Happy *soon to be* Pub Date to Katherine Center and Hello Stranger! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 Hello Stranger will be published TOMORROW (Tuesday, July 11, 2023). 📅

This book is for the hopeless romantics out there. A story that you’d listen to on Delilah radio IRL. For the readers that believe beauty isn’t just skin deep and love a second chance romance. It’s like drinking a cozy cup of hot cocoa that you weren’t aware you needed.

For Sadie Montgomery, love isn’t blind…it’s just a little blurry. Sadie is a struggling artist 🎨. She paints portraits and is determined to win an upcoming annual art 🖼️ competition. That’s until she is diagnosed with face blindness. For the first time in her life, friends and family are strangers to her. In many ways she is a stranger to herself. Will Sadie be able to acknowledge just how much she can bring to the table (professionally and personally) as she navigates her new diagnosis?

Sadie finds herself torn between her neighbor Joe and her vet Dr. Addison but it just doesn’t seem like either prospect will pan out.

Joe - her *new* neighbor, really has to prove himself after Sadie overhears him fat-shaming women. She initially believes him to be quite the player and jerk.

Oliver Addison - life motto = animals are welcome and people are tolerated. Sadie’s gut tells her that Oliver is her one true love and happily ever after. Oliver falls in love at first sight but doesn’t quite know how to verbalize his feelings. Hence, Sadie starts to give up on love. Will she ever be able to find her knight in shining armor solely based upon their character and morals?

What I loved:
💕 Laugh out loud funny at times.
💕 Morally strong characters. A heartwarming story through and through!
💕 Sadie is challenged to meet people without a visual first impression which allows a deeper connection.
💕 How Sadie reinvents herself as an artist (boldly like a Phoenix rising).
💕 The theme of finding your one true love (even if you have to give them a second chance).

Sadie is a struggling artist following in her mother's artistic footsteps. When she gets the news that she has been chosen to participate in a competitive exhibit over hundreds of other entrants, Sadie decides to head down to the shop for a few things to celebrate. On her way to celebrate what may be the big break in her career that she's been waiting for, Sadie is in an accident that results in a brain injury and a shock corresponding to a diagnosis of face blindness. How is Sadie supposed to succeed as a portrait artist when her brain can't piece together faces? How is she supposed to succeed personally when she can't even tell someone she's known for years apart from a stranger? And most importantly, will she even be able to see her best friend in the world, her beloved dog, anymore?

Pros:
- Unique perspective
- Relatable characters
- Interesting family dynamic
- Found family
- Loyal "dog mom" storyline
- Sweet romance
- Really enjoyable narration for audio version

Katherine Center is known for delivering heartfelt stories that often tackle characters' fears or traumas. Hello Stranger has a unique premise -- an artist who is about to embark on a personally and professionally fulfilling contest discovers she needs brain surgery and, after the surgery, develops facial blindness.

While the premise of this is unique, and I was interested to see where the story would go, a number of things fell a bit flat for me. First, the main character feels very out of touch and failed to grasp the seriousness of her condition and then subsequently hides the condition out of fear that people will see her differently. A lot of her views around the condition felt ableist and I didn't love her narration. Second, the resolution felt simultaneously too neatly tied up and unrealistic. As a result, this story was a three-star read for me because I did enjoy the writing and felt invested enough to keep reading, but the execution of the interesting plot didn't wholly work for me.

Sweet summer read. My first Carter book and I will certainly want to read more, appreciated her author note at the end about HEA endings and the predictablity. Great option for a beach read. I was rooting for the main character the entire time.

About the Audiobook:
Credit where it's due, the audio narrator is SO GOOD! I'm almost certain that this is the type of book that could have been ruined with the wrong narrator. But she was impeccable in her delivery, full of pathos when needed and with zero cringe with her voices.

About the story:
I went in with high hopes for this book since I read last year's The Bodyguard by Katherine Center and loved it. This book didn't really disappoint (I read it in one evening/ couldn't put it down), however, it wasn't without its issues.

