Hannah's the ass-kicking bodyguard who's trying to get over her personal drama. Jack's the celebrity who reluctantly agrees that a bodyguard will help minimize his stalker situation while he visits his sick mom. (And when I say Jack is famous, I mean Hannah's coworker literally has a pair of socks with his face on them). Oh, and because Jack doesn't want anyone to know he has a bodyguard, Hannah has to pretend to be his girlfriend. Because of course!

This romcom hits every note. Chemistry, baggage, flirty banter, humor, surprise personality traits, and a family that is a lot. The flipped gender roles give these tried-and-true tropes a splash of freshness. It's just a light feel-good story that you'd be happy to take on vacation. Barring that, it'd make a great date night movie.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, the publisher, and the narrator for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I would have said that nothing you could do could make a Katherine Center book any better. They are pretty much perfect just the way she writes them. They are so perfect, in fact, that they are among my favorite re-reads. Need a pick-me-up? Read that chapter again. Go and visit Jake and Helen, Duncan and Sam, really, any of them. But I was wrong. You can make a Katherine Center story even more compelling, more hypnotic, more spell-binding. Just have someone read it to you. Sighs, hand on heart.

In The Bodyguard, Hannah and Jack start out as a fake couple. What could be better? It’s obvious to everyone but them that those fake feelings aren’t really all that fake anymore, and when they start to realize it too they are dismayed and reluctant and confounded. This relationship is fake! End of story. Well, nope. Actually just the beginning.

Author Katherine Center is a master when it comes to writing a story that feels so real you forget it’s fiction. Her characters have often endured a lot, truly life-changing events that they will have to live with. But they are special, funny people with goodness and hope and spirit.

Hannah is the bodyguard in this couple. Professional, proficient, keeps her life pretty plain and simple. Her mother has just died. Hannah’s mom was a handful and they weren’t always that close, but hey, she was still her mom. So she’ll take care of what needs to be done and move on as she’s always had to do. Except her work boyfriend Robby breaks up with her right after the funeral and then proceeds to criticize, ridicule and denigrate her every chance he gets. In front of the rest of their co-workers. Probably has nothing to do with the fact he was cheating on her with her best friend. Bad enough, but then Hannah gets her next assignment: bodyguard to the world’s most handsome, sexy, charismatic movie star ever. And she has to pretend to be his girlfriend when he’s against the whole bodyguard idea in the first place. Nope, no way she’s doing that, dressing up and pretending. Her regular bodyguard persona will be just fine. And this guy – Jack – no, no, no, Hannah hasn’t seen all his movies and drooled over him like the rest of the female population. Of course not.

Jack may be the handsomest man in the world, but he’s definitely not the happiest. His younger brother died in a car accident with Jack. His older brother blames him, so Jack has stopped acting and has also stopped visiting his family to avoid giving them heartbreaking memories. He barely manages to keep his head above the grief and guilt. But his mom is sick and needs surgery and he wants to be there for her. Hence the trip home and the need for the protection against a stalker making death threats.

Hannah and Jack’s first encounter is laugh-out-loud funny, with just a hint of the attraction to come. They agree to the fake couple thing and the story takes off from there. We watch them pretend to be in love around his family, banter, argue, talk, do normal things neither of them realized they missed. And all the while one or the other is trying to convince themselves that it’s fake, it’s not real, it will be over soon and life will go back to that other normal. The one that is going to seem so bleak and empty after this glorious “fake” relationship.

Of course you know where this story is going, and you want to nudge them to stop pretending to pretend and admit how they are feeling. And even though you might think you know where the story is going, you can’t anticipate the twists and turns and sadness and tragedy and secrets they have to endure and reveal to get to the wonderful ending. Jack and Hannah’s time together is precious and priceless, full of wit and humor and truth. And don’t forget the stalker with the death threats and the need for a real, experienced bodyguard in the first place.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this advance copy of The Bodyguard for my listening pleasure and honest review. The drudgery of my daily walks has just become an event to look forward to. All opinions are my own.

𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤!

This is the best book from Katherine Center yet and I love all of her stories. What can I say, I loved every minute of it and I it ended too soon. It was charming, delightful, swoony, funny and perfect. I loved Hannah and Jack, I loved Jack’s family, I loved the setting, I wanted to go and visit them at the ranch. It was perfect. All the stars.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Happy Pub Day! 🎉

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC!
(Okay, enough of all the exclamation points 😁)

I thought this was a cute Rom-Com. I laughed out loud at several points, got teary eyed a time or two, and had all the swoony feels. Main tropes are: fake dating, forced proximity, famous person.

Hannah is a bodyguard. Jack is a movie star. She's hired on his protection duty. He has a stalker. They end up staying together at his parent's farm in a fake relationship. Hilarity and sweet moments ensue.
This has a pretty strong cast of characters. Some are unlikable and others are super loveable, but they all come together to form the perfect group.

I thought the narrator was good. I liked that there were slightly different voices for the different characters. I definitely loved the emotion.

If I had to say something negative, all the first-and-last-name references to Jack Stapleton got a bit tiresome. The narrator probably says "Jack Stapleton" in her sleep. I guess I can understand at the beginning Hannah was keeping it professional, he was just a client, even if he's a movie star. But come on, we know the guy's first and last name by now 🙃 And then even the parents are referred to multiple times in same chapters (what felt like could be the same page) with first and last name. A minor inconvenience, nothing serious but something I noticed.

Absolutely loved this one! It was the perfect contemporary romance, believable but still dreamy and fun. I loved how the female MC Hannah was a bada** bodyguard! 💪🏻 Hannah and Jack had such a sweet connection, one of my favorites I’ve read about in a long time. ♡︎♡︎

The audio was perfection! I feel like I’m Macmillan Audio’s number one fan. 😂🤩 Every audiobook I’ve listened to by them I LOVE. I’m super sensitive to sounds, so I don’t always love audiobooks because they can be messy or the narrator can be annoying to listen to. But that’s never the case with Macmillan Audio’s books. 🙌🏻

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this audiobook in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you @netgalley @macmillanaudio @katherinecenter @pattimurin for the free ALC of this beautiful book!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥 (0-5) Kissing only

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 This audiobook felt like romcom (plus a small shot of suspense) and narrator perfection!!
🤩 What a treat this audiobook is with Patti Murin narrating. Even with single POV and one voice, it was spot-on!
🤩 This book reminded me that I definitely do not judge books based on steam alone. It’s something I worry about and don’t want to happen.
🤩 Workplace romance, fake dating, and close proximity tropes.
🤩 The way Connie (Jack’s mom) responds to the fake dating is the cutest ever! Great characters and characterization.
🤩 MCs—movie star Jack Stapleton and bodyguard Hannah Brooks—are adorable, lovely, and fun.
🤩 Annoying and rude ex (I hate him, so good writing) gets put in his place by said famous MC.
🤩 The scene where he requests a full body take down! LOL ha
🤩 Country life and phobia fun!
🤩 The beaded safety pin—I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make some for the mail I was already sending to a few #bookstafriends .
🤩 Cheers to the lumpy, misshapen, normal people!
🤩 Neurodivergent representation.
🤩 Slow burn goodness with all the feels. You’ll laugh out loud one minute, get teary-eyed a few minutes later, and probably goosebumps in a few more.
🤩 That small shot of suspense is so twisty/surprising and fun.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Did Taylor really deserve a second chance at friendship? Would it really ever be the same?
💫 This is considered a light-hearted read of Katherine Center’s books. It’s my first time reading one of her books and I’m nervous about trying the others.

QOTP: Which of her other books should I read next? Which one is least likely to emotionally wreck me?

Possible Triggers:
🔬 Longing for lost family members.
🔬 Off page domestic abuse.

