Well, wasn’t that a cute romcom— With a twist that hooked you in at the last minute! Nicely done by the always funny and fun to read Katherine Center. Want a funny, emotional, funny, serious and funny again book? This is it. I loved every second of it. This is a quick and fun read.— Did I say fun again? Yep!

My review for The Bodyguard is going to be a bit different—a love letter to this wonderful book and to its author, Katherine Center. So:
Dear The Bodyguard, I love every word, every emotion, every heartache and every healing, every act of love, every kindness. I love Hannah so very much—she is a badass, she is self-deprecating, she is a bit broken, she is looking for love and family. I love that the story is told from Hannah’s point of view, because her thoughts are so insightful, they are often funny, they are raw and honest. I love Jack, with his movie star good looks, his fame and fortune, his sloppiness, his thoughtfulness, and the fact that he’s a bit broken as well.
I love that this book is the embodiment of what I love about the novels Katherine Center writes, and the worlds that she creates. I love that there is sparkling, bantering dialogue; I love the humor mixed in with the heartache; I love that I laugh the most when I’m crying the hardest; I love that I read each and every page with my whole heart. Mostly, I love that The Bodyguard is hopeful and uplifting. I love that there is wisdom and poignancy. I love that we can believe, as Hannah and the others do, that even in the worst of times, the times when you feel your worst, the times that you believe that you will never recover from tragedy and heartache; that someway, somehow, with love and support, you will be okay. As Hannah says, “And I guess there really is something profoundly healing about letting somebody love you.” I love that my big takeaway from this book is the unshakable belief that loving others is a way, maybe the only way and the best way, of having it for yourself.
Love, Me

What a DELIGHT!!! Katherine Center is one of my absolute favorite authors and I was beyond ecstatic to receive an early copy of The Bodyguard!!

I wish I could end every day with a Katherine Center book! This was an adorable, light, fun read that I could not put down.

The premise is really fun and a little different too. I like that Hannah is the "bodyguard" - she is tough and no nonsense but it was lovely to see her open herself up and embrace her vulnerabilities. Jack was a gem - kind, funny, and wonderful to Hannah. The two of them together were magic and I just didn't want it to end. They brought out the best in each other and I loved how they always had each other's backs. Their dialogue was perfect and so entertaining. I also loved the side characters from Hannah's office - Glenn was great!

I love how Katherine Center brings lightness and fun to all of her stories while still weaving in heart-wrenching (and ultimately heartwarming) themes. The Bodyguard was a true pleasure to read and I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed The Bodyguard, but it was not as good as Katherine Center's previous novels. While she made the movie star hero down to earth, I didn't enjoy that complication.

Solid 4 Stars from Katherine Center!

I've long been a fan of Katherine Center, since her book How to Walk Away brought me to tears.

All her books - while different - have moments of raw emotion that bring me to tears, and give me all the feels. This one is no different. I enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the story, and I loved the subtle shoutout to Christine Lauren (fans will understand). This may be a light book, but there are deeper emotions at play, and definitely a must-read.

This novel was quite delightful. The main character, Hannah, was witty and capable. The dialogue was entertaining. It was unlike a standard romance, as there was a stalker involved. I liked that there wasn’t anything too spicy, just a relatively sweet romance. I would say 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Katherine Center is a must-read author for me, and The Bodyguard did not disappoint! Everyone always wants to see what actors are truly like, and this book gave us a little way to see that. I liked seeing Hannah grow in her confidence throughout the book.

I absolutely adored Katherine Center’s previous novels and was beyond thrilled to get the chance to read this one! The story of a lovely female bodyguard and the superstar she is hired to protect melted my heart. They were truly a ying to each other’s yang. The banter and the storyline sizzle!

Katherine Center's new novel "The Bodyguard" is being billed by its publisher as "the perfect summer read," but I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy in November, and dare I say that it's the perfect WINTER read as well? Center's books are as cozy as a cashmere sweater, as warming as a cup of tea. Any time of year is a fine time to pick up one of her novels!

Hannah Brooks is an "executive protection agent," which means that she works as a bodyguard, chiefly protecting rich businessmen in her hometown of Houston. After her boyfriend dumps her -- he's a fellow agent, which makes things messy -- she is dying to score a coveted overseas assignment, but then movie star Jack Stapleton comes to Texas to spend time with his sick mom. Jack has a stalker, and Hannah is assigned to keep him safe. But Jack doesn't want his mom to know that he could be in danger. When she begs her son to move to the family's ranch for the Thanksgiving holidays, Jack decides that Hannah will need to masquerade as his girlfriend.

Since this is a Katherine Center book, both Hannah and Jack have deep and somewhat tragic backstories. Jack has been laying low since his brother died; Hannah is a workaholic whose alcoholic mother recently passed away. (We are informed that Jack has been off the grid for a while, but also that he just appeared on the cover of People with his girlfriend; since People usually only gives stars the cover when they have a project to plug or are in the midst of a big scandal, this doesn't quite add up.) Of course, Jack's girlfriend turns out to be a vapid actress and he winds up falling for the down-to-earth Hannah, but even though their HEA seemed fated from the get-go, somehow Center has managed once again to create characters capable of melting my cynical heart. Bonus: there are a lot of interesting facts about the executive protection industry, similar to the way "Things We Save in a Fire" gave readers an inside look at firefighting.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

What a great book. Hannah, short and curvy, is a bodyguard, which is a change from most of the romances I've read. Katherine Center did some research to credibly portray the character. With her awful childhood, it's believable that Hannah ended up in this kind of work. Now, she travels the globe protecting clients whom she knows intimately, never gets close to, and often dislikes. It's a cold, arms-length way of life. So when she is assigned to guard the hottest movie star on the planet (I kept seeing Chris Hemsworth as Thor), and their chemistry is instantaneous, it throws her completely. But wait, it gets better. She has to spend a month pretending to be his girlfriend on his parents' Texas ranch! Oh, yeah.

But the thing is, the two characters are truly messed up, and Center does a fine job of making them need each other. Hannah's arc is to learn to let down her guard and allow herself to believe she is lovable. Jack's is to forgive himself for his brother's death. This is a sweet, funny, heartwarming story. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for letting me read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by Katherine Center- Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy! A little predictable, but a very enjoyable, feel good story. I always like Center’s witty writing style & I look forward to her next book! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I've read a couple of this author's books before and have never been disappointed. This book was no exception. I loved the characters and the storyline. I would highly recommend this and am going to have to look up the ones I haven't read yet.

Absolutely perfection! Another reason why Katherine Center is my go-to, favorite author!! This book was no exception. The perfectly cozy, heart-wrenching story with a fiercely independent strong female character learning who she is and what's important to her, surprising herself and staying true to who she is. I loved this book, I loved Hannah and her journey from workaholic bodyguard "shark" to contentment in her self, her life, and a new future she never would have imagined.

Katherine Center's books always give me all the feels and this one is a new favorite. I loved every page.

Let me preface this review by saying that I like Katherine Center's writing a lot. I believe I have read everything she has written and pretty much enjoyed all of it, although her first books are probably my favorites.

That being said, romance books on the whole aren't really my genre. They often come off as insipid and just silly to me, with lame dialogue. And as I started the Bodyguard and read the first handful or two of pages, I was concerned. Was I going to give a low rating to a Katherine Center book?

Fortunately, Ms Center blew past that initial fear with a fun, easy to read book that also touched on some more serious topics. I found myself reading it during the night and completed it in record time with a happy little sigh at the end.

Deep reading? No. But sometimes I get tired of scary thrillers and psychological mayhem. This book was just the right amount of feels. Katherine Center hit it just right!
4.5 Happy Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

When you pick up a Katherine Center story you know you’re in for a treat. Her writing is infused with just the right amounts of humor and heart and this book…this one is all of that and SO MUCH more! This story is like sunshine, reaching all the dark corners and spreading joy.
The characters were fantastic: Hannah is an endearing workaholic with an unconventional job. Jack is an affable hunky movie star, the one every girl fantasizes about. From their first meeting, the banter between these characters is engaging and their chemistry comes alive.
My favorite parts of the book are the scenes set on the ranch. The vivid descriptions bring that setting to life.
I laughed until I cried (more than once!)! But it’s not all light and fluffy, sprinkled in are also thought provoking, emotional moments focused on forgiveness, family, and love that brought tears to my eyes.
A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and to st Martins press for the opportunity to read this book it was a fast reader first time reading anything from this author it was a good read. It was a page turner

The Bodyguard was a quick, enjoyable read. Pretty much the poster child for a rom-com. Nice main characters, one super gorgeous, one “plain” but in reality wonderful and pretty in a down to earth way. A situation that throws them together. Things start to heat up but no action takes place. Then there is a crisis and…no spoilers but you know where this goes. I liked this book but, unlike many of the other books I’ve read by the author I felt this book lacked heft. It was a fine story but I felt the plot was a bit too simple. A good read for times when you need to escape your busy life.

Katherine Center kills me with every book. One minute I am just bopping along, reading a sweet and fun romance, and then BOOM I am sobbing because I've been smacked in the face with a beautiful and much-needed life lesson. How does she do it every time!??? Reading a KC books is like having the best, soul-filling conversation with your dearest friend.

Special should out to Hannah and Connie, two of the best KC characters ever.

Side note for the editor, there were about 500 too many uses of the expression "Fair enough," but I am sure you caught that already. ;)

This was a fun, easy read. I love this author, and while this isn’t my favorite book of hers, I loved the characters. I found hannah to be so relatable (minus being able to kill someone with a ball point pen, haha). But her self doubt and complicated relationship with her mom made her seem real and I loved her development. While it was semi-predictable, there were some twists and turns I didn’t see coming and made it a great read.

Thank you netgalley and st martins press for this arc and in return i am writing this unbiased review on goodreads and net galley.

Hannah feels like her world is falling apart. She just lost her mother, her boyfriend, and her best friend. She is an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard") and was just assigned to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton.
Jack, is "the sexiest man alive." After the death of his brother, he went into hiding and has been out of the public eye, but that doesn't stop people from stalking him. In order for Hannah to protect Jack, they have to pretend that she is his girlfriend.

The characters are fun, witty, and have heart. They have great chemistry and I enjoyed their banter. I always like a book that can make me laugh. It is a light fun read, and I enjoyed it.

"People we love help teach us who we are."

Thanks, NetGalley for the advance read copy.