Katherine Center wrote a sweet and emotional tale with such heart and love that I couldn't put it down.

After her mom dies and her boyfriend dumps her, Hannah Brooks is desperate to avoid her mess of a life and sink into work as an Executive Protection Agent, a bodyguard to wealthy corporate clients. In walks her next assignment, reclusive superstar actor Jack Stapleton who needs protection from a middle-aged stalker while visiting his sick mother. The catch: Jack wants Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend so his family won't know. Now Hannah must act the part, and decide whether Jack's just a really good actor or if the connection they seem to share is real.

I rarely read romances, but I am all over Katherine Center's love stories, especially since they aren't steamy at all. Don't expect quality literature here, but a cute engaging contemporary romance that won't make you think too much, but has the feel-good happily-ever-after ending you crave. I liked how Center flips the script, making Hannah the protector of the male protagonist. If you want a light easy rom-com without steamy sex scenes, The Bodyguard will be the perfect summer read for you.

While Hannah Brooks is renowned for guarding others, she's locked away her emotions. Remaining steadfast in her duty as a bodyguard, Hannah forgoes personal attachments. When she's selected as a famous movie star's bodyguard, she would rather have an international assignment to escape reality.

Judging by appearances, Jack is an entitled star that she's stuck protecting. Treating him like a regular person instead of a star, Jack respects her for being immune to his charm. Realizing that Jack is threatening to topple the walls she built, she's afraid to put her heart on the line. Will Jack be the one that can convince Hannah to star in her own life instead of remaining in the background?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of 'The Bodyguard' in exchange for an honest review. I'm a fan of Katherine Center's books and eagerly awaited her new novel. To be honest, I wasn't sure of the book's direction or my interest at its beginning. As I grew to care about Hannah and Jack, my opinion changed. The book needed that opening to fully appreciated Hannah's journey. Readers will realize that you can't judge a person or a book by its cover.

Excerpt from The Bodyguard:

You’re thinking I’m five-foot-five, and female, and nothing even close to brawny. You’re conjuring a stereotype of a bodyguard—maybe a club bouncer with skintight shirtsleeves squeezing his biceps—and you’re noting that I’m pretty much the opposite of that. You’re wondering how I could possibly be any good.

Let’s clear that up. Steroid-inflated bruisers are one type of bodyguard: a bodyguard for people who want the whole world to know they have a bodyguard. But the thing is, most people don’t.

Most clients who need executive protection don’t want anyone to know about it.
I’m not saying that the big guys don’t have value. They can have a deterrent effect. But they can also do the opposite. It all depends on the type of threat, to be honest.

Most of the time, you’re safer if your protection goes unnoticed. And I am fantastic at going unnoticed. All women EP agents are, which is why we’re in high demand. No one ever suspects us. Everyone always thinks we’re the nanny.

I do the kind of protection most people never even know is happening—even the client. And I’m the least-lethal looking person in the world. You’d think I was a kindergarten teacher before you’d ever suspect that I could kill you with a wine bottle opener."

A few chapters into this book, I nearly stopped reading. In the slow build up to the main storyline, the protagonist isn’t a particularly likable character and there are just too many words going nowhere. I’m glad that I stuck it out, because the story turned out to be surprisingly sweet and humorous.

Hannah, the lead character, excels in her career as a bodyguard. As a result of past trauma, she never truly lets others in until she is assigned to Jack and his family. It’s fairly clear that the two will end up together, and once their story got going I was hooked. The dialogue and scenes are fun, and I truly enjoyed the character development.

Although sweet and fitting, the ending was a bit long-winded.

I’d easily give this a five-star rating if the beginning and ending had been more strictly edited. Otherwise, it’s a book that I feel many patrons will enjoy. I certainly did.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for access to the ARC in exchange for a review.

Hannah is one of the best security agents at her firm but she's finally met her match with her latest assignment --- pretending to be Hollywood heart-throb Jack Stapleton's girlfriend while really protecting him from a stalker.

While she integrates herself further into the family, she finds herself opening up in a way that she never has before --- especially with a client. She has a harder time separating what's real and what's good acting, because she can't believe that someone like Jack would be truly interested in someone as ordinary as her.

This book was cute but would have loved a little more steam! I loved the friendship and the banter between these characters but didn't see the love connection I was hoping for.

Still an enjoyable beach read perfect for Summer 2022!

I have been a fan of this author for quite some time so I was thrilled to read this book. The author has such a great way of being so descriptive in her writing. I could picture myself in the scenes and it makes the story even more enthralling for the reader.



Hannah is the bodyguard and she has overcome so much in her life. I really appreciated her self-deprecation yet also her ability to succeed in a world that was challenging for her. Jack Stapleton is the famous actor that she has been hired to protect. Definitely characters that the reader will fall in love with.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I'm not sure what makes Katherine's books so compulsively readable but this was a reading at 3am and then waking up early to finish book. The characters weren't as developed as some of her other books but I just didn't care.

