Bodyguard romance books run on one rule: the person whose whole job is to keep you safe is the one person you can't have. Then they have to stand two feet away from you, all day, every day. With Guarding Stars, Netflix's take on Katherine Center's The Bodyguard, arriving November 18, a lot of readers are about to finish that book and go looking for the next one. Here are nine, sorted so you can pick by heat and setting.
The quick list
- The Bodyguard - Katherine Center (2022): she's the bodyguard, he's the movie star
- Twisted Games - Ana Huang (2022): the royal bodyguard and the princess
- Royally Endowed - Emma Chase (2017): royal security, played for laughs
- The Protector - Jodi Ellen Malpas (2019): ex-special forces, a real threat
- Girl Gone Viral - Alisha Rai (2020): her friend, her bodyguard, a viral mess
- Damaged Like Us - Krista and Becca Ritchie (2017): an MM bodyguard romance
- From Blood and Ash - Jennifer L. Armentrout (2020): the guard and the Maiden
- A Taste of Gold and Iron - Alexandra Rowland (2022): a stern guard and an anxious prince
- Bound by Temptation - Cora Reilly (2015): a mafia soldier and the boss's sister-in-law
Bodyguard romance books at a glance
| Book | Setting | Heat | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bodyguard | Texas ranch, rom-com | Closed-door | Role reversal, fake dating |
| Twisted Games | European royalty | Spicy | Grumpy protector, forbidden |
| Royally Endowed | Royal rom-com | Steamy | Banter |
| The Protector | Contemporary suspense | Steamy | A threat that feels real |
| Girl Gone Viral | Contemporary | Steamy | Friends to lovers |
| Damaged Like Us | Celebrity family, MM | Steamy | Two men who refuse to back down |
| From Blood and Ash | Romantasy | Spicy | Forbidden, big twists |
| A Taste of Gold and Iron | Queer fantasy court | Slow burn | Devotion, quiet intensity |
| Bound by Temptation | Mafia | Spicy, dark | Danger and loyalty |
The best bodyguard romance books
1. The Bodyguard - Katherine Center
The one that started your search. Hannah is the professional, Jack is the movie star who needs protecting, and his family thinks she's his girlfriend. It's warm, funny and closed-door, and it's the book Guarding Stars is built on. If you want the author's whole shelf, our Katherine Center books in order guide has it.
2. Twisted Games - Ana Huang
Rhys Larsen is the bodyguard, Princess Bridget is the job, and he has rules about exactly that. The most-recommended modern pick, much spicier than Center, and the reason a lot of BookTok searches for the trope at all. It's also the gateway book on our mafia romance list, though Rhys is security, not mob.
3. Royally Endowed - Emma Chase
Logan St. James runs royal security, and Ellie Hammond, whose sister married into the royal family, is a problem he can't file a report on. Lighter and sillier than Huang, with the same palace walls.
4. The Protector - Jodi Ellen Malpas
Jake Sharp, a former soldier carrying his own damage, is hired to protect Camille Logan, and the danger here is not a plot device. Pick this one if you want the suspense to be as real as the attraction.
5. Girl Gone Viral - Alisha Rai
Katrina goes viral against her will and hides out with Jas, her friend and her bodyguard. The protector trope at its gentlest: he's guarding her calm as much as her safety.
6. Damaged Like Us - Krista and Becca Ritchie
Farrow Keene is the new bodyguard, Maximoff Hale is the famous heir who doesn't want one, and neither of them gives an inch. The best-known MM take on the trope.
7. From Blood and Ash - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Poppy is the Maiden, Hawke is the guard assigned to her, and the forbidden part is only the start. The romantasy version of the trope, with twists that are better unspoiled; our From Blood and Ash series order keeps them that way.
8. A Taste of Gold and Iron - Alexandra Rowland
Evemer becomes the bodyguard to Prince Kadou, who lives with crushing anxiety, in a court full of conspiracies. Slow, devoted and quietly intense, for readers who like the longing more than the heat.
9. Bound by Temptation - Cora Reilly
Liliana and Romero, in the Born in Blood mafia world: he's the soldier who guarded her sister Aria, she's the boss's sister-in-law and off-limits, and everyone around them is dangerous. The darkest pick here.
Why are bodyguard romances so addictive?
Because the trope builds tension into the job description. A bodyguard has to stay close and can't get closer, has to notice everything and say nothing. Every scene is forced proximity with a rule attached, and the whole book is waiting for the rule to break. The best ones also give the protector a reason to be afraid of losing you, which is why "I'm not leaving" lands so hard.
Is The Bodyguard by Katherine Center spicy?
No. It's closed-door, with kissing on the page and everything else off it. If you finish it wanting more heat, Twisted Games and The Protector are the natural next steps; if you want the same warmth, try Girl Gone Viral.
What to read before Guarding Stars
Read The Bodyguard itself first, because Netflix moves the story to a Montana ranch at Christmas, and half the fun is spotting what changed. Then, if you're in a holiday mood, our Christmas romance books list picks up from there.
You know the drop after a book like this: the door closes, the job is over, and he's gone. That gap is the whole reason Swoony exists: romance and nothing else, closed-door and unhurried, a relationship that grows across five stages. Start with the bodyguard who swore to protect you, or the one with a body count who's very calm about it.
He's still on duty after the last page.
Lists we checked against: Book Riot and She Reads Romance Books.
