4.5 stars!

Executive Protection Agent Hannah Brooks is dying to take an assignment somewhere, anywhere but Texas after the death of her mother and her boyfriend breaking up with her but life has other plans. Mega Movie Star Jack Stapleton is coming out of seclusion and needs protection, so the studio that owns him thinks at least, to help his mother with her battle with breast cancer. Thrown together by a twist of fate, and a slightly sadistic boss, can Hannah and Jack make their bodyguard turned fake girlfriend routine work or is Jack not as good of an actor as they thought?

I loved this book so much. Thank you to Netgalley for to opportunity to read it! The banter between Hannah and Jack was so engaging. Jack radiated with such joy and love that you couldn’t help but smile and Hannah had so much intelligence and spirit you had to root for her. This is a must read for anyone who loves a hysterical romance

Wow. Honestly, wow! What an incredibly compelling, fun, emotional, and encompassing love story! I have never read anything by this author before, but now I'm a HUGE fan! I love the way she approaches dealing with grief, betrayal, mental health, guilt, obsession, all of the things real life humans go through during the course of our lives, but so often get completely glossed over in romance. She didn't let it drag her into a dark depressing sob story either, she did everyone justice and made it something you WANT to read! I've already recommended this book to multiple people because I absolutely LOVED it! Well written, great story line, and I FELT what these two felt, I ached with them, worried with them, yearned with them, grieved with them, loved and hoped with them! Absolutely well done! See y'all on another page!

4🌟 The Bodyguard was the rom-com I didn’t know I needed! Witty, fun, and entertaining this story is written in easy digestible way and I finished it in two days. I couldn’t put it down!

Our main character Hannah Brooks is so likable and a badass. She may look more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener, but truth is she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard). Hannah is hired to protect the hottest movie star, Jack Stapleton, who is back home in Texas to take care of his sick mother and trying to avoid his threatening stalker without his family knowing about said stalker. Or the fact that he has a bodyguard. Which leaves Hannah in a situation where she’s pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend. The more time Hannah and Jack spend together, their faux romance starts to bloom and actually seem real.

I would have liked a little more character development across the board to feel more connected to the main characters - especially Jack.

Overall this was such a funny book and I can totally see this being adapted for film. It’s the perfect rom com and it’s a non steamy one, which I actually enjoyed (sometimes the steamy books get way too cheesy).

I really enjoyed The Bodyguard and recommend this for your next summer read!

I was provided an uncorrected digital ARC by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Bodyguard is the newest novel by best-selling author Katherine Center. This women’s contemporary fiction novel tells the story of Executive Protection Agent; Hannah Brooks and reclusive Hollywood star; Jack Stapleton. Hannah is assigned to protect Jack from his stalker, when he arrives home to be by his sick mother’s side. However, Jack doesn’t want to put his mother through more stress, so Hannah must pretend to be his girlfriend as part of the assignment. The more time the two spend together, the closer they grow, and feelings begin to develop. Will Hannah let herself break down the walls she has, and allow a chance at real love?

If you’re a fan of the fake dating, one bed, found family or forced proximity tropes, this book is for you. Mrs. Center comes up with a unique and interesting way for these two characters to be thrown together, and to begin to fall for each other.

Aside from the well-written love story, The Bodyguard also offers a compelling take on two individuals who bond through grief and trauma. Hannah, has recently lost her mother. And although she wasn’t particularly close to her, the more she opens up to Jack, the more she begins to see the good that existed in her mother. She also finds the kind of mother she always wished to have, in Jack’s mother. A relationship that provides her with a sense of peace.

Jack, is still dealing with the death of his younger brother. He continues to have nightmares of the night, and carries a lot of guilt with him. As he finds himself confiding in Hannah, he begins to come to terms with the events of that night. And finally comes to realize that his brother’s death wasn’t his fault.

