I adore a good reversal of traditional roles kind of tale, and Katherine Center is a favorite of mine. I went in with great expectations. I was not disappointed.

Hannah and Jack are in an unusual relationship. She looks like a schoolteacher but knows 6 ways to kill you with a page-a-day calendar. He has the body of a Greek god and is being stalked by a middle-aged corgi-enthusiast. Hannah's job? Protecting Jack.

Of course, when Jack shakes the paparazzi long enough to visit his family and check in on his ailing mom, he can't worry them with his ridiculous stalker. Or his bodyguard. He manages to convince Hannah to keep his secrets during his visit...by acting in the very unlikely role of girlfriend.

Only, the role is all too easy to slip right into and here, things get personally complicated for Hannah. Can she manage to stay alert when Jack is so distracting? And how can she convince her stupid heart that this is just business?

I loved this book! Such a lovely Sunday spring/summer read. It was one of those books that just transports the reader into the setting, and I loved experiencing the Stapleton ranch and Texas alongside Hannah. Soft romance instead of spicy, that has a bit of fake dating along with a great cast of characters. Jack was swoon worthy and sweet and Hannah was the real main that was super enjoyable to read from. Would definitely read more from this author, and am looking forward to what comes next!

I am not usually a romcom kind of girl, but this book was a delightful read. Katherine Center has done it again. Lighthearted, entertaining, easy reading with some poignant insight on dealing with pain, imperfection, betrayal, self love, and risking love. I look forward to this author's next book!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: July 19, 2022

The witty banter in this is unmatched and I was intrigued from the start and hooked soon after. Workaholic “personal protection agent” Hannah is in for a wild readjustment to her routine when she meets her latest protection asset.

Jack Stapleton—Hollywood heartthrob—is back home in Texas for an extended visit with his sick mother and instead of stressing her out with the fact that he needs professional security, Hannah pretends to be his lovely girlfriend instead. Add in an estranged brother and the awkward fake dating trope is well on its way!

This made me feel all the feels—I laughed out loud, gasped out loud, and even shed some tears.

Unfortunately had to take off one ⭐️ for all the vitriolic digs at Hannah’s looks. It was completely unnecessary for them to be as harsh and frequent as they were and it was off-putting throughout the book.

I enjoyed this book up,until the last quarter. In fact, I was planning to give it a 4.5. Unfortunately, the last part when the date goes awry just didn’t fit and the romance lost some momentum. Otherwise, I loved the story of Jack and Hannah. Center can write a leading man! Jack was an absolute doll. The way he laughed at Hannah was precious.He and Hannah were adorable and had a believable emotional connection. As a Texan living near Houston I especially enjoyed the setting and felt it added to the story. I always enjoy a found family story so that was nice too. Overall, this was a good read and I give it a 3.5. Can’t wait her next book. Thanks for the ARC.

I know Katherine Center is slow burn but I wish there was a little more legit romance before the very end (I mean, I saw the one bed and thought for sure).

*3.75/5

wow. this book was definitely a surprise! it started out slower than i thought it would be, but once hannah and jack met it started to speed up, and it kept getting better! i loved the concept of the book and how it was executed, but i what i loved the most was reading about hannah and jack, their interactions, their banter, their domestic content (!!!), not to mention that love confession! i really loved them as a couple. at one point, everything was going too well and i was afraid of the third act conflict until that twist! of course, there are some clichés in it but i really didn't mind them. this book just flew by, and i really recommend it if you're a fan of the bodyguard trope!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book (out in July)! I have been enjoying Katherine Center’s books for a while now, ever since someone at a book signing told me about her.

The Bodyguard opens with Hannah dealing with the loss of her mother and a breakup with her douchebro boyfriend/co-worker. Hannah is struggling to deal with everything and her boss won’t let her work until she gets herself together. She’s a personal protection agent and she could kick your ass.

Hannah gets assigned to protect THE Jack Stapleton, a movie star, who is staying in Texas at his family’s ranch while his mother recovers from breast cancer treatment. And Hannah is not impressed by Jack’s fame or fortune. She ends up posing as his girlfriend rather than tell his family what’s going on.

Jack and his brother Hank hate each other due to an incident resulting in the death of their younger brother Drew so there’s a lot of fighting. But there are also a lot of really sweet family moments with Connie and Doc Stapleton, (the parents) and Hannah gets to see what a family can be.

Add in Jack having a stalker and there’s a tiny bit of mystery interwoven in the story as well. It’s a cute book. I loved watching Jack and Hannah fall for each other. Fake dating! Only one bed! Gotta love those tropes.

My biggest issue with the book and ultimately the reason I went with three stars over four, is the overemphasis on how plain Hannah is. From the beginning of the book when they are deciding who should guard Jack throughout the entire story, we are constantly barraged with descriptions of just how plain and boring Hannah is and nondescript and ordinary. So much so that I was screaming okay we get it, she’s not special. And yes, of course Jack falls in love with her anyway and loves her because she’s not impressed with him and isn’t famous but it was super repetitive and almost offensive to be honest. I found it to be too much and it annoyed me so much that I had to give the book 3 stars.

The Bodyguard is coming out in July 2022 and is available now for pre-order.