I loved this hilarious, heartfelt, and exciting romance! Hannah Brooks just lost her mother and she wants nothing more than to get away and take a trip with her boyfriend but then he leaves her too! Now all she has left is to get back to work to take her mind off her grief. Hannah is a bodyguard, and is assigned to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from a stalker. She must pose as his girlfriend while he visits family after he learns his mother is very ill. Hannah is unassuming and not the glamourous type you would expect a superstar to date. But Jack is tired of that fake life and enjoys being with Hannah, especially because she likes him for who he is and not what he can do for her. The more time Hannah spends with Jack and his family, the more she falls for them too. But when lines become blurred, while the danger grows, will they find their way to each other, or will the stalker get to them first? I absolutely loved both Hannah and Jack. They were so endearingly sweet and genuine together, with great chemistry. I also enjoyed all their family and friends who added so much heartfelt quirkiness, and fun to this story as well. There were so many laugh out loud moments but many emotional, sweet and tender moments as well.
Patti Murin did a fabulous job bringing this story to life. I loved the way she developed and expressed these characters, and their struggles so intimately, making each character come alive, making me care for them, and cheer for their HEA. This is the first time I've listened to her work and I really enjoyed her performance as she made this delightfully entertaining romance even more captivating.

**I received an advanced listening copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This was the first book I read by Center, and it will not be my last!

Chalked full of humor and laugh-out-loud moments, this book was a perfect escape read. And yet, there were passages, and even Hannah herself, that drew me into a deeper realm, one that resonated with my feelings. Tissues at the ready for this!

I loved the characters, the somewhat unlikely situations, and the ultimate outcome of the book. The audio version was magnificently done - anytime I linger doing household chores while listening to "one more chapter" is certainly a win for the book!

Highly recommended!

Hannah's next assignment is Jack Stapleton, movie star. Another winner why Katherine Center. I love this book, all of Kathrine's book are great but this one was just perfect. I rally like the characters a lot, they made me laugh and also cry a tiny bit. I'm working my way slowly through all of her books.

Review of The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes! A book I want to hug. Finally. Not a thriller either. Try to hide the shock. I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved the story. There isn’t much else to say other than it was heartwarming and entertaining. It was funny and serious too. I’m a huge fan of this author and this one may be my fave.

Quick synopsis: Hannah is a bodyguard. She loves her job. But she is going through a tough time when first she loses her mother and then her boyfriend (and coworker) turns into an extremely insensitive and selfish jerk who unceremoniously dumps her right after her mother’s death. And then her boss reassigns her at work which crushes her. Then she finds out her new assignment. It is to guard a famous and handsome actor named Jack who has a stalker. But his mom is sick with cancer and she soon finds out she must go to his family’s ranch and pose as his girlfriend to keep the cover and guard them.

I loved the audio on this one. Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the audio snd ecopy of this one.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were likable, the traits they carried felt real, and the situations didn’t feel overly contrived. The last quarter was a bit awkward with unnecessary drama, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Hannah is a personal bodyguard. Her company has been hired by Jack Stapleton’s studio to protect their famous star. Jack is not happy about this at all. He is coming home to an intense situation with his family and he just doesn’t need the attention this will attract. But, there is just not much he can do about it except pretend that his bodyguard, Hannah, is his girlfriend.

I have loved Katherine Center since I read How To Walk Away So, I jumped at the chance to read this book. And, once again, this author reeled me in with her fantastic characters.

I adored Jack and Hannah. Hannah is a bit nerdy, introverted and just not into looks…but she is a bada$$. Jack is a huge movie star. So, it is so unlikely that these two will hit it off. But, in the usual romance genre way, these two do hit it off and on and off again and I loved every minute of it.

Now, this is a romance and not a genre I usually give 5 stars to. Why? you ask…no idea. But, this book had me so glued to the pages and laughing in all the right spots! I love when a book takes me away…and this one definitely did that!

Patti Murin is fabulous as the narrator! She hit all the right notes!

