Last year it was The Bodyguard, this year it's Hello Stranger. I'm calling it now, this is my favorite read of the year!
This book was absolutely fantastic. It was emotional, magical, funny (SO funny), and everything I wanted it to be.
To quote the author: "This love story really created a fantastic feeling of anticipation." The slow burn was SO worth the wait. The characters were amazing and lovable. Honestly, I feel like I could gush about them all day.
1 finished this book days ago, but I needed to take some time to really sink into the feelings (the best ones) and soak in every drop of them that I could.
The author really created something beautiful here, and I'm dying to get through her entire backlog (I've already LOVED The Bodyguard and The Lost Husband...which is also a movie on Netflix 9).
Katherine Center can do no wrong. I now introduce to you my new auto-buy author.

It's very rare that I don't like an audiobook but this is one of the few I wish I didn't listen to but rather read physically. Although, I'm not sure that would've helped with my enjoyment. This was a book I was heavily anticipating because I was interested in the idea of a portrait artist developing face blindness and how she navigates her life and relationships with that but this ultimately fell flat for me. The female main character was extremely childish and tiresome to follow. The stepsister and stepmother plotline was very outlandish and silly. The rest of the characters were very one dimensional. In regards to the romance, it was not convincing and I couldn't care enough about the characters to root for them to be together. I had to suspend so much of my disbelief in order to get through this book. Overall, this just wasn't for me but it might be someone else's cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a free copy of this audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

Objectively, this is not a perfect book. I knew where this story was leading, I became frustrated at some points, and I rolled my eyes, quite a few times. But more importantly, I laughed out loud, a lot.
I thought the premise of this book was very unique and also informative. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Sadie who is a creative compared with the scientific facts of the brain condition she suffered. I love reading books where the main character is in fine arts, I can relate to being a creative. I like to hear the details of their works and all of the details that go into it. It really speaks to me and I felt like on a personal note, I could relate a lot to this story. Not only do I share a birthday with Sadie’s mom, Nora, but I have also lost a mother way too soon in life. I won’t go into the personal details of my life with my estranged father, evil stepmother, and all the other similarities, but regardless I think anyone could enjoy this story.
I had a great time listening, I liked the narrator, Patti Murin, and Patti did a great job of voicing Parker to make her even more annoying. Really though, Parker is the worst, and I’m tempted to start a “I hate Parker Montgomery” fan club. Let me know if you are interested.

This is the first book I've read/listened to by Katherine Center. It has definitely exposed me to an author I hope read more of. This book made me laugh, feel hopeful and kept me interested the whole way through.
Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who chose to follow in her late mothers footsteps. She is weeks away from a competition she has been chosen for. Not only has she made it the final 10, but it was also the competition her mom won years ago.
Unfortunately, Sadie is found to have a slow bleed in her brain due to a genetic malformation and requires immediate "brain surgery". She developed a rare side effect that "may" resolve with time. Acquired Apperceptive Prosopagnosia, also known as Face Blindness. I ended up down a several hour rabbit hole researching this very interesting neurological condition. How is Sadie supposed to submit a portrait when she can't see faces?
I do want to assure you, this is most definitely a light hearted romantic comedy. Sadie's inside voice is hilarious. The supporting characters are entertaining, and "Joe", is the most heart melting, nice guy!
I would recommend this read for anyone looking for a unique romantic comedy with light spice.🌶 I rarely bother with the authors note, but I must say, I did actually enjoy parts of the author's note at the end of this book.
I have rated this book a 4.5/5. Thank you to NetGallery and the Publisher for the audiobook version of this book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book is just.. *chef’s kiss* for me. I don’t know how Katherine continues to do it, but I absolutely loved the book, especially the twist at the end! She has definitely become an auto-buy author for me over the years.

If you have a feel good story that teaches you that we have to sometimes slow down and enjoy the little things in life, then this book is for you.

Another fantastic book by Katherine Center! I love her books and was so excited for this one; it did not disappoint. Her stories always have romance, comedy and a general feel-good story, but I always look forward to the serious issue each book will tackle. In this case, the main character, a portrait artist, deals with sudden face blindness. As I'm sure you can imagine this has a serious impact on her life. Center weaves the stories of a sweet romance, dealing with neighbors, family drama, a life altering medical diagnosis, true friendship, being true to yourself, a love of animals and much more into one novel that has you rooting for the main character the whole way. Loved the audio version.

Sadie just got word she is in the finals for an art competition. This could be her big break. She loves drawing portraits. As luck would have it she ends up in the hospital needing brain surgery. When she wakes up from surgery she can't see anyone's face. How can someone draw a portrait if they can't see the face of who they are drawing??

