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.

After undergoing brain surgery, Sadie wakes up with (hopefully only temporary) face blindness. As a portrait artist who just landed her big break as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition, this is an utter disaster. Making matters worse is the fact that she is embarrassed by her newfound situation and refuses to come clean to anyone including her dog's new veterinarian and her helpful neighbor.

This has everything you could possibly want in a heartfelt rom-com--it was funny, the characters are all extremely likable and easy to root for, and the plot is interesting (I had never heard of face blindness so it was intriguing to read about). I usually don't like miscommunication, but in this instance, it was done in such a way that it was actually entertaining and amusing. I've only read a handful of her books, but this is for sure my new favorite Katherine Center novel!

4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to NetGalley, I didn’t have to wait 12 weeks on Libby to get this to me!

LOVED this book! Katherine Center does a wonderful job of portraying so many emotions through this book. I felt connected to the FMC because of her relationship with her dad, which helped me love this book more. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to google medical terms (in a good way). Sadie’s story was a fun and cute escape!

Posted on Goodreads already as well as on my Instagram stories. Will post to my feed 7/15 or 16

I really loved this one! I devoured the audiobook in less than 24 hours! I always think I’m not a fan of clean romances than I read a Katherine centre and I am reminded how good they can be! In this one we have Sadie who hasn’t had an easy life, her mother died when she was a teenager and her father re married and her step mother and sister haven’t made her life easy. Years later she does everything she can to avoid them she is a struggling artist like her mother was and pretty much on her own but her senior dog peanut. As she finally gets the big break in her art career she has an terrible accident and finds out she needs Brain surgery, and after the surgery she has some swelling and gets a disorder that makes her face blind to people. As she recovers from the surgery everything is going well expect for that, and Sadie has never been one to ask for help or let anyone know what’s going on with her so she tries to keep it a secret and it doesn’t make anything easy for her. As she finds her self into some situations she finds her neighbour Joe around to help, she thought he was a man whore and was hesitant to let him help her but as they get to know each other she learns he isn’t what she thought! I loved these two together, and with out saying two much I absolutely loved the ending of this!! I thought it was perfect and so unique! I just honestly loved everything about this! Sadie Joe peanut!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie has a lot on her mind such as being a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition because she knows if she can create something amazing, then she can prove her father and stepmother wrong about being an artist. However, Sadie ends up having a seizure in the middle of street and ends up waking up in the hospital and learns that she has a cavernoma and it is better to get surgery now even though she is nervous it will mess with getting ready for the competition. She is reassured that everything should go smoothly with a short amount of healing, which means she can continue on with her plans for the competition. But, when wakes up from surgery, she notices an issue with seeing people's faces and is told this is just "probably a temporary" condition known as face blindness. Sadie has to learn to cope and accommodate herself with her new (possibly temporary) disability, her career, the family issues, and falling for her dog's vet even though she cannot see his face.

Back in the Spring of 2018, I was subscribed to Book of the Month, and they ended up choosing How to Walk Away by Katherine Center as one of their picks, which I ultimately ended up choosing to put into my box. I read that book and fell madly love with the story and had to get my hands on any of Katherine's new releases. So, I have been following her books for 5 years now and I loved all of them minus one-The Bodyguard. Due to finding the Bodyguard to be an okay read I became nervous that I would not like Hello Stranger, but I ended up requesting the ALC from NetGalley and I am happy to report that I loved this book!

I could not get enough of this book. The storyline was played out very well and the narrator did a great job with sucking me into the story. I will admit the "twist" was obvious and I think it probably was supposed to be obvious to us readers and if it was not, it still did not take away from the story.

Katherine Center has focused on many different types of hardships that some of her characters in her books have to go through that can affect them physically, mentally, and emotionally to the point where life feels like it just sucks for them, but they have to go through a journey of self-discovery to be okay with what they are facing or learning how to accommodate themselves. Yes, we still see these characters fall in love, but I am always in awe of how amazing Katherine addresses these topics and make us root for the characters. In Hello Stranger, Katherine does exactly this like she has done in some of her previous books such as: How to Walk Away (Margaret becomes paralyzed in a plane crash) and What You Wish For (Sam suffers from seizures).

As someone who works with students who have disabilities, I loved watching Sadie struggle because one of her senses is hindered, but because of that she has to find ways to accommodate herself to recognize people in different ways as well as find ways to paint a portrait for her competition. I would become so excited for her when she would make little victories just like I would with the students I work with.

Now, for the romance: I definitely thought it was super sweet. We have Sadie who falls madly in love with her dog's vet, and she thinks she is going to marry him even though she does not know anything about him, but their date falls through. With her date falling through and then having to deal with an annoying and rude man named Joe in her apartment building, she starts to fall for him.

One thing I have to add is that I freaking love Sadie's dog Peanut because dogs are just the best and I was so excited when she became excited over being able to see Peanut's face when she discovers she has face blindness. I would have lost it too if I could not see my dog's face.

