Katherine Center does it again! I adore her romances: captivating, compelling, heartfelt, authentic, relatable, emotional and most of all hopeful and this one was no different. I was also completely fascinated by the face blindness aspect of the story. Add in some heart-wrenching family drama and this was a top-notch romance. Center has a loyal fan in me and I can’t wait to read more from her. I previously loved The Bodyguard and Things You Save in a Fire. I also always love the bright, gorgeous cover art!

I cannot explain the excitement I felt when I was approved for an advanced audiobook of Hello Stranger through NetGalley. Center's previous book, the Bodyguard was one of my favorites and I thought it would be hard to live up to that. This book did not disappoint - I did not want to stop reading. It's such a fun story with so much depth. You can't help but laugh at Sadie's misfortunes and unfortunate circumstances, but you also feel for her and how unfair life was to her all at once.

As far as the audio, Patti Murin did a fantastic job at bringing Sadie's character to life. I really enjoyed her performance and her ability to not only bring out Sadie's character, but also the whole cast of characters. You really knew which person she was enacting based on how her voice would change. Her voice for Lucinda and Parker sounded so real and you could just picture how uppity their personalities were.

I loved how creative, refreshing, and different this story was. I had never heard of Prosopagnosia before reading this book and seeing how Sadie dealt with this, being that she makes a living by painting portraits, was both heartbreaking and hopeful. It was so rewarding to watch her change, grow, and figure things out little by little. She faced her illness with courage and humor as she bravely navigated the world of faceless strangers.

The book was so hopelessly romantic and swoony; it gave me literal goosebumps at times! Sadie's relationship with two different men whose faces she cannot see is both entertaining and so interesting. The love story is immersive, and you get invested into Sadie's journey; I devoured the story because I had to see what happened in the end. There is a super fun twist, and I absolutely loved how all the pieces of the plot came together so perfectly. Such a satisfying, sweet, hopeful story! Cannot recommend enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for this gifted advanced audiobook of Hello Stranger.

This was excelllently done. Patti took the role of Sadie and made her sound like a friend.

Katherine Center has a way in which she captivates the reader into the story and grabs a hold on them. I have given each of the books that I have read by her 5 stars and this was no exception. Although it is a romance, it is so realistic and and has depth to the plot line that surface romances do not.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is a funny and heartwarming romance that will pull you in. I loved Sadie and Joe and how their relationship bloomed. I found the face-blindness aspect of the plot very interesting and unique. Although I usually get a little frustrated when romances rely heavily on miscommunications as a plot device, I did not mind it in this case. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and Patti Murin is so great as the narrator. She really brings the book and characters to life. Highly recommend!

I couldn’t put Hello Stranger down! I fell in love with The Bodyguard, so when I saw this on netgalley, I hit request so fast. Sadie is a struggling artist about to get her big break, only to have to have an unexpected surgery that leaves her with a case of face blindness. As she struggles to cope, she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison and falls for him, but there’s also her obnoxious neighbor Joe that always seems to show up—and as she juggles love, her career, and her family, she refuses to ask for help, not telling anyone about her struggles, including the face blindness. I loved Sadie so much, she was brave and stubborn and vivacious. There was clearly a lot of research about the face blindness and it was such a unique take on a romance. The writing was sharp and witty and addicting. Sadie’s dog Peanut is a gem, and all the side characters were so well developed and added so much. The family story is as such a strong emotional element, and Sadie just takes on so much. It is so charming and fun and endearing, and the banter was so good! Makes me more excited to keep reading more of Katherine Center’s backlist!

Thank you to @netgalley @katherinecenter and @macmillan.audio for this gifted review copy of Hello Stranger. It’s a love story in all of the best ways. Sadie Montgomery is finally getting somewhere in life when she is chosen as a finalist for a drawing competition. Until tragedy strikes and she ends up having to have brain surgery. She is left with a condition called prosopagnosia; face blindness. A whole new struggle abounds in her professional life as she is a portrait artist while at the same time she falls in love with two men. There is family drama and a scare with her beloved pet, Peanut. Also throw in the fact that she is still grieving the loss of her dead mother. I do not want to give away any of the fun to this novel. But it will say it is well written and a clean, contemporary romance novel. I listened to the audiobook version and i will say the narrator was great and the book was fast paced. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Another heartwarming and wholesome romance novel from Katherine Center. The writing and narration are enjoyable, the female MC is very relatable and funny, and the rest of the character cast has depth and development as well.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publication date: July 11th

I really enjoyed this story! It was reminiscent of How to Walk Away mixed with The Bodyguard, both by this author. It was a women’s fiction story about navigating life when nothing is going your way with a romance thrown in.

