First of all I want to thank NetGalley for letting me listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center did it again.

When I first started listening to this book on audiobook, I wasn’t loving the main character. The writing was still so clever and witty that I wanted to keep listening anyway. As the book progresses you see the character develop and I believe that the original blandness of the character was on purpose. Hannah didn’t know who she was in the beginning of the book and it shows in the creative writing.

This book follows Hannah, a professional Bodyguard who has not taken a vacation from work in 8 years. She will be the first to admit that she runs away from life instead of facing her problems head on. When her world is turned upside, she’s offered an assignment in the worst place in the world, her home town with Jack, a man she never thought she would meet in real life. She can’t escape, and little does she know she’s about to learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.

What I love about Katherine Centers books is that she picks a theme and makes a fun, witty, yet somehow relatable book about a specific problem/challenge that we see in the world around us. I don’t normally see this in other books which makes her a unique and thoughtful writer that I love discovering her new characters. In this book she wonderfully highlights workaholism and a lack of self-appreciation/self-love. In the end you cheer for Hannah and her friends through her experience on her new assignment and the discovery of her and Jacks past.

All the stars for “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center. This is laugh out loud romantic comedy has a little drama and action mixed in for fun. With a strong female lead and other likeable characters too, I adored this story couldn’t put it down.

Katherine Center is one of my automatic purchase authors – I absolutely love how she writes and draws the reader into the heart of her characters. I always feel a connection right away and enjoy the humor too. If you like her previous work, you will enjoy this one. I can’t wait for publish day so I can add "The Bodyguard" to my bookshelves.

I listened to the audiobook of which was wonderful - Patti Muran did a fantastic job narrating!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. ❤️️

Do you like a romantic comedy that oozes sweetness and cuteness? Told from first-person POV, Hannah is adorable. Plus she’s a Bodyguard. I love how this author features women in unexpected roles and makes them completely relatable! Jerk of a boyfriend? Check. Undeserving BFF? Check. Hot actor? Check. I laughed and loved while I listened to this book.

Thank you NetGalley for sharing an audio ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center is back! Ya’ll know KC is an auto-buy author for me, so when I got the chance to read her newest release The Bodyguard last fall, I put all my other reading plans on hold.

Hannah Brooks is little, feisty, and going through some serious heartbreak after her mother died and her boyfriend/coworker broke up with her. As an Executive Protection Agent, it’s her job to make sure her clients stay safe and even though her life isn’t exactly as she planned, she’s excellent at her job. Her newest client, superstar Jack Stapleton is heading back home to Texas and really doesn’t think he needs a bodyguard to protect him from his middle-aged, corgi-loving stalker. Wanting to hide his need for a bodyguard from his family, Hannah get’s roped in to pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend. Should be an easy job, except for the more time Jack and Hannah spend together, the more they start to fall for each other.

Holy cuteness! This book was great and I might say it’s my favorite Katherine Center so far.

One of the things I love about Center’s books is their Texas setting. As a Texan girl myself, I love that Center sets her books in the Lonestar state. I always feel she captures the essence of the different regions of the state, because a lot of folks don’t know how diverse the state of Texas is.

Character wise, I loved all of our main characters, except Robby who gave off slight creep vibes. Even though Hannah can kill a man with a pen, her emotional range is pretty limited but I think we see enough growth throughout the story. I felt that the chemistry between Jack and Hannah felt believable and really enjoyed reading about their relationship. Jack’s family though is by far the best. He’s parents are adorable and I loved they way Hannah fell in step with the family.

This will easily transfer to the screen and I don’t doubt we’ll be seeing this coming to theaters soon, or at least I hope we do. While there isn’t much steam, this book really left me in such a good mood, and honestly I needed that when I read this. If you’re looking for something fun, lighthearted, that is going to leave you with the warm fuzzies, than this book is it.

The Body Guard is out now! Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

I absolutely loved this book WOW. It was cute, and it had me laughing out loud. I was lucky enough to recieve an arc of the ebook as well as the audiobook so I read it both ways. This plot was unlike anything I have read before, and we love a badass female MC. I loved their story and I also loved that this book was so much more than a romance. There was loss, grief, and action in this book. It was a fast paced book and I would recommend it to everyone. I also thoroughly enjoyed the narrator and felt that she was easy to listen to!

Hannah does not look like she could take you down, but don’t underestimate her. She is a bodyguard and a damn good one at that! When her boss makes her the main point person to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton, she is not thrilled. She is even less thrilled when jack drops that she will have to be his fake girlfriend with his family. Her time on their farm however, shows her what a loving family looks like, and she gets closer to Jack and his family than she would normally get with a client.

Love this years trend of celebrity and normal people relationships! It’s seriously such a great one and I’ve loved all the books I’ve read with that storyline. One of my favorite things about Centers novels is that the women are badasses. Firefighters, fighting a horrible trauma, a bodyguard. I just love the strong and fantastic females she writes! Jack was such a heartthrob from the very start, I loved him! This one had the typical charm we find in Centers books, and I can totally see it being turned into a movie! This was a truly enjoyable and quick read!

Loved the story! I give it a five stars. I didn't want to stop the story. It had a little freshness with the female being the bodyguard. And the scene with the cows was just awesome! I wish I could have been in the scene when Jack's dad tries to teach her to shoot a gun. I hope she writes more like this one but keep the female strong.

This is a sweet book. The charters are cute and there are a few funny parts. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job.

If you're looking for something a la Miss Congeniality, this is the book for you. Hannah Brooks is not your typical bodyguard, and Jack Stapleton is not your average movie star. There are some really sweet moments as the two of them find their way through what they thought they knew to what is true. This was my first audio book in a long while, and since I am out of practice I think I would have enjoyed the print version more, but it was pretty easy to listen to and the storyline is very fun!

