Katherine Center does it again!!!! Thank you NetGalley for a free arc of The Bodyguard! I throughly enjoyed this rom com. Hannah and Jack are hilarious characters. I love the premise of the whole bodyguard - fake dating trope. I can’t wait to see what Katherine comes up with next!

To be able to read the latest Katherine Center ahead of publication was a real treat. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

The story quickly absorbed me, to the point where it ended my reading drought. I finished it in three days.

Hannah and Jack's relationship is definitely out of the ordinary and yet is sweet. Stereotypes are turned on their side when Hannah is introduced as the "bodyguard" for Jack. They are both initially hesitant about the arrangement, but soon embrace it (as well as each other). :)

They both have inner wounds that need healing and as readers, we are let into their worlds.

LOVED: fake dating, "found" family, imperfect protagonists, stereotypes upended, closed door romance.

My only small, small criticism is not even a criticism if you like "thrillers," but the "scarier" moments in the novel were not my favorites. Despite those, I still loved the book and would recommend it to others.

As an avid romantic comedy enthusiast, I have read my share of romcoms. However, the true gems (I’m looking at Sophie Kinsella books!) are few and far between. They have to catch my interest from the get go, have endearing and relatable characters, a plot that is intricately and beautiful woven, and lots and lots of laughs! This one hit the mark :)

When it comes to a romantic comedy book, we need a sprinkle of several things. We need comedic relief. Check. We need imperfections in our characters. Check. We need conflict. Check. But, the true test is not in the details of the book but whether I, the reader, disappear in the book and my family begs me to come up for air. That is what Katherine Center did for me with her latest book. It is predictable but in a way that this type of book should be. I devoured the story. I started and barely put it down until the end. Dear fellow readers, if you want the light read that leaves you feeling joyful, please let me introduce to Hannah and Jack. The pair that culture says was not to be.

I give this books weak 4 ⭐️. There were so many things I loved. The characters were great and the writing was great. This was a super quick read and I couldn’t put it down. There was very minimal bad language and it was also a closed door romance. It was sweet, funny, heart warming and even sad at times. Honestly the only thing I didn’t like was that the storyline was a bit far fetched, overly dramatic at times and cheesy. Some of that was hard to overlook.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This fun rom-com kept me laughing. Hannah may not look the part, but she works as a bodyguard for high-profile clients. In the midst of some drama in her personal life (her mother dies, her boyfriend/coworker breaks up with her), she is assigned to protect a major movie star who is in town visiting family. On the surface, it's a light-hearted romance, but it packs a bit of an emotional punch (along with some actual punches!). It's a fun read that any fans of Katherine Center will adore.

Another fun, couldn’t-put-it down book by Katherine Center! Hannah Brooks is a short, witty, private “bodyguard” to anyone with the money to hire her firm. When she is put on A-list celebrity Jack Stapleton’s protection detail, she immediately refuses. When she is left with no choice by her boss, she has to pretend to be Jack’s girlfriend around his family, who immediately take a liking to her…and she to them. The story unfolds in a fun and charming way that leaves the reader wanting more.

As with all of her books, I love the way the Katherine Center always speaks to the reader and actually makes you feel engaged in the story.

Thank you to Net Gallery and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I've always been picky about romances, but this...this is how it's done. This is my cup of tea, so to speak. Funny, witty, interesting, a *little* bit cliche but not overtly so...a delicate balance of being sweet and enjoyable instead of saccharine and cheesy. I have already recommended this to several of my friends and won't shut up about how perfect this book is. Highly recommend.

This was a quintessential rom-com full of all of the rom-com tropes that any rom-com lover enjoys. One bed? Check. Weird family dynamics showing everyone's true characters? Check. Long-held crush? Check.

That's not to say that Katherine Center's "The Bodyguard" is bad. Not at all! It's just a bit more typical than her previous works. Hannah is a bodyguard who lands an unexpected job covering an actor, Jack, when he has to move home to Texas to take care of his mother. To stop his mother from being concerned about him, he has Hannah act as his girlfriend and hijinks ensue.

None of the characters are given much backstory and you know they'll end up together pretty quickly. It was interesting that Center didn't hide either character's feelings but this made it fairly obvious that both had strong feelings for the other but there isn't that much obvious chemistry. (Perhaps I was just in the mood for something steamier or less closed-door?)

The twist at the end is cute and makes for a nice light ending too.

Overall, a solid easy four-star read, as expected for one of the numerous romance novels coming out this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start out by saying that Katherine Center hit it out of the park with this one. Grab it as soon as you can! Although it felt a little different (and more far fetched) than some of her other novels you still get that same heart and soul that you know and love. And honestly, what’s better than a fake dating trope?

I found myself constantly smiling through this one. It was just so fun to read and Hannah and Jack’s relationship was so cute and genuine. The supporting characters were great and provided some levity despite some difficult subjects covered in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent, otherwise known as a bodyguard. She is a highly trained specialist in her field, even though she doesn't look like a tough girl who can kick anybody's butt. Hannah has thrown herself into her work for years, taking on various assignments and traveling the world to protect mostly high profile executive types. Her life has taken a personal turn, though, and it forces her to start reevaluating problems she's left far in the past. After returning to work following a bereavement leave, her boss at the agency chooses her to protect their latest high profile client, Hollywood actor Jack Stapleton. At first she thinks it's a joke because she's never protected someone this famous before and doesn't want to take the job. Also, she's a little intimidated by the fact her new client is also a celebrity crush. Her number one rule is to never get personally involved with a client, but how is that not possible when she's seen all of his movies?

Jack returns home to Texas to his family's ranch when his mom becomes seriously ill. Problem is, he has a stalker and his management team decides to hire Hannah's agency to protect him while he's helping to care for his mother. The last thing he wants is a bodyguard, but he agrees as long as Hannah moves onto the ranch and pretends to be his girlfriend so not to alarm his already stressed parents about him having a stalker. Jack is impressed by Hannah's fierceness and the way she fits so seamlessly into his family's lives. Hannah discovers Jack is a real person, struggling with the recent death of his brother, and becoming disillusioned by the life he's created for himself. Mega stardom isn't all it's cracked up to be, Neither is Hannah's workaholic lifestyle that has built an emotional shell around her. The two get to know each other very well while pretending to be in love. Hannah struggles with her own rule of not getting personally involved.

The story is a delightful rom-com with an added layer of emotional growth for both characters. The writing is fast-paced and fresh. While the fake dating, close proximity tropes keep the story light, I enjoyed the relationship development between two flawed characters who must lean on each other to get through some pretty heavy circumstances in their lives. The plot is a bit over the top in places, but it was fun to suspend belief and just go with the story. Highly recommend it if you're looking for pure escapism and some witty banter. It's a slow-burn closed-door romance with a lot of heart. The perfect beach read!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's for this delightful ARC. Publishing date is July 19, 2022.

Such a fun read! The storyline was completely entertaining, and I literally laughed out loud several times. I loved all of the characters, who were each quirky and/or flawed enough to seem so realistic. Can I just mention how completely charming Jack Stapleton was?

I've enjoyed Katherine Center's previous books, and this one is now my new favorite. Read this! You will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love this book so much!! One of my favorites I’ve read in awhile! It’s so fun but it also has these deep emotional moments. I love Hannah, she had me smiling from the beginning! Don’t even get me started on the goofy and lovable Jack! Their banter and relationship left me with an almost permanent smile on my face throughout the whole book! I also loved how the story didn’t shy away from the deep and hard stuff. Their grief and insecurities felt very real. This was my first time reading a Katherine Center book and let me tell you it will not be my last! I can’t recommend this book enough!!

Even though there were so many times when I just couldn't believe anything like this would happen, I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their relationships. The Bodyguard is a sweet story that made me both laugh and cry.

We were supposed to have this pretty badass bodyguard who could kill you in any possible and a famous actor who was in need of her help. The writing was ok, nothing special about it just simple, fast and easy-going. The plot was kind of depressing though. The number of unnecessary scenes makes me cringe just by thinking about it. I mean, did he really need to go to her job and beg her to be his fake boyfriend? No, literally no. And don't even get me started on the sound descriptions of the gunshots when she was showing off to his father, ridiculous.

