In true Katherine Center fashion, she attacks tough topics head on. I had never heard of the brain doing this before, so it was interesting to read about it, and how people see the "lack" of faces.

The story was great, characters so likeable, and the humor of things added so much. I will recommend this to others for sure.

To start, I have enjoyed reading most of Center’s books, especially last year’s The Bodyguard, but Hello, Stranger just was worthy of a 5 star rating. The storyline is unique as the reader learns of neurological condition called prosopagnosia (face blindness) which was brought on by cavernoma in her brain. Although this is horrible for anyone, Sadie is especially effected by this issue as she is a portrait painter causing her to not complete a portrait that has been submitted into a highly prestigious portrait competition. Besides Sadie having a difficult family, Sadie has difficulty asking for help. After a few unfortunate situations, Sadie finds herself in a love triangle between the helpful neighbor, Joe and the strikingly handsome veterinarian, who saved her dog Peanut’s life. She must ask both of them for help, and she falls for both of them, but she cannot not identify either of their faces.

The premise is inspiring as we should look within before judging someone by their face alone, and the parts of the story are heartwarming and funny. I would recommend reading this one if you feel good story with a little love triangle and a little steam.

Thank you Libro.fm for the advanced copy audiobook and Netgalley for the advanced copy eBook. And a special Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review the book.

Katherine Center did it again. She created a wonderful read that I couldn't put down! The slight twist at the end definitely got me and I quite enjoyed it!

This was such a feel good romance. Sadie was funny and wonderful. I was rooting for her from the start. Joe was such a cinnamon roll. I loved the side characters too. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

“The more good things you look for the more you find” This is the perfect summer read. I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC.

I normally like Katherine Center’s book, but I have to say that I did not like Hello Stranger. I could not suspend my disbelief enough that Sadie didn’t know the vet and her neighbor were the same person. It was too drawn out and became very frustrating as a reader/listener. I did like the narrator, but ultimately not the story.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

I love authors who add characteristics/hurdles/struggles…whatever you want to call them…that we don’t often see being focused on in novels. Center does this with her stories, and it’s one of the many reasons she is one of my favorite authors.

Did you know that some people have face blindness, also known as prosopagnosia? I had no idea! The main symptom is having difficulty recognizing faces, even those you see on a daily basis. This was fascinating for me to learn about, so thank you to Katherine for teaching me something new.

Aside from that aspect of the novel, I loved the love story between Sadie and Joe. Falling in love with someone for who they are instead of their looks will always be 🙌🏼 for me. It didn’t hurt that Joe was handsome though 😂

This was a heart warming and wholesome book that made me laugh and cry. I really can’t ask for more than that with a romance novel.

I recommend this as a fun summer read 💜

Unfortunately, “Hello Stranger”' turned out to be a disappointing read for me. While the initial premise seemed promising the execution left much to be desired. The narrative took a nosedive early on with a fatphobic conversation that felt entirely unnecessary and marred the reading experience. Moreover, the introduction of Joe, the love interest, left me perplexed, as his character lacked depth and came off as too perfect for the story's context.

One of my major issues was the portrayal of female characters in the book. Sadie's best friend, Sue, who was supposed to be a supportive figure, seemed ignorant about Sadie's condition of face blindness, which was frustrating. Additionally, the inclusion of a Cinderella-esque evil stepmom and stepsister subplot felt forced and out of place in a contemporary romance. These characters' actions were too juvenile for their age, making it difficult to relate to their motives.

The romance element, which should have been the heart of the story, was lackluster and lacking in emotional depth. It felt rushed, and the relationship between Sadie and Joe lacked genuine chemistry. The author could have explored more of Sadie's grief and reconciliation with her father, which would have added depth to the overall narrative.

The writing style was another letdown, with a plethora of unnecessary descriptions and tangents that made the story feel disjointed and preachy. The plot's progression was slow, and certain scenes felt manufactured rather than organic.

Overall, “Hello Stranger”' fell short of my expectations. It required too much suspension of disbelief to fully immerse myself in the story, and the lack of character development and genuine emotions left me disconnected from the narrative. While I've enjoyed other works by the author, this one missed the mark for me, both in terms of storytelling and character portrayal. I didn’t like “The Bodyguard” and I didn’t like this one. I don’t think I will be reading this author again.

This book was very interesting! It’s my first Center book but I enjoyed the writing style and the story.

The romance was cute and quirky. The story line was unique. I enjoyed the book!

Face blindness was so interesting to learn about. I will pick up more from this author!

Is there anything that Center writes that we don't love?! I loved this book so much that I ordered a copy for my bookshelf. Her stories are cute and I love the closed door romance. The plot was just perfect and I urge you all to make it part of your summer read, Her happily ever afters are truly so heartwarming. I thought the bodyguard was my favorite book, but this book surpasses that!

This was a really fun romance novel. It had an original story and likeable characters. The main character, who is a portrait artist had to have brain surgery that left her face blind right before she had a important art competition and before she met a man she would quickly fall for. She also has complicated issues with her family and is struggling with who she really is. The romance goes back and forth and keeps you interested and cheering on the love story. Perfect fun novel.