This book was about Hannah, an Executive Protection Agent, who is tasked with protecting a handsome, famous movie star. Like all Katherine Center's books, it was a compulsively readable, feel-good story. However, unlike her other books, this one felt way more rom-commy and less strong- female-lead-grows-and-learns-something-about-herself. I mean, Hannah does, in the end, grow and learn more about herself, and she definitely is a strong female lead, but it really felt that the romance overshadowed Hannah's personal story. That being said, this was still funny, sweet and entertaining. Jack was a pretty delicious male lead, as well. 😁

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Hannah Brooks is the last person you would imagine is a bodyguard. At 5'4, she looks more like a kindergarten teacher than someone who could kill you with a...paper napkin? Meanwhile, Jack Stapleton is a Hollywood movie star who disappeared from the public eye after the death of his younger brother. Now he's going home to Texas to visit family and his team is forcing him to bring some backup. Not wanting to worry his family he asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend while a middle-aged corgi breeding stalker is becoming more of a threat. While I wasn't a fan of when the protagonist would reference the reader (it forced me out of the story rather than drawing me in), after the first few chapters the book became hard to put down. This book is very trope-y but in a way that makes it endearing and feels like a rom-com. 'The Bodyguard' is a quick and fun read about trying to heal from the past and learning to fall in love.

*Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was such a fun read! It gave me the same feelings as when I watch any of my favorite rom-coms, and I think an adaptation of this book would make a wonderful movie.
Hannah Brooks is a workaholic bodyguard who is tasked with protecting Hollywood star Jack Stapleton. Jack does not want to worry his family with the knowledge that he is receiving threats from stalkers, so he has Hannah pretend to be his girlfriend. Soon into their deception, Hannah begins to fall for Jack, but she can't help wondering: is he still pretending?
I found this book to be funny, lighthearted and a little predictable: all the things I want in a romantic comedy. While the plot was a bit far-fetched I enjoyed it immensely and kept my attention the entire time!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book deserves all the hype it is getting. Hannah and Jack are the best! It was easy to love them both as they fell for each other. Center did a wonderful job writing these characters and creating this world. I wish I could read it again for the first time, but it will definitely go on my reread list!

This is the first novel I've read by Katherine Center, but it certainly won't be the last. I have been so excited to read this as I've seen it talked about by others who have gotten to review it early, so I was a bit worried I'd built it up too much, but NOPE, this is a phenomenally enjoyable read and totally deserves the hype. It pulled me in from chapter one and had me ignoring the other things I needed to this weekend in favor of reading. I fell in love with the characters and the story. I'll now be going back and reading Center's backlist and looking forward to all her future books!

I loved this his book! It was such a fun read. It was romantic and heartwarming and had so many laugh out loud moments.
I thought the chemistry and banter was great, and loved the plot.
If you're a romance lover then you are definitely going to need this book you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy a new Katherine Center novel, so when my review request for her upcoming book THE BODYGUARD hit my inbox I hit download so fast and then ignored my responsibilities for the rest of the evening. This one features Hannah Brooks, an executive protection agent, who has been hired to protect actor Jack Stapleton while he returns to his family's ranch in Texas.

This book is straight sugary candy blended with Center's signature complicated characters whose histories and backstories complicate their emotional and love lives. In this one, both Hannah and Jack are reeling from their past traumas, traumas which become the center of the book as they work to help each other heal. Bonus for my romance loving friends: this features the one bed trope.

Aside from that, I do wish the book dove into the secondary characters a bit more. Hannah's friendship difficulties with Taylor don't resonate as deeply as they could because we don't see in scene moments of their friendship going well, we only see Taylor's cruelty. The same goes for Robby who Hannah has just broken up with.

Add this to your summer reading tbr pile. I'll just be here awaiting my next Katherine Center novel and/or reading her backlist again.

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

Katherine Center is an instant purchase author for me every since I read my first book by her, How to Walk Away. I didn’t even need to read the description to know I would love this book. I’ve come to expect the cliche love story of two people falling in love who shouldn’t fall in love but these stories are told in such a way that you can’t help but love every second of it. For two polar opposites, you wouldn’t expect Jack and Hannah to fall for one another. They’ve both endured unthinkable tragedy. When less than ideal circumstances bring them together, they’re both forced to face those tragedies and find a path forward together. Even the ending, which could have added even more tragedy to the lives of everyone in this store had a positive outcome which I loved.

I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this story! I thought it was going to be like Whitney Houston’s body guard roles reversed but it was light and funny. All of the characters were so endearing, even the ones you’re meant to dislike. My only critique was that I didn’t feel the lead - Hannah’s - personality matched her job. I would have expected her to be more badass but she was more damsel in distress. If you ignore that part, it’s an enjoyable story.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bodyguard seems like a traditional romance at first glance, but this couldn't be a Katherine Center book if it wasn't infused with emotion, humor, humanity and great insight. Jack is a famous movie star, Hannah is his unexpected bodyguard, but they feel real because there's so much more to them and it was a wonderful, heartwarming journey getting to know them as they got to each other.. I slept way too late wanting to read just more page, highlighting the laugh out loud moments, smart dialogue and the thoughtprovoking lines that had me hooked from beginning to end.

This was my favorite novel by Center. Hannah, is a bodyguard for an elite company. After losing g hero, her boss sends her ro Katy, Texas to guard one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Their growing friendship is wonderful descriptive and the ending was divine. A must read.

I absolutely adored this book! I was immediately a fan of the "non-traditional" gender roles of the female MC as a bodyguard for the male love interest. The chemistry, banter, and plot were all great! This book is definitely worth buying and I think I will definitely buy myself a physical copy when it comes out. If you're a huge romance lover then you DEFINITELY need to purchase this book you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an honest review.