I have yet to find a Katherine Center novel that I don't like. This one was so fun and a little lighter and more of a rom-com style than the other books of hers that I have read (in my opinion). I didn't see the ending coming and went through a slew of emotions in the last 20%.

(Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review)

In true Katherine Center fashion, this book delivered a great love story. It is a very fast read, very hopeful, very positive. I like kick-ass female characters but it is too cheezy for me making the dialogues a bit cringey.

I would say, it is perfect for summer! The cover art is very pretty and the ending is happy and satisfying. Special thanks to St.Martin’s press via netgalley for the advance e-copy in exchange of an honest review.

Absolute masterpiece by one of my favorite authors. The characters in this story we're so well thought out and written it captivated me from the beginning. I can't wait to make all my friends read this!

Loved loved loved this one! Katherine Center continues to be a favorite! I loved every moment of this sweet romance between Hannah and Jack. There is just something about Center’s writing that makes me so happy. I listened to this a month ago, but am already feeling like I want to reread.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press Katherine Center NetGalley for the #gifted e-copy

Thoughts

Katherine Center has yet to write a book I don’t love. Her characters always have witty banter and amazing chemistry. Center also writes stories with a serious side blended in with romance. In this case it's the death of a sibling.

Hannah is hired to be the bodyguard for famous movie star Jack Stapleton who doesn’t take her seriously because she is a woman. Hannah is quick to put him in his place and he eats his words. Jack is being stalked by a very talented artistic woman who loves Corgis. Oh that made me laugh. So many parts in this book made me laugh which is the norm with a book by this author.

I won’t get much into it, but this is a book I would highly recommend, just like all of her books!

This was a great feel good book.
Hannah & Jack were the perfect rom-com palate cleanser that I needed.

A touch predictable in some parts - but the laugh out loud scenes made it worth it.

A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With a bright, colorful, fun cover, I had high expectations for this book, and it delivered. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hannah Brooks is one of the best bodyguards (an Executive Protection Agent, if you want to get technical) even though she looks as unassuming as a kindergarten teacher. Jack Stapleton is a mega-hot famous Hollywood actor who’s been living out of the public eye since a family tragedy. When Jack returns to civilization to support his mother through her illness and treatment, Hannah is hired as his bodyguard. To minimize stress to his family, Jack hides Hannah’s role by having her pretend to be his girlfriend. I’m sure you can imagine what happens… but you’ll have to read it to know for sure!
Last night, loveARCtually hosted a Zoom which Katherine Center joined. The discussion went on for over 90 minutes, and I could have listened to Katherine for even longer, as she answered our questions and talked about The Bodyguard, her other books, how she writes, why she went to Vassar, and the appeal of reading fiction (and romance in general), especially during times of uncertainty. It felt like a TEDtalk at times - in the best way! And the amazing real story behind the book’s “Meryl Streep’s steak knives” had me laughing out loud 🤣
Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up when it comes out later this month - with a badass female MC whose growth is entirely relatable, this book brightened my weekend!! I also recommend my other favorite by the author, How to Walk Away, which tackles a heavy topic in an approachable and enjoyable manner.

Block a day out of your life to get wrapped up in Hannah and Jack’s story - because once you dive in, you won’t be able to put down Katherine Center’s newest novel.

Hannah is a world class bodyguard - assigned to be the principle lead on Jack Stapleton’s watch. She is also perfect at never letting her guard down while working - that is until she meets Jack and is thrown into a one-off situation where she is asked to play his girlfriend.

True to KC’s other works, The Bodyguard is about so much more than the job and the main characters. Katherine writes much depth into her leads - both Jack and Hannah are flawed characters who are given depth, growth, and in the end love. I found myself cheering both leads on, hoping they could overcome demons to find true happiness.

The Bodyguard is filled with laughter, fantastic banter (like seriously laugh out loud at times) tears, and hope. Another ball out of the park by KC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC - all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

“Love is something you do. Love is something you generate. And loving other people really does turn out, in the end, to be a genuine way of loving yourself.”

You might not guess it by looking at her, but Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (aka a bodyguard). Jack Stapleton, A-list celebrity, has been off the grid since a family tragedy years before. When his mom gets sick, he returns to his family's Texas ranch and needs someone to protect him from his corgi-breeding stalker. The only catch: he doesn’t want his family to know. The only way Hannah can secretly protect Jack in his family home is by pretending to be his girlfriend.

This may be the sweetest celebrity romance I’ve ever read. But then again, KC books are always sweet and always give me lots of feelings. I just adored watching them fall in love with the completely normal things about each other. Hannah (and let’s be honest, every single reader too) doesn’t fall in love with celebrity Jack, she falls in love with glasses-wearing, horseback riding, trash-throwing, regular person Jack.

Katherine Center is the queen of strong female leads. Hannah is such a badass but she also has a lot to work through when it comes to love and loss and feeling worthy. But seriously, all the characters are so lovable, even the gruff ones. Well except for Bobby. We hate Bobby.

Read this book for
-the sweetest, cutest parents
-forced proximity
-a powerful heroine
-hilarious farm animal moments
-celebrity romance
-fake dating
-all the cozy feels

P.S. if you ever have the chance to chat with Katherine Center, NEVER pass it up. She is so wise and insightful and gives all the insider info about where her ideas come from.

when the boy has a nighmare!!!when a GIRL NEEDS TO DO THE SAVING!!!! SIGN ME UPPPPP!!

ok wow this book took all the tropes and said f- ur gender norms and I AM HERE FOR IT!! The made sure that Hannah wasn’t the the damsel in distress and that she was always the one doing the saving. however it did go through her insecurities because we all have them so that was refreshing as well.

but the romance??? this wasn’t just a slow burn this was a dying flame and I ate it uppppp. I adored Jack and the little things he did. I adored Hannah and the little thing she did. They knew each other so well and it really was meant to be between the two.

Overall this was a solid 5 stars. I loved it!!!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Katherine Center for the advance copy!!

I loved everything about this, and disliked the main character for a much shorter time period than any other Katherine Center novel. A really good book to get you out of a reading rut.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

I’m so glad I read this one. It was so immensely enjoyable!

Can we talk for just a second about Katherine Center’s badass female MC’s? First a firefighter, now a bodyguard?! Amazing. It’s so unique and I love it.

Now, speaking of Hannah’s badassery I did love her journey through this book. She needed some help seeing just how special she was— and Jack helped her with that. I loved how she helped him with his personal struggle as well. They really were perfect for each other. And the twist! It had me angry, and then swooning. Job well done! 👏🏼

Read this if you love:
- easy, breezy romances
- strong female MC’s
- forced proximity
- major celeb & every day normie

This is a light and fluffy romance about Hannah, a bodyguard, who has to fake date an actor she is protecting, Jack. It’s well written, and I could see it working well as the basis for a Netflix romcom,

Though I can definitely see how some would enjoy this book, I had a few glaring issues with the characters and plot. Many of the characters seemed one dimensional. Hannah seemed to go out of her way to prove that she is not like other girls. The villains of this story were very over exaggerated. I also didn’t enjoy the storyline with Hannah’s best friend and ex boyfriend, it felt like it didn’t add to the story and pulled the focus from Hannah and Jack.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

Once in a very rare while, you find a book at just the right moment where it is exactly what you need. The Bodyguard was one of those books for me. After weeks of fantasy and thrillers, a light romance was perfect. I had so much fun reading this book. It was the perfect blend of interesting characters, heartwarming moments, and laugh out loud situations.

From the moment I started the book, I couldn't put it down. I fell instantly in love with Hannah. Despite her desire to keep herself from getting too attached to anything that could end up hurting her, it was evident from the very start how much she would care about the people that were worth her affection. While the overall premise of the story may not be all that realistic, her reactions to certain events and situations were understandable. It always made sense to me why she was making the decisions she was making. I truly appreciated having a character that was both realistic and relatable.