Need a book which will have you loving every minute of it…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

Where do I even begin with this one? Let's start by saying I started this one in a bit of a odd head space. I was having trouble focusing on books, I needed something to just draw me straight in and this one was that for me. I love d the fun and quirky writing style and the main character. While I do feeling we didn't get to see much of her good qualities highlighted, aside from the obvious one, I wish we did get a bit more substance from her. However that doesn't change my overall love and obsession with this books.

I was surprised that even in a romance it had twists, but whew were they great ones! I absolutely did not see them coming and was so in shock, the first time I just read the page again. (😂) Needless to say, they got me, but I love every second of it.

This wasn't too slow paced. I'm usually a fan of fast pace reads, but this one about average. Definitely a slow burn romance and it honestly felt like the romance aspect slipped to the backburner, but I was so caught up in everything it didn't even matter to me. I loved this book and this was my first one by Center. They 100% lived up to the hype and I wasn't disappointed. Easy 5 stars.

Fake dating, forced proximity, and a female grumpy/male sunshine?
This sounded right up my street, and I was not disappointment!
Great banter, fabulous character development and wonderful scenery along the way.
The narration was the perfect combination of fun and sweet.
This was highly enjoyable and I recommend this to everyone!
Much love to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for my DRC.

This book is everything you could ever ask for in a summer romance and more! The main character Hannah is a bodyguard who looks more like a kindergarten teacher. I didn't know this but apparently not all people who need a bodyguard (e.g. executives) want it to be obvious that they have one so there is a market for incognito bodyguards. I found her job and how she does it fascinating, the chemistry between the main characters was witty and entertaining and everything about this story was just so heartwarming and fun I wished it would never end. If that wasn't already enough, there are also corgis, and equestrian vaulting! Patti Murin was the perfect voice of Katherine Center in the audiobook, she actually sounds a bit like her and is every bit as delightful, although this story would be wonderful in any format.. I will definitely read it again!

This was a fun audiobook to listen to. Katherine Center never disappoints. The story was entertaining, witty, had me laughing, had a great cast of characters, and was just delightful. Excellent narration by Patty Murin. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review copy.

I could not put this book down! I absolutely loved Hannah, the way the story started with such heart break made me think it was not going to be good. But then it just hooked me and I did not want it to stop!

I’m going to be honey, I did not read the synopsis of this book before I listened to it. Therefore I went in under the assumption the guy was going to be guarding the girl. Well I was dead wrong and I could not be happier about it!

The way Hannah was protective of Jack and was trying to protect her heart was perfect! I loved how their fake relationship grew into a real relationship. This book had so much emotion packed into such a short book. It was not only about the romantic relationship growing between Hannah and Jack, but also about his relationship with his family.

This was such a great audiobook and had me laughing and crying throughout the whole thing! The narrator was amazing at being this story to life!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance copy of the audiobook! This is my honest voluntary review!

This is one of those rare events where I read the reviews by other readers and genuinely think we got different books. Hannah Brooks is a small, average lady that floats under the radar pretty easily. You wouldn't know it looking at her but she's actually a super badass body guard. The dynamic between her and all the other characters is so silly? I feel like I could talk about her job forever and how much sense it did not make to me.
Jack Stapleton is like the worlds most handsome famous actor who has been living all sneaky for the past few years, but now his mom is sick and he needs 24/7 protection. From his corgi loving, sweater knitting stalker.
This book was mostly just silly for the first chunk but then when Jack did an actual gymnastics routine on top of a fucking horse I LOST IT. I was out. This book could not win me back after that.
Not to mention Hannah is supposed to be a badass body guard but just isn't all that bad ass and Jack does more rescuing through most of their relationship which felt annoying.
But the writing was good and the side characters were interesting!

The Bodyguard centers on a high level executive agency and a young woman works there. She is assigned to protect a male movie star who was raised on a Texas ranch and who has a stalker. The first half of the book read slowly for me. However, as the story built, I became more interested in the story. Overall, I enjoyed it.

It’s only June 27th, but this book will remain this year’s favorite summer read!!! I am a big fan of Katherine Center’s books, and this one is my new favorite! Such a fun story and one I could not put down. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook!