I have loved all of Katherine Center's previous novels. Before I even finished this one, I posted in several reading Fascebook groups and texted my reading buddy group chat that they all must get this laugh out loud book and read it immediately. I loved the concept of the woman being "the bodyguard" and that she was little and not at all typical. And I love the internal chatting with the reader throughout the book. What a fun read that made me want to keep reading and not put this one down!

I LOVED THE BODYGUARD! Unique, beautifully written, clever, and relatable - everything one wants in an amazing romance.

A very readable romance. It is predictable, but tge overall charm makes up for the plot defects.

I enjoyed it and I know that this is a great beach novel.

Thank you Netgalley.

calling all rom-com lovers 📣 [thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance reader copy]

Full disclosure, I absolutely loved Center’s Happiness for Beginners, but didn’t care much for How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire and What You Wish For.

I therefore went into The Bodyguard with very low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised though!

This book about a bodyguard tasked with protecting a celebrity male movie star ticked a lot of my romcom boxes (banter, slow burn, a perfect mix of romantic tropes) and made for the perfect pool read. I flew through it.

I’d say The Bodyguard is heavier on the romantic comedy than her other novels. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being adapted for the big screen at some point.

It wasn’t a 5 ⭐️ read for me because I didn’t care for the cheesy life lessons at the end. I also wasn’t a fan of how the story pitted women against each other.

But overall: a fun summer escape read that will leave you with a smile on your face ☀️🥰

Dare I say, this is quite possibly one of my favorite books by Katherine Center?!? I loved The Bodyguard. It's just an all around fun read. The characters are likable, believable and certainly there is definite chemistry. The plot is pretty straight forward. Jack is a Hollywood superstar. Hannah is an executive protection agent hired to guard him. Much like Center's other books, there is a lot beneath the surface. The subplots, Jack's relationship with his family and Hannah's professional and romantic issues, add a lot of flavor to the story. There is romance and conflict all mixed in with some really heartfelt moments. The dialogue between Hannah and Jack is deliciously fun. Even more, it's genuine and flows so easily. And Robby, or should I say Bobby. had me feeling all sorts of bad ways about the character and I love it! His abusive and dismissive demeanor got under my skin. I love when an author can make you feel not only the good about the characters but the bad feelings as well. I did have a few issues with the story overall, but honestly, they were so insignificant that it didn't change how much I enjoyed reading the book. Overall, a great rom-com. It's fun, sweet, and definitely one I would recommend.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC and the opportunity to read and review The Bodyguard by Katherine Center.

I absolutely loved this book. I found myself not wanting to put it down and devour it, but also at the same time savor every word and Hannah & Jack moment. This book has your bodyguard trope, fake-dating trope, and totally gave me Miss Congeniality vibes. It is the full package for any romance book. Something that really sets this book apart from others is that not only does it deliver with a love story that makes you feel every emotion, but the author does an outstanding job of bringing up life lessons. You fall in love with the story and the characters, but also take away from reflection and relate to the issues that they are going through.

Now to our main characters, Hannah and Jack. I felt like Hannah was such a complex character, & not in a bad way. It starts off with her mother passing away (not a spoiler), and then is followed by another negative event. You can tell that Hannah is just not happy with her life, and then she is thrown into the whole "when it rains it pours" life sucks situation. She really starts off at rock bottom, and i enjoyed watching her progress throughout the story. Also her commentary to the reader is too funny and was a great touch by the author. Jack, I loved from the start. His quirky personality really sucks you in and has you swooning for a fictional man. Not only that, but I love that fact that the author made a point to show that this big-time actor really is a normal human. We see Jack's "normal" qualities are something that throws Hannah for a loop, and I enjoyed each and every one of those moments. The dynamic between Hannah & Jack has you smiling throughout the book, and really gives you the true love moments.This is an all-around amazing book that every romance lover needs to read.

“It’s as if loving somebody—really, bravely, just all-in loving somebody—is a doorway to something divine.”
I loved this book! I don’t give many 5 star ratings, but this one just checked all the boxes for me! One of my favorite books of the year, so far. Katherine Center is becoming a must read author for me.
✔️Likable characters
✔️Funny, sweet, romantic and swoony
✔️Cute plot line, but has substance and some suspense
✔️Serious issues were handled thoughtfully
✔️Happy ending
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed several of Center’s books but this one was BY FAR my favorite! It was so stinkin fun! I found myself thinking throughout, “this is so cute!”

It was charming, entertaining, and the voice of the writing had me laughing aloud. Just when we were getting about to the climax of the book, I found myself thinking “hmmm, I was expecting more of ____ to happen” (no spoilers 😉) and just as I thought that, it turned and I got exactly what I wanted from it.

