What is The Bodyguard by Katherine Center about?

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is a romantic comedy about Hannah Brooks, a skilled Executive Protection Agent who must protect movie star Jack Stapleton from a stalker. When Jack returns to his family's Texas ranch to care for his sick mother, he asks Hannah to pose as his girlfriend to hide the truth from his worried family. As they spend a month together on the ranch, their fake relationship becomes increasingly real, forcing Hannah to confront her fears about love and self-worth.

Who is Katherine Center and what other books has she written?

Katherine Center is an author known for writing heartwarming, uplifting contemporary fiction and romantic comedies. The Bodyguard showcases her signature style of blending humor with emotional depth and creating charming, predictable-yet-satisfying stories. Center specializes in light fiction that explores themes of personal growth, resilience, and finding love while maintaining an accessible, engaging narrative voice that keeps readers invested throughout.

Who should read The Bodyguard by Katherine Center?

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is perfect for readers seeking a lighthearted romantic comedy with emotional depth. This book appeals to fans of fake dating tropes, bodyguard romances, and stories about strong female protagonists. It's ideal for those who enjoy clean romance without explicit content, predictable-yet-satisfying storylines, and heartwarming family dynamics. Readers looking for an easy, feel-good summer or beach read will find this book delightfully entertaining and uplifting.

Is The Bodyguard by Katherine Center worth reading?

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is worth reading if you enjoy charming, predictable romantic comedies with emotional resonance. Most reviewers rated it 4-5 stars, praising its addictive writing, sizzling chemistry between characters, and heartwarming story. While some readers found it lacked depth and didn't fully commit to its tropes, the majority found it irresistibly entertaining with laugh-out-loud moments and satisfying character development. It delivers exactly what it promises: a feel-good escape with heart.

What is the fake dating trope in The Bodyguard by Katherine Center?

The fake dating element in The Bodyguard by Katherine Center begins when Jack Stapleton asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend to hide her bodyguard role from his worried family. This deception becomes complicated when Jack's mother invites them to stay at the family ranch for a month. Throughout their arrangement, Hannah struggles with distinguishing real emotions from performance, especially as Jack's affection seems increasingly genuine. The fake relationship ultimately forces both characters to confront their true feelings and vulnerabilities.

What themes does The Bodyguard by Katherine Center explore?

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center explores the central theme of feeling unlovable and learning to accept love. Hannah's journey involves confronting her childhood trauma from her absent father and alcoholic mother who dated violent men. The story examines self-worth, emotional healing, and the courage required to be vulnerable with others. Additional themes include family forgiveness, as Jack reconciles with his estranged brother over their younger brother's death, and the idea that everyone deserves love regardless of their past.

Who are the main characters in The Bodyguard by Katherine Center?

Hannah Brooks is the protagonist—a highly skilled Executive Protection Agent who looks unassuming but can neutralize threats with everyday objects. Jack Stapleton is a famous actor and household name who became reclusive after a family tragedy involving his younger brother's death. Supporting characters include Jack's sick mother Connie, his father Doc, and his estranged brother Hank who blames Jack for their brother's fatal accident. Hannah's ex-boyfriend Robby and actress Kennedy Monroe serve as antagonistic foils throughout the story.

What happens at the ending of The Bodyguard by Katherine Center?

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center ends with Hannah rescuing Jack from a gunman who had been posing as his stalker. During the hostage situation, Hannah convinces the attacker that his life has value despite feeling unlovable—a revelation that helps her recognize her own worth. After surviving this final threat, Jack and Hannah get married on his family's Texas ranch. Jack finds forgiveness for his role in his brother's death, while Hannah finally accepts that she deserves to be loved.

The Bodyguard Summary

A Novel

Katherine Center

3.94(423677 Reviews)

The Bodyguard Summary Overview

When 5'5" Hannah becomes bodyguard to movie star Jack Stapleton, roles reverse in this Netflix-bound romantic comedy that made Emily Henry declare "my perfect 10 of a book." What happens when the person protecting you steals your heart instead?

