I walked into this book thinking it was just another fake dating trope book, but The Bodyguard offers more. You get the bonus of a strong but damaged female protagonist who faces her demons and truly grows. It showcases a strong woman who is broken but puts herself back together for her own sake, not for a man. Yes, it has its rom-com moments, but this one is plot-driven. I liked the family involvement and depth of emotion presented. If you're looking for graphic sex scenes, this isn't the book for you, but if you want to see the building of a real connection give this one a try!

The narrator was warm and caring and the voice acting showcases different characters was both convincing and amusing. I liked the dead pan delivery of the inner monologue, which really was how I would imagine our hero to sound. The perfect snarky inner voice!

The bodyguard by Katherine Center…
Center has become one of my favorite authors for her ability to combine heart touching feels with humor. A perfect beach rate, Babe, a wonderful summer or romcom. Hannah Brooks is a female bodyguard who gets assigned to Jack Stapleton, a big movie star. This book plays out with the predictability that you would expect however, there are so many unexpected tidbits that I found it thoroughly enjoyable! I loved the character of Hannah and you'll all fall in love with Jack's mom. I can absolutely see this book as a movie, I can even picture who would play some of the roles 😉

Adored this book!!! It was funny, heartbreaking, silly and sweet! Jack was such an incredible hero that there wasn’t a single thing that I disliked about him! Hannah was so much more than she let people see. Her line of work forced her to be closed off and guarded, but when those walls came down and she allowed herself to feel, her character was incredible! The two together was so hilarious and heart warming. They truly saw each other for who they were, not the roles they played.

The storyline around Jack’s brother Drew absolutely broke my heart!!!! It packed a gut punch right up until the end of the book!

I sped through this read because it was JUST THAT GOOD! I love that Center’s books are emotionally gripping and you barely even notice the lack of romantic / bedroom scenes! The chemistry between the characters was a slow burn and on another level of tension! So much angst!

I also liked the unique way the author told the story at times, almost as a reflection of past events from Hannah’s POV. The ending was incredible and wrapped up this adventure so nicely!

Patti Murin did an outstanding job narrating this novel!!!

Oh how I love Katherine Center! She is a must read with every new book she releases. This time around I listened to the Audiobook, and it was fantastic! Part romance, part contemporary fiction, with a dash of thriller, The Bodyguard was a warm-hearted make you feel all the emotions listen. Character development was a big part of this story line, but it was less like the character developing as he goes, and more allowing himself to be who he really is.
I usually listen to audiobooks in the car and with this book, it made me want to keep driving, just to finish the story!

I always look forward to the next new release from Katherine Center!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listen copy of The Bodyguard.

Reviews to Amazon and Barnes & Noble being posted now, awaiting approval.
Review to Bookstagram being posted this week (8.15-8.22)

Thank you again!

Jack and Hannah are now my favorite romance couple. Their chemistry is amazing and I love their banter. They care for each other early on, but to see it blossom into love is the fun part. Patti Murin narrates the book and she brings so much to the story. I absolutely love this book!!

What I Liked

The narrative voice (and audiobook narration) is engaging and real. I love Hannah’s quick observations and no-nonsense approach to her work life. She is driven and determined and confident in her ability to do her job well. At the same time, she’s a real person, not a “ponytail too tight” businesswoman stereotype.

Jack is a down-to-earth guy who is charming from his first (shirtless) appearance.

The relationship between the two of them builds naturally and is primarily emotional for the majority of the book. It’s a nice, slow burn that’s clearly about bringing out the best in one another, not just sexual tension.

I won’t spoil anything here but there were definitely a few plot points I didn’t expect, which I really enjoy in a romance since they can be a bit formulaic and predictable.

What I Didn’t Like

Hannah’s ex-boyfriend was a bit of a cliche stereotype of a bad ex, which fell a bit flat considering he was around for much of the book. Ditto the best friend character and some of the other side characters at Hannah’s workplace.

There’s also a bit of a narrative tick that I didn’t notice until about 80% in, but which drove me absolutely bananas once I realized it. Hannah often describes people’s mannerisms with pharses like “He nodded, like, I know” or “She shrugged like, what can you do?” Once I realized how frequently the “like” followed by a description of what the other person might be trying to communicate came up in the text, it became a bit distracting.

Both of these are pretty small complaints, so I think it’s safe to say this one was a winner for me!

In all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bodyguard and am really glad I chose to listen to it on audio, as it’s incredibly well performed and engaging.

I recommend The Bodyguard to fans of a good fake dating trope, found family, and small town romances. Not to mention those who enjoy a little extra plot action in their romance novels.

This was such a great read! I loved the characters and the way the story progressed. I loved the narrator as well.

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio!
So, so, so good. Seriously such a light and joyful read! Perfect for a summer beach trip.
4/5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for an ALC of this book.
This was a FUN book! Normally I don't read/listen to rom coms but I really enjoyed this. The narrator was excellent. Hannah was such a fun character and her observations about her life made me laugh out loud throughout the book.

This is the second Katherine Center book for me, and she is obviously going to be an auto-buy author for me. Things You Save in a Fire and The Bodyguard have both been easy five star reads for me! I need to go back and read all of her books for sure!

So, to start off in this book, I had this reaction:

😂🤔THE REMOTE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH DAKOTA!!!!! 🤔😂

I mean if you’re going to use the obscure state I grew up in - at least make sure the research matches the visions it brings forth. I say this with all due respect, Ms. Center - I promise! ☺️

🤣😂 Mountains. In. North. Dakota. 😂🤣

Okay. So I forgave a little with the knowledge of part Central time and part Mountain time in the state.

Pondering this mountain debacle a little with some friends, we assume that the research brought up the Killdeer Mountains. While maybe technically they are a “mountain“ range, they surely aren’t the type of mountains that the mention of mountains immediately elicits.

Anyhoo…enough about that.

🙌🏼 Now for the good stuff! The above did not affect my love of this book by any means!

What a crazy enjoyable book! I’m still laughing out loud thinking of certain parts…..like when she hissed at the ground like a cat after drinking moonshine 😂🤣😂 I listened to most of this while out walking on a rural gravel road….thankfully, because had I been somewhere with people, I would’ve gotten some attention for my laughing!

Once again, I found myself immersed in a story of being forced to spend time with your movie star crush, and again, I mean obviously I wouldn’t say no! Just a great slow burn romance that makes us real people in the world feel valued! This HAS to be made into a movie - if not, I might just become a movie producer and make it myself 🎥 🍿

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for this #gifted review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

Solid 4.5 stars!

This book is as cute as the cover!! I love the fake dating,especially a celebrity, trope!! I enjoyed the fun back and forth banter from Hannah and Jack! They were lovable main characters and even better together even if it started out fake!

This book was romantic, deep, and sentimental. It was like a warm hug from a blanket on a crisp fall day! I felt so warm and fuzzy after I read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Loved this original romance novel - definitely the first I’ve read about a female bodyguard. I will definitely be recommending it to our patrons.

Thank you to Macmillian and Netgalley for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.

I actually read the e-book with the audiobook. I didn't realize I had requested for both. But I had fun using the audiobook with the ARC. I'm a big fan of Katherine Centers writing. I read her book Things You Save in a Fire, which was amazing! I didn't love this book as much because I'm not a fan of the dating fake dating trope. But the audiobook was good to listen to. I liked the voice actors. I would recommend people to listen or read the book. Katherine centers a really good writer and tells great stories.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

READ. THIS. BOOK.

It's delightful, it's funny, it's warm, it's like a freaking book hug and don't we all need a hug right now?

Imagine taking Sandra Bullock's Miss Congeniality character and throwing her on a ranch and then adding in Ryan Reynolds's character from The Proposal (complete with family drama) and make him famous and then add in fake dating and a stalker and some romantic suspense and you have this book.

Ok and now I really need Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds to make this into a movie.

I tried to like this. I really, really did. I had such high hopes for it after seeing all the glowing reviews, but unfortunately, this just did not work for me.

If you're looking for a sweet story with few surprises you've found it. Hannah is assigned to protect Jack and they are forced to pretend to date, including sharing a room. The relationship grows closer as they negotiate their shared space, and sparks fly. Could a big movie star really fall for a normal girl like Hannah? Or is he just a really good actor? Hannah has to decide if she can trust her feelings, and if she can trust him.

I received this audiobook from Macmillan audio via Netgalley in exchange for my review. I have read all of Katherine Center’s books, but this was my first audiobook of her writing and it was terrific! The narrators? Readers? Actors? I guess I’m not sure what to call them but they were fantastic. This book has a very strong female lead, Hannah Brooks who is “tasked” with being a bodyguard for Hollywood hottie, Jack Stapleton. Although Hannah is tougher than she looks, she is struggling to protect her heart from the swoony Jack. Although this story is a bit predictable, there are enough twists to keep your interest and the narrators have very engaging reading voices. This was Katherine Center’s best work so far!

This book was so cute! The concept was similar to other chick lit books but with a twist - a tiny, seemingly mousey woman who is a bodyguard! She gets assigned to guard a celebrity and hijinks ensue. It was so charming and fun! Perfect summer read!

Epic!!!! This was simply the best Katherine Center's book yet! Humorous and complex characters and I loved every single page!!!!

She is now an auto-buy author for me. I am so thankful for my audiobook advanced listening copy!

I have read it twice now and I loved the narrator!

This was my first Katherine Center's book, and won't be my last. Hannah (the bodyguard) and Jack (the superstar) are fantastic characters. Hannah is smart, strong, and capable. Jack is very handsome, and caring. They are perfect together. This is a great fake relationship romance. Their slow burn romance is original, sweet and heartwarming. I liked the humor in the story. Patti Murin did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed it.