I had a good feeling about this book and the deeper I moved into the book, the more I loved it. Katherine Center made me laugh and cry within pages of each other and for that, I both love her and hate her.

I gotta tell you, this book hit me several times in places I was not expecting. Its writing is so real and yet so witty, I was enthralled from beginning to end. I loved Hannah and I loved Jack and even more, my heart hurt when Hannah went home to the Stapletons. She closed herself off from all the love she should have been feeling because the ones who were supposed to love her broke her trust in it a little. Maybe not directly, but enough to do some damage. Hannah's talk about being loved, ESPECIALLY at the end? My nose hurt from how much I was crying. It hurt, a lot.

Jack was just so pleasant as far as main characters go. He was sturdy and just GOOD and I loved that most about him. Throw in the fact that he was supportive and always there and I just... he was great. He made me feel so many happy things while Hannah was tearing back layers of my own issues. It was a nice tug-of-war I'd say.

I don't think I have anything bad to say here. I just really needed a book like this and I'm happy this was the one that gave it to me.

I love Katherine Center’s books. They have strong female characters in physically powerful roles yet emotionally they are very vulnerable. This book had a woman in a male dominated role who is constantly underestimated. Yet for all her strength and capabilities in the role, her personal life is a huge mess. Her general response to anything emotionally tough is to runaway. Then we have a romance novel worthy male who breaks down her barriers and helps break down his at the same time.
I loved the dialogue between the two. This novelist has great comedic style, it is modern day Austen style. Lots of witty barbs, insightful comments and lighthearted flirting.
This wasn’t my favorite storyline, it didn’t have a lot of meat to it and felt more romance driven than some of her other novels. But I really liked the dialogue so it still gets 4 stars!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Katherine Center does it again. This book was cheesy and a little far fetched and but I loved every second of it. This author has a way with words and really touches on the heart of the matter. She also uses a lot of humor so you find yourself laughing out loud a lot. I get so excited when Katherine Center releases a new book. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The Bodyguard is humorous, heart warming, gut-wrenching, and thrilling at the right times. I started the book not anticipating I wouldn't be able to put it down until I was done

Hannah gave me Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality vibes from the get-go. I loved how she was unapologetically herself, but had room to self reflect. She had her flaws, but soon realizes she was bigger than them.

Jack seemed like the boy-next-door who happened to be an incredibly good looking celebrity. Despite his fame and fortune, he still had demons he had to overcome.

Hannah and Jack come together in a relationship of convenience to learn how much they needed each other to grow.

The growth for the main characters were great, the supporting characters were fun and lent themselves well with the story, although there are some characters we can do without.

I loved the book and it's one of the rare ones I can say I would read over and over again.

Katherine Center is a great writer who writes books with complex main characters that deal with some pretty weighty stuff that frequently delivers an emotional punch and makes you root for the protagonist. Hannah follows the same trend of her other protagonists, having just lost her mother, followed almost immediately by her boyfriend, and then being told that she’s not good enough (to date a movie star). Something I think many people could relate to. So while the set up was good and had all of the potential for a satisfying story where Hannah proves them all wrong, there was just something missing for me. And I think it comes down to the romance between Hannah and Jack. I’ve spent several days trying to put into words what that missing piece was, but I’m still not sure I can. I just didn’t <i>feel</i> it as much as I would have liked. I liked all of the individual pieces of the story, but I never got that gut punch that I was expecting/hoping for. So while this was an enjoyable story, and I have nothing bad to say about it, it also doesn’t have anything to make it stand out from the pack. And I say that with a heavy heart because I think Center is great.

3.5/5. I really enjoyed the premise of this book- fake dating, movie star, and cool female mc. I just feel like the characters kind of fell in love so fast? And it wasn’t talked about much? Something in the romance just felt like it was missing for me. Still a very enjoyable read though.

Thanks so much St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me.

Hannah is a strong female MC. Her devotion to her career is at the forefront of everything...until Jack. I loved the slow build of their connection after each working through some personal setbacks. I absolutely loved the supporting characters in connection to Hannah and Jack, especially Jack's family.

This book was a perfect mix of laugh out loud comedy, but also has strong emotional depth.

I read this book in one sitting it was so good. It was so engaging and the characters were so lovable. Favorite book I have read this month by far,

<b>Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of The Bodyguard by Katherine Center in exchange for an honest review. :) </b>

I loved this book! The Bodyguard was just what I needed to read right now - a fun and romantic comedy story. It was light in the right moments, heartwarming, and will even make you laugh.

I enjoyed following the story of Hannah Brooks, who is employed as a body guard despite everyone's surprise. When Hannah is hired to protect famous actor Jack Stapleton, her new assignment changes everything. Hannah finds that she is now pretending to be Jack's girlfriend as a cover. What happens when things start to feel real for her? Is Jack just acting or is he also falling for Hannah too? There are many more elements to this story, including Hannah's ex-boyfriend who works with her, family dynamics, and friendships. I don't want to give too much away, but I liked reading all aspects of this story. One of my favorite parts of this story was diving deeper to learn more about the main characters. Both characters are dealing with different emotions and complications in their own lives that help them connect.

While the ending and moments were more on the predictable side, this is just a story that brings so much joy to the reader! If you are looking for a happy and lighter romance to read, I would definitely recommend this! This book did not disappoint. :)

Katherine Center wrote one of my favorite books of 2018. How to Walk Away if still a book that I remember. So needless to say, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St Martin's Press.

I have always felt that Center writes light-hearted books with some depth. There are all the elements that makes a reader feel good but at the same time makes the reader pause and think. The Bodyguard is no different.

Jack Stapleton, a famous movie star, has returned to Texas to be with his mom while undergoing cancer treatment. Recently, Jack has been sequestered away in no-man's land avoiding the public's eye. But the return to Texas is sure to draw attention to the celebrity. His management is concerned about his safety due to some threats and a stalker.

Now enters Hannah, a high stakes private security detail, who has been assigned to protect Jack. I did find the storyline of the personal security fascinating. I have no clue if the descriptions are accurate to real life.

Jack's family was easy to love, especially his mom, Connie. Hannah's co-workers are a mixed bag. I wanted to Robby was a character that I wanted to slap more than once throughout the story.

Here is the thing. I had to put my logical brain on a shelf and just enjoy the book. My logical brain felt like there were a few parts that were too far fetched to be believable. Despite this weakness in my opinion, this was an easy read that had some meat.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Center is still one author that I will always read. How to Walk Away earned my dedication to her writing.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I read a lot of books to educate myself and learn more about the world around me, but every now and then, I just want a book that makes me smile, and this is that book.

I've loved every Katherine Center book I've read, so I was very excited to dive into this latest release. The Bodyguard feels a bit lighter than Center's other novels, which seems to be a trend in the contemporary romance space, as authors wanted to write stories to be an escape from the pandemic.

This was definitely a slow burn romance - like, the slowest I've ever read - but I loved it. To me it felt like the characters built a legitimate foundation; I loved Hannah's relationship with Jack's family, especially Connie.

If you're looking for a sweet, quick read, this is perfect.

I loved this book! Katherine Center is truly becoming a favorite author of mine.

The Bodyguard was funny, exciting, full of family drama, a cute rom com that really it had it all. Jack Stapleton is the famous movie star; Hannah Brooks is the kick butt private Executive Protective Agent (aka bodyguard) hired to protect him. A fake dating arraignment is made to keep her close to him without his family knowing he has a crazy stalker or two. Can Hannah keep her distance and not fall for the handsome movie star she's pretending to date? That is the question you'll have to read to find out for yourself.

I highly recommend this book when it releases in July. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

Katherine Center does a difficult thing well-- writing very damaged people falling in love but managing to keep it light-hearted. Her books are about people experiencing personal growth AND falling in love (though this one did feel a bit more traditional romance). Hannah Brooks, the titular bodyguard, ends up in a fake relationship with Hollywood hearth throb Jack when he must return home to his estranged family's ranch after his mother's cancer diagnosis. Hannah, of course, finds herself catching feelings...but does Jack feel the same way too or is he just that good of an actor? The ending drags a bit and Hannah does too much over-explaining of her feelings, Jack's feelings, and what's gone down...but overall this is still a light and enjoyable romance.

Another great story from Katherine Center! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book as an ARC.

4.5 out of 5 This is an utterly predictable book, but a wonderfully predicable book that i devoured in one sitting (even if it meant an unintentional much later night that I had planned). I love the characters and their development and became way to invested in this love story. This is a wonderful beach read as it comes out in July. During the course of the book I kept imagining Jack Stapleton as so many different current leading men, and I really enjoyed that. It would have been a George Clooney or Brad Pitt type for me, but 20 years ago. But I also got a hint of a Chris (Evans or Hemsworth) and some of the antics of Tom Cruise. This would actually make a great film.

I’ll start with the positive: a very fun read that had me cracking up all the way through! I loved the gender reversal with the woman as the bodyguard. I thought it was easy to read and finished it in one day.

If I had to say just one thing about this book: Hannah is a terrible bodyguard. Now for more things: Hannah felt underdeveloped and the dialogue was immature given the ages of the characters. Don’t expect any steam in this one. You can’t even really call it a closed-door romance. Which would’ve been okay if the characters had more chemistry but I felt like we needed some more oomph. Also, why was everyone so derogatory about the main character’s appearance? The love interest literally says “She’s a totally plain, unremarkable person. She’s the epitome of ordinary.” And he validates this by saying these are all good things? I’m 100% sure that ‘unremarkable’ is never a good thing. And then her ex-bf basically calls her ugly? I just can’t. I couldn’t even come up with a mental image for her because they made the poor girl out to be a troll doll.

Overall it was a fun read and a few bits had me laughing but it read like a Netflix romcom: okay and ‘watchable’, but not great. With that said, I have an inkling that this is going to be a very popular summer read!

I love this author! This book was so funny. I found myself walking around the house reading so I didn't have to put it down. The author does an amazing job with character development that it's so easy to feel like you know who you are reading about. I highly recommend this book and will be telling all of my reading friends to pre-order now!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was awesome and would be the perfect summer escape read for fans of literary fiction and romance alike. It had very little romance and all closed door, but it had a lot of angst and tension between the main characters. I loved the role reversal in this because the female was the bodyguard protecting the male. Very well written and could not put it down. Read it in one day.

It took me too long to finish this book. I didn’t find myself reaching for it after I started it. I love the concept of the woman being a bodyguard! A little bit of a twist from the norm which was exciting to see. Overall I thought the book was a bit wordy and contained a lot of writing not pertinent to the story which is why I think I found myself being bored of it. I’m giving this one a 3/5.

Loved this!

When I read a book classified as a romance, here’s what I’m looking for:

•Authentic characters
•Time for the characters to really get to know one another (love at first sight just doesn’t seem realistic to me)
•No graphic details
•Lightheartedness or humor

The Bodyguard checked all of these boxes for me. It was a fresh perspective, as our main female lead is a bodyguard (obviously) for a super-famous actor. I also really loved the Saved by the Bell-esque second person asides and the nods to other rom-com novels. It was fun, engaging, sweet, and satisfying. Think of it as The Proposal meets Miss Congeniality, and if that sounds enjoyable to you, definitely give this a try! Out in July which makes it a perfect summer read ☀️😊