Book Review: The Bodyguard
The premise of Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard is nothing new. A workaholic woman fresh off heartbreak. A suave but reclusive movie star reeling from the death of his brother. Their paths cross and sparks fly. The Bodyguard tells the “tale as old as time” story with a twist.
Hannah Brooks – the workaholic fresh off heartbreak – looks like an unassuming kindergarten teacher but she is actually a highly trained Executive Protection Agent (a bodyguard) that can kill with little more than a look. After losing her mother and having her heart broken by a fellow bodyguard, she finds herself tasked with protecting superstar Jack Stapleton who dropped off the face of the earth after tragedy.
Hannah does not want the job of protecting Jack, but she’s been sidelined by her superior from any of the high profile jobs that will take her far, far away from Texas, something she desperately wants as it would take her not only away from her ex, but from the hurt of losing her mother, too. Jack is in town to be with his mother while she undergoes treatment for breast cancer and he has a history of a seemingly harmless stalker, but they aren’t taking any chances as he prepares for his next blockbuster movie. Hannah is promised a big promotion if she keeps Jack safe and so she begrudgingly agrees.
Except – Jack doesn’t want his family to know he has a bodyguard. He convinces Hannah to play the part of his girlfriend, and the pair end up living at his family’s Texas ranch where they fall for one another while trying to keep the fact that their relationship is fake under wraps. As Hannah grows closer to both Jack and his parents, Jack struggles to navigate a rocky relationship with his remaining brother. Just when things come to a head and Hannah thinks it can’t get worse, it does.
The Bodyguard is everything a good rom-com should be. It’s funny, quirky, and peppered with troupes and moments that make a rom-com, well, a rom-com. The Bodyguard goes deeper though with nuanced characters, the navigation of grief, and the bumpy journey through healing. It’s as real and raw as it is laugh out loud funny. Add this one to your #TBR list – it’s a great one to take on a beach vacation or read by the pool!