The Bodyguard offers plenty of action scenes. They are carefully crafted to propel the plot forward. The miscommunication trope; a trope I’m not usually a fan of, is handled well. Although it briefly separates Hannah and Jack; it ultimately serves to propel their bond further, and bring them together as a united front.

One of the delights is the author has created two complex characters and has worked hard to avoid stereotypes.
Hannah, although short and unassuming, is a physically and emotionally strong heroine. Jack, is more than what you would expect from a Hollywood heartthrob, he’s got depth. The more time the reader spends with the characters, they see how Hannah and Jack fit together; how they bring out parts of their personalities that other’s before could not. As Hannah and Jack fall in love, the reader falls in love with them too.

Like all of Mrs. Center’s books, The Bodyguard delivers an engrossing plot that transfixes you to the story, which even keeps you reading well into the night. It’s the kind of book that you’ll want to have your own copy of, to read over and over again. And it’s the kind of love story that will make even the most hard hearted, want to open up and believe in the possibility of true love conquering all.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLnGxuSq/

I love everything Katherine Center writes, but this may be my new favorite! I could see these characters so vividly and I’m really hoping this gets made into a movie at some point! I was hooked from the beginning but couldn’t put it down for the last third!

Superstar actor/sexiest man alive Jack Stapleton and “ordinary” girl bodyguard Hannah Brooks get thrown together in an elaborate scheme to protect Jack from crazy stalkers during a trip to his family’s ranch in Texas. They help each other confront some past traumas while “acting” like the perfect couple… but are they acting??

Loved it so much!

*3.5* A well written, full of humor story between a female bodyguard and a "sexiest man alive" famous movie star. This was a really cute take on the fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope.

Katherine Center's novels usually lean to the lighter end of emotions. More rom-com than deeply introspective, with little-to-no steam. (This story has zero steam) Her writing style is easy to absorb and she has a quick wit that always cracks me up.

Hannah has terrible abandonment issues from her childhood, which leads her to being a bit of an emotional robot. Her current boyfriend has consistantly pecked away at her self-esteem, but she focuses on her job to keep herself steady. Hannah’s confidence and expertise shines through, this is where she’s happiest.

Jack is perfect, a gorgeous, rippling six-pack, brilliant smile, excellent wit, emotionally available, complete sweetheart of a hero.

Recommended for fans of lighter romance with a feel-good, almost too sweet plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this romcom! A celebrity-bodyguard romance, with the woman as the bodyguard. It was fun and funny, but still had some heavier moments (several deaths and illnesses, as well as an obnoxious ex and a stalker). But the light-hearted moments were fantastic, and I even laughed out loud quite a few times.

If you love a forbidden/bodyguard romance this book is for you (with a twist)!

I absolutely loved the gender flip, it made for a more interesting story! I appreciated the commentary that Hannah, was constantly being underestimated. Clearly, because she is a petite woman, she was not capable of being a bodyguard. Meanwhile, Jack trusted her capability to keep them both safe.

The banter between all the characters made this book. The chemistry between Hannah and Jack was off the charts and it was a natural progression. Jack's family deserved a book for themselves, honestly! Each character is wonderful in their own right.

The tropes are used wonderfully in this book. You get the forbidden romance element with their bodyguard/client relationship. There is fake dating as well! Overall the main aspect that stuck out was that it is different. It takes a trope and flips it on its head in all the best ways.

This book was very easy to read and the story flowed nicely. Almost as soon as i started reading I felt it read a lot like a rom com. I have read one book by Katherine Center and rated it 3 stars as well. Center’s books remind me a lot of hallmark books and while enjoyable and easy to read they don’t feel like favorites. Overall this book was a good time and look forward to reading more by this author.

3⭐️

This was a really good read but I wished it was dual pov we could have got more jack content :(
tropes:
Reverse grumpy sunshine
Bodyguard romance
celebrity
Thank you net gallery!

