Jack Stapleton is one of the most famous actors in the world, or was until he disappeared from public view after a family tragedy. Now he has a stalker and the film crew that has him under contract determines he needs an executive protective agent. Hannah Brooks is great at her job as an EPA. She's not great at relationships, but her job is the thing that allows her to travel and escape the parts of her past (or current relationships) she doesn't want to deal with. Guarding Jack while he fulfills a family commitment is not the assignment she wanted but it turns out to be the one she needs.

This was a really sweet and heartfelt book, and I really appreciated the hole-heartedness of both characters at the beginning. I really appreciate difficult emotional barriers to a relationship that characters have to work through. The characters are forced into fake-dating and forced proximity. It's fun to watch their relationship develop in a realistic way. There's also a bit of comeuppance for exes, which I love. There is no sex on the page, so if you're looking for something steamy, this isn't it. I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it for something sweet.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Read/Listen if you Like:
❤️ Celebrity/Actor Male MC
❤️ Female Bodyguard
❤️ Cleaner Romance
❤️Rom Coms

Book Review:
This one was so freaking cute? Far fetched with a celebrity falling for their bodyguard? Probably not so much— we have seen it before in Hollywood with the female celebs.

This book is centered around Hannah during her assignment to protect Jack as assigned by her boss by a contract done by the production company wanting to assure the safety of their asset as he has a mild stalker and some and a near miss where his brother ended up dead when he was in town with family previously.

Hannah and Jack both have their baggage but they come together nicely with this very slow burn but the epilogue is many years in the future and helps with the slow burn to have a strong epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book! I am so thankful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release!

Role reversal where the girl is the bodyguard. The boy is a famous actor.

Hannah is confident when it comes to her career, but not confident in relationships of any type.

Her insta-love/attraction for Jack is quite out of character for her.

I wanted more depth than I got from these two. I wanted to know Jack more.

It’s a clean, cute, romance.

Hannah Brooks is an executive protection agent, sent to protect action hero Jack Stapleton from a stalker. Not to a sore suspicion while staying with his family, she pretends to be his girlfriend.

On paper this was everything I really love in a rom-com (fake dating, one bed, a bodyguard) but this just didn’t really do it for me. I never found myself really invested in Hannah and Jack’s relationship. Though I cannot lie, the line about the Victorian child nightgown made me laugh out loud. I think this is a book that would’ve really benefited from a dual POV instead of just Hannah’s perspective.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press to the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

✨Book Review✨
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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I started this book without the actual intention of reading the whole thing at this time, but once I started, I was hooked instantly. I really love Katherine Center and this book did not let me down.
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The premise sounded pretty cheesy and usually fake dating is a little too over the top for me, but this book was extremely subtle, and I really liked the relationship that Hannah and Jack had.
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The turn of events near the end of the book was a little weird for me, but still did not overshadow my enjoyment of the story. Definitely would recommend this one if you are a Katherine Center fan or if you like sweet PG romances.

This was an silly yet sweet beach read. The story is not totally original -- a woman is hired to be a body guard to a celebrity and of course opposites attract and this turns into a love story. The main character Hannah was not likeable at first - i found her quite annoying as she begged her boss to give her any other job than working with a celebrity client. She was whiny and it was over the top. As the story went on, you start to really root for her and love her despite her flaws. The love story goes from cliché to quite darling and you will find yourself hoping it works out for these two. I finished this one in two days, I was hooked. There are definitely some holes in the story and its not completely realistic, but it was perfect for a hot summery day. I would recommend for a fun rom-com. This would make a great movie!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy.

I looooove Katherine Center. I appreciate so much that she’s clean and I don’t have to worry about skipping scenes or stumbling upon something that makes me uncomfortable. Her stories are always filled with fun writing and lots of wit and banter and this one did not disappoint. It was really fun to have the main character be in a typical male role as a bodyguard- it gave the book a fun spin. Hannah’s insecurities are easy to identify with and really gives you a desire to route for her. Lots of fun characters and lots of giggling on my end. Cannot wait for another book from Katherine Center! Thank you @Netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc. What a gift to be able to read this before it’s released!

I adored this book! All the feels and HEA from one of my favorite authors. What more could you ask for? It’s Fantastic- go get it!

A while back I read Things We Save in a Fire by KC and ADORED it. It was one of my fav reads that month, so when I got approved for this ARC I squealed!

Hannah is a bodyguard and she is lethal! You wouldn’t know it but she’s one of the best at her job. Jack is a household name, someone people recognize on the spot and Hannah has to be his bodyguard… by pretending to be his girlfriend.

This book had it all!!! Fake dating, fame, action, only one bed, the setting is on a ranchhhh (omg) and alllll the feels.

If you’re looking for a book to make you swoon, cry, laugh and teach you some life lessons with a strong leading lady then this is your book.

