I guess I’m a fan of forced proximity romances. At least those that are closed door and written by Katherine Center. This is the first book of hers I’ve read and it definitely won’t be my last.

I rarely read the descriptions of books so I assumed the male character on the cover was the bodyguard. Imagine my surprise when chapter two starts out with Hannah explaining that she is a bodyguard. That was a fun anti-stereotype that I really enjoyed.

The audiobook is so well done. I loved the narrator’s voice in my ears. Her sarcastic tone worked perfectly for Hannah’s character.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an ALC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Bodyguard was a fun nonsteamy romcom. I love a forced proximity trope along with the bodyguard trope. I especially loved that it was flipped with Hannah being the bodyguard and Jack the famous gorgeous movie star client.

Hannah and Jack are opposites attract personified but you can't help but root for them and hope that each will rub off on the other in the best way.

Jack's mom was so sweet and fun. His family provided the warmth and caring that was clearly missing in Hannah's life.

The plot was very unrealistic and even the "bad guy" a misunderstood good guy waiting to be given a hug. But that is what makes this book so fun to read.

The narrator did a good job with the voices

Overall, this was a quick, fun, feelgood listen to brighten my day.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for my advance listening copy.

I am a huge fan of all things Katherine Center so I wasn't surprised I loved The Bodyguard. I'm not a huge fan of the Rom-Com covers so at first I didn't realize who the author was. Katherine's books usually have some sort of big tragedy or obstacle the main character is trying to overcome but The Bodyguard was different. The best part is the main characters were both very likeable and it was so funny! So many times I caught myself smiling. Katherine has such a nice flow to her writing I can finish her books in one sitting!
"To what we've held onto.And what we've lost."
Hannah Brooks is a workaholic who spends all her time traveling and protecting her clients. She doesn't have time for fun or leisure activities and she likes it that way. When her mother passes away Hannah is forced to take some time off at work and then reassigned to a new client in Texas, not overseas as she was planning. She needs the escape to drown out her sadness, not to be stuck in her hometown.
The client is a high profile movie star and major heart throb with a weird stalker who knits his face on sweaters and loves corgis. Hannah must get beyond his good looks and charm and focus on her job. You never get involved with a client, never give them any personal information about yourself, and don't let your feelings cloud your judgement. Well very quickly Hannah starts to break her own rules by becoming close to Jack and his family. Are these feelings real or is Jack just acting? Can she let her guard down after she's been hurt? Everything that Hannah has worked so hard for and thought she wanted is on the line, but maybe she wants something different now.

This book should come with a warning and warning bells! It made me put aside my life and my responsibilities and complete this in a day! Thank god I stumbled upon it in audio section and I could atleast function, move around my limbs and seem productive and it was Saturday!

This cute and super fun romance has a 5 foot 5 inches woman protecting 6 foot something man! The whole premise is cute and it’s good that I went in blind as one usually does because each tiny detail made me smile. I am surprised that this was so fun and there is no spice!

Thank you netgalley, Katherine center and Macmillan audio for letting me read this book for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the ARC ebook and audiobook! This was a cute, although somewhat predictable, fake-dating story. I liked the characters for the most part and was definitely surprised by certain events (no spoilers!) and the story kept me engaged.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is a delightful little romp featuring Hannah Brooks, an “Executive Protection Agent”, and Jack Stapleton, famous movie star and heartthrob. When Jack’s mom falls sick he needs to go home to be with her and his family. The problem is that he has a stalker on the loose and he wants his family to know nothing about it. Enter Hannah, his bodyguard, who is posing as his fake girlfriend. His family charms her rather instantly, and they love seeing Jack with someone who makes him happy, which quickly complicates the situation.

Overall, this was enjoyable - I especially loved Jack’s family, mostly his mom. It gives me The Proposal (that movie with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds) meets While You We’re Sleeping vibes (old school Sandra Bullock). It is the perfect light read and escape!

Patti Murin’s narration was fantastic - she evoked the emotion of the circumstances perfectly and really helped me root for the characters.

The Bodyguard comes out 7/19/22 - thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center does it again. She’s waved her magic writing wand and produced another wonderful love story that is simultaneously adorable and thoughtful. While I enjoyed the story, what really struck me here is the overarching theme of being lovable and what we as humans put ourselves through to try to feel that we are deserving of love.