What a sweet, delightful, summer read! It was also a nice closed-door romance, which I appreciated because open door scenes aren’t really my favorite. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book!

This was my first Katherine Center novel but I hope that it will not be my last as I enjoyed this cute opposites attract fake dating story.
This sweet story, sprinkled with some more poignant moments in it, made me laugh at points and swoon over the cute romance between Hannah and Jack as well as the Stapleton family as a whole. Hannah and Jack's relationship was realistic though I wish we got to see more of it over some of the logistics of being a bodyguard.
Some parts of the story were a little slow to my liking by overall this hearting novel was top tier banter was a fun and adorable read!

Man did I love this book! The Bodyguard is such a fun, summer read that I didn’t want to end. In this story we follow Hannah Brooks, the bodyguard assigned to protect movie star Jack Stapleton as he returns home to be by his mother’s side. Hannah is forced into this assignment just as her life is unraveling. A death of a family member, a breakup, and the ultimate betrayal by a friend. Hannah has always prided herself on how well she performs her job, but this assignment with Jack finds her breaking her own rules. She lets down her guard and enjoys the time with Jack, but then she’s left wondering if the attraction is mutual or if that’s just Jack doing what he does best, acting.

I loved that the premise was a bit of a flip from what you would normally think about a bodyguard. But mostly I loved the humor and the banter between our characters. I loved how this was the ultimate fairytale. What girl doesn’t dream of a celebrity falling in love with a regular girl like them? I loved the growth of our main character and how a central theme of the book was about opening yourself to love, especially loving yourself.

I’ve read several other Katherine Center books and I thought this was some of her best writing. This is definitely a new favorite!

I love a romance, but this one missed the mark for me. The female protagonist was blind to what was going on around her. The people closest to her treated her like garbage to the point that you questioned HER judgement. I didn't feel the development of the spark/romance between the male and female lead at all. It was cute but I have read much better, I'm sorry to say.

This book was not what I expected and I did really enjoy it. I loved the idea of a woman bodyguard - it felt very Miss Congeniality in a different, more sad way. Hannah was so sad. Her grief flew off the page. The death of her mother, the forced relationship with her mother. The flashback of her childhood - she's been grieving for years and never dealt with it. Until Jack. Jack who makes her feel free in a way she's never felt free before. Overall I enjoyed this, I loved the ending, the thriller type aspect of the stalker. What I didn't love was Robby. He was so freaking annoying and rude and I just hated him as a character (honestly Taylor too). The other thing that took of stars was the complete lack of diversity. Like literally all white folks, not people of color, no LGBTQIA+ diversity, nothing at all. I expect more from your next book, Katherine, because not in the year 2022.

I received this ARC for an honest review and opinion. These comments are my own and grateful for being given the opportunity to read this book.
Katherine Center did it again in another amazing book. I was instantly connected from the first page with the main character. There was so much sass and humor from them that I was laughing out loud late into the night. This was a great book and I would recommend to everyone to read it.

(4.5⭐️) Funny, flirty, and completely heartfelt. There’s a reason I’m a diehard Katherine Center fan. Her books always combine the perfect mixture of escape and impact.

Hannah might be able to drop a man to his knees and have a tough as steel exterior while doing it. But on the inside, she’s tender, a bit messy, and plagued with self-doubt.

Jack. (Yep. That IS a complete thought!) Those crooked glasses. That laugh that reaches all the way to his toes. And those Levi’s that I can’t get out of my head. I can’t deny that I fell hard for him.

The premise could be such a syrupy sweet cliché… Hollywood hunk. Disinterested regular girl. Both carrying around some major familial baggage from the past.

But when Center works her magic, and I believe she has magic in spades, that premise turns into absolute swoon-worthy perfection with a heaping dose of laughter.

Don’t let me mislead you though. There’s more to this story than a great romance. The message of this book nourished my soul and made me feel seen. It gave a voice to my own situation with my parent with such tenderness and honesty, while never being heavy handed.

The Bodyguard gave me everything I wanted and fully charmed me, leaving me with the biggest, happiest, most satisfied smile as I closed the last page.

As I often do, I went back and forth between the print and audio versions of this book, and I would strongly recommend either version. The audio is narrated by Patti Murin, and I just adored the voice she gave to Hannah.

“You can be the love you wish you had. That’s the way to be okay. Because giving love to other people is a way of having it for yourself.”

Many thanks to my partners St. Martin's Press and MacMillian Audio for the #gifted copies.

