I read everything that Katherine Center writes. She has given me hours of reading pleasure. Sadly, this book wasn't a favorite.

The premise seem more of a reharsh of Charlie's Angels -heroine works for a private, exclusive company providing security in a wide range of scenarios. And part Miss Congeniality (Sandra Bullock) since the heroine is gauche and unsophisticated.. I get that in adolescent, most of us dream of getting the prince, or movie star, or pop band singer, And I am not knocking adult reader who still love the premise. But in my opinion it is bit trite and cliche.

In her book, "What You Wish For", Ms Center shown at weaving together levity and poignancy. Not too many authors could touch on school safety like she did. In this book, while there were bits of poignancy, The hero's situation - the secret that he was carring worked, it just seems overshadowned by an unbelievable scenario of famous movie star falling for his bodyguard. - which honestly he didn't seem to need.

I look forward to Ms. Center's next book., hoping that she will go back to more realistic premise.

This is my first book by Katherine Center, but I can guarantee that it will NOT be my last. I loved this book and fell hard for the characters. At the beginning, I wasn't sure how I felt about Hannah, but the more I read and watched her grow, the more I related to her. I was immediately attached to Jack and everything about him. Learning more about his family history was really beautiful, heartbreaking, and made me love him even more. Besides the main characters, I also really liked most of the side characters (Glenn, Kelly, Connie) and the humor they brought to the story. I was hooked from beginning to end and felt so many different emotions. This book kept me on my toes and I appreciated every minute of it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this fantastic ARC.

Upon reading this book, I immediately ran to preorder it. Hannah finds herself being the personal bodyguard to a Hollywood actor (and the Hottest Man Alive). This is one I can see myself rereading multiple times over. It was a quick read. (I felt like this book flew by!) The characters were interesting and fun. The scenarios were unique and exciting.

This story had some passionate kissing, but never enters the bedroom. Brief mention of individuals having slept together.
Mild language appears a few times in the book.
Topics like death of family, abuse, low self-esteem, suicide, stalkers, drinking make an appearance in this book.

[Rounded up from 4.5 stars.]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in the surprising setting of Houston, Texas. Hannah is a very serious bodyguard who gets an assignment most would dream of - protecting a movie star. Hannah isn’t just anyone, though, and the movie star may like that. 😀
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Every time that I am given a chance to spend time with Katherine Center, I find myself eager to immerse myself in her fictional world. I know that she will tell a good (if slightly predictable) story and that I will forget about the real world for a bit, something that I welcome these days.

This time readers learn something about what it is like to be a bodyguard. For example, it is in the training and a person does not have to be BIG to be able to do the job. That is why Hannah has been good at her job.

As the novel opens, bodyguard Hannah is having a hard time. Her boyfriend Robbie has broken up with her and is dating Hannah’s close friend. To make things worse and sadder, Hannah’s mother has died. She was not an easy woman but this is still life changing. Usually Hannah uses work to escape, the farther away the better. However, this time her boss is not letting that happen.

Instead, and under protest, Hannah is hired to look after a heart throb movie star, Jack Stapleton who is in Texas which is where Hannah is based. Hannah will pose as Jack’s girlfriend feeling dubious about this as she is no glamour queen. Despite not wanting the position, Hannah will do her best.

From here, readers spend time with Jack as he faces a family issue. How will being the bodyguard for Jack go? Will there be mutuality in Jack and Hannah’s relationship, despite Hannah’s always wanting to be professional? Turn the pages to find out.

Readers may feel that they know what will happen and that’s okay. The fun is in watching the plot unfold and just enjoying it.

I got to do my favorite thing with this title, toggling between the book and the audio. This works so well for me. The narration was clear and easy to follow.

Whichever way, you like your Katherine Center novels or, if you are just discovering this author, give this title a look. It is a good book for those looking for a break.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

I adored this book! This was the right book at the right time. A feel-good story to warm my heart!

