4.5 stars: I really enjoy Katherine Center's writing and Hello Stranger is another great story. Sadie Montogmery is a struggling artist, but continues to paint portraits to keep a roof over her head, such as it is. She had earned a spot in a portrait painting competition, but her efforts get derailed. Sadie had to have brain surgery and it caused an area of her brain to swell. It is the area that assists in facial recognition and Sadie ends up with prosopagnosia, better known as face blindness. Not only is she unable to paint portraits, but she doesn't recognize people she sees on a regular basis. Although she is confused, trying to hide her problems and somewhat depressed, she meets two men that make a big impact on her life. The first is her new veterinarian, who saves her geriatric dog, and the second is Joe, the gigolo in her building that wears a vintage bowling jacket. She is not impressed with Joe initially, but as she gets to know him, she realizes that he is actually a nice guy who is dealing with problems of his own. When Dr. Addison stands her up when they make a date, she realized that she has strong feelings for Joe. Will her sight be restored when the swelling subsides? Which man will she choose?

Sadie was a frustrating character. She wants to stand on her own two feet, but she has a lot of people who care about her and she won't accept help from anyone. She keeps her secret about her face blindness, even when she puts her foot in her mouth more than once. Having said all that, I liked that she was a strong, independent woman. I absolutely loved Joe! He was such a good person, almost too good to be true. He was so kind and helpful to Sadie that she eventually thawed where he was concerned. The secondary characters were well drawn, and as the story progressed, even her father became a better person. The only person that I truly disliked from beginning to end is her step-sister, who made her life miserable from the time she moved in with them to the present. She was a bully and just downright mean! Although the story is a bit over the top, Katherine Center explains about her research into this condition and some of the issues that go with it. I enjoyed this story, the friendship, the condition Sadie was dealing with and especially Joe. Another winner by one of my must read authors. I did a read/listen with this book and enjoyed both formats. The audiobook was narrated by Patti Murin, a new narrator to me. I enjoyed her performance and thought she did a great job with the voices, pacing and expression. I recommend this book in whichever format you prefer.

I loved this book! The idea of being face blind is such an original idea that I have never read about before. I love that we had characters we rooted for and characters that I am pretty sure anyone who reads this book will hate. The did not see some of the twists coming until the end and I really enjoyed how the author reaveled them and explained it all. Plus I love a good epilogue. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone!

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

What a sweet and wholesome book! There is nothing like a romance novel that isn’t only centered on love but also on the development and maturation of the main character. This book delivers on that through such a unique way! It’s a quirky love story centered on redemption, second chances, and friends that are family. The audiobook was also so well narrated and kept me engaged the whole time.

I adored the book but also the author’s note at the end had me in my feels about why romance books rock. Center writes that romance books sometimes get put down for being too “predictable”; she flips the narrative and emphasizes how they create a sense of hopeful anticipation. You know that romance novels are going to have a redemptive happy ending every time. It doesn’t mean they’re predictable, but it does mean they’re full of hope. Of course they’re fun to read - because in the craziness and stress of life, what better way to spend your commute and free time than by feeling positively hopeful. Sometimes you just need a mood booster and romance has and always will be that for me. Thank you Katherine for putting these feelings into words for readers who love books like yours!

Audio Note: The audio is very well done, no complaints there! After listening to The Bodyguard last year and having a great experience with that, I was not surprised that this was just as good in the format. It’s a single narrator because of the single perspective, but Patti Muran is a solid performer. It’s a quieter, emotional story, so the format worked well. If I had been more interested in the story itself, then I imagine I would’ve had an excellent audio experience.

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Lots of readers seem to be loving this one (and that’s great!), but I would’ve abandoned ship pretty quickly had I not received an early copy. It was clear from the start that this simply wasn’t going to be a good fit for me. Our heroine is pretty self-involved and there’s a LOT of medical details at the start, so it felt more like women’s fiction than romance to me, and not particularly enjoyable women’s fiction at that. Add in the love triangle and the continued emphasis on the face blindness, and I just wasn’t into it. I solidly read/listened to the first third, then found myself doing a lot of skimming after that.

