Quick Synopsis

Hannah Brooks is looks like a kindergarten teacher but is actually a bodyguard. When superstar actor Jack Stapleton’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch and needs protection from a stalker. But Jack does not want to alarm his family and enlists Hannah to be both his security and his fake girlfriend.

Publisher’s Synopsis

She’s got his back.
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindgerten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart.
Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret.
When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong???
Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Book Review

Katherine Center is the author that first enticed me to read romance… and the author that then cemented me as a fan of romance. I love that her books have strong female protagonists, incorporate some life inspiration, and include healthy adult romantic relationships.

The Bodyguard was one of my most anticipated books of summer. Katherine Center did not disappoint. She once again delivered a feel-good romance filled with humor and enjoyable characters.

The Bodyguard is a forced proximity romance between an unlikely pair – a movie star and his female bodyguard, who he initially mistakes for a house cleaner. Set in Houston and on a Texas ranch, this is a heartfelt romance in an unlikely setting with a surprising twist near the end.

Katherine Center is able to strike a perfect balance between humor, comfort, and a bit of seriousness. Over the course of The Bodyguard, chemistry builds between leads, rather than instant love. It is so refreshing to read a romance where the two leads do not instantly want to jump each other. However, if you are looking for something spicy and smutty, you will not find it within the pages of The Bodyguard. But please give this book a chance anyway. Where it is short on spice, it makes up for with emotional depth and actual romance.

I also really appreciated that the story was not solely focused on the romance. As with all Katherine Center books that I have read, The Bodyguard tackles the characters’ pasts and presents. For me, this makes the book so much more realistic and enjoyable. The story chronicles the characters’ growths and healing so they can truly come together in the end. Add in some humorous banter and you can easily become lost in this story. The epilogue provides a perfect ending to the story and answers all remaining questions.

Overall, I really loved The Bodyguard. It was a refreshing, warm hug and a break from reality. I highly recommend it. It is the perfect book to enjoy in the sun beside the pool or on the beach.

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