Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it. And so Hannah-against her will and her better judgment-finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid. 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 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. Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener.

A+ humor and banter, fast-paced action, and Katherine Center’s trademark heartwarming style make it a perfect romantic comedy with big-screen feels. I laughed so many times while reading The Bodyguard, and I’m excited for everyone else to experience it for the first time as well. It’s as funny and over-the-top as it sounds. Until the stalker leaves a threatening letter, handknit sweater, and nudes on his doorstep, and the danger becomes all too real. Because Jack’s mother is sick, he insists on keeping his stalker-and bodyguard-a secret, so Hannah agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend while visiting his family’s Texas ranch.

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard), and she’s been hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from a corgi-breeding stalker. To put it simply, this book made me happy. Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard is a stand-out among feel-good reads. Sometimes, what I needed was an intense cathartic reading experience. Luckily, just like for many others, the escape of fiction helped me get through the worst of it. I think it’s safe to say that reality has been especially exhausting these past couple of years.

Katherine center the bodyguard