I love Katherine Center, so I was super excited to get approved for this ARC. I read it in one sitting, it was such an easy book to devour and such a fun book! It was not my favorite book by this author, but it was still good.

This gave me Miss Congeniality vibes with Hannah being the executive protection agency instead of a man. I loved that Katherine Center flipped the narrative on that and showed that females can be just as effective. Parts of the plot were very predictable, but it was still fun and I laughed out loud multiple times. I fell in love with Jack's family, and it was fun reading about Hannah's coworkers. And Katherine developed Jack Stapleton to be so swoon worthy,

Would definitely recommend to someone looking for a fun romance with a little danger wrapped into it.


**Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book**

I want to expand my rating system to give this more stars. All of the stars. A GALAXY OF STARS.

The premise of The Bodyguard had me intrigued, but within a few pages I was 100% hooked. I read this in a single sitting, felt bereft that it was over, and then did what any normal person would do and immediately started Happiness for Beginners... and then finished THAT before bed.

I officially have Katherine Center problem and I'm not mad.

The Bodyguard is sweet, hilarious, and SO much FUN. Hands down my favorite book of 2022 so far.

Deepest of thank yous to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. I haven't been this excited about a book in a long while.

I loved every word of this book. I love how Hannah grew as a character from this woman with a low self esteem who give every ounce of herself to her career to a woman who loved herself enough to love someone else. I loved Jack’s family and how they accepted her right away. I loved the ending too and the drama! Loved it!

This romcom has such great reviews that I went in with very high expectations (I should really stop doing that), only, of course, to be disappointed. The premise of “The Bodyguard” is totally up my alley: it’s a famous/non-famous fake-dating romance about a woman who becomes a bodyguard to an A-list actor. But many of the elements that I assumed would make this book a stand out for me didn’t work, mainly because the author insists on gesturing toward tropes without committing to them. If there’s Only One Bed, it’s understandable for a reader to expect the characters to have to share that bed (spoiler: they do not! not once! she sleeps on the floor! the whole time!). The Fake Dating trope raises the “Are These Feelings Real or Just Pretend?” issue, but Center doesn’t commit to that either. Instead, the empasis is on the protagonist’s self esteem, and whether or not she’s attractive enough to be seen with an A-lister. It’s all very 2000s––the idea that the protagonist is so “ordinary-looking,” and yet somehow “not like the other girls” goes unchallenged, as does the author’s portrayal of the “villain,” a shallow and painfully generic mean girl. Have we not evolved beyond this type of characterization?

“The Bodyguard” sets its protagonist up as being excellent at her job (“you’re the best we’ve got!” vibes), but Hannah ultimately comes off as an amateur. She seems unprepared for her mission; she does no research beforehand and objects to her assignment at every step of the way. The power dynamic between Hannah and her boss is also uncomfortable. This is a toxic workplace, depicted without a truly critical eye. Hannah’s awful ex and co-worker, Robbie, takes up too much room in the plot, and whatever the reader is supposed to feel toward Taylor (Hannah’s “best friend” and other co-worker) is unachieved, since her relationship with Hannah is poorly established. The final conflict is perhaps the weakest element of the book. At the climax of the story, the armed man who turns out to be the actor’s stalker says he wants to kill himself because his life is terrible. And Hannah, a trained professional who’s just been rejected by her client-slash-crush, is unironically like, “oof, relatable.”

Despite how the book is marketed, there’s something almost YA-ish about “The Bodyguard.” The writing has a Meg Cabot-esque voicy quality, and the concerns seem influenced by early Cabot and Kinsella romcoms. Like many of those stories, this romance is a fade-to-black, but it lacks the fun, biting, and sexy elements that feel inherent to all great romantic comedies. The banter and chemistry between the book’s MCs is effective at times, but ultimately, these instances aren’t enough to rescue this book from everything that weighs it down.

I devoured this book in a day. As I was reading this book, I could easily see this as a movie. I liked that the author made the female character protecting the male character as her job. It was a refreshing change. The main character showed a little more emotions than I would have pictured someone would as a bodyguard, but it worked in the story. Also, I’m now ready to go live on a ranch for a little bit. This book had me feeling every emotion, but overall, I loved it!

Hannah is a great professional bodyguard, despite her size, and is tasked with becoming the bodyguard, and eventually the fake girlfriend of A-list actor Jack, to help protect him from a stalker.

This book was so sweet and despite dealing with heavy topics, the MC relationship is very cute. The book is a slow burn, but the storyline moves quickly with lots of side characters and subplots, that don’t feel distracting. Would definitely recommend this sweet read.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I really enjoyed this book. From the opening pages, I was grinning and loving the never ending banter between Hannah and her coworkers. I liked Hannah—she was witty and Uber resilient. The romance was really good as well. The reason I’m knocking the rating down is because I wasn’t able to ever connect with Hannah. At the beginning this may have been okay since that’s what the character struggled with—building meaningful and deep relationships with other—but even as she changed, I just didn’t actually feel like there was anything to really connect me to her. Center’s other characters in How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire were top notch leads. This book just lacked the depth I expected of Center. Still—I really enjoyed it! I started reading and was unable to put it down. Would recommend.

Genuinely, "The Bodyguard" is the kind of book that was made for me. The tropes were always going to win me over, which is to say, if someone isn't a big fan of the bodyguard or fake dating trope, then this isn't going to be the story for them. But for people, such as myself, that are obsessed with it, consider yourselves in good company my friends, because this is the book for you.

The most fun with this book simply comes from the dialogue, and the interactions, and how important it is to find real human connection in a world that often feels fake. Now, I could probably discuss more deeply the fake that plastic surgery isn't something that should be villainized at all, that in this society we should always be accepting. But the truth is, I found it refreshing that this book picks at Hollywood, and presses at things that prove, time and time again, that what we see is not always what we get. With people. With films. With families, and the truths that we tell ourselve.

I'm not claiming that I necessarily came away from "The Bodyguard" with a new understanding of myself or others, but I do think this is the kind of comfort read (despite the whole, you know, armed abduction part) when it comes to giving yourself the credit you deserve. To not just take someone's opinion to heart, just because they said it, and just because you thought they weren't the person who would do that for you.

In many ways, this is a book about suvivors. About what we do after we've been in a traumatic situation, and how we intend on leading our lives after that. Hannah chose to devote her life to protecting other people, when it was clear that she couldn't protect her mother. Jake has made it a point to poke holes in Hollywood, and show us all the imperfections behind surgically created masks.

"The Bodyguard" isn't about to revolutionize anything, but it is, to put it simply, a fun read, that offers you depth where you need it, and outright joy when you need that, too.

Was very cute! I think this is one of the author’s best work yet as her previous books were just okay but this was fun and lighthearted

Lovely book, would read it again! Really enjoyed how the bodyguard trope was switched out this time, reversing the roles

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for early access to The Bodyguard in exchange for an honest review.

HOLY HECK?? Fake dating?? Sunshine boy?? Grumpy girl?? Found family vibes? Ranch in the country vibes?? Girl who’s a bodyguard but scared of horses and cows?! Hot actor who is a genuine person and throws up over bridges? This book had me smiling the whole time!! Please preorder this book now!! I loved it. Well-written and relatable characters. Evil ex-boyfriend and the ending was AMAZING

A heartwarming, feel-good fake dating romance between a bodyguard and the celebrity actor she's hired to protect. Set in small town Texas, Hannah has recently lost her mother and is assigned to protect reclusive actor Jack Stapleton while he's in town visiting his parents.

Having to pose as Jack's girlfriend, Hannah gradually falls in love with both Jack and his charming family, realizing that there actually are families that care for one another deeply. It takes a death threat against Jack's new girlfriend to cause Hannah to leave unexpectedly, leaving Jack vulnerable to the real threat.

This was just a heart-warming romance that sees both main characters work through their issues. Jack is grieving the death of his younger brother and Hannah is getting over the death of her mother and a recent breakup that has made her question her own self-worth.

What I really loved most about this book was the message that it is more important to love yourself than almost anything else. You can't love someone else until you can appreciate your own self-worth and that is the journey Hannah goes on with this book.

Katherine Center fans are not going to be disappointed. This was a beautiful, feel-good love story that I was sad to see end. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read and enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire by this author, so i was looking forward to this book. It didn’t disappoint; it’s a great read, and I i give it 5 stars.

The main character, Hannah, is a Personal Protection Agent (bodyguard) who’s struggling with the loss of her mother, boyfriend, and best friend all at once. She’s outraged to discover her next assignment is to guard an outrageously attractive A-list actor named Jack who insists she pose as his girlfriend. Poor Hannah’s low self-esteem is pushed even lower when her ex-boyfriend, who’s also a work colleagues , says no one will believe it. But Hannah forges ahead, being professional and breaking all her own rules for not getting personally involved, as she gets to know Jack and his family.

I really liked Hannah and Jack who have great chemistry—much of their dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny. They also have many poignant moments when they reveal their vulnerabilities to each other. There were many well-rounded secondary characters who really contributed to the book: Jack’s family was almost too good to be true while Hannah’s work colleagues were funny and snarky in a totally believable way.

The author clearly researched acting and personal protection, and I enjoyed learning about both. I think she included just the right amount of information to add depth to the story without weighing it down. The ending was creative and perfect. I read the book in one sitting; it was an interesting, enjoyable, and well-written book.

Loved this new to me author y'all!
This book made me so giddy with happiness alll the way around!
I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Jack and Hannah are just too funny and cute together. They make a great team all in all.
This is one of my favorite rom coms of all time.
I know one thing for sure I absolutely love Hannah. She's just an awesome person and I loved her journey so very much.
A lot of her journey I can relate to and some just no.
I simply couldn't put this delightful book down and it really made my day. I finished it one sitting because it was so good.
The ending was definitely a surprise. I loved how it all wrapped up in the end.
The plot of the story is definitely a page turner.
Wish I could give this cute little story more than five because I just enjoyed it so much and the author has done such an amazing job with bringing Hannah and Jack to life that I felt all of their emotions and I feel like they are my new friends.
I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. I was NOT required to write a positive review.

At five foot-five inches Hannah Brooks looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly. If you assumed that you would be dead wrong. She is highly trained bodyguard and has picked up an assignment with a very famous and good looking actor named, Jack Stapleton. When Jack has to travel to see his sick mom, he asks Hannah to pretend she is his girlfriend so he can avoid the question of why he needs a bodyguard. What’s the harm in a small white lie…until it becomes more reality than lie??!!

Let me start by saying I don’t normally read rom-coms at all. But I am really glad I read THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center. It was an absolutely different type of book for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can expect a very quick and easy read with plenty of funny situations. Everything is written in the most tasteful manner which I loved. After reading this, I look forward to Katherine Center’s next book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Loved it!!! Such a delightful rom-com that is sure to be a 2022 summer hit! Hannah is a top-notch executive protection agent or bodyguard assigned to protect Jack Stapleton, a well-known Hollywood actor. Jack needs to return home to Texas to be with his mom, having surgery for cancer. But Jack has a stalker and has received several threats to his life, so his studio has contracted the services of Hannah to be his bodyguard. To do so, Hannah poses as Jack’s girlfriend, albeit reluctantly. Jack is a bit nervous as well due to tension in his once tight knit family. He has not been home since his younger brother’s death in an accident. With all the banter, the laughs, the comfort of sharing life’s experiences, it was predictable that Jack and Hannah become attracted to each other, but that was okay with me as I appreciated watching them fall in love. However, Hannah has to decide what is real and what is acting. It doesn’t help that Hannah’s ex-boyfriend, also working at the same agency, continues to demoralize Hannah as unworthy and undeserving of anyone’s affections.

I really looked forward to reading this story, having read her previous books “What You Save in a Fire” and “How to Walk Away”, and it did not disappoint. In true Katherine Center style, she has introduced well developed characters and a narrative that just speaks to the reader. It makes you feel as if you are sitting in the same room and having the story relayed to you over a comfortable cup of coffee. Center’s style of developing characters that you care about is so rich. The story makes you laugh and sigh, giving over a whole range of emotion. I love the twist at the end even though I knew that the story can’t have wrapped up so soon so that there had to be something more. This is a book you will want to read and you will enjoy.

Many thanks to #netgalley #katherinecenter #thebodyguard #st.martinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I think this was a little too ‘romcom’ for me, personally.

I found most of the attempts at being charming and funny actually feeling juvenile and awkward. It was just a little too over the top for what I was wanting and expecting.

I will say that the gender roles in this are refreshing. It was so interesting to have the female MC be the bodyguard and protect the guy. I think the dynamic itself actually worked out well! It's just a shame that I didn't think any of the characters acted like fully grown adults.

I also don't think it helps that this is a slow burn romance, which would have worked really well if this had a more serious and realistic tone. But because it's supposed to be upbeat and light, it definitely needed some of that banter and tension to balance it out. So not having any sort of romance show up until the 85% mark is just too late to make a difference.

So this didn't quite work out for me. But based on other reviews, I'm definitely in the minority. So if you enjoy the fake dating trope, then this is one to add to your TBR.

4.5⭐️ This was so fun! And I practically read it in one sitting. I very much enjoy this author’s books and her main characters. .So put this on your July TBR and until then read How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire, which were both 5⭐️ reads for me.

You CAN judge Katherine Center’s books by their covers. They’re bright and bold and so very full of life!

Center has such a unique voice. - I adore the way her characters interact. But, most of all, I love the messages she infused into her stories. In “Things You Save in a Fire”, the message was forgiveness.. In this one, it’s about learning to love yourself. Things that are often easier said than done.

I honestly didn’t want this one to end. But, isn’t there a saying “Don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy you got to read it!” Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.