seems, but adding face blindness on to her life wasn't doing her any favors. And for someone who is supposedly so loved, she seemed to have few people she could rely on. But I thought her romance with Joe was kinda nice and I appreciated how the author tried to use the face blindness to create more tension in the story.

But seriously, what is up with the horrible stepsister? She's the absolute worse and somehow not much is going on there. Is this character just to create more tension? If so, I feel like that part fell flat.

Overall, a nice story, not as good as her first, but I'll definitely keep coming back to this author.

I really enjoyed this it was a fast read for me and helped get me back on track with my reading. If you enjoy romcoms I’m sure you’d also enjoy this as well!

I jumped to request this after reading her book the bodyguard, which was top tier for me... but this book fell short. It was not bad, just not for me. I didn't like the main character and found myself rooting against her as she was so unappreciative and o didn't feel the connections with her love matches. I was just bored

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for e-ARC of the book.

Sadie is a finalist of the prestigious portrait competition. It is a perfect opportunity to prove to her dad, her evil step mom and more evil step sister that she is doing great in her life. But the plan is ruined when Sadie has to do an emergency brain surgery and as a side effect she gets face blindess. Things get progressively worse as her evil step sister moves into Sadie's building to torment her. The only good thing seems to be that she meets a cute veterinarian and her charming neighbor. Now she needs to figure out how to draw an award winning portrait and how to pick a perfect match while learning to live with face blindness.

Katherine Center created a great anticipation. I was pleasantly surprised as characters were opening up and shared their stories (some were raw and sad). It was really had to put down this book and it was more hard to say goodbye to the characters in the end.
I was impressed with the research that author did to write the book.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center was a beautiful book of struggle and hope. I read many mixed reviews about this book but I loved the anticipation of the storyline. Such a heartwarming story with Katherine Centers humor mixed in. I loved it.

Eeeeeep! I adore this book so much! It is heartfelt and hilarious. The banter is 10/10. It had me smiling and swooning and cackling on almost every page. I had so much fun with this book. The premise of face blindness is so fresh and interesting to read about / learn about. You could tell Katherine Center did very thorough research. This is absolutely one of the best romances I’ve read all year! Katherine Center has officially cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me! 🩵

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review!

What a fantastic story!! Sadie Montgomery is on the verge of success as a portrait artist, being chosen in the Top 10 of a National Portrait Society contest, where the prize is worth $10,000 dollars. But before she is even able to celebrate it, she has a mild seizure, causing her to almost get hit by a car. After having brain surgery, she develops a condition known as Face Blindness; she can see faces, but they're all jumbled up like a jigsaw puzzle.

I felt every emotion as I was reading this, feeling everything that Sadie was going through. Oh, and Joe!! But then there's also Dr. Oliver Addison. Who will she choose? And will her Face Blindness resolve itself in time for the Gallery show? Well, you'll have to read it to find out.

I was given a digital copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are mine alone.

My second book from Katherine Center and I think I’ve found a romcom writer that I can rely on for some relief from my typical picks of fantasy and horror. Funny, charming, and just adorable, guaranteed to get you out of a reading slump and make you smile.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for this amazing read.

We follow Sadie who seems to hint at having a rough life. She lost her mother and her dad is too busy with her evil stepmother and evil stepsister that he doesn't have any time for her, but that's okay because Sadie needs no one and even if she does she will never admit that!

She ends up needing brain surgery and as if that is not scary enough, she ends up with face blindness after her surgery that doesn't allow her to see anyone's faces, not even her best friend!

I loved this book so much, it had me in tears, it had me smiling, it had me wanting MORE from this Author! Which is why I will definitely be reading more from her! I genuinely enjoyed all the characters, I feel like Sadie finally started growing towards the end because she actually was able to start asking others for help. Sadie could be whiny at times but I mean can we really blame her? She is going through the roughest time of her life while trying to win a contest that her mom entered in before she died, I would be pretty bummed if all my senses were sent out of whack just before something that could change my life. I am not going to lie, the idea of not being able to see anyone's faces terrifies me especially after seeing Sadie's evil stepsister, I would be holed up in my hovel as well!

