I think Katherine Center has become one of my favorite "Rom-Com"plus authors! With this and The Bodyguard (one of my favorite books of last year), I really appreciate the way she has a love story that I am invested in but that's not the main story. The main story is the beautifully written main female character and their family and friendships and the dynamics of those relationships as well as their inner struggles about who they are and what they do for a living. The characters are dynamic and likeable and I finish her books feeling emotions I didn't expect to feel in a "rom-com".

This book deals with art, loss, grief, illness, facial blindess (which was incredibly fascinating), an evil stepsister, and of course love. I enjoyed every moment of this book and the characters that Center brought to life. I extra appreciate that her books are closed door - this girl's face turns red real fast with open door scenes! At first I was going to say that this book is predictable but then I read the Author's Note and was hit with a great realization from the author.

"Sometimes I see people grasping for a better word than predictable to describe a romance. They'll say "it was predictable - but in a good way." I see what they are going for. But maybe the word predictable has become predictable...I propose we start using anticipation."

I love this - it's a rom-com - of course some of it will be exactly what I expected it to be. But why is that a bad thing? I was ANTICIPATING everything that I expected to happen in such as great way that I kept turning the pages so that I could experience that a-ha moment WITH the characters. Special shout out as well to the main character's dog Peanut who I loved with all of my heart! I had tears in my eyes in one scene and immediately had to go hug my dogs.

The Bodyguard is still my #1 of hers but this was such a lovely, enjoyable story of friendship, love and the power of kindness and hope. I want to immediately buy all of Katherine Center's backlist because her books just constantly bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by Katherine Center and it lived up to the hype. I loved both main characters and watching Sadie struggle with the that have happened to her but then watching her figure it all out. I plan to read more by this author.

Hello Stranger is the new reality for portrait artist Sadie Montgomery as she suffers from a side effect of brain surgery called prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces, in the latest from Katherine Center that arrived on bookshelves July 11.

Sadie had just placed as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition when she was ready to celebrate and start her entry only to be shot down thanks to her brain scrambling the pieces of people’s faces. She only has a few weeks to start and finish a new portrait to enter into the contest that offers a huge prize. While face blindness may be only temporary, there are no guarantees that the faces she sees will clear up.

As if suffering face blindness was not enough of a challenge, Sadie faces other problems: major family issues thanks to an evil stepsister, the failing health of her dog Peanut who her late mother had given her, and an obsession with two men, one her handsome new vet and the other a neighbor in her art studio/apartment building.

As she struggles to create a portrait for the competition when she cannot even see her subject’s face any other way but in “pieces,” her end result tends to look like something scrambled as in a Picasso painting, an entry the Portrait Society is not likely to favor. Because this is a contemporary romance, readers will get feel-good vibes as Sadie deals with life as a face-blind person juggling potential romances with two men whose faces she cannot see.

Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of nine other books, including The Bodyguard, Things You Save in a Fire, and What You Wish For. Her book The Lost Husband was made into a Netflix movie, and Happiness for Beginners will air on Netflix starting July 27 starring Luke Grimes from the TV series “Yellowstone.” Center lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting July 23, 2023.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Struggling portrait artist, Sadie, is one canvas away from her big break when her plans are thwarted by a sudden medical emergency and subsequent brain surgery that takes away her ability to perceive faces. Friends and family become strangers. Sadie suddenly cannot recognize her own reflection and is forced to reevaluate her career and her perception of her own life. A stranger becomes an unlikely supporter as she discovers the value of familiarity and learns what it means to be seen.
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I'll admit, I had my doubts about this one. I am always apprehensive about medical problems used as a plot device because sometimes they are misunderstood and misleading, but I felt like KC did her research and handled it delicately without beating it to death. I found it to be a fascinating and heartwarming perspective of a real diagnosis. The imagery used when describing Sadie's new perceptions and her painting are beautiful and touching. I liked the romance aspect of the story and felt like it came together well at the end, but it is also a tale of self-discovery that felt original and uplifting.
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The "evil stepsister" trope just felt so unrealistic to me and it was very interwoven into the story, which made it hard to ignore. It created a slapstick kind of comedy, but I think Sadie's clumsiness and disorientation fostered enough humor on its own. I also felt like the twist at the end felt far-fetched but there was an attempt to address a plot hole that made it more digestible. It is notably free of spice, not even any fade to black scenes, that are always kind of a bummer for me personally when I pick up a romance.
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I enjoyed this far more than the Bodyguard so I am looking forward to what KC has next on her roster.
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Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St Martins Press for this ARC e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center has done it again. Hello Stranger captured my heart with is sweet storyline and engaging characters 🎨

