Anyone who knows me knows that bodyguard books are my total catnip. That being said, I snatched this ARC up in the blink of an eye. Imagine my surprise when I discover the bodyguard in this book is a woman. Oh Katherine Center, you got me good. This book was exactly what I needed and I loved each and every word.

When we meet our main character, Hannah Brooks, life is pretty much running her over. Absolutely nothing is going her way and she's experiencing major life changing events with no support system. When a new job is thrown at her involving the world's sexiest man who happens to be reclusive actor, Jack Stapleton, she's completely uninterested. That probably makes her the perfect person for the job.

These two are both emotionally injured people - - in different ways of course -- that don't really know how to trust others. Yet, through the course of the story, they come to believe in each other. Well sometimes they do. Hannah really struggles with trusting people in a big way.

These two characters were easy to become attached to. I just wanted them to find a way to be happy -- whether it included the other person or not. They both carried so much heartache. The side characters added some depth and interest to the story - - even though there were a few I detested. Overall, I think they helped balance the storyline.

The state of Texas definitely played a character in itself. Ms. Center included a great deal about the area and the Brazos River in the story. The dangers of walking around without proper attire, dangers of the river and so forth. She also did a lovely job of blending humor into the story. I liked that when she wrote the book from Hannah's viewpoin, it was in a way that felt like she was speaking to the reader and assumed we knew things. It was clever.

Overall, this is definitely another Katherine Center hit. I enjoyed it immensely and can't recommend it enough.

I was also fortunate enough to receive an audio version which enabled me to do the thing I love best - - go back and forth between the written book and the audio. It was perfect that way. The narrator was top notch and did a lovely job. In my opinion, the audiobook is quite entertaining and many people may enjoy it more than reading the book itself. Personally, I like to do both. I give the audiobook 5 stars as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC and the early copy of the audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review both and the opinions contained within are my own.

What a delightful story! This was just super cute. I loved that the roles were reversed and you had a female bodyguard. There was a minute there when I almost threw my iPad across the room (if you’ve read this, you probably know what part I mean) but thankfully it was a fake out and this ended super strong. This has some really good side characters which I feel like make a good rom-com. I would 100% read a sequel about Kelly hunting for a man.

Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Bodyguard is the second book of hers that I have read and I absolutely loved them both. Why? Because they center on relationships, family, love interests. They are fun, serious and heartwarming all at once.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like The Bodyguard when I requested to read it. I was a little leary because one of the principle characters is Jack Stapleton who is an actor that most women drool over. I don't get into much of the Hollywood stuff. The main character is Hannah Brooks who is an Executive Protection Agent also known as a bodyguard. You guessed it. Average Hannah works for the company hired to protect Jack Stapleton. Of course, she is assigned to protect him. He doesn't believe she is up for the job. She does a great job of proving to him she is up for the challenge.

This book is laugh out loud funny. I kept laughing and my hubby kept wanting to know what was so funny. I told him never mind. I'm reading a funny book and I don't want to take the time to explain it all to you. I kept right on with the chuckles! You will enjoy the lighthearted fun this book brings. It might pull a tear or two and it will definitely warm your heart.

The characters were great. You can't help but love them. Jack's family plays a prominent role in the book. They are the picture perfect family. I would have loved to get to know his mother. She was a special lady indeed.

If you haven't read anything by Katherine Center, this would be a great book to jump right in with. I can't help but think all of her books are fabulous. I have loved the two I read and can even remember the plot of the first book which was a while ago and saying something for me. It has stayed with me. I highly recommend this book for someone who loves all the feels while reading. I like to be involved and this one certainly kept me involved, interested and glued to the page.

Hannah was going through a lot with mixed feelings over the death of her mother and then her boyfriend dumps her. Just when she needs the distraction of work to cope, her boss basically grounds her. That is until the famous movie start, Jack Stapleton needs protection. Hannah’s not thrilled with the assignment because it doesn’t seem like much of an escape being stuck in Texas and this assignment is much more up close and personal than she’d have liked it.

I loved Hannah so much! She wasn’t a knockout, just an average woman (like most of us) in an unexpected position of being a bodyguard. Yes, she’s only 5’5” but that’s not the key to being a bodyguard as I found out, and she was pretty badass even being pint sized! I’ve always dreamed of being a badass myself even though I’m only 5’2”. I looked up to female characters like Buffy and Wonder Woman, so I loved the idea of a woman bodyguard. Still, this story was way more about the personal aspects of Hannah’s life than a suspenseful protection situation. I loved Jack and his family! He was, for a big star, pretty normal, and his family was loving despite some of the hard knocks they’d been given. Absolutely loved Jack’s family!

