4.35⭐

You may remember (or you might want to search for it before or after reading this review) that my 8 July 2022 review of Center's The Bodyguard started like this: “This, folks, is what I'm talking about! If the modern version of the romance genre is going to encompass pretty much every work of fiction including a romantic relationship, this is what I want it to look like. . . .” Because I had a truly satisfying experience with The Bodyguard, I jumped at the chance to read Hello Stranger before publication. I was richly rewarded.

More and more books seem to feature introverted main characters. I am here for it . . . as long as the portrayal is done thoughtfully and accurately! Not all introverts are alike. Not all are shy, or nerdy, or socially inept, or dislike people, or, or, or. . . . [If they are any or all of those things, that's OK. My point is just that we come in many flavors.] Having introversion portrayed as a completely normal trait that is found in up to half the population (it depends on who you ask, with a common range being 33–50%) is important. It doesn't have to be made a big deal. Just acknowledging that extroverts and introverts gain, and are depleted of, their energy differently is a mighty fine start. There is such acknowledgement here.

The story is bursting at the seams with humor and relationships—two of my favorite things. In addition to the characters in romantic relationships, I especially liked Mr. Kim, who is Sadie's best friend's dad and Sadie's landlord. There are quite a few animal companions who play a part. [See minor spoiler alert hidden on my website review if you're interested.]
.
I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about face blindness. I have read at least one other book in which a main character had this condition.

Humorous reference was made to Bob Mankoff's famous New Yorker cartoon “How about never?” If you're so inclined, you might read both his memoir—How About Never—Is Never Good for You?—and his article The Story of “How About Never”, dated 27 March 2014. [I read the former in July 2014 (it was OK—I'm glad I read it) and the latter this week.] Anywho, I was pleased to get the reference in Hello Stranger. I'm also tickled pink that Center uses the word “anywho” (not in conjunction with the Mankoff reference), enabling me to whip it out in this review. It reminds me, warmly, of my elders.

I often talk about how predictable I find a particular story. This isn't always a bad thing—it depends on how entertaining the story is overall and how well it's crafted. In mysteries, I like to follow the clues along with the detective, and I like to be challenged. If it's too easy for me to solve, I may not be as enamored with the book, which is reflected in my rating. By the same token, I don't necessarily disqualify any book whose ending I predict early on. I give brownie points for any twist I didn't see coming. In her author's note at the end of this novel, Center talks about how the majority of clues writers drop in romances, rom-coms, and non-tragic love stories are giving you things to look forward to (as opposed, presumably, to something to dread in mysteries, thrillers, and the like). Good point! Further, she urges us to stop saying “predictable” and start talking about “the feeling of anticipation.” I appreciate what she said and how she said it. I hope it will help me better express my impressions of a genre about which I have long been critical (at worst) or at least ambivalent. With this new language and attitude in mind, I will admit that I anticipated the most important plot point early on—but I'm not mad about it because the story continued to be engaging. I was surprised and delighted by a different plot twist at around 80%. Tell me when you get there . . . and whether you were similarly surprised or anticipated it.

Immediately after finishing Hello Stranger, I hunted down and preordered a signed/inscribed hardcover. Then, for good measure, I found and ordered a signed hardcover of last year's The Bodyguard, which I received so quickly that I've already rearranged my home library to accommodate these new prized editions. I've also added a bunch of Center's back catalog to my TBR list, which allowed me to realize that I have watched and enjoyed the movie adaptation of her book The Lost Husband.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected July 11.

I absolutely adored this book. In true Katherine Center fashion, the characters are well rounded, full of personality and believable quirks. I found myself smiling and laughing out loud repeatedly while engaged with this novel. Yet another five star Katherine Center read for me!

Thank you Katherine Center and NetGalley for this eARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thanks goes out to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook because it was SO cute! From start to finish I was absolutely hooked and totally enamored with the story and with Sadie herself. She was quirky and lovable and I couldn’t get enough of her. Throw in everything else this story gave (so many hilarious scenarios, a hot vet, a sweet dog, artsy things, and so much more) made this story dang near perfect!

I will say the core of the conflict didn’t do it for me (a lack of communication trope never does) but honestly it was very easy to overlook it, so basically ignore this part of my review. 😂

Hello Stranger comes out very soon (July 11th!) so get it on your TBRs!