Another Katherine Center book I couldn't help but enjoy! I liked Sadie and was rooting for her throughout the book. I have some brain disorders, not like hers, so I felt like I could connect to her in some way. Plus I'm a dog mom myself! And I fell in love with Joe and his floppy hair. I thought the two of them were cute together. I can't wait to fall in love with the next book Katherine Center writes!

I listened to the book as I read it and I LOVED the narrator. She did such a fantastic job. You could feel the emotions in her voice. She is a narrator I will continue to listen to!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the copies of the book!

I can’t believe this was my first Katherine Center read! I loved it so much 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🧼

Sadie is a portrait artist, who is about to get her “big break,” when she gets into an accident that leaves her with a *hopefully* temporary condition, face blindness (causing faces to be blurry).

Joe is Sadie’s neighbour, who becomes her friend, and a pleasant distraction. She doesn’t explain her condition to him, but he helps her out nonetheless.

A lot of this book sends the message that things aren’t always as they seem. People aren’t always who we think they are, based on first impressions or external factors.

This definitely had some predictable moments, but that’s part of the fun of it. Definitely read/listen to the author’s note, she explains a lot there.

I tandem read this book - audio and ebook - and really enjoyed the narration! Patti Murin did a wonderful job at capturing Sadie, and all the side characters.

What you’ll find in Hello Stranger:
🌼 Artist heroine
🌼 Cinnamon roll hero
🌼 He falls first
🌼 Romcom
🌼 Friends to lovers
🌼 Forced proximity
🌼 Slow burn
🌼 Miscommunication
🌼 Single POV/first person

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own.

If you are looking for a fun, non spicy romance light read, you will enjoy this book. And, who knew face blindness was a real thing? Not me! This is my second book by Ms. Center and I have enjoyed them both. The narration was done well too.
Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, #KatherineCenter, #PattiMurin and #HelloStranger for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

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.

Through her meticulous research on face blindness, Katherine Center not only weaves a beautiful story in "Hello Stranger" about triumph over personal obstacles but also imparts a profound lesson on kindness, love, and the power of choosing joy.

Sadie Montgomery is a talented portrait artist, and her life takes an unexpected turn when she is diagnosed with face blindness. As a finalist in a prestigious portrait competition, she must overcome this newfound obstacle and paint a portrait with her new diagnosis. With her late mother's successful legacy in the same field, the pressure is on for Sadie to prove herself. I resonated so much with Sadie's yearning for her late mother's presence and her deep connection to her as an artist. This exploration tugs at the heartstrings, evoking both empathy and tears for Sadie's longing.

Sadie also grapples with several other challenges. These include dealing with a mean step-sister, navigating strained relationships with her father and step-mother, who lack affection, and managing her finances while caring for her aging dog.

The light romance element adds a delightful touch to the story. The scenes between Sadie and her love interest are crafted with perfection, striking a balance between giggles and sighs. You’ll definitely get all the sweetness you expect from a heartwarming romantic comedy, leaving yourself with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Patti Murin's narration is simply captivating. Her storytelling prowess keeps readers hooked, eager to devour every page. Murin effortlessly breathes life into a multitude of characters, making each voice distinct and memorable.

Katherine Center's "Hello Stranger" is a beautifully written novel that combines a compelling story with memorable characters. With its exploration of face blindness, the book sheds light on a lesser-known condition while imparting important life lessons. This heartfelt tale of triumph, love, and optimism will undoubtedly captivate you and leave you with a renewed sense of hope.

I love Katherine Center’s books. She has great characters that you can relate to. Yes there’s always a problem or issue but it’s not overly tragic. Always a good palate cleanser. Hello Stranger was no different.

Sadie is an artist who has finally gotten her big shot. She’s a finalist in a huge portrait painting contest. But life is never that simple for Sadie.

While walking home, she is almost hit by a car but luckily a Good Samaritan was able to push her out of the way. Unfortunately she did not go unscathed. After brain surgery, she is diagnosed with face blindness. She is not able to recognize anyone’s face, even her own. This is quite the obstacle since the deadline for the competition is soon approaching.

With the stress from the competition, major family issues and a geriatric dog; of course, she falls in love/lust with two very different men.

Sadie is not sure how she always gets herself into these messes but she’s got to figure it out and pray that the face blindness is only temporary and will correct before the art show for the contest.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who has changed - me or Katherine Center? Lol. Her last two books have just seemed fluffier but I definitely liked this one a lot more than The Bodyguard. I think maybe I shouldn't listen to romance books on audio, because the narrator's voice makes the main character sound dumb. ANYWAY Katherine Center is great for non-spicy romance. I felt bad for Sadie in Hello Stranger because she had a really sad life! I wouldn't have liked this one as much if it weren't for the ending - it was really good!

Katherine Center where have you been all my life!!?? I’m blown away at how much I felt while reading Sadie and “Joe’s” story. Blindsided you might say.

