Hannah Brooks does not at all fit the profile of your typical Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard). She's short, cutesy and hardly intimidating, but she can take down a six-foot male attacker in a heartbeat and she's as good a marksman as the best of them. Her overall American pie appearance is the reason her agency's boss assigns her to protect one of the most famous and handsome actors in Hollywood who is being stalked by an over-enthusiastic fan. No one will suspect her to be his bodyguard if they cast her as his current girlfriend. The perfect average-girl-meets-insanely-attractive-Hollywood-actor formula plus clever banter plus family drama and personal trauma makes for a fun and light summer read. Predictable but entertaining.

Anyone who knows me knows that bodyguard books are my total catnip. That being said, I snatched this ARC up in the blink of an eye. Imagine my surprise when I discover the bodyguard in this book is a woman. Oh Katherine Center, you got me good. This book was exactly what I needed and I loved each and every word.

When we meet our main character, Hannah Brooks, life is pretty much running her over. Absolutely nothing is going her way and she's experiencing major life changing events with no support system. When a new job is thrown at her involving the world's sexiest man who happens to be reclusive actor, Jack Stapleton, she's completely uninterested. That probably makes her the perfect person for the job.

These two are both emotionally injured people - - in different ways of course -- that don't really know how to trust others. Yet, through the course of the story, they come to believe in each other. Well sometimes they do. Hannah really struggles with trusting people in a big way.

These two characters were easy to become attached to. I just wanted them to find a way to be happy -- whether it included the other person or not. They both carried so much heartache. The side characters added some depth and interest to the story - - even though there were a few I detested. Overall, I think they helped balance the storyline.

The state of Texas definitely played a character in itself. Ms. Center included a great deal about the area and the Brazos River in the story. The dangers of walking around without proper attire, dangers of the river and so forth. She also did a lovely job of blending humor into the story. I liked that when she wrote the book from Hannah's viewpoin, it was in a way that felt like she was speaking to the reader and assumed we knew things. It was clever.

Overall, this is definitely another Katherine Center hit. I enjoyed it immensely and can't recommend it enough.

I was also fortunate enough to receive an audio version which enabled me to do the thing I love best - - go back and forth between the written book and the audio. It was perfect that way. The narrator was top notch and did a lovely job. In my opinion, the audiobook is quite entertaining and many people may enjoy it more than reading the book itself. Personally, I like to do both. I give the audiobook 5 stars as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC and the early copy of the audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review both and the opinions contained within are my own.

Hannah was going through a lot with mixed feelings over the death of her mother and then her boyfriend dumps her. Just when she needs the distraction of work to cope, her boss basically grounds her. That is until the famous movie start, Jack Stapleton needs protection. Hannah’s not thrilled with the assignment because it doesn’t seem like much of an escape being stuck in Texas and this assignment is much more up close and personal than she’d have liked it.

I loved Hannah so much! She wasn’t a knockout, just an average woman (like most of us) in an unexpected position of being a bodyguard. Yes, she’s only 5’5” but that’s not the key to being a bodyguard as I found out, and she was pretty badass even being pint sized! I’ve always dreamed of being a badass myself even though I’m only 5’2”. I looked up to female characters like Buffy and Wonder Woman, so I loved the idea of a woman bodyguard. Still, this story was way more about the personal aspects of Hannah’s life than a suspenseful protection situation. I loved Jack and his family! He was, for a big star, pretty normal, and his family was loving despite some of the hard knocks they’d been given. Absolutely loved Jack’s family!

All the stars for The Bodyguard! Katherine Center’s stories never fail to capture my heart! She writes imperfectly perfect, multi-layered characters like Hannah and Jack. Each had emotional turmoil to work through while trying to get by, battling an inconvenient attraction. This was definitely a romance of the slow burn variety, and I hung on every interaction between Jack and Hannah! That epilogue was oh-so-lovely!

I alternately listened and read The Bodyguard and I recommend both. The audio was fantastic with Patti Murin narrating and doing an excellent job with all voices, male and female.