If you're read and loved any of Katherine Center's books I can guarantee you will love this one too. Her books just feel like free therapy and I cant explain it any other way. That being said, this one was more upbeat and "rom-comish" than any of her other books but it still has that signature heart, and exploration of deeper subjects that we've come to know and love from Katherine Center's books. If you like slow burn romances and books that are fade to black, I think you would love this one.

Brief Synopsis:
Hannah is a protection agent aka a bodyguard. She is hired to protect Jack who is an actor. Jack has come home to be with his family to help take care of his mother who has cancer. To hide Hannah’s actual job so she can be uncover she has to pretend to be Jack’s girlfriend.

My thoughts:
- You just can’t help but love Hannah she is awkward, extremely focused on her job and just makes you laugh especially her point of view on being faced with fake dating a celebrity!
- I love a good fake dating romance troupe! I mean how crazy would it be for just an ordinary girl that gets to pretend to date a famous person!
-This would make the cutest romcom movie!

I was not at all expecting how deadpan hilarious this book was! Every line, every page, just a complete gloriousness of adorable grumpy/sunshine with a super hot but believably down to earth actor. I also loved his family, and the Texas ranch, and the circus horse, and the crotchety bodyguard boss, and the shortness of the black moment at the end, and how the experience of reading this whole book was like having your body be made of butterflies.

Many stars, would read again. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy for an honest review, and my honest opinion is, I knew it would be good bc I've read Center before, but didn't know it'd be this good!

Oh my gosh, this book was SO 👏🏻 MUCH 👏🏻 FUN!!! 👏🏻 You know it’s a good sign when you’re sleep deprived and up in the middle of the night feeding your newborn and you STILL want to stay awake to read more.

Here’s the premise: the female MC is a highly skilled bodyguard who is assigned to protect a mega famous and handsome actor while he’s in town. During that time, she must pretend to be his girlfriend around his family.

This was a slow burn, charming romance and I LOVED the humor. There’s no steam but there is a sweet romance (you know I love my steam but the story is enthralling without it).

Read this if you’re looking for a feel-good romcom that will have you chuckling out loud and turning pages late into the night. It comes out July 19th!

What to expect:
•GrumpyxSunshine
•Fake dating
•Forced proximity
•One bed 🛏
•Sandra Bullock vibes from Miss Congeniality
•Refreshing gender roles
•A female MC who looks like a kindergarten teacher but could kill you with a bottle opener (and yet is afraid of cows 🐮)
•Ranch vibes
•Professional relationship to friends to lovers
•He’s smitten with her but she doesn’t know it
•Laugh out loud writing
•Sweet romance


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes.

Synopsis: After the death of her mother and subsequently being dumped by her boyfriend, Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard) Hannah Brooks is tasked with protecting a famous celebrity, Jack Stapleton, from a bizarre stalker.

Review: This book is so much fun! I adored the premise, with the gender-role swap and a fake-dating set-up that actually made sense to me (I can be tough on implausible circumstances 😂). My one issue was believing Hannah was an elite and sought-after bodyguard. Not because of her gender or stature (judgements which Center deftly sweeps away in her writing) but because Hannah makes a big speech about how her job is to “anticipate harm before it materializes” through vigilance and research... and then she gets snuck-up on by a herd of cows and steps into a deadly river on Jack’s property? Come on, Hannah! You’re supposed to be better than that! But I’m glad I was able to put that aside and just enjoy the ride. Jack and Hannah’s relationship was delightful and the climax might be one of my all-time favorites!

Overall, so much fun with just the right amount of heart.


Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of The Bodyguard, by Katherine Center! This book comes out July 19th, and womens fiction fans need to put this on their TBRs. I haven’t been the biggest Katherine Center fan in the past, but I REALLY enjoyed The Bodyguard!

In The Bodyguard, we meet Hannah Brooks, an Executive Protection Agent assigned to protect superstar Jack Stapleton. Only there’s a twist: he’s in town to help his sick mother, and needs Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend around his family so they aren’t alarmed or stressed about Jack having a stalker. What could go wrong?

