The Bodyguard
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
July 19, 2022
Hardcover
320
Purchased
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.
My review:
3.5 stars
I'm a big fan of this author's romance books because they are what is commonly known as closed door. When I'm reading a romance I don't need to be reading (or worse yet, listening) to smutty sex scenes. I am perfectly capable of connecting the dots in the bedroom myself thank you. I have a list of romance authors who I will read repeat books from, and Katherine Center is definitely one of them! This story was really sweet. I loved the predicament Hannah found herself in while trying to do her job undercover. The rapport between Hannah and Jack was very well done, and I loved the characters. There were some issues dealt with that made this more than just a romance, which I'm always looking for. Both characters had growth throughout the story, and the ending was typical, but gratifying. It was super fun to have the female protagonist be a strong, formidable woman bodyguard. I think it would have added even more to the story had we been able to glimpse her really in action!
Loved the writing and characters, and even though the plot was maybe just a tad over the top, I was there for it all. Pick this one up if you want a sweet romance (with no sex scenes!).