Hello Stranger is the latest winner from Katherine Center. I had a hard time pausing the audio to get things done. The lead characters are both fun, and they have some flaws that make them real, as do the secondary characters.
When Sadie, a struggling artist with less-than-supportive parents, wakes up from an unexpected seizure, she discovers that she has face blindness, a neurological conditions which allows her to see most things, but renders her unable to see faces as full images. Since her specialty is Norman Rockwell-like portraiture, she despairs of having any future as an artist.
At about this time, she meets a neighbor who, on first encounter, seems like a heartless cad. However, the longer Sadie spends with him, her neighbor Joe reveals himself to be a good person, one to whom she's attracted. At the same time, Sadie begins a flirtation with her new veterinarian, a reputedly handsome doctor who checks all her boxes. It's a classic love triangle - or is it?
The narrator spoke clearly and voiced each character so they were distinguishable without resorting to really odd or grating accents.
Well done, Ms. Center. You continue to impress!

Katherine Center does it again! Hello Stranger was a delightful read! If you are new to reading Center's books, I would not recommend starting here! Hello Stranger has all the classic pieces of Center's writing style that I have grown incredibly fond of. Center always picks unique characters and plot lines that immerse you fully into the story.

Sadie is broke. She's struggling to make ends meet as a portrait artist. She's estranged from her surly father and is absolutely unwilling to ask him for any assistance. When said enters an art competition, she sees her opportunity to change her luck. As she's walking home from the grocery store, she lose consciousness and wakes up in the hospital being told she needs to have surgery. Reluctant, Sadie is ready to refuse, but her father (a renowned surgeon) shows up and takes control of the situation. The surgery is scheduled. When Sadie awakes from surgery, everything seems ok, until she becomes aware that she can't see faces. They feel like blurry puzzles. A portrait artist with hopefully temporary blindness is a devastating hit to Sadie.

This is a story about coping with unexpected life altering challenges and persevering in the face of adversity without becoming cold or closed off. Sadie can't see faces, but she learns new ways to recognize people. Sometimes it works and sometimes she has to adjust on the fly. The way Katherine Center creates relationships between characters is truly a gift. I always find myself wanting friends, family, and lovers like the ones she creates. I think my favorite novel of hers remains Things You Save in A Fire followed by The Bodyguard. Hello Stranger is such a new twist on classic Center elements and I loved it!

If you don't follow Katherine Center on Instagram, I highly recommend you do. I love her energy and her descriptions for how her covers come to be. She's such a warm and genuine author. I can't say enough about how when you like the author, it only adds to the quality of the book!

The narration for this audiobook was spot on. I almost exclusively listened to this one and only switched to the text once or twice for less than a chapter in total. I loved the narration!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this title!

3.5 stars

Sadie is a portrait artist who finally achieves a milestone in her career: becoming a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition. But her life is turned upside down when she has brain surgery that gives her temporary face blindness. How is she supposed to paint a portrait for the competition when she can't see faces?

I wanted to give this book a higher rating, but I had a hard time liking the heroine. First of all, it's unbelievable that Sadie at first refused to get life-saving surgery because she didn't have "time" 🤡 What kind of excuse is that? 🤡 She was so insufferable. She came across as a whiny brat who spent too much time inside her head. I also hated how Sadie treated her stepmother. Lucinda actually tried to help Sadie multiple times, but she just got placed into the "evil stepmother" category 🤦🏽‍♀️

Sadie's life gets more interesting when she crosses paths with her annoying neighbour Joe, and when she starts crushing on her vet Oliver. As much as I didn't like Sadie, I was invested in the storyline about her face blindness, especially since she couldn't see the faces of Joe and Oliver. There's some family drama involving Sadie's father, stepmother, and stepsister. I usually love family drama, but the family dynamic here was a bit too stereotypical for me. Sadie's face blindness also causes a few interesting misunderstandings. It was easy to figure out what exactly Sadie was missing, but I still had fun joining her on this tumultuous journey.

I really liked the audiobook narration. It's my first time listening to Patti Murin, and I really enjoyed her narration and her voices. She made Sadie a bit more tolerable lol.

Overall, I had fun reading this book, but I had a hard time being inside the heroine's head. The book is well-written as expected from Katherine Center. The story also has a good message, but man, Sadie was just too annoying 😂

"The more good things you look for, the more you find."

Let me first start by saying, I started this book at bedtime last night. I binge read it all day today. I adored the story. I was not expecting a science/medical plot, but that is right up my alley. I love that the author got out of her own comfort zone and did so much research on the topic of being face blind. I did a little research on it after I read a psychological thriller about it. The topic fascinated me, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it here as well.

As I was in the last few chapters of the book, I was thinking about how I would review the book. The word I was throwing around was pleasantly predictable. It was an all around good story. The main character was one that you were rooting for from the beginning as her life was crumbling down. You hated Joe along with her in the beginning. Could you see the main plot line coming straight at you? Of course! Did that deter me at all from devouring the book? Heck no! It was just the story that was needed. I loved every single line.