I’ve rated this book 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bodyguard is the story of Hannah, an independent woman in a unique, male-dominated career field who is hired to protect a mega celebrity from a credible threat. In general I find there is a spectrum of how career other-ness is portrayed in fiction, something like Woe is Me on one side and My Job is My Entire Insufferable Personality on the other side. Luckily, I thought that The Bodyguard did a great job of putting itself right in the happy medium of that spectrum. The challenges Hannah faced were well-written and honest, but the reader wasn't beaten over the head with it. Likewise, the male main character, Jack, didn't spend the entire book discrediting or in awe of Hannah's ability to do her job. They established respect at the beginning and moved right on.

I really liked the insertion of family into this story. It very easily could've been a surface romance story where the entire plot is focused on Hannah and Jack. Instead, the author delved into both Hannah and Jack's past and present familial relationships, hardships, and traumas. It bolstered their relationship with one another and

One slightly confusing part for me personally was the way the truth was written when it came to Jack's celebrity. He led a public life that consisted of lots of untruths (fake relationships, mostly) and it was a bit hard to follow. I know it was supposed to be confusing for Hannah/other laypeople to understand, but I needed to go back a few times and clarify for myself as well.

A couple trigger warnings: death of a sibling, cancer, brief talk of substance abuse

Tropes: forced proximity, fake dating, workaholic, slow burn

Thank you to Maccmillan Audio and NetGalley for giving me this eARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Bodyguard is a really fun romcom about a famous movie star and the executive protection agent assigned to him while in town to spend time with his sick mother. There are some laugh out loud moments, but there are also some feels on both Jack and Hannah's side even before they start to realize that there are feelings between them.

The audiobook narration was fantastic and I will definitely listen to. more from this narrator. She did a great job voicing Hannah and the rest of the characters.

Read if you love:
- Closed door romance
- Tiny but fierce FMC
- Fake dating

Content Warnings:
- Sick parent/death of a parent
- Previous death of a sibling
- Stalking/abduction of a main character

Read if you like:
*sweet, closed door rom-coms
*prior Katherine Center books
*books with a Hollywood storyline

I liked this book! I did find it to be different than most of the author’s previous work and I can’t quite put my finger on what the difference is. The premise was fun and interesting and I found Hannah’s job being a bodyguard to be different than anything else I’ve read, which was refreshing. I definitely laughed out loud a few times and generally just enjoyed the storyline. There were a few times while reading that I found some characters’ actions to be very mean and I wasn’t expecting that given the typical sweetness of the author’s other books. Overall though, I did enjoy The Bodyguard. Hannah showed a lot of personal growth over the course of the story, and the romance piece was enjoyable.

The audio version was well done. The narrator has a voice that is very easy to listen to and it was performed really well. I definitely recommend this version if you’re looking for some easy listening.

I have loved most of Katherine Center’s novels that I have read, and I really enjoyed The Bodyguard! Center does romance right for me. It’s fun, sweet, clean and more! In The Bodyguard, we have Jack, the hot and famous actor who has dropped off the radar. And he also has a stalker. And we have Hannah, who is a Executive Protective Agent (AKA Bodyguard) but she does not even look like someone who could kill you with just a pen, but she can, and will if she has to. And she is really good at her job. Then she finds herself having to protect Jack and going to see his family because his mother is sick. But Jack doesn’t want his family knowing about his stalker, so Hannah has to pretend to be his girlfriend.

As with Center’s other novels, you know how the ending should be, but going on this adventure with Jack and Hannah was a lot of fun! It is a fun, quick read with some hilarious moments that ensue (there is one with a cow….) And let alone the information that comes out and about with this stalker. The banter between Jack and Hannah is fun and the story could 1000% not happen in reality, but it’s such a fun and feel good read! Center has been called ‘the reigning queen of comfort reads’ and she really is! It’s a perfect summer read to get away from the mundanity of real life. I must read more of her novels!

The narrator is Patti Murin, who is one I have enjoyed in the past and she did a great job with this novel!


Many thanks to the publisher Macmillian Audio for granting me an early audio copy via NetGalley to listen to and review!

I loved this sweet and enjoyable read. If you've enjoyed other Katherine Center books you'll love this one. It's a great summer and a quick read. I loved the building of the relationship between Jack and Hannah. Hannah is a strong-willed woman who also is a bodyguard for a living. She finds herself on assignment with the celebrity Jack Stapleton. Hannah finds herself in sticky and sweet situations that bring a smile to the reader's face. A truly enjoyable read.