This one had several heavy themes and so many things happened to the poor FMC. I enjoyed the plot line of a striving artist with face blindness. The medical aspects of the story at the beginning were a bit long to me, but I understand why she wrote it that way.

I listened to this one via audio and enjoyed the performance! Thank you @macmillanaudio for the advanced listening copy and @stmartinspress for the physical copy.

Perfect for you if you like:
Romance mixed with women’s fiction
*when life gives you lemons*
Story with a medical scare

This story was more fantastic than I suspected. The bodyguard being a 5 star book was not just a fluke. I loved that this was a different story and didn’t follow the basic tropes set forth by romance novels. The narrator.was really good as well. I liked the voices she used. I also like that I learned something through this book(face blindness). 5 stars can’t wait to do a reread when the book is released.

Another spectacular novel from Katherine Center. Once again she has made me fall in love with her characters and her writing. I loved Sadie. I feel like everything bad that could happen to a person hit her in her 30 years. Yet she was still happy and loving and trying to do her best. And Joe- sweet Joe, almost too sweet and helpful Joe. I felt the little bits and pieces we kept learning about him made me want to keep coming back for more. And honestly, I wrote Parker off within 10 seconds of reading about her. But The Kims, we all need this kind of people in our life.

5 huge stars as usual for my Katherine Center books. Read and enjoy this lovely novel, you will not regret it.

The audio was fabulous.

The narrator chosen for this story did a wonderful job bringing the character and story to life.

Story: I found this to be an inspiring story. In this story the main character acquires prosopagnosia (face blindness) weeks before she is to present a new portrait for an art contest. She is learning how to live with it not knowing if it will come back. This story was a reminder to be kinder to people and to see past the looks.

The ending wasn't quite what I expected and I can't decide if that is good or bad. It was interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and McMillian Audio for the ARC.

This book is bonkers, and I absolutely loved every second of it. It's such an original romance with a lot of humor and heart. I loved Sadie and getting to see how she coped with her condition after brain surgery while working on her portrait for a prestigious competition. Were all parts of this story completely believable? Absolutely not. My biggest complaint: Sadie has an actual evil stepsister. Yes, it helped create conflict, but Parker was full on evil in ways that seemed excessive and unnecessary. I also found the plot to be incredibly predictable — but even with all that, I loved this book. I rarely find time to reread books, but this is one I could definitely see myself returning to very soon. If you loved The Bodyguard and/or are interested in unconventional romcoms, this one's for you!

4.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I loved this book. It was such an interesting premise and lots of angst, heartache, and hope. I hated the evil stepsister Parker to the point I almost hope there is a sequel to this story with her having a change of heart, because man, she was vile. Loved Sadie, Joe, and Sue, especially since she was a different sort of best friend. She was wonderful, but also not perfect! She tries to do her best but gets it wrong sometimes, and that’s ok.

If nothing else, please read or listen to the author's note at the end of this story. It is a beautiful tribute to why we read romance, and it is spot on. The “anticipation” of this story was there and wonderful!

I received a free ARC from Netgalley and it did not influence my opinion in any way.