Oh my gosh, this book was so cute. Hannah was such a fun main character: fearless, confident, and very good at her job! She continued to impress the heck out of me throughout the entire book. Jack made for such a great book boyfriend. I loved how devoted to his family he was, and how he got in touch with his feelings throughout the book. As a bonus, the Stapleton family added such a nice layer to this book. Jack and his brother’s relationship made for a great subplot, and the parents were definitely #relationshipgoals.

Overall, definitely don’t miss The Bodyguard. It would make a great addition to your pool or beach read stack.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Hanna brooks is a workaholic who uses the travel aspects of her job to escape. But when tragedy strikes her boss forces her to take a breather. Unfortunately, for Hanna that break takes her right out of an opportunity she’s been dying for and leaves her in Texas. Her boyfriend and coworker has also declared they are over. So now she’s stuck in Texas with nothing to do until she lands the gig of protecting Jack Stapleton mega movie star.

Now not only is Hanna stuck in Texas but she’s stuck with Jack Stapleton pretending to be his girlfriend.
But when the relationship seems more real than pretend Hanna has no escape. She has to face how she feels.

I loved this novel it was adorable and funny. I think the author does a splendid job of broadcasting the insecurities most of us feel. Being told you’re never enough so many times you start to believe it and it’s hard to change that mindset. I would definitely recommend this novel. I read this in a day. I loved Jack and Hanna and I loved the side characters aside from two which will be pretty obvious once you read it.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this.

when the book starts out with the short bodyguard main girl casually flipping the giant celebrity main guy on his rear end just to prove that she can, you know it’s gonna be good.

But it wasn’t just good. Please allow me to elaborate.

*breathes in*

IT WAS ADORABLY PERFECTLY AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL.

this book has all the best tropes: bodyguard romance, found family, one bed, fake dating, celeb and commoner, grumpy girl and sunshine boy.
you can bet your bottom dollar I was there for EVERY SINGLE ONE.

the writing style was effortless, the banter was witty, the descriptions flowed, and everything combined made me decide to not study calculus for an entire hour during finals season in order to finish it.

i know. this book was worth a death-defying level of sacrifice 😌


LE CHARACTERSSSS

Hannah Brooks. Normally heroines in the first person wildly annoy me, and heroines in the first person of contemporary romance are some of the worst. They're all bumbling and tongue-tied and unattractive and yet SOMEHOW get the hot guy to fall for them because “she’s not like other girls”

*rolls eyes overaggressively*

like darlings, it’s okay. we all know that relationship won’t last a year 😒😒

but i digress.

the point is that Hannah Brooks did not wildly annoy me. She broke the romance heroine stereotype. She flipped the main guy on his tailbone (literally) and shot twenty beer bottles perfectly after being mansplained how to shoot a gun (also literally). She didn’t fall all over herself when she was assigned to Jack even though he was her celebrity crush. She analyzed scenes and situations, picking up on subtle body language and danger JUST LIKE AN ACTUAL BODYGUARD. I loved how when she said she was going to beat something up, she actually did it. Hannah is a superb model for a heroine, let alone a contemporary romance one.

But all her skills pale in comparison to the internal demons she faced. Her mom died and boyfriend abandoned her within the same week, but she had the strength to fight her way back to normalcy. Yet she struggled with wondering if she was lovable, what it even meant to be lovable, and what it meant to be too hard to love. She struggled with the sadness you feel when there isn’t that one person in your life who'd always pick you over everybody else. Fear of being alone has definitely been something I’ve had for a long time, and I just felt so seen in this character. It’s kinda hard to define exactly why she felt so amazingly real, but I love her for it <3

#hannahbrooksupremacy


Next, Jack Stapleton.

