Happy pub day!! This is my second Katherine Center and I'm going to continue to anticipate (heh) her new releases because they're always light, funny, and romantic with a creative concept. HELLO STRANGER follows struggling artist, Sadie Montgomery, who is about to get her big break in a portrait competition... only to experience a non-convulsing seizure leading to temporary face blindness. Uh oh.

What ensues is an amusing development of a love triangle despite everyone looking like Picasso paintings and needed suspension of belief that will remind readers that romance isn't that far from a Fantasy novel.

While there are some aspects of Sadie's character I found frustrating at times (which I also felt towards the main heroine in The Bodyguard), she ultimately won me over. Her love for her dog, her bestie, and her stubborn desire to be self-sufficient were far too relatable.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc :)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I made the very rational, very mature decision to wait to read HELLO STRANGER until I’d gotten through the several other Netgalley books I had, even though I absolutely adored THE BODYGUARD, and have since been staring longingly at HELLO STRANGER for months. Months during which I could have been thinking back on Sadie Montgomery’s experience with acquired face blindness following a sudden brain surgery that leaves her unable to paint a career-altering portrait for a contest that would allow her to continue her dream of being a painter like her deceased mother. Months during which I could have been remembering the bad first impression Sadie got of later-found-to-be pretty perfect Helpful Joe with the floppy hair and ability to always be exactly where you need him.

There were just so many elements of HELLO STRANGER to love. With every digital page turned, I was excited to see the romance(s) develop as well as the twists that came with Sadie’s sudden inability to recognize faces, even those she had seen so many times before. (Though I guessed the major one after the coffee shop door incident, I found it so clever that it was still thrilling to watch play out on page!) I was aware of face blindness, but Katherine Center wove information about the diagnosis, leading to a better understanding of the difficulties people who experience it go through, into this story that turns into a lesson about the power of asking for help and not being ashamed when you need it.

And while I didn’t love Sadie’s family for all the blame, disbelief, manipulation, and pure evilness they put her through, it was such an interesting addition to the story that showed why Sadie might have such a need to remain independent and keep her face blindness a secret.

There was also an instance of fatphobia that made me uncomfortable and I don’t think it was properly addressed or acknowledged by the author, so if you are sensitive to that sort of thing, please be aware.

With that, while I wish I hadn’t waited to read HELLO STRANGER, in the end, the anticipation was absolutely worth it.

This story was cute, adorable, charming, whatever else you want to call it. Sadie is in an accident and loses her ability to see faces. With Sadie’s job being a portrait artist, this result from her accident is tougher on her than most. Will she ever recover? While she is going through all of this, she meets a guy in her apartment building and her vet. I felt that parts were predictable, but that didn’t stop my enjoyment in reading it. Regarding the romance, the big twist at the end, I did catch on early to what was going on. I laughed and cried with Sadie as she went through her journey. This was a feel good light romance that was fun to read.

I save Katherine Center's work for when I need an express dose of warm and fuzzy. Hello Stranger delivered in the best way possible. I am also grateful that I had the foresight to start it when I could stay up reading - this one was a 24 hour read for me. I was rooting for Sadie every step of the way - and that is something this author is exceptional at - making you care about the story's characters whether you can relate to them or not.

Sadie's life is complicated and nowhere near where she'd like it to be. Just as she's on the verge of her big break as a portrait artist, and proving to her father that she can "hack it", life's unpredictability kicks in and she finds herself navigating the world through the lens of prosopagnosia (face blindness). Enter two potential love interests and things just get even more interesting. For the reader anyway!

I already knew a fair bit about prosapagnosia because of my field of study but this story took it to another level because of Sadie's occupation. There were a number of reading moments I just wanted to give Sadie a great big hug. Yes, of course there was a romance component to the story but I actually liked that it was about much more than just that. I was entertained, my feelings skilfully manipulated, I chuckled, I teared up. This is a great summer read! And if you're already a Katherine Center fan you will not want to miss this one!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

Hello Stranger is a captivating romance novel that explores the challenges faced by Sadie, a talented portrait artist who unexpectedly develops face blindness. As a portrait artist, this newfound condition is particularly devastating, as it threatens her artistic career. She must navigate the world with an altered perception, relying on other cues to recognize the people in her life. Katherine Center deftly explores the psychological and emotional impact of the condition, painting a vivid picture of Sadie's fear and frustration. The story highlights the importance of resilience and adaptability, as Sadie learns to rely on her other senses.

