The narrator portrayed Sadie's character with a smooth performance was smooth. I found myself immersed into the story.

Sadie is a struggling artist who paints portraits and is celebrating her biggest achievement when she’s diagnosed with a condition that requires surgery.  A surgery that leaves her with a condition known as face blindness.  A condition that leaves her not being able to see faces.  Trying to cope with family problems and a condition that she hopes is temporary, she meets two men offering her something she didn’t think she needed. 

Sadie was a little quirky and full of sunshine.  She’s not a perfect character and faces quite a few crises but her struggles, feelings of grief, and mean step-sister made me want to wrap her up in a huge hug.

This is a story about healing and finding love. The plot was unique and the characters were lovable, including Peanut the dog.  It’s romantic and whimsical with the perfect mixture of hope and happiness.  

The ending pulled the entire story together.   It answered all of my questions, but at the same time made me want to go back and see what I missed. I felt like I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t.  I was so wrapped up in the journey that I read with anticipation of what would happen.

In the end, the story was reflective and left me thinking about the things I miss and don’t see.

4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5🎧

I wasn’t sure going in exactly what was going to happen I know there was going to be Facial recognition blindness that was it. What we get is so much more. Sadie is such a sweet flighty girl and I say that with love she is sweet, but she over very flighty now that could be because of the way she grew up. She lost her mother young and her father kinda of checked out then she had a step-mother she never really liked and a step-sister who well makes Cinderella’s step-sisters look tame.

Determined to make it on her own she doesn’t ask her father for help she forges on her own path. Until something unexpected happen to her and just when she was about to get her big break.

It’s devastating to her but she does keep a positive attitude even when it’s hard. She meets Joe who becomes her friend first before things start to get more interesting with him. I really don’t want to say too much about all that because well I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

I just loved how this book made me feel. I liked Sadie and I like that even though she was faces with this hard thing she still fights pasted it.

Loved the narration I think Patti Marin does a great job, I felt like she didn’t over do the voice it was just right. Maybe the sister was a little “extra” but that is to be expected I thought with the type of character she is.

I adore Katherine Center’s novels. They are quirky, and fun yet I always walk away having learned something new. Hello Stranger is full of heart and surprise. Sadie is a truly special character. Her interactions with absolutely everyone had me laughing out loud. Yet I knew she deeply felt the pain of her family and the fear of her possible loss. I loved that there were multiple times that I was caught unaware (along with Sadie) of the details yet to be revealed. I highly recommend Hello Stranger.

The audiobook added another layer for me. To hear the voices and imagine what was happening had me completely swept up in the story. Outstanding narration by Patti Murin.

I loved this book. Watching how the main characters life changed due to her diagnosis was great. I had a feeling about the ending of the book, but it was great to see it all come together. The chemistry was so good.

I discovered Katherine Center's books after reading The Bodyguard last year. Since then, I've been slowly working my way through her back-list. However, Hello Stranger, which is set to release on July 11, 2023, isn't on that list. Luckily, I was able to obtain an advanced audiobook copy, and boy was it a treat!

The story follows Sadie, who's in desperate need of a break. But just when she thinks she's getting one, something unexpected happens that sends her life on a completely different path. I found the book to be both fun and educational, as I even had to Google "acute prosopagnosia" (face perception blindness) to fully understand what was going on (unlike Sadie).

Hello Stranger is a touching story about a woman still dealing with her mother's passing and her new step-family, giving off some serious Cinderella vibes. While the middle of the book was a bit slow, the last quarter was enjoyable as everything came together. I loved the ending, it surprised me in ways I didn't anticipate. It's always a joy when an author can keep me on my toes.

Overall, Hello Stranger is a well-written and entertaining story about family, grief, and trusting oneself. I highly recommend both the author and the book.

My thanks to St. Martins Press for the digital arc and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review, all via Netgalley.

I love Katherine Center's books. This one was no exception. Sweet story about facing challenges and being resilient: a shared theme in her novels. Good summer read and great audio narration!

(A Spoiler-free review)
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Okay, so I’m a sucker for a good miscommunication/misunderstanding trope, and this story delivered. Following Sadie through a tale of budding romance, overcoming first impressions, reluctant second chances, and adjusting to new life changes is a journey full of highs and lows that keeps the reader rooting for the main character during every step of her journey.