I am really enjoying Katherine Center's books. She is becoming one of my favorite authors. This book was so easy to become involved with and was so entertaining. I have been recommending her books to all of my patrons at the library.

I have read several of Katherine Center's other books and have really enjoyed them, but this is my favorite so far! What a treat! Hannah Brooks is an unconventional bodyguard for movie star, Jack Stapleton. With that being said, she is more than capable for the job. However, Jack does not make keeping the line of professionalism easy with his handsome looks and down-to-earth ways. Center does a wonderful job developing this plot line without making it hokey in any way. In addition, you can't help but love the characters as you read the book.

I would love to see The Bodyguard become one of 2022's best beach reads. It is thoroughly enjoyable and perfect for a day at the beach. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this delightful read when I needed it most!

Was this supposed to make me think of Matthew McConaghey? Was I supposed to know where I thought this was gonna go right from the start?
So many scenes reminded me of the movie The Proposal. On the other hand, The Stapleton Ranch could only be the Yellowstone property in my minds eye. So I’ve got McConaghey and Sandra Bullock driving up to Yellowstone Ranch. I guess I’ve seen too many movies.

So many adorable scenes. The nightgown scene made me laugh out loud. 😆 Some other scenes I just loved but won’t describe because…spoilers!

I usually take notes for my reviews but with this one, I felt like I was watching a rom com I’ve seen before but still can’t stop watching. I didn’t bother with notes, just read with a full heart. The safety pin!! Accck, so very sweet. And then the ending throws you for a little loop that I didn’t see coming.

There’s just something about the way Katherine Center writes that I connect with and I really enjoy. This one is no different and I found to be like a fuzzy blanket or a warm hug. Just a great comfort read. I gobbled it up in 24 hours and now I’m sad to have to wait for her next one.

I’ll be there for it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very cute closed door romance! I love reading about women who are in male-dominated fields which is what this was. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two MCs… they felt more like close friends. Anyone else? I also could have done without some of the predictable side characters, but it was a good read overall. I hope to read more from Katherine Center!

Let’s start with the writing: In a nutshell, it’s not good.
The story is unnecessarily long, with dialogues that go on and on over the same thing dragging a fruitless conversation and then “puff” the chapter is chopped. Then we have the overuse of words like anyway or anyhow: I’m not an expert, but there are better ways to connect ideas in a story, and as a reader with English as a second language, grammar is very important, and it doesn’t matter that a story is good, bad grammar makes a story looks bad.
Then we have the characters… They are horrible, all of them.
Hannah the protagonist, who supposes to be this amazing strong bodyguard, in reality, she’s whiny, weak, with low self-esteem and immensely annoying. I mean she doesn’t even carry a gun. The boss is a jerk, the best friend is a jerk, and the ex-boyfriend is the biggest jerk of all. Oh! let’s not forget the family of the love interest manipulative and jerk as well.
Everybody’s behavior is immature like they were in a high school or something. (sorry! non-offence to high schoolers.)
Jack is the only one who deserves a star.
The plot is another thing: all over the place, or no plot at all.
After 46% into the book, I skipped almost at the end, which also it’s not good, but the worst part is that I didn’t read a big chunk of the story still, I didn’t miss much.
Do I recommend this book?
Even though lots of people seem to like it, it didn’t work for me, so no, I don’t recommend it.
But as I always say, it’s just an opinion, maybe for somebody else, this could be the best book of all.

Sometimes I even roll my eyes at myself. I am one of those incredibly sarcastic, steely-forged outer shell with the gooiest, drippy insides that I don't share with most people. Not many witnesses . . . and yet, here we are.

This was just a sweet and fun story. Bodyguard / security detail lead, Hannah Brooks, has just buried her mom and been dumped by her co-worker boyfriend when she's assigned to be the lead on security for big movie star Jack Stapleton. Story ensues, featuring playfulness, predictability, saccharine moments that somehow manage to not be sickening, and even a couple of surprise spots.

This made a great palate cleanser — it was light, enjoyable, and infused with a quiet warmth. Sometimes the recounting-style narration with an occasional drop into second person was a tad much, but it was easily overlooked.

For me there were a lot of contradictions in this book. It is in first person, which is a challenge for me always. I tried to let that happen but I had moments of "nooo why" far too often. The FMC has shades of "not like other girls", which is off-putting. I was rooting for the romance because...romance? I loved the family ties and the way that they managed to heal.

I did not care for the ending, at least not in the way it was set up. Always HEA, so that was good, but the preachy "learn from my mistakes" bit was not so lovely. For me it was super cheesy in a way that I couldn't get past.

Rating: Enjoyed It, 3.5 stars, rounded to 4

This book was a lot of fun! Hannah is an elite Executive Protection Agent for high profile clients. She is a workaholic who is used to jet setting around the world with her wealthy clientele. When her mother dies, her coworker boyfriend breaks up with her, and her boss relegates her to home office duty, Hannah decides she will do anything to get back out in the field, even pretend to be the girlfriend of movie star Jack Stapleton in order to protect him from a middle-aged stalker while he is home to visit his sick mother.