Overall, this was a cute book. It takes place in Texas, which is pretty cool since that’s where I live, so it was fun imagining the scenery.
✨thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC✨

I liked how the heroine worked as a bodyguard. I don't recall ever reading about a female bodyguard, though Linda Howard's heroine is a butler who is also hired to guard. And I really liked how the author tried to keep it as authentic and believable as possible. Despite his Hollywood success, the hero was down to earth and genuinely nice. They made an unlikely couple together. Overall, the novel was a little too sweet for me to enjoy, and I wasn't convinced by their emotions. However, this is insignificant. Because, in the end, it's a good romance that will appeal to a wide range of readers. It has just the proper amount of emotional depth (the author typically goes further), superb writing, and a fun Hollywood cliche with many lovable characters. Concerning the audiobook, I finished it in a few days. The narration was excellent, and it was a short and simple read. If you enjoy listening to romantic novels, this is a must-have.

This is a fun, fast summer read. It has some predictable romance tropes (but what book doesn't) It's a little unique in that the girl character is the bodyguard (but she is afraid of cows lol, lol) She's a bodyguard for an actor. This line- "I will really miss you, and I'm not acting" 🥺❤️
This was a very good distraction from housecleaning and I was able to finish it really fast which isn't always the case with audiobooks for me. Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author for letting me listen early!

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this, because the way the book is written is like the main character is telling us a story that already happened.

I loved the narrator. She was absolutely fantastic! I would absolutely listen to this audiobook again.

I also loved this story. It was hilarious and the premise of it was so much fun. I loved that we got a female bodyguard this time and Hannah was awesome. I loved her!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love that Hannah the main character is a body guard. Whenever you think of a role like this you naturally think of a man. I like how a light was shown on the fact that a women is just as capable. Now to the story. This was such a feel good, slow anticipation book. The main characters Hannah and Jack are hard not to fall in love with a root for. Hannah gets a job after suffering from a loss and breakup that she wasn’t super thrilled about. She ends up being a bodyguard to the famous Jack Stapleton. Throughout the story you see a bond form and intimate details are shared that bring them closer together. Such a feel good story that I will be highly recommending to everyone. Thank you to #NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Katherine Center's books are like a hug from a good friend. I listened to the audiobook version of The Bodyguard and thoroughly enjoyed the narration by Patti Murin.

The Bodyguard begins by introducing us to Hannah who is struggling through a very tough time in her life. She is ready to get back to work as a Security Expert/Bodyguard and get her mind off of her own troubles.
But when Hannah is assigned to protect a famous Hollywood heartthrob by posing as his girlfriend at his childhood home, it quickly becomes impossible to keep both of their personal lives from colliding.

First of all, I loved Hannah. She is real, flawed and completely loveable. With a quirky combination of confidence and insecurity, she is both funny and sweet.
The book is packed full of all of my favorite romantic comedy situations and I spent more than a little time casting all the characters in my own movie version.
Jack is everything you would want from the hero of a romantic comedy, and I loved the friendship between him and Hannah.
Was it predictable? Yes, but in a way that felt intentional and satisfying.
This book was a warm hug and I'll be re-reading it, just like I rewatch my favorite rom-coms...often.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance audio version of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

A story about someone and their body guard is always something I love to see in television and film, and also read about. Usually it's a female and her male bodyguard, but in this story it's the opposite. I really like how that was done, and how it was handled through the story. When Jack's mom gets sick he goes back home to his families ranch in Texas to help out. The only thing is is that he has been honest with his family about having a stalker and having a bodyguard. To keep Hannah with him even against her better judgment and will they fake that they are dating. Even though some people don't believe it will work or be believable including Hannah herself, she follows through with it. Soon enough the relationship between Jack and Hannah starts to feel more real than fake. She is used to protecting Jack, but protecting her own heart is something that is hard to do. Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this audiobook. I really loved being able to hear this story come to life in this format.

I really really enjoyed this book! I’ve been on a thriller/mystery kick for a bit, and this was just the romance I needed for a bit of a refresh.

