Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Center and St Martins Press for this eARC!

Let me start by saying I love me some Katherine Center. The writing was immaculate and kept me laughing, sobbing, happy and mad all in a few chapters. I could not put this down, devoured it in a few hours and was cheering for Hannah from jump. Add this one to your TBR and you won’t regret it. Also, feel free to tell me who you envision when they adapt it into a rom com!

I enjoy everything this author writes, and this book does not disappoint. Can Hannah, and ordinary looking, short but mighty, bodyguard keep gorgeous movie star Jack safe from a stalker? The only solution is for Hannah and Jack to move back to Jack's parents farm and pretend that they are dating so Hannah (and a team of protectors off site) can keep Jack safe. This book is funny and sad at the same time. I love the characters with their struggles from the past and trying to smooth out relationships. A fast read!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for approving me for an advanced copy of this book. Here is an honest review.
Nowadays when romance books are all the craze, it’s hard find one with plot, character development, and actual meaning instead of just tension and explicit content.
Look no further, because this book stands high above all the rest. Hannah Brooks, a bodyguard from a high profile agency, has her personal life in shambles. She is then tasked with acting as a girlfriend to the handsome, famous Jack Stapleton. Can she distinguish between acting and reality and allow her heart to give and feel love?
“Bodyguard” is such a good read that sheds light on how loving others truly is a form of loving ourselves. I can’t wait for more people to read it! I highly recommend it!

Fantastic. I do not usually “fully” enjoy a book from just one person’s POV. I have gotten spoiled by so many books allowing me into the thoughts of the main characters. So when I started this book and realized it was a single POV, I dreaded the typical “slow moving” part of the story. However, I NEVER GOT BORED! Center’s writing style translates perfectly into romcom- I laughed out loud, was invested in their love story, and felt engaged to the point I did not need Jack’s POV!

While this book is full of humor, it also addresses the heavy topic of grief. Two characters who are from different worlds are pulled together through personal heartbreaks and tragedies. You get to follow their journey as they find their happily ever after.

Truly a charming, addictive, joyous read!

This book truly surprised me. I expected to enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to take it in as heartily as I did. I simply could not put the book down. I devoured it from start to finish.

I could sit here and nitpick at some things—such as the implausibility of some of the aspects of the protective detailing or the near cartoonish ex-boyfriend— but I just left those things in the rear view mirror. I think this is the type of story where it’s best to allow yourself to suspend your disbelief, and simply enjoy the ride. Because it's a hell of a ride.

I adored seeing the blossoming friendship and that special ~something more~ between our leads Hannah and Jack. The chemistry is naturally made, and I so easily embraced it. And surrounding all this is a good balance of comedy and drama. I especially appreciated the sincere moments between the leads when they opened up about their past trauma, and connected at that human level with one another. It wasn’t just the romance, but the friendship that made this book something quite meaningful.

I mentioned some nitpicks, but I think my only real qualm was that as gorgeous as this slow burn romance is, I feel it is perhaps *too* slow a burn to the point I am not sure exactly when the falling in love happened. As if we missed an exit towards that destination. I definitely felt the chemistry there from the start between our leads, but I think I would have appreciated more romance on page. That said, the love story is still believable and you’ll be at the edge of seat wondering if there’s a happily ever after awaiting our strong-willed protagonist Hannah.

Don’t expect any sexy times, but do expect some really heartfelt times. It’s a lovely story of connection, self-growth, and searching for what is truly real in this world.

I absolutely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another 5 star book by one of my new favorite authors! Funny, touching, engrossing! Love all of the characters and truly forget everything except the book when I'm reading one of hers. Couldn't ask for anything better! Can't wait for the next one!

So here's the deal, I like Katherine Center, I thought things that you save in a fire was really beautiful and I enjoyed this book.

ack Stapleton is a wildly hunky actor who has been out of the spotlight since a family tragedy, but when his mother gets sick, he’d like to return home to the family ranch to see her through the treatments, but he’s got a stalker whose threats have gotten increasingly harrowing, and he doesn’t want to bring that danger home. Even though all Hannah wants to do is escape to a new assignment in Korea or England, her boss persuades her that if she wants a shot at the London job, she’ll have to pose for a few weeks as Jack’s girlfriend. Her ex, another Executive Protection Agent, says there’s no way someone as average in appearance as Hannah could possibly be persuasive as the movie star’s girlfriend, since he dates women that are far, far from plain. Unfortunately, Hannah agrees with him.

