When I pick up a @katherinecenter book, I know exactly what I’m getting: a perfectly executed plot with character self discovery and growth and low/moderate smut. Her low smut rating is 100% forgiven because her books are just so damn good!

Hannah is a profesh bodyguard who is going thru a rough time personally. She gets assigned to guard super celeb Jack, who has been off the grid for a few years after the tragic death of his brother. Not only is Hannah supposed to guard him, she’s also asked to pretend to be his girlfriend as part of her gig. Who loves a fake dating trope?! ME!!!! Who loves a celebrity trop? ME!!!! Who loves a gender reversed bodyguard trope? ME!!!!

Hannah and Jack click immediately and it’s very clear to everyone but Hannah that Jack is super into her. I was super into Hannah and Jack in a very pervy way and loved their slow burn. Hannah was very funny and quirky and my fave type of flawed heroine. Jack was introspective and caring and a just a perfect goddamn hunk of man.

I really loved this one- as I do all @katherinecenter books. Center is able to tell a great love story with humor, empathy, and fantastic characters. While low on smut, it’s high on love. This book was so good, I really have no snark to give. Def recommend!!

Thanks @netgalley and @smpromance for the ARC. This drops July 19.

Smut- 1.32 stars
Romance- 4.78 stars
Story- 4.81 stars
When you can’t find anything to snark about in a book review- 0 stars for me, 25 stars for the author of the book.

Hannah Brooks may look like a sweet kindergarten teacher, but she is really a badass bodyguard that no one suspects. When her next job is to protect famous movie star, Jack Stapleton, while he is visiting home due to his mom’s illness, she will have to step up her A game. Deciding to pretend to be his girlfriend so that the family doesn’t suspect any danger and being on any unwanted stress, proves to be more of a challenge than what Hannah expected.

This book hit many of the big rom-com checks for me: forced proximity, one bed, and pretend dating. Like most Katherine Center books, I really enjoyed the banter. The downside to this one was that the characters did not have a lot of maturity and were all very childish in their behaviors. At times it’s hard to remember that Hannah is a professional bodyguard because of her lack of professionalism and personality.

While this may not be my favorite Katherine Center book, I still enjoyed it quite a lot!

Thank you St. Martin Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! A new Katherine Center book? Sign me up! This was such a fun read and while parts of it were a little cliche, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The two main characters were easy to root for and the story was equal parts dramatic, funny, romantic, and lighthearted. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

LOOOOVED this one. Her best yet!!! Such a fun, flirty swoony rom-com. I adored this story and the characters. Would definitely recommend.

If you're in the mood for a rom-com type of book, then this is the one for you! I can definitely see this being made into a movie one day.

I've enjoyed reading this author's books for several years now and I can always be assured that the story will be thoroughly entertaining. This book is no exception. Ms. Center's writing is witty and engaging and she will continue to be one of my favorite authors for light and easy reading.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: July 19, 2022.

Hannah's job in personal protection is not without its complications, and can come with its share of perks. Her story explores the highs and the lows of her work and everything in between. While the ending of the story was not completely surprising, the journey that Katherine Center takes us on to arrive at the ending comes with its own surprises. Reading a book by Katherine Center is like taking a road trip with the general destination in mind, but not really knowing the exact route. It's the delights and surprises along the the way that make it special. References about friendship pins and a jab to women's clothing not having enough pockets were the icing on the cake for me to round out this delightful read.

*I received an UDG of this book in exchange for my review.

Adorable is the best word for this book. It is exactly what I want in a romantic comedy (book, movie, or otherwise). The characters are warm, empathetic, and hilarious (I had to stop reading I was laughing so hard at the "cow encounter"). There were layers to both the characters and the plot that made you want to keep reading, and rooting for the characters. It walks the line between fun and ridiculous perfectly. There were also some well written endearing moments that had me tear up.

I highly recommend to anyone who loves romantic comedies.

This was such a delight! Hannah Brooks is your not-so-typical bodyguard, and after a terrible week, finds herself on a not-so-typical assignment to protect actor Jack Stapleton. Great banter ensues! I loved getting to know these characters, and the dialogue was *chef's kiss.* I could totally see this adapted as Netflix's new rom-com; it didn't even feel like I was reading!

'The Bodyguard' is perhaps one of my favorite reads of the entire year. I laughed out loud with the characters and felt their emotions so strongly because of how amazing this book was written. I absolutely adored this book and I cannot say it enough. I will be raving about this book for months to come and forcing all of my friends to read it once it comes out!

Katherine Center did it again! Her love stories make you want to fall in love. They are wonderfully realistic and complete. I enjoyed that a woman was a bodyguard and protecting the actor.

