I have been a fan of this author for quite some time so I was thrilled to read this book. The author has such a great way of being so descriptive in her writing. I could picture myself in the scenes and it makes the story even more enthralling for the reader.



Hannah is the bodyguard and she has overcome so much in her life. I really appreciated her self-deprecation yet also her ability to succeed in a world that was challenging for her. Jack Stapleton is the famous actor that she has been hired to protect. Definitely characters that the reader will fall in love with.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I'm not sure what makes Katherine's books so compulsively readable but this was a reading at 3am and then waking up early to finish book. The characters weren't as developed as some of her other books but I just didn't care.

I am really enjoying Katherine Center's books. She is becoming one of my favorite authors. This book was so easy to become involved with and was so entertaining. I have been recommending her books to all of my patrons at the library.

I have read several of Katherine Center's other books and have really enjoyed them, but this is my favorite so far! What a treat! Hannah Brooks is an unconventional bodyguard for movie star, Jack Stapleton. With that being said, she is more than capable for the job. However, Jack does not make keeping the line of professionalism easy with his handsome looks and down-to-earth ways. Center does a wonderful job developing this plot line without making it hokey in any way. In addition, you can't help but love the characters as you read the book.

I would love to see The Bodyguard become one of 2022's best beach reads. It is thoroughly enjoyable and perfect for a day at the beach. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this delightful read when I needed it most!

Was this supposed to make me think of Matthew McConaghey? Was I supposed to know where I thought this was gonna go right from the start?
So many scenes reminded me of the movie The Proposal. On the other hand, The Stapleton Ranch could only be the Yellowstone property in my minds eye. So I’ve got McConaghey and Sandra Bullock driving up to Yellowstone Ranch. I guess I’ve seen too many movies.

So many adorable scenes. The nightgown scene made me laugh out loud. 😆 Some other scenes I just loved but won’t describe because…spoilers!

I usually take notes for my reviews but with this one, I felt like I was watching a rom com I’ve seen before but still can’t stop watching. I didn’t bother with notes, just read with a full heart. The safety pin!! Accck, so very sweet. And then the ending throws you for a little loop that I didn’t see coming.

There’s just something about the way Katherine Center writes that I connect with and I really enjoy. This one is no different and I found to be like a fuzzy blanket or a warm hug. Just a great comfort read. I gobbled it up in 24 hours and now I’m sad to have to wait for her next one.

I’ll be there for it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very cute closed door romance! I love reading about women who are in male-dominated fields which is what this was. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two MCs… they felt more like close friends. Anyone else? I also could have done without some of the predictable side characters, but it was a good read overall. I hope to read more from Katherine Center!

Let’s start with the writing: In a nutshell, it’s not good.
The story is unnecessarily long, with dialogues that go on and on over the same thing dragging a fruitless conversation and then “puff” the chapter is chopped. Then we have the overuse of words like anyway or anyhow: I’m not an expert, but there are better ways to connect ideas in a story, and as a reader with English as a second language, grammar is very important, and it doesn’t matter that a story is good, bad grammar makes a story looks bad.
Then we have the characters… They are horrible, all of them.
Hannah the protagonist, who supposes to be this amazing strong bodyguard, in reality, she’s whiny, weak, with low self-esteem and immensely annoying. I mean she doesn’t even carry a gun. The boss is a jerk, the best friend is a jerk, and the ex-boyfriend is the biggest jerk of all. Oh! let’s not forget the family of the love interest manipulative and jerk as well.
Everybody’s behavior is immature like they were in a high school or something. (sorry! non-offence to high schoolers.)
Jack is the only one who deserves a star.
The plot is another thing: all over the place, or no plot at all.
After 46% into the book, I skipped almost at the end, which also it’s not good, but the worst part is that I didn’t read a big chunk of the story still, I didn’t miss much.
Do I recommend this book?
Even though lots of people seem to like it, it didn’t work for me, so no, I don’t recommend it.
But as I always say, it’s just an opinion, maybe for somebody else, this could be the best book of all.

Sometimes I even roll my eyes at myself. I am one of those incredibly sarcastic, steely-forged outer shell with the gooiest, drippy insides that I don't share with most people. Not many witnesses . . . and yet, here we are.

This was just a sweet and fun story. Bodyguard / security detail lead, Hannah Brooks, has just buried her mom and been dumped by her co-worker boyfriend when she's assigned to be the lead on security for big movie star Jack Stapleton. Story ensues, featuring playfulness, predictability, saccharine moments that somehow manage to not be sickening, and even a couple of surprise spots.

