Hello Stranger

A Novel

By: Katherine Center

Narrated by: Patti Murin

The glorious new novel from the beloved author whose bright, hopelessly romantic New York Times bestsellers have been called “My perfect 10 of a book” (Emily Henry) and cheered for their “speedy pacing and sexual tension for miles” (People).

"Patti Murin offers a fun, vivacious performance of this lively romance...with steady pacing and a believable narration, this romance will charm listeners." —AudioFile

“Patti Murin narrates the struggling yet still optimistic Sadie while respectfully acknowledging the hurt and confusion that her condition has caused. Murin’s lively performance and varied character voices make for an engaging and fun listen.”- Library Journal

This program includes an author's note and supplementary materials read by the author.

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

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.

Making judgment calls on anything right now is a nightmare. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to have it all.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Critic reviews

"This charming, heartfelt romantic comedy has a well-told, unique storyline, and Sadie’s prosopagnosia feels deftly explained, explored, and treated with respect. There’s chemistry between the protagonists with a slow-burn relationship, but there’s also a focus on Sadie’s mental and emotional growth, as well as her artistic frustrations and problem-solving methods. Readers who enjoy Jenny Colgan and Susan Mallery will love this engaging, well-written romance from Center (The Bodyguard)." --Library Journal

"With a thoroughly modern millennial heroine at the helm, this emotional contemporary from Center (The Bodyguard) tugs on the heartstrings and grabs attention. Portrait artist Sadie Montgomery, 28, may finally get her big break when she’s selected to enter a prestigious competition. Unfortunately, the contest coincides with a minor medical procedure that turns into emergency brain surgery, and the recovery process leaves her unable to make sense of human faces. Though warned by her neuropsychiatrist that her (possibly) temporary face blindness may make her interpret her other senses incorrectly, Sadie works to get her painting back on track with the support of her best friend, Sue, and her neighbor, Joe, who she can only recognize from the bowling jacket he wears all the time. She also tries dating her hunky veterinarian, Dr. Addison, hoping a relationship will help her settle back into normal. But is she seeing the whole picture? Center takes Sadie’s life seriously and her struggles with adulting resonate even before her face blindness sets in. Meanwhile, a dash of humor and an endearing love story make the pages fly. Readers will be hooked." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Fortunately, the narrator believes in Sadie's potential for positivity and builds up the character from chapter one. Making it a part of the artist's somewhat infantile charm, Murin does not distance herself from Sadie's resentments and brings her quirky, self-pitying humor to high shine."- Booklist

Loved this!

I really liked this books for many reasons. Although some difficult things happened, there was a positive, hopeful vibe. I hate to give away the ending, so I’ll keep this short. I recommend this book because it was a fun read with hardly any objectionable content. It also gave you several things to stop, think about and appreciate.

Loved this Fascinating Tale of Medical Mystery & Romance with a Side of Psycho

The cast of characters are colorful, kind, and crazy. You’ll fall in love with kind and caring Sadie as she struggles to function in her formerly simple day to day life while suffering from a mysterious medical malady creating near impossible circumstances when it comes to preparing for the biggest break of her career. You’ll learn to loathe Sadie’s psychopathic sabotaging soul crushing step-sister while falling for Sadie’s handsome new vet or wait-a-minute — her helpful and hot new neighbor. Hmmm. Who to choose? Hello Stranger was a fun and sometimes frustrating read trying to put together the pieces of this literary puzzle.

Love!!!! Different and new!!!

I loved this story. It is fresh different and new! I loved every second of it and was sad when it was done. Loved the characters and I love this author!!

Super funny, yet touching romance.

I liked pretty much everything about this rom com: how it bounced from the very serious (like her illness and relationship with her family) to totally bonkers situations . I listened to it every chance I had and never got bored.
The only reason I am not giving the story five stars is that the author has a tendency to stretch the ending. Center is one of my favorite romance writers right now but this is the second book I read by her where she prolongs the ending way past the moment I personally think she should have. Possibly a very personal preference of mine. Others will disagree, I'm sure.
Can't wait to read the next Center rom com.

Great book!

Katherine Center is my favorite author and this most recent addition to her collection did not disappoint. I love that I can listen without worry that my son will hear an explicit love scene. As a medical professional it’s a breath of fresh air to see that she has researched her topics well and made them medically accurate. The audiobook was performed well by the reader, no mispronunciations of words and she was able to convey the story with believability.