Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

This book is so good. I know that when I pick up a Katherine Center novel I'll be reading/liatening to a good book. She easily became one of my favorite writers.
I like that Katherine Center wrote about face blindness. I'd had never heard of this and it blows my mind that it exists. I'm so glad this book will open peoples eyes to this disability.
I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Hello, Stranger follows Sadie, who is having a rough time of it. She lost her mother, she's living in a teeny apartment, her family is awful, etc. But things can still get worse - as she has a seizure, is almost hit by a car, and then finds out that she needs brain surgery. Yep, this is a rom-com. So, she has the surgery and has a side effect in recovery of face blindness, which is hopefully temporary, but comes at the most inconvenient time possible, as she's a finalist in a portrait painting contest. Portraits kinda need for you to see faces. So, she's struggling. Along the way, she meets and develops an infatuation with her dog's vet. Then, she develops a friendship with the guy in her building that she previously thought was a big grump. All while dodging her evil stepsister and trying to paint a portrait.

This book was a light-hearted and fun romp until right around 70% or so, when I knew that the end was going to be a twist that I predicted but assumed couldn't exist because that would have been too predictable and dumb. But guess what... that as the exact twist. I was disappointed. It's more than just being predictable, the twist is virtually impossible in terms of miscommunication. At best, the major twist could have been a first act mishap. This book had a great deal of potential, but certainly fell flat for me.

The narration was fine and didn't take away from the story. I will say that the voice acting was very rom-com, with female stereotypical whining or voices. I understand that the stepsister was a petty, vindictive person, but I didn't need her voice to sound like a whiny toddler.

I adore Katherine Center's books and Hello Stranger did not disappoint. I appreciated the disability representation and how well romance was put into it.

Katherine Center once again delivers a rom-com with plenty of heart and depth. While the concept of face blindness may seem obscure, Center weaves the story with aplomb, creating empathetic characters you will love.

Sadie Montgomery, a portrait artist, wakes up in the hospital to learn that she needs to have brain surgery. Of courses she’s hesitant as she prepares to enter into an art contest that will change her trajectory
After having the surgery, she ends up with acquired face blindness… Yeah… exactly, a portrait artist that can’t recognize facial details. That sucks… However, her art career won’t be the only thing she’ll have to adjust along the way. And if that wasn’t a lot Sadie also has to deal with grieving the death of her mother, an evil stepmother, evil stepsister, and a dad that seems to be cold and distant. But I wanted a win for Sadie, even though I wasn’t sure if I was team Joe or team Dr. Addison 😉. In the end I was definitely team Sadie!
Overall this was a great audiobook experience, the narrator kept me connected to the characters and invested in the story.

This was a wonderful and heartfelt story with a real message for readers. I did not know face blindness was a medical condition so I learned something new as well.

Katherine Center books are either hit or miss for me, and sadly, this one was a miss. The narration was very good, but I did not like the slow plot. Also - the fatphobic plot point - although resolved, was a real turnoff.

Katherine Center's books are always a delight! I really enjoyed the unique storyline and the complex characters. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. Another Katherine Center book I will recommend to readers.

The narration for this audiobook is really well done. The narrator makes each of the characters very distinctive and the voices fit with the characters well.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The characters were so good. The plot moved along well with several pleasant surprises. I like the way Center tells a story like you’re talking to your best friend. Face blindness has been used in several books,, usually thrillers. So, this was a refreshing take on it. Also, the author’s note at the end was fantastic.

I really enjoy this narrator as well.

I enjoyed this book, but was only able to give it three stars because there was a suicide sub plot that came up in the story a couple of times that I did not think was handled well. It felt thrown in there as another (unnecessary example) that Sadie's stepsister Parker was an awful person, and it I felt it wasn't given the weight that such a topic deserved. It was brushed over in light, airy way to match the tone of the rest of the book, so I'm not sure why it was included. I don't think it was needed to characterize Parker since there were so many other scenes that did that successfully. Besides the stepsister, who never redeemed herself, I did enjoy most of the other characters. The story was cute, if not a little unbelievable that Sadie was so oblivious to Joe's identity. Not my favorite of this author, but The Bodyguard is hard to beat.

Such a sweet RomCom read! I had never heard of facial blindness, and especially enjoyed the authors note at the end.

Loved the characters, especially Sadie - a portrait artist who can no longer see faces after a life-saving surgery. Her struggle to adapt and embrace her “new normal” felt very real and was inspiring.

The RomCom storyline was super cute. There are several good meet-cutes, and I liked the aspect that Sadie has to be attracted to and get to know someone without being able to see their face. I could see where the love triangle was going but the ending was still cute!

Loved the narrator Patti Murin, she did a great job bringing Sadie to life!

Pick this up when you’re in the mood for overcoming obstacles, inspiration, and ultimately a happy ending.

Every since I read The Bodyguard, Katherine Center is an automatic read for me.

Hello Stranger is a complete trainwreck of a life, but in the best and most satisfying way possible. Sadie Montgomery is a struggling portrait artist who gets selected for a portrait competition. But an accident turns into brain surgery, resulting in Sadie becoming face blind. Sadie's life wasn't easy to begin with, but what good is a face blind portrait artist?

Face Blindness is something that I know absolutely nothing about. Katherine Center has created a book that puts you in the shoes of someone struggling with face blindness and what life is like for them. How they struggle, adapt, and can thrive.

This is such a great romance story, but also a success story, though not in the conventional way you think.

I did find the ending to be very predictable and I was basically yelling by the end.

I am a big fan of Katherine Center. I had never heard of face blindness so I was taught quite a bit. That said I didn't enjoy this new title as much as her previous one. It was a solid read though. Patty Murin did a good job as our narrator.

Kathrine Center is definitely becoming a go to author for feel good romance. The author's note at the end of this was so great and I highly recommend reading it.

I really enjoyed the story as a whole, but Sadie the MC, was a bit frustrating. The lack of communication at some points lost this the perfect 5 star for me. I'm just not interested in those type of conflicts.

All in all though: the setting is great, the male MC is adorable, and I love the dog. I had a good time with this and was left with a smile at the end!

I loved this one! The characters are amazing. The storyline is original, slow paced, emotional, hilarious, and interesting, filled with drama, misunderstanding, and miscommunication. The romance is cute, sweet, and heartwarming. The story is told from Sadie's POV. She is such a beautiful and adorable character. I loved to follow her in her journey to love. The supporting characters are great. Patti Murin did an excellent job bringing this story to life. I enjoyed it, and I highly recommend it. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, a Macmillan Audio production, for an honest review.

Completely adorable!!! Was it predictable and was the ending tied up nice and neat with a bow? Of course. However, sometimes I need a good pallet cleanse! I even didn’t mind that there was no ✨spice✨. It was cute enough for me.

I loved this story! It was hopeful, sad, sweet, and romantic. I love that the condition that afflicts Sadie brings about so many positive changes in her life. I also love that Sadie found her voice and speaks up for herself and what she wants; this may have made me cry a couple of times.

Patti Murin did a great job narrating this novel. I love the tone of their voice, it was lovely to listen to.

Hands down, Katherine is one of my favorite authors. She never lets me down and always delivers the best feelings in her stories from the drama and heartbreak to the humor. Also the authors note in this one? All the words I wish I had for the people who struggle with romance books.

This was my favorite Katherine Center to-date! I absolutely loved reading a romcom around face blindness. It was such a unique and informative twist to your usual romance. I loved all of the characters even the pesky ones I wanted to throat punch. My favorite character might have been the emotional suppor pup that kept trying to steal the show.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc. I adored it!