Hannah Brooks may look like a plain, ordinary, kindergarten teacher however; she’s anything but that. Hannah can actually kill with a corkscrew or even a ballpoint pen, Hanna is actually an Executive Protection Agent (aka, a bodyguard), her small size and unassuming looks make it easy for her to blend in and protect her clients. Right now, she’s going through the roughest time in her life since she was little. Her mother just passed away and the day after her mother’s funeral her boyfriend Robby dumped her, even worse, he called her a bad kisser. Now Hannah is on assignment being the EPA for hot and hunky Jack Stapleton, a famous movie star.

Sparks ignite between the pair in the cutest ways in this wonderfully amazing story of love and protection. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I smiled, I laughed, my heart pounded at the end when all the drama happens. I was drinking this book in and loving every last refreshing drop of it.

🤼‍♂️Book Review🤼‍♂️
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Summary: She’s got his back.
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart.
Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret.
When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong???
Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: Thank you so much @katherinecenter @netgalley @stmartinspress for the advanced copy this one is available as of 7/19! This was such a cute cheesy happy romance! One of my new favorites of hers I absolutely loved Hannah as a main character! Totally unique I’ve never read a book about a body guard before much less a romance! This was fun and unique and a perfect summer read!
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I was very quickly sucked into Jack and Hannah's story. It's fast paced and the characters, or most of them, were engaging.

The Bodyguard is in fact the perfect balance of a traditional romcom and tearjerker.

I like a bit of spice with my romance usually but this story stands so beautifully without the need for added spice.

I wouldn't consider it slow burn because it's just not intrinsic to the plot. That's not to say that the last 20% doesn't tie everything up in a suitably impressive bow though.

I wonder this is a taster and we're due to meet more of Glenn's EPAs in future novels by Katherine Center? I would certainly be up for that!

All in all I found The Bodyguard to be a quick enjoyable read and a lovely vehicle as an introduction to a new-to-me author.

Hannah Brooks lost her mom, got dumped by her boyfriend, and was told by her boss to take a break. She hates breaks. As an Executive Protection Assistant (Bodyguard) her job keeps her moving from place to place and that’s just how she likes it. Her newest assignment is to protect Hollywood star Jack Stapleton, right in her home state of Texas. She’s not happy about it but if she does a good job, her boss has promised her an assignment in London. With the prize in her sights, she reluctantly agrees to protect Jack. But things get turned upside down when the plan changes and she has to be his fake girlfriend. Suddenly lines are blurred and neither are sure what’s genuine. Can fake dating turn into real love?

I really enjoyed this sweet, closed door romance. I loved Hannah being a bodyguard! I also loved that we saw all sides of her: her feisty personality, her insecurities, her kindness, and her growth. This was a great read!

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

I’m only mildly embarrassed to say I read this before I was “supposed” to. You see, I ordered it as my July Authentic Books box, so I am expecting to receive it in the mail very soon. However, I had a NetGalley copy just staring me in the face for months. Sooo, I gave in.

When a personal protection agent is hired to be the bodyguard for a famous celebrity, the last thing she expected was the role of “girlfriend” to be part of her duties. After coming off her mother’s death and a rough breakup, she’s hoping to get this over with and escape back into her normal travel schedule. As she spends time with Jack and his family though, her priorities start to shift.

Ahhh this is just as good as we’ve all come to expect from Katherine Center! My only reason for dropping it down a half star is because it got a little philosophical and gushy toward the end. Outside of skimming a few paragraphs, I adored this story

Really adorable book. Great character development. A nice change of pace to get myself lost in. Was rooting Hannah on.

I have yet to read a Katherine Center book I didn’t enjoy and this was no exception! Although the whole bodyguard trope would normally have me side eyeing a book, I had faith that Katherine Center wouldn’t lead me down a path I couldn't follow and I’m so glad to say I was right. The obvious chemistry between the main characters had me rooting for them throughout. Filled with fun banter, comical situations, and moments that squeeze your heart, this fun rom-com is sure to delight! If you are in need of some cheer or would just like a bit of an escape from heavier things, this book is just the thing!

Hannah, a bodyguard who embodies the saying “looks can be deceiving”, has a lot going on and the last person she needs is to be assigned to is handsome film star Jack Stapleton who is headed back to his hometown. Not only must Hannah guard him from paparazzi and a stalker, but she must also keep his need for protection from his mother and other family members who are going through trouble of their own. What kind of story will they come up with to allow Hannah to keep close to Jack without suspecting the reason Hannah is actually there?? I wonder…

This has all the usual loveliness of Katherine Center’s novels. It’s nice to lose yourself in a novel like this. I liked the romance and the locations. There was a lot of uniqueness to this one that made it feel new. Highly recommend if you need something lighthearted!

This was so much fun to read! I was expecting it to be enjoyable like all of Katherine Center's other books are but this one was especially funny. I will be recommending this to everyone looking for a fun read.