The story follows Hannah after she is hired as the bodyguard for famous actor Jack Stapleton during his trip home to Texas. The catch? Jack is telling everyone Hannah is his new girlfriend, not his bodyguard.

This was a fun read! I really enjoyed the dynamic between Hannah and Jack. You could really feel their chemistry, and their interactions were always very enjoyable to read.

There were surprisingly quite a few twists in the plot which I didn’t see coming. I think that was one of the aspects I liked the most about this book!

Overall, this was a great book which I really enjoyed listening to. I would recommend this read to anyone who wants an easy going romcom with a quite a bit of humor.

Fun, hilarious, heart warming, and original. .

Hannah Brooks is in the executive protection business. She’s based in TX and lives to travel internationally, protecting wealthy business people around the world. She’s totally bummed when her boss puts her on a local assignment. She is going to protect Jack Stapleton, the hot, single celebrity who stars in films and women’s dreams. Most women would be thrilled to get close to Jack. Not Hannah, she’s itchy to get out of TX. Jack is back in TX to help his family through his mom’s illness.

As for Jack. He’s charming, witty, a bit nerdy and has a secret he’s been keeping from his family. Not the BIG secret, but Jack does have a stalker who appears to be harmless, obsessed with her corgis and wants to have a baby with Jack. Besides that, his life is pretty low key these days.

The fake relationship trope is great. They pretend they’re a couple to make things easy on Jack’s family and so his mom doesn’t worry and add more stress in her life.

Both characters are compelling. Jack is soooo sweet to Hannah! She’s never sure if he’s acting or being real. That’s her struggle and fear- does he really like her?! Hannah’s own family wasn’t close and she bonds with Jack’s parents. They love her before Jack and Hannah realize they’re not acting. My only small complaint was the narrator. She didn’t do it for me at the beginning, I had a hard time getting comfortable with her voice. The story is excellent and after listening for a couple chapters, I found her to be just fine. Book releases July 19 and I HIGHLY recommend a one click!

I absolutely loved reading Katherine Center’s previous books, and was super excited to be given the opportunity to review an advanced audiobook version of the author’s newest book The Bodyguard. A big Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Katherine Center and NetGalley. The Bodyguard is a perfect summer read/listen. With great narration and a smart, fun and shamelessly romantic storyline filled with lots of witty banter. This audiobook kept me totally engaged from the beginning until the very end. If you are looking for a bit of escapism from real life, then definitely grab a copy of The Bodyguard. Katherine Center is a master of heartwarming, feel-good stories.
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Synopsis: Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent - a bodyguard, and she’s been hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from a corgi-breeding stalker. Because Jack’s mother is sick, he insists on keeping his stalker—and bodyguard—a secret, so Hannah agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend while visiting his family’s Texas ranch. Until the stalker leaves a threatening letter, handknit sweater, and nudes on his doorstep, and the danger becomes all too real.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#FirstLine ~ My mother's dying wish was for me to take a vacation.

Wow, I loved this book. It was sweet and tender, but also deep and funny. It was one of those books that you cannot help but get swept up into the story, the setting and characters. It is everything you want in a great book. I would love to see one of Center's books becoming a movie or miniseries. This story has everything that makes a book to TV a hit!

I also listened to the audiobook and loved that too. It was beautifully done and captured the characters so well.

I highly recommend either listening or reading this story right away!!

💋 Celebrity hero and the bodyguard heroine he hired to protect him fall in love
💋 Such a KICK ASS heroine! I felt sorry for anyone who underestimated her abilities as a bodyguard
💋 Absolutely hilarious- definitely falls into the rom com category
💋 Sweet, fun, flirtatious banter! This heroine of course had to try and stay professional and in what world would this famous movie star find her attractive? Gah! I just love when the celebrity falls for the ordinary girl 😍
💋 Fake dating- they pretend to be a couple because he doesn't want his mom to know he's in danger. She ends up falling for his family too and the fact that she never had warm, loving parents growing up made it even more heartwarming 🥹
💋 Mild suspense, action and danger towards the end wrapped up this story nicely

I just LOVE this author's storytelling! have loved every single book I've read from her and this one did not disappoint. In fact it's one of my favorites because this is definitely a ROMANCE compared to her other books which lean towards women's fiction

🔥Steam Level: Non existent, zip, zilch, nada.
You could keep the door wide open and there would still be nothing to see 😂 There's even a #onebed trope that was such a waste 🤣
HOWEVER! This book was SO good that I didn't miss it!

