This is my third book by Katherine Center and The Bodyguard is my favorite! I loved all of the family elements within all the main characters. Love, anger, secrets, death, support, and the list goes on! Having a ordinary female fall for a big shot actor kept me intrigued. The chemistry was amazing and the plot line was engaging. I loved this book and will be recommending it!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center.

I have read Katherine Center before but either I’m getting more cynical with age or her writing is getting sweeter and sweeter.

This one, perhaps too sweet, follows Hannah Brooks a bodyguard for hire that was just given the assignment to guard reluctant movie star, Jack Stapleton.

Part of her assignment is to play the part of Jack's girlfriend for Jack's mom, who is on her death bed.

The steam in this book is near nonexistent. I almost would’ve appreciated a fake dating to friends ending. But alas, this is a romance book so there must be romance.

I read this in one sitting and believe most people will as well, making it a great book for a long bath or short flight.

This book would make a great recommendation for that friend you have that likes to keep things clean.

Very much like Ms. Congeniality in book form.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center…⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St Martins Press for the advanced copies!

What attracts you to a book? For me, the covers are huge, and the write up. And, of course, the author. I am just inclined to buy a new author as a favorite, established one. Katherine Center has been a favorite of mine since I first read “How to Walk Away”. It remains one of my favorite books! Her stories never disappoint.

A female bodyguard. Unique premise. The story follows Hannah, not the picture of what you would think of as a bodyguard. But, don’t let looks fool you. Detached, standoffish, unemotional might be great attributes for her job but it doesn’t necessarily work well for relationships. Enter hunky Jack, movie heart throb and target of a stalker, not to mention having to deal with his own demons and family issues. These two are thrown together, and need to make things work.

Cute, fun read. Characters you will root for and a storyline that will have you turning the pages.

Thanks to Ms. Center, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I've been so busy this year that I've had little to no time to read. I have been letting my ARCs pile up since January, and in an attempt to fix that problem I decided to give this book a shot. I don't think I could have chosen a more entertaining book. It feels like these days in the world of writing everyone and their mother are writing romcom books, to the point that hardly any of the books being released in the genre are memorable. But I can say without a doubt that this book will stick with me. Katherine Center constructed such a unique story that truly had me hooked from start to finish. A movie star fake dating his female bodyguard?? Sign me up. Jack and Hannah's relationship was executed so well throughout this book. Their feelings for each other felt so real. I also loved the deeper aspect of the book that dove into their past trauma and overcoming it. I'm definitely going to be thinking about this book for months to come.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with this ARC (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review! I recommend checking this book out when it releases on July 19th!! I had a great time reading it and I'm sure others will too. This review will be posted to my Goodreads and BookBub immediately, and to Barnes and Noble upon publication.

I loved this book from the first page. It was just what I needed at this moment.

Hannah works for an agency that provides bodyguards for people who need them. Her life has just fallen apart when her mother dies, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and the boss insists she take time off. Hannah knows nothing but her job. But when she comes back to work- her boss, Glenn, assigns her the job of guarding Jack Stapleton, a movie star who has a stalker. He’s taking time off to be with family and Hannah poses as his girlfriend so as not to alarm his mother.

Ok- I fell for this hook, line, and sinker! Jack and his personality, description and dialogue were swoon worthy. Hannah was the tough little “I don’t know I’m cute” character. They hit it off for me. The book was a fast read and my favorite of this author’s. I also appreciate when all the loose ends are tied up in an epilogue like the author did in this book. Read it!!

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

I enjoyed this story. I found the beginning a bit cheesy, but once the story got going it got better.. The characters were well-developed. The whole thing played out in my head like a movie. I can see this book being a television movie. I appreciate how Catherine Center always ends her book on a positive note, and there is always something uplifting to takr away from her writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this book

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. I expected to love this book, because I've enjoyed all of Katherine Center's books in the past (except maybe the one about the firefighter). But as soon as I started reading this, I felt a sort of disconnect because of the writing style. Have her books always had these choppy sentences and constant paragraph breaks, and I just didn't notice it? Is she starting to phone it in a little? I peeked back at another book of hers from the past, and I think maybe she always did this and I didn't mind before, so that's on me! In this book, however, it seriously grated on my nerves. Constant little choppy sentence fragments, as if you're inside the head of the character, but not in a good way. I think it makes the pages turn fast, sure, but it's annoying. I got super tired of seeing "Fair enough" set aside as its own little paragraph. And "Anyway" as its own little paragraph starting a chapter. I think there was even an "Anyhoo."

