Thanks for the gifted e-arc @stmartins!

Remember how I’m catching up on reviews? Yeah, well I read this one last December while on vacation in Hawaii. 😅 Better late than never thought, right?

This now sits as my new favorite Katherine Center book! I loved Hannah B. ( bonus points for a nice name 🤣) & Jack both as individuals and as an unlikely duo. I thought the perspective of a female body guard protecting a famous male client was golden & made for such a fun read.

The banter was fabulous & it was easy to get lost in this quick-witted read that had me turning the pages in anticipation. Her books always make a reader feel a gamet of emotions and this one was no exception. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a good rom-com with some substance!

This is Katherine Center’s best story yet. I loved the strong female lead and romance storyline. I laughed and cried a little. It was a fun read with a definite “couldn’t put down” vibe. I highly recommend this one.

A super sweet, heartfelt, entertaining twist on the bodyguard love interest trope where the female main character is the bodyguard to the male main character (who is a famous actor). I thought the ending was a little bit cheesy, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

This hilarious rom-com storyline caught my attention and kept me reading! The main character was lovingly annoying--perhaps the best kind of character. I loved to hate many of the decisions made, yet I found myself rooting for her over and over again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

To the lovers of quirky & badass main characters, celebrity romance, forced proximity and fake-dating — Katherine Center has THE book for you!

Katherine Center captured my heart from the dedication:

“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘦𝘻 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮—𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴: 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩. 𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

Her heartfelt tribute echos the sentiments I hold in my heart for my own treasured Grandparents and left me feeling a peaceful serenity — perfect for enjoying a book penned by an obvious kindred spirit.

The Bodyguard is quintessential Katherine Center sparkling with charm, meaningful character growth and a well-deserved & hard-earned HEA. We meet Executive Protection Agent Hannah Brooks whose small stature and kind features coupled with her fierce dedication and work ethic make her a perfect bodyguard. Assigned the lead agent for actor Jack Stapleton’s protective detail, Hannah reluctantly assumes the role of fake-girlfriend to the superstar to keep his stalker and bodyguard situation secret from his family.

As an EP who appreciates the travel and business of her work — factors that keep her “too busy to be lonely” — it is such a pleasure experiencing how the Jack Stapleton gig keeps our little Hannah home in Houston, challenging our girl to: work through recent loss; embrace vulnerability; challenge her insecurities about being loveable; and learn what love is and how to accept it.

Jack and Hannah’s adventures are deeply entertaining & hilarious while also allowing for transcendent moments of insightful introspection. Katherine Center reaches every corner of your heart with her meaningful reflection, Hannah’s witty inner monologue and Jack’s affectionate longing for Hannah.

I truly cannot wait to read every single review of this bright, sentimental and charming comfort read.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Katherine Center for the privilege of reading this book as an eARC before publication.

📖 The Bodyguard
✍️ Katherine Center
💞 Romance
#️⃣ 320 pages

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (better known as a bodyguard) who has just been assigned her newest client: actor and heartthrob, Jack Stapleton. Jack, who just recently moved back home to look after his sick mom, doesn't want his parents to know about his stalker, or that he needs a bodyguard. The solution? He pretends Hannah is his girlfriend. What starts as a harmless fib turns into actual feelings and soon Hannah is protecting both Jack and her own heart.

"Sometimes enthusiasm is its own reward."

This story was so cute and sweet and wholesome! Maybe a little too wholesome. 😅 It's very light on the physical romance between our MCs (#wompwomp), but Center makes up for it with fun banter and a genuine feel-good connection between the two. I will say that she went a little heavy-handed on the jerks in this story - there are a couple very one-dimensional assholes here. 🤪 I also wish we had a chapter or two from Jack's POV. This was my first Katherine Center and it for sure won't be my last. I ended up doing the audio for most of the story and I loved it!

