I loved this story! Although, the storyline is not similar to that of Miss Congeniality at the beginning of the story it had me thinking of that movie. Hannah is described as a bit of a mess at the beginning of the story due to some stuff she's going through. However, even though some people aren't very kind to her she moves forward despite feeling vulnerable at times. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, The Bodyguard is being added to my faves Fake Dating books list. My only complaint is I wish it was dual POV, there were several moments where I was like "Oh I wish I knew what Jack was thinking"

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for providing me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Katherine's books make me so happy and this one did as well!

I loved the main character Hannah, Katherine writes all her female characters so perfectly imperfect. Hannah was everything I love in a lead, she was strong and resilient and yet vulnerable at the same time. Her and Jack's relationship was genuine and real and transitions magically. This is most defiantly a slow burn but the journey was well worth it!

The setting was also amazing as well as all the side characters, I loved both Jack's family and most of Hannah's co-workers. I love how all of Katherine's books are more than romance, family, grief and self acceptance also play strong roles in this one! I highly recommend! 5Stars

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for allowing me to read this arc!

The Bodyguard has been receiving a lot of pre-publication hype and i can see why! It has great character development, an engaging storyline, and sends a powerful message of determination and resilience. I loved it!

The Bodyguard reinforces my love of Women’s Fiction. Hannah Brook’s character is resilient, motivated and a little quirky. She isn’t what one considers to be your typical brawny bodyguard. What she lacks in physical appearance she more than makes up for in her ability to think and act quickly. Throw in her expertise in martial arts and you’ve got one tough woman.

Hannah hasn’t had the ideal childhood and has recently lost her mother, boyfriend and best friend. After a mandatory month away from the office, her first assignment is initially a little disappointing. It doesn’t send her to an exotic location like she’s used to but instead protecting movie star Jack Stapleton right in her home state of Texas.

It is a little different than her normal assignments however. Jack’s mother has been diagnosed with cancer and he doesn’t want to concern his family with his need for a bodyguard. So to make the situation as relaxed as possible, Hannah must pretend she is Jack’s girlfriend. Before they know it, Hannah and Jack are thrown together living with his parents for several weeks.

The story is action-packed, funny and highly entertaining. The reader cannot help but feel for both Hannah and Jack as their backstories are slowly disclosed. I love that both Hannah and Jack evolve throughout the book, arriving stronger than what they were at the beginning. I look forward to reading more from this author.

4.5 stars

I just love the books that Katherine Center writes. They are a like a warm cup of coffee on a cool day......or a generous smile on a crappy day......or a cool dip in the pool on a steaming day....you get the idea. I loved the characters in this one and the way they developed throughout the story. I liked the direction the plot went, and even though it was predictable at times, it is exactly what I expected when I picked up the book. Katherine's scene descriptions were so perfect as well.....I could totally picture myself on that Texas ranch. Never stop writing books Katherine!!!!!

Finished in 24 hours. Hannah Brooks is a protection agent who doesn’t seem like she could kick your ass, but she definitely can. After her mother dies, and her (shitty) boyfriend unceremoniously breaks up with her, she finds herself as the body guard to famous movie star Jack Stapleton. (Think a Hollywood Chris here.) While they proceed to go through all the tropes - fake dating, one bed, imminent danger - I didn’t find it cliched because I loved the author’s voice through Hannah. She felt relatable, someone you’d want to hang out with. And on a personal connection, as someone with a recently deceased parent, her descriptions of that loss felt cathartic.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Ok, Katherine Center can do no wrong in my eyes. Every book I have read from her has made me cry, and this one was no different. I was so immersed in the book I finished it in one sitting.

The Bodyguard was a perfect summer read. It's fun imagining a pint-sized bodyguard flipping a tall, heartthrob Hollywood star and getting away with it.

Hannah Brooks is not having a good week. The next day of her mother's funeral, her boyfriend, who she also happens to work with, dumps her, and he cites three reasons. The last one is like a knife to the chest.

Jack Stapleton, a famous actor, set to return home after years abroad and needs protection from his corgi-breeding stalker, is assigned Hannah as his Bodyguard. Hannah has her most challenging job yet, to be his girlfriend, not to upset his mother, who is sick.

The relationship between Jack and Hannah melted my heart. They were both genuine without knowing if the other one was being truthful because this could have been all an act. They were both going to deal with difficult situations in their lives, and they helped heal each other, which was the sweetest thing. The sarcasm and banter got me good.

I loved Hannah and Jack and never wanted the story to end. If you need a good laugh or a cry, you should pick this up when it releases on July 19, 2022!

Overall rating 4.5 rounded to 5!

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Katherine Center, and this book was no exception! so great! I loved the way the author connected all the characters. A different twist on the "enemies to lovers" trope.