But not long into her assignment, she finds herself falling for Jack, which puts him at risk—if she can’t see things clearly, she can’t protect him. I enjoyed the premise of the novel and the evolution of Jack and Hannah’s relationship, Jack’s relationship with his family, and Hannah’s relationship with how she sees herself. This is a fun, fast rea

Hannah has a new assignment, protecting famous actor Jack Stapleton. from his crazed fans when he is in town for a family emergency. She doesn't look like a bodyguard and Jack doesn't want his family to know he needs one so they pretend she is his girlfriend. What they don't expect is to have a connection but what will happen when the assignment is over or if his family finds out the truth?

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for the advanced copy! Wow I devoured this book! I loved everything about it! A beautiful love story that gives you all the feels. It had a lot of funny moments too, It was my first Katherine Center book and it will not be my last!

Hannah Brooks works for a private security firm as an Executive Protection Agent. More commonly referred to as a bodyguard. No, she’s not your typical, hulking figure at six feet plus. Far from it, Hannah is an inch or two over five feet. Rather cute, completely unsuspecting. But make no mistake…looks are deceiving. She is an expert in martial arts and will gladly leave you broken in a puddle of mud if need be.

After the death of her mother and break up with her boyfriend (who just happens to also work for the firm), Hanna is re-focusing her energy hoping to get back to work and find some peace of mind. Her latest assignment might be the perfect ticket.

Jack Stapleton is a Hollywood A-lister here in Houston for a family obligation. Hannah is assigned to his case as the primary agent and must keep Jack in sight at all times. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s drop-dead gorgeous.🤩

But quickly Hannah finds herself so tangled up in it all, she isn’t sure what’s real and what’s an act.

I loved Hannah’s inner voice. Strong yet vulnerable. She was relentlessly stepped on by a lot of the other characters – maybe a bit too much at times. But through it all, always held her head up proudly no matter what and showed an inner strength we all want and need.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars all around the board.

This book was FANTASTIC!!! A different take on the bodyguard trope where the girl is the bodyguard for the guy! So swoony but also had the element of twists and turns.

Overall, such a good book.

i had a hard time getting into this one. i just don't think this authors writing style is for me. i think it has a great concept and others might still like though

Sometimes I need to toss a trope-y, upbeat romantic comedy into the belly of my reading life. It's a requirement to help me survive this often bleak world we're living in. After all, don't we all deserve a delighted laugh and some heart flutters every once in a while?

The Bodyguard more than delivered the sugar and sunshine I was craving. Call it a fictional refresher, if you will. A romantic reset for those of us who are in need of a bowl-full "oh, so this is love" sweetness.

The plot, which does stretch the limits of belief at times, is fun and humorous.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent who is hired to protect hunky hotshot actor, Jack Stapleton, from his corgi-breeding stalker. She's recently lost her mother and is reeling from a breakup with one of her work colleagues, who, I must say, is a complete you're-no-good-at-kissing arse. Jack, on the other hand, has been out of the limelight since his brother's tragic death a few years ago. When his mother gets diagnosed with cancer, he decides to move back to the family Texas ranch to help out and keep her comfortable, and, not wanting to upset his family further with news of his deranged stalker, persuades Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend as cover.

Sounds easy-peasy enough, no?

Of course, it isn't long between the lines between fake dating and real feelings start to blur between them...and to blur good.

If I had to characterize this book in one word, I'd call it welcoming. There's something warm and colorful and inviting about it. A lot of that has to do with Jack's family, who had a While You Were Sleeping energy about them since they ushered Hannah into their ranks as if she already belonged there, but it also has to do with the slow burn trust and realness that grows between the main pairing. Jack becomes a safe space for Hannah to rest her head, to lay down her baggage, and she is someone who can see beyond his celebrity to see him for who he truly is: just a man.

So cute and fluffy. Full of emotional self-discovery. Exactly what the love doctor ordered!

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

This is light contemporary romance done right. A fake dating story between a body guard and a movie star that embraces the silliness of that set up (the stalker is a corgi breeder in her 50's that paints nude photos of herself) but still managed to surprise me. To call it a slow burn romance would be an understatement as I was never sure what exactly was happening. I spent the entire time reading in the same self doubt whiplash as Hannah, never knowing what was real.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Another great romantic comedy from Katherine Center. I have really enjoyed her other books and this one did not disappoint.

