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!

In true Katherine Center fashion, she attacks tough topics head on. I had never heard of the brain doing this before, so it was interesting to read about it, and how people see the "lack" of faces.

The story was great, characters so likeable, and the humor of things added so much. I will recommend this to others for sure.

To start, I have enjoyed reading most of Center’s books, especially last year’s The Bodyguard, but Hello, Stranger just was worthy of a 5 star rating. The storyline is unique as the reader learns of neurological condition called prosopagnosia (face blindness) which was brought on by cavernoma in her brain. Although this is horrible for anyone, Sadie is especially effected by this issue as she is a portrait painter causing her to not complete a portrait that has been submitted into a highly prestigious portrait competition. Besides Sadie having a difficult family, Sadie has difficulty asking for help. After a few unfortunate situations, Sadie finds herself in a love triangle between the helpful neighbor, Joe and the strikingly handsome veterinarian, who saved her dog Peanut’s life. She must ask both of them for help, and she falls for both of them, but she cannot not identify either of their faces.

The premise is inspiring as we should look within before judging someone by their face alone, and the parts of the story are heartwarming and funny. I would recommend reading this one if you feel good story with a little love triangle and a little steam.

Thank you Libro.fm for the advanced copy audiobook and Netgalley for the advanced copy eBook. And a special Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review the book.

Katherine Center did it again. She created a wonderful read that I couldn't put down! The slight twist at the end definitely got me and I quite enjoyed it!

This was such a feel good romance. Sadie was funny and wonderful. I was rooting for her from the start. Joe was such a cinnamon roll. I loved the side characters too. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

“The more good things you look for the more you find” This is the perfect summer read. I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC.

I normally like Katherine Center’s book, but I have to say that I did not like Hello Stranger. I could not suspend my disbelief enough that Sadie didn’t know the vet and her neighbor were the same person. It was too drawn out and became very frustrating as a reader/listener. I did like the narrator, but ultimately not the story.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

I love authors who add characteristics/hurdles/struggles…whatever you want to call them…that we don’t often see being focused on in novels. Center does this with her stories, and it’s one of the many reasons she is one of my favorite authors.

Did you know that some people have face blindness, also known as prosopagnosia? I had no idea! The main symptom is having difficulty recognizing faces, even those you see on a daily basis. This was fascinating for me to learn about, so thank you to Katherine for teaching me something new.

Aside from that aspect of the novel, I loved the love story between Sadie and Joe. Falling in love with someone for who they are instead of their looks will always be 🙌🏼 for me. It didn’t hurt that Joe was handsome though 😂

This was a heart warming and wholesome book that made me laugh and cry. I really can’t ask for more than that with a romance novel.

I recommend this as a fun summer read 💜

Unfortunately, “Hello Stranger”' turned out to be a disappointing read for me. While the initial premise seemed promising the execution left much to be desired. The narrative took a nosedive early on with a fatphobic conversation that felt entirely unnecessary and marred the reading experience. Moreover, the introduction of Joe, the love interest, left me perplexed, as his character lacked depth and came off as too perfect for the story's context.

One of my major issues was the portrayal of female characters in the book. Sadie's best friend, Sue, who was supposed to be a supportive figure, seemed ignorant about Sadie's condition of face blindness, which was frustrating. Additionally, the inclusion of a Cinderella-esque evil stepmom and stepsister subplot felt forced and out of place in a contemporary romance. These characters' actions were too juvenile for their age, making it difficult to relate to their motives.

The romance element, which should have been the heart of the story, was lackluster and lacking in emotional depth. It felt rushed, and the relationship between Sadie and Joe lacked genuine chemistry. The author could have explored more of Sadie's grief and reconciliation with her father, which would have added depth to the overall narrative.

The writing style was another letdown, with a plethora of unnecessary descriptions and tangents that made the story feel disjointed and preachy. The plot's progression was slow, and certain scenes felt manufactured rather than organic.

Overall, “Hello Stranger”' fell short of my expectations. It required too much suspension of disbelief to fully immerse myself in the story, and the lack of character development and genuine emotions left me disconnected from the narrative. While I've enjoyed other works by the author, this one missed the mark for me, both in terms of storytelling and character portrayal. I didn’t like “The Bodyguard” and I didn’t like this one. I don’t think I will be reading this author again.

This book was very interesting! It’s my first Center book but I enjoyed the writing style and the story.

The romance was cute and quirky. The story line was unique. I enjoyed the book!

Face blindness was so interesting to learn about. I will pick up more from this author!

Is there anything that Center writes that we don't love?! I loved this book so much that I ordered a copy for my bookshelf. Her stories are cute and I love the closed door romance. The plot was just perfect and I urge you all to make it part of your summer read, Her happily ever afters are truly so heartwarming. I thought the bodyguard was my favorite book, but this book surpasses that!