Here is where it happened for me – when you locked me in with full-throttled investment:
“…as if my soul had been rained on and couldn’t dry out.”

UGH! This was when I knew I was going to love this book!

Not only was the narrator perfection, this was a unique and fun read. RomCom at its finest! So many interesting themes from light to a tad heavy. But don’t let that be a turn-off, while some of the topics were heavy, I never felt like I needed a break from the story. It was the complete opposite – I couldn’t put it down.

It was a story that indeed made me laugh and swoon.

And the Epilogue was everything – just when I thought I was getting a Happily for Now ending, it turned into a HEA!! And isn’t that what we all desire anyway? A perfectly predictable…um…I mean “fantastic feeling of anticipation” where “believing in love is believing in hope.”

Please, please, please, don’t hit stop before you listen to the author’s note. Sheer perfection. I’m already running to Katherine’s back list for my next read.

Pick this up – listen to the audio version (Thank you, Patti Murin for bringing Sadie to life). I promise, if you are always searching for the next best romance read, your search is over. And you can bet I’ll be recommending this to my book club.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC for an honest review.

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!!

It is narrated by the incredible Patty Murin and you do not want to miss it!!!

Katherine Center at her very best!!! I loved the novel from sentence one. I also loved that “joy” is a choice!

This story is a power punch of hope, a shake of humor and a sprinkle of romance.  I especially loved learning about Prosopagnosia, aka: face blindness.  It was fascinating how Center wove the medical diagnosis into the story and its artist protagonist.  But most of all I appreciate the message she writes at the end:

"We're just all muddling through...we're all just doing the best we can...we're all struggling with our struggles..."

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and the narration gave all the feels in the right places.

Thank you #Netgalley, Katherine Center & Macmillian Audio for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The book comes out July 11th.

I really enjoyed this latest work by Katherine Center. The main character Sadie, a portrait artist suffers from face blindness after a brain surgery. She struggles not knowing how long it will go on and if she will ever recover.

It was an interesting premise to base a romance novel on, but I found it a bit predictable at times. The book definitely had heart and heart breaking moments as Sadie is still reeling over the loss of her beloved mom. The relationships she has with her dad and stepmom were difficult and her step sister Piper was the worst. I liked the contemplating Sadie did and liked seeing her trying to adjust and change her mindset so that she might recover.

The narrator did a great job bringing emotion to this story and each of the voices she did for the characters were distinct. Fantastic job!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of this book

Simple joys in life like when your book matches your flowers perfectly 😊💐

This author is very loved on bookstagram but I haven’t found one of her books that I have truly loved. This one was very cute. Following Sadie as she goes through an unexpected medical journey, and she tries to get the pieces of her life to fit together. It was charming, and I did like the authors easy romcom style.

But by the second half I was becoming increasingly frustrated with how ridiculous and obvious some of the storyline was. I never like when the main plot issue is a character’s lack of honesty. If she had just told people in her life about her medical issue a lot of her issues would have been resolved. Im an open book in my own life so always find this sort of thing extremely hard to relate to.

Basically it was a cute and charming read, but it lost me in the details. It’s one thing for a romcom to be obvious in who ends up together, but this one just felt like I wasn’t supposed to know what was going on but I did, so it all came off a bit forced.

I do want to read more by this author to see if one of the storylines will click better with me!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the audio copy! This one is out on July 11th!

After reading and loving The Bodyguard last year, I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Hello Stranger! Some might find this romance to be a bit predictable, but I didn't see the "twist" coming and loved every chapter in this book. I'll now be reading Center's backlist and adding her to my list of auto-buy authors.

In Hello Stranger, Sadie feels like the pieces in her life are just starting to fall into place when a series of unfortunate events leads to a diagnosis of face blindness. This is a especially tragic because Sadie is a portrait artist and on top of navigating family issues and taking care of her sick dog, she now has to save her career without being able to see faces. As she tries to find her way, she falls in love with two very different men adding even more complicated emotions. Throughout all of her struggles, Sadie learns perseverance, hope, courage and the importance of trusting and leaning on others around her.

Hello Stranger explained prosopagnosia in great detail and being able to understand the condition, helped me connect better to Sadie's character. I definitely felt for her especially as she was taking care of her elderly dog and trying to forgive and reconcile with some members of her family. I think some readers might find Sadie and her evil stepsister, Parker, to be a little immature, but I was entertained by the Cinderella vibes. I highly recommend the audio version of this book and I'll definitely be looking for more audiobooks by this narrator! I've been distracted lately while listening to audiobooks, but this narrator had me so captivated that I don't think I zoned out at all. I actually preferred the audiobook over the e-copy which rarely happens for me! Thank you for sharing both versions with me!