Hannah is going through turmoil and recent losses in her personal life which has left her unmoored and unsure of what to do next. She works as a bodyguard, and hopes to get an overseas assignment, when she is assigned to protect the famous actor, Jack Stapleton, right in her own hometown. Jack has a stalker and is in town to visit his family. He a skeptical eye toward Hannah, doubting her ability to protect him,  but she soon sets him straight in an amusing display of her skills. 
 
His one request? Jack doesn’t want his family to know about the stalker and his need for a bodyguard, so Hannah must pose as his girlfriend.  So, OK, we’ve all seen the Hallmark movies and read the books, so we know where this is going. But, as I’ve often said, it’s more about the journey in these stories and this one was top notch!
 
I absolutely loved the witty banter, and the often-amusing thoughts of Hannah. Jack was swoon-worthy and I fell in love with his family. But not is all fluff, as there are some serious subjects to be explored. This is what I like to call a lighter read with substance, and the perfect feel-good book when you need to put a smile on your face. I love that this is a closed-door romance, written with no agendas or social messages. A straightforward story to entertain was a breath of fresh air! It was pure fun and I was sorry when it came to an end.

This was so cute! I absolutely loved Jack and Hannah's banter, and loved following a movie star in his real life as well. Though it was a light, fun story, there were also some serious topics that were tackled and I really enjoyed that addition to the story. There were a lot of great side characters who added both humor and tension, and I loved getting involved with the family dynamics of Jack's family as well.

If you love fake dating, forced proximity, and family dynamics I think you will love this one. It was also closed door- this is the only thing I wish was different, but if you're looking for a romance without the steam this is a great one too! And for those that prefer steamy (like me), I definitely liked everything else about it enough to make up for the lack of steam.

This was my first book from this author and I can't wait to go back and read some of her backlist!

love it I just love this book so much I can't wait others to read this book, it was such a cute story and really enjoyed it
4.6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. The following thoughts are my own*

I actually think this book is more of a 2.5 stars for me, but I'm rounding up because 1) Goodreads refuses a half-star system, and 2) I'd like to give this book the benefit of the doubt. I didn't dislike it so much as didn't hate it. It was a thoroughly OK read. But let me see if I can explain it a little better.

Let me start by saying I was on board with The Bodyguard from the cover alone. I loved the vibrant colors and the aesthetic was on trend with the illustrative style. Then I was even more intrigued by the gender reversal of the bodyguard trope; I loved that Hannah was the badass security professional and Jack was the celeb hiding from a crazed fan. What let me down was the writing.

Despite all that promise and the dang plot for Hannah's character arc, she's a pretty flat character. She's reactive more than she's ever active even when Hannah is physically doing things. Center gave the male main character, Jack, more of a sense of depth and realism than Hannah, which is made worse by the fact that you only get Hannah's point of view in the book. Hannah also seems to talk to the reader sporadically throughout the book in a way that's kind of conversational and fourth-wall-breaking—it didn't fit the vibe or tone of the book at all.

There's no real connection between Hannah and Hollywood heartthrob, Jack, beyond his stupifying hotness. At best, I think they have the makings of a very nice friendship. I think it could have gotten there, romantically speaking, but there was not enough development to really feel sparks fly. That said, I did enjoy their dynamic, it just felt too rushed to be believable. I chuckled a few times and there was at least one moment where I teared up, so I think this book has some solid beach read potential. You just can't think too hard about it or the fun unravels.

My best advice with The Bodyguard is to go in with low expectations and let the quiet moments surprise you. I won't spoil anything by dropping hints about what that is, but there are good subtle scenes sprinkled throughout that make it worth the read. If you're looking for a spicy book to sizzle in the sun though, this isn't it. For me, The Bodyguard is a 🔥/5 on my personal heat scale. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; just know we're talking more fade to black than any kind of explicit content.

Overall Content Warnings
-Threats of violence against the main characters
-Stalking
-One significant scene with gun violence
-Death of a loved one/ alcohol-related death

For me, all the above warnings topics landed with minor impact because the overall tone of the book was so light and sweet. But please use your own discretion about tackling specific content.

