What a heart-warming book this was!

If somebody is looking to create a movie adaptation of a book, this one would make a GREAT choice. I went in blind reading this book I just knew there was a bodyguard included (duh! It’s obvious) but I ended up pleasantly surprised and feeling so happy after reading this book.

The romance aspect in this book was just chefs kiss, not too much not too little and every moment was worth it! We see a lot of personal growth of the main character through out the book which I always love and to be honest it had me, screaming, laughing and smiling because of how good this books was

ALL THE FEELS with this book. Katherine Center is one of my very most favorite authors and her latest is hand down, my favorite book by her. This could quite possibly be my favorite book of the year. I loved every second, the story, the characters, the plot and the setting. Highly recommend!

Thank. you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Five amazing, spectacular stars!!

The Bodyguard is the feel-good story I didn’t know I was needing! I loved EVERY WORD.

When an invitation to read Katherine Center’s newest novel showed up in my inbox, I was overjoyed! Friends, there might have even been bouncing, squeals, and tears. When I eventually calmed down and noticed I had a newsletter from the author announcing the book, as well as mentioning it was set around Thanksgiving, I knew I had to read it immediately—even though the publishing date wasn’t for another six months. I’m happy to report I made the right choice. I had so much fun reading this one. It quickly moved to my top three favorite books by Center (don’t ask me to pick just one!), as well as one of my favorite books for the year.

I always know when I pick up a book by Katherine Center, I’ll find unforgettable characters: a strong female lead, a swoon-worthy love interest, and fleshed-out supporting characters that only enhance the story. Her storytelling is always joyful, even when it’s serious, and she always has something new and refreshing to say.

I love the fake-dating trope (and the bonus one-bed trope it leads to here), and The Bodyguard twists the expected by making the bodyguard our female lead, Hannah. She’s tiny but mighty, fully capable of taking care of herself and her subject. But her personal life has taken a beating lately, forcing her to place all her energy and focus on her job.

And while I am a fan of the fake-dating trope, I’m not always a fan of the famous love interest angle. I had every faith in this author to execute it well, though. Jack isn’t the typical Hollywood star most books portray. He’s kind, open, and loves his family very much. I quickly grew to love his laid-back charm. But he is hiding a heart-breaking secret.

As Hannah grows closer to Jack and his family, she finds herself opening up, confused about what’s real and what’s work. And watching these two fight their feelings for each other, leads to plenty of humorous and heartwarming and romantic moments.

I hope The Bodyguard ends up on the big screen. I would love to see this one adapted. And it’s definitely one I’ll be picking up a physical copy of to add to my bookshelf. I’m already excited about rereading it!

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.

Katherine Center is a fantastic author who is known for crafting thoughtful yet fun romantic novels. I was very excited to see that she had a new book out, and eagerly dove into "The Bodyguard." In this novel, Hannah Brooks is the titular bodyguard who has just lost her mother and is dumped by her boyfriend. Diving headfirst into work is the only way she knows how to keep her sanity. However, her assignment is the ultra-rich, ultra-handsome actor Jack Stapleton.

Not only does Hannah have to be his bodyguard, but she also has to be his pretend girlfriend at his family's ranch for an extended period of time. Along the way, she learns what a healthy, loving family acts like and discovers that she is worthy of being loved after all. Jack, plagued by his own tumultuous past, has to learn that he is worthy of accepting what others see in him.

I enjoyed the following sentiment from Center: "It doesn't hurt to spend your life with people who see what's great about you -- in a way that you maybe never would have on your own. The people we love help teach us who we are. The best versions of who we are, if we're lucky."