I have one regret – reading this so close to Nora Goes Off Script. The stories are very similar (woman in forced close proximity to handsome movie star has to try not to fall in love… and fails). However, it was still highly enjoyable and is a great celebrity/non-celebrity romance (with protagonists in their 30s, which I love). While it’s not my favorite Katherine Center book, it’s still a perfectly fun, feel-good story that will leave you smiling (and could easily be adapted into a Netflix romcom which I would totally watch). For fans of While We Were Dating and The Happily Ever After Playlist.

4 1/2 stars rounded up. Loved this one. Such a sweet, but fun story.

Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard. Not the burly, muscled bodyguard usually pictured, but one that hides in plain site, and can still protect her assignment.

This assignment is unique. He's an extremely well-known actor who is the epitome of heartthrob, He has returned to Texas to take care of his ailing mother and needs protection from a super-fan that has threatened him.

Hannah just buried her mother and doesn't want to deal with this actor, but she doesn't really have a choice if she wants first pick of her next assignment. Unfortunately, Hannah starts to enjoy her time with Jack and when she becomes a target herself she has to step away.

Overall I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Nothing life-shattering, but just a great read to escape life for awhile, which I consider a huge win.

I was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley because I’ve heard such amazing things about Katherine Center. This is my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last! This was exactly what I was looking for in a rom com and I can’t wait for everyone to fall in love with this heartwarming love story the way that I did.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (aka a bodyguard) who is assigned to protect superstar Jack Stapleton from a crazy stalker while he visits his sick mother in his hometown in Texas. To hide the fact that he needs a bodyguard in the first place, he asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to protect his family from the truth.

Well this was just a delight! I LOVE the fake dating trope and combined with the close proximity, the Hollywood romance and the strangers-to-friends-lovers tropes it was a recipe for success. I laughed, I swooned and I felt like I learned some life lessons along the way.

The relationship between Jack and Hannah was fun and playful and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Hannah had a rough month with her mother’s death and getting dumped by a coworker, and meeting Jack was exactly what she needed to help her find herself again. Jack was such a cinnamon roll hero, and I loved his wit and charm. His younger brother’s death hit him hard and spending time with Hannah helped him put a lot of things back in perspective. I loved the character development and it was heartwarming to watch them work through their issues together.

I loved how Center switched up the gender roles by making Hannah Jack’s bodyguard. Did anyone else get some Miss Congeniality vibes from this in the beginning? I totally kept picturing Sandra Bullock dressed in her frumpy FBI pantsuit as Hannah at first lol.

I loved the sexy banter, the flirting and the chemistry between Jack and Hannah. While this is a closed door romance, the longing and tension more than made up for the lack of any on page spice.

This was a beautiful, feel good love story and I am already planning a reread. Read if you like piggy back rides, only one bed, cows, family drama, badass females and celebrity romance. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc to read and review! This book hits shelves on 7/19.

Katherine Center has never disappointed me, and this book was no exception! Even in a book that was mostly rom-com, she found a way to toy with your emotions through the ups and downs of the story. This book would be wonderful adapted into a movie, too!

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard). She is hired to protect Jack Stapleton, a movie star, and all her female coworkers are jealous. Jack is returning home to be with his mom as she has been diagnosed with cancer. When Hannah meets Jack, she finds out that he doesn’t want his family to know that she is there for EP. Instead, he wants to introduce her to his family as his girlfriend. Will Hannah be able to act as his girlfriend and his agent and walk away at the end of the assignment? Will the truth ruin everything?

My Thoughts

“Introducing Hannah Brooks,” who has protected dozens of people in every type of situation imaginable.”

As an Executive Protection Agent Hannah has mastered the art of blending into whatever background a client needs her for.

To do this at only 5’5” allows Hannah to be not only ignored but also severely underestimated for her protection skill level.

No one ever see her as a threat therefore never expect just how lethal she really is.

As an agent "you’re there for their ups and downs, their fights, and their secrets. Your purpose in their lives is to create security so they can feel normal. If you’re doing a good job, they do feel normal. But you never do. You never lose sight of your purpose. And part of keeping that focus is knowing—backward, forward, inside out, and upside down—that they are not your friends.

This protocol has served Hannah with every job she has undertaken as a Professional Private Bodyguard, until Jack Stapleton and his family crack her self-imposed walls and manage to show her exactly what she has been missing her whole life.

Total acceptance and a chance to be part of their world without changing who she is at heart.

Having gone through her own version of bottoming out this particular job actually becomes what Hannah finds has helped her heal and also be more aware of her own self worth for the first time in her life.

Does make believe and real life actually merge for Hannah and Jack, yes in many ways but not at all in others.

What I appreciate about this pairing of the movie star and an ordinary woman not from his world is just how extraordinary they both prove to be by end of story.