This made a great palate cleanser — it was light, enjoyable, and infused with a quiet warmth. Sometimes the recounting-style narration with an occasional drop into second person was a tad much, but it was easily overlooked.

For me there were a lot of contradictions in this book. It is in first person, which is a challenge for me always. I tried to let that happen but I had moments of "nooo why" far too often. The FMC has shades of "not like other girls", which is off-putting. I was rooting for the romance because...romance? I loved the family ties and the way that they managed to heal.

I did not care for the ending, at least not in the way it was set up. Always HEA, so that was good, but the preachy "learn from my mistakes" bit was not so lovely. For me it was super cheesy in a way that I couldn't get past.

Rating: Enjoyed It, 3.5 stars, rounded to 4

This book was a lot of fun! Hannah is an elite Executive Protection Agent for high profile clients. She is a workaholic who is used to jet setting around the world with her wealthy clientele. When her mother dies, her coworker boyfriend breaks up with her, and her boss relegates her to home office duty, Hannah decides she will do anything to get back out in the field, even pretend to be the girlfriend of movie star Jack Stapleton in order to protect him from a middle-aged stalker while he is home to visit his sick mother.

What I Liked:
- I thought that Hannah's inner monologue was delightful and there were several times that I was laughing out loud
- I thought that both characters were very likable and their romance was believable
- Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and I thought it was done very well
- I also enjoyed that we got to see some character growth in both our heroine and hero. They both had some big things that they were dealing with in their pasts, and I thought that this was handled well.

What I didn't like:
- first person POV of only the heroine - it actually wasn't something I actively disliked because I thought that Hannah was a lot of fun to be in her head, but I definitely prefer when we get both POVs
- There was absolutely zero steam. This was probably my biggest complaint, even the kissing was basically glossed over. However, I do see now that it is technically under Women's Fiction rather than Romance. But still, it read like a romance, so I was disappointed.
- The narrative structure was sort of weird. At times it was a normal first person POV but then at others, she would narrate the current event by referencing something that happened in the future, so that was sort of bizarre and would pull me out of the story because that's just not how it was set up at first.

Overall it was a fun and quick read, and I'm glad I had a chance to read it! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance eARC. The Bodyguard releases on July 19, 2022.

I have loved every Katherine Center book I've read, and I've read all of them. This one is no exception, but it lacks the emotional punch of her others. It's sweet and happy, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and (spoiler but not really since book romances USUALLY have HEAs) the tough female bodyguard get her handsome movie star. So why only 4 stars instead of 5? Well, it was entirely predictable, and the characters just didn't have a lot of depth. This could absolutely be a romantic comedy right this very second, and I would watch it. You cast some fun, charming actors, and it would be a hit. But on the page, the characters were a little flat. I didn't believe she was that badass or that he was that charming just because he leaves his laundry on the floor. It was just...missing something. I didn't totally buy it.

Now, having said that, if Center set out to write a feel-good story to give readers an escape from the absolute suck of our world in the last couple of years...one that you don't have to think about too hard where all differences end up resolved, no one dies, whatever's lost is found again and even the "bad guy" ends up redeemed? This is your book. And I mean, I can't at all fault Center for producing a cute, easy read that makes people happy.

But I do hope she goes back to a deeper tale with more of a soul for her next one because she totally kicks ass at those.

I've read every one of Katherine Center's books and was excited to obtain an advanced copy of this one from NetGalley. What I love about Center's stories is they are fun and funny, the writing and dialogue are snappy, and the main character is a woman who is flawed and learning - learning about relationships, learning about family, learning about herself. The Bodyguard is no exception, Hannah is a workaholic private protection agent who is disappointed by her mother, her boyfriend, her best friend, and her uncompassionate boss. But she perseveres and not only comes to accept herself but she finds romance. Do I know when I start a Katherine Center book that it will have a happy ever after ending? Of course, but that's why I read and re-read them, they make me feel happy.

Katherine Center brought a fresh approach to the bodyguard trope by having the heroine as the actual bodyguard. Protecting a world famous, sexiest man alive actor could be distracting for any woman with a heartbeat but Hannah is different. She’s got rules and boundaries all set in place to keep her exempt from Jack Stapleton’s charm. Until their plans go awry and she has to pretend to be his girlfriend.

This is an easy going summer read. Perfect to get lost in on those lazy beach days.

I’ll start by saying that I am the biggest fan of Katherine Center. Her books are always entertaining, heartfelt, and feature a heroine who shows a real growth in self awareness and strength.