🐴 Closed door romance
🐴 Single POV
🐴 Lifestyles of the rich + famous
🐴 Fake dating
🐴 Only one bed
🐴 Forced proximity
🐴 Explores family dynamics, loss and grief
🐴 Epilogue
🐴 Great on audio

#caitsquietplace #caitsquietplacereviews #cqpromance #netgally #stmartinspress #thebodyguard

The Bodyguard is a hilarious romantic comedy that put such a smile on my face. From the moment, Hannah and Jack meet, there are Sparks. There is also a slight complication - Jack is a famous actor and Hannah is the bodyguard who has been hired to protect him. It is the first time Jack has been back in his hometown since his younger brothers death. He doesn't particularly want to be there but he is there to support his mother during her cancer scare. Hannah is hired as his bodyguard to protect him from a stalker fan and help him keep a low profile. Jack doesn't want to worry his family so he asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend.

Hannah is immediately against the idea but is instructed to do so by her superior. She is given a new wardrobe and quickly has to fall into the role of faithful girlfriend. The faithful part is relatively easy but at first it is not easy to get along with Jack. Both characters are strong willed and do not easily give in. The more time they spend together, they develop a sense of admiration for each other. They have a sweet chemistry and I loved the bantering dynamic between them.

Jack's family immediately embraces Hannah and easily believes her to be his girlfriend. With the death of Jack's younger brother, the family is a little broken. His mother wants to bring them back together and having Hannah there is helping bridge the gap. Being around a family is bridging a gap for Hannah too. She recently buried her mother but, they did not have the best relationship. Growing closer with Jack's family helps heal the wound of lacking family support. She tries to resist but they like Jack seem to have this pull to them where she finds it difficult. I really enjoyed the bonding scenes, in particularly the one with rifle.

Prior to the assignment of being Jack's bodyguard, Hannah is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, Robby. This now ex boyfriend is also a co-worker; and his a piece of work. He is constantly putting her down and questioning her abilities as Jack's bodyguard. All of this opens Hannah's eyes to what a douche canoe he really is. I loved watching her grow and prove him wrong. I really empathized with Hannah's character and fell easily for Jack's rough exterior but, sweet heart.

The Bodyguard really puts me in right from the beginning. The faux-dating is well done and so is the bodyguard premise. The characters are defined and have the right amount of quirkiness. This was my first experience with Katherine Center but I plan on adding them to my TBR list.

What an awesome read! I love Katherine Center’s writing, but this story really is my favorite I think! I loved the characters so much. I felt like I was a part of their story and felt the love. Will definitely recommend to others!

Katherine Center has become one of my go-to authors. Her books are immersive and utterly addictive, brimming with charm, humor and emotion and this latest, was no different. I fell in love with the story, the characters and the intimacy and vulnerability imparted.

I was really excited to read a romance about a heroine being the bodyguard for the hero, and I really enjoyed the fake dating aspect as well. There were some really beautiful moments and quotes about what it means to be lovable and sending love out into the world. I also appreciated the family aspect of this.

I liked Jake and Hannah’s romance, but didn’t love it. I wanted to see more of them together as a couple after they confessed their feelings for each other. I felt like we were told a lot of things at the end instead of Centers showing us their HEA.

There’s also a scene towards the end involving a hostage situation and gun violence that was just…weird to me? It felt kind of out of place from the rest of the book. It was nice that something beautiful came out of a horrible situation, but still…it was odd.

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Overall it was super cute and enjoyable. Very quick and easy read. I loved the building of the relationship between the characters, the personal growth made the story more meaningful.

Hannah Brooks is probably the last person you would expect to be a bodyguard. But that of course is the point when celebrities and owner's of oil empires want to be protected but not stick out like a sore thumb. With all of her training, she is one of the best at the company. When her boyfriend breaks up with her the day after her Mother's funeral, she feels lost and all she wants to do it absorb her sorrows in work. Unfortunately, her boss is forcing her to take a break and do some proper mourning. When she returns, she is forced into babysitting one of the most popular actors on Earth. Jack Stapleton is on everyone's radar as basically the sexiest man alive and anyone would jump at the chance to be around him. Hannah on the other hand doesn't feel the same way. Yes she loves him in movies and thinks that he's hot but she's afraid that her feelings might rollover into the job and that cannot happen. Then she finds out that his Mother is sick and she is being forced to act as his girlfriend for the next four weeks while they relocate to his family's ranch to be with her. The more time she spends with Jack, the more she feels as if she's falling for him. But he's an actor. So this all must be an act, right?