Hello Stranger will have you rooting for the MFC in every aspect of her life, laughing, and smiling ear to ear. You all seriously need to pick this book up and you all should know that I must really, really, really love this book if I wrote a small essay review for it.

I loved this book!

Sadie is an artist who just gets her big break before she finds herself being diagnosed with “temporary” face blindness. Now everyone’s face is a puzzle to her, and as a portrait artist, this makes her life difficult. As she navigates her new normal, she finds herself falling for two very different men.

Although I did see the twist coming, I enjoyed the premise of this so much and learning about face blindness kept things very interesting. The way Katherine Center describes Sadie trying different methods to identify facial features on her model for the portrait was so vivid, I felt like I was feeling what Sadie was feeling. There was never a dull moment throughout the book, and even the comedic relief landed well!

This was an easy 5 stars and I found myself itching to pick the story back up in between breaks. The narration was great— Patti Murin nailed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook arc. All opinions are my own.

Wow! I've never read a book like this one before. It has a wonderful romance, yes, but with a twist I've not seen in any other romance I know of.

Sadie Montgomery has been a struggling artist for so long, she doesn't remember what it's like NOT to struggle anymore. But then she receives an invitation to participate in the same juried portrait artist competition that her mother aspired to be in before she died unexpectedly.

Sadie feels confident that she can fulfill her mother's dreams until an accident leaves her with a condition known as "face blindness." As a portrait artist, being able to see people's faces is kind of the norm. And she no longer can.

As she adjusts to this snag in her plans, she puts forth a strong effort to adapt and adjust to her new circumstances. But that leads to confusing situations she never dreamed of!

This book had so many layers of complexity to it, including dealing with the death of a parent, finding where one belongs, dealing with bullies, meeting Mr. Right, reaching for one's dreams, and overcoming obstacles. There were so many "feels" to feel, and Katherine Center swept us right along with Sadie. I found myself laughing at some spots and feeling emotional at others.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy. This was one of my favorite reads this year!

This book was too cute! First off, there’s an adorable dog. Need I say more?? This book also had so much heart. From Sadie and her condition, to the familial relationships throughout the story. The medical aspect of Sadie’s face blindness felt very well researched as well, which I appreciated. The romance in this book was so natural and enjoyable to read. The connections Sadie makes and the paths she chooses on her romantic journey felt very authentic. There was also quite a few laugh out loud moments in this story, which made Sadie a very relatable character. The ending was fun and something I hadn’t yet read in a romance book! If you are looking for a sweet, feel good story, highly recommend checking this one out! 4 stars!

I listened to this as an audio book. It was an advanced reader copy from the publisher, but unfortunately I was behind!! It was published July 11th, but I loved it sooo much… I finish it and knew I had to share!! This book was *SO GOOD!*!!! I fell in love with the main character, Sadie! I would love to be her friend. Not only was I rooting for her, but I was yelling at her sometimes! 😉 like a good friend would do! This was such a well rounded story full of completely developed characters, multiple emotions/emotionally charged situations and feel good moments!! I don’t want to give away too much, so I’ll leave it with this… you *must* read or listen to this ASAP! You do not want to miss out on this!

“Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry!”

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC of this beautiful story and the chance to give my candid review.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (0-5)
Audiobook Rating: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall Rating: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥 (0-5) kissing only

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over
🤩 Narrated by Patti Murin and such a treat! I could listen to her voice entertainment all day.
🤩 Such humor. I especially loved the funny parts about Sadie overhearing Joe’s “one-night-stand” phone conversation.
🤩 Sadie and Joe are the absolute sweetest MCs.
🤩 Captivating, clever, cute, interesting, and fun with the whole face-blindness plot.
🤩 The descriptive details from a faceless perspective are fabulous.
🤩 I adore Sadie as a the FMM—she’s so resilient, as all Cinderella type characters are.
🤩 Mental and physical health representation.
🤩 Joe takes care of Sadie. And, Joe is total book boyfriend material!
🤩 “I’ll be your model.” Thanks for the extra shot of forced proximity.
🤩 Oh my goodness, the miscommunication is so frustrating but actually understandable in the situation and created so much longing in me for them to understand each other and get together.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I just like a little more physical connection/interaction in my books. More kissing!!

Okay, the premise on this one is absolutely silly, but it works! Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist who finally gets her big break as a top ten finalist for a portrait competition. BUT, in an ironic twist after an emergency surgery, she develops temporary "face blindness" and can't identify anyone at all by their facial features. Of course this will be the time period in her life when everything falls apart and she develops feelings for two new strangers: her dog's veterinarian, and the self-sacrificing neighbor who is there to help her through her life spiraling out of control.

This is every bit as far fetched as the premise sounds, but it's still super cute and swoony! The villain characters (mostly her sister) are cartoony and over-the-top in a way that makes their antics more comical than triggering. This is light-hearted and fluffy in a way that Center is known for. Katherine Center also does romance that is very clean and can be easily accessed by younger readers who only want to focus more on the endearing romance/relationship angle.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy!
3.5 stars