The Bodyguard: A Novel

Katherine Center

Jul 2022 · Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Patti Murin

About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

Oh my gosh, amazing! The Bodyguard is such a fantastic premise for a romance: the female bodyguard and the male movie star fall in love. Wonderful! Katherine Center builds a terrific story centered around the slightly damaged Hannah. Fresh off a nasty breakup, unfilfilled with the direction of her career, and dealing with the recent passing of her mom, not much is going her way. That all changes when she's assigned to guard hunky movie star Jack Stapleton...

This was my first Katherine Center's book, and won't be my last. Hannah (the bodyguard) and Jack (the superstar) are fantastic characters. Hannah is smart, strong, and capable. Jack is very handsome, and caring. They are perfect together. This is a great fake relationship romance. Their slow burn romance is original, sweet and heartwarming. I liked the humor in the story. Patti Murin did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed it.

please put this book for free in my list

About the author

KATHERINE CENTER is the New York Times bestselling author of over a half dozen novels, including What You Wish For, Things You Save in a Fire, and How to Walk Away. Katherine has been compared to Nora Ephron and Jane Austen. The Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Katherine recently gave a TEDx talk on how stories teach empathy. Her work has appeared in USA Today, InStyle, Redbook, People, The Atlantic, Real Simple, and more. She lives in Houston with her husband and two kids.