This was exactly the feel-good humour laced romance I didn't know I needed. It was witty and full of heart. So easy to read and *sigh* fall in love. I enjoyed Hannah's take-no-crap approach to her professional life, and her somewhat curmudgeonly personality- we're not all sunshine and roses - but I also appreciated her insecurities and the healing and growth and simultaneous but not perfect HEA.

Short summary -
Hannah is the last person you would expect to be a bodyguard, but she loves her job and she couldn’t find herself happier doing anything else. Hannah needs a distraction from her life. She just suffered the loss of her mom and an unexpected breakup with her coworker and a betrayal from her best friend. Enter her new client, Jack Stapleton, who is a household name, a big name actor who is taking a break, who also happens to be a dreamboat. But he needs protection and surveillance from the public eye and a certain lady stalker when he returns to his home town to be with his sick mom. The problem? Jack needs Hannah to pretend that she’s his girlfriend and his family needs to buy it - his mom doesn’t need any more stress right now. What could possibly go wrong?

Overall review -
This book had it all for me! It was a light romance with a completely unexpected story concept - one that I loved! I mean, what author has taken on a female bodyguard trope? It had betrayal, redemption, humor, and depth too. It was super endearing and it just warmed my heart! I absolutely loved this one!

Overall rating - 5 ⭐️

I absolutely devoured this one! The wit and sarcasm was everything I needed!! Plus Hannah is a bad bitch; but they usually are. I wasn’t expecting this one to be as heavy as it was so for sure check trigger warnings! There was almost no steam, but it didn’t need it. The story was great on its own! If you are looking for a quick read, this is it.

Katherine Center is so good at writing feel-good romance with just the right amount of angst and drama. I loved the premise of this one and the pacing. The characters took a bit for me to give with, but I ended up loving their relationship and how they interacted with each other. The ending was very well done !

Hannah wants nothing more than to throw herself back into her work as an Executive Protection Agent after the unexpected death of her mother. And then after she is dumped by her "perfect" coworker boyfriend, she needs an escape. Undercover protection of a cocky adventure star, that she secretively loves, is not what she had in mind. Hannah finds herself on a ranch in Texas in a sea of cows and on the arm of the Jack Stapleton.

As always, Katherine Center delivered a solid drama romance. She is never afraid to challenge her characters strength with trauma. Her character development of Hannah, career driven introvert, and Jack, an arrogant but tortured by the past actor, I loved. Towards the end, the story ran long but overall another good novel.

I am so sad! I was so excited about this book. I love that Hannah Brooks is the bodyguard and the fake dating trope! So good. I actually really loved the relationship between Hannah and Jack Stapleton. I felt like the progression was really good and I loved the hijinks they seemed to get into.

A couple of things that I just couldn't get over:
1. Any dialogue between Hannah and her boss/coworkers was super cringy. Like none of it was at all professional and it was all very strange. Also it made it seem like the company was security for local people in texas (i.e. low-to-medium risk) but at the same time they had international assignments that sounded like super covert CIA level operations. Like which is it?

2. Hannah is not very good at her job. She just stopped being badass very quickly. What happened to the Hannah that was able to literally floor Jack when she met him....instead she lost all of her instincts and skills and was just really bad at her job. It was kind of annoying.

This was definitely a bit too "romcom" for me. I was very distracted by how the FMC kept saying the MMC full name over and over. I tried to put myself in her place by imagining myself serving as the bodyguard for Chris Evans, and it was still a no. There were parts that felt too overdone and a bit awkward. I really wanted to love these characters, but I kept finding myself wanting more. The tone of this story felt very undervalued for a slow burn, and I found the issues they faced individually and as a couple as a bit low stake. By the time, they became more we were at the end of the story which left me not cheering for their union. The whole ending plot point was not needed in the least; I actually think it hurt the story way more than it helped. It was simple enough to follow, but I didn't find it engaging or impactful.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hannah Brooks may not look dangerous but she’s actually an elite bodyguard who has been assigned to protect sexiest man alive Jack Stapleton. Jack has stalkers, and mom who is fighting cancer. He wants to be with his mom during treatment but he doesn’t want her to worry about why he would need the protection of a bodyguard so he asks Hannah to play the part of his girlfriend in front of his family.

The Bodyguard was a cute story. If you are looking for a light read with an absolutely perfect hero (seriously, the man has no flaws) then this is the book for you. I only wish Katherine Center had done more showing with regards to Hannah’s bodyguard skills rather than telling. I felt like she kept assuring us that Hannah was a bad-ass but Hannah more often than not acted like a damsel in distress.