I received a copy of The Bodyguard from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The story centers around Hannah who works as a bodyguard and after some life changing events is assigned to a high profile celebrity while he visits his sick mother. When the book starts out, it gives the impression that the author would really like us to know all of the interesting things she found out about being a bodyguard while writing this book. We keep getting told about the job, the training and the skills needed... a lot. The constant reminder became tedious. As for the story, great pains were taken to let us know how great Hannah is at her job- one of the best! And yet, she comes off as incompetent and unprofessional a great deal of the time. Most of the characters have an immaturity that is hard to overlook and it felt like the drama between them was drawn out and ridiculous. I gave it three stars because I did enjoy the banter between Hannah and Jack and appreciated their relationship not being insta-love. Over all though, I wouldn't really recommend this book. It left me wanting more in all the wrong ways.

I swear Katherine Center's books are instant serotonin and this book was no exception. It was a smidge lighter than I would have liked but it left such a smile on my face.

In this enjoyable, perfect summer read, Katherine Center pairs bodyguard Hannah Brooks with movie star Jack Stapleton. Barely having a chance to recover from a broken heart, and not going on an assignment that she had really hoped for, Hannah fights tooth and nail not to take this job, just hoping that she can get a job in Korea or London…anywhere but where she is where her ex-boyfriend works for the same security agent that she as.

Her boss does not listen to her protests and, before long. not only is Hannah guarding Jack, as the principal agent, she agrees to spend time with him at his family’s Texas ranch while his mother is in the process of recovering from serious illness. Hannah does know the importance of this job, as Jack has a stalker, albeit a middle-aged corgi breeder, but a stalker nonetheless.

There is one catch, beyond spending possibly weeks with Jack in close quarters. Jack does not want to worry his family, so he asked Hannah to pose as his girlfriend, and the plan seems like it will work since they are about to spend time together at the ranch. She reluctantly agrees, but does indeed follow through.

Fake or real? Considering that Hannah still has baggage from her broken heart, the last thing that she could imagine is being attached to a Hollywood star, but faking it becomes more and more difficult every passing day.

Not only was this a delightful read, I was able to enjoy the excellent narration by Patti Murin. Considering how humorous this book was, this narrator did a fine job as she read the story with ease and excellent inflection. It was impossible not to laugh out loud more than once in this wonderful book.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, McMillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/QLvJi7h33Qw

𝔽𝔸𝕃𝕃𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕀ℕ 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼 𝕎𝕀𝕋ℍ 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝔹𝕆𝔻𝕐𝔾𝕌𝔸ℝ𝔻

What other sales pitch is there than to say I loved my eARC of this book so much that I had to get myself physical copy?! This book is so cute and it was a really quick and easy read. This seems to be a universally loved book as well as I have yet to see a less than stellar review.

Why did I love this book? For one, I loved the gender twist here where the female is the protector and the male has to be protected. Often times when we think of bodyguards, we think of large males with bulging muscles, and I love how Hannah defied this stereotype by showing just as powerful she was in her pint-sized package. I also loved the heart of this book- I need a little more depth or story in my romcoms and this book provided it and more. I loved Hannah's voice and how she kept referencing Jack and his films as if the audience already knew him, as if we were in on the fact that he was a bonafide movie star.. And the rest of the characters?! I love a great case of supporting characters. Her boss Glenn was a standout and Jack's mom Connie was gem. It was laugh out loud hilarious. At just under 300 pages this is the perfect length (cough cough take note 400 page romcoms...). It was a sweet, closed door romance which I think worked perfectly given the characters/storyline.

Was this book believable and professional? Not really. Was it fun and cute and humorous? Heck yeah. Did I love Hannah and Jack? So so much. I definitely recommend!!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for my eARC. This review is completely honest and of my own opinion.

Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard for the rich and famous, married to her work and always looking for her next assignment or escape. Jack Stapleton is a perfectly gorgeous, famous actor and also Hannah's next assignment. Her role? His fake girlfriend while they live at his parents' Texas ranch. It should be a simple assignment, right?

Overall, I really enjoyed this adorable story. I found the main characters incredibly likable and the chemistry really well written. This was a fun romantic comedy that kept me turning pages. I appreciate the author' writing style and humor and thoughts on what it means to love.

I will certainly recommend this book to others and read more books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! One of the cutest books I’ve read all year. I love rom-coms and this one did not disappoint! This was my first book by Katherine Center but if all her books are this way, you can guarantee I’ll be picking up the others. What I loved most about this was that, while it followed the fake dating trope, it still had such a strong back-story that it reeled me in and kept me coming back for more!