Perfect For Fans Of:
-clean romance
-Hallmark movies
-Beach Read by Emily Henry

**Updated Review**

Executive Protection Agent Hannah Brooks was prepared for anything except the loss of her mother and her boyfriend’s betrayal. Now she needs her work to keep her busy. Her new assignment is guarding superstar Jack Stapleton. The one catch is that his family can’t know that he needs a bodyguard so Hannah has to pretend to be Jack’s girlfriend.

The Bodyguard is a romcom with a cute twist. I don’t think I’ve come across another book (or movie) where the bodyguard was a woman. The romance may be rushed a little in a “love at first sight” kind of way. The dialogue and banter was a good mixture of humorous and sweet. The author did a great job making the “bad” characters truly dislikable. Hannah’s ex is the worst!

The audiobook version is excellent! Patti Murin is the narrator and she really did a great job bringing these character's to life. I highly recommend getting the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this spin on the typical bodyguard/protector romance. Like others have said, this book could easily be adapted for film. This is the first of Katherine Center’s works that I have read but I look forward to checking out more of her books in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio.

I don't always go for closed door romances but this one was awesome. Even when I read romantic comedies, I rarely laugh out loud, but that happened several times while reading this. The main characters had great banter and chemistry and their comic timing was perfect. Hannah Brooks is an executive protection agent, aka a bodyguard, and at the start of the book she is grieving the death of her mother, which is followed almost immediately by a brutal breakup with her boyfriend and co-worker (who sucks). She's ready to get back in the field and get sent to a location that is anywhere but the agency's home base of Houston, Texas. But it's all hands on deck when mega famous actor Jack Stapleton is coming to town to be with his mom during chemo. He has a stalker and some other possible security threats, so the production company for his upcoming film hires the agency and Hannah takes point. Nothing is as usual on this job, and Hannah ends up having to pretend to be Jack's girlfriend to his family while they stay at the family ranch. Hannah was funny and real and a complete badass, and Jack was charming and funny and they were both a little (and sometimes a lot) sad and I just loved this from start to finish.

~thé body guard review~
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3.5/5
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one of my favorite k dramas is strong woman do bong soon (if you haven’t watched it go do that rn!!) so when i heard the synopsis of this book i knew i had to read it! bodyguard fake dating sounds like the perfect book for me
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Pros:
+interesting main character and interesting job
+starts with a bang
+love the voice and how much personality there is in the writing
+YES let’s go jujitsu
+fake dating is a top tier trope every time
+jack stapleton<3
+brother drama oooooooooh
+fun cliches!!
+bwok bwok bwok
+we love to see character growth!! lets go vulnerability!!
+classic comforting someone who had a nightmare trope
+I LOVE CONNIE AND DOC OMG
+very proposal vibes and that’s one of my favorite rom coms
+not the metal detector you’re kidding
+slow burn slow burn slow burn!!!
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Cons:
-not dual perspective how sad
-why is she always complaining gd just enjoy it girly
-cut the girl on girl hate please ITS SO UNNECESSARY
-confused on how old they’re supposed to be
-robby *barf*
-surprise plot twist wasn’t so surprising lmaoooo
-a bit too cliche there at the end for me
-all for mentioning anti gun sentiments but it lowkey felt like it was being turned in to a joke and guns simply aren’t funny
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i had fun with this book! it was silly and didn’t take it self too seriously. i would have rated it 4 stars if there wasn’t such unnecessary girl on girl hate and if the ending was a little less cliche but i still think people will like it!

This a perfectly sweet and cheesy rom-com and I loved it! It is emotional and heartwarming in all the right places. Katherine Center does it again with a great rom-com. I just wish we got more Hannah and Jack!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to receive both the audio and regular copy of this book.

Such a delightful story and even though you knew the ending, it was such fun to get to it. Following the escapades of Hannah, with her gutsy and fun comments and Jack Stapleton, the gorgeous movie star hunk that Hannah has been assigned to shadow and keep watch over, we escape for awhile into a story that has just fun with no agenda and no pounding one over the head with its PC themes.