This is my favorite Katherine Center book. The story balances a picture into the world of celebrity and security with the very real worries and struggles of Hannah.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Hannah Brooks, protagonist of the The Bodyguard, is going through a rough time. Her mother, who wasn't the best at mothering, recently died, and her boyfriend, a fellow bodyguard at the Executive Protection Company they both work for, dumps her the night of her mother's funeral. Heartbroken, she tries to throw herself into work instead of working through her grief.

Her boss gives her an unusual assignment to protect the movie star Jack Stapleton from a stalker when he goes to visit his family to help his mom through cancer treatment. In order to keep his family from finding out Jack has a security detail, Hannah reluctantly agrees to pose as Jack's girlfriend, and then the fun begins.

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and fun to read with characters you care about. It was definitely a rom-com to the max (somewhat predictable but in a good way), and I am sure fans of that genre will like the book as much as I did. This is the first time I've read anything from Katherine Center, and I'm looking forward to discovering her other work.

I really enjoyed every minute of this book… I turned pages laughing but also yearning for more layers into these characters which the author gave. The premise of having a female bodyguard was a nice plot twist on the normal bodyguard relationship.

There could have been a little more steam between the main characters described on the pages but overall such a breath of fresh air from a rom com!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was my second Katherine Center book and definitely won't be my last. It was heartwarming, with lovable characters that are funny, real and have depth. I love the switch of the female MC protecting the male MC and his endearing family and their farm. She flawlessly weaves between heavier topics and lighthearted moments and the dialogue is perfection. I was rooting for Jack and Hannah from their first encounter. The story was perfectly paced and just a fun read that left me smiling the whole time.

I really enjoyed this story set in very familiar surroundings, Houston and rural Texas. I've driven through cows, hunted fossils, and dodged fire ants and stickers. This is a totally authentic place setting. I loved the characters! It is such a joy to watch their interactions bring out the best in Hannah the bodyguard and Jack the actor being protected. And his family! Not to mention (although I am) the interesting tidbits about providing security and film making. There's not a false note in the story except, perhaps, fraternizing between employees. But I imagine that's a plot device, so read and enjoy!

This book was charming and hilarious. Hannah is a small but tough bodyguard who takes her job seriously. Her mom dies, she gets dumped and loses her best friend just as she takes on a new job guarding a famous and oh so handsome actor who also is trying to overcome a tragic loss he suffered years prior. These two were the perfect pair, they quickly become friends and the adventures they go on were laugh out loud worthy at times. There was a twist that had me holding my breath and almost in tears and now that I’m finished I wish I could read this book again for the first time.

This is undeniably one of the funniest rom-coms I've ever read!
She's all about her work as a bodyguard. He's a superstar who mistakes her for a cleaning lady when they first meet. But for some reason, it works. Why does he need a bodyguard? He doesn't think he does, but the studio he has a contract with thinks that his middle-aged, sweater-knitting, corgi-breeding stalker disagrees, setting up a funny, insightful look at the unexpected things that can make someone human and lovable. If this book is indicative of the kind of writing Katherine Center is capable of, I want more!

This book was just what I needed - so good. I read it in two days. Loved the characters and the story, and found myself right there with Jack and Hannah. Perfectly entertaining summer read.

the body guard is 4 stars and about a closed off woman who is a body guard on an assignment with a famous star. This book is not steamy and is charming. It is not as good as How to Walk Away, but it is hard to compete with it! I like how it was a woman protecting a male and she was capable of defending someone. This is also a slow burn

Hannah Brooks is a tiny but tough Executive Protection Agent (*ehem* bodyguard) who is assigned to protect famous actor Jack Stapleton while he returns to town to be with his mother who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. They both have their own issues - Hannah was dumped by her coworker/boyfriend the day after her mother’s funeral, and Jack is trying to move on after his brother’s tragic death-turned-family fallout. Neither of them are pleased when Hannah’s assignment is to stay undercover, even around Jack’s family, forcing her to pretend to be his girlfriend. Hilarity ensues, fake feelings become not so fake (or are they? Jack is an actor after all), and Jack and Hannah both have to face their pasts to be able to move forward.

I found The Bodyguard to be charming and funny. Hannah's character was hard to relate to at times, and her sudden change from "don't reveal anything about yourself to the person you're protecting" to "let me spill my guts to Jack because I love him" was maybe a little too unrealistic to me, which is why I gave it four stars. However, Jack's character was adorable from the start, and I loved the fun side of him that Hannah brought out. I also completely adored Hannah's relationship with Jack's family. Overall, I loved the book and could easily see it being picked up as a Netflix movie. So cute!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! The Bodyguard by Katherine Center comes out July 19th!