There is nothing I love more than a new book from Katherine Center! Katherine's books are always an autobuy and auto recommend from me - and when I think she's written her best yet - she goes and writes a new book that I love more than the next. This was the case with her newest, The Bodyguard.

This is one of my favorite Katherine Center books to date. I absolutely loved Hannah and Jack, their individual stories, and the way they worm into each other's hearts. With Center's classic mix of romance and wit, The Bodyguard will pull on your heartstrings but leave you with a smile. This is one to add to your summer book bag.

My only regret - I can't read it all over again for the first time.

In The Bodyguard, we get to meet Hannah, a workaholic bodyguard whose life is arguably not going great at the moment. After her mother suddenly dies and her boyfriend breaks up with her on the night of the funeral, all she wants to do is run away. Instead, she gets assigned to be the bodyguard for famous movie star, Jack Stapleton in middle of nowhere Texas. Perhaps even worse, to keep her cover, she has to pretend to be his girlfriend.

I really loved Hannah in this novel. I found her to be an incredibly well fleshed-out and relatable character. While she is portrayed as physically strong and very independent, we as readers get to see her struggle with the idea that she may be unlovable and watch as she slowly learns to let her guard (ha ha) down and open up.

Through Hannah, we also get to meet Jack and - let me tell you right now - Jack is about to be everyone's new favorite book boyfriend. Haunted by the death of his brother (which was quickly covered up and remains shrouded in mystery for the reader), Jack still manages to be an absolutely ray of sunshine. While he may be a certified hottie, he is also goofy and thoughtful and sweet and just an all around great guy. His open air, laid back personality provides the perfect contrast with Hannah and makes their relationship a joy to watch slowly blossom.

Were some parts of this book cliche and far-fetched? Absolutely. But what else would you expect from a romance novel about a bodyguard and a famous movie star?

Overall, this book's sweet romance and its' atmospheric description of a Texas ranch (the muggy weather, the honeysuckle everywhere, and the vast, open land) make it a wonderful, G-rated summer read. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc.

TW: death, suicide attempt.

The newest romance from Katherine Center! Hannah is a bodyguard who after being dumped by her boyfriend (also a bodyguard at the same firm) on the night of her mother’s funeral is desperate to go somewhere new. Ideally that would be to head up the new London branch of her bodyguard firm. However, she must prove herself with one last big assignment - bodyguard to famous actor, Jack singleton. As she spends more time with him on assignment, she finds herself actually liking him, not just pretend.

Overall, another cute romance by Katherine Center! It wasn’t my favorite - I wish there had been more bodyguard time. However, it was still really cute!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard who is having a tough time personally and work is her only way to relieve the stress. Jack Stapleton is the hottest actor out there and according to his studio he is in need of a bodyguard. Hannah is looking to get out of the country on a new assignment but her boss has other plans for her. Hannah will be the bodyguard for Jack,,but there is a twist, Jack doesn't want his parents to know he has a bodyguard. Jack comes up with the idea to say that Hannah is his girlfriend. At first Hannah isn't to happy with the idea but goes along with it.

This was a fun book,. The Bodyguard was funny, but at the same time it dealt with some hard subjects that will make you tear up, at least it did to me. I am never disappointed in any books that i have read of Katherine Center and look forward to reading many more.

This book made me laugh out loud so many times I couldn’t count!!! Definitely a feel good read. This book needs to be adapted to a film or a Netflix screenplay. Thank you NetGallery for the copy to read and review.
The Bodyguard is set to publish on July 19th, 2022!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my free eArc in return for an honest review.

Okay so.. this was cute but I think a bit too “romcom” for my taste.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the slow burn and at times felt like when things were meant to get serious it just ended up being a bit juvenile.
I did however like how the fmc was the bodyguard and she was protecting a guy. Now that’s the stuff I love to see!

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy of the Bodyguard by Katherine Center. Hannah Brooks has a career with an Executive Protection Agent (aka 'bodyguard'). Her life has completely just fallen apart. Her mother just died and her boyfriend dumped her. Her boss assigns her to protect the reclusive Hollywood heartthrob Jack Stapleton. As part of her cover she has to pretend to be Jack's girlfriend.
What follows is lots of family drama and Hannah crossing the lines between being professional/personnel. The Bodyguard is filled with humor, romance, sadness and forgiveness.

Katherine Center has done it again! I've been a fan of this author since HOW TO WALK AWAY, and I think she just gets better and better with each book. THE BODYGUARD is my absolute favorite of hers so far!

I loved this book. Not because it’s a great romance - though it is, zero spice, forbidden love trope with a bit of intrigue and mystery sprinkled in - but because it’s a great love story about setting boundaries and standing up for yourself and what you deserve. TW: parental loss, sibling loss, betrayal.

Hannah Brooks is a normal woman… who happens to be able to flip someone twice her size and kill them with a corkscrew. She’s having a bit of a tough time with love and loss, and has requested a post overseas. To compete (with her cheating, jerk of an ex, no less) for that position, she is assigned as a bodyguard for a quasi-retired movie star.

As one might expect, drama and hilarity ensue, providing for an engaging, entertaining read. I can’t wait to read more of Katherine Center’s books! Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted on Instagram @rubys_reading_corner
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✨ BOOK REVIEW!

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

It’s been a hot minute since I posted a review. I want to thank @netgalley for allowing me to read and review The Bodyguard by @katherinecenter
Publish date is 7/19/22!