But...then I got to the authors notes. Does everyone read the authors notes? Acknowledgements? I hope so, the authors put just a little more heart in them. When Ms Center was speaking on the predictable nature of a love story, she mentions that its what the readers want. It's why the books are read. She is 100% correct. I don't read books like this to get my heart ripped out. I want the story I see coming. I want to see them fall in love and live a happy life. As she stated, it's the structure, anticipation, and the hope.

This book was, as her others have been, delightfully wonderful to read. Thank you so much to the author and publisher to allow me to binge read this ARC copy of Hello Stranger.

It is hard to think that Katherine Center can top her own books but she does it every time!

Hello Stranger is such a sweet love story about Sadie, a portrait artist who is suddenly dealing with face blindness. As she copes with that as well as a myriad of other personal issues, she also encounters the kindness of two very possible suitors. How can she choose?!

Hello Stranger marries the severity of scary medical diagnoses like in How to Walk Away with witty, swoon-worthy banter as in The Bodyguard which only makes for a good time!

I listened to this one and I think I loved it more because of the content about Sadie's face blindness. I enjoyed listening to the description of what Sadie was feeling, it made for a much more authentic experience.

What a sweet, unique romance from a talented author! I loved the writing and the premise of this book as well as the characters and the relationship development. This book is a great palate cleanser after reading a heavy novel or a thriller.

While I had never heard of face blindness until I read this novel, you better believe I was Googling that. The author clearly did some research, and I appreciate that. Sadie has some daddy issues as well as a struggling career as an artist and now a diagnosis of face blindness right before a major portrait competition! If everyone looks like a stranger to her, then how could she possibly win this competition?

Sadie's little dog Peanut means the world to her, and when her ultra sweet and hot veterinarian saves Peanut's life, a little bit of a spark happens between them. She also takes a liking to her neighbor, Joe. After a bit of a love triangle and a twist at the end, you will end up with all of the warm and fuzzies. Wait for it!

Special thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center never fails to delight me with her books. I love the feel-good romance and the knowledge that the book will leave me with a smile on my face. I adored her author's note at the end where she talks about the joy of reading romance novels and that is the attitude I always have when I start one of her novels.

This one is not perfect, the main character Sadie really annoyed me with her absolute iron clad insistence to not accept help from anyone. I felt like that was very immature and her growth comes pretty late in the story, but props that it does occur. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but it was still fun and absolutely satisfying when it does.

When I first read that this book dealt with prosopagnosia (face blindness) I rolled my eyes and said "not again" because this seems to be a popular plot point these days. However, the way that Center uses it and describes it in this story made it completely plausible and was a very effective and intriguing premise. I understand it in a way that I didn't before.

Sign me up for the next Katherine Center book because I'm totally here for her thoroughly engaging and delightful stories. I listened to this one partially as an audiobook and Patti Murin's narration was wonderful for Sadie. She gives the story the exact amount of lightness and humor.

Well, she did it again. Is Katherine Center a romance wizard? I think so.
Throughout the whole book I was thinking, “How can this woman write something that feels familiar but new, predictable but in the best possible way?” Then I got to the end and read the Author’s Note (I LOVE when an author includes an authors note), and she talked about just this thing. Predictability in romance books that she renamed as “anticipation” because of hope. And we all need the hope of something good to look forward to. Just as all beautiful writers do, she put my exact feelings into words.

The uniqueness of Sadie’s situation was thrilling. And I just loved the male lead (trying to give no spoilers)! Also, the way things played out with Lucinda was so satisfying. I could not have wrapped up the story any better if I ever tried.

This may not have been my favorite KC book (because I don’t know what could beat The Bodyguard, in my opinion), but it was so solid and so good. I seriously have never seen KC go wrong!

(The narration for the audiobook is a must as well! She embodies Sadie as a character perfectly! Highly recommend the audiobook.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc!

I loved everything about this book! Katherine Center is an author who never disappoints. Her books are super quick, fun, and adorable. I breezed through this book in a day, granted I listened to the audiobook (the narrator was amazing by the way), which really helps me in the long run in terms of reading speed, but still a day is pretty quick for me. I just had to see how everything turned out in the end.

I figured out pretty early on the twist that happens at the end of the story, but it didn't take anything away from it at all. I still loved the entire journey of Sadie and her adapting to the situation at hand. The main guy was so loveable too! You are really rooting for them from the very beginning.

5 ⭐️

I actually already read the arc on kindle and loved it.. so when I saw the audio on NetGalley I had to request it & when I tell you that’s exactly how I pictured Sadie sounding how quirky she was. The narrator did an amazing job.

