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The Bodyguard audiobook vs book: which should you choose?

Hannah Brooks, a bodyguard, is hired to protect a film star at his family’s ranch, where she has to pretend to be his girlfriend.

Read vs Listen·Verdict last reviewed 30 October 2026·5 min read
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Short answer: for The Bodyguard audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (100% confidence, clear cut). The story stays in Hannah’s first person, and All About Romance calls Patti Murin’s narration superb, with fantastic comic timing. Nothing confirmed points to print.

The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. See how we decide in full →

Listen on Audible

One first-person voice and praised comic narration: everything confirmed points to audio.

Definitely readDefinitely listen
100%
Listen
Listen on AudibleOur pick · 9h 44m, read by Patti MurinKindle edition320 pages (UK Orion paperback)

Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.

Confidence 100%, which puts it in the clear cut band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.

The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorPatti MurinPatti Murin
Length9 hours 44 minutes (9h 44m), unabridged9 hours 44 minutes (9h 44m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 6h 29mabout 6h 29m
At 2xabout 4h 52mabout 4h 52m
Audio publisher and dateMacmillan Audio, 19 July 2022Macmillan Audio, 19 July 2022
Audiobook price£14.37 on Audible UK$20.24 on Audible US
Kindle price£5.49 on Amazon UKNot confirmed
PrintOrion paperback, 320 pagesSt. Martin’s Press hardcover, 320 pages (paperback 336)
Listener ratingPerformance 4.60 from 42 ratingsPerformance 4.71 from 4,007 ratings

This is the only English recording. Audible UK and US list the same narrator, length and publisher; whether they sell one recording or two is not confirmed.

Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.

Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

The Bodyguard

Katherine Center

Genre
Romantic comedy
First published
2022
Length
320 pages (Orion paperback)
On audio
9 hrs 44 mins, Patti Murin
On screen
Guarding Stars, Netflix, 18 November 2026

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

Two criteria point to listening
✓
Single point of view and narratorAll About Romance (Kaetrin Allen) says it is “told from Hannah’s first person (past tense) point of view”, and Patti Murin reads all of it.
✓
Award-winning or praised narrationAll About Romance says “the narration is superb”, with “fantastic comedic timing”.
–
Full cast or produced audioPatti Murin reads it on her own, with no cast or music listed.
–
Read by the authorIt is a novel, read by a narrator rather than the author.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectIt has a contemporary US setting, with everyday names.
–
Long book320 pages in the UK Orion paperback and the US St. Martin’s hardcover, under 400.
No criteria point to reading
–
Three or more points of view, one narratorThere is one viewpoint, Hannah’s.
–
Story depends on images or layoutIt is a prose novel with nothing that depends on pictures or layout.
–
Many similar-sounding namesNo source reports confusable names.
–
Literary or dense prosePublishers Weekly calls it “fluffy”, and no named source calls the prose dense.
–
Narration criticisedThe Audible Performance rating is 4.71 from 4,007 ratings on Audible US and 4.60 from 42 on Audible UK, and no named critic criticises the narration.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesNone are listed.
–
Jumping timelinesReviews describe a straight story, but no source confirms it either way, so it does not count.
How the score adds up
Listening 13 points, reading 0

Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), award-winning or praised narration (6), 13 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 100% confidence (clear cut).

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Patti Murin, Macmillan Audio, 2022, 9h 44m, unabridged
Critic review
All About Romance: “the narration is superb”
Alternatives
None in English
What you miss
Nothing confirmed

What this book actually is

The Bodyguard is Katherine Center’s 2022 romantic comedy. Hannah Brooks, a bodyguard, is hired to protect a famous actor while he stays at his family’s Texas ranch, and has to pose as his girlfriend. The stalker’s identity and how the fake relationship ends are not covered here.

Netflix’s film, Guarding Stars, is due on Wednesday 18 November 2026, starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki and directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum (Netflix Tudum, 7 October 2026). The film moves the story to Montana at Christmas; the novel is not set at Christmas. Netflix has not confirmed a UK date. The book deals with bereavement, a parent’s cancer treatment and stalking.

The case for reading it

Nothing confirmed points to print. At 320 pages it is a quick read.

The case for listening to it

The whole book is Hannah’s first person, and one narrator keeps that single voice. All About Romance calls Patti Murin’s narration superb and singles out her comic timing.

At 9 hours 44 minutes it comes down to about 6 hours 29 minutes at 1.5x, which fits before the film on 18 November.

The audiobook in detail

Macmillan Audio publishes the unabridged recording, read by Patti Murin, at 9 hours 44 minutes on Audible UK and US (19 July 2022). It is the only English recording.

Patti Murin also reads In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. No PDF companion is listed.

Who should ignore this verdict

Lean towards print if you want to finish it in an evening or two before the film.

Get The Bodyguard
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.
Our pick

Audiobook

  • Read by Patti Murin
  • 9h 44m, or about 6h 29m at 1.5x
  • Unabridged; praised comic timing
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • 320 pages (UK Orion paperback)
  • A quick read before the film
Get the Kindle edition
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Related verdicts

Same verdict

In a Holidaze

Also read by Patti Murin.

Same verdict

Let It Snow

A separate narrator for each of the three stories, praised by Kirkus, with nothing confirmed that points to the page.

Different verdict

The Love Hypothesis

No criterion could be confirmed on either side, so neither format is favoured.

Opposite verdict

Heated Rivalry

A romance with the opposite pick.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates The Bodyguard audiobook?

Patti Murin, on both Audible UK and Audible US.

How long is it?

9 hours 44 minutes, or about 6 hours 29 minutes at 1.5x.

Is it abridged?

No, it is unabridged.

How many pages is The Bodyguard by Katherine Center?

320 in the UK Orion paperback and the US hardcover.

Is The Bodyguard being made into a film?

Yes: Guarding Stars, on Netflix from Wednesday 18 November 2026, starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki. Netflix has not confirmed a UK date.

Is The Bodyguard a Christmas book?

No. The film is set at Christmas, but the novel is set in Houston and on a Texas ranch.

Should I read or listen?

Listen, at 100%, clear cut. One first-person voice and praised comic narration.

Do you agree with this verdict?

We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.

How this verdict was reached

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.

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The BodyguardOur pick: listen · 100%
KindleListen on Audible