I found it ironic that the book as an author's note in which the author pontificates on the element of predictability in romance novels. I agree with the points she makes in this note, but it still doesn't excuse when predictability becomes trite or cliche which I do feel this book does. I have no problem admitting that I can and often do enjoy a book that is fully cringe (this book veers into cringe more than once). The author's note makes sense to me, what I'm looking for in a romance is a good dynamic between the romantic leads, a believable progression of feeling and a happy ending that feels earned. if you give me those three things, I'm going to like your story! This book gave me those three things! But I must say that it also has a ton of over-the-top-ness and truly asinine logic that it tries REALLY hard to explain away.
I'll give a benign example in spoiler tags (view spoiler)
But I can excuse all that, the reasons I took a star away are 1. that we spend so much of the third act explaining the "twist" as if the reader didn't figure out the twist from page 5!! We thought you knew we knew, book!! why are you explaining this to me like I'm 3? and 2. the way that the sister was portrayed irked me a bit. She was a cartoon villain with absolutely zero nuance. I want my characters to feel real.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this. I liked the set up, the premise and the romance, but I didn't super enjoy the implausibility of some of the aspects
((and btw, I'm NOT talking about the face blindness issues when I talk about implausibilities. I'm talking about lack of communication and reader/author trust and/or dynamics. ))

“Hello Stranger” was an absolute TREAT!!💙 This is my fourth Katherine Center book, and it left me with all the same warm feelings that I’ve come to love about Katherine’s writing🥰

Sadie, the FMC in “Hello Stranger” dealt with a very unique condition known as “prosopagnosia” otherwise referred to as “face blindness.” This was an especially challenging diagnosis for Sadie because she was a portrait artist and a finalist in a prestigious art competition. I had never heard of this condition before, but was fascinated to get an in-depth look at what life would be like if we weren’t able to see people’s faces!! You could totally tell Katherine spent HOURS doing tons of research to do this condition justice👏🏼

Although I can’t talk much about the romance without giving away major spoilers, I will say it was SWOONY!!!! And FUNNY!!! And HEART-WARMING!! And don’t even get me started on the ENDING🤯🤐🤭 That’s all🤫😍

I also wanted to say that I’ve never fallen in love with a character’s pet before, but Peanut changed that🥹🐶 I absolutely ADORED this doggo and his refined taste palate😂❤️ Best book pet EVER🥰

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this story!! It left me with a sense of hope, deep satisfaction, and restored faith in humanity❤️

🚨TW: death of a parent & bullying
🚨CW: closed door romance with swoony kisses & infrequent strong/mild language

5.0

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was the first book I’ve read by this author but had anticipated great things based on the reviews I’ve seen and I was not disappointed. The story was fast paced, kept my interest and had a cute angle. I’ll definitely read more by this author.

Hello Stranger By Katherine Center 🩷💛💙

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5

Finally, my first five-star read of 2023 and I couldn’t be more thrilled for it to be Hello Stranger. 🤗 I absolutely adore Katherine Center, so I had impossibly high hopes for Hello Stranger and I was not disappointed! 🙂

Hello Stranger opens with Sadie, a portrait artist, discovering she is a finalist in a national competition. Unfortunately, a series of medical events occur leaving Sadie with “facial blindness”. Left without the ability to see faces, Sadie has to learn to navigate her new world, contend with meddling family members, multiple love interests and figure out how to finish a portrait for this once in a lifetime opportunity she’s just been given.

Right from the beginning, I adored Sadie, and that affection only grew as time went on. From some of Sadie’s hilarious internal dialogue, to her dancing to Smokey Robinson in the supermarket and roller-skating her heart out to some disco on a rooftop, to her struggles to believe in herself and find her way forward, I found her super relatable. 🕺 🪩

I will say, I saw the ending coming, but I’m not mad about it. Katherine Center spent a good time near the end wrapping it all up with a pretty polka dot bow so everything was explained.

I can’t wait for the next one, as Katherine Center has been an auto-buy author for me for some time. 🩷💙💛

Sadie is going through a lot when we first meet her. She has a seizure, learn she has a tumor passed down from her dead mother, has a nonexistent relationship with her dad and step-mom, has no career progress in the past 10 years, has recently been dumped and finally she is living in a hovel. Rough times all around. Then it seems things might turn around but when she has life-saving surgery she can no longer see people’s faces. This is a big problem because she is a portrait painter (because of course she is 🙄) and has just been accepted into the North American Portrait Society competition, the same one her mom competed in when she died.

Out of all the tropes in the romance genre, the one that annoys me the most is miscommunication. There were so many times when Sadie could have easily fixed a relationship, problem or career if she had just spoken to someone or asked a question.