Read if you like
🖌️closed-door
🖌️friends-to-lovers
🖌️unique plot lines
🖌️found family
🖌️healing after trauma
🖌️lots of laughs

Katherine Center does it again with this cute, heartwarming book that will get readers hooked from the first page. I discovered Center when The Bodyguard came out which was my favorite read of last year. Let me say that this story did not disappoint at all. So this story follows Sadie who has something going on with her life until an accident and now has to struggle with her dream and family issues only with two men she had met. Usually I love my romance spicy which Center doesn’t do though that never disappoints me as her story are always great. The plot and story structure is well done and the pacing is just perfect. I love the setting and the conflicts in the book. Sadie was a wonderful character and I loved how much she developed in the story. I love how this story focuses a lot on self-development instead of just romance. The side characters were great and I loved seeing Joe and Oliver. The romance is a love triangle which usually I don’t prefer reading but I didn’t mind it for this book. I liked the outcome and the story was very cute. Everything turned out well for this book and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Now, romance is not my normal genre but I love Katherine Center and Hello Stranger was another hit for me. She is creative with her plots and that is why I love her books so much. This one was no different, and I have only read about face blindness in thrillers, and to introduce it in a romance novel was actually kind of genius, there were even times I was laughing out loud in here. The plot was great, I loved (and loved to hate) these characters and listened to this in one sitting as it was so good. On that note, the audio is fantastic, it was great to listen to and I think it is the way to go if you like audiobooks for sure.

P.S. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed!

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

Katherine Center really knows how to craft unique stories! I enjoyed the first bit of this one, but after I while I started to find myself peeved by and disinterested in the narrator. I know she had been through so much, but I found her to be a little immature, so it was hard for me to feel invested in her story. I also experienced way too many plot holes overall, but I still enjoyed the premise of the book and appreciated the chance to learn more about face blindness. Will continue to read Center’s books, for sure!

I always enjoy Katherine Center books. I enjoyed Hello Stranger although there was one small tiny tiny thing that annoyed me. Sometimes in books I get annoyed when characters don’t communicate early enough. Having said though, I really liked this story. The characters are developed and some are likeable and some are very unlikeable, but that’s good because that’s life. There is a good lesson I this book as well.

I have read most of Katherine Centers books and while I enjoyed this one it wasn’t my favorite. Hello Stranger is about Sadie, a struggling portrait artist who has surgery and wakes up with facial blindness. It follows her story of navigating life with this new impairment and falling in love along the way. Sadie is easy to root for but her family/step family is awful. In the end it was a cute fast read just wish there was more chemistry and less confusion.

Oh man, the way this book drew me in and hooked me! I wasn't willingly putting down my Kindle until I knew what was happening next. And there was always something happening next! Between the complex character backgrounds, the plot-line twists and the general story information and quips, I was always wanting to read and know more. While I wouldn't quite qualify this as a beach read romance, it is certainly a cozy curl up in your favorite comfy spot with a hot drink and dive deep until the last page romance book. I look forward to reading more by Center in the near future!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, this was such a unique story that had me feeling all of the emotions. It was truly an enjoyable read!

I had never heard of face blindness before reading this story, but was amazed to learn that so many people across the globe have this condition. Throughout the story, I found myself feeling so sorry for Sadie, especially when she kept running into her atrocious stepsister! My heart cried from joy for Sadie when, after putting off picking up her dog from the kennel because she couldn’t stand to not be able to see his little face, she was able to SEE him! I also cheered for Sadie when she finally accepted her situation and started painting again, despite her work not being what it used to be.

Katherine Center’s writing is so easy to read and I absolutely adored Sadie’s inner monologue! I couldn’t get enough and can’t wait to read more by this author!

📖𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 📖
📕 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: Hello Stranger
📝 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: Katherine Center
🗓️ 𝐔𝐒𝐀 𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: July 11, 2023
🤔 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: Romance/Romantic Comedy
📱 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓: eARC
✨ 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a unique and enjoyable story! Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Everything I read, I like. I thought the plot was very creative and it was well executed. I felt attached to the main character, Sadie, right from the start. I had such empathy for her as we learned of her struggles, both past and present. I did figure out one of the surprises but it took me a while and didn’t end up taking away from my enjoyment. I highly recommend this one. It was a cute story that pulled at my heartstrings!