JACKKKK

omigosh i cannot with this man. He’s the exact definition of guy falls first with all that subtle yearning that is just *chef’s kiss*

He makes sure she’s comfortable with fake dating boundaries. He sprints to her across the ranch when she comes back because he missed her so much. He admires her so much for flipping him over her head (i can’t get over that lol) and shooting down those twenty beer bottles. He offers her the bed about twenty times (she refuses all of them) because he feels horrible about her sleeping on the floor (but it does lead to a one bed trope sooooo 😏).
Oh and THE THING HE WAS DOING FOR HER WHEN HE SAID HE WAS GOLFING??? AHHHH OMIGOSH I CANNOT I LOVE HIM SM ⇐ read that part and tell me that’s not the most adorable thing EVER

*sniffs with heart eyes*

so if you like found families and celebrity life and sunshine boys and grumpy girls, please read this book.

I promise you won’t regret it ;)

A cute, feel-good romcom that's both thoughtful and funny.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with the eARC on Net Galley.

I was extremely excited to read this book. I like when I can count on authors to provide me exactly what I like and expect from their books, and Katherine Center does not disappoint!

Here's the spoiler-free premise: Hannah Brooks loves her job as an Executive Protection Agent, and not just because she gets to travel internationally. She's also really good at it; you might even say she's the best in her agency. So she really shouldn't be surprised that she's assigned to protect the hottest celebrity. But she is. Because not only does she not even get to leave the state, but in order to do her job, she's got to pose as his girlfriend. That might be a breeze for actor Jack Stapleton, but for Hannah, fresh off her mother's funeral and getting dumped by her boyfriend, it's definitely a tough assignment. The two end up forced to live together for weeks, and before she knows it, Hannah's fallen for Jack. But has he fallen for her or is he just a really good actor? And when it all comes to a head, will Hannah protect Jack or her own heart?

I think this was just another really well-done book from Katherine Center. What did I love about this book?

1) I loved the writing. Hannah narrates the story, and she's funny and witty and real. It was like being on the phone with your best friend since toddlerhood.

2) I loved the pacing. Nothing dragged or felt rushed. I mean, Hannah went on for a while about what being an EP Agent entails, but it was relevant. And I did think that Hannah realized her feelings for Jack rather suddenly, but life comes at you fast amiright?

3) I loved the fake relationship. Okay, I love all the romcom tropes, but fake relationships are always tricky because you really never can tell what's real and what isn't. And the fact that Jack is an actor -- meaning he can "stage kiss" and cry (or otherwise emote) on demand -- just ups the ante for Hannah. (And us, the readers!)

4) Perhaps what I love most about Katherine Center's books: I loved that there was depth to the characters. They have real -- and often traumatic -- experiences that leave them needing to be loved truly and handled with care. Center makes you know them and love them like they're your friends, good, bad, flaws and all. I was truly invested in the characters individually, but I also wanted to see how their days unfolded together and where life would take them. (Shoutout to the epilogue!)

Like Center's other books, this is a pretty quick read that I think many would enjoy. It's both emotional and light-hearted, a perfect blend of serious and funny with character development and active plot in perfect proportions. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book, even if romcom or "chick lit" aren't your go-to genres.

I have been a fan of Katherine Center and her romcom books since I read How to Walk Away in 2018. I fell in love with Katherine’s strong female characters who are down to earth and likeable while also being strong and capable.

The main character in The Bodyguard, Hannah Brooks, is another strong female lead that I absolutely cheered for the whole way through reading.

Hannah is a bodyguard who was just hired to protect the hot-celebrity actor Jack Stapleton from a middle-aged corgi-breeding stalker.

I loved the interactions between Hannah and Jack and how she didn’t immediately fall for or gush over Jack.

While being a light-hearted romantic comedy, The Bodyguard also deals with some difficult topics and finding forgiveness and healing after a family tragedy.

I loved my reading experience with this book so much…it was fun and light and just made my heart so very happy!!!

For closed door romance or romantic comedy readers…you’re going to love this latest novel by Katherine Center!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance readers copy to review!