As far as the actual storyline goes, it was cute and pleasant and the typical rom-com. Her depiction of the protagonist as cute and perfect and "a real woman" and just needing to learn that she was lovable kind of grated on my nerves too, but mostly because of her uncharitable portrayals of some other women in the book. There was a particular scene with an unlikeable character that just felt silly, like we're just witnessing the airing of a grievance against women who aren't as "real" as other women. The more I write about this book, the less I like it. Downgrading to 2 stars.

Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard but not your typical bodyguard. She could murder with you a bottle opener or a dinner napkin. When she gets hired to protect famous actor Jack Stapleton, she wasn’t expecting what the job entails. Hannah has to pretend to be Jack’s girlfriend while he’s back home on the ranch helping his sick mother.

This book was a heartfelt one. Yes, the romance was there but this book dealt with so many other things. Death of loved ones plays a huge part throughout the story and it definitely hits you in the feels.

I really enjoyed the fake dating and forced proximity romance as well. Especially since it has to do with a famous actor. I’m all about the Hollywood romance trope.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this one. It was fun and heartwarming and a perfect read for the summertime! Please keep in mind that even though this is pitched as a romance, it isn’t the main subject of this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc!

I loved this book so much! I could tell from the very beginning it was going to be an excellent read and it never proved me wrong. I was completely absorbed from the first page. It has great characters, intelligent, compelling writing, lots of emotional weight, many humorous moments, and lovable, hilarious and relatable characters.

I thought Hannah was such an amazing character. I really liked her sense of humor; she had me smiling and laughing through so much of the book. She definitely has her issues, as outlined early on in the book, but her strength is inspiring and her ability to look inward and make difficult emotional connections is satisfying. I actually ended up feeling really proud of her. Her complex relationship with her mom really resonated with me as well. My own mother, who had similar characteristics to Hannah's, passed away recently so Hannah's struggles with the legacy and memories her mother left her with really hit home for me.

I found Jack and Hannah's relationship to be really cute and fun and everything you'd hope for in a celeb/non-celeb dynamic. Jack is a sweetheart with a troubled past. His storyline is every bit as interesting as every other plotline in the book. (So much happens!!)

Center managed to strike the perfect balance between the humor and the emotion. There's also an interesting twist at the end and an amazing wrap-up and epilogue.

ANY reader of romance is going to LOVE this book. This was my first time reading Katherine Center but it won't be my last. Mark July 19th on your calendar because you're going to want this one!

This book is officially one of my new favorites! I will be buying this book right off the shelf once it's officially out in the world! It was exactly what I needed for the time and I am so grateful to have received this book as an ARC! It genuinely was one of the best rom coms I have ever read.

We first meet Hannah an Executive Protection Agent (which is a fancy name for bodyguard). Her life is honestly kind of a mess. Her mother just died, her boyfriend, that she works with, dumped her and then slept with her best friend. Then, the cherry on top, she is assigned to look after Hollywood heartthrob Jack Stapleton.

Jack is so dreamy, and you can’t help but love him. He clearly cares a lot about his family and his friends so much that he can’t bear to tell his family about his corgi-loving stalker, so Hannah gets to be his pretend girlfriend. The fake dating was stellar and made me laugh so hard at times. Hannah could be a little stubborn, but from one trauma-filled human to a fictional one, I get it! Hannah goes on her own journey while on this job, and you can’t help but root for her as you read along.

This book was so fun and made me smile, clutch my kindle to my chest, and gasp with shock at the plot twist at the end. It had everything: humor, grief/sadness, romance, well-excecuted tropes, and a twist that I genuinely didn’t see coming. I loved this book so so much and you should definitely read it!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of a digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

Fake-dating. Refreshing. Heart-warming

"Love if 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.

SYNOPSIS:

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.