Why did she not ask Joe where he worked? Why did she not talk to Mister Kim about a place to live? Why not speak to the competition organizers and let them know what's going on? Why not talk to her dad about the surgery? It just got frustrating seeing Sadie miss everything that was going on right in front of her and her being too stubborn to ASK QUESTIONS!

The story also fell a little short for me with how repetitive some of it was. And while I enjoyed the happily ever after, everything was just a bit too predictable and I know what was going to happen by the 60% mark.

Im not going to say everything was bad though, I loved the MMC and her friendship with the other characters there were just some parts I could not get past. The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job of keeping my interest and making me want to continue with the story.

🌶️ Spice Meter 🌶️ : 1 out of 5 Peppers

Final Thoughts: The idea is cute and unique and I did laugh out loud a couple of times, but I struggled with the main character’s behavior and wanted her to just be more inquisitive.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After years of feeling stagnant and like a failure as an artist, Sadie finally catches a break. She places as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. She's riding high, until she's not. She wakes up in the hospital after having a seizure in the middle of the street and being saved by a Good Samaritan. She finds out she will require surgery for a malformed blood vessel in her brain. She wants to put it off until after the contest, but her father is adamant she get it done immediately. Sadie comes out of the surgery with prosopagnosia, face blindness. She can no longer see faces. Sadie has difficulty navigating life with her condition. Everyone she meets is a stranger until she can place them based on other cues. Then two men enter her life - her dog's hot new vet and her sexy neighbor.

This was a big HUG of a story. From her amazing BFF and her sweet parents, her adorable dog, Peanut, her therapist and of course Joe - I loved it all. Did I forsee the twist? Yes. Was it any less enjoyable? No. As, Katherine states in her author's note - we all want that HEA when we read a romance. We're not here for the surprises. We're here for that feel good, fuzzy warm feeling and this book delivers that in spades.

This was cute and enjoyable!

No big surprises but I enjoyed myself all the way through reading this one!

I also listened to the audiobook and the narration was very well done.

Both the book and audiobook are recommended!

Sadie Montgomery wants to follow in her late mother’s footsteps as an artist and a woman. Unfortunately, she is following a little too closely. Shortly after earning a spot in the North American Portrait Society competition, Sadie suffers a seizure that leaves her with ‘temporary’ face blindness. Determined to complete her portrait, Sadie explores alternate techniques with the ‘helpful’ neighbor next door. Will Sadie be a winner in art and love? Or, will her dreams fade away with the faces she can no longer see?

I am and will continue be a huge fan of Katherine Center, however, I believe we are entering into a new era of her writing. Historically, Center’s books have been rather serious, featuring people at their lowest points in life. Only through sheer perseverance and resilience, are her subjects able to overcome the obstacles standing in their way. But, the release of The Body Guard (2022) marked a shift in Center’s tone.

Hello Stranger is a delightful read, worthy of four stars. It features Center’s new upbeat and lighthearted tone. Fans won’t be able to help falling in love with Sadie and her story, as she hilariously struggles to get through life.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Macmillian Audio, and Katherine Center for allowing me to read and listen to Hello Stranger in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for making this audiobook availbile to me. Katherine Center is one of the authors I think of when I think of a good summer read. This book did not disappoint. Sadie is just trying to make it through life when fate dumps an entire bushel of lemons on her head. She's having to deal with face blindness. The author has a special abliltiy of taking very serious subject matter and making in a fun, lighthearted story. I am looking forward to seeing what Katherine Center does next.

A beautiful story about love and finding who you are! Sadie was so relatable even tho she had a rare thing happen to her. She was so funny and a great character! CAN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE LOVE INTERESTS? Love it so much! Katherine Center has a way with storytelling that leaves you wanting to read more!

A great book that I could not put down! The narrator was so great!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This book was a fun summer read. Definitely one to enjoy while sitting at the pool. A bit unrealistic but you quickly get past that with the cuteness of the story. Liked the main character’s observations and interactions with the other characters. Can definitely see this made into a hallmark movie … I liked it.

Delightful. It takes a lot for me to truly love a romance book. It is often shadowed by my jaded nature; however, this book. This book has something different. A quirky, sensible magic. A health perspective previously unknown to me. A relatable main cast. Not even a misunderstanding could make me mad about this book!

The audiobook added an extra bit of delightful-ness too! The narrator encompassed the character perfectly and read at a pace easily understood at many speeds.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Katherine Center for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🎉ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕪!🥂 July 11 2023

Happy Pub Week to this very special romance, written by an extra special author, who I once heard describe her romances as being a little sad because she herself is a little sad, for a very special book, in whose characters disabled readers can find themselves and know finally that they too belong in the warm pages of romance.