Quite the page turner for me as zoomed through this one once I started it late one afternoon.
[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Ninja Cows! I picked up this book on July 4th because I was reading a book set in the UK at the time, and that just would NOT do on that particular day. :D And I'm glad I got to have some fun with this book, because it takes Center out of her more usual tale and brings her into a bit of a less serious while still dealing with serious things kind of tale, which allows both her as the author and us as the readers to have more fun and still enjoy the work of a great storyteller. There is enough drama here to be compelling without overwhelming, enough comedy to keep things light and fresh without being distracting, and ultimately a solid love tale of an unconventional couple in a fake relationship. And yes, ninja cows. Seriously, the only negative of this book is that the ninja cows should have had more screen time. :) Very much recommended.

She’s got his back.

Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart.

Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret.

When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong???

Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.



My Thoughts:

There is something so captivating about a story like The Bodyguard. Not only do you get to follow the action of a working agent, but you can also see what protecting a celebrity can be like for someone in that job. Especially when the celebrity turns out to be charming and real. Not just acting.

Jack Stapleton is the kind of character you want to spend time with, and I loved how he helped Hannah recover from her bad relationship and learn to love herself again.

Just when I thought their time together would be fleeting, everything changed, and the story had a great amount of tension, intensity, and finally…a happy ever after. This one made me smile, and it earned 5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

***

This was my first Katherine Center book and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I’m not typically one to pick up a slow burn, taboo romance type book but the fake dating drew me in and I’m glad it did. It was definitely more rom-com, feel good than I expected, but I felt like it worked for the story. The two main characters were written very well and had great banter and chemistry, but many of the supporting characters came across as underdeveloped and straight up creepy. I enjoyed the twist at the end, but was thrown off when on the next page the villain that had been built up to the whole time was able to quickly redeem himself (by building birdhouses?). I really enjoyed the story for the most part, but there were definitely a few areas where I questioned the direction the book was going. Overall, a pretty good read’

WOW! I thoroughly enjoyed The Bodyguard by Katherine Center! The story centers around Hannah who is a female bodyguard charged with taking care of Jack, a famous movie star. The story is told by Hannah in the future, and is delightful. .

I loved every minute of this story with the amazing banter, relatable characters, and laugh out loud funny scenes. It was a pleasure to watch the characters grow and change and I loved being able to root for them. The epilogue was so funny I read it three times.

The author is a master story-teller who weaves incredible life lessons into this story. I highly recommend and encourage you to make your 2022 better and read The Bodyguard right now!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Favourite book of 2022 is this book right here. I loved EVERYTHING about it.

Jack Stapleton, a famous actor is in need of some help with an obsessed fan an ends up with Hannah Brooks as his “bodyguard”.

That’s the short synopsis. If I could do a review in 3 words, it would be READ THIS BOOK!

-loved both characters so much
-loved that Hannah was the “fierce” one in this book. Doing all the things that are stereotypical for men.
-loved the perspective it gives of famous people. They are regular people like you and me.
-loved the friendship and spark between the 2.
-LOVED Jacks mom. Seriously she was my fav.

This book had both quirky moments, sad moments, serious moments, funny moments, and was just a very well written book.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I LOVED IT! I read this book pretty much in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (aka a Bodyguard) and has had the week from h*ll. She has just lost her mother and is still reeling from it, when her boyfriend dumps her. To help her get through it, she wants to throw herself into her work and her next assignment which she is hoping is far away. Turns out it is not. The assignment is in Houston where she lives and her assignment is protecting the A-list Actor Jack Stapleton.

I LOVED the banter and conversations between Jack and Hannah. I don’t think I have laughed out loud from reading a book as much as I did with this one. I loved the funny parts and all the sweet parts. I loved how Jack actually notices Hannah and visa versa, Hannah with Jack. Watching their relationship unfold and grow was both fun and sweet. I loved how Hannah came into herself and started to love herself more and then learned how to really hold her own against those who did walk all over her and treated her so sh*tty.

This book was just what I needed. Sweet, hilarious, romantic, serious, and everything else in between. I loved all the characters and fell loved Hannah and Jack’s story. I will definitely be reading more books by Katherine Center in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Katherine Center always delivers when it comes to romance with real, raw people and usually good dose of humor too. The Bodyguard definitely delivers more of the same. I am a big fan of Patti Murin's narration and she felt just right for these protagonists. This one didn't hold me quite like some of her other books, like How to Walk Away, but it was still a lot of fun and I was rooting for Hannah and Jack from the start. Was it a little cornball and over the top at times? Yes. Is that 'pretty much what I wanted when I started? Again, yes. Pick this up for a day at the beach or in the hammock - it'll go down nice and easy and you won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really liked this book!
A female body guard who is tasked with the job of guarding a male movie star.
The characters are well developed and endearing in their own way.
The Body guard is just a sweet, quirky, heartwarming, humorous book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.