Amidst these challenges, a captivating subplot takes shape when Sadie's veterinarian and neighbor express a romantic interest in her. Sadie keeps her face blindness a secret which leads to an interesting set of challenges and complexities. Inevitably, there were instances where Sadie's face blindness created misunderstandings or moments of confusion. This predictability was the only minor drawback of Hello Stranger.

Nonetheless, it is an enchanting romance novel with its unique premise of face blindness and its exploration of the challenges faced by Sadie in both her romantic and professional life.

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP Romance for an advanced reader copy.

“Seeing the world differently helps you see things not just that other people can’t—but that you yourself never could if you weren’t so lucky. It lets you make your own rules. Color outside your own lines. Allow yourself another way of seeing.”

Sadie Montgomery is feeling a little lost in life. She’s single, living in a rooftop hovel of the building her best friend’s parents own, and selling portraits on Etsy to make a living. She does have one thing going for her though: a spot in the North American Portrait Society competition. That is until a sudden brain surgery leads to (hopefully temporary) face blindness. Now she has to find a new way to see faces and the world around her.

What if your whole world and how you see get turned upside down? Everything you thought you knew no longer applies. This book may be called a romance but it’s so much more. It’s about helping and being helped. It’s about confirmation bias and seeing what we want to see. It’s about taking a step back and paying more attention. It’s about rethinking who we are and who we want to be.

That ending though. I was shocked, I was pleased, I was overjoyed. I never saw it coming. This is one of those books that I so hope people can read without being spoiled first so I won’t say any more.

Ugh Katherine Center just has my heart. Her books are in a league of their own for me. I finish feeling fulfilled, content, swoony, and even a little wiser. Even the author’s note and acknowledgments had me enthralled. I’ve listened to Katherine Center speak a few times now and the way she explains romance and its importance captivates me every time.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is on shelves today!

Sadie is an aspiring artist waiting for her big break in the art industry. She wants so bad to create that one painting that is going to make her famous to prove her estranged father wrong about her career. Sadie learns that she is a top ten finalist in an art contest and will have to submit a new painting to the contest. She also learns that she has a brain injury and will need surgery immediately to avoid the risk of dying.

Sadie completed the surgery and is in recovery when she finds out that she has suffered a major side effect. She can no longer recognize facial features. Unfortunately, this puts a kink in her plans to submit a painting in the contest. She must find a way to win against all odds.

HELLO STRANGER is a wonderful romantic comedy. Sadie falls madly in love with someone in her apartment building and also think her dog's vet is so dreamy. This book is filled with laughs, all the while trying to make the best out of life.

Katherine Center has written a heart-warming novel that will have the reader "anticipating" the best of the story while learning to look for new perspectives in their own lives.

✿ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/ 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✿
• strangers to friends to lovers
• love triangle
• disability rep
• mental health rep
• family drama
• awesome banter
• Cinderella vibes

✿ 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✿
This was my first Katherine Center book and it did not disappoint!💗

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the story is how original and unique it is. I’ve never read anything like it!
I breezed my way through the book. I finished it in 2 sittings, I just couldn’t get enough. It was easy to read, fast-paced and so addicting I couldn’t stop reading.

It had hilarious banter between the main characters. I loved the addition of the evil stepsister to the story. Although I really hated her, I have to say she added something extra to the story.

This ending you guys… I did not see it coming at all! I had to take a minute to process what had happened! I’m so happy I had the opportunity to read this book!
This has to be one of the best romcoms I’ve read!

If you’re looking for a great romcom, look no further!

✿ 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✿
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

This was such a charming and engaging, closed door romance.

Sadie is a portrait artist and a finalist in a big competition which means that knowing faces is important to her livelihood. When she has to undergo emergency brain surgery, one of the side effects is “face blindness” which means she can’t recognize any faces.

Left without her livelihood and tormented by family members, Sadie finds her life complicated by possible romantic entanglements with not one but two different men- if only she could see their faces!

Center clearly put in a lot of work to understand the brain science and experiences of someone with this condition let alone an artist. While it didn’t work for me 100% of the time I thought the story was really thoughtfully and intriguingly done. Although ostensibly a romance, this book mostly felt like Sadie’s story as she came into her own.

