Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Bodyguard

This is a fun-level 4 but an actual 3. I read it in like 4 hours. I laughed and kicked my feet. I also had to suspend some disbelief.

Unfortunately this book makes one of my least favorite mistakes in media: telling me a woman is badass at her career and then only showing her being a neurotic screwup. MacKenzie in The Newsroom: allegedly a big deal reporter who has interviewed Osama bin Laden, but has a meltdown in episode 1 over a reply-all email. Kate in The Diplomat, whining constantly about trivial stuff like having to wear diplomat-appropriate outfits to diplomacy-adjacent social functions. Hannah has good reason to be a little weepy in this book so I tried to forgive it, but we barely got to see her do cool bodyguard stuff at all, and that was a real bummer for me. No one on the team demonstrated much skill for executive protection, honestly, so it was a little hard to take them seriously.

Also, I admit I am biased as a corgi owner, but Corgi Lady wouldn't have had time for all that nonsense.

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mrsjoellebell's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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embelle's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was my first Katherine Center book, and I enjoyed it! It’s a really fun, sometimes cheesy, and other times deep and reflective, rom-com that flips the traditional bodyguard/celebrity romance. I found myself reading this book really quickly and wanting to know what would happen to the characters, and I appreciated how the lighthearted romance was complimented by discussions about deeper thoughts, insecurities and reflections. Overall, I had a great time with this book and am looking forward to discussing it at my next book club meeting!

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katherinek's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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meenakshisathish's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-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

2.0

It would have been such a good read because the main characters do have enough chemistry and the conflict is believable. But there’s just too many tropes trying to out-do each other: dead mom, cancer-ailing mom, dead brother, toxic ex boyfriend, betraying best friend, funny side characters to give it a Brooklyn 99 feel. It feels more like a book written to do well in TikTok’s algorithm.

Perhaps I’m being a little hard because the heart of the story is really sweet. But the writing and the composition of the story is the real downfall of this book. But I think the nail on the coffin was the unmissable pick-me vibes saturated throughout the whole narrative. There are only three female characters that are redeemable: the main character Hannah, the ailing mother of Jack Stapleton, and the quirky side character Kelly who is really there only to be a comic relief from time to time. The rest of the women in the story are shallow, selfish, and often just outright dumb. The last time I read a romance novel that invested in the patriarchal bargain was in middle school when I read fan fiction stories on Wattpad.

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keelirae113's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

3.0

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melissaslibraryy's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Cute little rom com I finally picked up after seeing the hype lol. I’m glad the fmc didn’t allow those toxic people back into her life and was able to find the family she always wanted during a time of healing.

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shellanor_rigby's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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