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Chapter 1

When Hollywood Meets Real Life: A Love Story Against All Odds

Katherine Center's "The Bodyguard" has become a TikTok sensation, with readers worldwide falling for its perfect blend of romance, humor, and emotional depth. This enemies-to-lovers story with a bodyguard twist has captivated celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, who featured it in her book club, praising its "irresistible chemistry and heartwarming journey." The novel's cultural impact extends beyond entertainment-it challenges stereotypes about female bodyguards while delivering a poignant exploration of grief, family dynamics, and authentic connection. In a world obsessed with appearances, Center's story reminds us that real love happens when we're seen for who we truly are, not the roles we play.

Chapter 2

Grief, Identity, and Professional Boundaries

Hannah Brooks defies every expectation of what a bodyguard should be. Standing at 5'5" with gentle features and an unassuming presence, she represents the antithesis of the stereotypical hulking security professional. Her effectiveness stems from her ability to disappear in plain sight, transforming her apparent ordinariness into her greatest asset. While she possesses the physical training to handle violent confrontations, her true expertise lies in meticulous preparation, constant situational awareness, and an uncanny ability to anticipate threats before they materialize. Her path to becoming a bodyguard traces back to a childhood marked by instability and adaptation. As an elementary school student, she volunteered as a carpool monitor, discovering early on her natural inclination toward protecting others. The parade of her mother's questionable boyfriends pushed her toward self-defense - specifically jujitsu - where she learned that leverage and technique could overcome raw strength. These early experiences shaped her approach to protection, emphasizing brain over brawn. Her talents caught the FBI's attention during college, leading to recruitment, though she ultimately chose to follow Glenn, her mentor, into private security. The carefully constructed framework of Hannah's life shatters when her mother succumbs to cirrhosis - a death both sudden and somehow grimly inevitable given her lifestyle. Before Hannah can process this loss, her boyfriend Robby delivers a devastating blow, choosing the day after her mother's funeral to end their relationship. His parting words - criticizing her work ethic, questioning her capacity for joy, and cruelly declaring her "a bad kisser" - strike at the core of her self-worth. This perfect storm of personal catastrophes - maternal loss, professional setback, and romantic humiliation - reduces Hannah to sleeping in her closet, seeking comfort in the enclosed space while battling insomnia and grief. When assigned to remain in Houston instead of receiving the geographic escape she desperately wants, Hannah attempts to resign. Glenn, understanding her better than she understands herself, refuses to accept her resignation. The assignment's subject - Jack Stapleton, Hollywood heartthrob and twice-crowned Sexiest Man Alive - presents an intriguing challenge. Jack's return to Houston stems from family obligations: his mother's breast cancer diagnosis requires his presence, and he's still grappling with his younger brother's tragic death two years prior, which has turned him into something of a recluse. The professional boundaries Hannah has maintained throughout her eight-year career begin to crumble during her first encounter with Jack. His shirtless appearance at the door and initial assumption that she's household staff rather than security personnel creates an immediate tension. When Jack questions her capabilities based on her physical size - a common but misguided criticism she's faced throughout her career - Hannah responds with a swift demonstration of her skills, executing a perfect throw that lands him on his back in his own front lawn. This charged moment establishes their complicated dynamic - Hannah asserting her professional competence while simultaneously feeling the magnetic pull of Jack's charisma, which threatens to compromise the emotional distance she's always maintained with clients.

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Chapter 3

The Fake Relationship: A Dangerous Charade

The assignment takes an unexpected turn when Jack reveals a complication: Hannah must pose as his girlfriend when visiting his parents. He doesn't want his sick mother worrying about stalkers, so he proposes this charade as a solution. His mother's heart condition makes the deception seem necessary, though ethically questionable. Despite Hannah's professional misgivings and her firm's strict policy against personal involvement with clients, Glenn insists she take the job, promising her a coveted Korea assignment afterward - a career-making opportunity she can't refuse. The fake relationship premise creates immediate tension, forcing both characters to confront uncomfortable truths. Hannah must navigate the blurry line between professional duty and personal feelings while constantly maintaining her cover story. Jack struggles to reconcile his Hollywood persona with his authentic self, particularly around family who knew him before fame. Their cover story - that they met when Hannah was photographing an "albino moose" near Jack's mountain cabin - becomes increasingly elaborate as they establish boundaries for their performance: hand-holding, arm-draping, and whispered conversations are acceptable, but no surprise nakedness or unexpected kisses. They spend hours rehearsing their "meet-cute" story, with Hannah insisting on detailed backstories to maintain authenticity. When they arrive at the Stapleton family ranch in Montana, the charade immediately faces unexpected challenges. Jack's estranged brother Hank, a hardened rancher who manages the family's cattle operation, immediately notices Hannah isn't Kennedy Monroe, Jack's actual celebrity girlfriend. This proves Jack wrong about his family's awareness of his Hollywood life - they've been following his career and relationships more closely than he realized. The tension between the brothers reveals deeper family wounds, particularly surrounding their younger brother Drew's death in a riding accident ten years ago - an event for which Jack still carries tremendous guilt. The fake relationship forces Hannah and Jack into intimate proximity - sharing a bedroom (though Hannah insists on sleeping on the floor), navigating complex family dynamics together, and presenting a united front to the increasingly suspicious ranch hands and local townspeople. This artificial closeness creates genuine connection as they begin to share personal stories during late-night conversations. Hannah reveals the painful memory of her father abandoning their family during a Disneyland vacation when she was twelve, leaving her with a deep-seated fear of abandonment. Jack gradually opens up about his guilt surrounding Drew's death, revealing how his decision to pursue acting in Los Angeles instead of staying to help run the ranch created a rift that never healed. What makes this fake relationship particularly compelling is how it allows both characters to be seen in ways they rarely experience in their normal lives. Hannah, accustomed to being invisible behind her camera lens in her professional life, suddenly finds herself the center of attention at family dinners and local events. She must learn to navigate being in the spotlight while maintaining her cover. Jack, used to being adored for his carefully crafted celebrity persona, finds someone who sees through his practiced charm and treats him like a normal person with flaws and quirks. Through their forced intimacy, both characters begin to discover versions of themselves they'd forgotten existed.

Chapter 4

Family Secrets and Healing Wounds

The Stapleton family dynamics form the emotional core of the story, revealing layers of love, resentment, and unspoken pain. Jack's return home after two years of self-imposed exile following his brother Drew's death has created palpable tension, particularly with his brother Hank. The middle brother's resentment runs deep - not just from Jack's absence during their mother's illness, but from years of feeling overshadowed by his more charismatic siblings. Their mother Connie, recovering from aggressive breast cancer surgery, represents unconditional love despite her own struggles, while their father Doc provides steady support through his quiet strength and unwavering presence, even as family fractures threaten to widen. Hannah observes this family with a mixture of wonder and envy, having never experienced such genuine connection in her own life. The Stapletons' daily routines and quirks paint a vivid picture of authentic family life - Doc burning bacon while wearing his wife's worn floral apron, cursing good-naturedly as smoke fills the kitchen; Connie's seemingly endless collection of four hundred reading glasses scattered across every surface in the house, appearing in unlikely places like flowerpots and cookie jars; her endearingly bizarre hobby of rescuing discarded porcelain dolls from thrift stores and repainting their faces, giving them names and elaborate backstories. These intimate details create a stark contrast with Hannah's sterile, lonely existence in her minimalist apartment. The central mystery surrounding Drew's death gradually unfolds through Jack's increasingly violent recurring nightmares. He relives the car accident in vivid detail - their cherry-red Ferrari hitting black ice on Sawyer Bridge, the sickening moment of weightlessness before plunging into the frigid water below. In the nightmare, as in reality, Jack manages to escape the sinking vehicle but watches helplessly as Drew drowns. This tragedy, carefully sanitized by corporate PR teams and family lawyers, has become the source of Jack's overwhelming guilt and the festering wound in his relationship with Hank, who suspects there's more to the story than Jack has revealed. The breakthrough comes during a heated Thanksgiving confrontation when long-suppressed emotions boil over. Jack finally reveals the devastating truth: Drew was behind the wheel that night, not him. Drew, celebrating five years of sobriety, had relapsed at a holiday party. His final words to Jack, gasped out as the car filled with water, were a desperate plea to protect their parents from knowing he'd fallen off the wagon. This revelation leads to a cathartic family reconciliation, with Hannah - to her surprise - included in their tearful group embrace, finally finding the family connection she's always craved. This healing extends beyond the physical realm into Jack's nightmares. When Hannah suggests lucid dreaming techniques she learned in therapy, Jack initially dismisses the idea as new-age nonsense. However, after weeks of practice, he experiences a breakthrough. In his transformed dream, Hannah appears on the bridge, warning them about the ice. This time, Jack gets his chance to say goodbye to Drew, telling him "I am so sorry that I couldn't protect you" and finally hearing Drew's forgiveness. Though just a dream, this moment provides meaningful closure, allowing Jack to begin healing from the guilt that has haunted him for two years.

