5 stars! I was thrilled with the opportunity to read an advance copy of Katherine Center’s newest novel and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. It was laugh out loud with occasional snorts kind of funny, authentically romantic in a sometimes cringe worthy and comedic way. It was a lovely, welcome diversion. I’ll be buying copies for friends.

Hannah, a self-proclaimed workaholic hasn’t had a vacation in 8 years and probably wouldn’t contemplate one if it hadn’t been her mother’s dying wish. She and her beefy boyfriend Robby live for the challenge and adventure that comes with being in the protection business. Their boss stirs up the competition announcing that a new office will be established in London and only one of them will be selected to move there to manage the branch. Though she doesn’t want to lose the good thing that she has with Robby, Hannah knows that this is her time to shine.

The only caveat is that she has been selected to protect Jack Stapleton, a famous and obviously gorgeous but aloof actor who is adamant that he doesn’t need any protection, especially from her. To make matters worse, Hannah must completely blend in and for the sake of Jack’s mother, no one can know that Hannah is a bodyguard. Though she looks nothing like the voluptuous bombshells that Jack typically dates, they pretend that Hannah is his girlfriend. If the assignment goes well, Hannah just might cinch that new role and she might even get more than she had bargained for.

I received an advance digital review copy of this book all opinions are my own.

I wanted/needed a fun, breezy novel and this was just the thing. I LOL'd a few times and generally enjoyed the storyline and most of the characters. I could totally see this as a chick flick down the road and I would watch it! Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read it!

Hannah Brooks doesn’t look like a bodyguard. But looks are deceiving. She can take down a grown man any day of the week. Right now she’s hoping to land the coveted London job. Her kind of boyfriend, Robby, is also in the competition.

Imagine her surprise when her next assignment is guarding Jack Stapleton, a famous actor, who is as different from Hannah as can be. She does not want this job and on the first day, she discovers her kind of boyfriend kissing her kind of best friend.

Jack has a stalker even though after a tragic accident a few years ago, he moved to North Dakota and has been laying low.

Now he’s in Houston, where his mother has requested his presence while she undergoes cancer treatments. The only problem is he doesn’t want his family to know about a said stalker or the bodyguard.

Against all of Hannah’s wishes, the team comes up with the idea of having her pretend to be his girlfriend. This is not at all what she wants to do. Even her ex kind of boyfriend says it will never work. She’s too plain. Ouch!

The more time they spend together the more Hannah is wondering if she should be protecting her heart! Because this charade is beginning to feel very real.

No one can make me laugh and then sob like Katherine Center. Her characters are so believable and just uplifting. She is truly one of a kind!

NetGalley/July 19th, 2022 by St. Martin’s Press

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Bodyguard! I adore Katherine Center and couldn't wait to dive in.

The Bodyguard follows Hannah, a personal protection agent, aka a bodyguard, assigned to protect movie star Jack Stapleton from a stalker. As the assignment progresses, Jack and Hannah forge a pretend relationship to ensure his family doesn't catch on to the potential danger Jack faces. Sparks begin to fly, but Hannah can't help but second guess that a famous actor would be interested in a normal girl like her!

You'll love this book if you enjoy feel-good romances and southern charm. Jack was a hot lead character and it was hard not to swoon over him! I appreciated the depth of Hannah's character as she struggled with the death of her mother and being dumped by her jerk of a boyfriend.

Overall, this story was cute but a bit exaggerated for me. I disliked the internal dialogue from Hannah's perspective and the bit with Kennedy's meltdown just seemed immature. I was a bit confused when Hannah fell for Jack - it seemed to come out of nowhere that she all of a sudden had feelings for him one day. However, I loved Jack and really got into the book about 75% in! Overall, this book was decent but does not compare to Center's earlier works that I loved so much!

With THE BODYGUARD, Katherine Center has delivered another compulsively readable book full of heart and hope that also delivers laugh out loud moments on every page. She has also gifted us with characters who, despite being an executive protection agent (fancy term for bodyguard) and an uber famous movie star, are completely relatable! Hannah and Jack are flawed and human and snarky and fun. Their banter is top-notch and the story pulled me in from the beginning.

I knew I would enjoy this book, but I really didn’t expect to love it this much. Thank you for this story, Katherine…it was beautiful.

THE BODYGUARD doesn’t come out until July but you should pre-order it now so you can dive in the moment it releases. You really don’t want to wait.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advance reading copy.

I don’t know how realistic the portrayal of a bodyguard is in this one—do bodyguards cry this much? 🤔—but I sure did love the story. Really delightful and fun. I liked the banter between Jack and Hannah, and I liked all the romantic entanglements around and between them. I zipped through the book in a day, eesh, and I loved every second of it.

The Bodyguard was such a good read and I'm already envisioning this as a movie.

The Bodyguard who is so different than the bodyguards we all think of and the superstar actor with the messed up family life work together very well as the main characters.

I loved Jack's mom (of course, who didn't) and while I really disliked his brother in the beginning I started to get his history and softened toward him.

I will admit I was not the biggest fan of the creepy Robert, one of Hannah's colleagues and I was disconcerted that he was allowed to keep his job. I would have much preferred it had he been gotten rid of, especially in this world of #MeToo, but this wasn't my book to write nor my story to tell, it's just me saying I disliked this part.

This was a wonderful read and definitely something that many people will enjoy. If you like fun, enemies to lovers, and the tugging of heartstrings, this book is for you. thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for approving my request for an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I never review a book more than five months before its publication time because it just seems like anyone who reads my review might forget about the book by the time it makes its appearance. But, if you hand me a Katherine Center book, well, all bets are off. And, they indeed were with The Bodyguard her new novel that will be birthed to the world on July 19, 2022 (and who knows how many times I will read it before then!).

Like all of the Katherine Center novels I’ve read, The Bodyguard ably runs the gamut of emotions from making me laugh hysterically (mostly at Hannah’s snarky comments) to swoon (oh, Jack is so much more than a Hollywood movie star) to cry (Hannah’s backstory/Jack’s backstory) to just feel good about the world and (most of) the people in it (the epilogue that is as touching as an epilogue can be).

It doesn’t hurt to spend your life with people who see what’s great about you–in a way that you maybe never would have on your own.

The people we love help teach us who we are.

The best versions of who we are, if we’re lucky.

The Bodyguard throws stereotypes on their ears. First we have 5’4″ Hannah who looks like your typical girl-next-door but can undo a man a foot taller with one swift move. She’s a bodyguard. Who’dathunkit? She’s snarky, funny, and underneath all of that snark and attitude so, so vulnerable that you know you will find her to be an engaging heroine.

And, there’s a hysterical scene in which Hannah comes face-to-face with a (wo)man-eating cow. 😉

Jack is not a typical Hollywood movie star. In fact, it mostly seems like he’d like to be someone else especially when he’s stalked by one of his fans and events turn dangerous.

And, let’s not forget about Jack’s family who are fantastic. His parents are the embodiment of what everyone would like their parents to be. Jack has an older brother who, if he’d been about 30 years younger would probably have been played by Sam Elliott. I could almost hear Sam Elliott speaking the lines.

Like all of the Katherine Center novels I have read, The Bodyguard is filled with heart and love and optimism. It’s the kind of book that feels like a warm hug while also giving you laughs and tears. Yes, we need more hugging books. I just wish Katherine wrote faster, but who would want to mess up her writing by pressuring her? Not me.

A definite must read and enjoy.

I received an ARC (many, many thanks you wonderful people at St. Martin’s press) in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing! Loved it and will for sure be reading more by this author! Will make sure to tell others about it as well!

I've been craving a sweet read, so I dug into my ARC of The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. She's written a few of my fave emotional reads so I was really excited for this one! Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my ARC!

Pub date: 7/19/22
Genre: women's fiction with romcom elements
In one sentence: Hannah is an Executive Protection Agent who could kill you with a ballpoint pen - but her toughest job is playing girlfriend to Hollywood megastar Jack.

Anyone else love fake dating stories? I personally find them hilarious since they make for fun and awkward situations. I loved seeing the traditional man-protecting-woman story flipped on its head here - Hannah is a jiu jitsu master and excellent bodyguard, and she proves that in their meet cute. Her banter with Jack and their time spent with his family made me smile. Jack carries some emotional trauma, and I was glad to see Hannah support him in dealing with those issues.

I would say this one is less of a tearjerker than Center's previous books, but I'm interested to see if others felt the same way. It's also a great option if you like sweet over steamy romance - this one is closed door!

I think this will be a great summer read - it certainly brightened up my winter! If you haven't read anything by Katherine Center, I recommend Things You Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away - just be sure to have tissues handy!

Anything by Katherine Center is an auto-read for me, and this one was no different! Such a cool and different storyline, I loved the take of the female bodyguard for a male celebrity. As always, the characters were dynamic and relatable. 10/10 would recommend!!