This is an update to my original review for the paperback, which I read and reviewed last winter after winning a very early ARC copy. I'm reviewing the audiobook specifically, which was so different from the arc copy I read back in November! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and as always, NetGalley, for providing me an advance audiobook copy for review.

The audiobook narrator, Patty Murin, sounded nothing like the Sadie I had created in my head! It took me a little while to get used to the voice on the audiobook, but after a while, I loved her interpretation of the character. Murin wonderfully captured the character's emotional range with her voice, somehow expressing 100 different degrees of stress and anxiety!

I really enjoyed my read of the paperback, for many reasons. I remember relishing the details Center gives about everything, from  the medical aspect of Sadie's temporary disability to her coping mechanisms, to her art processed and colorful family history.

How the audiobook compares is that the emotions take center stage. The details cohese into these wonderful swaths of narrative expression, like colors on a canvas. My experience with this audiobook had me vocalizing and squawking adorable noises all over the house while I was listening, Aw's and Oh's, and my poor husband! I scared him senseless because I ran up to him and grabbed his arm and yelled, "this is the best romance ever!!" while flopping his arm around. It's a miracle he's still here. A Katherine Center miracle!

Rating and recommendations remain.💖


*January 24 2023

<i>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 let's you make your own rules. Color outside your own lines. Allow yourself another way of seeing.</i> p312

Thank you, first of all, to Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC of HELLO STRANGER as part of a Booksta giveaway, way back in December. I have been reading this book since then with great interest! But I struggle to read print on a page (it puts me fast asleep) because of some brain issues I have. So to say I felt represented in these pages is a vast understatement.

As a voracious reader with numerous disabling psychiatric and neurological complexities, I'm hungry for books that represent people like me or my friends. I'm so excited when I find that an author has deeply researched their characters' lifestyles and daily routines, as well as their possible challenges and medical and social interventions. Realistic depiction is important to educate readers, but consistent depiction is important to welcome in readers whose lives are under discussion.

Katherine Center's treatment and development of her main character Sadie, was so well done. This element alone brings about believable conflict that needs to be resolved between multiple characters, backlighting the important theme, "we are never in anything alone."

I shared the short excerpt above because, in HELLO STRANGER, the protagonist Sadie is put in a position in which her survival-- professional, social, and even physical-- rests on her willingness and ability to adapt. What makes this book so good is watching her struggle so much to avoid change (it's a hard pill to swallow, brain changes; trust me!) but learning in time to lean into it.

And finding love!🥰 Among so many other priceless things.

Rating: 😍😍😍😍😍 / 5 faces Sadie can't see
Recommend? Omg please read this book!
Finished: January 24 2023
Read this if you like:
👤 Mental health rep
🫑 Sweet romance
🐶 Puppies!
🤭 Mistaken identity trope (like a lot!)
🎨 Art and painting
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Family drama

Jump into the hold lines for this one friends! As always, Center is a strong lit-rom writer. Finding yourself slated for a surprise surgery weeks before the due date of an important art piece would lead anyone to a break down. Sadie soon learns that is the beginning of her worries. Drop in a surprise diagnosis and watch the mystery unfold. There are several great moments like reminding yourself that what you put out into the world is how you'll see the world unfold. Sadie is a wonderful MC that one will be hard pressed to not fall in love with!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the free audiobook, but all views are my own.

Such a fun read! I'm very picky about my romance novels... i think it's so rare to read one that's not saccharine, or one in which the author thinks sex is actually a plot.
Center's romances are whip smart, funny and genuine. Sweet without being insipid.
Can't wait to read all of her books!

This was my first book to read by Katherine Center....I am definitely a fan!

It was hard not to love the main characters in this book! I feel like I know them and could be friends with them! The author did a fabulous job of character development and description. I loved how it touched on subjects such as bullying and family struggles. It was such a fun and lighthearted read. I really had no idea when I started it that it was basically a mystery too! I was so shocked at the ending and it was such a fun and happy way to conclude. Had never heard of the condition, but did a bit of reading on it after hearing about it in this book. Loved the epilogue as well reminding us to always remember people may be going through so much more than meets the eye!

Thank you for writing this book and thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read it. I look forward to reading many more books by this author now.