I have never in my life had a desire to witness life on a Ranch before this book, but the descriptions of the stunning scenery had me ready to hop right on a plane. Especially if it lead me straight to Jack Stapleton. He was absolutely swoon worthy in every way. I loved being given glimpses of his past piece by piece, it kept me emotionally invested and wanting to learn more.

Any book that can make me giggle and kick my feet like a giddy teenager absolutely deserves 5 stars, or more if I could.

Make sure to read it when it comes out on July 19 and then message me because I want to hear your thoughts and have someone to gush with.

5/5 very bright stars

A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Over the long holiday weekend, I read the newest novel by @katherinecenter, the Bodyguard. This is my third book by this author, and I found the book to be a perfect poolside read.

The book has some serious parts, but I definitely laughed out loud at a few scenes. Hannah Brooks looks like a nice, sweet girl… but she’s actually a highly trained professional bodyguard. She’s hired to protect a famous movie star while he’s in Houston visiting a sick family member. However he doesn’t want to worry his family, so Hannah pretends to be his girlfriend while undercover.

I don’t always love fake dating as a trope, but this one worked so well. It was a natural fit. Hannah is dealing with the death of her mother, her bf broke up with her and then dated her bff and so it’s only natural that she throws herself into her job so that she doesn’t have to think about her life. There’s some humor in the book with Jack’s stalker being a corgi breeder and getting progressively weirder and more over the top.

I do wish we got a little more from Jack’s side. He wasn’t quite as well rounded as I would have liked. I thought his family was very sweet and it made sense that Hank would be upset with Jack about the death of their other brother, Drew that happened recently. I liked how they cleared it up.

Thank you so much to @smpromance for my gifted copy. I’m really looking forward to chatting with @lovearctually tonight about the book!

Over the long holiday weekend, I read the newest novel by @katherinecenter, the Bodyguard. This is my third book by this author, and I found the book to be a perfect poolside read.

The book has some serious parts, but I definitely laughed out loud at a few scenes. Hannah Brooks looks like a nice, sweet girl… but she’s actually a highly trained professional bodyguard. She’s hired to protect a famous movie star while he’s in Houston visiting a sick family member. However he doesn’t want to worry his family, so Hannah pretends to be his girlfriend while undercover.

I don’t always love fake dating as a trope, but this one worked so well. It was a natural fit. Hannah is dealing with the death of her mother, her bf broke up with her and then dated her bff and so it’s only natural that she throws herself into her job so that she doesn’t have to think about her life. There’s some humor in the book with Jack’s stalker being a corgi breeder and getting progressively weirder and more over the top.

I do wish we got a little more from Jack’s side. He wasn’t quite as well rounded as I would have liked. I thought his family was very sweet and it made sense that Hank would be upset with Jack about the death of their other brother, Drew that happened recently. I liked how they cleared it up.

Thank you so much to @smpromance for my gifted copy. I’m really looking forward to chatting with @lovearctually tonight about the book!

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Absolutely loved this book! Very little of the familiar tropes found in romances, and a lot of characters that felt so REAL. Loved this book from start to finish!

Recently Read📚

The Bodyguard

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC

This had so many things going for it that I couldn’t wait to pick it up. Fake dating, western ranch setting, he’s famous she is the protector. I flew through this! The plot and pacing were great. The casual conversational writing style wasn’t for me and as a personal preference I was hoping for a little bit of spice 🔥. Still would recommend!

(4.5 stars) I loved this book! As a lover of the 1990's movie of the same name this book was right up my alley. I liked the twist of the role reversal with the female character as the Bodyguard. The main characters were interesting, cute, and quirky. The perfect summer romance.

This book was adorable!! I love an enemies to lover book, and this didn’t disappoint. This book followed a Hollywood big shot and a bodyguard. Jack returns home because his mother is sick. Unfortunately, he has had stalkers, so his studio insists that he had security. Enter the bodyguard. She takes the job begrudgingly, and the two are forced together, and sparks fly:)