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Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

9 reviews

tiffanyfreads's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

This was a cute little story. Things were predictable and I guessed what happened but it was still a fun read. I do prefer the bodyguard over this but it is still worth checking out if you want a rom com.

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mawest's review

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Hated the introduction because it was too close to home for me right now, BUT I love a love story. I did think I solved it towards the end, but I wanted to keep reading to figure out what happened with Sadie. Also, I appreciated Sue’s strong friendship with Sadie because everyone needs a bestie who will tell it to you straight.

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yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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3.25

Finished reading: September 5th 2023

"We’re all just doing the best we can. We’re all struggling with our struggles. Nobody has the answers. And everybody, deep down, is a little bit lost."

I'm not sure what went wrong here to be honest. I tend to enjoy her work, and I fully expected to love Hello Stranger after reading the blurb. I've read books with a face blindness element before, and it's a topic that has always intrigued me. I fully expected this book to become a new favorite, but somehow I ended up having mixed thoughts instead... This probably mainly has to do with the main character Sadie; there was something about her that simply didn't work for me. She was just too immature and negative, and I was never able to warm up to her completely... In fact, I liked most of the other characters a lot more! There were also too many cliches incorporated if you ask me. The whole evil stepmother and evil stepsister was just taking things a step too far; especially Parker didn't add anything substantial to the story other than annoying the hell out of me. I also saw the big 'twist' coming from a mile away, which was a bit of a disappointment as I kept hoping I was wrong. That said, I can't deny that it was still a very readable story though... And I did fly though it despite those issues.

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kjbranton's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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vj_thompson's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved everything about this book; from the first page to the author’s note. PLEASE read the author’s note. It made me fall more in love with Katherine Center’s books 💕

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Title: Hello Stranger
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: July 11, 2023

I received a complimentary ALC of this book from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Entertaining • Outlandish • Predictable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls in love—not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Hello Stranger was among my most anticipated releases for 2023, yet it was also the one I was the most unsure about. Katherine Center quickly became a favourite after reading Things You Save in a Fire. But I also wasn't a fan of her 2022 release The Bodyguard, which contributed to my apprehension. Regardless, I dove it shortly after publication, and it turned out my gut feeling was right.

To me, this novel reads more like a rom-com intended for film. The evil step-sister side plot felt outlandish. She was just absolutely awful! As a non-violent person, the fact I wanted to punch her in the face throughout the entire thing, speaks to just how terrible of a person she was. There was also a scene of one character appearing to describe a sexual encounter with a plus-size woman in a derogatory manner that was absolutely unnecessary and harmful. It stopped me in my tracks and I just couldn't believe it made it through editing. It's as though the author was going for shock and the silliest things she could come up with. Throughout reading there was a lot of eye-rolling and the execution just felt silly.

It was a quick read, and the premise had so much potential (focusing on what has become Center's go-to protagonist - a young single woman navigating a tragic pivot). Both of the main characters felt genuine and likeable, but as I've mentioned it was everything else that really ruined it for me. The audio narrated by Patti Murin was fine with good pacing and dictation, but again the story just took away from my enjoyment.

I am sad to say Hello Stranger was a dud for me. It along with The Bodyguard require the reader to suspend belief with such outlandish ideas. I am disappointed that Center has moved away from her signature depth, which is what originally made me love her work. It's clear she's going for more of a fun factor and that just jive with me. With that said, I will likely still give her another shot.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the love triangle trope

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"The more good things you look for, the more you find."

"And the idea that anything could just disappear at any moment is something you suddenly understand in a whole new way."

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milesofkiles's review

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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booksbytheglass's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

after reading multiple reviews from friends saying that this was a cute one but not their favorite katherine center, I had low hopes going in this one … but I’m so happy to say that I was wrong!!! 😍🥰🥳

katherine center’s writing style immediately sucks you into the story and gets you so invested in the lives of the characters!! I had no choice but to fall in love with the grieving, quarter life crisis MC sadie 🥹 while yes, she had quite a few annoying qualities, I found myself relating to her in the best and worst ways possible

a human female character??? what a concept!

I went into the plot of this one blind, and I HIGHLY recommend doing so! I had absolutely no idea what the main conflict of the story was going to be, and it was so unique and refreshing and wholesome!! it really gets you thinking, what if my entire life changed tomorrow, how would I live today? IT GOT ME IN MY FEELS A LOT OKAY 🥹🫶🏼

and while there was actually little romance and no spice in this one, I found I didn’t mind at all! it was more about acceptance of oneself and acceptance of a toxic and broken family - and I loved that!

and that OMG moment at the end literally had me bawling - it was a perfect happily ever after for me 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

a huge huge thank you to netgalley and st martin’s press for one of my new favorite katherine center novels in exchange for an honest review!! run to get this one now!!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: chile chardonnay

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cc_shelflove's review

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH! When I tell you that I had ZERO expectations for this novel, that is the truth. Center’s last book, The Bodyguard, was straight trash. We’re just gonna pretend that book isn’t in her catalog, because this book… THIS BOOK!!!!! Wow. I noticed quite a few plot holes throughout but the ending was magnificently glorious. I really did not see it coming at all. This is not a story of strong relationships with others but rather the fact that your relationship with yourself should always come first. Once you reflect, and maybe even start to ask for a little help, things will always get better. I read this early, and I can’t wait for its release so I can talk about it with everyone.

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