The Bodyguard

A Novel

By: Katherine Center

Narrated by: Patti Murin

2022 Hudson Booksellers Best of the Year, Long-listed
2022 Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

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 story.

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.

©2022 Katherine Center (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Cute and worthy of a listen!

This was a very cute story that mostly kept my attention until the end. My only issue was the chemistry was a little stale between the two main characters and I think it was because Hannah was hard to relate to and didn't have much personality. I loved Jack and his family. This author is new to me, I will definitely check out her other books. Narration was wonderful. 💙💙

Great story, uplifting and fun!

I loved this book so much. Great characters and plot. Loved Hannah and Jack. Their story has a lot of laughter and heart.

A terrific listen

I absolutely loved the plot twists, and the narration was PERFECT. It left me waiting for the author’s next book.

Soooo Good!

I enjoyed every minute of this book and hated for it to end! I laughed so much and the narration was perfect!

Fun listen with a strong female character!

I love Katherine Center novels and this one was just what I needed after listening to some not so great books recently. Hannah Brooks is a protective agent (bodyguard), but looks like a kindergarten teacher, and is assigned to guard mega-star Jack Templeton (think Brad Pitt but 6'3" and built like Arnold Schwarzenegger). The lead up to their relationship is fleshed out and you end up loving not only Jack, but his entire family. Of course the ending is predictable (it is a rom-com after all), but there are some surprises along the way. Patti Murin does an okay job of narrating the book. She's good, not great. Overall, very enjoyable and a very quick listen.