The Bodyguard by Katherine Center #BookReview

Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with her bare hands. But the truth is, she’s an elite bodyguard and she’s just been hired to protect a superstar actor from his stalker.

Jack Stapleton’s a Hollywood heartthrob – captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, rising out of the waves in clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity.

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.

Protecting Jack should be easy. But protecting her own heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done…

It’s finally happened, I read my first novel by Katherine Center. My fellow blog friend Nicki @ Secret Library Book Blog made me add this author and pick this one up because she wrote a raving review about it in the past.

I share the same opinion, this was a lovely book and I was immediately happy that it was a female security guard instead of the typical male protection detail (come on, I bet we all had someone similar to Kevin Costner as the bodyguard in mind before reading the synopsis and just by looking at the cover, I know I did).

Hannah is not to be underestimated, she might look like you and me but she’s definitely not. The only flaw I found is that she has a ridiculous (I stress the word ridiculous) fear of cows. That’s right, cows. Jack’s family lives on a ranch so of course there are cows. I know everyone has some irrational fear but that was the only thing that I found too much over the top because she loses all professionality right there and then while she’s sitting in a car. OK, let’s just let that one slide and focus on all the wonderful interactions between Hannah and Jack and his family. There’s also a stalker on the loose by the way to make it extra interesting but don’t let that distract too much from the feelings she starts to have for him. And when he looks into her eyes, is he really acting or might there be something real there in return? Whatever it is, Hannah cannot be falling for a client, it is forbidden and she’s a pro so she will do what is necessary.

Fake dating is a popular trope but it was done really well in The Bodyguard. I really enjoyed how the story developed, I was happy the ‘is he or isn’t he into her’ wasn’t drawn out too long but there was more to come after finding out the answer, and there were also a few interesting side plots involving Jack’s stalker, and Hannah’s ex.

All in all, a fun and cute story that you definitely don’t need to read if you want steamy scenes. I was happy to find there were none here. Instead I found some strong characters with a vulnerable side. Maybe all A-listers aren’t how they seem after all? Food for thought here.

I bought an ecopy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.