Hello Stranger, the latest novel by Katherine Center, tells the story of Sadie, a portrait artist with a genetic condition that requires brain surgery. Alas, as a result of the surgery, Sadie becomes face blind, which would be difficult for anyone but devastating for someone who makes a living painting portraits. This leads to some life changing events for Sadie.

Reading Hello Stranger is like wrapping yourself in a warm, fuzzy blanket on a dreary day. It’s comforting and hopeful and as the author states in her Author’s Note (a must read) , positively valanced anticipation. And we can all use that!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for the opposition to read this digital ARC.

After every single Katherine Center book, I find myself with a similar feeling of contentment - and honestly is there anything else we can ask for in a book? We are completely spoiled by the fact that KC just keeps giving us such special, kind, heartwarming books. Her latest, HELLO STRANGER, is absolutely no exception 🌸

I will keep this fairly short and just share a few thoughts:
•Face blindness 😱 holy cow. I didn’t know it was a thing until now and wow. I went down a deep hole of research after this book!!
•There is “seemingly” a trope throughout the book that some may not like. Just trust KC with this. She will never let you down.
•There’s a bit of a twist. I figured it out v early, but it didn’t take away from the fun.
•There’s real family drama along with found family love.
•A great dog 🐶
•It has KC’s classic formula of women’s fic + romcom and you don’t want to miss it!!

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• starving artist life
• rare medical condition
• lovable characters
• cliché step-family dynamics
• miscommunication trope done right!!!

I started collecting Katherine Center books a while ago because they were highly recommended, but like all hyped books, I hold off a long time until now. Sadie was trying to live up to her father’s expectation, but she chose to follow her true passion of portrait painting. Her whole life felt like a mess until this moment: she was a finalist for a prestigious portrait painting competition. Things were looking up until she was suddenly rendered faceblind. Everyone around her was a jumbled puzzle of face pieces, and she couldn’t recognize, let alone paint anyone. Hoping the condition will resolve she finds herself attracted to two different men while healing and attempting to paint a realistic portrait, based on what the rest of her senses and perceptions are telling her.

At first, I was not sure what all the hype was about with this author but the story idea and writing was really good, and I wanted to see (haha) where this was going. I loved every character’s personality and the internal thoughts of our sad narrator. Sadie truly was on the struggle bus as everything around her came crashing down all at the same time. But everything started tying up nicely as the end grew near; I was totally engrossed, and had to give the author a slow clap when it all came together. I usually hate the miscommunication trope, but in this book, the author made it “chefs kiss.”

This was CRIMINALLY cute and I will be pressing charges for making me experience a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed. I cried. I fantasized about violence against a fictional character.

When Sadie Montgomery (finally) places as a finalist in a big-time portrait show, she’s ecstatic. Things are finally looking up for her, and she can’t wait to see what the future holds.

… until a surprise medical whirlwind leaves her with something that will make portrait painting decidedly less simple: face blindness. That will “probably” go away… someday.

Suddenly unable to recognize even her closest friends without help, Sadie desperately tries to find wins anywhere she can in life. From the gorgeous (she assumes) vet who provides life-saving care for her dog Peanut, to the (also probably gorgeous) man in her building who seems to have a thing for everyone (and the charm to make it work).

But as she begins to fall hard, and the inability to identify anyone on-sight causes an untold number of awkward situations - Sadie realizes that there is a world of different ways to see; and sometimes taking away the things we take for granted is the best way to do it.

I absolutely adored this book! It was a fun and unique romance and such an easy and light read that I finished in one sitting. It ticks all the items on my romance list: unique story, strangers to friends to lovers, character development, and more! I enjoyed the writing style; Center has a way of completely pulling you into the little world she’s created. You can tell how deeply she loves and cares for her characters. I’m a huge character driven reader and Sadie’s arc throughout the story definitely fit the bill. I loved seeing her grow and learn to let go. Also, that ending!! I was pleasantly surprised and I loved that fun little twist. This is a romance, so of course there’s a HEA, but as Center says, it’s the journey and the anticipation that makes romances so good and this one did not disappoint.

While this was my first Katherine Center novel, it most definitely won’t be my last!

A huge thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Hello Stranger comes out July 11, 2023.

Sadie is finally getting her big break as an artist, that is until she has to undergo urgent brain surgery. Which shouldn't have been a huge deal except that after her surgery she is unable to piece together peoples' faces, which really sucks seeing how she is a portrait artist. Oh and she needs to paint a whole new portrait for the North American Portrait Society competition. Mix in the developing feelings for two men who are completely different and having to deal with her evil stepsister. Sadie might have to conclude that she is not actually getting her big break. Will she be able to paint a winning portrait, win in the stepsister battle, oh and pick between the two men who have captured her attention.

Once I started this book, I could not put it down, and it became one of my favorite books I have read this year. I loved Sadie, I thought she was very relatable and honestly the way she reacted to the news of not seeing faces is exactly how I would have reacted. I HATED her evil stepsister (that is the emotion you are supposed to have towards her, but I really loved Sue (Sadie's best friend) and her parents. In the effort to not spoil the romance aspect of the book, all I will say is that everything that happened romance wise I thought was perfect. The writing was fast paced, done well, and honestly pretty funny. I really love the cover too. Overall if you are looking for an interesting, funny, romantic novel Hello Stranger is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A story about a portrait artist trying to navigate the world after a life changing accident where she can no longer see faces. As an artist whose main focus is painting facial structures, this new reality is a huge adjustment for Sadie, who is also one of the finalists for a portrait competition with an upcoming deadline. With all this going on, Sadie is also entangled between the affections of two men.

The author’s storytelling allows the reader to understand the main character Sadie immediately like in the first chapter I already know about her relationships with both her parents and the allowed me to connect with her character.

“Plus, don’t we all, deep down, carry an inextinguishable longing for our parents to be proud of us? Even long after we’ve given up?”

Due to her upbringing, Sadie has developed this “never needs help” and “i’m always okay” attitude which I found relatable in a way. So Sadie is trying to overcome that as well as confirmation bias.

“I didn’t want to not be okay. I thought, if I just pretended to be fine and not need anyone or anything, that would be enough.”

I enjoyed Sadie’s self discovery and character development in this book as she works through her family issues, take care of her fluffy best friend, and figuring out her career. Personally, I felt like the story felt scattered with so much plot points going on and with underwhelming conclusions to those plot points. For example, Sadie’s family issues wasn’t fully resolved but I enjoyed Parker getting her karma.

I wish the romance aspect was more prominent but it was still cute. It would’ve been nice to know more about Joe’s character too. To add on, it is heavily emphasized that Joe’s character is a “helper” and always helps others. Like that’s one of the main issues with Joe’s previous marriage too bc he helps a lot apparently. However, it felt like out of character for him not to help Sadie by not attending the art galley with her. I guess its understandable why he didn’t but it was still off to me.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Published: July 11, 2023
St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 325
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Katherine Center writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

“But maybe different wasn’t so bad.”

Sadie earned a spot in a prestigious art show that could launch her career. She also learned she needs brain surgery. Joe, always helpful and goes above and beyond to be there for her, but maybe the timing is off.

Oh. My heart has exploded. I love how Katherine writes a story. She combines every magical element necessary to keep you glued to the page while making you laugh and then cry, and then laugh.

I loved Sadie. Her flaws, her sass, her ambition, and her heart. She was such a brave character. Joe was such a perfect partner. He was charming, kind, loyal, and authentic.

The pacing of this story was beautiful. You can feel the anxiety and pain radiating from the pages as Sadie struggles. The emotions are brilliantly portrayed, and the story is perfectly delivered.

This was such a charming book. From the beginning to the end, you will champion for Sadie. You will grieve with her, laugh with her, cry with her, and mostly, fall in love with her.

Katherine Center just does not disappoint. Hello Stranger was a wonderfully written story, both intriguing and heartfelt. I stayed up WAY too late finishing this book because I couldn’t wait to see how everything would unfold.
You know that feeling when you watch those homecoming videos and your heart swells and your eyes tear up? Katherine delivers this over and over and it’s what makes her books such a delight to read.
I loved Hello Stranger and I would highly recommend it to anyone (or any Katherine Center book for that matter).

This is one of those books that is unlike any other. The entire story is told from the POV of the lead character who is new to having face-blindness. This gives the reader a unique glimpse into what face-blindness, living with a disability, and navigating a sudden medical diagnosis might be like. These life changes also mean the lead character wrestles with identity crisis: Who is she without the ability to paint faces? Where does her value come from if her career is gone? Sadie’s specific disability also pushes readers to examine their own perspectives, perceptions, and assumptions - the info they use to decide who other people really “are”. While readers may not have face-blindness, they may absolutely resonate with the questions Sadie wrestles with as she rediscovers who she is and new ways to navigate the world. My only criticism is that the part in which Sadie's old friend, Augusta, showed up out of the blue at her art show and defended Sadie was just too wild of a coincidence. It felt a bit too far fetched and pulled me out of the story a bit. But, not enough to overshadow how great the rest of the book was.

*arc for honest review* this book was honestly not for me but i tried to get past it. i really liked the bodyguard but this one wasn’t really for me.

What a delightfully feel-good read this was! I have really enjoyed other Katherine Center novels and was excited to get her newest romance. It did not disappoint. I learned so much through Sadie's journey with face blindness, something I had never heard of before picking up this book! There were so many warm, fuzzy moments for me in this book, as well as some of those characters we love to hate. I was cheering for Sadie throughout and I appreciated the added layers of insight brought to this novel by her therapist as well. Things like confirmation bias, and being willing to ask other people for help. All in all, a hopeful story with depth and characters that kept me coming back for more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC !
All opinions are my own.

This is my second by Katherine Center and I am definitely a fan of hers now! Hello Stranger was such an enjoyable and fast paced romance. I was completely invested in these characters, especially Sadie! The book was told from her point of view and I loved her character growth and interpretation of the world by the end of the book given her prosopagnosia diagnosis. Sadie, having this face blindness diagnosis, made for such a unique and interesting storyline. While, I did predict a reveal regarding her two love interests, I enjoyed seeing it all play out. This diagnosis did make for some plot holes that I feel were hard to miss but overall I walked away from this book smiling and happy. There were also themes of loss, found family, forgiveness, finding your authentic self and letting go of others expectations. I loved that by the end another major takeaway was about stopping and slowing down in life, because you may be missing something or someone life changing if you don’t stop to appreciate what’s around you. Overall, I highly recommend this book and think there’s something in it for everyone to appreciate!

Many thanks to St Martins Press and to Netgalley for this gifted eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

I have to admit, I'm a bit late to the Katherine Center party. I only met her through The Bodyguard and was excited to read more. Hello Stranger being my second book really made me a lifelong fan. The story focuses on Sadie Montgomery, a portrait painter on the cusp of her big break until...a burgeoning brain bleed sends her to surgery.

While medically, she's on the mend, the procedure has left her temporarily (maybe permanently) face blind. As she struggles to finish a portrait for a competition, she's trying to move about the world unable to recognize even her closest friend, Sue, or her evil stepmother and stepsister. She's even struggling through the relationships she's developing with the veterinarian who saved her dog and the weasly neighbor man who maybe is a lot more than he seems.

This one hit me in my feels hard. I could really relate to Sadie's feelings of trying and failing because of a lot of things outside her control. The added layer of people continuing on with their lives and somewhat oblivious to the person being crushed by life's circumstances made me tear up. I worried if she'd get her HEA, but the end was extremely satisfying.

Content Warning: On-page descriptions of medical and veterinary procedures, toxic family dynamics

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for granting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Center has been a favorite of mine, even though I don’t typically pick up a romance. She always has an underlying life lesson behind her books and this one is no different—keep hoping, persevering to the end and allow help in your life from those whom you love.
Though the end was blatantly obvious, it was still a great read and it made me chuckle a few times over Sadie’s idiosyncrasies. Peanut is the real MVP of the book!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Hello Stranger is a very cute and heartwarming romance that is perfect for summer. It follows Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist who is diagnosed with the “probably temporary” diagnosis of face blindness. As she struggles to cope with this new reality, she finds herself falling for two guys and finding a new artistic style.

This was a very unique storyline that did have some predictable parts. However, it is entertaining throughout and Sadie is very easy to root for. Her family, however, is impossible to root for. They are the worst. The romance is very cute and full of banter. Overall, this is a very breezy and fun summer read.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love books that teach me as well as entertain me. As someone who works directly with medical issues and their cures, I was fascinated to learn about facial blindness for the first time and trying to wrap my head around the condition. This is going to lead me to some intense googling and researching.

This was my first Katherine Center read and it was really great! It was funny, intense at times, had tons of emotion, and also made you reflect about some of the bigger picture themes.

I loved Sadie’s character and the ties to her mom. I loved watching her take what is probably the worst instance of her life and finding the light through it all in the end. The things that don’t kill us do in fact make us stronger. Not to mention the hilarious twist at the end - I did predict it but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I loved the comical way in which Oliver became and remained “Joe” as well.

I’m normally a huge fan of Katherine Center, but this one just wasn’t for me. I had to DNF.. I couldn’t emotionally connect with the characters and found the writing to lack her usual depth. Thank you for the opportunity to read early!

Another great book from Katherine Center!

What I loved about Hello Stranger was that a great portion of this book focuses on Sadie, our main character. It focuses on her relationship with herself, her relationship with her work, her relationship with her friends and family, her relationship with her dog, Peanut, and not just her romantic relationship.

I also found the premise of the facial blindness interesting. It wasn't something I knew much about, but it was very interesting to see how it developed the story, and how it taught Sadie that it's okay to ask for help and not everyone is a terrible human being.

This one definitely had me in my feelings over everything Sadie had to go through, and I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

What if you couldn’t recognize who people were? We discuss that in this contemporary book-

Accident - Sadie has just found out she is a finalist in a portrait competition when she suddenly finds herself in the hospital

Face Blindness - After surgery, she finds herself with face blindness, where everyone’s faces seem a jumbled mess. But at least it’s temporary

Portrait Painter - ironic, as she is a portrait painter, so how can she compete if she can’t see faces?

2 Men - and how is it that she is falling for 2 different men at the same time?

This is the first book I have read by Katherine Center. If you think I should read The Bodyguard, let me know. I did really enjoy this book, the characters were fun. The discussion about not being able to see faces being a comparison to people not noticing things in front of their face (and also needing to ask for help) was very insightful. However, it’s pretty apparent how this will all end, and I really kept talking to myself about how Sadie just didn’t “SEE” what was happening. Because she couldn’t. It was still a really cute read.