Their relationship was also disappointing. I didn't feel in love with their relationship or found any of their interactions cute or romantic most of the time. It was okay I guess. I liked the motive for the fake dating though.

I think Hannah would be a great character if she wasn't so boring. Her only trace of personality is being a bodyguard but she doesn't even do it right. She was funny sometimes but there's nothing really remarkable about her. It's sad because I really wanted to like her and empathize with her sad story, but even though she has my respect for the thing she went through, she's still uninteresting.
The same thing goes for Jack, I know she says everyone loves him and he's extremely famous and good-looking too, but you can't convince me of this. He's also unremarkable and uninteresting, even more than her.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Bodyguard almost had me, okay. Had me rating it higher, I mean. Had me thinking my luck with romance novels was turning around. Because the premise is great.

Hannah is a professional bodyguard, hired to watch over Hollywood actor Jack Stapleton. Given that Hannah has not only recently lost her mother, but gotten dumped on the night of the funeral AND discovered her best friend backstabbed her, the job is a welcome distraction. Only, it comes with a bit more strings than her usual gigs. Because Jack's mother has cancer. Because Jack's relationship with his family is strained. Because Jack isn't prepared to let them in on the threats made against his life. So, he tells everyone that Hannah's his girlfriend. And what ensues is a really funny, sweet story that flips the script on the narrative we (probably) all know from Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard.

I really enjoyed Hannah's perspective and felt invested in her character's journey. I liked her dynamic with Jack and found that their banter kept the story moving at a great pace. I liked all of the little twists and turns the author provided, which kept me on my toes.

But there is one thing about this that I truly did NOT like... and it happened multiple times. And it's for that reason that I sort of soured on the entire thing. The author has this tendency to have characters flashback to significant moments. And those flashbacks are being relayed to other characters in present time... but are presented as if they are playing out in real time. A lot of back-and-forth, verbatim dialogue, which really took me out of the story. That's not the way someone would reflect back on a memory. And while I felt like a lot of the other dialogue was organic, this particular "technique" really didn't work for me.

This was the first book I've ever read by Katherine Center and I have to tell you when they say she writes comfort reads they are not lying. I received an advanced copy of this book and sat down to read it wrapped in my electric blanket and stayed there until I finished it. This book is everything it says it is in the description but it is even more. The characters are so likable. I think what really sold me was how impressed Jack was of Hannah. He was not intimidated by her or the fact that she could beat him up if she wanted to. Normally I am a romance novel reader, and while this had plenty of swoony moments, it wasn't your typical romance read. This was two people finding their way through grief together but separately. They genuinely care for one another and are just so stinking cute. I laughed out loud at several parts and will for sure reread this one again. Thank you for the chance to read this book ahead of time!

This book had me from the first chapter! I have loved Katherine Center’s other books and was granted an ARC through Net Galley. The Bodyguard is similar to Katherine Center’s other books in the way of her main character going through significant life events/finding herself while also having a romantic aspect. The main characters were lovable and fun, the banter was great, and I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this book (which I finished in less than 24 hours), and of course since this is a Katherine Center book- I cried too! I finished this book a few days ago and it is the kind of story that stays with you, I am still thinking about it and I know I will continue to think about it! I am looking forward to purchasing a hard copy to add to my library!!

What a fun read! The main characters and even most of the supporting characters (shoutout for Glenn here especially) were such nuanced, but delightful personalities. The author crafted a fun read, and did not hold back in developing backstories and crafting complicated personalities. I'm now adding more Katherine Center books to my Good Reads list!

Like all the other Katherine Center books I’ve read, The Bodyguard is fun, sweet, and makes you feel good. It’s also unexpected and different than her previous books in a way. I really enjoyed the experience and loved the characters so much.
✨
This book releases July 19th, and I can’t wait to hear what you think when you read it. You’ll smile, you’ll laugh out loud, and you’ll be surprised too. Get ready! Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy!!