I loved this book, probably my favorite Katherine Center book yet! When Hannah gets assigned to Jack Stapleton - I was hooked and needed the love story to unfold. It was unique and so fun. I could definitely see this as a movie or tv show adaption as well.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I always love Katherine Centers books and The Bodyguard is no exception. The characters are always so well-developed and believable. In The Bodyguard, Hannah Brooks is a trained bodyguard that is tasked with protecting famous actor Jack Stapleton from his crazy stalker. It's the 'pretend girlfriend/boyfriend that moves into something more' trope and I absolutely love it. There are so many outside forces that will try to get in the way of these two being honest and sharing feelings that you don't really know which way it will turn out. This is an excellent, fast read and if you've loved Katherine Centers other books you will absolutely love this one too.

Katherine Center just gets better and better. The romance is perfect, the banter is hilarious, and Jack's parents are adorable. P.S. Did anyone else keep picturing Hannah's boss as J.K. Simmons?

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah is the last person you would think of as a bodyguard. Short, slim, and ordinary enough to be a kindergarten teacher, but she can take you down with a dinner napkin or a wine bottle opener. The best part of her job is the travel and she has her heart set om Korea, then London. But first she has to prove herself with a local job in her home state of Texas.
Jack Stapleton, superstar moviestar and voted sexiest man alive, has dropped off the radar the past year after the death of his brother. Now he's on his family's ranch caring for his mother while she undergoes cancer treatment. Jack's stalker, a middle age corgi dog owner and knitter, lives in Houston and has shown up on his doorstep, so his movie studio hires Hannah's security company. But Jack doesn't want his family to know about the threat and that he needs a bodyguard, so Hannah goes undercover as Jack's girlfriend.
Hannah has never been the kind of woman to take a vacation. She lives for the excitement of her job, so she at first tries to refuse the assignment, especially after her ex (who also works with her and is in competition for the London assignment) tells everyone no one would ever believe Hannah is dating a movie star. But weeks of laid back life at the ranch and spending all of her time pretending to be in a relationship has her starting to believe Jack actually has feelings for her. Could this be real or is he really that good of an actor?
I love how down-to-earth Jack is despite his fame. He's struggling with his own problems which only makes him seem more real. Hannah has feelings of self-doubt herself especially after dating Robby, so she believes Jack's affection is all part of the act for his family. I love how Jack thinks describing her as ordinary is a good thing and Hannah took it as an insult! Cute, clean, feel-good rom-com.
I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center was a delightful escape. It took me a little while to get immersed in this story, but by the end I was hooked. Romance is not my typical genre, but Center’s writing is engaging and enjoyable without being too over the top and predictable. This will no doubt be one of the top beach reads of the summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is a light, page-turner of a novel that had me grinning more than once. Ms Center's writing is easily digestible and almost feels like a guilty pleasure in the best possible way.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent, aka a bodyguard, who puts her job above all else, most notably any fun or frivolity. Being unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend and co-worker, she is less than thrilled that her next job will keep her at home in Houston, when all she wants is to put some distance between herself and her problems. But when it is revealed that she will be protecting gorgeous film star Jack Stapleton, her interest is peaked by the novelty of the assignment, which is unlike any before. As the two spend all of their days and nights together, it seems that Hannah's most difficult challenge will be protecting her own heart.

This is an easy, feel-good read that, while admittedly predictable, will leave you smiling.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

The premise sounded promising but the payoff was just not there. The main character was incredibly unlikeable and immature, the pacing was strange and the drama was ridiculous. I get it’s fiction but no!

I wish I had more to say to round out my review but I really disliked it. There is definitely an audience for this book, I’m just not it.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I feel like I need to shout about it so everyone can hear and and fall as deeply in love with this story as I did.

The chemistry between Hannah and Jake poured out of this book. Every stolen glance, every caught breath, every whisper of a touch had me wanting more and more. The strength of Hannah was just incredible. She knew her boyfriend was trash and not only did she move on immediately, she never let him get the better of her. She was confident and charismatic without being a know it all. Jake and his entire family were wonderful. The assention to the conflict was perfectly done. I just loved absolutely everything about it

I've loved Katherine Center's previous books so was super excited to get an advanced copy of this one! This book reads like a Miss Congeniality re-telling - it was a fun rom-com that I could see working as a Netflix movie.

Hannah is a Executive Protective Agent assigned to protect action-star Jack Stapleton from his middle aged, corgi obsessed stalker. There's just one catch- he doesn't want his family to know. So she takes on what might be her toughest assignment yet - playing Jack Stapleton's girlfriend.

This was a really cute story even though it was a bit predictable. While I didn't enjoy it as much as her previous books I would still recommend to anyone looking for something light-hearted. I really loved Jack and his family and the hijinks that ensued.

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Must read

Four stars.
Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. I discovered her books way back in 2010 when I read "Bright Side of Disaster" and fell in love with her writing (and immediately read all of her other books that had come out since 2006). Her ability to imbue her characters with real personalities is one of a kind. I also think she has a knack for writing realistic yet witty dialogue that I can actually imagine real people saying.

Her latest book, "The Bodygaurd", did not disappoint, for all of the same reasons. Katherine Center remains one of my favorite, auto-buy authors and her books are great reads when I need something more fun and lighthearted, but with real emotional substance.

*Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for this honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
The Bodyguard is a cute contemporary romance about Hannah, a bodyguard, who is assigned to protect Jack. Hannah has just experienced tragedy and all she can think of is getting a new assignment at work to help her escape her reality. When she gets assigned to protect Jack, it isn’t quite what she wanted but she reluctantly agrees to the job as a means to an end. The story is cute albeit slightly predictable. Held my interest until the end and was a fairly quick read. Solid 4 stars, would recommend if you like Center’s other works or the genre in general.

Wow! Another incredible book by Katherine Center! I devoured this book in two days! Must read! Thank you!!

Katherine Center is an author I recommend to nearly everyone. I recommend Katherine Center novels to nearly everyone, because they’re dependable. I can always count on her books to make me laugh, and I always find myself highlighting lines I love. Her books are heartwarming, because her characters are always written as flawed, yet real. The Bodyguard from Katherine Center offered up two flawed characters in Hannah and Jack, and, similar to other Katherine Center novels, these characters are extremely lovable. I enjoyed Hannah’s role as a bodyguard, and Jack’s role as an emotionally guarded actor. It also helped that I love the celebrity-real person trope.
Even though this was a quick read, Hannah & Jack’s flaws and family relationships helped to load the plot with a depth I always appreciate in Center’s novels. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've really enjoyed Katherine Center's previous books, but this one did not meet my expectations. "The Bodyguard" contains similar elements to some of her other novels: humor, romance, a tough but vulnerable protagonist with an interesting job. The narrator Hannah works in security, and is assigned to protect Jack, a reclusive movie star, and stay with his family on their Texas ranch. Hannah and Jack slowly develop feelings for each other, while Hannah also struggles with her work and personal/professional rivalries. My main issue with the book is that it feels all over the place. Hannah's serious backstory with her mother and Jack's private grief doesn't go with the slapstick humor elements. The action towards the end of the book felt over the top and out of place as well. I always like Katherine Center's writing and characters, and there is a good love story here. It's a quick page-turner and still entertaining, but this is one of her weaker books.

Katherine Center’s books are like sitting beside the lake on a summer morning drinking iced tea with not a sound in the air. Just you, her book and an imaginary world to escape to for the day. I enjoy her characters and the ease of storytelling I have come accustomed to with her books. If you do not like romantic comedies then this will probably not be the book for you.

I will read anything Katherine Center writes. I find her work compulsively readable. If you can suspend reality a bit and remember this is fiction, it will hit a sweet spot. I found it engaging, emotional, and unputdownable. It wasn't light-light, but it wasn't heavy either.

WHAT WORKED:
- Celebrity (him)/Bodyguard (her)
- Fake dating/more + one bed
- Jack: easy to fall for
- Hannah: took a bit to warm up to but I rooted for her all the same
- Texas ranch setting with a supporting family
- A jerk ex-boyfriend that's easy to hate.
- A tad predictable but I loved how that made me feel
- A tad surprising which I also loved
- Women's Fiction

If I had a criticism it would be the few moments of disconnect with Hannah's character. She was supposed to be this elite hard core protection agent yet there were a couple convenient instances when she was dumbed down to serve the plot.

While some things were predictable (it is a romance afterall), there were many things that were unpredictable giving it a fresh voice to my romance story landscape. It was told in first POV (which is not my favorite), but Hannah was such a witty and strong yet vulnerable character, I enjoyed following the story development via her point of view. And Jack, while ‘silent’ doesn’t disappoint either. Low on the steam, interesting plot, great humor. I am definitely loading this author’s other books onto my reader!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I needed this rom com. It has kept me sane while stuck with my family. lol This book made me smile and laugh.

I love Katherine Center. In fact, I chose her "The Things You Save in a Fire" for our latest library book group read. Her characters are real and likeable and her stories are easy to follow and entertaining. This book fit that pattern and I really enjoyed it. Hannah is a bodyguard with an elite firm and is hired to protect Jack, a famous celebrity who is being stalked by a crazy lady. They end up with a pretend relationship that develops into more. It is a predictable story but the twists and turns it takes are fun and interesting. I highly recommend this book.