All the stars for The Bodyguard! Katherine Center’s stories never fail to capture my heart! She writes imperfectly perfect, multi-layered characters like Hannah and Jack. Each had emotional turmoil to work through while trying to get by, battling an inconvenient attraction. This was definitely a romance of the slow burn variety, and I hung on every interaction between Jack and Hannah! That epilogue was oh-so-lovely!

I alternately listened and read The Bodyguard and I recommend both. The audio was fantastic with Patti Murin narrating and doing an excellent job with all voices, male and female.

Hannah Brooks is great at her job.

Like, really great.

Part of what makes her excel is her ability to blend in coupled with her incredible skillset of being able read people and decades of jujitsu experience.

That’s why she’s one of the two top personal protection agents, AKA bodyguards, at her company. But life circumstances and the new client throw Hannah for a very unexpected rollercoaster of a loop: the new client is none other than Hollywood’s most reclusive actor, the man who won Sexiest Man Alive two consecutive years, Jack Stapleton. And Hannah has to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to protect him.


Katherine Center’s latest novel has all the deep, heart-heavy moments of her other novels, but balanced with light, fun, and banter. Though there are serious moments, from childhood trauma to the loss of family members, whether they were close or not, there are also wild shenanigans and adventures on a Texas ranch that more than balance out the heavier moments.

I’m a total sucker for delightful banter. If it makes me laugh out loud, I’m here for it. There were numerous instances of laughing out loud, including on a plane (#sorrynotsorry, seatmates), that shows the humorous moments match the heartfelt ones beat for beat.

The characters were well-developed, particularly the main characters and the found family. After learning about Hannah’s difficult childhood, seeing her be embraced (even by a family that falsely believes she’s a girlfriend that could turn into a daughter-in-law) was such a treat.

Hannah’s battle with her baggage and self-worth, coming off of a bad breakup and while grieving, really humanized her as a character. Questioning one’s ability to be loved is a heavy topic, but Center made it both relatable and part of Hannah’s internal character growth.

The setting of urban and rural Houston, Texas, made for a well-rounded read. The city scenes allowed for certain plot points to be more believable, while the ranch scenes made room for some of our favorite rom-com tropes to fit perfectly (stuck in one place! One bed! Fake dating! The mix of Hollywood royalty and real people!)

If you love rom-coms, many of your favorite tropes will be here. There was only one trope I struggled with, and it’s more of a me-thing than a book-thing. Hannah is a petite woman who is often underestimated based on her size; it’s part of what allows her to do her job well. As someone thinking about inclusivity, I saw Hannah’s size as a missed opportunity for an average or plus-sized character to break the same stereotypes that Hannah faced. Let’s see a woman whose strength isn’t dictated by her size. We can absolutely have tiny and mighty– and we can also have medium and mighty, large and mighty, and plus-sized and mighty. But like I said, this is a me-thing, and I still loved the book. It’s definitely re-readable, which is one of the highest honors I can bestow on a book.

Thank you to author Katherine Center, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy such that I could share my honest opinions.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is available now!

I received an early copy from NetGalley. This is not a paid review.

Hannah Brooks has just lost her mom. She is grieving and rethinking her life. She has a job as a bodyguard and loves her job to the point where it is her life. Her be all end all. Her boyfriend (and co-worker), Robby, has broken up with her. All she wants is an assignment that gets her out of town and away from all of her emotions. Que Jack Stapleton, a movie star, her next assignment who is local. So much for getting out of dodge.

Hannah begrudgingly accepts the assignment to keep an eye on Jack. Jack has a few low level stalkers that they are keeping an eye on, but for the most part there doesn't seem to be any threat to his safety. He has come home to help take care of his mom who was just diagnosed with cancer. He decides to introduce Hannah as his girlfriend so his family doesn't worry about his safety. Being brought into the circle of Jack's family is just what Hannah needs. They stay at his families ranch and become close to one another. Until Jack tells her he doesn't care for her and Hannah's world crumbles yet again...until she realizes there is something very wrong.

A romantic, yet thrilling, story that you can't read fast enough.

What a unique storyline ! The characters were quirky and interesting and the storyline held your attention, both making it hard to put down. i enjoyed this arc copy from netgalley and the publisher.

If you are looking for an easy cute romance read this book is for you. Hannah is the girl you want to root for and she was the main character I needed right now. Jack is of course the cute sexy man with a heart of gold and a past. This was a quick read and definitely made for an easy end of summer read.

