This book started out so so good! I was hooked but by 50% in it was hard to keep reading but overall I liked it , I just wish the connection with the main characters was better all through the book

This was a light and fluffy story that had me sucked in from the beginning. Katherine Center never fails to deliver!

First of all, "The Bodyguard" was expertly narrated. Completely perfect.

While I usually read a conventional version of Katherine Center's novels, the audiobook of "The Bodyguard" grabbed my interest and held it throughout. The strong characters who you fall in love with, the impact of the story, and all of the details translated perfectly to an audiobook and I was just as in love with the story through this format.
This book is the perfect light, engaging summer novel and I've already recommended it to friends!

Katherine Center once again creates a cast of characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent - Bodyguard. She has the perfect job, perfect boyfriend (fellow bodyguard Ryan) and her best friend Taylor also works for the agency. Life is good until her mom dies and Hannah’s world crumbles.
Enter famous actor Jack Stapleton, sexiest man of the year who needs protection from a crazed stalker. Hannah becomes the lead on Jack’s protection detail. To be able to stay close to Jack, Hannah pretends to be his girlfriend. As you would expect this is where things begin to heat up between the two. (I really appreciate the fact that Katherine Center can write a PG version of a great love story).
This was a fun, laugh out loud rom-com. Not only was this a delightful read, I also enjoyed the excellent narration by Patti Murin. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for the advanced listening copy of The Bodyguard in exchange for my honest review.

This one started out pretty funny and cute and I'm not even sure I can pinpoint when it happened but it got much too corny for my liking. I also found there really wasn't a whole lot of believable chemistry between the two love interests, and the "feelings" arrived seemingly out of nowhere.

Another thing that kind of bummed me out was the *constant* references to the female MC being "just an average woman," as if that's such a bad thing. I understand the point it helped make in the book but it started to really grate on me after awhile.

There was an action-packed scene toward the end of the book that I definitely found interesting, and also weirdly funny, so that was a very enjoyable few scenes.

The Bodyguard will be on US bookshelves July 19.

After her own mother's passing, our main character is assigned to be the security/body guard for someone famous who's dealing with his own mother's struggle with cancer. There's much more going on in this story, but I don't want to spoil it much for anyone and want them to experience this fun little ride.

The narration on this audiobook was really good. It was easy to listen to and follow, even listening on a higher speed.

The writing itself wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean it was bad by any means. I just didn't enjoy how some of the scenes were written - making our mc look more like Sherlock Holmes in the RDJ movies than someone who just had a lot of good hunches and training. But the book was still a solid read!

The Bodyguard was my fourth book by Katherine Center and far and away the lightest themed of them. Hannah is a personal security agent who works for a private contracting company. At the start of the novel, she is being placed on leave to deal with the recent death of her mother. Her boyfriend, fellow agent, Robbie, chooses the day after the funeral to break up with Hannah for many hurtful reasons, including that she "is not a good kisser". While Hannah is on leave, her boss gives Robbie and Hannah's best friend the next post that Hannah was supposed to have been assigned to. After finishing her leave and then hitting a new personal low, Hannah is put on assignment with movie star, Jack Stapleton, who is in town to help out his family while his mom is being treated for cancer.

The bodyguard is not a deep or dark story. In fact, it was so funny and feel-good, I was tempted to give it 5 stars. The only reason I didn't is that regardless of how much I enjoyed myself while reading The Bodyguard, it isn't the kind of book I am going to be pondering the details of outside this review.

Anyone wanting a good beach read, or a book that will help you recover from a traumatic read, The Bodyguard will be perfect.

Every time I read a Katherine Center book I fall more in love with her stories. Hannah's job is her life. As a private bodyguard, many people don't know just how tough Hannah can be both on the inside and the outside. Hannah is used to protecting some of the world's top CEO's and other VIPS but when she's assigned to be the bodyguard for drop-dead gorgeous, superstar movie man Jack Stapleton she's thrown right out of her comfort zone. I continue to absolutely love the narration on Katherine Center books.

If you are looking for a super cute romcom, look no further. When a famous actor hires an executive protective agent, the agent Hannah finds herself in his life and in his bedroom (it's not what you think). It's really about her life and direction and trying not to get derailed by the handsome movie star. The book has some amazing aww moments and will make you laugh out loud and it's all happy and why not have an all-smiles book. This is the book I was hoping it would be. Did not disappoint. Read it!

I loved this audio so much. The narrator did an excellent job with the different characters. The story line was great. I loved the romance. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. When Jack told Hannah he basically disliked her, I was so mad at Jack but realized hannah was smarter than that and looked more into exactly what he said. Thank you so much for the early release of the audio.

I have seen so many mixed reviews about this book, but I was determined to listen to it and I am glad I did, I enjoyed it, but then again I love a good fake romance trope. ( I also felt the friends to lovers would work well here also )

I like both Hannah and Jack, the main characters. Hannah, who I found to be a strong female character, took her job as bodyguard to Hollywood Action Hero Jack seriously, I mean, she was pretty badass!
Jack was down to earth, not overly Hollywood, so he was easy to like. Their relationship was built over the time of the story, however, I don't feel like it ever really captured my emotions, there were many times I felt it was more of a strong friendship than lovers. There wasn't a lot of spice or tension between the two in the story and I think that might have swayed my liking just a bit, so if you like a spicy tense filled romance, I am not sure this book would be for you.

I will have to say that my favorite relationship in the book is Hannah's and Jack's family. They were all some of my favorite characters and pretty much stole the book for me. I was not as fond of the agents that worked with Hannah, found them a bit too sleazy for my liking.

