I loved this book. It was a perfect book for a vacation read. Yes, there were parts that were predictable, but I didn’t care because who doesn’t love a sweet romcom that has a sweet pair of parents to balance out the absent mom? Or the role reversal by having a tiny nerdy woman as a feisty ass-kicking body guard who is balanced by a hot actor who in tune with his feelings. If you are looking for a feel good book, this is a great read. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

It was a great story, a protection agent and a movie star, this rom-com will hook you from the start, so many laughs and happiness after reading heavy books, this is what I needed. I got the audiobook and the narration by Patti Murin was spot on, I so enjoyed this story. Looking forward to what Katherine Center writes next.

A great romance story. Great character development. I left feeling great on the outcome of the book..

Hanna Brooks is a bodyguard. She is a trained professional and has worked all over the world as part of an elite team of Executive Protection Agents. She is conscientious and thorough, aware of her surroundings and the potential dangers of protecting a client.

She’s not had as much success protecting her heart.

After a relationship with a fellow protection agent ends badly, Hannah needs something new to throw herself into. There is a possible promotion in her future, running the new office in London, but unfortunately she’s competing with her ex for the spot. But when a last minute job comes up in their native Houston, Hannah throws herself into it, hoping it will get her that promotion.

But when that job turns out to be protecting Hollywood heartthrob Jack Stapleton while he’s in Texas with his family, helping his mother recover from cancer. But there is a catch with this job. Jack doesn’t want to add any extra stress to his mother, so he doesn’t want his parents to know that the studio is insisting he has protection. He’d been taking a break from films for a couple of years, so the team is taking his protection seriously but categorizing the threat as light. Jack does have a stalker who knits him sweaters and breeds corgis. But they still have to protect him at all times, without his family knowing what’s going on, so he agrees to let Hannah be his bodyguard only if she pretends to be his girlfriend.

Hannah is a little intimidated by Jack. She’s watched him in movies for years, seeing him bigger than life in action movies and romances. One of her movies has her all-time favorite kiss. Pretending to be his girlfriend isn’t her first choice, but she understands that he doesn’t want to upset his mother. And when she meets Jack’s family, Hannah understands. There is a sweetness there that she never had in her own family, and she too wants to protect that. Jack’s brother is angry with him for reasons he doesn’t explain to Hannah, but she can work with that.

After Jack’s mother’s surgery goes well, she suggests that everyone move out to their ranch for the next month, until Thanksgiving. And when Jack’s stalker shows up at his rental house in town, the protection team thinks it’s not a bad idea for him to stay at the ranch. Hannah does what she can to stay the pretend girlfriend, but she struggles with her crush on Jack. And when he acts like they are a couple, her confused feelings grow. But when photos of Hannah and Jack at the hospital together are released online and death threats come in against her, she has to protect more than just her heart. More than just her client. She may have to protect her own life as well.

The Bodyguard is a heart-warming romance with genuine laugh-out-loud moments. I’ve heard this called a rom com, and there is romance, and there is comedy, but it’s not as formulaic as a typical beach read rom com. Author Katherine Center has created these characters with depth and secrets, with honesty and flaws. This is a story of healing and hope, with romantic overtones.

I listened to the audio book of The Bodyguard, narrated by Patti Murin. She had an intelligent snark to her for Hannah’s voice that I found particularly charming. She really brought Hannah to life for me, especially when Jack was making fun of her and she was being feisty. I wasn’t sure how the story would play out, with the bodyguard and the movie star, but these characters were very real to me, so all of my worries were for nothing.

I am a big fan of rom coms, books and movies, and this has a classic story for that formula of storytelling. But Center took that idea and grew it into something deeper and richer and fantastically entertaining. I think romance fans can find something here that they could enjoy, but it has a lot more layers than a typical romance. And while I was laughing out loud whenever Jack called Hannah “Stumpy,” or when she showed him just how capable she was at her job, I was also so moved by the moments of true family they had. This book has it all, from a great story to phenomenal characters to real feelings and a perfect ending.

An early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This felt like the comfort of watching a Hallmark Movie, in book form.

This book is the bodyguard and fake dating trope - and such a perfect one!