This totally enjoyable book has gotten me through some rough times experienced lately and brought a bit of joy into my life as I listened to the Patti Nurin narrate the tale. If you are looking for a light summer fun in the sun read, this might just be the one for you.

Many thanks to Katherine Center who always provides that wonderful ability to get to the heart of her characters, Macmillan audio, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for sending this gem to me.

3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the audio ARC.

The Bodyguard is very unputdownable, the banter between Hannah the Executive Protection Agent and movie star Jack Stapleton is just so darn cute. Read if you like clean romances, people who are working through grief to become better, and Texas ranching with a little bit of suspense. Also read if you like your romances with some self-help and life coaching, family hijinks, and rom-coms leaning heavy into the comedy part. There were definitely moments when I laughed out loud and had a giant smile on my face (the part where Hannah one-ups Jack's dad was my fave), and there were also moments where I shook my head because Jack was just too darn perfect to be real. The plot is a bit preposterous, as are the characters, but The Bodyguard was a heady, summery dose of escapism with a tiny bit of seriousness that had me engaged for most of it. Narration was strong and characters were clearly delineable from the voices, and the narrator had a folksy manner that worked well with the tone of the story. If you've read other Katherine Center books and liked them, you won't be disappointed.

This is another terrific book by Katherine Center! I picked up the novel at a time when I needed a book to help me relax and clear my mind. It was fun and a joy to get into the story of a film star who does not want a bodyguard, and a female bodyguard who does not want the job of guarding the film star. Then comes the realization that she has to role play as the film star’s girl friend to provide protection 24/7. Hilarity ensues, but as always with Ms. Center’s books, wisdom and insight are imparted to the reader. I highly recommend this book. And read her other novels as well.

This was a quick read. The premise seemed fun, and the book was fun at times. However over all I felt like the book was an outline or a rough draft. It all seemed very rushed and the characters didnt really have any defining qualities. The FMC was kind of giving me not like other girl vibes and MMC was encouraging it so I definitely did not like that. I think if everything was a bit more fleshed out the story would’ve been better.


** This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review**

LOVED! I had so much fun reading this book-- I felt like I was reading it in super speed to find out what would happen! When I first got back into reading a few years ago, Katherine Center's books made me fall in love with romcoms and she's been one of my favorite authors ever since. I adore her real, quirky, lovable main characters and Hannah was absolutely that for me. I would be thrilled if The Bodyguard was made into a movie some day!!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ARC!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center is a favorite of mine. I have really enjoyed all her books. The weaving of darker topics with light is done so well. Dare I say it.....this one is my favorite.

These characters....sigh. They were amazingly written. I wanted to move in. I'm not even kidding. I loved the kinda switch up on gender roles with it being a female bodyguard. How different and honestly, how fun. Jack's perspective of a movie star was so well written. I have nothing to base that one btw as I don't know any movie stars...but it felt authentic. I felt like I did know his from the big screen.

Overall this is a title I would absolutely recommend.

My heart is very full right now. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Katherine Centre’s new book The Bodyguard through Netgallery
Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me, and after reading this digital copy, I will still be purchasing a physical copy because my book shelf would not be complete with out the ray of sunshine that is The Bodyguard.
Hannah is an executive protection agent, a bodyguard. After experiencing a few personal tragedies she is given her toughest assignment yet, protecting movie star Jack Stapleton. Unfortunately for Hannah to meet this clients unique protection needs she will have to pose as his girlfriend at his family’s ranch.
I don’t normally like books where characters are pretending to be in love, but it was handled with compassion and joy and was delightful to read. Hannah’s insecurities and self doubts were handled with the same care. Katherine let’s her characters heal themselves and heal each other without trampling all over anyone else and it’s probably my favorite thing about her writing and it’s on full display in this book. If you haven’t read any of her books before and need something that just feels good I recommend this book. If you have read her books before then you already know what I am talking about and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you again to Katherine Center, Netgalley and Macmillanfor getting this wonderful book into my hands.