Hannah has been hired to be a bodyguard to Jack, a Hollywood burnout who would prefer not to have a bodyguard. The pair have a palpable chemistry, and I quickly found myself rooting for them.

I am definitely not a regular rom com reader— I usually find myself rolling my eyes at plots that make others swoon— but I really did love this book. It’s super cute, engaging, and the characters feel real. Even the setting popped right off the page! I definitely recommend grabbing this one!

This book was everything a good romance should be!! It had great characters, a fun, flirty storyline and of course, a happily ever after!! I loved all the characters, especially the supporting characters from Jack’s family. The back stories of the 2 main characters were also compelling and interesting. This was my first book by Katherine Center but it won’t be my last.

I have loved Katherine Center's books ever since reading How to Walk Away and I was excited when I was given the opportunity by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley to read The Bodyguard and give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

This story is told by the main character, Hannah Brooks. She is a bodyguard and has worked all over the world protecting all kinds of people. When the story begins, she has been having some bad times. Her mother has died and the day after the funeral she gets dumped by her boyfriend who is also a co-worker. All she wants to do is immerse herself in her work, but her boss makes her take time off to grieve. Her first job back is to guard famous movie star Jack Stapelton. It is not the kind of job she was hoping for, it doesn't even take her out of town. She has no idea that this job will change her life as she knows it. Both Hannah and Jack do some growing, changing, and dealing with their pasts and I really loved how the story progressed. I loved how the author wrote Hannah's voice as she was telling the story with honesty and humor.

It was a nice change for the bodyguard to be the female character. Hannah was so serious, and yet she had a truly fun/rebellious side to her that made for some great scenes. Jack was sweet and will be a new book boyfriend to many readers. The author reveals just enough about the characters as the story unfolds to make it a smooth read. I can't say that I was truly surprised by anything that happened, but I was eagerly reading along until the satisfying climax and conclusion. I certainly had a smile on my face as I closed the book.

One tiny little picky thing I just have to mention. While it is obvious that the author did her research on the trials of famous actors and the job of a bodyguard, there is mention near the beginning of the book and a few other spots along the way about Jack having made his home in the "mountains" of North Dakota. Now, while there may be some higher peaks in North Dakota that might have mountain attached to their name, the writing leads the reader to picture something more like a true mountain range like the Rockies. The southwest part of North Dakota where Jack lived is actually part of the North Dakota Badlands and those peaks are more like buttes. It would have been cool if the author would have stated that Jack ran away to live in the North Dakota Badlands. At least I think it would have. I know the Dakotas are kind of "fly over" states, but this Dakota girl just couldn't quite get over that little picky detail. Don't get me wrong, I still loved the book, I'm just hoping that when I read a finished copy of The Bodyguard (and I do plan on reading this book again), maybe this little thing will be fixed. I can hope anyway, right? 4.5/5

“Just because you can’t keep something doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it. Nothing lasts forever. What matters is what we take with us.”

THE BODYGUARD is the newest from @katherinecenter, an author whose books I love to read in the summer because they’re fun and lighthearted. This one was no exception—I read the entire book on the plane home from LA and the flight went by so quickly! It’s a rom-com about a famous actor whose agency hires protection agent Hannah for his security while he’s visiting his family. It’s got some fun genre tropes and it also gave me While You Were Sleeping vibes (one of my all-time favorite movies). A great summer read—I enjoyed it!

Well this was a sweet and engaging little read. I devoured it in a day. I loved the flipped perspective of the female being the bodyguard, what a great change of pace in a romance novel. Also, this book featured one of my favourite tropes…fake dating! I really didn’t know what to expect with this one, but I would definitely recommend it for a great summer read. Looking forward to reading more by Katherine Center in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this utterly delightful ARC. .

Life as a bodyguard has left Hannah overly aware of her surroundings but deficient in human relationships. After her mother's death and the immediate and surprise ending of her relationship with her coworker boyfriend she's slowly coming undone. Enter her next client and top priority - famous and extremely gorgeous Jack Stapleton and all reason goes out the window when she is forced to play his girlfriend in order to protect him from a crazed fan while he visits his family's ranch. Between the dark pasts they share reluctantly with each other, to the odd bond that has developed, it makes the unexplainable feelings that come along with it that brings new questions and concerns for all involved.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book would be an understatement at best.
Hannah is the girl you can relate to and know that even at her messiest and worst there's something good coming her way. Her harder side which mixes with vulnerability had her becoming one of my favourite heroines, which says a lot if you know me.
Jack, well he is definitely more than we expected and just enough of what we all needed. His interactions with Hannah are both sexy and hilarious and he doesn't disappoint.
This book is the hug you needed and will leave you with something after you're done.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read and give my honest opinion.

