After being saved from almost being hit by a bus, Sadie finds out she has a rare neurological condition called Prosopagnosia which causes face blindness. Imagine suddenly not being able to recognize faces AND you’re also a portrait artist. As Sadie tries to navigate her new (hopefully temporary) reality, she’s also faced with family drama, her own dog’s illness, a new love interest AND figuring out how to manage a huge career competition in which she’s a finalist.

As always, Katherine delivers a funny, heartwarming, light story with noteworthy significance. Her main characters are so well-developed and not only witty but also relatable. Even with a dysfunctional (and downright mean) step-family, Sadie manages to RISE ABOVE and I almost screamed in excitement when she finally found her voice and spoke her truth! The love triangle added to the swoony, even if unlikely, romance. I was not expecting the final reveal/twist so that whole bit just solidified my love for this story!

The audiobook narration was great! I will say I deducted half a star because sometimes it was easy to get distracted while listening, especially when her immature, evil step sister stepped in.

But overall, I LOVED the message and Sadie’s growth through her challenges! The medical/nurse nerd in me appreciates the research that went into her brain condition and how it was effectively written into the story. 👏🏽

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I hate when I finish a book with good, not great, feelings about it and still remember the moment 20% in when I was convinced it was going to be a 5-star. Because Hello Stranger was there, it had the hook and it just couldn’t deliver. I do feel like the romance genre is so oversaturated at this point there needs to be a clever gimmick or an author’s brand recognition to stand out. And the premise here was enough to deliver on that initial intrigue - a portrait artist who becomes face blind and accidently falls for the same man twice without seeing his face.

I didn’t even care that the main couple barely interacted in the first quarter of the book. Sadie carried it herself with the sudden shift to her world from becoming faceblind. She has complex relationships outside of the romance - and I particularly enjoyed her grudging acceptance of her stepmother. I did not enjoy the cartoonishly evil stepsister who was characterized as outwardly psychotic. I generally dislike one-note female antagonists, particularly when she’s facing off against another woman.

When Sadie and Joe do begin interacting, their dynamic was equally as fun to watch. Sadie resenting him for a misunderstanding was one use of miscommunication I actually enjoyed, and provided an interesting imbalance to the relationship. But there did come a point where I just started to question… why is she hiding that she is face blind?

Most contemporary romances demand some suspension of disbelief, and the premise of this one was so fun I was ready to suspend it all initially. But I think the gimmick dragged on just a little too long that I started to question how Sadie fully believed she was in love with this man without even having known what his job was. She makes some assumptions about pet sitting but in the weeks they get to know each other I can not in good faith they didn’t have a conversation at least in passing about “Joe’s” full time job.

I had fun with this one, but a strong start does not always stick the landing. In the end, I do think Hello Stranger could have resolved some of its issues in the latter half a bit more effectively.

Thank you to the publisher Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center!

I read Center’s novel The Bodyguard in 2022 and fell in love with her writing. She has a gift for writing unique protagonists and for creating romantic tension. Her novel was warm, funny, and very heartfelt so I was eager to read more from her. In Hello Stranger, Center once again delivers with another story of falling in love and learning to stand on your own. In the book, a young artist develops face blindness as she is about to undertake her most ambitious and important portrait to date. Without being able to correctly interpret faces, she must navigate complicated social situations while also reframing her approach to her own craft. Sadie is a compelling character and I enjoyed the rich bench of supporting players in the story. The novel struggles with some of the elements of miscommunication and misperception; I love romance, but a few of these situations prompted eye rolls rather than surprise or swooning. Also, the character of Parker is a profound misstep and is so over the top cruel that her presence weighs down the novel in an unfortunate way. Overall, this was a fun read and I am excited to check out more of Center’s work!

Taylor swift songs: “enchanted”, “I think he knows”, “labyrinth”

Age rating: 13+ (closed door/not steamy)

*EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE!! IT’S AMAZING OH MY GOSH!!*

This is quite different from her other romance book, “the Bodyguard”, but I heavily related to it!! It was really great!! Also the concept was super intriguing: what does a portrait painter do when they suddenly can’t see faces anymore? Brilliant!

Like the main character, I have experienced a sudden illness/issue (severe Rheumatoid Arthritis) that basically derailed my life. I related SO MUCH to Sadie’s determination to not tell people, because she doesn’t want them to see her as needy/a burden, or see her any differently. To someone who hasn’t experienced that, I don’t think they would fully get it, but the people who get it, GET IT!

The illness, acquired face blindness (Prosopagnosia), was so well researched and explained!! Additionally, in the acknowledgements, Katherine Center explains that all of the characters of color, specifically Sue (Korean) and her doctor (from Trinidad) were well researched and based on people Center knew in real life! We love to see it!!

This was an overall fun book with really cute romance, but I loved the depth that is brought in with the grief and coping that comes with a sudden onset illness that disrupts your life! I would very much recommend this book to anyone, especially if they want to understand the thoughts and motivations behind people who have chronic illnesses and try to hide it or try not to ask for help.

I did feel like this was leaning a little towards Women’s Fiction with Romance rather than strictly romance (since it deals mostly with the character growth of Sadie and her coping and dealing with her face blindness) but the romance elements were great!

Great job, again, Katherine Center!! She is an auto-but author for me!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center was a delight! A portrait artist is no longer able to recognize faces after an accident. Suddenly this single girl has two men vying for her attention, a sick pup, and portrait contest to win. The narrator was excellent and the story felt the most fun romcom. Five stars all the way!

I cannot fully put into words just how much I LOVED this story!! This book was everything that I could have ever wanted and more. Seriously I could not recommend this audiobook more! This was the first Katherine Center book that I’ve read and she absolutely blew me away. I also really loved the way this book was read for the audiobook version. I absolutely loved how the person reading this made sure to give each character a distinctive voice that let me as a listener really feel like I was immersed in the characters conversations. This book’s main character, Sadie, had the most unique challenge as a portrait artist that kept you absolutely hooked wanting to know what she would do next. I loved reading her story and watching her navigate her way through each challenge her life sent her. To make things even better the men in this story were absolutely SWOON WORTHY!! And don’t even get me started with the TWIST at the end?! I kind of saw it coming but I was still pleasantly surprised to read it and watch all the puzzle pieces finally make sense. All in all one of my favorite books I’ve read this year!!

“And the idea that anything could just disappear at any moment is something you suddenly understand in a whole new way.”

In this one you follow Sadie Montgomery, an portrait artist up for a big contest that could change her life. But then she finds herself in the hospital with face blindness, which they say should be “probably temporary”. While dealing with this, her pup is also sick, her friend is potentially getting married, dealing with a annoying neighbour and trying to date her vet!

I must admit, I loved how cute this book was. I love a romance with very little smut but a great story line and Katherine Center hit it perfectly. A unique story line, many twist and turns, and a strong female lead! I give it a 4/5! I enjoyed it to much I bought The Bodyguard and have it on my shelf.

Title release date is July 11th! Make sure to grab your copy!

This story has everything you could want: therapy sessions, two love interests - a hunky neighbor and a hot veterinarian, an evil stepsister, and an AWESOME main character with a cute dog named Peanut.

What more could you want!

Sadie has an accident that causes her brain to distort faces - an obstacle for anyone but a major tragedy for this portrait artist.

In order to avoid giving too much away, I’ll stop with that description - just know you should pick this one up!

I've long been a fan of Katherine Center, and "Hello Stranger" did not disappoont! One of the things I appreciate about her books is that while they are romance (not my favorite genre), they carry a little more real-life emotional weight and trauma than the typical Hallmark-style fluff. I would say that "Hello Stranger" lands a little less in this corner than some of her previous books and a little closer to the fluff side, but gosh what enjoyable fluff it was! I adored the characters from the start, easily rooted from them, felt their romance and struggles were believable, and was swept away by their casual and playful banter. The book has a fun premise, delivers a fast pace, and is perfect for the beach, your next plane ride, or just curled up on your couch.

3.5 rounded up to 4 because of the epilogue and writers note! She explained why “predictable” should be “hopeful anticipation”. I completely changed my rating and point of view because I looked forward to the characters figuring out what I did earlier on. I know some people ignore writers notes but in this case it made the book something much better and personal for me… so DONT SKIP IT! Book itself is 4 stars but her note is 5.

It was also very interesting to get into the mind of someone who was not able to recognize faces and all that came with it.

The audiobook version is just as wonderful as the actual book! I’ve quickly become a huge Katherine Center fan, and I can’t wait to read more of her books. I also love that the two books I’ve read by her (this one included) are set in Houston — my hometown!

The audio of this is what kept me engaged. The narrator did a great job with what she had to work with, but I found the story itself rather frustrating and very predictable. This reminded me how much the miscommunication trope bugs me.
I found the MC unrealistic and whiny and the rest of the characters did not seem fully fleshed out.

So I this is like the fourth Katherine Center book I’ve read! (Thanks, Netgalley for the early read.) I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I was already expecting to purchase, and it’s currently on its way to my house with my book of the month shipment but I’m grateful for the early read! The concept of this book was really cute- a portrait artist who ends up with face blindness (THE IRONY). The idea that there may be two suitors also really dug my interest.

I 100 percent knew once I started reading it, and she ended up with the face blindness that the guy that she was interested in Joe and the hot vet were the exact same person. Always a sucker for a misunderstanding, I felt like this book was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was adorable in the end, and I think, resolved itself nicely.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, not spicy read.

This was by far my favorite Katherine Center read. There’s something about a book with topics and themes personal to the author that just hit the reader at such a different level.

I really enjoyed Sadie’s overall journey and what the face blindness allowed her to overcome/breakthrough in a way. To me, it felt like she was overcoming the need to hold herself back and to become more than the shell she was permitting herself to live in. And I think breaking through the “shackles” you may put yourself in is incredibly important lesson in life.

There were some issues with lack of communication and miscommunication I just could not get behind. If you have strong feelings toward someone, why would you not ask for clarity? Or talk through things? The blind acceptance was frustrating to say the least.

Sadie unfortunately was surrounded by mediocre people or awful people. It almost seemed like she settled for herself..including in friendships.

Emotionally, this book has my heart. Sadie grips you with her struggles of parental death, an evil step sister, then has to go through some pretty life altering events. She was hit from every direction and I felt that all the way through.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Patti Murin. I really enjoyed listening to this book via audio. Patti did a phenomenal job with allowing the emotion in her voice to convey just how the characters were feeling. It was a bit slow, so while I typically listen 1.75x-2.25x I had this up at 3.0x.

3.75/5

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Contemporary romance.
Sadie is a portrait artist. She’s won a spot in an upcoming contest that’s she’s feeling good about. But she has a seizure that causes her to have brain surgery and suddenly she can’t see faces or recognize anyone. Features are out of place for everyone. Sadie needs to find alternative ways to identify people and then figure out what to do with her portrait painting career. Hair, clothing, posture and gait are some of the ways she’ll need to use to identify people she sees everyday. Including Joe, the man on her floor who always wears a leather jacket with that name stitched on the front.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook narrated by Patti Murin. The performance of the audiobook was marvelous. There were distinct voices for Sadie, Joe and several of the secondary characters. For me, the timing was perfection. I clearly heard the anxiety, the fear, the confusion and ultimately the hope in the story. Of course, those feelings are in the written word as well, but I think this book comes across phenomenally well by the narrator.

From the author notes: “Romance books are unapologetically hopeful and optimistic. Joyful. Positive. The lead to Emotional bliss.”
Yes, that’s why I love them.
And I loved this book for the same reasons. The heroine had a temporary physical disability that meant she couldn’t recognize faces. But she didn’t give up. She still painted to the best of her ability and ultimately she found love.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

“It’s a disorienting thing to know there’s something wrong with you. It made everything about my life seem different, worse, false. Like I’d been misunderstanding everything all along.”

“You’re not just your face, is what I mean. But man, it sure is a big part of you.”

Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

4.5 stars rounded up! I adored this book. I laughed. I wanted to cry. And I can’t even remember the last time I wanted to reach into a book and smack the sh*t out of a character the way I did with Parker. It made me FEEL things, guys. What a wonderful story.

The audio was absolutely fantastic! It is narrated by @pattimurin and she nails it! Her comedic timing is on point and she had me falling in love with these characters. She gave them life and so much heart. I just loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center really got me with this one. I loved loved loved The Bodyguard last year, I was so excited to receive an early audiobook copy of Hello Stranger. Needless to say, it did not disappoint.

This book was probably a four star for me right up until the very end when I read the author’s note. I guessed the end of this story pretty early on, but Katherine Center had it exactly right in her note to the readers. The knowledge of the ending didn’t detract at all from the enjoyment of the story. In fact it was quite the opposite, I was excited to see how Center would execute the ending. Even though I had a good idea of what was going to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat.

This novel had me experiencing the full spectrum of emotions, it made me laugh out loud, tear up, and sigh with happiness throughout. It was also the type of story that makes you reassess the things we take for granted every day. I walked away from this read with a new appreciation for everyday kindness. As well as remaining open and warm whenever possible.

This book is very low/no spice, so keep that in mind when you pick it up. But despite the 0 chili pepper heat rating I highly recommend everyone pick up a copy. I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy for my bookshelves. The audiobook was an excellent experience too, Patti Murin had me fully absorbed through her narration.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the audiobook.

4.5 rounded down 💫

What I’ve come to learn after my 3rd KC book is they’re a bit dramatic + unrealistic BUT it WORKS!

Were there plot holes in this that just didn’t make sense? YES, hence the half star reduction but this was my face while reading —> 🥹🥹🥹

You can expect :
✨an evil stepsister
✨a HELPFUL, pet loving, patient love interest
✨an emotional support pup
✨SO many “aha” moments from her therapist that had me like ✍️✍️✍️
✨to learn SO much about Prosopagnosia (face blindness)
✨an incredible authors note 🥲😭

The audio was great - I genuinely enjoyed this so much more than I thought I was going to!

Katherine Center has become an auto-buy/auto-read author for me! I love her character driven romance and this title was no different. It was such a unique, refreshing taste on romance, with a surprise ending? I LOVED it and loved Sadie as a main character. Reading about her life, relationships, family struggles and how she handled her diagnosis was so great to read. And I loved this in audio format. It flew by and I just adored it from start to finish!

I loved, loved, LOVED this book! I couldn't get enough. I was so sad every time I had to put it down and couldn't wait to get back to it!!

It's not often that romance novels surprise me but Hello Stranger really did! The plot line wasn't your typical romance and I loved that Sadie was facing a genuine struggle. While I've read a few books about face blindness recently which felt a little coincidental, this novel still felt totally unique and was flawlessly executed. How Sadie tackled her face blindness while also at a pivotal moment in her career added so much to the story and I appreciated the level of detail that went into her process.

I listened to this novel on audio and it was really well done. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she added the perfect level of theatrics. There were so many laugh out loud moments and maybe even more moments that brought me to tears! It was the perfect blend of emotion and heart.

I haven't read many by Center but it's safe to say this one will be hard to beat. I know it's one I'll be recommending for a long time!