Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

208 reviews

hes2375's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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bibiran's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

this was 75% funny and cute and 25%... um.. "mark this 3 stars instead of 4" vibes

so the pacing was pretty decent, though I feel like I was waiting for something more momentous to happen on the ranch instead of you know, they get along because they're just generally nice people and his mom just really wants them to get married for some reason. like I feel like the length could've been shaved and the climax (on the roof of his house) should've been sooner. 

the banter/jokes were usually pretty funny! a giggle was giggled! that was probably the best part of this. i think though, that the book should've wholly stuck to that instead of attempting to make profound statements about beauty and love and insecurity, because coming from a character who was confident in her abilities etc. and wasn't crippled by insecurity really, just going through a rough patch in life and having a normal reaction to suddenly being close to a handsome famous person, having that be one of the closing messages felt off. 

speaking of this emphasis on trying to make statements on beauty, self-worth, and love, it felt like some kind of personal insecurity and opinion slipped through the cracks in the writing, which ultimately made me rate the book lower than i would have. 

there is a point in the book where the main character describes Bratz dolls as looking "like Barbie had undergone extreme plastic surgery: overly made-up cat eyes, and giant, swollen lips" and goes several steps further describing them as looking like "mutant porn stars." (what?) it's important to note that these dolls have features closer mirroring the features of women of color and resonate more with people belonging to that community as well, not that I would expect a white woman writing a book about white people in a Texas ranch to be in tune with these kinds of things but as a woman of color it took me out of the book and I wasn't able to fully enjoy it after that, knowing I would have to come back to it as I wrote my thoughts later.

the book also takes to backhandedly belittling other women who were more "conventionally attractive" as opposed to the main character, who is not described as ugly at all? just like, a normal woman, who is most likely pretty as women always are? and it does it in the most un-nuanced, grotesque form as well, making the beautiful celebrity girlfriend with "bouncy plastic boobies" (?) and a perfect "airbrushed plastic" face an almost cartoonishly evil character? what was the reason? it just felt like the author had some kind of vendetta against conventionally attractive women that rubbed me the wrong way.

it wasn't all bad, the book had fluctuating moments of lucidity where it said some things about beauty, societal expectations, and insecurity that i agreed with, but i feel like it was definitely not strong enough a suit to be made as a recurring theme, so she lost me. it was, like i said, 75% decently enjoyable, which is a lot more than i can say about most contemporary romance books, so definitely power to her for that.
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kriskelly's review

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

katherine center you absolutely ate i fear, did not expect to love this as much as i did
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ashleyj_reads's review

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emotional inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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allieewh's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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danirose's review

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kristysproule's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lisavandonselaar's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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veronicakirchner's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Katherine Center knows how to create an emotional roller coaster that feels like the most fun ride you’ve ever taken! The Bodyguard will have you in a LITERAL fit of giggles one moment, crying the next, then tensely stunned after that - all while tugging on your heartstrings.

There are many aspects of this book that I adore, but one really sticks out: the protagonist. The main character is an incredibly intelligent woman who recognizes her own unhealthy and petty patterns, but realistically (and often hilariously) chooses to go against her better judgement anyway. The scenes she finds herself in are magnificently tied to the overarching themes. And in the end, she learns some invaluable lessons about love and life that rounds out her thoughtful character arc. Plus, her POV highlights all the reasons why I love first person, single perspective - the comedic internal monologue amongst external chaos that becomes like a familiar favorite joke throughout the story.

I could go on and on about why I loved this book, but a review of it cannot compare to the unforgettable experience of actually reading it. So, I’ll just leave you with one final thought: READ THIS BOOK!
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mels_reading_log's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

He is a two time winner of People’s Sexiest Man Alive and a world famous movie star. He needs security but wants to keep it a secret, so his family doesn’t worry. In comes Hannah, no one would ever suspect that she is an Executive Protection Agent who knows several ways to kill a man with whatever household item that is closest. To explain her presence, they pretend she is his girlfriend. But who would believe Jack Stapleton would date someone so ordinary?
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