Katherine Center gets another 5-star review from me for this one. Not only did I fall in love with the characters, but Patti Murin's audio narration of the story was top notch, as usual. I sure hope Katherine plans to release a book every summer, because after "The Bodyguard" and "Hello Stranger", I can easily say that reading/listening her books has been the highlight of my summers.

What I liked most about this book was that the storyline was a lot different than your typical rom-com, and it was clearly researched. While I've read some reviews saying that the storyline was predictable, I actually felt the opposite. I did guess the "twist" closer to the end, but for much of the storyline, I really didn't have any idea where it was going. Also, as per usual with Ms. Center's novels, I was laughing out loud at some parts.

I look forward to Ms. Center's next book! Hopefully coming out in Summer 2024? **Manifesting**

Thank you very much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to have an ARC of both the book and the audiobook (I did read & listen to the story in both formats and enjoyed them both very much!).

I loved the unique premise of this story. I was intrigued throughout the book. The stepsister bothered me to an irrational extent.

a portrait artist who has a brain surgery that leads to her experiencing face blindness?! 😱 of course chaos ensues in this closed-door romance, and a love triangle seemingly develops, but don’t worry, it all ends up resolving quite easily (remember, she doesn’t recognize faces…) 🫣 it had moments of schitt’s creek vibes, and cinderella evil-step family vibes, and was tame in the romance department, too!

This was my first Katherine Center and I will definitely be going back and reading her backlist. This was a lovely story. The characters were well written, the plot was intriguing (I was so fascinated by Sadie’s face blindness!), and the romance was just right.
Patti Morin was perfection as the narrator. She added just the right amount of humor and snarky to the characters.
Also not to miss is Katherine Center’s authors note. It’s a beautiful wrap up to this novel.

Five huge stars for this gem of a book! This is my first Katherine Center book and it blew my expectations out of the water. The writing is superb, the plot is so unique, and the characters are impeccable. The MC is so real, flaws and all. Joe is *chef's kiss*. The cover of the book alone is stunning. I got all of the feels from this book and will be thinking about it for a long time. The audiobook narration is so comforting. Highly recommend reading this book, particularly in audio format!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC!

This book was SO cute! I really enjoyed this. I had never heard of face blindness, so experiencing this alongside Sadie was interesting. I really enjoyed the various storylines - this is way more than a simple rom-com. The stories between her and her mom, her and her dad, and her and her step-family were just as compelling as the other storyline. I did see the "twist" coming and it made certain scenes even more emotional for the reader.

The audiobook is very well done.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

🧐 my thoughts:
I knew this was going to be a win from me in the first chapter. If you haven’t read a Katherine Center book before, this is a great place for you to start.

👌🏻what i liked:
As always, her books are captivating and relatable. The characters are always well developed and the topics she writes about are well researched. The book moved quickly, and it was extremely enjoyable to listen to.

🙃 what i didn’t like:
Some of the secondary characters could have been a bit more developed to add to the story just that little bit more.

🥰 special thanks
Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center and Macmillan Audio for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed that it was more than a romance, but a story about self-discovery in the face of adversity. Our FMC is so sweet and we root for her the whole time. Overall, I’d give this book 4.25 ⭐️ because I really enjoyed it!

I love audio books. I love them even more when the narrator is a perfect match for the book. Patti Murin did a fantastic job with this novel & her narration helped create an even more enjoyable experience for me. The storyline was engaging and the challenge that the protagonist faces was unique which led to the development of unique storylines. I found this one to be funny & heart-wrenching in equal measure.

Always enjoy a Katherine Center novel and this one was no exception! This one boasts her trademark voice and humor as well as characters you're sure to fall in love with.

Another Katherine Center winner! Why do I love her books so much? She has this tremendous ability to introduce fresh, well-researeched topics into her novels that both interest and entertain the reader. Not only was I captivated by the story of Sadie and Joe, but I could relate to the complicated relationship with her father and extended family. I thought she tackled the issue of face-blindness with grace, dignity, and humor. This book just made me feel good.

The audiobook was extremely well done and enjoyable to listen to. I'll be looking for this narrator in the future. The perfect beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew I was going to love Hello Stranger in the first chapter, when Sadie is singing "I Second That Emotion" in a party dress in the middle of a grocery story. I knew I had found my people. What happens next is completely unexpected, but, in typical Katherine Center fashion, she tells Sadie's story with humor, a little bit of snark, all while still managing to let the complex emotions she's feeling come through. For those of you who have never read/listened to a Katherine Center novel, Hello Stranger is the perfect place to start, and Patty Murin is the perfect narrator for this perfect book!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review!