This story doesn’t deviate from her usual pattern. However, I felt it was slightly lacking this time around.

It was an enjoyable read. I liked the Heroine, Hannah, but I never truly fell in love with her. I found myself, along with every character in the book, unsure of whether or not Jack was truly interested in her. She is described as being plain, stumpy and having crooked teeth, which is great if she had the personality to make readers believe the sexiest man in Hollywood would be in love with her. I don’t feel that I ever found it, especially given just how great Jack seems to be.

I loved the idea of a female bodyguard, becoming a part of someone’s family, being “ordinary and plain” but falling in love with the most untouchable and famous actor in Hollywood and having that love reciprocated, I just found the chemistry to be slightly lacking.

I still would give this book a 3.75 stars and would recommend it as a sweet easy read, I just don’t think it measures up to Happiness for Beginners or Things you Save in a Fire.

I received a copy of “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center from NetGalley for an honest review and wow was I glad! This book was adorable, heartwarming, and hilarious all at the same time. I love how Hannah was such a strong character despite everything she had been through in her life (except when being surrounded by cows). Jack was by far my favorite characters in this book. I loved how he constantly laughed with Hannah and treated her with respect (especially after she tosses him around). The way the author wrote about his parents made you truly feel the love they had for each other and I loved how they included Hannah. I read this book in one sitting and can’t wait to find more books to read by this author.

3.5 stars

Parts of this book made me laugh out loud and parts of it made me really sad. This was my first book by Katherine Center and I'd definitely read another one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, St. Martin's Press!

Bridget Jones’ Diary meets Miss Congeniality in this absolutely hilarious and mesmerizing romcom! Could NOT put it down!

This is the third Katherine Center book I’ve read, and I have loved every one of them. She’s a master at developing characters and relationships that are enjoyable and believable without being cheesy. If you enjoy a good rom-com (and actually even if you don’t), I think you’ll love this book too!

Thank you netgalley & St. Martin's Press for allowing me a preview of this book! The Bodyguard was a nearly flawless novel with just the right amount of suspense, surprise, and feel good moments. The story follows Hannah, a 5'5" kick butt executive protection agent (bodyguard). With big change happening in her personal life, Hannah gets tasked with her toughest assignment yet: Hollywood star Jack Stapleton. While it begins as an annoyingly close to home job, Hannah soon discovers that Jack & the complications that come with him will test her physically, mentally, and emotionally. Katherine Center pens a fast read, filled with moments of both light heartedness and intense emotional strain. She beautifully illustrates the emotional roller coaster we all go through as we reach checkpoints in our lives, while still maintaining a fun narrative. I loved this book and can't wait to read another by Center!

Hannah Brooks might not see herself as a workaholic or even devoted to her job but after 8 years at the company and constantly dodging any and all personal obligations - Hannah is a workaholic, sticking to the one thing she knows well, protecting the rich, affluent, popular, and famous people of the world. At 5’4 you’d never expect Hannah to take down a 300-pound man with a wine opener but that’s the advantage that the Executive Protection Agency is looking for. Hannah’s been all across the world on several missions serving multiple affluent clients. When the unexpected death of her mother grounds her in Houston Hannah finds that she can’t escape her problems forever. To make matters worse, the day after the funeral her co-worker and boyfriend, Robby, dumps her and take off on an assignment with her co-worker and best friend, I think you can see where this is going to go.

Everyone knows movie star and heartthrob Jack Stapleton - including his fair share of stalkers and avid fans. Even after escaping the spotlight for the last few years after a family tragedy Jack is still a household name. So when he returns from his self-imposed seclusion to help his sick mom and stay at their family ranch his team thinks it’s best to hire someone to watch over Jack. The only problem, Jack doesn’t want to worry his mom about the potential threats. So he comes up with a plan - fake date his bodyguard.

Now spending weeks together at Jack's family ranch Hannah finds herself having a hard time distinguishing between real-life Jack and America's heartthrob Jack Stapleton. Protecting him is the easy part but finally admitting her feelings while protecting her heart is a whole other story.

While the overall story was a bit predictable and sometimes downright unrealistic there were parts where I found myself crying for the trauma both Hannah and Jack have gone through all while rooting for them. This book felt very much like Miss Congeniality but in a way that you still were left wondering will they, won't they in the end.

Overall I'd give this book 3.5 stars while I loved the concept and plot of the book but the style of writing the author used was almost like a friend writing you a letter to tell you about what they've been up to which felt a little distant at times and made it hard to connect with the narrative.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.