This is a five star romance to me. Excellent writing that moves along but doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary details, yet provides plenty of context and info to really connect with the characters. I enjoyed that the protagonist was a strong, smart female in a nontraditional role. It focused on connection along with attraction which was a nice change of pace from starry eyed lust filled romance. I highly recommend!

This was my first Katherine Center book but it will definitely not be my last! I'm about to go order her entire list. Probably my favorite rom-com of the summer! Honestly when I read the synopsis for this book I felt like I knew exactly what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It exceeded expectations. There were laugh out loud moments, it felt very sweet and I liked that it was appropriate for any reader. I'd have no problem recommending this book to family members without worrying about inappropriate scenes. Overall LOVED it!

Oh my goodness! I just love Katherine Center! This is the third book of hers that I have read and her books never fail to delight. I particularly love how she often portrays women in unexpected roles, like in The Bodyguard, where Hannah is a bodyguard assigned to protect the handsome actor, Jack. Hannah and Jack's relationship is so sweet and charming from the start, and I particularly love the time that Hannah spent on the ranch with Jack's family, the slow and steady pace of life, and the feeling of family that Hannad (and the reader!) could feel in that section. There was plenty of excitement, and the suspense of a will they/won't they romance is always a winner for me. I will definitely recommend this book!

This was another cute Katherine Center story. I liked the way it took a different approach to the girl having to protect the man. I feel like I've read a similar story before but reverse point of view. I loved the complexity of the characters and how they both had their own struggles they were working through. I also like that there was a tragedy that brought everyone together, but even that had a happy ending.

I absolutely love this book! I love all of Katherine Center’s books. Her writing always makes the characters feel so relatable even if they have an unrelated job like a bodyguard. You can feel and understand the feelings that they are going through! Yea, some will say that the book was predictable but it’s about the journey. I loved this journey! You can really get caught up in her books and be taken away. I highly recommend.

A fun romcom with several laugh-out-loud moments and endearing characters. Perfect for a weekend read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC which was read and voluntarily.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Official rating: 3.5 stars
Page turner rating: 3 stars

Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard, but she's not a big strong bulky guy type bodyguard. She is full of strategy, tactical skills, and able to assess situations for danger. When she gets put on a case for Jack Stapleton, a famous actor she doesn't expect to actually spend time with him, let alone get close enough to have feelings for him.

This one is cute, in your very typical rom com book kind of way. It has plenty of corniness and also tries to throw in real world problems. Overall I didn't completely get into this one like I know many have. I'm honestly shocked how many times authors can make fake dating situations, because this is another one! It's just not very believable to me. That being said, I did enjoy the book, these were just my small qualms with it.

Read this if you:
Liked The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Liked The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
Wear legit nightgowns to bed (iykyk)

Katherine Center writes stories with strong female lead characters, and The Bodyguard is no exception! Hannah is amazing. When she is hired to protect Jack, a high-profile movie star, it's decided the best way to place her in his life is as his girlfriend. The story is fast-paced, thrilling, romantic, and somehow believable... I loved every minute of the read and wanted it to keep going. It took a few days of processing before I was ready to read anything else. I want to reread it! I highly recommend it!

The Bodyguard is the first book I have read by Katherine Center and it will not be the last! What a refreshing story. Hannah is an Executive Protection Agent (a.k.a. bodyguard) and her new client is Jack Stapleton, a super-famous, yummy actor. His mom is sick and so he comes home to be with her. He doesn't want to worry his mom about his middle aged stalker and so he asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend. I found myself smiling and laughing at parts of this story. It's a great summer read and I highly recommend it.

I had high expectations for this read about a bodyguard and a celebrity falling in love while staying out of danger. I couldn't get over the injustice that Hannah has to go through - the number of people that called her ugly and how she pretty much agreed blew my mind. I don't think my MC has to be the cream of the crop but everyone shouldn't be walking around calling her less than beautiful and to the point that she agreed

The danger was weak in this story - it was clearly about Hannah's relationships. That she forgave her friend wasn't cool to me. she was regularly walked all over and didn't say or do much about it.

I was expecting her to be super tough and strong since she's a bodyguard but I was just getting a woman who lets everyone walk all over her
Jack was great - he didn't have much to him - he had a background story and he was a pretty face that liked Hannah but he didn't stand up for her much other than at the end.

This is my first Katherine Center book and it was such a fun time. The classic, fake dating trope mixed with the gender reversed body guard trope immediately drew me in.

Hannah has so many relatable qualities - specifically, the feeling of being unlovable and needing escape. Well, in Robby's words - no fun.

Jack is going through the loss of his brother and survivors guild, you would think he would be moody and unbearable. However, the partnership of Hannah and Jack is nothing but fun. They bring out the best in each other while also processing their baggage.

I would recommend this book to anyone who love a classic rom-com and has always dreamed of hooking up with their celebrity crush.