Wow. I absolutely loved this book. The character builds, the relationships, the broken friendships. All of it. Must read! Katherine Center does it again.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the story itself, I liked the character development of Hannah, Jack's parents were adorable, and all the little moments Jack and Hannah shared. I'm not sure if them falling in love was quite believable; I wish we had had some more tension throughout or just more scenes where we saw the shift from fake dating to real feelings fleshed out more. I also kinda wish we had gotten to see Hannah's special skills put to more use throughout. Overall, enjoyable read and if it ever became a movie I would definitely watch it! Liam Hemsworth as Jack anyone??

This is probably my favorite Katherine Center to date. 

First, Hannah, the main protagonist is just a delight... Not in the happy, sunshiny way, either. No, she's kind of a social mess. She's taciturn, moody, doesn't get close to people easily, and doesn't really laugh much. However, pair her with Jack Stapleton--and she's met her match. 

Because she makes him laugh. And he makes her feel things. Things that are kind of new to her. 

There were several laugh-out-loud moments for me--some from the inner dialogue of Hannah and some from the antics of the Hannah and Jack together. 

Hannah as Jack's bodyguard just may not make much sense until you read this. But Hannah is really good at her job. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for her, she's used to having to do weird things. So when she has to pretend to be movie-star, Jack Stapleton's girlfriend, in order to shadow and protect him, it blurs lines and confuses things. 

There is very little heat in this story--pretty much non-existent. But the relationship and humor between Hannah and Jack was enough to make me not want to put this down. 

The other cast of characters just enhanced this story--as does Jack's own backstory. 

The only issue I have is that there was sometimes just a little too much internal monologue from Hannah. I felt myself skimming at times. 

All-in-all, this was one of my favorite reads so far this year!

Hello friends! I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. I rated this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!

I loved reading this book. We follow Hannah, a professional bodyguard and she takes on her most challenging client: superstar Jack Stapleton. He’s every woman’s dreamboat, and she is unenthusiastically forced onto his protection team. Reeling from her mothers death and an unexpected breakup, Hannah struggles to keep things strictly professional with Jack- especially when his acting makes him a very convincing fake boyfriend.

I will say, I had one gripe with this book. Hannah is a bad bodyguard. She lets jack wander off on his own, screams when she encounters cows (because she wasn’t paying attention) and often gets sidetracked while on duty. I personally wouldn’t hire her- but as a ploy for a romcom setup I find it highly intriguing and enjoyable!

A big thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the chance to read this eARC!

Will be posted to instagram on 7/12/22

<i><b>”The people we love help teach us who we are.”</b>

The Bodyguard is a romance novel by the queen of Texas-based or -adjacent M/F books. This is to my knowledge her first fake dating (trope) novel which is my favorite. So I was already going into this novel predisposed to like it.

Hannah Brooks is ex-FBI and up for a promotion at an executive protection firm. She is usually the woman mistaken for a PA to a CEO by the public and is in the business of not being an obvious bodyguard. But her latest assignment finds her well out of her depth when she has to pretend to be the girlfriend of a famous actor while staying at his parents’ house.

The description of Hannah’s mother, exaggerated for fictional impact, where she created an aloof attachment style with her daughter, was hard to read. Hannah didn’t have a chance to be normal and only felt safe burying her feelings in workaholism. She was never going to even know what love is, let alone be able to give it. Enter movie star Jack.

Suddenly Hannah is getting to know someone without being able to escape and accidentally relaxing. And she lets her guard down, which is something she really shouldn’t be doing in her line of work. Her movie star is being stalked by a woman who loves Corgis. Eventually, paparazzi photos come out that make it look like Hannah and Jack are seriously making out and quickly thereafter she’s the one getting very specific threats. And we get to the moment of truth, where Hannah has to decide if her attachment to Jack and his family is something that she can tolerate, given her past.

This book made me so uncomfortable but in a way that caused me to examine my own life and my kids’ future attachment styles. Sometimes books connect with you in a strange way like that. I liked the romance at the heart of the novel, and the fake dating was a major bonus.

This book was soooo sweet 🥺
Honestly by this point Katherine Center has become another one of my auto-buy authors. I’d buy a used napkin if she doodled something on it.

Hannah Brooks is a top executive protection agent!!! How badass is that? Aka THE bodyguard in the The Bodyguard title 😝 she gets random assignments from her boss Glenn, who is low-key SO hilarious and mischievous, I love it. They have this whole team that sometimes all work together on the assignment, and they all do for this next all-hands-on-deck assignment: protect Jack Stapleton from his crazy corgi loving stalker 😬

Never heard of Jack Stapleton you say?! This book made me do a double take and almost googled him to see if he was a real person (spoiler: he’s not. Unless you count the internal medicine doctor from Iowa. Ok ok, I did google him). This Jack is a super famous movie star who is moving back to town for a bit to help care for his sick mother. He is initially against having bodyguards because he doesn’t want to freak out his family about potential danger/stalkers. SO the obvious plan is to pretend Hannah is his girlfriend instead. Obviously.