4.5 ⭐️ I’m normally pretty picky when it comes to rom coms. I like a good popcorn romance to listen to while I do things like walking the dog or working, but this one? This one was different. This was one of the only rom coms I’ve actually wanted to sit and listen to. The chemistry between the characters was present in a way most rom coms don’t capture, and the lovable cast of Jack’s family made it all the more enjoyable. There were a few minor nitpicky things that threw me off a bit like the narrator talking directly to the reader, but a lot of that is more personal opinion rather than things wrong with the book. I LOVED this one and can’t wait for it to be released so I can get a copy to place on my shelf.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an arc of The Bodyguard by Katherine Centre.
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I love Centre’s writing. I’ve been finding it hard to get into a book lately but I was immediately drawn into and invested in this story. This is only the second book by her I have read and I really need to pick up more of her backlist . I loved Hannah and Jack and was rooting for them both from the start of this novel. I’ll definitely be reading this one in the future! This audiobook was fantastic and the narration was great!

Content and inclusions: drinking/alcoholism, drowning, drowning discussion and scare , add dyslexia dysgraphia , domestic abuse, father leaving, stalking, held up at gunpoint, gunshot wound , car accident off of bridge, death of a sibling

I absolutely loved this audiobook - Patti Muran did a fantastic job narrating. Such a unique storyline that will have you laughing, swooning, crying and sitting on the edge of your seat at times. The heroine, Hannah Brooks, is assigned as a protection agent to Jake Stapleton, a Hollywood movie star who is taking a break from fame to spend time with his sick mother. You will fall in love with every single character in this book! I’ll definitely listen to this one again.

60% RomCom, 30% Drama, 10% Action = a practically perfect story to get lost into. A female protection agent ends up protecting (and acting as girlfriend) to a famous actor. I enjoyed the characters and the strong female lead. I was rooting for both characters to find what they needed. The narrator was really good. I was so into the story I listened to the whole thing in one day (on my dog walk, doing laundry, etc.). Highly recommend for an easy , fun and thought provoking read.

This book was so fun to read! I needed something light and fun after reading so many thrillers, and this was perfect. The Bodyguard is a cute rom-com about a female bodyguard assigned to protect a Hollywood hunk.

Hannah Brooks may not look like a typical Executive Protection Agent, a bodyguard, but she has the skills to flip a man over her shoulders without effort. Her assignment is to protect a Hollywood star, Jack Stapleton, from his crazy stalkers. Hannah reluctantly agreed to be his fake girlfriend so she could keep Jack’s family in the dark about him potentially being in danger. Feeling then started to become real.

This was funny and sweet, and I thought that both Hannah and Jack had great chemistry with each other. Although this was also somewhat predictable, this did not hinder my enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook, and the narrator, Patti Murindid a great job too.

This was a fantastic audiobook, the narrator was amazing. I loved this romance so much and I honestly felt the connection, which has been so hard to find lately. I love Katherine Center because she always writes about women with the most badass jobs

Absolutely loved this one!!! That last 20% will have you gasping!! Adored the whole cast!! Katherine Center gave us a fabulous summer read!! There’s action, romance, there’s drama! It’s got a little bit of everything, a little fake dating, miss congeniality vibes, a smidge of the proposal with the whole close proximity….*chefs kiss*

Develops a little slow but it’s a very interesting and novel plot. The narrator is great and engaging.

The Bodyguard is a sweet romance with characters that have job titles that make them seem larger than life. Hannah is a strong, independent woman working as a bodyguard and someone who's world has been turned upside down with the death of her mother and imploding relationship with coworker Robbie. Jack is an actor living in the spotlight turned ghost after the tragic death of his younger brother. I liked that the meet cute was unusual and although the characters are slowly drawn together through Hannah guarding Jack during his return home to help care for his sick mother, Hannah doesn't lose her principals and Jack isn't an ass. The characters are overall pretty relatable and likable, and the back story for each of them really adds to their development and relationship. Oh and Wilbert, the perfect name for one of the more unexpected characters. I was entertained throughout and listened to the entire book in a day - so of course I must say, the audiobook is excellent. Patti Murin never fails and adds depth to the characters emotions without over selling it.

This was a complete and total win for me! It's actually my first Katherine Center book and I was not disappointed. I thought it was a very well written, lighthearted, yet full of deeper themes story. I loved the audiobook for it and I thought the narrator brought Hannah to life in a very authentic way.

My Rating: 5/5 (First 5 Star book of the summer!)

Synopsis
Hannah Brooks is a bodyguard who is given the assignment to protect a publicly withdrawn movie star while he returns to Texas to be with his mom who has been recently diagnosed with cancer.

Initially, both characters are not thrilled about Hannah’s assignment. Especially, Hannah who finds out that she must pretend to be Jack Stapleton's girlfriend around his family because he doesn't want his family to know that he needs a bodyguard due to a stalker.

Of course, this leads to a ton of hilarious moments and witty banter between Jack and Hannah. Their fake feelings become real while they support each other to overcome problems of their past.

Thoughts
“The Bodyguard” is a very touching romance between a tough female bodyguard and a reclusive movie star. I loved the fact the female lead is the bodyguard; this is such an interesting fun premise. I also loved that the male lead wasn’t the typically egotistic Hollywood star. There were a lot of interesting twists and turns in the story, it's not your typical cliché about a normal girl falling in love with a star.

This is my first Katherine Center book, and I honestly can’t wait to read more from this author. I was happy to give this book my first 5-star rating this summer! Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a sweet romance with tons of romcom vibes. This book could easily be adapted into a hit movie or tv show!

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.