REVIEW:
This book follows Hannah Brooks who just lost her mom and wraps herself up in working. She gets assigned to become the lead <s>bodyguard</s> Executive Protection Agent for famous actor Jack Stapleton while he visits his mother, who is undergoing treatment for cancer. To avoid freaking his mom out at the necessity of a bodyguard, Hannah poses as Jack's girlfriend while visiting his parents on their ranch.

I really did enjoy this novel. It was super cute and made me smile. I devoured the book in one and a half sittings. I grew to love every single character in this book and it was just an overall light and enjoyable read.

I cannot get over how much I loved Glenn's character. The amount of pettiness that is generated from this character speaks to my soul. I could not help be continuously break out into a laugh when he would assign work to Hannah and Robby to get back at them for dating while working together.

My only criticism of this book is that I had high hopes upon reading the first few chapters because of how strong Hannah's character was portrayed in the beginning of the novel - trained to kill. After taking on Jack as a client, Hannah's character fell short of being strong and independent. On multiple occasions, Hannah's character was portrayed as the stereotypical female lead in romance novels - cow scene, horse scene, and Brazos River scene.

I read this in two days and in two sittings, which I'm pretty sure is how I've read every Katherine Center book I've read. She really knows how to hook you in!

THE BODYGUARD was delightful, swoony, sweet, funny, and thoughtful... and I think it is probably my favorite Katherine Center book yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy of this book. It was a delight!

Will post to Instagram closer to release date. @fromsarahsbooknook.

The Bodyguard is Katherine Center doing what she does best. A sweet romance, laugh out loud parts, and a lot of sweetness.

The Bodyguard centers around Hannah Brooks who is tasked with pretending to be movie star Jack Stapleton’s girlfriend in order to protect him. As in all pretend boyfriend/girlfriend rom coms, the lines start to blur between acting and real feelings. Throw in a jerky ex boyfriend, a no nonsense boss, and a delightful family and you get a great rom com. This book is perfect for anyone who loves Katherine Center’s previous books or anyone who is a fan of sweet, closed door romances.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Her books always seem to me to be fun and uplifting. Her writing style is easy to read and always flows well and she always weaves a good story. This one followed the same pattern mixing romance and humor.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent, similar to a bodyguard with more emphasis on prevention. Don't get me wrong, she could still kill you with just about any item you can think of with no problem. Hannah's mother just died and her boyfriend dumped her the day after the funeral.

Although Hannah is desperate to get our of town, her boss assigns her to a detail to protect a handsome movie star, Jack Stapleton, right here in Texas. Bummer! Jack is in town for his mother's cancer treatments and he has a stalker. The sparks begin to fly and the journey begins as Jack and Hannah find their way forward.

This book was fun and I enjoyed the back and forth banter between Hannah and Jack. I loved the lifestyle at the ranch and Jack's parents - they just seemed so caring and homey. I liked both Hannah and Jack too and was rooting for them to get together.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 19, 2022.

This book was so hard to put down! I was hooked by the unique premise right away since it gave me Miss Congeniality vibes! I loved rooting for the main character and her happiness. I thought Hannah was a loveable combination of badass, humor, and vulnerability. Jack was swoon-worthy, of course, and I was really sold on their relationship! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but it can be hard to pull off and make it believable. I think this book did it really well and all the characters’ motivations and decisions made sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The people we love help teach us who we are. The best versions of who we are, if we’re lucky.” - Katherine Center, The Bodyguard.

I went into this book thinking I may not love it as much as Katherine Center’s others, but I was completely wrong. This book was everything. I loved it so much. I’ve said this many times before, but anything Katherine Center writes brings me joy and leaves me feeling so happy. There’s something about the way she creates her female characters that I love. They are strong, intelligent, and confident in who they are. Hannah was all of those things and more. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Bodyguard hits shelves July 19th!

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

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. It was a quick read and kept me entertained but I didn't feel super connected to the characters or like I knew them all that well. I also felt like there was perhaps an overabundance of bad things that happened. I think it would have been better to have fewer major things that happened in the characters lives with more detail. Time-wise I felt like a lot of things happened too quickly as well, mostly the emotional reactions and recoveries from some of these events.

But definitely a fun romance read with some funny moments!