The story follows Sadie, a portrait artist on a deadline. She’s in the running to win a major competition, and that means she needs to complete a masterpiece as soon as possible. Unfortunately, a fluke accident revealed that Sadie needs brain surgery, and that was definitely not part of the plan. When the surgery leaves Sadie with (hopefully temporary) face blindness, it complicates things even further. Not only does her job revolve around literally painting every detail of faces, but interacting with people just became a whole lot more complicated. As Sadie navigates the situation, she spends time with two very different men, and she’s forced to re-evaluate parts of her life.

Conceptually, this was very interesting. Face blindness is not something I’ve read about before, especially in romance. I liked the tension and drama that added to the story, for sure. Unfortunately, I did not really like Sadie as a character, and the whole book revolves around her. She was needlessly stubborn and refused to acknowledge her situation with others, which made things a lot messier than they needed to be. Sadie also didn’t take the time to get to know her guys, which made her feel selfish and made the romance feel super shallow. I’m not a fan of love triangles to begin with, and having one be so surface level was not great. I also found the medical stuff at the beginning to be too much – too detailed and too long. So, I can’t say that it was a quality issue, necessarily, but there were several things that drove me kinda crazy. I can see why this is appealing to so many readers, but it was a miss for me.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

It was an interesting love story complete with some learning about a rare cognitive disorder, prosopagnosia.

After an accident, the main character Sadie, a successful artist, loses her ability to recognize faces. As she navigates how this changes her artwork, she also struggles with her aging dog Peanut and the people coming and going from her apartment complex. She met some cute guys, interacted with her difficult-at-best stepsister, and navigated some interesting family dynamics.

Although the plot was predictable and somewhat farfetched, it was cute and kept me interested until the end.

Uplifting and charming! Sadie is a struggling portrait artist who has surgery resulting in face blindness, which she hopes will be temporary. Faces have become jumbled and distorted just when she has the opportunity to compete in a prestigious portrait competition. While her artistic career is in crisis, she meets two different men that each offer what she needs. But can she "see" who people really are? Clever plot use of face blindness and confirmation bias!

I listened to the audio, which captured the sarcasm of the step sister and the inner thoughts of Sadie to perfection.

Once again, Katherine Center has failed to disappoint. This was an adorable, romantic story about finding ways to adapt push through during tough times. The love interest, Joe, was just perfect. He was the definition of a wonderful cinnamon roll hero.

My only real issue with this book is that it took me some time to get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop listening!

I’ll definitely be recommending this audiobook to friends and peers!

This book was so quirky and such a fun read/listen. I felt a little bad for Sadie because it felt like everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Having a seizure in the middle of the street, almost getting into an accident, needing brain surgery, and then as a side effect, having temporary face-blindness, a condition where she can't even recognize faces. The irony, of course, is that she's a portrait artist and has a deadline for a major competition.

I loved the storyline of her cultivating new relationships while having face-blindness, and also figuring out her old relationships (Parker, Lucinda, and her father). I also really really loved her found family, the Kims, and how supportive they are of her. The "plot twists" were a little predictable - I had a feeling that Joe and Dr. were the same person, and was also waiting to see how the man in the beginning of the story who bought her the wine and flowers was going to fit in to the story. But I love that the story leaned less on the romance, and focused more on Sadie's growth and development as a person.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book! It was the perfect rom com for me. I hate romance books that are corny and make me roll my eyes. This book had just enough “tough stuff” to give it some great depth. The story line was fun and easy to follow. I was rooting for the MC the whole time and loved her dog! I did see the twist coming but loved how it unfolded. This was a heartwarming story and I would recommend it to anyone! This was my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more.

