Katherine Center does it again--The Bodyguard is another of Center's five-star novels. This author holds our hands down unfamiliar paths, makes us laugh and cringe, and when we think we might have arrived, she takes to a place of hope. And don't we all need more hope right now?
Bring on the next one!

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kris-clinks-writing-table/id1561204657?i=1000554843914

This was super cute and I read it straight through!

Hannah is a bodyguard and used to traveling to exotic locations for her clients. Her mom just died and her boyfriend broke up with her and she desperately wants a new assignment so she can get out of town. Then, she is assigned to Jack. A big movie star. Who is in town to visit his family. She not only has to pretend to be his girlfriend to disguise her role as bodyguard, she is stuck in Texas! Jack seems very different off screen than on and in the tabloids. Hannah is left to determine which is the act.

I flew through this. It was funny and the characters likeable. It was just what I needed- I feel like other than a few exceptions, I have been on a streak of bad to mediocre reads. My only complaint- I didn't care for how the story was told. I likely would have rated it 5 stars, but it was told in first person as if she (Hannah) were having a conversation. She repeatedly breaks the fourth wall. That aspect just didn't work for me. But I still really enjoyed the book!

Patti Murin narrates the audiobook and does a solid job, as always. She is always a dependable narrator.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a perfectly executed romcom. I just adored this audiobook! Hannah and Jack were great characters and I loved their relationship. This book is the perfect comfort read.

What a fantastic book!! I loved this audiobook from the beginning and there was never a dull moment. I love the thought of a female bodyguard. Hannah and Jack were so loveable! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Katherine Center's brand-new audiobook The Bodyguard is a warm and loveable audio that will make you laugh out loud. With her funny and touching writing style Katherine Center does a great job placing you in the center of the action. The Bodyguard is a fun romantic rom-com that will grab your heart!

Loved the audio. I would of preferred a male narrator as well. I do love this story though. I can see it as a cute romcom movie.

Regular person/famous person at its FINEST.

Hannah is a bodyguard. Yes, a bodyguard. Her company is protecting the famous movie star, Jack Stapleton, and it turns into more than a regular job. Jack is back in Houston helping to care for his sick mother and doesn’t want to tell his parents about his stalker. Next thing Hannah knows, she’s his fake girlfriend and staying at his family’s ranch for weeks. She doesn’t know how to play the girlfriend, or how not to work all the time, but she’s also determined to beat out her ex-boyfriend for the next promotion. Next thing she knows, she is falling for a movie star even though she knows it’s all acting.

This audiobook was perfection. The characters, the premise, the twists, I enjoyed every second. This was the best execution of a famous person romance that I’ve seen in a while and I will absolutely be back for more Katherine Center.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this audiobook!

Enjoyable read. 4 stars because I thought some parts dragged a bit and other parts did not make sense considering Hannah's job. The story development and message itself was very purposeful though. Hannah and Jack's banter was really cute and I loved that Jack's character was true from the beginning. Patti Murin was an excellent narrator and really brought out each character. Would I recommend to others - definitely, yes!

I really wanted to love this based on the premise, but I just liked it. It was refreshing to have the gender roles mixed up, with the female character protecting the male character. Jack was delightful, but Hannah fell a bit flat to me. She didn’t seem to have much of a personality, so the banter felt one-sided, and she was often kinda bad at her job for someone who’s described as being the best at her job. So many of the people in her life, especially her truly awful ex, were one-note caricatures. Despite that, I found myself rooting for Jack and Hannah, and I especially enjoyed their time together on the farm with his family, which was very sweet.

Absolutely adored! A true delight! I have read her entire backlist and Katherine Center just keeps getting better!

Hannah is put on "desk duty" after the death of her mother. She wants nothing more than to escape. She desperately wants to go on location anywhere to get over her co-worker and ex boyfriend. When she is put on a new high-profile case, she must remain in Texas to do her job.
Sprinkled in the story throughout is kindness, hope, and forgiveness. The process of dealing with grief and living again after loss was very moving. I loved Hannah's inner dialogue and laughed so much at the banter with Jack. One of my favorite messages from the book is to see the best in others and bring attention to that best part in you.This is a very sweet, uplifting, funny, and charming story that is just so joyful!! I also loved that the story is set on a Texas ranch that was inspired by Katherine's own grandparents' ranch!

4.5 rounded up!

This may have been one of my favorite Katherine Center books. I’ve read a few of them and loved most, but this could be up there for me. Perhaps it was the timing of when I read it, but I was very drawn into the story needing to know how it would end.

But I will say, I knew how it would end. If you’ve read any book by Center, she follows a very similar formula. Like her other books, this is no different. I mean, reading the synopsis or even looking at the cover you know what’s coming! But still, I read it, and loved it.

I think the reason I loved this one so much was because of the emotional depth it provided. Maybe I’m such a sap for love now, but there was so much to these characters that made you root for them. Not only were Jack and Hannah great main characters, I found the supporting cast purposeful too. They didn’t act like side characters to fill the void. They helped develop Hannah and Jack in ways I felt like Center hasn’t done in previous books.

Let’s also be reminded of the gender roles. A badass female bodyguard?? Yes please.

Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC and ALC! You can get your copy July 19.

Content warnings: stalking, death, cancer, panic attacks, car accident, gun violence

This highly entertaining rom-com is set in Texas and features the very professional and workaholic "Executive Protection Agent" Hannah Brooks, who is assigned to the handsome movie star Jack Stapleton, the target of a middle-aged fanatic stalker. Remaining her usual no-nonsense, low-key and detached self is challenging in this particular case, because of the need for Jack to return home during his mother's cancer treatments without adding to her worries. Hannah must accompany him as his girlfriend, and the family ranch provides all kinds of opportunities that are the opposite of how Hannah normally behaves. This feel-good and funny story is well-written, and would be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers looking for a comforting and entertaining read. Narrator Patti Murin does a wonderful job with the audio version.

I always forget how much I love Katherine Center and her books. I really enjoyed this book as there were parts of it that completely suprised me. While it had hints of your typical rom com, it also had moments that completely surprised me. My one complaint was that i had a hard time imagining the main character as a body guard. She seemed weak (emotionally) and hard to imagine her as "the body guard".

I did love the ending and the narrator was fantastic. I immediately ordered more books by her!

Fantastic! But I did not expect any less from Katherine Center. It was a perfect blend of rom com and womens fic and the audiobook was superb. Thank you NetGalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.

What is not to like about a romantic comedy with a female bodyguard and a celebrity. The audio version was a pleasure. I enjoyed the budding romance, although Hannah cried a little too much for a bodyguard. It was sweet, predictable and slightly far fetched. It was a pleasure to listen too and a great summer read.

Fun, sweet, a little far fetched and very entertaining!

Hannah Brooks is career driven, ambitious and intense when it comes to work as a bodyguard. When everything else in her life seems to be falling apart, Hannah is given a case that she is dreading. She’ll be protecting famous and dreamy actor, Jack Stapleton. The part she’s dreading? Jack will be visiting his family who he doesn’t want to worry by telling them he has a stalker so he comes up with the solution to tell his family that Hannah is with him as his girlfriend, not bodyguard. What could go wrong, right!?

•Single POV
•Closed door rom com
•Really liked Hannah’s character development.
•Jack’s family and the agency team make great supportive casts!
•I feel like this could be made into a great movie.

Th Bodyguard by @katherinecenter was entertaining from start to finish. It doesn’t take itself too seriously which allows you to do the same! It was sweet and funny and just the right amount of far fetched. The ending was a bit too easy of a wrap up for me but I enjoyed it all the same!

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio ! The bodyguard comes out July 19th, 2022!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for an ARC audiobook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.

Like:
- The main character definitely has girl boss energy and stands up for herself
- The family and their ranch- a wonderful loving beautiful place for a story to be set

Love:
- Fun, lighthearted, romantic, feel good type of book that makes me smile
- The circumstances for the romance to occur- probably only works in a book but it’s done so well
- Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.


Wish that:
- Some of the situations or logic weren’t so improbable, but if I just went with it then the book didn’t lose any of its charm or enjoyment due to this


Dislike:
- Nothing, except when the 2 main characters were sad and grieving. I really felt for them.


Overall, a fun, lighthearted romance that made me want to stay up late into the night to keep reading The Bodyguard. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a fun summer read that makes you feel good. A good way to escape from all of the current world problems for a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio copy of The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

This was the summer rom-com audiobook I didn’t know I needed!
While the story is overly predictable, I was gripped and invested from the first word until the last. Pure delight!

Hannah is career obsessed; her life revolves around her job as an Executive Protection Agent (fancy name for bodyguard/ personal security) a role that requires her to be mostly invisible. Now her newest client is Jack Stapleton, a megawatt superstar actor. Soon Hannah is out of her element, as she’s catapulted from behind the scenes to front page news as her undercover role becomes the very public appearance as Jack Stapleton’s girlfriend. Of course chaos and romance ensues!!!
Audio narration by Patti Murin was fantastic. I highly recommend this book in either print or audio for a quick summer escape.
I already see this playing on the big screen🤩Hello, Hemsworth Brothers!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Katherine Center for the advanced listening copy via Netgalley. Review contains my own thoughts and opinions.

Jack Stapleton, Hollywood actor, has a stalker. And despite his objections, his studio hired a protection agency.

Hannah Brooks - Executive Protection Agent, has just been dumped, her Mom died, and she’s been removed from an assignment. As a result, she is assigned as the lead on his protection.

This is not your average assignment- Jack’s mom is sick and needs him on the family ranch - and he needs to bring Hannah along, as his pretend girlfriend.

The Bodyguard has SO much heart and I am in love with Hannah, Jack, and his whole family (even grumpy brother Hank). There will parts that amused me so greatly (the circus horse!) and others that really made me tear up. It’s 100% through Hannah’s POV, but Jack’s personality and POV also shines through.

Such a lovely, beautiful read - or listen, since I read via audiobook. The narrator, Patti Murin, did a wonderful job and really added to my enjoyment of the story.

I had some trouble accessing the audio for awhile, but that aside, I absolutely loved reading this. Katherine Center has been hit or miss for me, and I was a little nervous about the premise for this one, but it is the perfect summer read!