Okay, this was super cute. Admittedly a little contrived and tropey at times, but I needed a fun romance and this delivered!

Hannah Brooks is sarcastic and serious, while Jack is more sunshiney than he wants to admit. While both of them carried a huge emotional weight, I loved their interactions and ability to make each other laugh. Their banter was so cute and I laughed out loud so many times

The plot itself is enjoyable, I didn't see some of the twists coming, so that was fun, and they fit the story too which helped.

The secondary characters could've been fleshed out a bit more but they were funny and generally had their own voice and personality. Glenn especially, while a hard ass, was so funny cause he loved forcing his employees to face up to their mistakes and suffer - in like totally harmless, not dangerous ways.

A couple things that felt off - Hannah's odd inability to keep her chill and the women vs women hate. Starting with Hannah - she's supposed to be the best but she doesn't manage to keep herself closed off very well, and she seems surprised a lot despite saying that she's always prepared and never surprised (thus the feeling of being a bit contrived and tropey). With the women vs women hate, it was kind of annoying the way they were shaming people for being overly made up or for trying too hard or for being too pretty, or too ordinary. Idk, it felt off, especially for a new release. Aren't we done with this yet?? This is probably where it lost a star.

All in all, this was a fun read and I flew through it. It was so easy falling in love with Jack and Hannah, and this is perfect if you're looking for a lighter read. Note that this is categorized as Women's Fiction, so there are emotional elements, but it mostly focuses on the happy moments.

TW: death of a parent, parent with cancer (breast cancer), death of a sibling due to fatal car accident, mentions drowning, attempted suicide by a side character, body shaming (specifically cosmetic surgery, not contested), alcoholism, domestic abuse, mentions of vomiting

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 4/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center is the author that first enticed me to read romance… and the author that then cemented me as a fan of romance. I love that her books have strong female protagonists, incorporate some life inspiration, and include healthy adult romantic relationships.

The Bodyguard was one of my most anticipated books of summer. Katherine Center did not disappoint. She once again delivered a feel-good romance filled with humor and enjoyable characters.

The Bodyguard is a forced proximity romance between an unlikely pair – a movie star and his female bodyguard, who he initially mistakes for a house cleaner. Set in Houston and on a Texas ranch, this is a heartfelt romance in an unlikely setting with a surprising twist near the end.

Katherine Center is able to strike a perfect balance between humor, comfort, and a bit of seriousness. Over the course of The Bodyguard, chemistry builds between leads, rather than instant love. It is so refreshing to read a romance where the two leads do not instantly want to jump each other. However, if you are looking for something spicy and smutty, you will not find it within the pages of The Bodyguard. But please give this book a chance anyway. Where it is short on spice, it makes up for with emotional depth and actual romance.

I also really appreciated that the story was not solely focused on the romance. As with all Katherine Center books that I have read, The Bodyguard tackles the characters’ pasts and presents. For me, this makes the book so much more realistic and enjoyable. The story chronicles the characters’ growths and healing so they can truly come together in the end. Add in some humorous banter and you can easily become lost in this story. The epilogue provides a perfect ending to the story and answers all remaining questions.

Overall, I really loved The Bodyguard. It was a refreshing, warm hug and a break from reality. I highly recommend it. It is the perfect book to enjoy in the sun beside the pool or on the beach.

Trying to put into words how much I enjoyed reading this novel is so difficult. I laughed, almost cried (not a huge crier while reading), and was tempted to scream throughout the pages it was THAT good!

Hannah is sure of herself when it comes to her job as a bodyguard, but lacks the self-love to confidently go about every other part of her life. Jake is outwardly confident in all aspects of his public life as an actor, but still is struggling to accept the death of his brother. However, when Hannah is set up to be the bodyguard for Jake when he visits home… Fake dating meets one bed meets unexpected love, and let me tell you it is magic!

THE BODYGUARD was the first book of Katherine Center that I have read and I’m not sure how I’ve gone without her books on my shelves. It’s easy to say that I will be ordering more of her novels in the very near future! I loved how reading each page felt like Hannah was personally telling me each new chapter herself. The epilogue was perfect in every way that I would hope it could be, and so much more, too!