Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!! I love Katherine Center, I feel like she can make you laugh and pull at your heartstrings at the same time. This was so cute, and I could see it becoming a Netflix romcom.

Hannah is an executive protection agent who gets assigned to a move star…what is real and what is acting? There is some laugh out loud funny banter in this book, but also sad and relatable self discovery. You’re rooting for Hannah and Jack the entire time! I anticipate this being a big hit when it’s released in July! An excellent summer beach read.

How have I never read Katherine Center?! This hooked me from the very first page, and the only reason I finished this in 2 sittings instead of 1 was because I had to go to bed for work early the next day! I fell in love with this story, and didn’t even see the “twist” coming towards the end! This was my second fake dating book this month, and this one was my favorite! I loved the writing. It was different than typical romcoms, and I can’t wait to read more!

Thank you St Martin Press for my early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Bodyguard.

I love Katherine Center - there that’s the review.

The Bodyguard was so sweet and made me smile the entire time. Minus any scene with Robby… IYKYK.

Katherine Center writes some of my favorite favorite characters and our girl, Hannah, is no exception.

If you like easy romance, close proximity, mismatched main characters, this is for you. A truly enjoyable read.

I love this book for so many reasons! First of all, I learned something new. I have never heard of Executive Protection (vs bodyguards) and I am quite intrigued! Second, Hannah is a strong female character and has a super cool job. Third, the writing is hilarious and entertaining. The storyline is original and has a great cast of characters. The characters are real and have such depth and emotion. My heart was all over the place but I was still laughing while I cried. A wonderful and heartfelt book that I really enjoyed! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

I typically enjoy Katherine Center's books, but this one really hit the mark for me - it was the romantic comedy that I needed to read right now. Jack and Hannah are both very accessible characters, and The Bodyguard overflows with my two favorite key elements: real character development and fun dialogue. This heartwarming story is the perfect summer read for rom-com fans.

The Bodyguard was a good read, the characters had depth and real-life issues, which was refreshing. I found myself still thinking about the characters hours after finishing the book. This was closed door but there was some salty language throughout.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a really engaging book - great romance and a good plot. I really enjoyed the characters and watching their relationship build up against adversity. Great read for vacation!

3.5
Katherine Center shows that opposite can attract, especially when there is a stalker in the mix:

Hannah Brooks is the best of the best in the bodyguard security and you would never know she is the bodyguard, but that is what makes her so good at it. When the newest client turns out to be a famous movie star Jack Stapleton, there are a few women in the service that would love to protect his body. Hannah is not one of them, but with a job promotion on the line she knows that she cannot say no. There is just one catch, Jack does not want his family to know that Hannah is his bodyguard, so he has hatched the plan that Hannah is his girlfriend. What Hannah did not plan for was loving being in a family atmosphere and the more it starts to feel real. Protecting Jack is one thing, protecting her heart is a whole other problem.

I do not read many contemporary romance books each year, but when I do decide to pick one up it will most likely be one by Center. I love her writing style and easy way that she creates her story. This book is probably the cutest of the books that I have read by her with very much an opposite attracts type of book. This is a slow burn romance which is very much in line with the other Center books that I have read.

Hannah is a fun character, she is sure of herself and her abilities but not so sure about he love life. She seems to question everything that is relationship related even with friends. She just seems unable to tell what is true and what is not. Also she seems to have nothing for dealing with farm life, which i feel like most city people would be confused about cows and such. I especially liked how she handles her ex-boyfriend who also is her co-worker (whom is a POS and makes multiple stabs at Hannah throughout the book).

I wish there was more suspense/bodyguard action within the book. I mean I get that this falls more to the romance side of things, I just wanted something a bit more. More danger, more threats that type of thing. I just felt that by not having these things, it felt a bit redundant and slow at times.

I really liked the crazy fan that Center created for this book. I don’t think I have laughed so much in a Center book and it was 100% each time they mentioned Jack corgi-breeding stalker who has an insane ability to knit portrait sweaters and apparently take nude photo. Honestly, some of the best parts of the book were about this lady.

Another great book but Center, and while I wish there was more action in the book, it was a cute easy read that I know fans of Center will enjoy. Also bring on more corgi-loving stalkers (lol).

Enjoy!!!!

What an amazing surprise! I absolutely love this book. It is so wonderfully readable, you just fall into it - believable characters, great story, lovely relationships- especially with family. Past mistakes and family secrets add to the adventure. I dare anyone to read it and not have in mind who should play each character if there was a film made! Just a breath of fresh air to my soul.

This was the first Katherine Center book that I have read and I loved it. I loved the characters and how well they were portrayed. It was easy to picture them interacting with each other and you really grew to love most of them. I mean you never like the villain in a story, do you? I loved the little mystery twist that was thrown in and overall, I couldn't put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book.

Hannah Brooks is a no nonsense executive protection agent. A bodyguard. In the space of a month, she loses her mom, breaks up with her boyfriend, and then finds out that her best friend slept with the now-ex on a job that Hannah got pulled from so she could "grieve properly." And instead of getting to run away someplace on her next detail, she gets stuck in Texas, with a super famous actor, forced to pretend to be his girlfriend while he spends time with his family. To say things aren't going well is putting it mildly.

This book is an absolute delight. You can see the love story building, whether Hannah wants to admit it to herself or not. The main couple are both fantastically written, and their forced isolation with each other makes sense. I've been looking forward to this book for a bit, and there's a big part of me that wants to be able to read this for the first time... Again. I absolutely recommend this book, and will be asking or library team to bring it in. So. Good.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Katherine Center has done it again! I never can finish one of her books without learning something important and I’m so grateful for each and every one of her books.