This book did not disappoint though, it might be one of the best ARC reads I have read lately, once I picked it up I did not want to put it down. I highly recommend picking up this book and reading it if you want a romance different from the rest! I will recommend this book to anyone who asks and I can't wait to check out more!!

I just love all of Katherine Center's books and this one is no exception. This book was filled with hope and light and was just what I needed after a few heavy reads.

Sadie is an artist who after an unexpected surgery wakes up with "face blindness." She is a portrait artist competing in a contest that will provide her big break, so how can she paint people's faces with this condition? I did predict the big twist, but this was still a heartwarming read that I will recommend to others.

Positives:
Likeable characters
A satisfying conclusion
A sweet romance
Universal themes such as family drama, illness, stagnant professional/creative life, friends who are family, etc.

Negatives:
Just that the twist was predictable but it did not detract from the enjoyment of the book.

Just a feel good and happy read!

When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure how I felt about it but the more I read I enjoyed the concept! I began to like the characters way more as I kept reading as well. I read a lot of romance novels so having a twist within the book kept me engaged. Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars. Thanks NetGalley for the arc to review :)

3.5/5 The story was filled with all the cute romance moments you love to read. I really liked the premise of Sadie having to learn how to know people by things outside their looks. Overall it was a solid romance read, I saw the ending coming a little more than I prefer, but as the Author's note states its about the journey and I did enjoy that very much!

Such a fun and artsy read! Emotional rollercoaster full of different events that the main character, Sadie Montgomery, goes through. I couldn’t put it down once I started. What a whirlwind of different situations Sadie has to endure. Upcoming art show, surgery, and an unexpected love triangle!? Oh; and of course her adorable doggy, Peanut. It’s a cute story and I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist about to have her big break. She's placed in a competition which would not only help her financial situation with the large prize money, but would also kick start her career. After a chance meeting with a man in a grocery store, she is struck by a vehicle in the crosswalk on the way back to her apartment. When she wakes up in the hospital, she finds out that she had a seizure caused by an inherited problem in her brain. She must have surgery to correct this problem. After waking up from surgery, she realizes that she cannot see faces any longer. They look like a jumbled mess of parts. This condition is called prosopagnosia or "face blindness." Unfortunately for Sadie, this really throws a wrench in her only form of income. If she cannot see faces, how can she create portraits?
At least she can still see her dog, Peanuts face. When Peanut gets sick, Sadie takes him to a new Vet and he happens to be the most attractive man she's ever seen (even though she cannot make out his face). He has a swagger about him that she is really attracted to. Shortly after this, she meets a man named "Joe" who also lives in her apartment building. She sees him coming in and out of multiple women's apartments and assumes he is some kind of player. She also overhears a phone conversation that really turns her off from him. But somehow Joe keeps popping up in her life and she realizes that he is not as bad as she thought. He is super helpful and really seems to get her. As their relationship continues to blossom, Sadie must decide between the hunky Veterinarian, Oliver, and Joe the helpful man from her apartment.

Let me just say I love all of Katherine Center's books and this one was no different. She just has a way of telling a story that is so original and pulls at your heartstrings. They are always emotionally involved yet somehow lighthearted reads at the same time. I was so excited to get an eARC of this title and loved it so much that I also purchased a physical copy from Book of the Month. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

While others have said they could see what was going to happen, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Every one of Center's books, I've enjoyed!

Disclaimer: thank you to netgalley, St Martin's press and Katherine Center for the opportunity to read this book.

Y'all, idk if they put crack in the pages or what but I straight up inhaled this book like it was a slice of my favorite pizza or something.
I don't know anything about face blindness but it definitely shows that the author did the research. I googled it to see if it existed and for real did not know! It seems like a distressing illness. This is my first Katherine Center book but I don't think it will be the last. I always appreciate when authors write about difficult topics. It's something I hope to do one day. This was a really fun read and I read 83% of it last night because I could NOT put it down lol.