First of all, we’re talking fake dating and forced proximity.

Hannah Brooks is an exceptionally ordinary woman, except for the fact that she’s an Executive Protective Agent, aka a bodyguard. Hannah travels the world protecting high profile clients. In the wake of her mothers death, and being dumped by her mediocre boyfriend Robby the day after her mother’s funeral, Hannah is dying to get out on a new case as far away as possible. Unfortunately for Hannah, she gets assigned a case right here in her home state of Texas, protected mega movie star Jack Stapleton. Jack moves home to Texas to care for his sick mother, and to escape a Jack-obsessed, corgi breeding stalker. Jack doesn’t want his family to know that he has a stalker or a bodyguard, so Jack asks Hannah to be his fake girlfriend.
The more time the two spend together the more real it seems to Hannah, but does Jack feel the same? After all, he is an actor.

THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTE. I loved Hannah and Jack’s banter. I loved the whole Stapleton family. I loved the Texas ranch setting. In my opinion, this book was a much more light and fun rom-com compared to other Katherine Center books, but sue pulled it off so well. If you’re looking for a cute faking dating romance book to read this summer The Bodyguard is perfect!

This was my first book by Katherine Center and I'm a fan! Definitely interested in reading more in the future.

Hannah becomes the bodyguard of actor and “sexiest man in the world,” Jack Stapleton. She is also employed to be his fake girlfriend and live at his parents’ ranch while Jack’s mom convalesces. What unfolds is a heartwarming story of learning to heal old wounds and finding love in unexpected places. It manages to be emotional, romantic, light hearted and poignant all at the same time.

This was an easy read. It was entertaining, and I just loved the way it made me feel as I was reading it.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy.

At the start of this adorable rom com, Hannah’s mom has just died and her coworker boyfriend has dumped her. Then she finds out that the client she has been assigned to as an executive protection agent (aka) bodyguard is a famous movie star - and much to her chagrin, instead of her usual fading into the background, she has to pretend to be his girlfriend.

This book doesn’t come out til July, but I got an early copy and I just couldn’t wait to read it. Plus, I was in the mood for a good romance and I knew Katherine Center wouldn’t disappoint me - and she didn’t! This one was a touch lighter than some of her other books, but still managed to infuse the characters and the story with real emotions. In addition to a swoon-worthy fake-dating romance, loved the stuff about families, guilt, and learning your own self-worth. I couldn’t put it down and read it in less than 24 hours. A delight to read! 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Here, Katheine Center does what she does best. The Bodyguard is ultimately a romance, but with a ton of heart and substance. It does not quite rise to the level of Happiness for Beginners or Things We Save in a Fire, but still really enjo

This is by far my favorite Katherine Center, though I've enjoyed all of her books that I've read. This one had me laughing so hard at the beginning, though I found that same humor was lacking in the remainder of the book. I would absolutely love to see this as a movie! This was a relatively fast read, and I didn't really want it to end. Imagine a female bodyguard actually being on duty to protect one of Hollywood's hottest actors. Yeah, this was great!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

This was a cute quick read! It was a romantic comedy with a predictable storyline that I appreciated. Hannah is a funny POV to follow. She was very dramatic in a way meant to be funny but sometimes it had me rolling my eyes. I liked the message of the story and appreciated how Hannah and Jack's relationship grew throughout the story. However, I felt like the story overall was surface-level. Again, this was a quick and easy rom-com but I wish the characters had time to be given a little more depth within the story.

I thought the side characters and Jack's family were a nice addition (though Robby can honestly suck it and Taylor, I continued to side-eye). It's a very G-rated romance but I do wish we got to see more romance happening on page. I would've appreciated one more grand smooch!

Overall, a nice, funny read!

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me. I just love her books and this was no different! The Bodyguard had more of a romcom vibe to it compared to her other books and I loved it. I also loved the idea of Hannah being this badass bodyguard at 5’5” tall. The romance was sweet, the dialogue was witty, and this book was truly unputdownable! I will be recommending to all my romance lovers!

Story of a female bodyguard tasked with being a fake girlfriend for hollywood star in order to keep his security team undercover. It was a little hokey and kind of predictable, but it was still sweet and kept me reading. Definitely G rated romance. The cover is gorgeous!

A Hollywood hunk and a regular yet kick-ass security guard form a pretend relationship in order to keep him safe---the premise of Katherine Center's newest novel is just as much fun as it sounds. As always, Center creates a world with characters you can't help but love (or despise), and turning to the last page was bittersweet. Center is one of my favorite authors for a reason.

This was a truly fun read. Hannah is an executive protection agent. In other words, she’s a bodyguard. It is what she does, who she is and she loves her job except for her twisted boss who is a huge ass, her ex, a co-worker who is narcissistic putz and her ex-bff who is now sleeping with said ex. All she wants is the next job far far away from them all and instead he twisted jerk of a boss thinks it is absolutely hilarious to send the three of them to a job she desperately doesn’t want together. It’s funny, irreverent and ultimately a great learning experience that leads her to find out who she really is, what makes her happy and ultimately to love. A really fun sweet story. I very much look forward to what comes next from this wonderful author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Another great read by Katherine Center. I was hooked in the first couple of chapters. Unique storyline. Deep characters. I really enjoyed the female bodyguard element. I was just listening to a podcast about real-life 'Executive Protection Agencies' so it was fun to see it played out in Hannah's story. I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable, rom-com!