Set between the glitter of Hollywood and the wide-open comfort of a Texas ranch, The Bodyguard follows a by-the-book protection agent assigned to a movie star who has shut himself off from the world. As a fake-dating cover story blurs into a real relationship, the cast grapples with grief, betrayal, and the hard work of trusting again. Through family bonds and second chances, the novel turns danger and secrecy into a story about healing.
Main Characters
Hannah Brooks
Hannah Brooks is the novel’s wry, hyper-competent narrator—and a top Executive Protection Agent—tasked with keeping movie star Jack Stapleton safe while posing as his girlfriend. Reeling from her mother’s death and a brutal breakup, she starts off emotionally locked down, channeling everything into work and the precision of combat, surveillance, and threat assessment—“like a shark” who can’t stop moving (Chapter 1-5 Summary). Her professionalism collides with real intimacy as time with Jack and his close-knit family forces her to reconsider old defenses, especially after betrayals by Robby and Taylor leave her isolated. With Jack’s gentleness and Connie’s warmth as catalysts, Hannah learns to read her own heart as well as she reads a room, redefining strength as the courage to stay, trust, and love.
Jack Stapleton
Jack Stapleton is a charismatic A-lister whose fame hides a two-year retreat from public life after the death of his younger brother, Drew. He returns to the family ranch for his mother Connie’s cancer surgery and reluctantly accepts Hannah’s protection, meeting her guardedness with humor, patience, and perceptive kindness. Jack’s guilt over Drew—and open conflict with his older brother, Hank—have frozen him in grief; allowing Hannah in compels him to confront the past. When the truth behind the accident surfaces, he lets go of self-punishment, begins to reconcile with Hank, and chooses a future grounded not in image but in family, honesty, and love.
Supporting Characters
Glenn Schultz
Glenn Schultz is the blunt, unsentimental head of the protection agency and Hannah’s demanding boss. His tough-love decision to place her on the Stapleton detail catalyzes the plot, and beneath his bark is a mentor who recognizes Hannah’s talent and pushes her toward the life she’s avoiding. He embodies the job’s no-nonsense ethic while quietly advocating for her growth.
Robby
Robby is Hannah’s coworker and ex, a sleek, insecure showman who dumps her at her lowest—rationalizing it with “deal-breakers,” including calling her a “bad kisser” (Chapter 1-5 Summary). Petty and jealous when he sees her thriving, he tries to undermine her assignment and later backpedals for attention. His superficiality and emotional immaturity mark the standard Hannah rejects as she claims her worth.
Taylor
Taylor is Hannah’s best friend and colleague who begins dating Robby almost immediately after his breakup with Hannah, a betrayal that shatters their friendship. Her remorse surfaces only after Robby discards her too, prompting an attempt at reconciliation that never fully restores trust (Chapter 21-25 Summary). Taylor’s arc underscores the cost of unsteady loyalties—and the uneasy space of a fragile truce.
Connie Stapleton
Connie Stapleton is Jack’s warm, perceptive mother, whose cancer diagnosis brings him home. As the family’s emotional center, she spots the authenticity beneath Jack and Hannah’s “fake” cover almost immediately and gently midwives the family’s healing. Her resilience and steady affection give both Jack and Hannah the safety to be honest.
Hank Stapleton
Hank Stapleton is Jack’s older brother, a hardworking ranch manager whose grief curdles into anger at Jack. Their estrangement fuels the story’s central family conflict until the truth about Drew’s death reframes Hank’s blame as sorrow and regret, opening the door to reconciliation (Chapter 21-25 Summary). His thaw signals the family’s wider path back to one another.
Drew Stapleton
Drew Stapleton, the youngest brother, appears through memories as the family’s affectionate peacemaker. His death casts a long shadow over Jack and Hank, and the secret surrounding the accident traps Jack in guilt. When that truth is finally named, Drew’s memory shifts from burden to blessing, allowing the family to grieve fully and heal.
Minor Characters
Doc Stapleton
Doc Stapleton is Jack’s gentle, retired-veterinarian father, a steady, loving presence whose quiet devotion anchors the family.
Kennedy Monroe
Kennedy Monroe is a glamorous actress and Jack’s PR “girlfriend,” a polished facade that highlights the novel’s Appearance vs. Reality theme and contrasts with Hannah’s grounded authenticity.
Wilbur Bayless
Wilbur Bayless begins as an ominous online threat but emerges as a grief-stricken husband whose wife abandoned him for a fantasy of Jack; his confrontation with Jack and Hannah becomes unexpectedly humane and restorative (Chapter 31-33 Summary).
Character Relationships & Dynamics
At the heart of the novel is the slow-burn bond between Hannah and Jack: a faux romance designed for safety that becomes a sanctuary for honesty. He coaxes warmth from beneath her armor with humor and steady kindness, while she offers him protection that goes beyond the physical, challenging his isolation and guilt. Their partnership reframes vulnerability as mutual strength—and turns a staged cover into the real thing.
The Stapleton family operates as both haven and crucible. Connie’s love sets the emotional tone; Doc models quiet constancy; Hank’s anger personifies grief; and Drew’s memory is the fault line they must cross. As the brothers confront the truth, blame gives way to mourning and, finally, to forgiveness—drawing Hannah into a version of family she’s never known and teaching Jack that love can survive even unbearable loss.
Workplace and professional ties complicate Hannah’s personal journey. Glenn’s tough mentorship pushes her toward growth she resists, while Robby and Taylor’s betrayal confirms her worst fears about intimacy. Moving from that bruised isolation into the Stapletons’ warmth—and into Jack’s trust—marks the turning point of her arc.
Around the edges, image-makers and outsiders test what’s real. Kennedy embodies Hollywood optics, spotlighting the tension between brand and authenticity, while Wilbur’s storyline recasts “threat” as wounded humanity. Together, these dynamics sort the cast into revealing constellations—family (the Stapletons), work (Glenn, Robby, Taylor), and public image (Kennedy, Wilbur)—and show how genuine connection ultimately outlasts performance, fear, and grief.