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How freakin fun was this book?! 😁 I would give it six stars if I could! Hannah Brooks is a Executive Protection Agent a.k.a. bodyguard. Her job is to protect the rich and famous whilst going about it undetected. Her day consists of vigilance, patterns, reading the room, predicting and eliminating threats. Her newest client is not her typical client. He’s an A-lister celebrity and he just happens to be A+ attractive. What could possibly go wrong? Or right? 😉
This book checked all the boxes for me. I could not put it down!
✔️funny
✔️loveable characters
✔️page turner
✔️action
✔️life lessons on self acceptance
✔️romance
I will definitely be buying this book for my personal library and lending it out to everyone I know! 😁
Well done @katherinecenter 💜
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC.
Now go pre-order this book and thank me later!
#bookstagram #canadianbookstagram #thebodyguard #katherinecenter #katherinecenterbooks #netgalley #stmartinspress

This is, hands-down, the best book I have read in a while. There are so many things about it that I enjoyed that it would be impossible to describe them all. Essentially, it is a romantic comedy about Hannah, an Executive Protection Agent (aka Bodyguard), who is assigned to the protection of Jack Stapleton, mega movie star, while he is in Texas to help with his mother’s illness. The characters are so likable and relatable, the plot is total perfection in the many things that ensue, the interactions between all the characters feels like watching all of your favorite movies combined into one perfect setup….but my favorite thing about this book is the incredible writing style of Katherine Center. It is perfection to the point that I savored every page and read them each with my whole heart. I was so invested and entertained that I didn’t want it to ever end. This would be the perfect light-hearted, feel good movie. Please add this to your reading lists! It comes out in July 2022 and I can promise you it will be a huge success! Bravo!!!!

I love Katherine Center. I have read almost all of them and they are totally my “type”. She her book “the lost husband” was made in a movie where the male character was played by Josh Duhamel, I have envisioned all of her male characters to be Josh Duhamel. Turns out he and the main character of this story have some things in common- famous actor, from North Dakota, heart throb!
Anyway, this book was a quick read and we got to learn about a woman in a field that isn’t dominated by women. I couldn’t wait to pick it back up every time I had to put it down.
I will forever always compare her books to my favorite one of hers: Things You Save In A Fire so because of this I am rating the book 4/5 stars.

The Anatomy of Love: the Prequel, the Main Event, and the rollicking Epilogue... Katherine Center has delivered the full package!
Star Wars - move over!
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Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit here, but we do see Hannah emerge from the chrysalis that she has been frozen in ever since her father left and her mother retreated into drugs and alcohol to escape the wreckage of her life.

Hannah has no room for romance: she stays busy so that she doesn't have time to dwell on how empty - how devoid - her life is of that four letter word: LOVE. (along with companionship and true friends.)

Hell literally breaks loose in the very first chapter of this novel. My advice? Hold on tight because you are in for a very bumpy ride: Hannah Brooks and Jack Stapleton are a match made in.... well, TEXAS!

I roared with laughter as these two irrepressible lunatics were forced to masquerade as lovers while staying at the Stapleton family ranch - in an effort to pull the wool over the eyes of Jack's seriously ill mother. I loved the entire Stapleton clan, as well as the corral of rescued circus horses. There were so many fascinating side stories that you never had time to catch your breath or get bored.

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At some point, the lines get blurred and these two madcaps often forget that the relationship isn't real.
Meryl Streep makes a cameo appearance, along with a set of steak knives and a precocious four year old!

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And that BIG KISSING SCENE..... IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!!!

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I truly needed with wonderful, hilarious, hopelessly romantic birds' eye view of the epic love story between a much stalked and beleaguered movie star and his pint-sized bodyguard. I loved it and never wanted their story to end. 5out of 5 well-deserved stars! Highly, highly recommended if you need a good laugh.... or ten!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley and Katherine Center for the ARC.

This was really cute! I really liked both of the main characters, Jack and Hannah, and the concept of fake dating as a bodyguard/movie star was really fun. I have read some Katherine Center books in the past and found them incredibly cheesy, but this one was different! There was a lot more substance, and the real "romance" part didn't come in until more towards the end, so it didn't feel cheesy at all.

All in all, I really liked this one as a cute romance, and would definitely recommend for a light, fun read!

This is not your typical fake relationship book. It was is refreshing to read a different style of a fake relationship book. Hannah is a bodyguard and was hired to protect a famous actor, Jack, from a stalker. The story takes a turn when Hannah needs to pretend to be Jack's girlfriend and was invited to stay with him and his family for a whole month. There were a lot of cute moments throughout the book and I couldn't put this book down. When the threat of the stalker is over, Jack goes back to his normal life but more danger hits and Hannah is there to save him.

