Katherine Center is back with her latest and, to the great surprise of her biggest "Happiness for Beginners" fan on the planet, possibly her best. "The Bodyguard" combines heart, grit and a surprising dose of melancholy to great effect, pulling readers into the fascinating world of executive protection. Much like "Things You Save in a Fire" opened up the world of firefighting, this book provides a behind-the-scenes look that I didn't know I wanted but thoroughly enjoyed.

Our story surrounds Hannah Brooks, an executive protection agent hired to serve as the bodyguard for Jack Stapleton, a blockbuster movie star who faded out of the spotlight after a tragic loss. Jack is coming home to Houston - Katherine Center's favorite setting - for his mother's cancer treatment, and his team believes he needs protection from the stalker tracking his every move. While I hesitate to put Katherine Center in an exclusively romance category, this is a lovely build on the fake dating trope. While you expect a happily ever after in this plot- and character-driven read, there are plenty of surprises in how we arrive. A hearty five stars for this terrific book coming out on July 19, 2022.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Hannah is a professional bodyguard and is hired to protect Jack Stapelton, a famous actor and People's Sexiest Man two years in a row. But Jack is home to take care of his sick mom and doesn't want to worry her about his stalkers. So Hannah poses as Jack's girlfriend and begins to wonder if he is an amazing actor or if she is starting to fall for the fake romance. I love the fake-dating trope, and this one was done so well! Each character was so well developed with their own traumatic backgrounds, making them feel real. I loved Jack and Hannah, but I think I loved Jack's mom the most. This is the first book by Katherine Center I have picked up, and I can't wait to read more by her!

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is a fun, slow burn, rom com with great chemistry. I really enjoyed the plot of the story and Hannah and Jack's story. It was sweet and the banter was hilarious. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone wanting to read a great romance with a slow burn, rom com feel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

So I finished this book in one day over the weekend, but I’m a bit torn on my rating/review. I’ve loved or really enjoyed the last few Katherine Center books, so I had high hopes for this one. I think all of the elements for it being a fantastic 5⭐️ book are there, but it didn’t quite gel. I think that fact that it was so easily readable, and had some laugh out loud hilarious moments are hard to reconcile with the elements of the story that didn’t work as well for me.

Overall, I think this book falls into the easy to read in a sitting, rom com category, but with *some* of the signature Katherine Center emotional upheaval and drama. Both Hannah and Jack have their own complicated family backstories, but they weren’t as developed, involved, heart wrenching etc as How to Walk Away. Enjoyed the role reversal of the MCs where the female lead is the protection agent, but like some other reviewers said it did feel like she was perhaps dumbed down a bit too much in some of the common sense department.

🐄 Slow burn, low steam romance
🐄 Texas ranch setting, felt like a great change of pace and mini vacation
🐄 A few deeper emotional elements, but overall very rom com
🐄 Quick easy read
🐄 Some hilarious banter with Hannah and Jack
🐄 Fake dating, and only one bed

Parting thoughts- it would make a great movie.

Thank you to netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center for this Arc of the bodyguard in exchange for an honest review.

Three things really stood out to me about the Bodyguard. One, it was just a really really good rom com. There were a lot of moments that dig deeper and gave characters more depth, but overall if you’re looking for a contemporary rom com, this one is great.

Second, all the characters were supposed to be likable were likable, I’ve read a lot of books where I liked one but not both of the main characters but I enjoyed both Hannah and Jack equally and thought they were wonderful characters.

Thirdly, I was really happy to read something where the main Male Character was nice to the lead Female character, I feel like so many rom coms I’ve read recently male lead characters have a tendency to be overly snarky and rude. But Jack was sweet, supportive, and you could tell he actually *liked* Hannah,

I would 100% recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet romance that has some depth.

This was my first official book from Katherine Center and I loved it! The thing I loved he most was the unique storyline - a female bodyguard for a male celebrity, such a fun premise. This book had me laughing and smiling so hard at the fun banter. Is it realistic? I mean, probably not, but it was still super fun and had me anxious to pick up where I left off each time. And the ending was not predictable at all! 4.5/5 stars!

I have been in a major reading funk where nothing is floating my boat. So I decided to go to my ride or die, Katherine Center, and she did not disappoint! This book kept me up into the wee hours doing the old “just one more chapter” routine. I couldn’t put it down. I adored this so much! I loved Hannah and Jack’s relationship. It was so fun. I did not love some of the language, including taking the Lord’s name in vain, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I also didn’t care for the slight political insert about guns, but I am sensitive to that stuff. I imagine most wouldn’t think twice about it. That said, I loved the story, and as usual, I can’t wait to read whatever Katherine Center puts out next! 4.5 stars!!

I loved this book. From the start, it was easy to become attached to the both Hannah and Jack.

The story follows Executive Protection Agent Hannah also known as "The Bodyguard" as she is tasked with protecting celebrity actor Jack. Throughout the story, we follow Hannah as she learns more about herself and how to love herself. We see her grow as a character as she constantly faces different challenges and as the personal and professional lines begin to blur together.

