So good! I devoured The Bodyguard in one day and couldn’t get enough of it! I think I fell in love with Jack just as quickly as Hannah did.! I loved the humor between them and how they dealt with difficult situations that happen to many of us.

This will go down as one of my favorites of 2022!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review..

Publishes 19 July 2022.

I excitingly looked forward to reading this advanced review copy of Katherine Center’s latest novel, The Bodyguard. I am happy to say, I was surprised, but not disappointed. The Bodyguard has a bit of a different vibe than most of Center’s previous novels. Regardless, The Bodyguard is a fun and engaging read. Part serious bodyguard material and part sweet budding romance, The Bodyguard drew me in and held my interest from beginning to end.

Jack, a handsome and hunky movie star is being stalked by an over-zealous fan. Enter Hannah Brooks, a lady bodyguard. Hannah has been assigned by the protection agency to protect Jack from the stalker. Jack is amused to meet his bodyguard. He cannot help but laugh as Hannah is tiny compared to himself. After all, Jack starred as the “Destroyer” in his most recent movie. Jack wonders how on earth such a tiny little bodyguard could possibly protect him.

I found the story of Jack and Hannah fun and engaging. Katherine Center has her own unique style of immersing readers in her never-fail enchanting romance stories.

This was an adorable book. It might even be my favorite of Katherine Centers. Hannah is supposed to be Jacks bodyguard, and soon turns into his “pretend” girlfriend when they go to Texas to take care of Jacks mom. Once they arrive in Texas, I couldn’t put this book down and ended up finishing it in one night! So good!

Typically, romances don't keep me up reading through the night. I mean, we know how they are going to end, right?

But, I could not put The Bodyguard down. A female bodyguard with a male love interest? Perfection. Definitely add this book to your list of things to read.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Cute story, quick read. I thought that her other books were better and deeper. More substance to it. This one i would catagorize as a light beach read. Still good. I found it predictable.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's press for this ARC. I enjoyed it.

I've read three books by Katherine Center prior to reading The Bodyguard and all three of those were highly emotional women's fiction/romance reads. I had in my head that this was going to be the same type of read until I read some reviews for it. Those reviews mentioned this was a romantic comedy. That surprised me but gave me the push to read it sooner than later. I'm so glad I did!

The Bodyguard was a pleasure to read. It started out a little sad with the state of Hannah's life, but quickly morphed into a story filled with many laugh out loud moments. Hannah was awkward in the best way. She might not have had the best self-confidence, but she was a good person. It was cool that Hannah got to be the kick butt bodyguard in this book, while Jack was the one being protected. I loved how she made Jack laugh and all the things that happened when they spent time together.  The way they met to their roommate status to friendship to maybe more was so much fun. I loved how they interacted and reacted to each other. I especially enjoyed their moments on Jack's parent's farm. Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't love about this book. It warmed me heart in the best way. It's perfect if you're looking for a romance that's going to leave a smile on your face.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a little bit of everything....romance, comedy, drama, mystery, etc. While the ending was predictable, it was a fun journey getting there. I recommend it if you're looking for something quick and easy.

Okay this was the cutest! I absolutely adore Katharine Center and immediately requested this galley when I saw it. This was the feel good romance that I so desperately needed. I love that we got to see another female in a male dominated profession and that every single character was so well fleshed out. Seriously, who doesn't love a good fake dating trope with a swoon-worthy man.

Another wonderful love story by Katherine Center! Loved the strong female lead character. This one needs a sequel!

I typically do not enjoy books where there is a "rockstar/actor" falls in love with a "normal" person trope. But gosh darn it I LOVED THIS ONE so much! Katherine Center is just mesmerizing with her writing and skills. This one drew me in and I couldn't put it down. I needed more of Hannah and Jack. Super sweet, swoony moments, laugh out loud funny, closed door romance - highly recommend this one!

Hannah Brooks is a personal protection agent and she gets assigned to protect mega-movie star Jack Stapleton. Reeling from the death of her mother, a break up and a betrayal from friend, Hannah undertakes a job like no other. Was it predictable? Yes. Did I keep reading? Yes. Did I enjoy it? YES!

Katherine Center has a fantastic way to weaving a story that's full of personality, humor, and emotion. Her characters are always a hit with me, as they are relatable in one way or another. "The Bodyguard" is full of healing, love, and kindness - something we all need a little more of in 2021.

Hannah Brooks is such an unique character: she's a total badass, broken in ways she doesn't exactly know how to fix, and is looking for her place to fit in this world since her mother's death. When her work assignment lands her protecting a Hollywood movie star, her life is turned inside out. Jack Stapleton isn't what you expect from a movie star and his character ARC is beautiful to witness. Both Jack and Hannah's friendship turns into a beautiful second chance for both of them. Honorable mention to Jack's mother, Connie. I loved her so so much, she brought me to tears many times.

Center is such a wonderful writer. I am always so eager to get my hands on her work.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I laughed. I cried. I didn’t want it to end. I just loved that Hannah was a little woman, but she was a badass bodyguard.

Hannah is a bodyguard assigned to protect world famous movie star Jack Stapleton. When Jack asks how a short, petite woman can protect him she demonstrates by taking him down on the pavement before he can blink. It’s nice having a strong kick ass female character who is vulnerable at the same time.

Hands down now one of my top three favorite romance novels. It’s a funny, sweet and steamy love story before there's sex, or even a single kiss. The dialogue is the foreplay. You can “ hear” them falling in love with each other. I found myself rereading the dialogue between Hannah and Jack aloud just to hear it again, which I never do, The dialogue alone is worth the read.
I had a few issues with the ending but nothing that mars the perfection of this wonderful and delightful book. Another hit from Katherine Center!

This novel follows bodyguard Hannah following a toxic breakup with a work colleague as she is assigned to superstar Jack Stapleton. It is classic Katherine Center in terms of delightful characters and a sweet (albeit not quite believeable) plot. I enjoyed the story but wasn’t quite as attached to the characters as I have been with Center’s novels in the past.

An elite bodyguard, Hannah needs a change of scenery after her boyfriend, who is also a coworker vying for the same position as her, breaks up with her on the same day of her mother’s funeral. Famous actor Jack Stapleton has been out of the spotlight ever since he was involved in a car crash that killed his younger brother. Jack plans to return home to Texas and help his mother while she deals with a health issue. Because of Jack’s celebrity status and past encounters with stalkers, Hannah is hired as his bodyguard. Jack isn’t thrilled, and he insists she acts as his girlfriend so as not to alarm his family. As the lines between reality and pretend blur, Hannah realizes there is more to Jack than meets the eye. She has a hard time keeping her feelings in check. Does Jack feel the same way?

The Bodyguard is such a fun and engrossing contemporary romance! I loved that the female protagonist is the bodyguard, and the male protagonist is the one who needs protection. It’s a role reversal that I haven’t often seen in romance novels. The heart of the story is the romance between Hannah and Jack. However, the other storylines, including Jack’s mysterious backstory, the fake dating ruse, and Hannah’s work and relationship struggles, are equally intriguing. There is also a bit of suspense as Jack’s overeager fans become more of a threat than anticipated.

Hannah is such a strong and brave woman, and I love her take-charge personality. She goes through so much, both in her personal and professional life, throughout the story, and she learns a lot about herself, which I liked. Hannah struggles with the death of her mother, her recent break-up, a friendship in tatters, uncertainty at her job, as well as her growing and confusing feelings toward Jack, and it’s interesting to see how she deals with all of the challenges she faces.

Jack is handsome and charming, and he also has a lot of depth. Kind, caring, and riddled with guilt and secrets, Jack struggles a lot with the past, his family, and his role in his brother’s death. Jack is still grieving, and his strained relationship with his family weighs heavily on him. He is a really interesting and deep person who, much like Hannah, hides and ignores his feelings. I enjoyed his character arc and how he evolves and opens up as the story progresses.

The highlight of the novel, of course, is the wonderful, chemistry-laden romance between Hannah and Jack. I love the fake dating trope, and Hannah and Jack make it look good! They have the best banter, and the way they tease and play off each other is so natural and electric. They are so funny together, and the way they cajole, relax, and have fun with each other is fantastic! There are so many laugh-out-loud scenes when this pair is together, and I love that they bring so much happiness and levity into each other’s lives.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s fun and funny at times and emotional and moving at others, and the characters are layered and interesting. The story includes themes of self-acceptance, forgiveness, the need to belong to something bigger than yourself, and taking a chance on love, and there are some incredibly poignant and touching moments, especially as Hannah gets to know Jack and his family. I would definitely recommend The Bodyguard to readers who like rom-coms or contemporary romance and am so thankful to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted review copy.

I just love Katherine Center’s books and this one was no exception. She has a way of creating such likable and complex characters and taking what at first seems like a simple and maybe predictable storyline to the next level. Her ability to incorporate tiny yet profound bits of wisdom into her easy to read and fun plots is my favorite part of her writing.

This book follows Hannah, a small framed yet fiery “bodyguard” who is assigned to protect a world famous heartthrob and actor. When the job requires Hannah to also start acting- as the infamous Jack’s new girlfriend, she finds herself on a whole new type of assignment.

I especially loved the sub storylines of self-love, brotherhood, and contradicting stereotypes. I was even surprised by a twist at the end- another thoroughly enjoyable read from Katherine Center! I know this will make the perfect book to throw in your beach bag, and I look forward to sharing more about this title on my social media feeds a bit closer to it's July 2022 publication date.

Katherine Center does it again. In another hit novel she draws in another heroine Hannah, who is a bodyguard for all types. This time, her target, Jack Stapleton, who is known in all households. Like it or not, her boss is forcing her to do the assignment if she wants a promotion.

Jack has been off the grid for sometime, but will be returning to Texas to see his mom while she endures treatments for her illness. Hannah is coming off a break-up. as well as losing her mom. Will sparks fly or will she be able to fight off the feelings for Jack?

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins for the advanced copy!

I read a couple of chapters of this book, then got a bit distracted for a few days, and then binged the rest of it in one sitting. I've loved all of Katherine Center's books (my forever favourite is Happiness for Beginners and this one was no exception. It was wonderful! So well written, so emotional at times, funny at other times, it made my heart clench and soar and it just felt like a cozy hug coming home to brand new but somehow still familiar-feeling characters. How does she manage to accomplish this through her writing?!

In this book, we quickly meet Hannah, who works as an executive protection agent (aka a bodyguard). She mainly works with oil tycoons in Texas but a new assignment is thrust upon her in the form of protecting WORLD FAMOUS actor Jack Stapleton from a crazy stalker woman while he is home in Texas with his family. Hannah is a strong and admirable woman (with such a cool job that she does so well!) but there are a lot of layers to her character. She and Jack end up having more fun than either of them expects and the story takes off from there.

I loved the way this story played out and like I said, I found it really easy to connect with all of the characters. I know this will be a big hit for this author next summer and I can't wait to witness all of this book's success. :)

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the VERY early ARC :) I appreciate it so much because this book made my entire month :)

A fun breezy read that is a little outside what readers may come to expect from Katherine Center. In this romance, Center flips the script with the protagonist as a body guard hired to protect a sexy movie star.