Release Date: July 19, 2022 (today!!)

📖📖📖📖📖

Hannah stands at 5’5” tall and has an innocent girl next door look that is the perfect cover for the fact that she is a professional bodyguard. When she is hired to protect, Jack the paparazzi magnet, she never imagines having to stay with his family or pretending to be his girlfriend. Jacks stalker changes how Hannah needs to protect him but somewhere along the way the lines get blurred. Will Hannah be able to protect Jack and her heart?

I had not read any books by Katherine Center previously and I don’t know how I missed her! This books was so good! It was sweet, it was funny, it had mystery. As soon as I finished, I wanted to immediately start again! Go pick this one up today!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

#bookstagram #netgalleyreads #bookrecommendations #katherinecenter #thebodyguard

Looking for something light, sweet, and feels like a fairytale? Then the Bodyguard is a great summer pick for you. The characters were flirty and fun without being obnoxious and the storyline, while a bit far fetched, is engaging. Cute subplots and bright supporting characters are a great addition to this summer escape.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars for the perfect poolside pick.

Katherine Center has been a go to author for me when I need a light read. This was adorable. The strong and confident female character is much needed in books today. Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent also known as The Bodyguard. Her next assignment is Jack Stapleton, a famous actor, who is in town visiting his sick mother. Jack doesn’t want his family to know that he has or needs a bodyguard, so Jack and Hannah pretend to be in a relationship. What do YOU think happens? Fake Dating troupes are not always my go-to, but this one was great. I had a smile plastered on my face through the second half of this book. Some of the scenes were a bit cheesy, but it was exactly what I needed in that moment. The relatable characters and banter made it even better. This is a perfect summer read!

"You can be the love you wish you had."

Sigh...the rom com The Bodyguard by supreme romantic comedy author Katherine Center is as perfect a romance comedy as I have ever heard. It was the perfect blend of laugh out loud situations and sincere dramatic moments.

With a much appreciated twist on the alpha bodyguard protecting the damsel in distress trope, this story has our female protagonist, Hannah Brooks,
as an "Executive Protection Agent," better know as a professional bodyguard. She has years of training and can take down men twice her size.

Worldwide movie star, Jack Stapleton, has come home to the family ranch to care for his sick Mom. He has a corgi breeding stalker and his management demands he has 24 hour protection. Never mind they don't tell him and his first meeting with Hannah has him thinking she is the maid.

To prevent his Mom from worrying they become a fake couple to explain why Hannah is with him. Fake dating is my favorite rom com trope so I was extremely pleased with this decision. As Hannah sleeps on the floor every night and Jack tries not to have his recurring "bridge" nightmares their relationship slowly becomes real.

When the real world interrupts their idyllic time Hannah feels she has been a fool and can't compete with Hollywood starlets and Jack's attraction was just acting 101. Then real danger takes Hannah and Jack to a whole new relationship level.

I can't praise narrator Patti Murin enough. I felt like my best friend showed up at my house with a double cheese pizza and wine and said, "Girl, have I got a story for you!" Told through Hannah's point of view she brilliantly brought me in and I never wanted out. This audiobook is the prime example of how a rom com should make you laugh, shed a tear, swoon a bit and feel pure joy at the end.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #netgalley
for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Loved the narrator! This book is a quick read that is well-written. While the characters were too over-the-top for me making it not as enjoyable as I’d like it to be, I appreciated the idea of the novel. I love an audiobook and the flexibility it provides to multitask and do chores while listening to a great book. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy! I’m grateful.