Sadie is a portrait painter, a job she’s passionate about and a skill she’s good at, taking after her late mother who was also a portrait painter and a finalist in the same competition Sadie just got accepted to. Just when everything feels like it’s starting to fall into place, an accident combined with a time-sensitive brain surgery leaves her with the worst possible outcome short of death itself: the rare side effect of sudden face blindness.

Sadie is left without the ability to discern facial features, and a portrait competition deadline looming over her. On top of it all, her best friend has to leave town and her closest companion is a man she didn’t want to give the time of day to not-so-long ago, but who is growing on her more and more by the day. And Sadie is spending a lot of days with him. But how much does she really know this faceless Joe from her building, when she can’t even recognize her own step-sister in the halls? Can he help her finish a portrait to enter or will her attempts at new techniques to bypass her brain fall short along with her flirtations when it matters most?

I called the ending pretty early in, but I still enjoyed the experience of being in Sadie’s head and getting her one-sided view of things that, given her current circumstances, is more unintentionally biased and clouded than it would be for someone else. It’s a lesson on what might open up to us if we’re more willing to put aside assumptions and give new people and experiences a chance.

Go check out this release on its Pub Day, July 11, 2023! Thanks to NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio for giving me a chance to listen to an ARC copy of this audiobook! All opinions are entirely my own.

When anyone recommends @katherinecenter books to me, the words “feel good” are used every single time. This was my first of hers and I’m officially a fan. The storyline in this was so unique and nothing like I have read before. I don’t know how much I can contribute to the audio- but her tone just brought this character to life so much for me. I’m not even going to post a synopsis because truthfully I went in blind, and am so glad I did. I listened to this audio in a day, and am running to get more of her books.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book (and audio)- I have been SO excited to read this and it did not disappoint.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@katherinecenter The relatability with this character (specifically her relationship with her dad) just hit so close for me. I was invested from the very first chapter and it feels rare with any reads for that to be the case. I can’t not wait to read more of your work!

#bookreview #booksbooksbooks #bookrecommendations #tbr #advancedreaderscopy #ARC #hellostranger #katherinecenter

Reading a Katherine Center book always leaves me with a smile on my face. I was excited at the chance to listen to the audiobook version of Hello Stranger. The narrator does a great job and the story is full of emotions. You will experience love, loss, warmth of friendship, the angst of family dynamics, insecurity, encouragement, and humor. Sadie’s life journey will have you laughing one moment, full of anger the next, and then crying tears of sadness. I had never heard of prosopagnosia (face blindness) but appreciated the author’s notes at the end of the book with information about this condition. This is a romance, but not syrupy sweet. It’s lighthearted and emotional. What a great book in which to get lost and enjoy great characters. Put this on your to-be-read list. You’ll be inspired and filled with joy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I really enjoyed this story of Sadie learning how to navigate life in new ways due to this major change in her brain. I also learned a lot about a disorder that I honestly sort of thought was made up by dramas as a plot device. Turns out its very real and more common than I had imagined. I'm very impressed with the amount of research the author put into getting this story right. It's a great read where I was both entertained and educated. The story was touching and fun, and I even teared up a bit at one point near the end.

The audio narrator also did an excellent job with the characters.

Oh man... this one was a rollercoaster for me.

I thought the premise of it was really interesting, but i struggled through the first 40%. Then it got better and I was def more engaged...then I almost gave up at 75% because something happened that had me going WTF??? THEN a twist happened (that I didn't see coming) and it all made sense and was super cute at the end, but like wowsers... I also couldn't past how horrible our FMC's step-sister was and I was not satisfied with how everything ended up... I was all over the place lol

The story had some really great character growth and many "life lessons" learned, which I appreciated, but overall just did not love this as much as I wanted too!

Audiobook was great though!

This was my first ever Katherine Center novel and I will most definitely be reading her backlist. Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC!

Being someone who has extensively studied neurology, I was familiar with prosopagnosia prior to reading this book and I think Katherine did a great job portraying a very emotionally draining condition. I found myself frustrated with and connected to the characters very quickly. The audiobook was wonderfully done!