What I Liked:
- I thought that Hannah's inner monologue was delightful and there were several times that I was laughing out loud
- I thought that both characters were very likable and their romance was believable
- Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and I thought it was done very well
- I also enjoyed that we got to see some character growth in both our heroine and hero. They both had some big things that they were dealing with in their pasts, and I thought that this was handled well.

What I didn't like:
- first person POV of only the heroine - it actually wasn't something I actively disliked because I thought that Hannah was a lot of fun to be in her head, but I definitely prefer when we get both POVs
- There was absolutely zero steam. This was probably my biggest complaint, even the kissing was basically glossed over. However, I do see now that it is technically under Women's Fiction rather than Romance. But still, it read like a romance, so I was disappointed.
- The narrative structure was sort of weird. At times it was a normal first person POV but then at others, she would narrate the current event by referencing something that happened in the future, so that was sort of bizarre and would pull me out of the story because that's just not how it was set up at first.

Overall it was a fun and quick read, and I'm glad I had a chance to read it! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance eARC. The Bodyguard releases on July 19, 2022.

I have loved every Katherine Center book I've read, and I've read all of them. This one is no exception, but it lacks the emotional punch of her others. It's sweet and happy, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and (spoiler but not really since book romances USUALLY have HEAs) the tough female bodyguard get her handsome movie star. So why only 4 stars instead of 5? Well, it was entirely predictable, and the characters just didn't have a lot of depth. This could absolutely be a romantic comedy right this very second, and I would watch it. You cast some fun, charming actors, and it would be a hit. But on the page, the characters were a little flat. I didn't believe she was that badass or that he was that charming just because he leaves his laundry on the floor. It was just...missing something. I didn't totally buy it.

Now, having said that, if Center set out to write a feel-good story to give readers an escape from the absolute suck of our world in the last couple of years...one that you don't have to think about too hard where all differences end up resolved, no one dies, whatever's lost is found again and even the "bad guy" ends up redeemed? This is your book. And I mean, I can't at all fault Center for producing a cute, easy read that makes people happy.

But I do hope she goes back to a deeper tale with more of a soul for her next one because she totally kicks ass at those.

I've read every one of Katherine Center's books and was excited to obtain an advanced copy of this one from NetGalley. What I love about Center's stories is they are fun and funny, the writing and dialogue are snappy, and the main character is a woman who is flawed and learning - learning about relationships, learning about family, learning about herself. The Bodyguard is no exception, Hannah is a workaholic private protection agent who is disappointed by her mother, her boyfriend, her best friend, and her uncompassionate boss. But she perseveres and not only comes to accept herself but she finds romance. Do I know when I start a Katherine Center book that it will have a happy ever after ending? Of course, but that's why I read and re-read them, they make me feel happy.

Katherine Center brought a fresh approach to the bodyguard trope by having the heroine as the actual bodyguard. Protecting a world famous, sexiest man alive actor could be distracting for any woman with a heartbeat but Hannah is different. She’s got rules and boundaries all set in place to keep her exempt from Jack Stapleton’s charm. Until their plans go awry and she has to pretend to be his girlfriend.

This is an easy going summer read. Perfect to get lost in on those lazy beach days.

I’ll start by saying that I am the biggest fan of Katherine Center. Her books are always entertaining, heartfelt, and feature a heroine who shows a real growth in self awareness and strength.

This story doesn’t deviate from her usual pattern. However, I felt it was slightly lacking this time around.

It was an enjoyable read. I liked the Heroine, Hannah, but I never truly fell in love with her. I found myself, along with every character in the book, unsure of whether or not Jack was truly interested in her. She is described as being plain, stumpy and having crooked teeth, which is great if she had the personality to make readers believe the sexiest man in Hollywood would be in love with her. I don’t feel that I ever found it, especially given just how great Jack seems to be.

I loved the idea of a female bodyguard, becoming a part of someone’s family, being “ordinary and plain” but falling in love with the most untouchable and famous actor in Hollywood and having that love reciprocated, I just found the chemistry to be slightly lacking.

I still would give this book a 3.75 stars and would recommend it as a sweet easy read, I just don’t think it measures up to Happiness for Beginners or Things you Save in a Fire.

I received a copy of “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center from NetGalley for an honest review and wow was I glad! This book was adorable, heartwarming, and hilarious all at the same time. I love how Hannah was such a strong character despite everything she had been through in her life (except when being surrounded by cows). Jack was by far my favorite characters in this book. I loved how he constantly laughed with Hannah and treated her with respect (especially after she tosses him around). The way the author wrote about his parents made you truly feel the love they had for each other and I loved how they included Hannah. I read this book in one sitting and can’t wait to find more books to read by this author.