I went into this book blind- I requested it on NetGalley just because it was Catherine Center. Nothing else mattered. I loved it. When I realized the “bodyguard” was a female… I thought “hell yes!” This was such a quick read read that had a little bit of everything in it! Loved all the characters so much! Highly recommend this one!

So here’s what Katherine Center does. She gives you a strong woman, romance, comedy, and life lessons all in one. It’s impossible to read one of her books without having smiled, laughed, and learned something. And she does this effortlessly.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this. I am probably one of Katherine Center’s biggest fans, and this book is another example of why. I absolutely loved it. She has a way of writing that makes it feels like she is someone I have known forever. The writing takes you through the story, and makes you feel what the character is feeling. She makes me laugh out loud when I am reading, her characters are just honest and feel just like real people, people I am sad to say goodbye to when I finish the book. I can’t recommend this enough for anyone that just wants a bit of an escape.

The Bodyguard was a fun and quick read. I really enjoyed the gender reversal and general concept of this book.

At the end of the day, my largest issue with the book was that I wanted more! I felt like we jumped from crush to love very quickly, where there might have been so many more opportunities for Hannah (and me) to fall in love further with the characters. Also, while at first I adored the way in which the main character's interior dialogue was written, and felt like an instant friend, I found it to get a little grating over the course of the book, with many of the same phrases used over and over again. I also found that the very easy going nature of the writing and storyline didn't allow for me to get as emotional or serious through the more high intensity plot moments, another aspect that I wish I could have experienced.

Overall, I felt like this potential of this book was substantial but couldn't deliver the emotional attachment I'd be looking for.

4.5 stars
I started this book this morning, and stayed up till 1 am to finish it. I. COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. What a fantastic, fun, sweet read! I will definitely be recommending this to friends.

This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and engaging. I was completely captivated to the very end! The characters were well developed and intriguing. I highly recommend this fun and quick read. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the narration of this book! It was like hearing a story from a friend. I am a huge fan of Katherine Venter and this was one of my favourite reads of the year! Definitely recommend. TW: some domestic violence, mental health issues.

LOVED LOVED LOVED!!! I finished this book in a matter of hours. It was so good I couldn’t put it down. Compared to the two other books I read by Center, this was more of a romance than a women’s fiction. Still, there were emotional moments, laugh out loud moments, and suspenseful moments.

What I loved:
-The important of family and forgiveness
-Similar to Things You Save in a Fire (one of my all time favorite books), we get to see another women in a predominantly male profession and watch her kick ass
-The fake dating trope
-The banter and chemistry between Hannah and Jack
-The vivid descriptions of life on the Texas ranch
-The epilogue, which was one of the best I’ve read in a while with so much closure and happiness

Honestly, I can’t think of anything I didn’t like. I literally was not ready to say goodbye to Hannah, Jack, Glenn, Connie and the rest of the supporting characters. My heart is so full!

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

So. Much. Fun. Who doesn't love a good fake-dating-turned-romance, especially with the added fun of a tough-as-nails female bodyguard and a moviestar?!

Hannah Brooks is an unsuspecting of a professional bodyguard as you could ever get, and her newest assignment is Hollywood's heartthrob -- but there's a catch. Since his mother has recently fallen ill and he doesn't want her to know he's in danger, Hannah has to pass as his girlfriend back at home rather than his security detail.

This book is lighthearted, funny, and so, so sweet. Jack has a heart of gold and I loved the subplots of Hannah's relationships with coworkers and Jack's relationships with his siblings. Katherine Center is a gem!

Many thanks to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really, really, really loved this book! Why?
It is a light, romantic, happy story that had the best characters that I adored!
It is a perfect read at any time.
Hannah is a tiny, petite woman who believe it or not is a bodyguard.
A bodyguard that could kill you if she needed to! I wouldn't mess with her!
Her newest mission is to protect her client, who just happens to be a famous person. Will people realize who he is? Can she do it? Will he ever trust her?

'I will not go into more detail, but definitely do yourself the favor of taking a seat, reading, laughing and just enjoying this novel.
I highly recommend it!!

"Love is something you do. Love is something you generate. And loving other people really does turn out, in the end to be a genuine way of loving yourself."