The representation>>> the story>>> the characters>>>

Love this book!!!!
I absolutely love everything Katherine writes💕🤩🥰✨

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

If there is one thing about me that you should know is that I’m a Katherine Center reader. Katherine Center has a way of writing books that feel like Hallmark movies. That’s exactly how this book felt while reading it. This book follows Sadie a portrait artist that has just become a finalist in her first ever completion. This is the perfect way she can prove to her father that she can be successful. Due to a sudden medical issue, she has to get surgery. A simple surgery that shouldn’t affect her daily life until it does, when she can’t recognize anyone's faces. Making her odds to win the portrait competition impossible. To make matters worst her soulmate aka her dog Peanut gets sick. Rushing to the vet's office she meets Doctor Oliver, and even though she can't see her face she knows he's handsome. Things get complicated when she starts to get close to her Playboy neighbor. Then again not all things are what they seem especially when you can't see clearly.

Was this book predictable? Well yes. But was it laugh-out-loud funny? YES. There were some many times while reading, that I was tearing up from crying so much. I especially loved the scenes in which she was at the vet's office bringing her dog his favorite meals.

Another thing that I adore about Katherine Center's book is that it's not all about romance. Sadie at the start of the novel doesn't stand up for herself. Hell, even her friend Sue doesn't respect her boundary. I enjoyed later in the book where Sadie starts to believe in herself. Even though the scenes in which she is being bullied are hard to read because you just want her to stand up for herself.

Now this book isn't spicy but is sweet. I love her relationship with one of the characters. Although I do want to say that there is a bit of a plothole in this novel that will have you shaking your head. But if you enjoy sweet romances and don't mind a predictable plotline, this book is for you.

A special thanks to Netgalley and St Martin Press for allowing us to read this book early for an honest review. We also received this book as an audiobook too! The audiobook was such a great listen as the narrator has a voice that brings you right into the book.

What an incredible summer read! If you are looking for a lighthearted, highly entertaining novel, this is it. You will truly be swept away...laughter, tears, and all! Just read it!

I liked (not loved) this contemporary romance for a couple of reasons:

- I began with reasonable expectations after hearing it wasn't as enjoyable as The Bodyguard, Ms. Center's previous novel
- I listened to the audiobook narrated by Patti Murin who eased some of the awkward dialog

This book requires considerable suspension of disbelief. After undergoing brain surgery, Sadie develops prosopagnosia (face blindness). Beyond the obvious challenges, she's a portrait artist in the biggest competition of her career. But no worries - she plans to feature her best friend in her contest entry ... until her friend is suddenly unavailable. How can Sadie paint a portrait of another subject when everyone's face looks like jumbled puzzle pieces?

Plus, she's developing feelings for two different men - Joe, her helpful neighbor, and Dr. Addison, her dog's new hot veterinarian. Just when she decides which she has true feelings for, he ghosts her. Below the main story is a deeper plot of Sadie mourning a deeply personal loss and dealing with its consequences.

Overall, it was challenging to take this story seriously. There's a fair amount of physical humor (pratfalls, etc.), and a coincidence involving a minor character was unnecessary and ridiculous. I appreciated that dialog near the end acknowledges some obvious coincidences in the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the advanced listening copy; all thoughts are my own.

Sadie has found out that she has to have brain surgery. Her mother has died, and it seems to be genetic, so there is no choice of waiting to get the procedure done
After Sadie gets the procedure done, she realizes that her ability to see faces has been altered. She suddenly now has face blindness. Doctors are sure when the side effects will reverse back to Sadie being able to see normal again
Sadie is crushing on Dr. Addison after he saves her dog one day. But Dr. Addison stands her up for a date. So he's definitely not the one
Joe is some smuck that lives in her apartment building that she meets in an elevator. And thou not Sadie's type, the more time she spends with Joe, Sadie finds herself thinking he may just be the one after all