This was the cutest romcom that I have read in a very long time. The characters were so likeable and I loved the twist of Hannah protecting Jack! Love this book!!

Although you couldn't tell it by looking at her, Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent, or a bodyguard, for very high priced customers. Her newest customer is the superstar (and very hunky) actor Jack Stapleton. Jack doesn't want his family knowing that he needs a bodyguard and Hannah is talked into pretending to be his girlfriend, something any girl (or guy) would kill for- except there is major drama going on in Jack's family. The more Hannah spends time with Jack and his family, the more she realizes they all could get hurt. Who does she need to protect in this situation? Jack or herself?

I loved this book! It's a great beach read and I loved the role reversal of the woman being the bodyguard/protector,

I always look forward to Katherine Center's books and was really excited to read this one. i enjoyed it alot! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this one. Can't wait for the next one!

Hannah Brooks is the definition of professional; she is an Executive Protection Agent i.e. a bodyguard for the rich and famous and she could take you down with a pen... or a dinner napkin. Tasked with the job of protecting renowned movie star Jack Stapleton, she finds herself with the unexpected task of having to pretend to be his girlfriend. But the more time Hannah spends with Jack, the harder it becomes for her to see him just as an assignment...

I've always been a big fan of inverted tropes. In this case, it being the classic bodyguard trope but this time, the woman is the protector and the guy with the six-pack is the one in need of protecting. The chemistry and banter between Hannah and Jack was exquisitely done; this is a classic romance in its formula but the characters are what make the book worth picking up. Despite it being a slow-burn, it was an absolute page-turner.

Although, I did find certain plot points to be a touch ridiculous even for a book where you're already going in with your belief very much suspended. It is a romance that banks on you as the reader not questioning the absurdity of the circumstances but even then, it gets really silly especially near the end. That being said, this was truly an enjoyable and fun slow-burn romance that despite only going as far as kissing, was brimming with the yearning.

Even though this plot line seems formulaic, the characters and setting made it fun and fresh. Hannah and Jack are of course the unlikely couple, but after seeing how he fiercely protects his family, how could you not fall a little bit in love?

Such a fun ride!! It's a fake dating trope + bodyguard trope which is such an entertaining combo. Randomly got 2 person heavy at the end which threw me but I definitely recommend for anyone in a rom com mood

I caught myself smiling so many times during this book. So stinking cute! The main characters were so funny and adorable. I am such a sucker for fake dating and the one bed trope. My favorite line: "There's nothing like the mutuality of a hug - the way you're giving comfort but you're getting it, too."

This was my first audio of Katherine Center's books and it did not disappoint. Not only are Center's books amazing anyway, but the narrator was also perfect. She brought the humor and heart alive to The Bodyguard and had me laughing out loud. Fantastic listen.

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center is back, with a hot new look and a steamy new romance full of the heart and humor you've all come to love in her books!

The Bodyguard was unique and original yet also a bit predictable as well, in a good way. I loved the snarky tone and the tough girl heroine, but welcomed the fake romance with the hot guy to bring it down a notch and add some sappy emotion to the mix. Super easy read with all the feels. Fun and engrossing.

I love Katherine Center books and this is probably her most lighthearted book that she has written. I liked the fact that instead of the heroine being a damsel in distress type the heroine was the bodyguard which was a nice change as it is something that isn't normally seen.

I like that the hero was not the typical Hollywood jerk and he was super sweet and very humble. I felt like their pairing is definitely unexpected. There were things about their relationship that didn't sit right because the chemistry wasn't 100% there for me. It does end in a great romance just wasn't 100% solid for me.

It was a good quick read that kept my interest. i recommend it if you are looking for a quick light read.

WOW!! Bodyguard romance, force proximity, fake-dating. We got it all folks!! I loved the gender role-reverse bodyguard romance. This books had me laughing, cheesing, and devouring every page. All the characters were easy to love, and the plot keeps the audience interested throughout the whole book!
This cover is fabulous and I thing it will have a great summer launch with the beautiful colors making the book pop on the shelf! I need Netflix to adapt this story asap because I can definitely see this playing out on the big screen!

Another traditional looking romcom that took an unexpected twist! First off, the cover is adorable and it totally points into the fun romCOM realm but this book was packed with some deep topics. I loved reading this one and couldn’t put it down!