Sadie is a portrait artist, up for a big contest, when she has a seizure while crossing a street and ends up with brain surgery -- which causes her to develop a devastating case of face blindness. She can't recognize the faces of anyone, they all look like they're scrambled. A terrifying state for a portrait artist, to say the least! Add in a wicked stepsister (really), a super helpful guy, "Joe", in her building, a terrible misunderstanding with her father and stepmother, and you can watch Sadie try to figure out what to do next with her life.. Rest assured though, it all does work out in the end.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The reader was great at relating Sadie's thoughts, and you really felt a lot of sypathy, as well as annoyance, for her. And you really HATE her stepsister!!

Thanks to #NetGalley for an early copy of the audiobook.

Sadie is a portrait artist who has to have a quick little brain surgery. But then she awakes with (hopefully) temporary face blindness. Now she’s navigating life without recognizing people. Luckily there’s a nice guy in the building who helps her out.

Full disclosure: I was prepared for a solid 3 star read here. I mean that synopsis is crazy. But I loved it! It’s fun and ridiculous and sweet. Just the dose of HEA I needed in my life. I’ve read a handful of Katherine Center’s books and this is definitely the best yet. It’s trope-y but easy to look past bc I just loved the MCs so much. And the big truth bomb reveal was so satisfying.
Kinda gave me You’ve Got Mail vibes.
PS Don’t skip the authors note. It’s a good one.

Add this one to your TBR. You can pick it up July 11 or go put a hold on it at your library today.

Spice level: 🌶️/5
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

What a moving and beautifully written story! I've been doing quite well with new authors lately, and I'm so happy to have discovered Katherine Center. Hello Stranger is a truly unique and powerful novel, and I highly recommend it.

Sadie's tale was a bit tough for me because I just recently lost my own mother. While it's been awhile for Sadie, her mother's death was a pivotal point in her life. And literally everything that happens from the start of Hello Stranger is related to this loss.

Katherine Center's characters are complex and wonderfully developed, and the story flows along nicely. This has a very unique storyline, and I really enjoyed it - though I'll admit to a few tears here and there.

The audio version is nicely performed by Patti Murin.

Thank you Netgalley for my audio of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. I normally don’t listen to or read romance novels, but Katherine Center is the exception for me. Her writing is so realistic and down to earth. Who knew an artist unable to recognize faces could find love in a portrait contest! Utterly delightful listening! Another five star from me for Hello Stranger.

Katherine Center does it again! This was such a great book!

What happens when an artist is forced to see things differently? There's bound to be struggle, confusion and a lot of learning. This book is a heartwarming, sweet story with elements of romance, family drama, struggle and ultimately happiness. Five stars - without question!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Patti Murin really brought this story to life! I loved this story being brought to life with her voice. All of the internal monologue was believable and I felt like I was listening to a good friend.
The story overall is quite swoon-worthy and can teach us all about life and the things we miss or don't notice unless they are taken away from us. I loved the writing style so much that I will be picking up previous published books. Bravo!

The first thing that stood out to me with this one was that it was based on an interesting concept. Sadie, the FMC, has to learn to navigate the world around her after losing her ability to recognize faces.

The main character’s lesson on jumping to conclusions was quite in your face, but you know what? Sometimes that’s the only way we figure things out.

I saw the “twists” coming — possibly from the time I read the synopsis. This didn’t detract from the degree of enjoyment I experienced with the story. I think that’s part of Katherine Center’s magic — the character development is so compelling that the plot is entertaining but doesn’t demand everything from the reader.

This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I think I’m just all in with her. Forever a fan of how she writes a character’s inner monologue.

The author’s note at the end about romance novels, positive anticipate, hope? Just a lovely touch to an already lovely book.

I enjoyed this one. I finished it feeling happy. The delivery of the audio was pleasant and contributed to the overall effect that the story had on the reader.

All the feelings. Every single one. Name an emotion, and I can confirm that I experienced it while reading this book. There is beautiful anticipation built in the story and in the characters (to use the phrase found in the Author’s Notes), and it’s made me so happy and hopeful that I could burst into song! Narrator Patti Murin (Broadway star) sounded exactly as Sadie sounded in my head. That sarcastic, over-reactive, naturally funny tone. Brilliant.