FAKE DATING ROMANCE ENSUES!!

oh my gosh, this book had so much heart too 🥹 there’s so much more to learn about these two characters and their past, and how they helped each other through it all. BUT you’ll have to read it yourself and see!! (my favs were the Thanksgiving speech and dream changes)

The 4.5 stars only because it took a bit to get going with the romance and connect to these two, but once I did boyyy did the pages fly by. I can’t wait for her next novel!! 🥰

First off, Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay so this was really cute! I also could not stop laughing while reading this book. I mean the fluff, the laugh, the romance, it was just what I needed to get out of my horrid reading slump.

What I enjoyed and loved:
- the role reversal. Hannah was the bodyguard to the famous Jack. I love seeing strong female characters and Hannah did not disappoint me.
- The wit, the banter, the laughs. Hannah and Jack were such characters to read. I seriously loved them both.
- Slow burn 🔥 but also the book pacing was excellent and a quick read.
- Back to Hannah, she was very relatable and charming. I really liked her character!

Overall, I really LOVED this book! This is perfect for any romance fan. Everyone needs to add this to their summer reading list. I can’t wait to read more by this author. 4 stars out or 5!

4.25-4.5 stars

This one was exactly what I needed right now. It’s fun, light and fluffy, hilarious, and an easy, enjoyable read. I literally laughed out loud more than once. (The cow scene? Oh my god. If nothing else, read this book until you get to the cow scene.) The book was a great example of what I affectionately refer to as a “fluff with substance” read- it gently touches on some more serious issues, but for the most part, it’s just a fun and easy story that makes for a great comfort read with a guaranteed happy ending. I’ll definitely be checking out other books from the writer.

This was a very cute romance we a spin on the classic movie. I wish I didn’t take as long for the characters to get together but it made it that much sweeter. Not my favorite Katherine Center book but I definitely recommend it.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a fun rom-com that had me pleasantly surprised. Although it was predictable the author but a different spin on this type of novel. The stereotypical roles were reversed where Hannah was a bodyguard to the famous movie star Jack. Their dialogue and banter quickly moved the story along and I found myself fully engaged with the characters. The secondary characters added some depth to the story and made you route for their romance. I also loved the many humorous lines between Jack and Hannah which made it very enjoyable. #TheBodyguard #KatherineCenter #NetGalley

I loved The Bodyguard! This book chronicles Hannah, who is a bodyguard - NOT a security guard. Hannah's coworker boyfriend broke up with her the night after her mom's funeral, and then she suffers some other losses as well. Throughout this, she has just been assigned to guard a famous actor, which quickly turns into being his pretend girlfriend and living with his family.

I could connect to Hannah on many levels and found her quite charming. I enjoyed the character development and the plot. This was a perfect summer read! Thank you for another incredible book, Katherine Center.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book made me feel absolutely giddy while reading it. The main characters were such a treat, I literally couldn’t put this book down. The plot twists were a teeny tiny bit predictable, but not in a way that took away from the story at all; also, the underlying themes were beautiful and quite touching.

The Bodyguard was nothing what I expected but everything I wanted all in a book. I did not expect Hannah to be the bodyguard. I did not expect their to be fake dating. I did not expect to have a literal rage fit over how terrible a few of the characters are. All of these things made this amazing book a never ending roller coaster the entire time I read it. I read it in one day and could not put it down. Katherine Center is definitely going to be an author I always watch because the writing in this book was also top notch! Thank you so much @stmartinspress and @katherinecenter and @netgalley for sending me this eARC!

I'm not really sure why but I wasn't super excited to read this one when I first received it. I was very "meh" about it for whatever reason. WHAT A MISTAKE!

This book was a laugh out loud, also heart wrenching (at certain times) treasure of a story. By the end of this book, I was already ready to start over and read it again, the way I used to rewind The Lion King on VHS and watch that from the beginning immediately after finishing it.

Forbidden romance, excellent banter, loads of pop culture references, and a heroine that so many people can relate to are just a few of the elements that made this book so fantastic. I'll be a Katherine Center fan for life because of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What I love about Katherine Center books is how dependable they are; I always know I'm going to get a book full of inspiration, hope, and love with a bit of romance mixed in. After reading each of her books, I always end up feeling happy and there's nothing better than closing a book and feeling like a friend just found their happily ever after.

I just KNEW this title would have to be a loveARCtually club read, and I was thrilled when @whimsreadsbyshelby agreed to co-host, it was one of my favorite author discussions EVER. If you ever need a pick-me-up, a KC Ted Talk is just what you need. She spoke with us about how we all need a little bit of FUN post-pandemic and Jack and Hannah gave us that and so much more.

