I really enjoyed this book, and I love the concept of a female bodyguard protecting a much larger man! The book was heartfelt and sweet from start to finish. The hero was charming and likable despite being a mega movie start, and our heroine was believable and sincere. I highly recommend this book. It is a perfect beach read for your next summer vacation!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Saint Martin's Press for a free advance copy of The Bodyguard in exchange for my honest review!

Another great one from Katherine Center!

I adored the plot of this book! Female body guard protecting a male celebrity, and they fall in love?
Adorable.
The underlying theme of Hannah never feeling good enough until she works with Jack was perfect and so relatable! Sometimes all you need is someone to really see you and it helps you to see you, too.
Very much enjoyed this one!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, her books just make me so happy and this one was no exception. Hannah is an Executive Protection Agent who is, quite frankly, not having a great time in life at the moment. She just wants to throw herself into her work and forget about everything else. She is put on the job for movie star Jack Stapleton, who has a lot going on his life as well.

Jack Stapleton is the sweetest most kind man. Hannah is sassy and badass. This book could so easily be a movie. The chemistry and humor are spot on. You will be laughing out loud a swooning.

Get this book July 19th, unless you got in through BOTM!

I ended up liking this a decent bit more by the end when we got Jack's backstory and the characters started clearly caring for each other, but overall, this didn't meet the mark for me. I expected to give it two stars most of the time.

I was very confused by the character motivations at the beginning. Jack doesn’t want a bodyguard but then somehow begins to insist upon it; this transition was never explained. Hannah wants this later London job but is absolutely unwilling to be helpful at her current job. She’s supposedly fighting her ex for this role and Glenn has to pick between them; it makes absolutely no sense for her to openly abhor her current assignment if she wants Glenn to think she is a good enough employee to send her to London. Honestly I’d fire her instead with how terribly unaccommodating she is and unwilling to cooperate she is.

Robby is a caricature of a villain. She clearly fell in love with him for a reason, but it’s so unclear what because he’s an absolute dick to her, very suddenly, for like no particular reason. At least give background!

I found the characterization of the mains to be a bit confusing, too. Hannah is supposed to be this badass bodyguard but she screams when a cow comes up behind her and licks her. The more logical reaction would be…idk…body slamming the cow because she thinks it’s a threat rather than screaming like she’s a literal child. She’s supposed to be this super cool, can handle anything type of woman, but instead, she’s childish and immature

I really struggled to reconcile these two facets of her and it makes her read pretty out of character a lot of time.

I also have to think this four week long job at the ranch where she has to be there 24/7 is against some labor laws. Like she’s not taking any breaks? And she’s working way over 40 hours a week. She’s definitely a salaried employee, but I feel like even then, this has to violate some kind of labor law. Can’t possibly be legal to make someone work for four weeks straight with no breaks, unless you’re like…the president.

Also....the "slow burn." You’d think Hannah realizing she likes Jack halfway through the book wouldn’t feel like insta-love, BUT IT DOES. Because they’ve known each other for maybe two days total.

That said, their romance did get pretty cute. It took a little long for the book to get going, so I think the pacing was absolutely ridiculous in that regard, but once the characters actually realized they liked each other, the development made sense from then on. And it was actually pretty sweet. I'm still not a huge Hannah fan because her character was immature and annoying, but I did really like Jack. He was sweet and I was rooting for him the whole time, tbh.

So yeah, I think in all, I don't get the hype of this book, but I did like the last 30-40% of it. It was sweet and you could tell the characters really liked each other and the third act conflict actually made sense and wasn't unnecessary drama between Jack and Hannah.

I just think the rest of the book needed a bit of work.

LOVED this book. I took it with me on vacation and read it in a day. The characters had me laughing and I adored the reverse grumpy/sunshine situation. She was the grumpy one! We've got fake dating, a one bed situation, forced proximity, and a celebrity romance. The characters were likeable and I thought the story was well written.

I also loved how the trauma aspect of the story was handled. It wasn't just briefly mentioned and pushed away. It was handled beautifully.

Great read!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a perfect fun summer read. I liked the typical premise done in a non-typical way, the female lead being the bodyguard instead of a male character. The book grabbed my attention right away and I was sucked in! Had such a hard time putting it down. One thing that annoyed me slightly is the main character uses a lot of double negatives (the author makes a bit of a joke about it), but it was so frequent it bothered me, even though it was part of the narrative. Luckily it became less noticeable for the second half of the book. Supporting characters added depth to the story and some interesting plot points. Highly enjoyable read!

This book was fun! I really enjoyed the reading process and stayed up a few hours past my bedtime to finish it. I thought the gender swapped bodyguard set-up was really fun and I did like Hannah quite a bit. I actually really liked both of our love interest quite a bit. What I didn’t like was how oblivious Hannah was at times and I got so frustrated at both of them for not just saying what they were feeling. That’s not something I really enjoy in books. Overall, this was a really entertaining read, but my frustrations brought my rating down a star because it just got to be a bit much to me.

While it’s mostly a light-hearted romance, there are some deeper themes explored, which I really appreciated. There’s character growth, especially for Hannah, and some characters (ahem….Robby) that you love to hate. I definitely recommend.