I'm a long-time devoted fan of this author (as you may know, lol), and I always eagerly anticipate her new releases. I saved this for an airplane read back in January and it really hit the spot! I finished approximately the first 40% on the plane and then binged the rest when I awoke with jetlag the next couple of mornings. I finished this book with copious tears streaming down my face tangled in bedsheets at about 3:45 in the morning on vacation so it's hard to say whether any fatigue contributed to my emotional outburst or whether it was just the way these sweet characters burrowed themselves into my soul. Let's say all of the above.
It did take me a little bit to sink into the pace of this book even though I was fascinated and hooked by the premise of it instantly and loved an initial meet cute at the beginning. The first half sets things up in a unique way with Sadie & her acute prosopagnosia (face perception blindness) - all of the other characters become much more clear as to their significance to the story later on. I really, really love Katherine Center's main female characters with all of their imperfections and thoughts and friendships and Sadie was certainly no exception. As the reader, I had a guess at where the story was going but I also wasn't completely 100% sure so there was no doubt that I was flipping pages quickly seeing how everything would turn out at the end.
This story was full of heart, was a bit reminiscent of a fairy tale scenario (we'll say Cinderella because of the evil stepsister) at times, and it made me smile and cry and laugh and gasp and really what more can you ask for? I am certain this one will be another smash hit for this author this summer. Her writing is my favourite ❤️❤️

Hello Stranger missed the mark for me a bit. The main character irritated me, as did her drama surrounding her family. The dialogue was a bit choppy, and the book just dragged a bit for me.

Sadie Montgomery is finally getting her life together, when the side effects of an illness leave her with face blindness. Can she learn to navigate her life and maybe even find love along the way?

I definitely enjoyed Hello Stranger. For the most part, the characters were well-developed and interesting and the plot kept moving. However, there were some secondary characters that could have been fleshed out a bit more and were mostly caricatures. Still this is a good read overall!

This story 😍

The #BetterThanTherapyBookClub chose this book to read this month because it was a new release and we were ALL excited to read it….and it did not disappoint!

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but it was such a sweet story with a great ending (it was a tad bit predictable but that didn’t make it any less good). This was my first book by Katherine Center, but I will be reading more.

I loved the overcoming of hardships, and the love in this book was just so good. ❤️

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and ALC of this one - it was fantastic!

I have mixed feelings, but I am glad that I read it.

I found Sadie to be a bit unlikeable. She was set up for failure since I don't usually like the struggling career main characters... but she did have some redeeming qualities. I found myself rooting for her and enjoying these awkward meet-cutes. I did really enjoy this strange point of view, it is almost like an unreliable narrator, but more visual.

This book is uplifting and hopeful, maybe not as much of a romance as it was billed to be. I think the promotional materials may be askew on the real meaning of this book. It is a journey, it is heartwarming, and it made me feel things.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

I can’t believe this is only my second book by this author. I absolutely adored The Bodyguard last year and have been wanting to read more by Katherine Center. I definitely will be picking up some of her backlist after reading Hello Stranger.

I blended the ebook and audio together - I think that was a great way to read this story.

Sadie was such a fun and quirky character. It was so interesting following her character. She gets a medical condition after she gets surgery where she is left with face blindness.

She’s also an artist so there’s a challenge with her not being able to tell what’s going on in regards to that. We also get so many side characters, all are enjoyable - except for the evil stepsister.

As much as I loved Sadie, I also adored Sue’s character. She had me giggling at times and I hope we’re able to get her story too 🤞🏼

Also, can we talk about how adorable Peanut is. I loved the love triangle (ish) trope with Peanut’s vet, Dr. Addison, and Sadie’s neighbor, Joe. There is a twist towards the end that was predictable, but it didn’t affect the way I felt after finishing this book.

This is one of those feel-good and heartwarming romances. I have loved what I’ve read by this author and can’t wait to pick up her backlist titles. I have a feeling she’s going to become an auto-buy author when it comes to these fun romances.

If you’re looking for a fun, unique, quirky, swoony, humorous, lighthearted romance with lovable characters… then you might want to pick this one up.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Death Of Parent, Bullying, Medical Content, Gaslighting, Panic Attacks/Disorders, and Grief

I loved this title! My first from Katherine Center! I didn't even see the adorable twist coming! I'm definitely looking forward to Center's future work.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, narrated by Patti Murin.
A light-hearted summer read that hits all the right feels. Katherine Center has a way of making the reader fall in love with her characters. Funny, sad, hopeful, and predictable, this book is a fun way to spend a summer afternoon! Patti Murin's voice brings the book alive!