The pacing of this book was perfect and I really enjoyed the overall story. Katherine Center is always a hit for me and I will keep reading whatever she writes!

Eventho there is no spice in Katherine Centers books they are romances that are soo enjoyable to read. You really get to know her characters. Sadie is forced to come to terms with her sudden diagnosis of face blindness in the midst of getting read to enter an art competition where her main focus is painting portraits and making money by doing animal portraits.

Thank you to St Martins press for an arc.

Katherine Center has once again provided us with an excellent romance book.
The story grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t release its hold until the end. The story has some twists and turns that you can see coming. But if you read for enjoyment it doesn’t take away for the book. In my opinion there were a few far fetched areas that made me question things. But overall I’m glad I read it.
Thank to NetGalley for the complimentary book

A beautiful romance novel about identity and loving someone for who they really are, rather than what they look like. Center’s Hello Stranger follows Sadie after an accident that leaves her with face blindness, a very unfortunate experience given her work as a portrait artist. Unable to recognize anyone by anything other than context clues and—surprisingly—gaits, Sadie enters a world in which she must relearn how to form and maintain relationships, as well as her ability to paint portraits without any facial features. While going through this life-changing experience, Sadie also happens to fall for two men in her life: her charming vet who saves her dogs life and the helpful neighbor in her building who can’t stop saving her socially. With family problems and work deadlines, grief and money stress, and above all else, her inability to recognize anyone, Sadie’s life does not need the complication of a relationship, but as she grows closer with Vet Oliver Addison and Neighbor Joe, Sadie learns that it’s okay to ask for help, and that what truly matters in a relationship is what’s inside.

I loved this fun yet meaningful romance from Center and can’t wait to read her backlist. Center did an amazing job researching neuropsychology and face blindness for this novel, and I was genuinely moved by Sadie and her character growth. Fans of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this book!

I'll admit, I'm a bit picky when it comes to Romance novels. I don't mind a dash of spice, but I don't love it when a novel is to focused on the spice, so, that being said, "Hello Stranger" really was the perfect book for me. It was the exact kind of romance I look for. Sweet, while a bit frustrating at times, with characters that defy the odds. Even though I figured out the twist about halfway through the story, I still really appreciated Sadie and Joes story and loved seeing it progress through the pages. I also found the fact that Sadie, the protagonist, was given a health condition that caused her (a portrait artist) not to be able to see faces during the most crucial time in her career to be both a unique and fun story line, if also a bit stressful at times. Then, the added side storyline relating to Sadies family also gave a dash of flavor to the story. I think her struggles are something a lot of readers can relate to and I'm happy for the outcome, especially with her relationship with Lucinda.

This is the first book I've read by Katherine Center and overall I really like her style. I can't wait to read other works by her!

Katherine Center is always delightful. This one had a very unique premise that may be hard for some readers to get behind, but her fans will be delighted as always by the steamy (yet wholesome) romance!

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Kathrine Center's "Hello Stranger." This novel was released on July 11, 2023, and is the first book I've read by Katherine Center. "Hello Stranger" tells the story of Sadie, a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, who has an accident, is hospitalized, undergoes brain surgery, and ends up with prosopagnosia or face blindness.

The big question is, how can Sadie paint a face if she can't see faces? Throughout the novel, Sadie struggles to pursue her dream of participating in the competition; she also grapples with financial insecurity as she tries to deal with the loss of one parent through death and another through perceived abandonment. Sadie also contends with an evil stepsister. As Sadie works with a therapist to learn to accept herself and open up to others, she finds solace in her adorable dog, Peanut. Sadie navigates romantic feelings for the vet, Dr. Addison, and Joe, a man who lives in her apartment. Who will she choose? Will she be able to see faces before the competition and submit an entry?

Sadie's best friend and her parents, the Kims, offered much support throughout the novel. They were patient and understanding and greatly loved Sadie. I must admit there were moments when Sadie irritated me; however, the novel's exploration of prosopagnosia, the challenges of pursuing a dream amidst financial insecurity, and the process of self-acceptance made "Hello Stranger" an educational and enlightening read.

Some parts of this definitely irritated me. Like Sadie’s absolutely refusing help for anything even when she has face blindness after surgery. Like girl. Come on.

Other than that I actually thought it was super cute. I liked that Lucinda turns out to not be as bad as Sadie thinks she is.

The twist was super obvious but didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story.

But my favorite part was Peanut and his love for croissants and pad Thai. I would die for peanut

Wow, this story!!! Honestly, I couldn’t have loved the ending more! I love all of Katherine Center’s stories, and this one was full of twists in the best way. Definitely a favorite of Katherine's books! I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book is a charming tale of unexpected love. The setting is vibrant and enchanting, making it easy to get lost in the story. The protagonists start off as unlikely pairings, but their journey together is filled with sweet moments and growth. It’s a lovely reminder that love can blossom in the most surprising situations!

Katherine Center is always a favorite of mine!! It actually took me a long time to pick this one up because I thought..... really face blindness? But oonce I got going I was so interested in it! I thought really, can she not tell. I had figured it out but it was crazy to me that she could not. I really like Joe. Another great one book!

I really enjoyed this book. I found it entertaining. Although I saw bits of the story, when she discovered that she couldn’t see and made assumptions about who people were. I did need to find out if I was right. I enjoyed the portrayal of a disability and was well written, you can see the research that went behind the representation.

ok cute! 4 stars! this book kept my attention and I stayed up too late two nights in a row to read it

it has a creative premise that I had a hard time conceptualizing because it felt a little far-fetched. I also think there was a bit too much internal dialogue, and felt myself wanting to skip ahead sometimes (which may be my own issue)

there’s a twist that I maybe could’ve seen coming if I’d been a more critical reader but I was definitely just in this one for the vibes lol

THAT SAID the vibes were GOOD and this will be a great summer read when it comes out in july!! I love joe and I love katherine center thank you goodnight

DNF @ 32% - It just didn't feel remotely believable and I wasn't a fan. With the impending love triangle I knew this book wasn't for me.

4.5⭐️ rounded up

This is probably my favorite Katherine Center novel so far. I ADORED Joe & Sadie. Throw in brain swelling that’s causing Sadie some major perception issues, and I was pretty hooked. The element of the evil stepsister was quite interesting, too. Though I am still not happy with some of the family issues & their resolution (or lack thereof), hence the loss of half a star, I am obsessed with Sadie’s relationship with her mother who has passed. The memories, the inspiration, the skates, the birthday tradition, Smokey Robinson. I loved it all. This book is also very heavy on loving your dog, and I’m not quite a dog person, so that didn’t so much do it for me personally, but this novel is literally quite nearly perfection. Even Sadie’s friendship with Sue, her interactions with Mr. & Mrs. Kim, the rooftop setting. It all came together into a beautiful and wonderful experience that has you reflecting on how fortunate we are to just be…human.

I enjoyed this book so much! Such a cute and easy read. I now want to read every book by Katherine Center. My new favorite author! Thank you Net Galley!

This book definitely leans more towards women's fiction than romance but I didn't mind that at all. This was such a unique book in dealing with the tough topic of face blindness. This isnt something I had ever read about before and I really enjoyed learning more about it. As with all of Center's books, this one really tugs at your heartstrings and gets emotional. I did guess the "plot twist" or conflict early on, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.

What can’t Katherine Center do? She always finds a way to write directly to my heart. It was so interesting learning about face blindness. This was my second book with it in it, and I never knew it was a thing!

I always appreciate Center’s writing about issues with parental relationships: death, disappointment, boundaries etc. she gets the complexity of jt

4.5 ⭐️
This book was so enjoyable; the premise was unique, and I adored the characters. Sadie is so endearing, and how her relationship with Joe grows is beautiful because she can’t even see his face but loves him. Center is able to relay the emotions and frustrations that come from going through this major life change while still keeping the book fun and romantic. Typically, I do not do well with miscommunication, but in this instance, it works because while it could be solved with a conversation, there was a believable plot point that didn't allow for this to happen.

I will say the little twist I figured out pretty early on, but it was enjoyable to see it play out for Sadie in the end. this is the second book that I've read by Katherine Center, and it definitely won't be my last. She has wonderful pacing, and the stories are original and refreshing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center writes the most refreshing romance books and Hello Stranger is no different. Our main character has an accident which results in her developing a condition known as face blindness. So she can't differentiate one face from another. As you can imagine that makes life pretty difficult. In true Katherine Center fashion this makes for an excellent book of page turning mishaps and romance. Katherine is a must read when I need a good palate cleanser and I can't wait for the next one.