Let me start this review with saying that Katherine Center’s books spell summer to me ! I love reading these wonderful romance stories. It's a love story in all of the best ways:
Sadie Montgomery, the female MC, had a tough time growing up, her mom died, her father buried himself in his job and his quick new marriage. Twelve years later the loss is still palpable for Sadie, she is emulating her mother’s life down to continuing her artwork and wearing some of her clothes - estranged from her father she lives in her studio with her dog. But things are finally looking up - she is chosen as a finalist for a drawing competition (a competition where, of course, her mother also reached the finalist stage). But in a mirror image of her mother‘s life with a fat better outcome, tragedy strikes and she ends up having to have brain surgery. She is left with a condition called prosopagnosia; face blindness. Obviously one of the worst conditions a portrait artist trying to draw the portrait for the final round in a competition can have. Adding to the stress is that she is slowly but surely falling for two men, her dog’s new and extremely capable veterinarian and her helpful neighbor. There is family drama, with a hilariously evil stepsister and a scare with her beloved pet, Peanut. This book lays heavy on the miscommunication trope and is it realistic, taken to this extreme maybe not but maybe realism isn’t why we read romcoms, it‘s the predictability and the heartwarming plot. The book is extremely well written and I loved the author’s not on prosopagnosia after seeing it in at least two thrillers before seeing it here in a romcom this was the first book that gave me access to the research and the realities on what our brain can or can not do. I switched between the ebook and the audiobook version and the narrator was great as well.

I found this book to be so unique, and I think that's hard in the world of romance.
Our main character, Sadie, has something called Prosopagnosia, aka acquired "Face
Blindness" (which is a real thing). And as a portrait artist having face blindness is devastating.
I absolutely loved everything about the characters, the writing, and a few little twist and turns that Katherine Center put into this story.
The audible narrator, Patti Murin, brought these unique characters to life and made me love this than when I read the book.

Hello Stranger is my first experience reading (listening) to a book by Katherine Center, and oh my goodness was this a fabulous introduction to this author!

Sadie wakes up from brain surgery with a slight problem - she can no longer see faces. Well, she can see them, they’re just scrambled and her brain cannot put the pieces in their right spots.

Bigger problem - Sadie is a portrait artist.

I didn’t know much about prosopagnosia, or face blindness, before reading this book, but I feel like reading in Sadie’s POV really made me understand the disorienting nature of the disease. Especially when Sadie is in group settings - or when she’s at a party.

The chemistry between all of the characters was fantastic and had me swooning and laughing and falling in love with them all. The storyline was a little predictable - but isn’t that what we love about romcoms? That said, the story and subject was unique.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator, Patti Murin, was one of the best!

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for the ALC!

Why did I wait so long to start this?
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This was so freaking cute. I've only read a few books by Katherine Center, but I enjoyed them all.
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The face blindness threw me off and I was worried it would get annoying. But not at all. The reasoning behind it was completely believable and accurate, and you can tell KC did her research.
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Sadie is an adorable character I loved from page one. Her family dynamics really bothered me and how horrible her stepsister was. Like seriously people. Why did she get away with so much damage? Anywho... I liked how it wasn't just about her face blindness and overcoming it to attend the art show. I loved how it showed her grow as a person and explain how you don't always have to see things to understand them.
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I chuckled a lot and loved the humor between Sadie and Joe. I normally hate closed door romance, but this was done well and I didn’t mind the low steam. This read really fast and I alternated between audio and ebook. The narrator was amazing!
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Thank you so much for the ARC @netgalley @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio.

I’m already a HUGE Catherine Center fan and each of her books more strongly cements the feelings of admiration and adoration that I have for her writing! She has the greatest characters, and the cast of Hello Stranger is among my favorites!! I’m a sucker for all animals so Peanuts was my fave lol. I appreciate how I was able to learn something new (all the info on facial blindness) as the cherry of top of a sweet love story. Okay, yeah, it was a touch predictable – but the payoff was sooooo worth it 😉 Phenomenal narrarotor - Patti Murin (one of my new favorites!)
A digital copy of this book was supplied by St. Martins Press, NetGalley, and author Katherine Center for the DRC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Stranger is an enthralling audiobook that captivated me from start to finish. The narrator's voice was engaging and brought the characters to life, making it easy to get lost in the story. The plot was well-crafted, combining romance and humility in a seamless manner. I found myself eagerly anticipating each chapter, as the chemistry between the main characters kept me hooked. It was so original too…the subject manner like nothing I have read before, which made it so special and hard to put down!!! Whether you're a fan of romance or just looking for a captivating listen, Hello Stranger is a must-add to your audiobook collection. Highly recommended!