Some of this book strained credibility and a lot (most) of the characters felt more like caricatures than anyone with real nuance but I had a really enjoyable time reading this

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie, after having a seizure, finds out that she needs brain surgery. After the surgery, she learns she has (hopefully temporary) face blindness where she does not recognize faces. She has to learn how to go through life without being able to know who she is talking to.
To add insult to injury, she is a portrait artist (hard to do when you don't recognize facial structure) and has just won the opportunity to compete with a new painting. Sadie has to figure out how to paint a portrait with her new found face blindness. Thankfully she has the help of her best friend and her neighbor.
Opinion
This story is quite unique. It is the first book that I have read by Center, though I must admit to having some on my bookshelf waiting to be read. If the rest of her books are anyway near this good, I know I will devour them.
I was intrigued by the face blindness. I have no idea how I would function without being able to recognize people. Being able to write about such a disability shows what a master writer Center is.
The pace of the romance is quite slow but it was so perfect. When things fall into place at the end, a feeling of triumph went through me.
This book is well worth the read.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

🌺🌸🌼🌺🌸
✨Happy Pub Day✨
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

📖Review
5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 68/100
📚Hello Stranger
💫Genre: Romance
✍️Katherine Center
E-Book 5🌟✔️
Audiobook 5🌟✔️
Narrator: Patti Murin

📝Synopsis 📝
Sadie a struggling artist gets the opportunity to compete as a finalist in an art competition her late mother competed in and placed. Not only does she have to proved herself to her father, she also has a step mother and step sister who’s gaslighted her a bit too much.
Last but not least, she wasn’t expecting to suffer from a neurovascular issue and fall for not one but two guys🫢

💭My Thoughts 💭
This was my first Katherine Center book, and I loved it so much and her writing style. This was a cozy read that had me giddy turning pages, and I even happily listened to the audiobook version right after…NO REGRETS! I loved the plot and character development, heck I even liked Lucinda (until the end)…but that evil step-sister was intolerable and a great addition to the story. I loved that this particular story brings light to Face-Blindness, and enlightened me with so many facts about this condition. I don’t want to give major spoilers, but if you love:
Heartwarming books✔️
Unique Plots✔️
Family Drama✔️
A love triangle✔️
Swoony Characters✔️
Then this one is for you!

✨Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio
for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
📌Publication Date:
July 11, 2023
✨✨✨✨✨
#bookstagrammer #bookstagrammersunite #bookstacommunity
#bookreview #booktok #books #booksarelife #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #booklovers #booklover #fictionbooks #romancebooks ##netgalley #HelloStranger #netgalleyreads #bookworms #bibliophile #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

Hello Stranger was a journey of personal growth for Sadie. I didn't figure out her name until later in the books because a person doesn't call themselves by their own name. We are mostly shared her thoughts and point of view. Sadie had a rough childhood with her mother's death, her father's withdrawal into grief and then the evil stepmother and stepsister.

She loves art which is her mother's legacy, and treasures some of her mother's things. Then she needed brain surgery or she might die suddenly like her mother did. I really appreciated how kind and positive she stayed with all the past and present problems she has. I don't that I would have been so strong. But some of the family issues seemed a bit over the top. How could they be so evil?

Even though part of her development has her thinking she didn't give enough, somehow she had her amazing friend Sue and her parents so she wasn't without any support or love. Her reluctance to accept help or tell anyone about her challenges seemed believable. Thankfully, she has Peanut to calm any distress.

Like most other books by this author, the heart is this character Sadie and how she struggles, survives and even triumphs in her life. The romance is a bit of a side story. I liked how helpful Joe was and eventually connected him to his profession while Sadie didn't. Their miscommunication was miserable and sad. Really, Sadie was so honest and forthright, it felt unfair.

I really enjoyed Hello Stranger and recommend it. The emotional ride while sometimes a bit silly or unrealistic, is also inspiring. It was so easy to root for Sadie all along.

Hello Stranger had such an unique idea and I think Katherine Center did a really great job in their writing of this subject. I really enjoy Katherine Center's writing, and this book showed that. There were definitely moments where I wasn't enjoying the main character, Sadie. There were moments where I felt that Sadie was hitting the "woe is me" bit a little too hard. But then again, she was going through a pretty traumatic accident. I loved Joe's character sooo much <3. I loved the relationship that Joe had with the people he surrounded himself with, and loved that Mr. Kim called him Helpful. I did guess the ending about halfway through, but that didn't change how much I was kicking my feet and giggling at Joe and Sadie's reunion at the end. I found that the ending really wrapped up the book in the best way, while everything wasn't being back to normal or wasn't perfect, it was still good. Overall, I really liked this book and will continue to fangirl over Katherine Center's books/book men.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The story of Sadie, an aspiring artist, is heart-tugging, realistic and original. Sadie has a hard time with family relationships, especially with her famous surgeon father and her stepmother Lucinda. But things just get worse when Sadie is diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition and her father insists that she put her artistic life on hold and have surgery to correct it. Sadie’s diagnosis of face blindness is not new to me but the way the author personalized it and gave the condition a touch of humor as well as compassion captivated me. This is a romance with heart and hope and is not to be missed. The plot is fast-paced, somewhat complicated at times by twisted family relationships, and totally engaging. I enjoyed getting to know Sadie and her dog Peanut and cheered for her to make the right decision for her relationships. Lots to love about this book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you @MacMillan.Audio and @SMPRomance for the #gifted ALC and eARC of HELLO STRANGER. And yes, I loved this book so much that I also bought the @BookOfTheMonth edition as well!