This was my first read by this author and I LOVED it. It is happiness in bottle. Hannah is a relatable workaholic. I loved everything about her. The story itself is so fun to read. I enjoyed every second of it. If you are in a book slump or need a happy, fun read, I definitely recommend this. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review.

THE BODYGUARD

This is a REALLY FUN ROMCOM!!! Although... my very first Katherine Center book; it definitely will not be my last. The writing is fun and the story is summer tea time sweet! Hannah her tough, but vulnerable female lead is just too relatable and I found myself routing for her and a HEA! She just touches your heart! Patti Murrin performance as the audiobook's narrator was GREAT. AND JACK, gosh I ADORED his character so much I added him to my list of book boyfriends you just can't help but chuckle right along with Jack as he falls in love.

IF YOU LIKE:

-Female MC
-HEA

RATING:

4 STARS

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for sharing the audiobook copy with me in exchange my honest review.

Hannah Brooks is an “Executive Protective Agent” (and former FBI agent) hired to protect the famous actor and heartthrob, Jack Stapleton. Jack hasn’t had the easiest couple of years—he’s finally forced into the public eye when his mom requires cancer treatments, requiring Hannah to navigate his perfect recognizable face in and out of the hospital. This will be no small task. But despite her size (all of 5’4”) she is a force to be reckoned with. No one takes their job more seriously, and even her lack of a weapon on this job is no problem—even a pen or corkscrew can be used as a weapon.

The job comes at the perfect time for her. She’s had a change to her relationship status, and an incident with her friend now has her wondering who she can really trust. She’s a bit of a lone wolf, with no real family or friends to call. But now she has a new boyfriend—or a fake one—as she has to go undercover as Jack’s girlfriend. What starts out as an assignment slowly becomes more as she tries to push away her feelings for Jack. But will she be able to keep him safe and change her status from fake to real girlfriend?

Only a chapter in and I had to reach out to a friend and brag about the new Katherine Center book. Hannah was a great character—confident, smart, hard working, capable and accomplished. The book almost reminded me a bit of the movie, Miss Congeniality—definitely one of my favorites. Once I dove in, this book was hard to put it down. Definitely worth the read!

Sorry I try to avoid books where people are ill and suffering..... i loved it up until then though

Maybe have some trigger warnings there

I started listening to this book without reading the synopsis and I was delightful surprised when my assumption about the main character was quickly flipped on it's head. This story had me hooked right from the start and I listened to the whole book in two days. I laughed and cried with the characters - even while I was out for a run!

Patti Murin's narration was perfection. She captured the humor and drama of every moment and brought each character to life flawlessly.

If you're looking for a sweet fake dating romance then this is the book you need!

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for an advanced audio copy of The Bodyguard!

The Bodyguard, as with Katherine Center's other books, reads like a breath of fresh air. I love the way she writes healthy adult relationships and romances that make you swoon. This was no exception, and I loved seeing these characters come together while becoming more authentic versions of themselves through the other's encouragement.
I listened to the audiobook version of this title and thought the narration was great and really kept the story engaging.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for an advanced audio copy of The Bodyguard!
I am somewhat new to Katherine Center's work, but I've read a few of her books in the past couple months and can say that she's quickly become a must read author for me. I love how she includes women who are strong and know what they want in her books. I love how she portrays women in jobs that are typically thought of as more suited for men. I love how she can write romance stories that have depth, but yet keep me laughing throughout! I love how I am so invested in her books that I finish them in 2 days!
The Bodyguard hit all of these marks for me. It was a truly enjoyable read. I had a smile on my face for much of the time I was listening to it and in my book, that is huge! What held me back from giving it 5 stars was that it was completely unrealistic and that bothered me at times, but is truly is a great escape from reality type of book that many, many readers will enjoy. Congrats on another great one Katherine!

This is now easily one of my favorite reads and I cannot wait to add the physical copy to my bookshelf!

First off who does not love a strong women who finds herself in a break up and working a job projecting a man who is very famous and not to mention great looking. Katherine Center set the best stage for this entire book and I absolutely adored it. The banter between Hannah and Jack when they first met and that playfulness they used as her cover as his fake girlfriend so she would be his bodyguard was great.

I also loved how the book hit on important mental health challenges after a major trauma. Death of a loved one is something that may ease with time never goes away. This is apparent in many scenes in the book how integral this trauma has been in Jack's life and I love how Hannah takes the time to understand and help him work through each trigger moment he has.

All in all this book is fun while serious but such a fun ride. I recommend this to all (always consult trigger warnings)!