Now that I’ve e-read or & listened to it I just need the hardcover to add to my shelf 💙

Wow, what a great read Katherine Center has become a auto read for me! I absolutely love when a story catches you by surprise and keeps you engaged the whole time it’s funny, quirky, & with a unique story line. The way Sadie thinks .. is me 😂 I thought I was the only one talked to myself! I loved her character & of course Joe and the Kim’s but man oh man oh man did I despise Parker & her dad 😬

Very unique plot line & I actually learned how many people suffer from face blindness it’s very interesting topic. Story takes place in Houston Tx & like I’ve said before I love when I read A story that takes place here.

Please please please read the authors note when your done.
I absolutely agree this love story really created fantastic anticipation!

I cried in ch 26 & 27 😭
This is one I need in hand because I want to re-read it already!



Thank you #NetGalley for another great read!

Cute, easy romance story to enjoy. A unique twist to your typical romance story. I didn’t expect the ending, but it really made everything better.

OH MY GOSH. First of all, this book is stunning.. I LOVED IT. It is the perfect light read that is somewhat predictable in the BEST way!! PLEASE read the authors note at the end.. its worth it!!! 5 stars!

Sadie Montgomery is a portrait artist. Finally, she has gotten her big break placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the same competition her mother qualified for before she passed. This is her chance to prove to her father that switching from premed to art wasn’t a mistake.

All is going according to plan when she discovers she needs brain surgery. Her father, a renowned surgeon himself, insists she not put it off and schedules her before she has a chance to complete her final portrait for the competition. When she wakes from surgery her world is literally turned upside down as she discovers she has face blindness. Her doctors assure her its likely temporary, but cannot give her a timeline. How in the world is she supposed to paint a portrait when all faces feel like puzzles right now?

With the help of her best friend Sue, her beloved dog Peanut, and the kindness of a neighbor Joe, Sadie works through this new normal. This health scare also helps her relationship with her father move through some barriers that have been up since her mother passed. Despite the fuzziness in her brain, clarity is on the horizon.

Hello Stranger is a delightful, feel-good book, reminding all of us to try to keep an open mind and a positive attitude. If you are a fan of Emily Henry’s books, Katherine Center is another great author for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course the author Katherine Center for the advanced copy of the audiobook. Hello Stranger is out on July 11th. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. The characters were amazing - sweet, ridiculous and flawed. The love story is adorable. It is a truly feel-good love story. It is over the top, it is unrealistic and frankly unbelievable, but that only adds to the joy of it. I looked forward to escaping into this book every day - I split between audio and e-version and they were equally fabulous. Honestly, a perfect beach read for the summer. 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies.

I did not finish this audiobook. I liked the narrators; however, this was not my favorite book by this author.

2.5 - “I just want you to know, that more than anything…I hope you find peace.”

Sadie is celebrating the the biggest achievement of her professional life when she’s suddenly in the hospital with hopefully temporary face blindness. Every face now looks jumbled and blurry, as a portrait artist, it’s less than ideal. Struggling to cope, she finds herself in a love triangle while dealing with her childhood nemesis.

I had such a hard time with this book. Sadie is insufferable. She’s nearly thirty and acts like a teenager, and that was so difficult for me. She spends so much time feeling sorry for herself that it doesn’t feel like she deals with her new face blindness that she doesn’t learn to cope. She doesn’t want to tell anyone, and if she did, it would literally ruin the entire plot. She spends so much time feeling sorry for herself when she could be pursuing a romantic relationship and learn to cope in a healthier way with her condition.

The premise of the book is interesting and really has so much potential, but it never seems to come together. Sadie is too self-centered. The love triangle is honestly cringey and I knew what was going on immediately. I also found it incredibly hard to believe that she didn’t realize that they’re the same man. At least by the voice she should have known. It’s also incredibly icky that she talks about planning a wedding right after she meets Joe. It makes her sound incredibly juvenile and it was hard to empathize with her. Because it feels forced, the story feels like it drags and everything is filler. It never fully picks up steam to the point where I needed to keep going.

The supporting characters don’t feel developed and Sadie’s issues with her father never feel fully explored. It’s an aside that is integral to her character, but doesn’t feel substantial. Parker is actually a great villain and the Kim’s were really fun. The book just doesn’t feel realistic and the overall plot feels jumbled. A lot of interactions and conflicts feel unnatural and uncomfortable. It’s disappointing because overall Katherine Center is a great author.

The audiobook is done incredibly well, though, and Patty Murin’s narration is excellent. She does bring the story to life and adds a good depth of emotion overall.

My second Katherine Center novel and it did not disappoint. A little more serious than the other novel I have read, but I enjoyed it just the same. Face-blindness. I have seen that Brad Pitt has it, but I didn't know what it meant. It would be crazy to me to not recognize the people closest to you.

I loved the main character, though if she would have just told people, it wouldn't have been an issue. I'm one to tell my life story to strangers, so I couldn't relate to her in that way.

I love the ending and did figure out the twist early but it did not take away from the story.