There is just something about Katherine Center’s writing that I adore! It draws me in and makes me not want to stop reading or listening. My heart broke for Sadie so many times during the course of this book. It seemed like nothing was ever going to go her way. Having a seizure and brain surgery was traumatic enough, but not being able to do what she loved and was passionate about was such a blow. I loved her friendship for Joe that becomes more. Her friendship with her sweet pup was another favorite part for me. This was the second time Center made me a little nervous as we neared the ending, but as expected, it was everything and more. I adore Patti Murrin’s narration! I can’t wait to have this book on my shelf.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok this review will be short because I refuse to spoil even an ounce of this amazingness. However, I will say this may be my favorite of the @katherincenter books which is saying a lot because I have loved each and everyone one. The way she writes is filled with such love and hope and also heartbreak. It will make you truly feel (and cringe - at one point I was yelling at Sadie) all of the emotions. And you will learn - because Katherine always does her research and I always learn something new from her books. Also, can we just all agree that Lucinda is the best step mother name ever?

I also can’t not mention how much I loved the author’s note. “Light matters just as much as darkness” - I so agree. The knowledge that when I read a romance novel it will end in a happy ending makes it the perfect escape in a busy stressful world. That cocktail of emotions is what I come back for. And I love the challenge to change the framework that romance novels are “predictable” to rather we can “anticipate” the happy ending. @katherinecenter challenge accepted!

Thank you to @katherinecenter @netgalley and @stmartins for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc. Words can’t begin to describe how much I loved this. The story is swoon worthy, the writing is amazing and the characters are beyond captivating. While a little predictable, Hello Stranger had me at the edge of my seat. I’m usually not a big of the miscommunication trope but it really worked so well in this and there was a valid reason for the communication issues that brought everything together. I loved everything about this story. The narrators were incredible and I really felt immersed in this world. 10/10 would recommend for anyone looking for a cutesy love story.

I loved almost everything about this unique story. The characters, the setting, the romance, the pets... if I could change one thing, it'd be to entirely remove her step-sister's character. I don't think it added anything to the story and she was incredibly one-dimensional. I was so annoyed by her character, if the rest of the book wasn't so good, I would've stopped reading.

Aside from that, I appreciate all the research Katherine seemed to do to accurately portray the medical diagnosis that the heroine had. It sounded like she was able to find a sensitivity reader as well, but of course, I can't speak for the representation myself since I don't have that particular lived experience. I do, however, have experience with neurological issues and vision issues, and I definitely related to how disorienting it is when something like that happens as a sudden onset.

It's so easy to be optimistic and hopeful when everything is going your way. Sadie is a struggling artist who wants so badly to believe that life is on her side - despite the fact that the she is continually being presented with reasons to doubt this. Who she is today is a culmination of her past and the craziest circumstances of her present and through it all she is unapologetically human and so relatable in her beautifully chaotic life. Sadie clings to that hope for a happy ending in all facets of her world; her professional life as a portrait artist, her love life, and her longing for the family that she lost when she lost her mother.
The narrator, Patti Murin, brings Sadie to life in a way that makes you feel like you've just spent the best weekend catching up with your best girlfriend as she takes you along on this funny, heartbreaking and hopeful story. You will be cheering for Sadie and keeping your fingers crossed till the sweet surprise waiting for you at the end.

Overall, I liked this I didn’t LOVE it.

What I did like:
-The overall message about confirmation bias and seeing beyond face value of people
-I thought the way all the characters were connected was neat, I didn’t see some of it coming
-learning about face blindness! That was super cool!

Things I didn’t like:
-the dog’s eating habits. Very cringe to me.
-I did not like the stepsister AT ALL. I didn’t like how she was involved in the story and it all was mean for no reason.
-the fat shaming. Don’t get me started on the horrible miscommunication trope. Just not a good time.

*Listened to on audiobook

Oh. My. Goodness! I LOVED this book so very much. I have already recommended it to everyone I know. I started recommending it before I was even a quarter of the way through. I think this is a great way to introduce people to prosopagnosia, a condition which Brad Pitt said he had in a recent article, and how it can be overcome, even in a severe case. When I tell people about this book, they have not heard of this disorder and are shocked. It is strange because when I first heard of it several years ago, I heard it on a TV show, then twice more, one was another TV show. It was just so strange. This will be a great beach read for sure! I honestly do not have the words to put into how much I love this book. I will not be able to stop talking about it. Also, before I forget, I loved the author providing the definition of prosopagnosia and the different types. Such great information. Now, what are you waiting for? Everyone! Go out and buy this book!

Thank you so very much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.