This story contains the perfect mix of fake dating, bodyguard romance, and pinch of family drama. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a quick and cute read.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: July 19, 2022.

This was my introduction to Katherine Center and it was not what I was expecting. For some reason, I had this perception that her books were more drama-oriented, but this read like a Netflix romantic comedy narrated by Renée Zellweger with a British accent.

Hannah is a bodyguard for lots of important people. Need someone to scale a building? Need someone to tackle people 3x their size? Need someone to shoot down your enemies? Give Hannah a call.

After a nasty break-up with a co-worker and fueled by the prospect of a London-based promotion, Hannah has been assigned to guard Jack Stapleton- in my mind, a taller Tom Cruise? I don't know.

Either way, clearly this forced proximity incites some banter, some tension, and ultimately, some of the feels.

In general, this book was fun... but almost too much fun. As in, it was so incredibly unrealistic that it was hard to take seriously (even for a romcom). For example, Hannah is supposed to be this #1 level badass but literally never acts like it. If you replaced her "title" with PR specialist, you'd have no change in the story. Which is a huge disappointment because I was looking forward to her profession making this book more unique. I don't know... I felt like I got a Hallmark romcom when I was really hoping for a Paramount romcom. Does that make sense to anyone but myself? No? Okay.

Either way, it was a super quick read and did incite a couple of laughs from me, so it's probably worth a read if romcom books are your jam.

An elite bodyguard, Hannah needs a change of scenery after her boyfriend, who is also a coworker vying for the same position as her, breaks up with her on the same day of her mother’s funeral. Famous actor Jack Stapleton has been out of the spotlight ever since he was involved in a car crash that killed his younger brother. Jack plans to return home to Texas and help his mother while she deals with a health issue. Because of Jack’s celebrity status and past encounters with stalkers, Hannah is hired as his bodyguard. Jack isn’t thrilled, and he insists she acts as his girlfriend so as not to alarm his family. As the lines between reality and pretend blur, Hannah realizes there is more to Jack than meets the eye. She has a hard time keeping her feelings in check, but does Jack feel the same way?

This is my first read from Katherine Center and I was absolutely charmed by it! She is just mesmerizing with her writing and it flows so well. This one drew me in and I couldn't put it down. It’s fun and funny at times and emotional and moving at others, and the characters are layered and interesting. I loved that the female protagonist is the bodyguard, and the male protagonist is the one who needs protection. It’s a role reversal that I haven’t often seen in romance novels. It’s nice having a strong kick ass female character who is vulnerable at the same time. The highlight of the novel, of course, is the wonderful, chemistry-filled romance between Hannah and Jack. Even though there is no “steam”, Jack and Hannah still have such sizzling chemistry and the book doesn’t suffer for the lack of “steam”. I love the fake dating trope, and Hannah and Jack make it look good! They have the best banter, and the way they tease and play off each other is so natural and electric. They are so funny together, and the way they cajole, relax, and have fun with each other is fantastic! There are so many laugh-out-loud scenes when this pair is together, and I love that they bring so much happiness and levity into each other’s lives. However, the other storylines, including Jack’s mysterious backstory, and Hannah’s work and relationship struggles, are equally intriguing. I hope The Bodyguard ends up on the big screen. I would love to see this one adapted as either a movie in a theater or streaming. I would definitely recommend The Bodyguard to readers who like rom-coms or contemporary romance. I will be checking out her previous works and am looking forward to reading her next one. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This Book!!! Its one that I didn't know I needed. What a heart felt, fun story that had me both laughing out loud and tearing up. Very well written, as always. It was the perfect light read for me with everything going on these days.

This is a must read!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's incredibly difficult to put into words how much I anticipated this books and how grateful I am to the publishers for sending me over an e-ARC. The storyline was quite promising and the characters hit it off right from the start. With a perfect combination of romance and humor, I loved both MCs and the side characters from page 1.

I love how the cliché of the guy being a rigid, courageous, fearless bodyguard was broken down in this novel with a petite female bodyguard and an actor hero with an intriguing past. To add to the drama, we have the MCs forced into incredibly awkward situations on loop that make for juicy scenes.

I'm not sure what I expected from the ending, but it was the best one I could hope for.

Please do yourself a favor and get this book for yourself. You won't regret it

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this gifted eARC in exchange for a review!

This was my fourth Katherine Center book and it may be my favorite (it's close tie with Things You Save in a Fire). It's a cute, quirky store about Hannah, a professional bodyguard who is grieving the recent death of her mother and break-up from her coworker boyfriend. The story starts with her new assignment: protect Hollywood star Jack Stapleton from his corgi-breeding middle-aged stalker. What happens next is a lot of family drama, adorable flirting, great banter and a dreamy ranch vacation.

I loved Hannah as a main character. She's tough, a little too serious and a bit of a catastrophic thinker. Aside from the romance, I really appreciated her emotional journey of loving yourself and what it means to be loved by others. And Jack. Jack was adorable! He was all smiles and adorable banter, even though he deals with some emotional issues throughout the story as well.

