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?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This was so freaking cute. I've only read a few books by Katherine Center, but I enjoyed them all.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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!

I made a slight tactical error in listening to Hello Stranger. As I often do, I listened to the book after previously reading it. However, because I enjoyed reading the story so much I started listening immediately after finishing the book. Do I recommend doing that with this story? No, I do not. Since the story was so fresh in my mind it completely changed the way I listened to the story unfold.

We meet Sadie Montgomery just as she’s been notified she’d placed in the top ten of a prestigious portrait painting competition, which has extra special significance because her mother once placed in the same competition shortly before her untimely death. But on the way to celebrate, Sadie has a seizure which ultimately reveals a need for brain surgery. Once she wakes up in the hospital, she discovers she can no longer see people’s faces. Which is a big problem since she has just six weeks to paint a portrait that will win the competition and jumpstart her currently limping career.

As per usual Katherine Center, Hello Stranger is lighter on the romance - this is more a story of Sadie navigating a discouraging life as a struggling artist than one of finding love in the midst of an even more challenging part of her life. Within this charming story you’ll find a quirky best friend, found family (since her real family is mostly trash), and of course a cinnamon roll of a hero. Also, a plot twist I didn’t see coming (but with as much as I read I really should have…). I feel like the evil step-sister’s antics were a little over the top, but the rest of the story was utterly delightful.

This is my favorite Katherine Center book yet. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but also heartbreak that ended with hope. And those are the best kinds of books. Did I still enjoy the audiobook even though I knew how the story would shake out? Absolutely. Patti Murin is a fantastic narrator.

This book was all kinds of mixed up, but in a good way!

Just when Sadie was close to her big break with the upcoming art show portrait contest, wham, she needed brain surgery. And the bad luck didn't stop there, the surgery caused her to be face blind. How in the world can she paint a portrait when facial features are all mixed up.

This book checked a lot of drama boxes. A spiral of unfortunate events, check. A crazy family including a sabotaging step sister, check. Last but not least, a bunch of misunderstandings with her neighbor and love interest Joe.

After all the drama near the end, Sadie finally started putting the dots together and realized how many assumptions she had been making about a lot of people due to the face blindness. The romantic confusion was quite a doozy.

This book is fairly light, fun, and is just wacky enough to really draw you in to want more! Bonus points for the audiobook version adding to the fun@

Thank you to MacMillan Audio
and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.

I absolutely love Patti Murin’s narration in any book, and she did a wonderful job bringing Hello Stranger to life!

I always love all of Katherine Center’s books because they remind us that no matter how dark life can get, there is hope. I love how Katherine weaves each of her character’s struggles in a swoony, romantic plot full of joy! Her books truly are as fun and joyful as her covers imply, and Hello Stranger was no exception!

My favorite way to consume books is by reading the physical copy while listening to the audio which is how I consumed Hello Stranger. The narrator did an excellent job. There are no frills (one narrator who uses slightly separate voices to distinguish characters during dialogue) but the reading was clear, emotional, and told the story well. The premise engaged me immediately and kept me interested; I finished the book in just a few sittings. I loved the characters and felt quite a connection to Sadie who lost her mom as a teenager. I was so excited to dive into it because I have a few Katherine Center books aside from this one. I have to admit that I predicted what would happen in this book which almost made me rate it 3 stars but I realized I was being pretentious. 😂 Ultimately, I decided figuring out what happens in a romance book and my prediction doesn’t make me a detective. 😂 And I love the way the conclusion comes together so flawlessly at the end, and the author’s note inspired me to head to the internet to take a Face Blindness test, which to me is always a plus! If a book pushed me to learn more about its main topic, I feel it’s done quite a job. I’ll definitely read more Katherine Center.

Things I adored:

🧬 Learning about a new disorder
🎨 Artist MFC
🐾 The dog!!!
🥼 The dreamy Vet
🥰 Sweet and Clean
📝 Author's Note

"Maybe it was more about the adjustment than anything. The before and afterness. The fact that the world–my world–was changed in ways that I never even imagined before all this happened."

"In a way there were no strangers. She loved her face blindness. She felt like it brought her out of her shell. She wholeheartedly believed it was a gift. Huh."

I really loved learning about Face Blindness in this sweet story! It was so unique to see a disorder such as this explored in a rom-com and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved seeing a portrait artist have to find new mays to cope and adjust to her "new normal." I especially appreciated how this new perspective was applied to every day life.