Oh, I love me a good Katherine Center novel and The Bodyguard was just what I wanted. I planned to save it for vacation but I couldn’t stop reading once I started. You can read the flap for the summary but I’ll just tell you that it reads funny and tender and suspenseful. It is a completely engaging read with many wonderful lines and reflective moments on how we can rewrite the script of our lives if we have the right people in the right roles at the right time. Loved it!! I received an advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I absolutely loved this book. It definitely lives up to the hype and I will be recommending it again and again.

HOLY COW - this book was such a breath of fresh air and one of my most surprising reads of 2022 so far. I genuinely enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want to put it down (and therefore made it really hard to read it on a weekday when I was supposed to be working).

Genuinely, Hannah and Jack were amazing characters and I enjoyed getting to see them develop and grow into the characters they became throughout the pages of this novel by Katherine Center.

I was instantly in love with Hannah, a character who we got to know slowly and quickly at the same time. She’s hard, yet she’s soft. She’s curious, yet she’s aware and focused. She’s hopeless and hopeful.

Enter Jack. Their meet-cute cracked me up, and from then on, every time Hannah made Jack laugh, I was a goner all over again.

Jack is the boyfriend every girl deserves. There’s something so profound about a male lead who has lost someone important to him, yet can’t help but love fiercely, even if from an arm’s length away.

Other things I loved about this book:
-Jack’s family
-Hannah’s team
-Famous person-normal person
-She’s grumpy, he’s sunshine
-The character development
-The setting
-The writing
-How quickly we fell into the story and the action
-The SWEETNESS
-The twist at the end
-The overall care for others that our main characters display

Read this if you love slow burn, tension, and a sense of belonging stirred in with some adventure, some romance, some awkward real life, family, and books where women can take care of themselves.

Big thanks to Katherine Center and her team at St. Martin’s Press, as well as NetGalley, for early access to an eARC of this book, as well as Book of the Month for making this one a BOTM July pick. I’m grateful to add it to my shelf! FIVE STARS FROM THIS LADY!

I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest thoughts.

Katherine Center’s Books are always a treat and this one is no exception. I liked the dynamic characters and parts of the story had me laughing. I think she is a great author for a fun summer read.

I received a digital ARC for The Bodyguard. (Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC)
I also purchased a physical copy from BOTM for myself.

This book does exactly what a rom-com is supposed to do, which is to make you smile and forget about your worries for a bit. There is a cutesy "fake-dating" romance (clean, no spice), a male main character who is charming & lovable in all of the best ways, and a kick ass female main character who you would want as a good friend.

I'm not going to lie, I picked up this book at a time when I really did need something Fluffy, easy to read, that would put me in a good mood. When the book opens up, the main character's mother is dying from a disease that I know too well because my own father suffered from it. At that point, I questioned whether I should continue. However, it was a very small detail in the book that only took over a couple of sentences. I continued to read it and the book was definitely "feel-good" with its sometimes crazy scenarios and its cute & happy ending.

A random thing that I loved was that there were a lot of references to Korea throughout the book. The author confessed that she has been watching a lot of k-dramas. As someone who has loved k-dramas for years, I loved this aspect about the book and I saw its influence, such as when the main character mentions that Jack appeared unannounced at her hotel for "one magical, snowy night in Seoul". If you know k-dramas, you know that the first snow is always romantic.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely pick up another book by Katherine Center.

Fav Quotes from the book:

"People loving you for your best qualities is not the same as people loving you despite your worst"

"Every chance you take is a choice. A choice to decide who you are"

This book was adorable! I give it a 3.5 rounded up.

The Bodyguard follows Hannah, an Executive Protection Agent, and Jack, a famous movie star Hannah is assigned to protect. Jack needs a bodyguard while visiting his family back home, to help care for his sick mother. To avoid further stressing his mother out over unseen threats and stalkers, he asks Hannah if she could pretend to be his girlfriend while on the job.

If you are a fan of the fake dating trope, this book is definitely a good one for it! While the characters have never met previously, I found their interactions entertaining, and was smiling at many points throughout the book.

I was not a fan of several side characters, it seemed like some were written solely with flaws in order to create some tension or conflict in the books. While I don't want to spoil anything, there was a scene I felt second-hand embarrassment from; I cringed!

Other side characters were great, and I love how Jack's family came to love Hannah. She deserved to have someone like Jack's mom in her life, and his moms *reaction* near the end of the book had me laughing and smiling. Reading about them all getting closer, especially Hannah and Jack, made my heart happy.

Really fun, cute and easy romance read! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.