If you enjoy Katherine Center, you will enjoy this story. It was cute, sweet and will leave you smiling at the end.

When a book makes you cry (happy tears, sad tears, excited tears, longing tears- all the feels!), you know that the author has the ability to reach deep into your soul with their writing. Katherine Center does just that.

Hannah is a force of nature- small but mighty, a bodyguard who can eliminate a threat with a ballpoint pen (or a dinner napkin). Hannah's vulnerability is relatable- as is her crush on the hot movie star that is her client. The more time Hannah spends with Jack, the more I fell in love with both characters.

Jack's laughter had me laughing throughout the entire book (Hannah freaking out over the cows and horse were hilarious). I also loved how the book showcases a strong, intelligent, courageous female. The way Hannah shot the bottles with the rifle while Jack watched on was a great scene!

Katherine Center's writing is beautiful, her characters are alluring, her storytelling is mesmerizing and every book she writes is addicting. The Bodyguard is another example of her impeccable prose and I can't wait to tell everyone how incredible this book is!

After being assigned a very famous client that “bodyguard” Hannah doesn’t want, she then learns she has to act as the client’s girlfriend. But Jack is famous and very charming. Is he acting? What could go wrong?

I absolutely loved Jack’s character and backstory. In fact, this is definitely my favorite Katherine Center book by a mile. However, there is ALWAYS something in her books that takes it way too far for me, and this book was no different. But still a good story and a different take with the woman as the bodyguard.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

the first half of this was fun, intriguing, it even made me laugh a bit and i was having a great time, but the second half??? all of a sudden everything started to fall off, it became too ridiculous, and a lot of things didn't make sense.

Sure, the book is cringey and it's full of tropes and cliches, but i was fine with it, i was having fun and i wasn't looking to deep into the things that kind of bothered me, i was choosing to ignore them for the sake of having fun, but man, it got really hard to do that.


SPOILERS AHEAD

I have three major complaints:

1. I was excited about the role reversal in this book, she's the bodyguard and he's the one needing protection!!! As I said, it's established Hannah is an expert, but everything she did made it seem like she was just an amateur who wasn't taking her job serious, and so, when it came to her work I couldn't take it serious, like, at all.

2. The woman stalker, i found it so weird that that was just put in here for the laughs, this woman has been stalking jack for a very long time and, his team, who were supposedly very worried about his well being, didn't take legal actions??? She'd done all these very weird and bizarre actions and, nobody cared¿

3. The real "villain" of the book, turns out it was some weirdo who was angry that his wife had left him because she loved jack so much, he literally copied cat the corgi lady, got into Jack's house, threatened to kill him, kill hannah, and then, he also threatened to kill himself in front of jack for "ruining" his life, and the author really said "wait, the solution for everything is LOVE", and so Hannah talked him out of everything, have him a very cringey "heartfelt' talk and he said he was sorry, that he wouldn't do it, and instead of filing against this man, they just let him be, all of a sudden hi became a better person, changer his whole life, etc. I was flabbergasted.


I really love books that don't take themselves too seriously, i do, but this one passed the limits for me.

This was such a cute read! I loved the gender role swap for the bodyguard and the actor. The personalities and relationships were perfect. I wish there was a little more smut between the two characters though.

This is a really fun book, one of the best romantic comedies I've read...and I've read a LOT of them!

A female bodyguard, always a refreshing turn of events to read about! Add in the fake dating trope, a heroine who takes her job seriously but is also full of surprises, and I'm hooked.

Definitely recommend this if you need something light to read with just enough drama to keep you interested.

The Bodyguard is another great rom com book for the summer! I loved the role reversal in this with Hannah being the bodyguard assigned to Jack. Throw in the fake dating and forced proximity and what you have is a really solid book! This book is the perfect blend of funny and emotional. Nothing felt overdone. Would definitely recommend to others!

💁🏻‍♀️ Overall Impression: Can KC write a book I don’t love? Always a win and this was no exception.

📖 Synopsis: Hannah looks nothing like one would expect from a bodyguard, but that’s exactly what she does. When her job requires her to protect world famous actor Jack Stapleton by pretending to be his girlfriend, she knows it’s just pretend… but what if it’s not?

💭Thoughts: KC does it again! As with all her other books, 90% of this is absolutely amazing and 10% was a bit over the top. The very end of this one (after the drama) got a bit corny, but it doesn’t take away from how much I loved reading this one.

Hannah was a great lead. She is tough but still vulnerable. She says what’s on her mind and is quick on her feet. I loved seeing inside her job and picturing a kindergarten teacher killing someone with a corkscrew 😂.

Jack Stapleton was a perfect, sexy, messy, goofy, country boy movie star. I just wanted to hug him and not just because he was a sexy heartthrob actor. I loved meeting his family too!

“Bobby” can suck it! 🖕🏻

Go preorder this one, it was such a joy to read!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and the punisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. ❤️