I LOVED this book. I have been a fan of most (if not all) of Katherine Center's books. I love how she writes romances. It's a rollercoaster without feeling forced. It's back and forth without feeling tedious. Its the perfect mix.

I really enjoy Katherine Center's books. She really knows how to write a romcom, and gives her characters a lot of, well, character. I've read books about facial blindness before, but never to this depth, and it was really interesting to consider the complexities of the story and wondering what it would be like to have one of the senses malfunctioning, throwing all the others off. Books like this lead me to wonder if men like Joe exist out there in the world, really and truly. Katherine Center is fun and refreshing.

Katherine Center had been a favorite author of mine for years, going back to before I would have called myself a romance reader. Her characters have major hurdles to overcome (impending blindness, paralysis, ptsd, etc.), but her stories are filled with such hope and happiness.

In this one, Sadie is a portrait painter who is gearing up for a competition that will hopefully kick off her career. In the lead up, though, she experiences a seizure that ultimately leads to brain surgery, which leaves her with a condition called face blindness. Basically, her brain can't properly process facial features to distinguish one person from another. Not only does this present some obvious challenges in the day to day (like not recognizing your evil stepsister), but it's extremely problematic for someone trying to paint a career defining portrait on a deadline.

While trying to find her new normal and prepare for the competition, Sadie also finds herself trying to navigate a complicated love life. She is absolutely certain her dog's new vet, Dr. Addison, is her forever person. At the same time, though, she's growing closer to her neighbor, Joe. Her initial impression of Joe wasn't great, but as he's helping with her portrait process and just generally showing up for her, she realizes she may have misjudged him. Add in Sadie's evil stepsister moving into her building, family drama, financial woes, and Sadie's insistence that no one know about her face blindness, and life is a bit complicated.

This entire story was told from Sadie's POV, which was especially interesting and entertaining because Sadie is the definition of an unreliable narrator. She's a quirky character on the best of days, but her condition further skews things, so you never really know what to believe as a reader.

This is a really fun and unique story with all the "Pollyanna" vibes I expect from this author.

Hello Stranger was my first Katherine Center book and it won’t be my last! I absolutely fell in love with her writing and the storyline! That was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I cannot wait to catch up on her backlog and future projects!

I adored Center's previous book, "The Bodyguard," and was ecstatic to see the audio book for Hello Stranger being released. Center has a way of taking a traditional rom-com and pushing further, bringing you a story that moves you. Add this to the list of audiobooks that have made me cry! It's a beautiful story that I hope lots of people get their hands on.
I was provided an e-audiobook of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (Katherine Center) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I liked the facial blindness aspect. I've seen this used only in thrillers, so it was interesting to see how it was used in a romcom.

HELLO STRANGER
Katherine Center


In HELLO STRANGER we are following Sadie. Sadie has just had brain surgery and upon recovering she realizes she cannot make out people's faces. Every person she sees is a stranger to her. She has a form of Prosopagnosia.

Sadie is a portrait artist by trade and as you can imagine this disorder is very unsettling for her. She finds herself rediscovering what it means to be an artist and finds herself trying to piece back together her life in a more appealing way.

Enter not one, but two love interests to lust after. The rest is history.

I did an entire post talking about books featuring characters with Prosopagnosia. But this is the first romance novel I have ever read that featured this occurrence. I thought it created a very interesting dynamic. I have learned even more about the subject and I thought that was a big bonus for the book.

I loved the idea that since Sadie can’t make out faces Every. Other. Sense. Is. Heightened. This made for some of the steamiest scenes I've ever read by Katherine Center. Although fleeting, this tension between the characters went a long way.

HELLO STRANGER is a love story but it's also about grief. Not only the grief of losing a loved one but also the grief of losing and letting go of what you thought your life was going to be like. And giving birth to and accepting the life you were meant to live.

HELLO STRANGER is my favorite of Katherine Center's books. And it might be the most romantic book I've read recently. You can find HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center everywhere books are sold, it's out now!

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copies! It was a pleasure to read and be given the opportunity to provide feedback!

HELLO STRANGER...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely adore Katherine Center. Her books never disappoint and this one is definitely a favorite. I honestly had to do a little research on this one. I had never heard of Prosopagnosia. I wanted to see if it was a real thing. Spoiler alert it is! I was shocked to read that Brad Pitt thinks he has this. I fell in love with both characters and rooted for them throughout their journey in this book. I laughed at Sadie and even teared up at times sympathizing with her. This book had me speculating but still doubting. I really fell in love with this book from the beginning. This is a must read!

After an accident leaves Sadie with face blindness, she struggles to cope - she was recently named a finalist to the North American Portrait Society competition but she can no longer see faces, she has fallen in love with two people, and her evil stepsister has moved into her building.

This was cute! It was probably the “cutest” of all of Katherine Center’s books. I figured out the twist pretty quickly, but I still wanted to keep reading! The audiobook was well done!