Hannah is a private security agent and one of the best. When the biggest and most elusive movie star in the world, Jack Stapleton comes to town, Hannah is assigned as the point on his security detail. It should be a relatively simply job, until Jack requests that she poses as his girlfriend to his family.

This is a perfect cozy romance. It felt fresh, relevant, and current. There is no spice in this book, just a lot of heart - which makes it a great one to pass on without worry over their spice comfort level. ;)

The author did a fantastic job developing these characters in a way that I really felt like I knew them by the end of the book. Jack Stapleton officially goes down in my list of Book Boyfriends.

This is a great book for anyone who’s looking for a sweet, largely uncomplicated romance with a HEA!

This book was absolutely fantastic!
It had the ladies taking care of the big buff men, it had fake dating, it had banter, it had adorable family moments.
I loved the main character Hannah. She wasn't perfect, but she loved her job as a bodyguard and she was good at it. I absolutely loved movie star Jack Stapleton. We get Hannah's first impression as a typical spoiled, arrogant famous person, but we come to learn he is so much more than that. Hannah and Jack stay at his parents house because his mom is sick and I really loved his family. They were not perfect either and had their own dark past, but his parents were so loving and I feel like it's hard to find that in books a lot of the time. There were 2 characters in particular I didn't like but I don't want to spoil anything.
The whole premise of this book was just so fun. Jack is being mildly stalked by a lady who loves corgis and knitting him sweaters. So he hires a bodyguard. Hannah gets chosen. Hannah is determined to keep work and home life separate and is very good at doing so, but not with Jack. As she learns more about him, she finds herself able to share parts of herself as well. A lot of this book is just the ranch life and watching Hannah and Jack fall for each other and Hannah doesn't realize it at all. The ending was really exciting. Just when you think things are settling down, we get a super exciting ending which I loved.
The writing style was amazing. I laughed out loud several times and listening to the audiobook was such a pleasure. My mind never wandered and the narrator did a wonderful job.

I loved the reverse general role occupations of the characters. It really made the book more fun than the traditional woman needs help

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center was an absolute delight to listen to.

Fully of well-written, likeable characters, some twists and turns to keep the story interesting, and plenty of heartwarming moments as well as several truly funny moments, all made this a great rom-com to listen to.

Hannah Brooks is a diminutive, serious bodyguard with no room in her life for love or fun since her breakup with her boyfriend. Jack Stapleton is a drop dead gorgeous movie star who dropped out of the limelight after a family tragedy and has since gained a corgi-loving woman stalker. When he goes back to his hometown to see his mom who is sick, he needs to protect both himself and his family, but doesn't want them to know he's in danger.

Hannah is hired to protect Jack, and together they decide that Hannah will play his girlfriend. What could possibly go wrong... At what point are they both still acting?

A good feel-good novel.

I loved The Bodyguard. It's a laugh out loud rom com, forced proximity- puts the traditional Bodyguard trope on its head. A great story, wonderful characters, and a sweet, swoony romance. This book was such a good time on audio that I picked up a physical copy as well.. Perfect summer read that will appeal to lovers of contemporary fiction and romance.

This was the perfect summer read mixed in with some action! I loved Hannah's personality and how dedicated she was to being the best bodyguard, even if that meant taking up some acting! This romance had some serious plot twists that I did not see coming, and I enjoyed watching the characters navigate family situations, stalkers, and workplace drama!

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a free audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version of the Bodyguard by Katherine Center. I have been eyeing this book for a while now and I am so glad I had the chance to read/listen to it.

I really enjoyed the characters. They were well written and interesting. The narration was very fresh and I liked being in Hannah’s mind.

The story was the classic bodyguard falls for the person they are protecting, but I loved how the girl was the bodyguard and how the male character never acted all macho and had no problem with her being bad a$$.

I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 because I would have like see Hannah actually do some a$$ kicking instead of only being emotional, it felt like the two started feel it very comfortable with one another a little bit too soon.

I found Robbie kind of original as a character. You rarely see someone acting like he did in these books, I am also glad Hannah was right about how he would have treated her best friend.

I feel like the book needed a little bit of spice. Not too much but maybe something Emily Henry style but without going into details.

I really love the cover. That is the first thing that attracted me about the book.

This was my first book by this author even if I gave almost all her books in my TBR and they will definitely get some attention now.

For the audio version: I like the narrator voice, I feel she did an amazing job.

When it comes to romance, fake dating is an exceedingly common trope. The list is mighty, and it is endless. Popular titles that orbit around a fake relationship plot include TO ALL THE BOYS I LOVED BEFORE, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. THE UNHONEYMOONERS, THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION, THE DATING PLAN — and that’s just the beginning. Katherine Center’s THE BODYGUARD follows the same formula, but with a refreshing twist.

Meet Hannah Brooks and Jack Stapleton, our protagonists for an ever-ridiculous journey into fake love that is destined for more. The two kick things off under the guise of a pseudo-relationship, strictly for professional purposes. Hannah, an unassuming-looking-but-really-highly-trained elite bodyguard, is hired to protect Jack, an A-list celebrity, from an obsessive stalker. But things get complicated quickly when Jack has Hannah pose as his girlfriend to avoid worrying his sick mom as he visits his family farm. Hilarity — and several swoon-worthy moments — ensue from there.

THE BODYGUARD doesn’t reinvent the romance wheel, but it does add a sparkling new dimension to a tried-and-true tale. Part of its charm is the build-up — one that from the jump doesn’t allow for anything from this story but a HEA. Center’s spin on this is quirky and full of hijinks, making THE BODYGUARD a light, witty summer read. One that you’re sure to feel good about when you’re done.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC of this book.*

This book was amazing! From the characters to the story and everything in between. Definitely one of my new favorites! Kept my attention the whole time. I’d love to see a sequel.

At a time when there is so much chaos in the world, it is nice to get lost in a book. The Bodyguard by @katherinecenter is fun, comical and brought me so much joy – everything I didn’t know I needed.

Hannah Brooks works as an Executive Protection Agent and gets hired to protect mega celebrity Jack Stapleton from a stalker. She is petite, and not at all what Jack expected in a bodyguard, making it difficult to explain to his family what she is doing there so Hannah and Jack agree to pretend they are dating and lie to his family.

This is a romcom so you expect all the love fluff, but I really enjoyed that Center brought forth some real issues in the story, for example dealing with a death in the family and recognizing self-worth.

I listened to the audiobook version and loved every second of it! @pattimurin did a phenomenal job narrating and made it so easy to follow along.

I loved it so much that I visited my local bookstore @booksandbooks yesterday, on Pub Day, and picked up a physical copy for my good friend @ohteeshirts_boutique 📚

If you love romcoms, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed 💕

The Bodyguard is out now!

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I usually shy away from anything romantic, but I'm a huge fan of Katherine Center's work so of course I had to read this book! I love the idea of a female body guard and I was an immediate fan of Hannah's. She could be a badass when she wanted to be, but she also very much reminded me of the girl next door. I really resonated with Hannah's mind, particularly her feelings of disbelief when it comes to men, so it was nice to be there while she worked through what was true and real and what was false.

You can always count on Katherine Center to deliver a hidden message in her books. I don't like to give away the plot in my reviews so I will say I found this book to have several hidden life messages that I really enjoyed.

If you are looking for a delightful, fast-paced rom com read, look no further!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Patti Murin did a fantastic job as the narrator.

I loved this audiobook! It was such a cute story. I loved the whole premise of a female body guard! Than we get fake dating to! A hot male celebrity, a cow ranch and some family Dynamics and the right amount of drama! take my heart now! I thought it was so funny! The narrator did a great job of making Hannah come to life!! And I loved her character development through out the book too, and her being invoked with jacks family (especially the mother) made my heart so happy. Hannah really deserved the world!! And Jack! Jack was so funny!! I loved his parts with Hannah! They had such great chemistry! He has also great character development and even tho he was really funny he also was a pretty deep character! And the whole drama between Hannah, Robbie, and Taylor was funny but brought a good edge to the story and really helped Hannah figure out who was! And that epilogue! I LOVE a good epilogue!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook for review out now!

Great book! I can't say enough how much I enjoyed it. The plot was good, the characters were charming and the narration on the audiobook was fantastic. I look forward to reading more books by Katherine Center.

Hannah Brooks does not at all fit the profile of your typical Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard). She's short, cutesy and hardly intimidating, but she can take down a six-foot male attacker in a heartbeat and she's as good a marksman as the best of them. Her overall American pie appearance is the reason her agency's boss assigns her to protect one of the most famous and handsome actors in Hollywood who is being stalked by an over-enthusiastic fan. No one will suspect her to be his bodyguard if they cast her as his current girlfriend. The perfect average-girl-meets-insanely-attractive-Hollywood-actor formula plus clever banter plus family drama and personal trauma makes for a fun and light summer read. Predictable but entertaining.

Anyone who knows me knows that bodyguard books are my total catnip. That being said, I snatched this ARC up in the blink of an eye. Imagine my surprise when I discover the bodyguard in this book is a woman. Oh Katherine Center, you got me good. This book was exactly what I needed and I loved each and every word.

When we meet our main character, Hannah Brooks, life is pretty much running her over. Absolutely nothing is going her way and she's experiencing major life changing events with no support system. When a new job is thrown at her involving the world's sexiest man who happens to be reclusive actor, Jack Stapleton, she's completely uninterested. That probably makes her the perfect person for the job.

These two are both emotionally injured people - - in different ways of course -- that don't really know how to trust others. Yet, through the course of the story, they come to believe in each other. Well sometimes they do. Hannah really struggles with trusting people in a big way.

These two characters were easy to become attached to. I just wanted them to find a way to be happy -- whether it included the other person or not. They both carried so much heartache. The side characters added some depth and interest to the story - - even though there were a few I detested. Overall, I think they helped balance the storyline.

The state of Texas definitely played a character in itself. Ms. Center included a great deal about the area and the Brazos River in the story. The dangers of walking around without proper attire, dangers of the river and so forth. She also did a lovely job of blending humor into the story. I liked that when she wrote the book from Hannah's viewpoin, it was in a way that felt like she was speaking to the reader and assumed we knew things. It was clever.

Overall, this is definitely another Katherine Center hit. I enjoyed it immensely and can't recommend it enough.

I was also fortunate enough to receive an audio version which enabled me to do the thing I love best - - go back and forth between the written book and the audio. It was perfect that way. The narrator was top notch and did a lovely job. In my opinion, the audiobook is quite entertaining and many people may enjoy it more than reading the book itself. Personally, I like to do both. I give the audiobook 5 stars as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC and the early copy of the audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review both and the opinions contained within are my own.

Hannah was going through a lot with mixed feelings over the death of her mother and then her boyfriend dumps her. Just when she needs the distraction of work to cope, her boss basically grounds her. That is until the famous movie start, Jack Stapleton needs protection. Hannah’s not thrilled with the assignment because it doesn’t seem like much of an escape being stuck in Texas and this assignment is much more up close and personal than she’d have liked it.

I loved Hannah so much! She wasn’t a knockout, just an average woman (like most of us) in an unexpected position of being a bodyguard. Yes, she’s only 5’5” but that’s not the key to being a bodyguard as I found out, and she was pretty badass even being pint sized! I’ve always dreamed of being a badass myself even though I’m only 5’2”. I looked up to female characters like Buffy and Wonder Woman, so I loved the idea of a woman bodyguard. Still, this story was way more about the personal aspects of Hannah’s life than a suspenseful protection situation. I loved Jack and his family! He was, for a big star, pretty normal, and his family was loving despite some of the hard knocks they’d been given. Absolutely loved Jack’s family!

All the stars for The Bodyguard! Katherine Center’s stories never fail to capture my heart! She writes imperfectly perfect, multi-layered characters like Hannah and Jack. Each had emotional turmoil to work through while trying to get by, battling an inconvenient attraction. This was definitely a romance of the slow burn variety, and I hung on every interaction between Jack and Hannah! That epilogue was oh-so-lovely!

I alternately listened and read The Bodyguard and I recommend both. The audio was fantastic with Patti Murin narrating and doing an excellent job with all voices, male and female.