Loved this one! It was so fun and sweet. I loved the characters and there were a couple twists and I really didn’t know what was going to happen next. I literally couldn’t put it down!
Highly recommend

This was my first Katherine Center book and I’m officially a huge fan! Her writing style was so unique and I really enjoyed it. Her sense of humor was so nonchalant and dry but absolutely hilarious. I couldn’t stop laughing!

These characters were so well developed, but it was done in a way that felt like you weren’t being force fed information. I felt like Hannah, the main character, was telling me a story. I really long, really great story. Jack’s and Hannah’s relationship was so entertaining to watch play out. Their romance was so subtle, but also so sweet. Each side character had a purpose and aided to the development of the story in one way or another.

Without giving to much away, this story was everything I wanted it to be while also completely different than what I though it would be. With most rom coms you generally have a good idea of where the story is going to take you and how it’s going to end, especially with common tropes like fake dating. I personally find comfort in that. However, that was not the case in this book. I found myself really caught off guard, but in a good way.

If you are looking for a lighthearted yet meaningful romcom that’s equal parts sweet and hilarious look no further! Even if you’re not you should still read The Bodyguard. You won’t regret it.

I’m a huge fan of Katherine Center’s books and will read absolutely everything she writes. I love the emotional journeys she takes her characters on and even though she sometimes puts my emotions through the wringer, I’m always left with a smile on my face by the end of the book. The Bodyguard was a bit lighter of a read than I’ve come to expect from Center, with more of a romcom vibe at times, but let me tell you, I was here for it every step of the way and it’s my new favorite Katherine Center novel.

Hannah Brooks is a professional bodyguard and she’s at the top of her field. Lately though, she has been having a rough time. Her mother has recently passed away, and her boyfriend (who also happens to be her coworker) abruptly dumps her the day of her mom’s funeral. Hannah is dying for a change of scenery to get away from all the awkwardness and so her boss assigns her as the lead bodyguard for a huge new client who is coming to town, Hollywood mega star Jack Stapleton. Hannah is torn. She kind of wants to quit because she really wanted an assignment out of town, the farther away the better, but at the same time, she has had a crush on Jack Stapleton for ages so the opportunity to protect his rather stellar body definitely has its appeal.

Jack is back in Texas because his mother is sick. Coming home is painful for Jack because he is still reeling from a tragic accident that killed his younger brother. Because of this, he has been out of the spotlight for a while now and therefore doesn’t think he really needs a bodyguard. His agent feels otherwise though because he does have some stalkerish fans, and so Hannah shows up on his doorstep ready to protect him.

Once Jack and Hannah meet, I flew through the rest of this book. I loved that they were both such messy and complicated characters, each dealing with their own issues, but who also just really pushed each other’s buttons when they are first forced to start spending time together. Their banter is downright hilarious and had me laughing out loud more than once as I read. It was easy to see how good they could be together if they would both let their guard down a bit and let the other in and I was rooting for this to happen all the way.

As much as I adored the forced proximity trope in this story, I actually loved the use of the fake dating trope even more. Jack doesn’t want to worry his mom about stalkers and why he has a bodyguard following him everywhere, so he lies and tells his family that Hannah is his girlfriend. Jack’s parents are so adorable and I loved watching them bond with Hannah. They were so good to her that it had me all the more invested in Jack and Hannah hopefully becoming a real couple.

I don’t think what I’ve written has done justice to how wonderful The Bodyguard really is. It has a little something for everyone – romance, an emotional journey of personal growth for both Hannah and Jack, a found family, humor, and even a bit of action and suspense. The Bodyguard was everything I’ve come to expect from a Katherine Center novel and more.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book when I got it, but I really enjoyed it. I liked that the protagonist is a woman who can fully handle herself in all regards. The length was a bit shorter than I would've liked, just so we would've had more time for character/relationship development. However, even though it was a bit short, Center's writing and plot kept me very engaged and constantly turning the page.

If you are looking for a relatively short bit of rom-com fun then you will likely enjoy this quite a bit.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Romances featuring female bodyguards are few and far between so I was excited to read this. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I ended up enjoying it very much anyway. Based on the book’s description, I was hoping for a bit more competence pron on part of the heroine, but instead she’s knocked completely off her game first by her mother’s unexpected death, followed immediately thereafter by her self-absorbed boyfriend (and co-worker) dumping her. For much of the book, Hannah struggles to regain the previously smooth, detached persona that made her a top protection agent and I was afraid she’d veer into TSTL territory, but as she starts healing from the emotional blows she’s been dealt, she does start returning to her former competence.

This book was definitely a romance, but it was also very focused on Hannah’s journey. I often don’t like 1st person POV that much, since we don’t get the hero’s POV, but in this case, it worked well and even without his POV, the author did a good job of showing Jack’s initial attraction and his growing fascination with Hannah, even as she sees him as so far out of her league that she can’t fathom that he would be attracted to her. Jack was a sweetheart, a kind, caring guy, who just happens to be drop dead gorgeous as well as a talented actor. He is trying to recover from a terrible loss and soon finds that Hannah is the one person who can make him laugh after he thought he never would again. On her part, Hannah can’t help but be attracted to Jack. She gets past his looks fairly quickly but then starts falling for the person within, which is far more dangerous for her heart. I’m not completely sold on their romance, but it sure was fun to read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I received an ARC of this book but the opinion expressed is freely my own.

Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard. Returning to work after the death of her mother she desperately wants to get an assignment to open the London office of the Glen Schultz Executive Protection Agency. In competition with the ex-boyfriend, Hannah is assigned to protect Hollywood superstar Jack Stapleton. Let's just say this assignment isn't one that she wants. For me this book was just ok. Hannah is an overachiever who doesn't like vacations. (Her boss is a major jerk.) But Hannah is running from the death of her mother and her own childhood baggage, Enter heartthrob Jack. He's estranged from his family and has his own demons. While this should have been the typical plain Jane and the celebrity fall in love : the romance was lacking. I ended up being more interested in their individual stories.

Katherine Center just has a way to grab you and hold you throughout the story! I LOVED the strong female lead and the cute love story. I devoured this book in just one day!

Fake relationship? YES, PLEASE!

The Bodyguard is an exceptionally heartwarming and funny book with my favorite romance trope: Fake relationships. I don’t know why I love it, but as soon as I see that in the description, I have to read it and boy, this book was fabulous!

Hannah is a bodyguard in the running for a position in their London office against a man in her office. After a death in her family, she’s given a forced vacation when all she wants to do is escape to another country. When she’s finally given an assignment it’s for a famous celebrity who asks her to keep the protection detail a secret from his family by posing as his girlfriend.

The book starts out slow - about the first 4-5 chapters at least. After that though, it starts getting a lot more interesting and fun. It just takes a while to humanize the main character, but when it happens, it’s wonderful.

It takes forever for the first kiss, but Jack Stapleton is pretty wonderful. I loved when they started opening up to each other and the lines started to blur between fake and real relationship.

* Secondary characters were a lot of fun - especially in Jack’s family.
* Some of the workplace unprofessional behavior was annoying, but added some necessary drama
* The setting was fun - Can’t go wrong with a Texas ranch

I enjoyed this book and would like to read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC and the opportunity to leave an honest review.

Executive Protection Agent Hannah Brooks is defined by work. However, she takes an emotional stumble when her mom passes away and her coworker/boyfriend dumps her the day after the funeral. Returning to work determined to get a promotion and remedy her heart, her first assignment is to be the bodyguard of famous actor Jack Stapleton. He has returned home to help with his mom who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, he has a middle-aged stalker issue. The best way to protect him and save his mom from stress is for Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend. As Hannah gets to know Jack and meet his family, she quickly realizes she may need to protect her heart too.

I was so excited for this book to come out that I chose it for my BOTM and got an ARC! This book was the perfect dose of happy. It really reminded me of a mash up of the movies Miss congeniality and The Proposal with a twist. Experiencing Jack and Hannah fall in love with each other left me all smiles and laughs. There was banter, forced proximity, and plenty of swoony moments. I loved that I could confidently recommend this to any age of romance reader (it was not spicy).

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well you won’t hear this from my mouth too often, but…..”what a great romcom!”

Hannah is an executive protection agent grieving over her mom’s recent death and the recent dump by her coworker, Robby. She gets assigned security detail for none other than movie superstar, Jack Stapleton.

This book had me laughing out loud at times - think corgi breeding stalker woman that liked to send Jack nudes and knitted sweaters with his portrait on them or when Jack gets a big kick out of Hannah’s nightgown. (Literally laughed out loud and may have spit my iced coffee out)

It was sweet, funny and dare I say a little twisty too!? The characters had depth and struggled with internal conflict. All together this made for a really great read. I loved both Hannah and Jack, while usually I find myself disliking at least half of the romantic equation in a rom com.

My only criticism would be that Jack smelled like cinnamon. Not a fan of cinnamon scented men- it kept reminding me of Big Red gum but he was otherwise perfect, so I would deal if he came knocking on my door.

This is my second Katherine Center book and won’t be my last.

This one was absolutely a lot of fun! I loved the conversational tone the narrator employed for this one as it sounded like I was hearing a story from a friend after the fact. It was entertaining, lighthearted, and just what I needed! This is my first Katherine Center book, but definitely not my last. I thought the chemistry between the main characters was sweet, more a closed door romance. Enemies to Lovers, one bed, grumpy/sunshine. I loved that the main female character was a bodyguard as that challenged a lot of preconceived notions that I appreciated. Would absolutely recommend this one to all my friends!

Did not finish for now due to being in a reading slump. Will come back to some other time in the future. Thanks for the chance to read and review.

This was my first Katherine Center book and you better believe I’m running 🏃🏼‍♀️ to go buy all her other books.

I’m LOVING Jack and Hannah! I think some of my favorite moments involved Jack laughing (I mean the cow scene 🐮 I’m a Texas girl but that would have been too much for me too😂 )

These two stole my heart over 300 pages and all I want is more of them. Can we get a sequel please?

Also The Unhoneymooners movie reference in this has made me even more excited that it is getting made into a movie!