This was a delight. Seriously an adorable delight! I loved the twist on gender roles, the adorable banter, and the interpersonal friend/work dynamics. Basically I loved everything about this book. Katherine Center did a delightful job with this book. I was rooting for Hannah and Jack before they even spoke a word to each other. I completely devoured this book in one sitting, No seriously, I could not put it down. From this day forward I will read everything she writes.

Thank you to #NetGalley For the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Katherine Center did not disappoint with this one!! Absolutely killed it. I was constantly giggling while reading this because I truly felt like I was there. What a fun concept of a woman acting as a bodyguard but not in the traditional sense that we think about. Not only that, but the plot twist at the end! Well done.

My favorite part is how the sarcasm and jokes shine through the story. You can't deny the chemistry you feel in the book between everyone as the way everyone responds, just seems so natural. I myself am full of sarcasm so I really relished the storyline and everyone's interactions. Such a fun read!!

If someone asked me to name one thing about this story that I didn't like, I couldn't. Just could not do it. Because this was such a fantastic book. Just everything I need from a great story to elate and excite me. I'm just sitting here smiling while typing thinking about my adoration for the characters and their plight.

From beginning to end, The Bodyguard was one of those heart warming reads that just envelops you in its warm embrace and engages you with its wit and charm. Told from the often hilarious, always serious, and adorably lost point of view the heroine, I found myself just so happy to be reading. The banter between H/h was literally laugh out loud funny. It was charming as all get out to bear witness to their flourishing friendship through a fake relationship. The vulnerability and the trust, the adoration and the skepticism shined through every interaction, every page.

Katherine Center took a tried and true romance trope and gave readers a story that takes that trope, gives a few unique twists to make it her very own and the end result just soars. Her first person POV writing flows so beautifully, never lingering, allowing the reader to feel as though they're an intimate part of the journey. Pure escapism and fun even though there were cloudy and murky tribulations to deal with - it just felt so good and so full of hope. I'm really, very excited about this book and think all women's fiction/romance lovers have something special to look forward to and will love it so much too.

I really enjoyed this story, although parts of it seemed a little unrealistic, wouldn't Jack's parents wonder why their house has security cameras popping up all of the sudden? And would hostage negotiation on a rooftop really go that smoothly (minus the GSW)? And would Glenn really speak to employees the way he did? All that to say, I was thoroughly entertained and rooting for the sweet couple till the end. And I always love watching a protagonist be pulled in by a large, loving family.

I wanted to like this book, I love the fake dating troupe, but I just could not get into this book. I found Hannah so annoying. I know she was supposed to be a grown adult but she always sounded like a 17 year old. It just never came together for me, and the asides where Hannah seemed to talk to the reader just became annoying and unnecessary.

Y'all, I love a Katherine Center romance, and I was so excited to have the chance to get an early look at her newest one! First of all, I loved that the bodyguard referred to in this title was a woman, and this role played a central role in driving the plot. Second, I just loved the couple at the center of this one. As they pretended to be a couple in the name of safety and security, I was rooting so darn hard for them. In addition to the love story, the nature of the bodyguard dynamics meant this one had some thrills in addition to its feels. This is just such a great blend of romance and twists and a captivating plot with characters that will just sweep you away!

This was a captivating and engaging book. It is beautifully written and grabbed my attention right away. 
The Bodyguard is an amusing, delightful tale with a splendid cast of characters, beautiful scenery, delicious romance, and delectable treats that is undeniably the perfect choice for any sunny, summery day.
Once I started reading The Bodyguard I could not put it down.
I loved the writing, the characters, the story - everything.
It was just the right balance of everything I was hoping for here.
If you love vivid writing, romance, humor, and characters who are so alive, you just have to meet them, read this book.

St. Martin's Press,
Thank You for this eARC!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!

You gotta love Katherine Center. She knows how to write emotions better than most, and I was actually surprised that at no point during this book did I cry even a little bit—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You get to know the characters so well and you really feel what they’re feeling. At one point, there was a twist that literally had me gasp out loud and quickly wonder where the story was going, which make it all the more enjoyable. I really don’t want to spoil anything by writing too much, so I’m just going to say that fans of Center won’t be disappointed, and anyone looking for a love story with great characters and a full range of emotions should pick it up when it hits shelves on July 19—which is so far from now, but worth the wait.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE everything Katherine Center. I felt that this book was different, interesting, new, and thoroughly entertaining. The combination of a little suspense wrapped up with the warm fuzzy Hallmark Movie feeling. Consistently, if I am stressed out with day-to-day life and need an escape, I am confident that one of her books will do the trick. If she writes it, I will read it.