There was so much to love about this book! The tension was phenomenal while still being closed door. Jack and Hannah had sizzling chemistry and witty banter. Hannah had such depth to her and she was awesome at her job. The way this story wrapped up and the epilogueee! 🥹

I love how KC writes such strong and confident female characters, I think that’s my favorite thing about her books. I also just love her writing style in general. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me now!

Read this one if you like:
🤠 fake dating
🤠 only one bed
🤠 forced proximity
🤠 small town vibes
🤠 country music
🤠 cowboy boots
🤠 strong ladies
🤠 piggyback rides
🤠 action

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Releasing July 19! ✨📚

I have not read anything else by Katherine Center and now have a queue going with my library "hold" list. Goodness, this woman can write. And the DIALOGUE?! Heavens, the way she writes conversation draws you in as though you were standing right there.

Her character development of Hannah is thorough. I enjoyed watching Hannah grow in her confidence of herself. She has her career self nailed; nice to see her personal self catch up.

One more thing--the detail conversations Hannah has are also wonderful. I had to reread them several times because there was so much there and so much that was important to the story line.

Thank you, Ms. Center for a great read!

I really enjoyed this book as I have Katherine’s other books. It was fun and romantic. I loved all the characters, even the “bad guys”. I even laughed out loud at some parts. It was a great quick read. Great for a summer beach read!
Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy.

The Bodyguard is the first Katherine Center book I have read and it was just delightful. Contemporary romance is not my preferred genre, but I enjoy reading outside of my comfort zone every so often. Is it cheesy? It sure is. Is it predictable? Yep! But I welcomed the change of pace, especially as the weather is getting warmer and Summer is approaching. Reading this romantic comedy was like feeling a cool breeze while sitting on the beach...very refreshing. The setting is Houston and I haven't read a ton of books set in Houston. Hannah is a female bodyguard and her latest assignment is to protect Jack Stapleton, a handsome and reclusive movie star. They are both battling demons in their life and there is lots of family drama. I was surprised at how many times I was laughing out loud while reading too. At times, it felt like a YA romance, as Hannah came off as very immature. And for some reason, I kept picturing a young Harrison Ford as the character of Jack Stapleton. But the romance between Hannah and Jack is very believable. I was very impressed with the extensive research that Katherine Center did about bodyguards, particularly female bodyguards. I enjoyed reading about her research in the acknowledgements. It's a very quick read and I think it's a strong 4 stars. Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Expected publication date is July 19, 2022.

A story of finding love for who you are, not what you think you deserve. It playfully toys the balance between rom-com and thriller (as you would expect from a story of a bodyguard).

This book is everything I could have ever wanted in a rom-com! It was absolutely so funny and never had a dull moment! Hannah and Jack are probs one of my favorite book couples ever! Also that Unhoneymooners reference, I literally loved that! I absolutely NEED a book two about Hank ASAP. Now I just have to go binge all Katherine Center's other books.

THE BODYGUARD - KATHERINE CENTER

4⭐

PLOT - Hannah Brooks a 5.5' kick-ass bodyguard is assigned to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle aged corgi breeding stalker. But due to a family tragedy he is of public grid and needs to remain so esp as his mother undergoes surgery. So Hannah pretends to be Jacks fake GF in front of his family whilst acting as a bodyguard.
But while protecting Jack can Hannah protect her heart??

MY THOUGHTS -
This was such a delightful rom com with lots of fun banter.
I loved that both MCs could make each other laugh, smile inspite of having past baggages .
The epilogue ... loved the style ..how it was written...super..
This is the first time I am reading her work and will for sure check some of her past books.
Check this one if you enjoy -
Celebrity romance
Fake dating with 1 bed
Female grumpy/bodyguard to sunshine troupes.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Super cute premise, but this one didn’t hit for me. The main character was way in her head and the action just crawled.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Katherine Center has long been a favorite author of mine. She is the Queen of Reading for Joy and The Bodyguard is another masterful piece of writing. Engaging with characters that you want to know in real life, except Bobby. He's the worst. Really, you have to read it to understand. You'll fall in love with Hannah and will cheer for her.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

I had the best time reading this book. Hannah is such a relatable character and I really loved her character development. I also really loved Jack. Their relationship was so fun and I loved the fake dating plot. It was so satisfying how they came to date for real at the end. Also, Hannah’s humor is top tier. She’s hilarious and naturally sarcastic. I loved the family and friendship aspect of this book. Jack’s parents are goals and I adored them. I definitely recommend everyone picking this book up!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bodyguard is perfect for fans of Sandra Bullock movies. I don’t know why that’s the vibe I got, but it definitely was. I liked the heroine’s struggle to get where she wanted and the mild desperation for escape and travel and love was really enjoyable to read.

What a cute romcom. It has everything you want in an easy read. It was funny, great characters and good romance storyline. Loved it! Would totally see this as a movie adaptation. 5 Stars