What surprised me most is that my favorite part may have been the author's note at the end. I sincerely hope it gets published by itself as a blog article or something. It was POWERFUL! I highlighted so many quotes that I will keep with me. It was definitely one of the best author's notes I have ever read/listened to. Because romance stories are so much more than what we give them credit for. They provide so much in our lives and they are powerful. They give us hope and what could be greater in life. They allow us to escape and gain new perspectives in a safe space. And it isn't acknowledged enough. So THANK YOU for that gorgeous note at the end! I absolutely loved it! And I truly hope everyone will take time to read/listen to it at the end! Such a beautiful ending!

Content warning: Not really any warnings. This is a sweet romance. The medical details are very mild.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, author, and narrator for an advanced copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own.

"We're all so steeped in our own confirmation bias. We're all so busy seeing what we expect to see. But we have our moments too. Moments when we see that tire blow out. Moments when we pay for the person behind us in the drive-thru, or offer up our seat to a stranger, or compliment someone's earrings, or realize we were wrong, or apologize. Sometimes we really are the best versions of ourselves. I see that about us. And I'm determined to keep seeing that about us. Because that might be the truest thing I'll know. The more good things you look for, the more you'll find."

This book was nothing short of incredible. I cannot stop thinking about it and I read it months ago at this point. I’ve always loved Katherine Center’s books – and I refuse to pick a favorite because they’re ALL just THAT good, but this book left me without words.

Sadie creates portraits for a living… at least until a routine procedure leads her to being diagnosed with temporary face blindness. Suddenly everything she took for granted is infinitely more difficult and no one seems to be who she thinks they are.

While I 100% predicted the ending of this book, I was amazed throughout. I loved the significance of the title – especially after going into this book blind (no pun intended), and each step of Sadie’s journey just pulled me in deeper. I couldn’t put it down, and better yet, I didn’t want to.

This book is so much more than a romcom – although I can promise you’ll both laugh and swoon. It’s heartbreaking, healing, and all-around enlightening, too. If you haven’t read a Katherine Center book yet, stop putting it off and get started, because I promise you you’ll want to buy her entire backlist once you get started.

And the audio was INCREDIBLE!

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? Katherine Center manages to create stories that remind me of what it means to be a human at the most basic level. And that's my favorite thing about her writing! She's not "just a romance author"... she's fundamentally epic at writing human beings in general.

This story tells a tale where love really is blind. Face blind at least. In lay terms, Sadie had an irregular blood vessel in her brain, which caused her to collapse... in traffic, in front of a really handsome man... The surgery to repair this blood vessel caused her to wake up with face blindness. The rest of the story is Sadie trying to find ways to live her life as normally as possible. She finds associations to match people to who they are, and its really quite fascinating. The romance was just a complete bonus. I mean, how does she choose between a modelesque veterinarian and her downstairs neighbor who she thought was a sleazy (but very helpful) petsitter? Seriously, just read this! It's amazing!

I'm so happy to have found a new-to-me author, Katherine Center. I read her last release, The Bodyguard, last year and knew she was going to be a new favorite. When I had the chance to read/listen to her newest release, Hello Stranger, I jumped at the opportunity, and I'm so glad I did.
Once again, I was entertained, I loved the characters (aside from the evil stepsister), I rooted for Sadie to get her life back on track and to get her happily-ever-after. I'd heard of face-blindness and knew a bit about it, but definitely learned a lot more about it than I'd known previously. Patti Murin's narration of the audiobook was excellent. And don't miss the author's notes at the end, both the notes about prosopagnosia (face-blindness) and the Author's Note about how she became a romance reader and writer. I can't say it any better than she said in her notes: “This love story really created fantastic anticipation.” I loved it!
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Center's books are always like a dramatic big hug. Something devastating is bound to happen...in this case...Sadie wakes up after an unexpected surgery and can't recognize faces. But the whole story has you anticipating the warm, cozy hug that will inevitably be the ending.

Great, easy-to-listen-to narration! Family drama, best friends, mistaken identity, love.

Hello Stranger felt more in line with the romcom subgenre. It was cutesy and made me smile.

4 stars simply because I personally loved the feel of How to Walk Away and Things You Save In a Fire more.

Was this unbelievably cheesy? Yes. Were the twists guessable? Yes. Did I eat it up? Yes!!! The way the ending all came together, even if you saw it coming from a mile away, was so worth everything. I am so glad I could tandem read this Book of the Month book and NetGalley audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC!