The Bodyguard: A Novel

Written by Katherine Center

Narrated by Patti Murin

Author's note read by the author.

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center's The Bodyguard is unabashedly romantic, laugh-out-loud funny, and the perfect summer read.

She’s got his back.
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten 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.

More Praise for The Bodyguard:

"Patti Murin gives a terrific performance of this heartwarming contemporary romance." -AudioFile Magazine

“Great rollicking fun! Prepare to laugh and swoon and grin your pants off.”—Helen Hoang, New York Times bestselling author of The Heart Principle

“My perfect 10 of a book. As funny and sweet as all the very best nineties rom-coms, but with Center’s signature heart-tugging depth. I wish I could erase it from my mind just to read it again for the first time. A shot of pure joy.”—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers

"The Bodyguard is absolutely, unequivocally delightful!"—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jul 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250852052

Katherine Center

BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of over half a dozen books, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, and What You Wish For. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless Best-Of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2019, Goodreads' Best Books of the Year, and many more. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls her summer 2022 book, The Bodyguard, “a shot of pure joy.” The movie adaptation of Katherine’s novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and her novel Happiness for Beginners is now a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

Reviews for The Bodyguard

[jordan · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Was right in the middle and the audiobook just started skipping! So annoying!!!

[amie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I rate the story a 4 for being a light, fluffy, engaging and a fun listen but

The audiobook had major issues - as someone else noted. It was skipping parts, repeating sections and jumping forwards and backwards. The chapter sections didn't line up with the narration and it said I still had like 40+mins to go when the audiobook was finished. Chapter 28 is where the story ends yet it says there's 36 chapters. Definitely needs to be fixed.

[SerendipityReads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Man I loved this book!

I had a few quibbles, and they are thus:

The hero was so completely utterly charming, and his crush on the h was just palpable....but as is just too often the case (or at least I find it to be so) I don't feel like we got an adequate picture of WHY he fell for her. I mean, yeah, sure, she wasn't impressed by his celebrity (um, at least not that she let HIM see!), and for some reason he found every single thing she said and did to be just hysterical. That was really cute. But for this totally gorgeous major movie star to fall in love with this person who everyone kept describing as pretty average, well, I would have liked to have heard a little more about exactly what he found to be so exceptional about her.

For that matter, I would like to have heard a little more from the h's own thoughts about why she fell in love with HIM. Her attraction felt pretty surface-y in the "of course she fell for him, he was this incredibly unattainable guy giving her all this positive attention" kind of way.

THESE ARE VERY MINOR QUIBBLES since, like I say, I find that I have this issue with almost ALL books. So maybe it's a "me" thing. But it's just that extra "oomph" to really PUSH the romance of it all, that I'm looking for.

On the other hand, my other quibble was one that I think pretty much every reader will have with the book, and has to do with the FMC behaving in an incredibly DENSE manner at a really critical juncture. I mean, I get it, it was supposed to build up tension, yadda yadda....but when the READER can see what's happening from the first sentence, I have to think someone of the h's specific training would be cued in right off the bat as well.

But that too is a minor quibble. That whole plot twist was a real surprise, and proceeded to play out plenty well.

And testament to how immersively enjoyable I actually found this book is the fact that I binged it throughout the course of a day, and am giving it a rare (for me!) FIVE STAR rating. Katherine Center, PLEASE do not stop writing!

Oh, and the kindest thing I can say about the narrator is that I got to the end of the book and realized I had no impression of her at all. And I really DO mean that that is a real compliment. Her own performance completely disappeared into the story, and didn't distract from it at all by pulling the focus from it in either positive or negative ways.....which I found COMPLETELY complimented this particular book.

[elaina sharp · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I loved the book, but the audio recording is atrocious. It kept skipping around, leaving passages out, etc. So frustrating.

[Emily Lassiter Branch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I do love a good romance. I'm usually more of a historical romance kind of reader, but I also enjoy throwing some contemporary romances into the mix from time to time. Somehow I hadn't read any Katherine Center books yet, but the premise of this one intrigued me and I'm really glad it did. I so enjoyed this story about two people who seemed to be totally mismatched on paper, who were both far from perfect, yet turned out to be perfect for each other - and I liked that they not only appreciated each others strengths, while recognizing their imperfections. I enjoyed the humor and appreciated the struggles that each had with the baggage from their pasts. This one is a slow burn, and while sometimes I like the couple in a romance to get together a bit sooner, in this one the slower burn felt right. I listened to the audiobook of this one, and the narration by Patti Murin is excellent. Bottom line: I really enjoyed listening to this book and look forward to enjoying more from Katherine Center.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

[raegan jacobson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book! Loved every minute of it. Made my driving time a lot more enjoyable. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a cute romantic read to escape the world.

[Brittany Steadman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! Great banter so many laugh out loud moments Hannah and jack are precious

[f5frqfx2xh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the interaction between the main characters and the unexpected twist! Author Kathrine Center adds humor and genuine moments that make you feel all the feels! A light hearted must read about learning to love yourself and the phase of life you’re in!

[Ruthi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you read all the other reviews and wondering about the audio glitch, its fixed, I guess. I faced no problem . Sweet story!

[SarahJane Spies · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly just a delight. Cute and easy to listen to. The best kind of unrealistic.

[tylynnburton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute story. I liked the characters. It was a good book.

[Carrie Nevarez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun listen. The only reason I took off 1 star is bc it didn’t seem realistic that she would fight so hard on everything the client wanted, including getting a makeover.

[Amy Mathew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This Author delivers! There are many good messages that we all need to understand sprinkles throughout this book and I just loved it.

[Jennifer Fields · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best book I’ve read in a while. I’ve been looking for an author similar to Emily Henry and this is absolutely it! I loved the story line bc it was very original and not predictable to me. There was humor and emotion. I cried!!! I got this book on a whim and it was the best surprise!

[Kelsie Coronado · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Top 10 favorite romcom of all time. Sooo cute and funny. Loved every minute!

[Danielle Franklin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The worst body guard/protection agent in the history of body guards/protection agents. While the story is cute, so much of it is unbelievable. There is no reference to how the main character looks, aside from derogatory statements made by other characters…crooked teeth, ordinary, and stumpy are pretty much all you get. We don’t even know her hair color!

[Michelle Huyghe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazingly funny love story with a miss congeniality-esque female main character

[Joanie Appell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’m generally not a fan of closed door romance novels, but I couldn’t stop listening to this book. It was engaging and witty with a great narrator.

[Am Abdalazez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

????? a beautiful summery rom com ?????? it was cute and delightful ☀️☀️☀️

[yani · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5⭐️

“I think just because you can't keep something doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. Nothing lasts forever. What matters is what we take with us.”

What a great introduction to Katherine Center’s novels!

I really enjoyed Hannah and Jack in this story. I laughed at so many scenes and listening to the audiobook, made it even better. The audiobook is highly recommended, very well done and added emotion to the story.

Even thought the storyline doesn’t really have any spice, it’s very enjoyable to see their connection through the end. Loved Hannah’s growth and her realization of what truly matters despite her heartbreak. Loved Jack and what the character brought to this story. He had his own guilt in past events, leading to misunderstandings in the family. Was so good to see the resolution between them.

Highly recommended!

[Christen Lawrie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful fun. Contrary to other readers, the closed door aspect was refreshing! A fun premise, great rom com vibes, with the end scene that I’d been waiting for. This would make a great film- and it was a great, fast paced read!

[Diana Ramirez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sweet, fun, charming, addictive!
Finished it one day I couldn’t stop listening!
Highly recommended 10/10

[Jessica Burnett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story! Very fun overall. Some serious emotional moments and lots of laugh out loud scenes. One of the best closed door romances I've read.

[Kati · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely, lovely story! I loved how he underestimated her!

[Jenn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book from the very beginning. Lovable characters, great story and good narration. Please write more for us!

[Barbara Vastine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was funny, uplifting, heartwarming, and magical! A delight! Great characters!

[Agus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. If i could change one thing it would be that this book doesn’t have spice scenes, but otherwise is still AMAZING.

[Sarah Proulx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While the fake dating trope is not my favorite, this book definitely had some meet cute vibes too.

It was definitely a fun, quick read and the teasing and falling in love was perfect without being over mushy or fake, it was a story that could almost play out in real life.

I loved the little bits of drama added in by Hannah's ex playing such a dominant role as the epic douche and let's not forget the fake barbie wannabe chasing after Jack. Oh, or the crazy dog lady with the nudes....she made for the most humourous character.

This was the perfect blend of family drama, work romance, and overcoming the odds, I'm actually glad I didn't back out of book club this month and decided to start this book, even if it was at the last minute.

[Courtney Rippe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first there were few things inconsistencies. Like how she’s world traveled professional bodyguard but she was scared of a bunch of cows. But the book got better as it went on. There many satisfying conclusions and the end was really cute.

[Winston Green · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book that makes you smile. Well drawn characters with flaws and backstories that keep it moving. Amusing banter fells authentic and well delivered. Great summer read for any time of year.