Basically: Hannah is an executive protection agent, aka, a bodyguard. She doesn't look like a stereotypical bodyguard, but could totally take you down. She's assigned to protect Jack Stapleton, a megastar actor against his middle aged stalker.
Jack's mom is sick, and he doesn't want his family to find out he has a stalker. He asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend as a cover.

This has lots of romantic tropes people love like fake dating, just one bed, and forced proximity.

My Thoughts: This was such a fun read. I appreciated the uniqueness of Hannah's job and thought it was really cool and different! I liked the characters development, especially in how Hannah saw herself throughout the story. Loved the setting, and I loved the family relationship and dynamic. This was really well paced, and felt like a natural romance! At one point, I was really hoping to see more of Hannah's skills come out and was happy they eventually did. Other than a couple of F words thrown in, this is a romance you can recommend to your mom.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary romance that was sweet without sex. There was just a bit of language. Hannah is a bodyguard to a famous actor, Jack. They end up falling in love. Well written that moved at a great pace! I finished this in one day. I'll definitely be looking for more from this author!

3 Stars.

The Bodyguard is my first Katherine Center book, however my friend has been telling me to read Happiness for Beginners for ages. Now, after reading the Bodyguard, I'm not sure if Katherine Center's writing style is for me. I've read some other reviews and the Bodyguard is supposedly more romantic than Center's previous works, which doesn't bode well for me considering I found the romance severely underwhelming.

The Bodyguard had all the potential to be a five star read, however, the writing style hindered the book. I am not a fan of books that tell rather than show, and this story had major TELLING and not as much showing. Also, when I found scenes to get interesting, Center would stop and shift to..."and then the next day..." or just move on to the next scene. It's like we got to the tipping point but never quite made it over the hump. Sighs.

The Bodyguard had all I wanted in a romance: fake dating, suspense, slow burn, and an alpha guy. Yet, the story falls flat. I found Hannah, the main character, to be extremely annoying. She was constantly negative and it drove me nuts.

There wasn't any suspense in the story. Nothing to keep me interested.

I don't know. I finished this book last week and my feelings toward it are neutral. It was good enough to finish, but not good enough to remember.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Hannah is put on "desk duty" after the death of her mother. She wants nothing more than to escape. She desperately wants to go on location anywhere to get over her co-worker, ex boyfriend. When she is put on a new high-profile case, she must remain in Texas to do her job.
Sprinkled in the story throughout is kindness, hope, and forgiveness. The process of dealing with grief and living again after loss was very moving. I loved Hannah's inner dialogue and laughed so much at the banter with Jack. One of my favorite messages from the book is to see the best in others and bring attention to that best part is you.This is a very sweet, uplifting, funny, and charming story that is just so joyful!! I also loved that the story is set on a Texas ranch that was inspired by Katherine's own grandparents' ranch!

This publishes July 19. Thank you to @smpromance and @stmartinspress for my advanced copy! Go read her entire backlist if you haven't yet while you wait for this one to come out!

A movie star with a heart of gold and a body I wasn't expecting ...
It's such a thrill that Katherine Centre has written an unpredictable story about a-typical MCs. After reading about a million books thus far, it's hard to get surprised by a novel, harder still to fall completely in love with the story and the characters. And yet, Center has done it again ... made me laugh and cry and gasp in surprise.
Hands down one of my favorite reads this year.

The Bodyguard is my new favorite Katherine Center book! This book was the feel good story I didn’t know I needed. I smiled, laughed and fell in love with all the characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I just finished a book a week before Christmas. On the day that I hosted my family's side.
And it's not due out until July 2022. Here are a few of my highlights from the book:
1 - Her beautiful description of his parents, never having witnessed it before.
2 - Discovering the love of feeling and giving a hug.
3 - I want to do Thanksgiving like the Stapletons someday.
4 - Of being cherished. She longed for the impossible and then appreciated it when it did happen.
5 - Jack's when you are not around I miss you speech.
6 - Hannah having faith in herself and following through.
7 - Needing a pocket at an important time but woman somehow don't deserve to have pockets.
8 - Poor guy when he says "I just hate myself for not being loved."
9 - Her description of being kissed.
Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress

I haven’t been reading as much as I like lately, but this sweet gem of a romance sprinkled with kindness, hope, and forgiveness has shown me what I’ve been missing in my life. I always look forward to reading Katherine Center’s books because they have a way of showing you that things are never as bad as you think they are.

The Bodyguard is the perfect mix of humor and romance for I dare say the “perfect romcom”. Hannah Brooks has taken her share of its lately, her mother passed away and then her boyfriend’ dumped her the day after the funeral. She wants to escape and with her job as a bodyguard that’s usually what she does. The latest case is in good old Texas, so no Korean skies for Hannah. The latest client is super rich and super famous actor, Jack Stapleton. Jack’s mom is sick and he wants to go home to be with her but as a corgi raising, stalker on his tail. Hannah treats Jack normal and keeps him on his toes. Hilarity ensues leaving you giggling. Jack and Hannah quickly worm their way into your heart and leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling when they get their HEA. The Bodyguard is another warm, feeling romcom with memorable characters that you love. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

✨ Review ✨ The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Hannah's an Executive Protection Agent (bodyguard) who gets assigned to protect mega Hollywood hottie Jack Stapleton from his Corgi-loving, sweater-knitting superfan stalker. Jack doesn't want to worry his family with his mom just out of surgery (cancer), and so Hannah pretends to be his girlfriend. Jack's mom invites them to stay and their family ranch on the Brazos River and Hannah's forced to take her first "vacation" in years while protecting Jack.

CW: stalker, parental cancer, parental and sibling deaths and grieving

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary romance
Location: Houston and a ranch on the Brazos River
Pub Date: July 19, 2022

This book tackles big feelings - grief, guilt, sleazy exes and more - but also doesn't take itself too seriously as the characters laugh together about the silly shenanigans they encounter. There was something really loveable about this balance and the process of dealing with grief and living again after loss.

I also really loved the setting of the ranch on the river - it seemed so very South Texas and I could picture it so clearly. I loved how Hannah found joy in being with Jack's family and filling gaps in her own life.

This was a super slow burn without a lot of steam in the end. The characters were lovable and I was rooting for them, but it fell a little short for me here. Sometimes it also felt like it was juggling multiple plots with Hannah's work as an EPA and her time with Jack and his family.

Despite these things, it was still a fun light read, and if you loved Center's other books, check this one out!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Fake Dating books
⭕️ Down-to-earth Hollywood character
⭕️ Not super steamy romance reads

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and #netgalley for an eARC copy of this book!

This is definitely a minority opinion, but I didn't love this book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, I thought the writing was a bit choppy, and so much of the story seemed unrealistic to me. Sometimes with rom coms, I'm OK with suspending reality to enjoy a fun read but this one stretched it a bit too far for me. But I think many others will enjoy this story!!

Hannah Brooks has had a rough go of it lately. Her mom, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship, just died and her boyfriend has decided the best time to break up with her is the day after her mom’s funeral. Taking a new assignment as an executive protection agent should help her keep her mind off her real life. Movie star Jack Stapleton needs a bodyguard but doesn’t really want one. When Hannah shows up it seems like a perfect situation, Hannah can pose as his girlfriend while he visits his family and they’ll never know he needs a bodyguard.
This was a cute book. I loved the idea of the bodyguard being a 5’5” woman who can kick some butt. Hannah was hilarious, I could definitely see how she kept the attention of everyone in her orbit. Jack was also a character you wouldn’t expect much from but who comes across as a heartwarming guy. Connie and Glenn are also great side characters, I loved how they each meddled in everyone else’s business without remorse. As with other books I’ve read by Katherine Center, this was well written with a solid plot that kept me engaged and entertained, pick this one up, you won’t be sorry.

I love Katherine Center and will read anything that she writes, lucky for me, she writes fantastic stories. I loved this book. It has a bit of everything, drama, death, suspense, romance, loser exes., complicated friendships, strained family relationships. This book was fun to read and was heart-warming.

Hannah is put on "desk duty" after the death of her mother. She wants nothing more than to escape. However, once she is finally put on a new high-profile case, she must remain in Texas to do her job. I loved the interact between Jack and Hannah. I loved that while she is a petite woman, he believed she could handle the job as his bodyguard (after a very entertaining scene where she shows him what she can do).

This book made me laugh, cry, and had me on the edge of my seat. It is a quick read that you won't want to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin;s Press for the ARC of this ebook. All opinions are my own.

I go into a Katherine Center book expecting to love it, and this book did not let me down.

It's a sweet story about a Bodyguard who falls for their client. Their famous client, who's dealing with a history of family tragedy and potentially more.

It takes place in Texas, and the state plays a beautiful character in the story. It is quite an enjoyable read, I read it on a flight and wasn't able to put it down. Which was perfect.

I will read every single thing this author writes, and always look forward to her new releases.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NegGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

5/5 stars. I love Katherine Center's novels and this was another fun one. She always makes me love the couples and also pulls at my heartstrings, this was so good!

I would give this way more than 5 stars if I could! This author is amazing! I know I am reading fiction but she brings the characters and story alive. That is her unique talent. Hannah is, in simplified terms, a bodyguard. The firm she works for mainly has clients who are rich and/or famous. She is great at her job, including never getting attached to clients, that is, until Jack comes along, a famous and gorgeous actor. From here on the story is magical and unputdownable! I simply adored it and it is added to my ‘best ever books’ list.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The only convincing I needed was Katherine Center's name on the cover. I went in blind and I was not disappointed. If you have listened to Katherine Center on live, you can tell that so much of her personality is reflected in her work. Her books are full of joy. I enjoyed everything about The Bodyguard: a female executive protection agent, a celebrity, and their forced proximity. *insert chef's kiss* Everything about this was right. Thank you Katherine Center for single-handedly bringing joy back to reading during difficult times.

After reading Katherine Center's WHAT YOU WISH FOR this past summer, I knew I wanted to read more of her books. When I saw THE BODYGUARD available on NetGalley, I leapt at the chance to read it a full six months before it hit shelves.

THE BODYGUARD is just plain fun. Is it a fairly formulaic rom-com? Yes. Do you know within the first 50 pages of what is (roughly) going to happen? Also, yes. But it is a delight to go along for the ride with Center and her characters. Hannah and Jack are both fully-formed and like-able, and both are exceptionally easy to root for. The story unfolds with a few twists and turns that keep you reading, and honestly: every page is worth the time.

If you want a gem of a rom-com that takes you exactly where you want to go, THE BODYGUARD is it.

Katherine Center is always a treat, and the Bodyguard was a fun twist on the traditional romance. In the Bodyguard, we've got a badass female lead and a sexy movie star that needs protection from a crazy corgi lady...yes this book is a lot of fun! Katherine Center has a way of writing romances that has you cheering for love from the start--whether the characters know they're meant to be or not. I love the strong female lead, I love the man who treats her well, and I absolutely love everything Katherine Center writes!

Quick, enjoyable, fun & romantic-- Katherine Center continues to bring me joy & delight every time I read her novels! I loved Hannah's character as the bodyguard, particularly since she is a woman. The slow-to-evolve romance between her and Jack Stapleton was absolutely adorable to read and follow. Katherine Center will continue to be an auto-buy and auto-recommend far into the future!!