This was my first book by Katherine Center and I look forward to reading more of her. I found the writing and story to be enjoyable and easy to read, and I loved the location being a Texas ranch. I do have one complaint with the book, ok so maybe this is my second since I did mention it lacked spice and tension. In the book, there is a lot of tension between Jack and his brother, and they have a long conversation, but I felt that the author dropped the ball with it. I would have liked to have had it in the book...like I am nosy, I needed to be privy to it.

I did not read the book, I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the audiobook that was narrated by Patti Murin. I really enjoyed her narration, she wasn't boring in her reading, and overall, it was an entertaining performance.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for the advance listen.

LOVE! Katherine Center's books are so good and I've been addicted to them ever since I read Happiness for Beginners years ago.

The Bodyguard is definitely one of my favorites. It's a really simple storyline, but I loved the characters and the flow of the story, so easy to get into and just want to know how and when it will end!

I absolutely loved this book. I appreciated that there was a strong female main character and, in my opinion, she was the exact opposite of what I envision as the stereotypical bodyguard. There were several laugh out loud lines and the epilogue was unique but also perfect.

Add this one to the growing list of books I've absolutely loved this year and never wanted to put today. For the record, I owe it all to NetGalley for this early "read" in audiobook version. House cleaning and laundry have never been more fun since I was entertained by Katherine Center.

Hannah is a "The Bodyguard" but not in a Kevin Costner sort of way - wait, if you add more comedy to the movie, this would be a very similar reverse. After losing her mother and being dumped by her boyfriend, she finds her first assignment is casually guarding a very famous and handsome movie star - as his girlfriend!

As you can imagine, it doesn't go quite as planned, there are feelings, death threats, more rejection, and passionate embraces. Overall, I loved this book so much that it will be going on the list to purchase very soon to add to my library, and possibly re-read in the near future as well!

This was such a cute rom-com and exactly what I needed at this moment. If you think the cover and concept is cute then it's almost certainly not to disappoint that general vibe.

In this novel, we follow our main character who is a woman who works for a personal protective agency. She is assigned to protect a famous movie star and even pretend to date him so his family doesn’t know about the current threats he’s facing.

The story was absolutely a little treat with all the tropes you could possibly want from a badass leading lady and fake dating set up and of course, only one bed when visiting his family. I really like the idea of a typically average FMC to a Hollywood hottie MMC. There’s just plenty of happiness and cheese to go around and sometimes that’s what you need in life. Even the tense ‘action’ scenes have brevity and lightness in the end.

My only issue is for being set up as a fairly unemotional female lead, Hannah finds herself having a lot of emotional moments. I kind of wish we could have had some more from Jack himself. It just feels like she was set up to be cared for a LOT which is nice sometimes but felt a little excessive. Setting up a strong woman and then having her having to be cared for by a man constantly feels a little weird. But I still loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This was narrated by Patti Murin who did a great job!

The Bodyguard A Novel
by: Katherine Center
narrated by: Patti Murin
Macmillan Audio
Pub date: July 19, 2022
Genre: Women's Fiction

Author Katherine Center consistently fulfills my need for books full of joy and laughter. I always quickly bond with her original female leads, cheering them on through the always fresh and original plots. Patti Murin's vocal performance on the audiobook is flawless and perfectly complements the pages of The Bodyguard.

Main character Hannah is a bodyguard, whose client, Jack, is a famous actor. Tougher than she looks, she is hired to protect him from a one of a kind stalker. Center's setting transports us to a ranch in Texas on the Brazos River. Here, Jack trades his celebrity lifestyle to help his sick mother and confront unresolved family tragedy. Keeping their professional relationship secret while faking a romantic relationship, Hannah and Jack embark on an adventure of romance, safety, and resolution of personal circumstances.

While Murin captures the story's moods ranging from hilarious to heartfelt, Center's writing is grandly entertaining. I adored how Hannah and Jack tried to keep their affection for each other appropriate to the environment, while dodging in and out of dangerous events and professional upheavals. Center's books will always be on my book shelf, in that corner especially saved for delightful reads and listens. She is joined by talented narrator Patti Murin!

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #TheBodyguard #Katherine Center #PattiMurin

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4731128107

Torn between four and five stars-so I’m going to give it 4 1/2….. Definitely entertaining and one of my favorite Katherine Center books. It is light and fun and an easy listen.

I loved this book so much! I truly hope that they make it into a movie. I went in neutral, but I laughed out loud several times and found myself smiling while listening. The author writes in such a relatable way that it sounds like it’s a good friend telling you the story and it draws you right in. I loved Hannah and Jack’s story and was a little sad when it was over. I even loved Jack’s mother Connie and their family vibes.

Side note, I realized the author wrote The Lost Husband after reading and loved that movie when I saw it on Netflix. Can’t wait to read more from her and I will be checking out her other books!

I’m a big fan of the switcheroo and the woman is the bodyguard. It’s your regular rom-com where the main characters start off hating each other, but the author does a great job with building up the side stories (her workplace, his family) until you are so wrapped up and need to see what happens. There’s elements of your favorite celebrity stories (and stalkers). I’d never heard of this author, but if I’m looking for a rom-com type I’m definitely going to her first!

Katherine Center does it again! A badass female protector along with fake dating with a celebrity...sign me up!

I love how Jack and Hannah formed a friendship and the interaction between them. I love how they helped each other heal with their own issues.

There is a part of the book that speaks of gun control and how relevant it is in light of recent events. The narration was amazing and I savored every minute of the story.