How much did I love this book? So much that I just finished it and am sitting in a weird contortion in bed to write this review while everything is still fresh in my mind. So much that I want to give myself the gift of finishing it by reading it again. So much that if I was going on the hiking adventure in Happiness for Beginners, the one book I'd bring would be this one.

The Bodyguard might be the most enjoyable book I've read as an adult (and that's saying something.) I mean laugh-out-loud-but-also-ugly-cry enjoyable. It is the reason I pursued NetGalley in the first place. Thankfully, it not only met my expectations, it surpassed them. I loved Hannah's and Jack's authenticity and decency. I loved their banter and push-me-pull-you relationship. I love that Katherine Center addresses the insecurities that ALL women feel, reminding us that we're worthy and deserving of great friendships, families, and a loving partner that makes us feel beautiful every day.

I've thought about how I would feel about this story if I was still single. A friendship like the one between Hannah and Jack is so unlikely, so much about being from different worlds, it could never really happen, right? There was a time I thought so. Until I met my husband 13 years ago in a totally bizarre way across two states. This is probably why I identify with the characters so much. When God, the universe, whoever you believe in want two people to be together, all of the obstacles make it worth it.

These characters are friends I will keeping rooting for long after finishing the last sentence. A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

“Apologies to everyone in the world who is not me”
“There’s nothing like the mutuality of a hug—the way you’re giving comfort but you’re getting it, too.”

This book was a hug. The kind of hug that you thought would be nice and quick, but it held onto you just a little longer, turning it into something deep, emotional and meaningful.

Hannah is the kind of female main character that is all too rare in romance novels; damaged and guarded and utterly imperfect. The best kind. After losing the most important people in her life in variously painful ways, Hannah Brooks’ assignment as an Executive Protection Agent is protecting actor Jack Stapleton from a middle aged, corgi obsessed, female stalker. Only unlike her usual assignments, she feels like she already knows her principle through his movies, and might even have non-professional feelings about him.
“In the way you might have a crush on the captain of the football team in high school. You’re not going to date the captain of the football team. You know your place—and your place is: A scribe for student government. A student liaison for community service. Vice president of the spreadsheet club.”

Self-deprecating, humorous and pragmatic, she’s so incredibly easy to love, I was smitten by the end of the second chapter. The Bodyguard is a book that’s primarily about our female character, her growth as a person. I would consider the romance half a step below that. Initially, I assumed that Jack would be love interest and nothing else; he would be there simply to further Hannah’s story. But I was pleasantly proved wrong. He was bashful, hurt and so very real. The sneezing, free throwing and crooked glasses are the kind of small things that transform a two dimensional character into three. For me however, this story remains Hannah’s and how she, despite her own struggles, held out her hand to Jack as they both learned to accept the past and for once, look forward to the future.

MVP: Connie Stapleton. Obviously.
“Bullshit,” Connie said, shocking the whole table. Then she offered Jack a deal. “Propose right now, and all is forgiven.”

(Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Katherine Center is an auto read author for me. Her books are always warm and inviting. This one did not disappoint. Written from the main character's perspective, Hannah, has alot to tell readers about her life as an Executive Protectiom Agent. The book opens with her life as a work-a-holic trying to grapple with the recent loss of her mother and breakup with her boyfriend. Readers learn quickly how stiffled Hannah's life has been. She uses work as an excuse to always be on the go and her personal growth has suffered dearly.

Until she meets Jack. While posing as Jack's girlfriend at his family ranch, Hannah is finally offered the space to spread her wings (whether she knows it or not). She learns some lessons of her own from Jack's experiences as famous actor and household name. Both charactera hash out their demons while working to keep Jack safe.

Throughout the book, I adored how the voice of Hannah told the book. She is a relatable character with flaws that many readers can identify with. Jack is brought from world famous actor to real human with real demons. The bodyguard concept kept the book so fun!

I’m always attracted to Katherine’s books because the covers are just so vibrant and colorful and welcoming. THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTE! It was funny and witty as well. Such an easy read and I found myself laughing out loud. few times. For sure my favorite Center book so far!

I could not have been more excited to read an early copy, as a log time fan of Katherine Center's stories. The Bodyguard is now my favorite of her books, written with heart, humor and even some suspense. I fell for Hannah and Jack immediately and finished the book feeling like I was saying goodbye to two new friends.