I loved this book and could not put it down! This is my first read by Katherine Center and she has sure made a fan out of me. I can't wait to start reading some of her past novels. There was so much more to the story than just the romantic plot. Everything was described in such great detail that I felt like I was right there as everything was happening. I also laughed out loud multiple times throughout the book. That is a huge thumbs up for me. Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this one! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

What a cute idea for a rom-com!

Hannah's a professional bodyguard who gets assigned to protect this high-profile, rich, kind, and might I add smoking hot celebrity when her life is at its lowest point. Her mom died, her boyfriend broke up with her, and she's grounded from being able to travel for work. So when she gets tasked with watching Jack Stapleton, and part of the job is to pretend to be his girlfriend, so she blends in, things get...complicated. Over the course of their fake relationship, they're forced to spend time with each other. They learn a lot about one another but grow to know themselves better in the process. Yep, what could possibly go wrong?

What an enjoyable romance read this was! Did the ending seem completely predictable after just the first few chapters? Of course! Was it a delightful, super fun read to get there? Absolutely! 
This was such a sweet and interesting romance. I flew through this book and enjoyed seeing how these characters would come together. I think a few of the characters lacked depth and seemed a bit hokey, but overall I just didn't care, as the story itself was just too fun. Quick, fluffy, brain candy, and would make a great beach-read!

What a fun story about a tiny woman as a bodyguard for a 6’ dashing movie star!

I always enjoy Katherine Center’s books. Her protagonists are smart, strong females. The conquer the issues straight on with competence and creativity. This book in no different. It could even be argued that this is her best novel yet.

It is full of humor while still dealing with real world problems such as cancer, crazed fans, family misunderstandings and loyalty. The narrator was perfect and made a great story even better. Since I received both the eBook and audiobook, I switched back and forth between the two. The audiobook was my preferred reading method.


I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and an audiobook from MacMillan Audio. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

The Bodyguard is the type of book you read and immediately think "Ya, this should be a movie". The banter between Hannah and Jack is perfection. Hannah totally reminds me of Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality in the best way. I absolutely love that movie so I knew I was going to love this book as soon as it started. Jack is the swoony movie star who of course is more than meets the eye. The cast of side characters adds to this book to create the perfect summer rom-com.

Easy 5 Stars!!!
“Maybe love isn’t a judgment you render—but a chance you take. Maybe it’s something you choose to do—over & over. For yourself. And everyone else.”

This book. Just wow! It was the best mix of funny, flirty, deep + meaningful! The good stuff. Hannah is a complex MC that you are rooting for from the very first page! & Jack Stapleton’s endearing personality is a warm hug!!

I loved the dynamic story & all the little discoveries you make along the way! I also so appreciated that Hannah & Jack are both grieving but in different ways—such a good representation for how we all experience & express hard emotions in our own way & that’s okay!!

bookish things:
• a bodyguard + a movie star
• strong (& yes, a little grumpy) female lead
• SWEET male lead
• fake dating trope + forced proximity
• complex + precious family dynamics
• grief rep
• all. the. things.

HIGHLY recommend ❤️

This book was so good!!! I loved the fake dating trope and just overall I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the story. I thought the pacing was great and super likable characters. I definitely recommend this book!

This book was a refreshing change to the "fake-dating" trope. A woman bodyguard who has to protect a famous actor while he stays with his family and out of the spotlight. I found the characters very likeable and this was a fast read. Hannah and Jake had great witty banter that had me laughing out loud. This was my first read by Katherine and I would definitely be reading more!

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley and Katherine Center!

This was my first Katherine Center book and it did not disappoint. I loved the main woman character, and found the story to be original, witty, and super cute. I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely pick up more Of this author’s books in the future.