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Chapter 5

Professional Complications and Personal Growth

Hannah's assignment grows increasingly complex when Jack's stalker situation takes a dark turn. The "Corgi Lady," initially dismissed as a quirky fan who showed up at book signings with her dog, reveals a more sinister side. She escalates from leaving love notes to vandalizing Jack's Houston house with spray-painted crimson hearts across the windows and doors. The situation becomes truly alarming when she begins leaving disturbing gifts on his doorstep - including intimate photos of herself in his garden and detailed letters describing their imagined future together. When death threats against Hannah start appearing, written in red lipstick on Jack's car windows, the stakes become life-threatening. This threat elevation forces Hannah to confront her growing feelings for Jack, which have evolved from professional protectiveness to genuine emotional attachment. Her supervisor Glenn notices her changing behavior - the extra hours she's logging, her defensive reactions during briefings, her tendency to touch Jack's arm during conversations. When Glenn orders her removal from the assignment because she's become emotionally compromised, Hannah faces an impossible choice. Her subsequent confession to the Stapletons about her true identity as a security professional leads to an unexpected breakthrough. Jack, perhaps inspired by Hannah's honesty, finally shares the devastating truth about Drew's death with his parents - how he blamed himself for letting his brother drive that rainy night, and how that guilt has shaped every decision since. Hannah's professional life becomes further complicated when she discovers her trusted colleague Taylor's betrayal. Taylor - who had held Hannah while she cried over Robby's infidelity and promised men weren't worth her tears - is revealed to be secretly dating Robby herself. This workplace betrayal cuts deep, reinforcing Hannah's ingrained belief that emotional vulnerability leads to pain. Her growing feelings for Jack become even more terrifying against this backdrop of fresh betrayal. The situation reaches its climax during what should have been a romantic evening. Hannah arrives for their date to find Jack oddly distant and mechanical in his movements. Her years of training alert her to subtle signs - his too-careful word choice, his eyes darting to the kitchen, the slight tremor in his hand. She realizes Jack is being held at gunpoint by "Wilbur," an online stalker they had previously categorized as low-risk. Despite direct orders to wait for tactical support, Hannah enters the house armed only with a corkscrew from her car, demonstrating both her professional expertise and her deep personal investment in Jack's safety. The rooftop confrontation reveals layers of unexpected complexity. Wilbur, tears streaming down his face, admits he never intended to harm Jack - his goal was suicide, and the death threats were meant to drive Hannah away so his wife Lacey could comfort Jack afterward. Hannah, drawing on her own painful past, connects with Wilbur's despair. She shares her story of watching her father walk out on Christmas morning, of years spent believing she wasn't worth staying for. This emotional authenticity - showing how even terrible moments eventually become manageable - ultimately talks Wilbur down. The resolution demonstrates Hannah's remarkable growth, revealing how emotional vulnerability, long considered her greatest weakness, has become her most powerful tool for protecting others.

Chapter 6

Authenticity in a World of Pretense

The central theme running through "The Bodyguard" is the complex interplay between appearance and reality, between the carefully constructed personas we present to the world and our authentic selves. This theme manifests in multiple layers throughout the story, creating a rich exploration of identity and truth in modern life. Jack's celebrity status represents the ultimate form of pretense - his life is literally built around playing different characters, each role adding another layer to his public persona. His relationship with Kennedy Monroe was meticulously fabricated for publicity, complete with staged paparazzi photos and coordinated public appearances. He's developed sophisticated techniques to make himself invisible in public: wearing specific styles of baseball caps that shadow his face, using carefully chosen glasses to break up facial recognition patterns, and mastering the art of avoiding eye contact while appearing natural. Even his emotional responses are often calculated, as he explains when describing how actors make themselves cry on command - through technical tricks like holding their eyes open or recalling specific memories on demand. Hannah's profession as a bodyguard similarly requires her to suppress her authentic self, though in different ways. As a security professional, she must maintain constant vigilance while appearing relaxed, remain emotionally detached while showing appropriate social warmth, and prioritize her client's safety over her own emotional needs. Her deliberately unassuming appearance - practical clothing, minimal makeup, subtle body language - is an asset precisely because it allows her to blend seamlessly into backgrounds. When she's forced to play Jack's girlfriend, she must step into an unfamiliar role that challenges everything about her carefully constructed professional facade. The fake relationship premise brilliantly explores this theme by forcing both characters to navigate the increasingly blurry boundaries between performance and authenticity. Their staged displays of affection - Jack wrapping his arm around Hannah's waist in public, their choreographed kisses for cameras, Hannah's practiced laughs at his jokes - gradually evolve into genuine moments of connection. Small gestures become loaded with dual meanings: a protective hand on the small of her back serves both their cover story and expresses real care. As Connie perceptively observes about Jack's supposed acting: "He's not that good an actor" - suggesting that his feelings have transcended mere performance. The theme reaches its emotional culmination when Jack must pretend to reject Hannah to protect her life. His cruel performance - claiming their entire connection was merely "acting" to cure his boredom - is so convincing precisely because he draws on real emotions and vulnerabilities. This pivotal moment highlights the dangerous power of performance - how easily it can be weaponized to hurt those we care about - while simultaneously demonstrating Jack's ultimate willingness to sacrifice his own happiness and reputation for Hannah's safety. The scene underscores how the lines between performance and reality have become hopelessly entangled for both characters.

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Chapter 7

Finding Love Through Vulnerability

Hannah and Jack's journey toward love is fundamentally about learning to be vulnerable. Both characters begin the story heavily armored against emotional connection - Hannah through her calculated professional detachment and meticulous control over her consulting business, and Jack through his carefully constructed celebrity persona and self-imposed exile at his Montana ranch. Their initial interactions are marked by wariness and performative engagement, each playing a role they believe the other expects. Their defenses gradually lower through shared experiences that create cracks in their carefully maintained facades. Jack's raw confessions about his recurring nightmares of Drew's death - the way he wakes up sweating, convinced he could have prevented the accident - reveal the depth of his survivor's guilt. Hannah's painful recollections of her father's abandonment, including the birthday parties he missed and the graduation he skipped, demonstrate how deeply childhood wounds can shape adult relationships. These vulnerabilities create genuine intimacy that transcends their initially fake relationship, transforming rehearsed interactions into authentic moments of connection. Hannah's journey toward vulnerability proves particularly powerful and transformative. When her ex-fiance Robby cruelly assessed that she "wouldn't let him in," his words contained an uncomfortable truth - she had never truly opened herself to love before Jack. Her professional life as a crisis consultant has kept her perpetually moving between clients and cities, too busy to acknowledge her loneliness. Her personal life has been marked by a pattern of abandonment and betrayal, from her father's departure to Robby's infidelity, leading her to build emotional walls so high they became nearly impenetrable. Jack's journey involves the complex task of reconciling his public and private selves. His overwhelming guilt over Drew's death has led him to punish himself through isolation, while his fame has created an invisible but persistent barrier between himself and authentic connection. With Hannah, he gradually finds someone who sees beyond his carefully crafted celebrity image to his true self - his endearing quirks like attempting (and failing at) basketball shots into the garbage can, his bizarre habit of sneezing into his shirt, or his secret passion for rescue animals. Their love story culminates in a profound mutual recognition of each other's authentic selves. Jack describes Hannah as "real," comparing her to the "after" version of his mother's restored antique dolls - genuine, imperfect, and all the more beautiful for it. He feels inexplicably drawn to her, wanting to memorize her "like a song," and experiencing, for the first time, the sensation of being found after a lifetime of feeling lost. Hannah, in turn, learns to see herself through Jack's loving gaze - to appreciate her own worth beyond her professional accomplishments and recognize that love isn't something passively received but actively chosen and nurtured through daily acts of courage and vulnerability.

Chapter 8

A Life Worth Living: Finding Purpose Through Connection

The epilogue weaves together multiple character arcs that demonstrate how adversity and loss can lead to profound personal transformation. Wilbur's post-prison journey proves particularly compelling - he channels his remorse into positive action by founding "Make It Better Birdhouses," a company that employs former inmates and advocates for responsible gun ownership. His business motto, "Make the birdhouse you wish to see in the world," becomes more than just clever wordplay - it represents his philosophy of transforming pain into purpose. The company grows to employ over fifty people and partners with conservation groups across three states. Jack's transformation manifests through deliberate life changes that prioritize meaning over success. His One Movie a Year rule allows him to maintain his career while creating space for what truly matters. Returning to his roots at the family ranch, he collaborates with Hank and Doc to complete Drew's unfinished boat - a project that becomes both memorial and meditation. The Drew Stapleton Texas-in-the-Wild Brazos River Bottom Nature Preserve & Wildlife Center emerges as his most significant legacy, protecting over 10,000 acres of pristine habitat. His daily ritual of doing something good in Drew's memory ranges from small acts of kindness to major philanthropic initiatives, always accompanied by his quiet mantra: "This is for you, Drew. Miss you, buddy." Hannah's evolution parallels Jack's, as she redefines success on her own terms. She continues her photojournalism but limits herself to one meaningful assignment annually, coordinating with Jack's schedule to maintain their connection. Their wedding at the ranch becomes a testament to authenticity over pretense - featuring honeysuckle and bougainvillea bouquets gathered from the property, speckled feather boutonnieres representing Drew's love of birdwatching, and beaded safety pin keepsakes that honor Hannah's grandmother's crafting tradition. Connie's philosophical perspective on mortality adds depth to the narrative's exploration of meaning. She argues that death's presence in our lives - whether immediate or abstract - serves as life's greatest teacher, pushing us toward authenticity and away from superficial concerns. This wisdom threads throughout the story, highlighting how facing our mortality can lead to more genuine connections and purposeful living. The novel's examination of love through Hannah and Jack's relationship challenges conventional romantic ideals. Their connection deepens not despite their imperfections but because of their willingness to be vulnerable with each other. Jack's gift lies in his ability to see beyond surface flaws to recognize potential in others - whether in business ventures or personal relationships. Hannah discovers that true intimacy comes from being fully known and accepted, flaws and all. Their story suggests that authentic connection requires dropping pretenses and allowing ourselves to be truly seen. In a culture increasingly dominated by carefully curated social media personas and professional brands, the novel's emphasis on genuine connection offers a powerful counternarrative. It suggests that our most meaningful relationships and lasting impact come not from perfecting our public image but from embracing our authentic selves - complete with all our messy complexities and imperfections.

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Key Themes in the The Bodyguard Summary

fake dating trope
female executive protection
celebrity family secrets
overcoming professional burnout
grief and healing

Best Quotes from the The Bodyguard Summary

brain over brawn.
change stereotypes about female bodyguards.
enemies-to-lovers story with a bodyguard twist
magnetic pull of Jack's charisma
real love happens when we're seen for who we truly are

Characters in the The Bodyguard Summary

Hannah BrooksAn unassuming but highly skilled bodyguard
Jack StapletonA famous Hollywood actor facing family tragedy
GlennHannah's mentor and boss at a security firm
RobbyHannah's ex-boyfriend who breaks up with her
Hank StapletonJack's estranged brother and ranch manager

About the Author

Katherine Sherar Pannill Center is the New York Times bestselling author of The Bodyguard and a leading voice in contemporary romantic fiction. Born in Houston, Texas in 1972, Center has been called "the reigning queen of comfort reads" by BookPage, crafting what she describes as "laugh-and-cry books" that blend personal growth with love stories.

With a degree from Vassar College (where she won the Fiction Prize) and an M.A. from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program, Center brings literary depth to the romantic comedy genre.

The Bodyguard debuted at #11 on the New York Times bestseller list and explores themes of grief, self-worth, and unexpected love through the story of a female executive protection agent who must pose as her famous client's girlfriend. Center is the author of twelve novels, including the bestsellers Things You Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away. Her work has been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and two of her novels—The Lost Husband and Happiness for Beginners—have been adapted into Netflix films, with the latter reaching the Global Top 10 in 81 countries.

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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco

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BeFreed Community

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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

See more on how BeFreed is discussed

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Chapter 3