Relationship Book Annotation

The Bodyguard

By: Katherine Center

Author: Katherine Center

Title: The Bodyguard

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

Number of Pages: 309

Geographical Setting: Texas

Time Period: Present Day

Series: No

Plot Summary: 

Bodyguard Hannah Brooks just got her heart shattered by her mom passing away, and her now ex boyfriend breaking up with her the day after. Usually, Brooks would use this opportunity to run away and dive head first into work. But, she ends up right back in Texas as a bodyguard to one of the most famous celebrities. 

Brooks doesn’t think she will fall under the Jack Stapleton spell, but it’s harder than she thought. Sleeping in his childhood room, living with him and his parents, feelings start to develop. Brooks begins to feel like this is the family she never had. 

There are twists and stalkers all thrown into the mix. Stapleton and Brooks form a relationship that is hard to leave behind. All while forming this relationship, there are paparazzi, ex best friends, ex boyfriends, and ex girlfriends all looming around them. 

Subject Headings:

• Contemporary Romance

• Fake Dating

• Forced Proximity

• Rom-Com

Appeal: 

• Tone

• The tone in this book is lighthearted, with humor thrown in. Katherine Center does a great job at including humor and had me laughing at points. 

• Pacing

• This book goes at such a quick pace, but in a good way. There isn’t a bunch of fluff and unnecessary information. I blew through this book quite quickly mainly due to the pacing and the ease of reading it. 

• Writing Style

• Center did a great job at writing this book. Paired with the lightheartedness and the quick pace, her writing style adds to the ease of reading this novel. I had never read anything from her before, but I will definitely be reading more from her after this!

3 terms that best describe this book:

• Rom-Com

• Romantic

• Fake Dating

Similar Authors & Works: 

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works & Authors:

A Place for Us: A Memoir by Brandon J. Wolf

• Similar to Hannah Brooks, Brandon Wolf is dealing with the loss of his mother. Also similar to Brooks, Wolf stumbles upon a family that feels like home. 

The Dead Moms Club: A Memoir about Death, Grief, and Surviving the Mother of All Losses by Kate Spencer

• This memoir goes through the grief process that Kate Spencer experienced after the passing of her mom. In The Bodyguard, Hannah Brooks goes through the grief process, even though her mom and her weren’t all that close. 

You Only Fall in Love Three Times: The Secret Search for Our Twin Flame by Kate Rose

• In this book, the author talks about the three different kinds of love we experience. I feel that “the twin flame” is applicable to the relationship between Hannah Brooks and Jack Stapleton. 

3 Relevant Fiction Works & Authors:

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

• This book is a contemporary romance, similar to The Bodyguard. Abby Jimenez is praised for this book and readers have said it is a modern day fairy tale of a book. 

Happy Place by Emily Henry

• Similar to The Bodyguard, a big theme in this book is heartbreak. Both of these books take us through the journey of getting over a past partner and moving on from them. 

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

• This book is a rom-com book involving a pop star romance, similar to The Bodyguard. The inclusion of humor in both these books makes me feel that readers who enjoy one of these, will enjoy the other.