The Bodyguard has all of Katherine’s trademark wit and charm with a strong female lead and a swoony male lead. Katherine’s books never fail to fill me with such joy and warmth and they truly make the world a better place.

I absolutely adored Hannah and Jack and the ranch and all the wonderful romcom moments that just put a smile on your face. And NO ONE ends a book like Katherine Center. I want to frame so many of her quotes, and the finale to The Bodyguard was no exception.

Katherine Center’s books will make you glad to be alive, and for the ability to escape into a story that brings you pure joy. I am so grateful for Katherine’s constant ability to remind me of what’s beautiful about life.

Sometimes you just read a book and it checks all the right boxes and just the right time, and for me, that was The Bodyguard. I devoured this book, and I was so sad when it ended. I loved that the bodyguard in question is a female who is described as looking like a kindergarten teacher, flipping the normal gender roles upside down. And I really loved the dynamic and humor between Hannah and Jack. Chemistry and good looks are great, but I loved how Center played up the humor and laughter between Hannah and Jack.

Favorites from the book:
-Hannah dealing with her trauma from her childhood and getting to be part of a family
-Jack not being the stereotypical leading man, but just a normal guy
-Jack's family and their dynamic
-The setting. I really felt like I was on a sprawling Texas property.

I loved this book and can't wait to press it into the hands of all my friends.

And just a note- If you're interested in doing a book flight, this would pair really well with How to Fake It in Hollywood. OR you could listen to Texas Sun by Leon Bridges while you read it to really lean in to the Texas setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced audiobook.

To be completely honest, I was 100% NOT expecting to cry. Even though this was such a sweet romcom that had me laughing multiple times, it also pulled at my heart strings and made me cry more than once. The writing was so poetic that it was very hard not to. This was the perfect escape from reality, especially because the story line was about a movie star & his body guard. I almost felt as if I was watching a romantic comedy movie in my mind. The fake dating trope was absolutely perfect, & There were a few wholesome moments that brought up topics that are on the heavier side, but it did not weigh down the plot. I loved the reversed traditional rolls between the heroine & hero. Katherine gave us a grumpy badass heroine bodyguard, & a sunshine hero.

Jake is the sexiest, most famous movie star alive, and Hannah is his sassy & gorgeous body guard (due to unwanted stalkers). Jack’s mom gets sick and needs to go back to his hometown. He doesn’t want his family to know about the fact that he has a body guard and let alone the reason why. Jake convinces Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend while he’s visiting his family. As their trip gets extended, neither of them were expecting to spend so much one on one time. Will their heartfelt moments & quality time they spend together blossom into something more, or will they keep it strictly professional?


You can expect:

* Fake Dating
* Closed Door Romance (Kissing Only)
* Based in Texas
* Grumpy/Sunshine Romance
* Forced Proximity
* Swoony Romance
* Family Dynamics
* Celebrity/Non-Celebrity Romance
* Opposites Attract
* Laugh Out Loud Romcom

Wow... I think this is my first Katherine Center book and it will definitely not be my last! There's a lot to enjoy about this book - it's sweet, heartwarming (this will definitely having you feel all the feels!), funny, and I loved that in this storyline, the bodyguard was the heroine! The first time Hannah and Jack meet is just... so good (IKYKY) lol

It also incorporates a fake dating trope, which is just * chefs kiss *, and had some great banter (always a plus!). Loved the incorporation of Jack's family and I was definitely not expecting that ending, which was a nice twist!

Also, to note, the audiobook was great!

Rating: 4 stars

I loved this book so much. I have read several of her novels and each one gets better. I actually think some of my students might enjoy this one. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

this was the kind of book you listen to when you want to read something that you know the story to. it's like a comfort read in it's predictability and obvious plot and twists... but it's sweet and hits the right spot.

A great read if you’re looking for a contemporary romcom with relatable fully developed lead characters.
I loved the fact that the bodyguard is a small but highly capable woman, and the person she is protecting is a male movie star who is more regular guy than a Hollywood heartthrob. The narrator was easy to listen to as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super adorable rom-com book by Katherine Center. Hannah works for a security firm who is in charge of providing security & protection for well known (& super sexy) actor Jack Stapleton.

Pretty predictable story line but a cute story none the less. If you like the Hallmark type style love story you should also check out Katherine Center’s ‘Things You Save In a Fire.’

Thanks to NetGalley & the Publisher for the ARC. Comes out July 2022 - add this one to your summer reading list! ♥️

For some reason, this didn't click for me. Bodyguard and fake dating tropes are a couple of my favorites, but I just...didn't buy them here. I think it had a lot to do with not connecting to the characters.

Hannah was not a relatable protagonist for me, and how she handled situations often had me grimacing. I also didn't like how she was made to look... ineffectual a lot. She falls into a river, cries in front of Jack almost as soon as she's met him, screams at a cow licking her. It went against how much we were told she's been trained and how much experience she has, I don't care if it was for laughs or humanizing her.

The climax of the book also got pretty dark, something that clashed with the otherwise breezy tones for me. The explanations of fallout and then the epilogue contents all felt overwritten and overexplained.

There were some genuinely enjoyable moments - piggyback rides! The hilarious Victorian child nightgown! But otherwise I felt myself just trying to get through. After rounding up, three stars.