With equal parts swoony and emotional, we get to know work-obsessed Hannah, who treats everything in her life like a job and she thinks being a bodyguard for the one and only Jack Stapleton will be no different. Until she finds out the job is to be his fake girlfriend, and soon realizes she might not be able to resist his charm.

Center manages to give us all the Hollywood romance vibes even while being in a down-to-earth setting that immediately drew me in. Amidst plenty of family drama, Jack brings Hannah back home with him, and we discover each of the characters has much more at stake than just a mild threat.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advance copy to read and review, this title was an absolute delight! I adored the small details like the safety pin necklace, and the Corgi sweaters, all of which added to the story and made it memorable.

Totally entertaining from beginning to end. I laughed. I cried. I was surprised. Terrific characters, even the "bad" ones.

<i>“When you’re not around, even for a little while, I feel like I have to go find you. I just feel this pull to be near you. I want to know what you’re thinking, and what you’re up to, and how you feel. I want to take you places and show you things.”</i>

I love the concept of this book! I think the fact that Hannah is a bodyguard alone is amazing. Sadly the relationship felt like it never took off for me. It was sweet and had a lot of potential but overall I didn’t feel what I hoped I would.

But I loved the growth of our main characters, the banter was funny and Jack Stapleton seems like a true dream guy!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC!

3/5⭐️

4/5 ⭐️

thank you st. martin’s press for this arc! this book will be released in july 19th, 2022!

i really enjoyed this book! i was a quick and fun rom-com that was a pretty quick and easy read. i loved the banter, the tropes (one-bed, bodyguard romance, fake dating) and the characters. i loved hannah and jack so much and i enjoyed how much each of their characters development and how their relationship together flourished. i also really enjoyed the supporting characters in this book and how developed they were as well! i feel like this book also had a very light thriller component, so that was unexpected but very nice. overall, i really enjoyed this light and fun read!

“the people we love help teach us who we are. the best versions of who we are, if we’re lucky.”

Foremost, I would like to think NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of the audiobook.

On a side note, I don’t do book reviews any very much anymore because I just don’t have the time to read and the only way I get any “reading” done is to listen to audiobooks.

Let’s address the narration. The narration was most excellent. In fact, I think if I had been reading the book the protagonist would not have been as likable if I had not been listening to the audiobook because the narrator Patti Murin made the book for me.

Let’s move onto the book itself. I have written a blog posted with viral about How To Walk Away. I read Things You Save In A Fire and What You Wish For, and I loved these books.

Why did I love them? Because they were rich in details about the characters. Their past was relatable. You had enough information about the protagonist that it made you cry when you read their painful memories. It helped with the character development.

The problem with The Bodyguard is it’s lacking that. I’m not saying that the book isn’t good. It’s lacking the rich details that were in Katherine Center’s previous books that made you feel something. You don’t know enough about Hannah and Jack. You’ve got some details here and there, but it was just wasn’t enough. The reveal for Jack’s most painful memory that we needed to know was too late in the book.

I teared up at maybe two points, and that was it. Katherine Center books usually have me sobbing and weeping to where I’m going through tissues like crazy and this did not happen with The Bodyguard. I just didn’t feel for the character. It entertained me for sure, but I was not feeling for the character.

Despite lacking rich details, the story was fun, and it flowed quickly. It was too much of a romance book for my liking. It’s almost as if they envisioned this being adapted into a movie already and wanted it to be like the perfect romantic comedy.

Long story short, this flows like a Hallmark movie. There’s honestly nothing funny in this book. I think that’s the problem with it. If there was some comic relief, it would’ve balanced things out a bit more. Instead, you get this character that’s been through all this trauma and instead of feeling sorry for her and feeling like you could empathize with her, you can’t. Because you don’t know enough about Hannah to feel invested in Hannah.

And Jack you do not really know enough about him until it’s too late in the book and by then you’re not that invested in his character.

It pains me to leave this review because honestly Katherine Center’s previous books made me cry. I could totally relate to those characters. Honestly, I found the previous books to be entertaining, and I couldn’t put them down and when I did I went to pick them back up again as soon as possible. I actually went two or three days at one point where I didn’t listen to The Bodyguard audiobook, and that just says a lot.

I give this book four out of five stars solely because it is entertaining in the narration was very good. Once again, if I was reading an actual hard copy of the book, I might not have nicer things to say. The narrator made the book. She made Hannah better.

I have noticed that with some books that the audiobook version is leaps and bounds better than the actual book because the narrator makes an ok book great, and I think this is one of those cases.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is an amazing story I wanted to laugh and cry and hate Robby. but from the beginning I loved Jack Stapleton. Read the story their is love, understanding and amazement at the bodyguard story.