Katherine Center has been an autobuy author for me for awhile now and every time I get her joyful little newsletter or read one of her books, I love her even more.

While I guessed the ending pretty early on, I still absolutely adored this one. The concept of a portrait artist who gets a case of face-blindness after having brain surgery was fascinating. I kept imagining how challenging it would be to look at a loved one’s face and have no clue who they are. And how wild would it be to fall in love with someone without knowing what their face looked like?!

KC writes with so much joy despite challenging topics. You can’t help but fall a little in love with her characters. The audiobook version also included a mini chat with KC at the end where she talks about how people read books for the feelings of anticipation we get. In thrillers we get stress and tension anticipation. But in romance books, we get oxytocin boosted anticipation of watching two people fall in love. And that is why romance readers love romance books. They literally give us happy feelings! How cool is that?!

HELLO STRANGER is out July 11!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5653237734
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuhYCRbLiE-/

In the author's notes Katherine Center feels that when you read romance novel you should feel like "This love story really created fantastic anticipation". Well Ms Center, you did create that fantastic anticipation. I learned more about face blindness. How bizarre that disease is especially for the main character Sadie who is a portrait artist. It is hard for her to see the faces that she is painting. There is a competition that she has to submit a portrait. Her BFF got kidnapped by her fiance and eloped so she uses Joe, the "helpful" tenant in her apartment building. Things get heated up during the sessions but Sadie tries to keep the heat down. She has a horrible step-sister who has bullied her her whole life. The book revolves around Sadie and the accident that contributed to her face blindness. During this book Sadie learns a lot about life and about herself. It is a very fun read.
Thanks to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter for an ARC of this book.

Katherine Center is quickly becoming a must read author for me. Her books are always funny but with a certain amount of depth that just gives me all the feels.

I adored both main characters. I thought Sadie handled the situation she was in well. Honestly, better than I would have probably handled it. She had a few pity parties, but who wouldn’t?? And Joe… Nicest guy ever!! Seriously. I just loved him. This book has amazing side characters! Sadie’s bff, Sue, and her family were great and I loved the way they supported Sadie. The antagonists were easy to hate until I didn’t hate them anymore.

I loved the “you only see what you want to see” message. And the ending surprised the heck out of me. I guessed one small part of the twist but I was shocked in the best way. The entire book was charming and witty.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was fabulous. I thought she did a fantastic job expressing humor and more serious emotions when needed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

This is the 6th book I've read by Katherine Center, and I have to say, it is just as good as her other books. I love how she is able to tackle difficult real life issues, yet still give the reader a happy ever after. I laughed several times, and cried (twice). Thank goodness not as many tears as some of her other books. The research on the topic of facial blindness is amazing, and I love that she clearly named some of her characters after those that helped her in her research. One thing about Katherine Center books is that they always leave you thinking about them for several days after finishing. This book was no different. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a quick delightful read that will pull on your heartstrings while taking you through a (small) emotional journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins press for the eARC.

I absolutely adore all things Katherine center and this book was no different! I highly recommend reading this one as I couldn’t put it down and it’s one of my new favs from her!

One minute Sadie Montgomery is celebrating the fact that she was a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, and the next thing she knows she is waking up in the hospital, with the doctor telling her she needs brain surgery. When the surgery is over, however, Sadie discovers she is experiencing 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. Panicking, because the portrait she is supposed to paint for the competition is due in just a couple of weeks, and it is impossible to do when she can't even see faces, Sadie's world is turned upside down. As she struggles to cope, she falls for two very different men, neither of which she has seen - her new veterinarian named Dr Oliver Addison, and a guy in her building named Joe.
This was rom-com at it's best. I loved it. It had the boy-meets-girl and falls in love, there is a breakup, a decision to make between two great guys, an awesome best friend, an "evil" stepmom & and an even evil-er step-sister, and a lot of obstacles thrown in that have to be navigated. Katherine Center is the queen of rom-com's and I think this is her best one yet. I highly recommend it.