Here’s the book blurb from the publisher:
Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming ... Literally! One minute she's celebrating the biggest achievement of her life-placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition-the next, she's lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a "probably temporary" condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language.
This is Sadie's new reality with every face she sees. But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into-love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?-with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn't be worse. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren't looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

I absolutely love Katherine Centers writing style and story telling. And Hello Stranger was everything I accepted it to be and more! I will forever read what she writes!

Normally I love all of Katherine Center's books. This was not my favorite of her novels. I won't post this on Goodreads. I love this author too much that I wouldn't like to give her a meh review online.

I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I loved the plot and so many parts of this book but really didn’t like the characters. It was too hard to settle on if I felt bad for Sadie and had compassion for her condition, or if I hated how self absorbed she acted throughout the book. One of the last chapters in which she describes things to Sue definitely helped put me on her side a little bit but overall I was so frustrated throughout the book. I love the authors writing style. It’s so easy to listen to but I wouldn’t recommend this book over The Bodyguard or Things We Save in a Fire.

I had so much fun reading this wholesome little story. Katherine Center truly thrives in creating stories that will warm your heart and be exciting from start to finish. She writes my favorite kind of romance, a cozy, closed-door, fluffy little rom-com. This is the second book I've read from this author and I am so excited to read more from her in the future.

One of the main things I loved about this book is the main character's navigation through life with face blindness. I don't see that much in other books, so it felt unique and fascinating to read about. Although many topics in this story are sad and the main character finds herself at her lowest point, I somehow never found it to be too heavy. I was able to breeze through this story and save myself from a potential reading slump. I also was very happy with the pacing in this story and the balance in the contemporary and romance. Joe was a sweetheart and he had me giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. I will say, this book will not be everyone's favorite because sometimes it is a bit corny and some scenes were a little too convenient. Personally, this didn't bother me too much because I was having fun.

However, there were some things that did bother me a little. The biggest irritant is that, I don't think Sue is a very good friend to Sadie throughout the book. I don't think she really took the time to think about how Sadie felt in certain situations. She was never held accountable throughout the entire book. The author just wrote it off by saying "She didn't mean any harm" but to me, it doesn't matter what you meant to do. She put Sadie in uncomfortable situations, spoke insensitively about her face blindness, abandoned her in times of need, and violated her space. I think a conversation should have been had somewhere in the book to help their friendship be a little more healthy and strong. The only other thing that bothered me was that the ending wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked. This was minor and I don't really know what else I would do differently, but I just didn't really get a big feeling when leaving the book.

Overall, like I said this was really fun and was a perfect pick-me-up read. I would definitely recommend this to rom-com lovers who are hoping for the same effect. A solid 4-star read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for giving me access to the delight that is this book.

Hello Stranger was beautifully written. I love how Katherine Center writes the most relatable characters. What I think is most beautiful about this book other than the love story is her author’s note. I don’t think an author’s note has moved me or changed my perspective on reading like hers did. In summary she discussed how she came to write romance and how this genre shouldn’t be described as predictable because, well, we read romances knowing we will have a HEA. Which is so accurate. She then goes to describe what we expect to feel while reading certain genres. Once again she hit the nail on the head. She discussed how romances are written from a positive light and how we leave romances blissful. Now that I’m thinking about that I totally agree. I always rate romances higher because I feel lighter after reading them even knowing they will end happily.

This was such a beautiful love story about an artist who suffers from face blindness and finds love while her brain is trying to heal. Emotions were felt, tears were shed, and most importantly the profound moment when all the pieces connected for me. I felt like I was on this journey with the FMC, Sadie. The miscommunication was so well done to me that it wasn’t annoying because I honestly felt like it was realistic and I probably would have done the same thing. It was so good watching Sadie lean into this disability and come out of it more hopeful!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Katherine Center and was so excited to read this one! It started off a little slow but I really enjoyed reading it. The characters were likable and fun! The story was a tad predictable but as she says in the author’s note that’s what makes romance books so fun to read!

I absolutely loved this story!! It amazes me how much research Katherine does for her books. It never seems too scientific or textbook-esque. Just enough to learn about something in the context of the story. Sadie is an awesome MC! I laughed out loud several times just because of some of the awkward situations she’d get herself into! I wasn’t sure how the HEA would work out but I enjoyed the getting there! Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book!