The Best Bodyguard Romance Books You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

Discover the best bodyguard romance books you won’t be able to put down in this book list! If you’re a fan of this forbidden romance book trope, then do I have the books for you.

These are the best bodyguard romance books worth reading that every romance book reader needs to check out and add to their TBR list.

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The bodyguard romance book trope is a popular one that hits all the boxes for me.

Hot, alpha male – check!

Strong chemistry – check!

Forbidden but undeniable romance – check!

I mean who could blame Whitney Houston’s character in The Bodyguard for falling for Kevin Costner?

He just oozed this confidence and masculinity that later transferred into the bedroom once the line was crossed between business and pleasure.

Why I Love Bodyguard Romance Books

Strong, Alpha Males

It’s honestly a toss-up whether I fall for bodyguard romance books each and every time because of the strong hero or the forbidden nature of their longing.

It sort of goes with the territory that a bodyguard exhibits alpha male traits. He’s observant, physically fit, and focused – all characteristics that I’d gladly welcome in a book boyfriend.

Forbidden Romance

Bodyguard romance books sort of straddle that line with office romance and forbidden romance because the bodyguard is NOT supposed to fall for the person he’s (or she’s) protecting.

If that boundary were to be crossed, not only would this call into question one’s professionalism but it would also jeopardize their ability to stay focused on the job and protect the one they’re falling for.

I just love the tension that this causes from both parties – the bodyguard and the protected – because it creates the best chemistry until it just can’t be ignored or denied.

Do you feel me?

If you love bodyguard romance books just as much as me, or maybe want to dip your toe into this trope, I’ve got you covered.

What’s in This Book List of Bodyguard Romance Books

This book list has everything you could want when it comes to finding the best bodyguard romance books worth reading.

It includes my favorites as well as a good variety spanning, contemporary romance, new adult romance, historical romance, and MM romance.

You’ll even find a few female bodyguard romance books and a novella as well.

Want to share your favorite bodyguard romance books with me? Let me know in the comments below!

My Favorite Bodyguard Romance Books

Royally Endowed
by Emma Chase

A Royal Bodyguard Romance Book

For years, Ellie has had a crush on the intense, protective royal security guard, Logan St. James, but she doesn’t think he ever saw her, not really.

To Logan, Ellie was just part of the job—a relative of the royal family he’d sworn to protect. Now, at 22 years old and fresh out of college, she’s determined to find a real-life happily ever after.

Logan St. James grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, but these days, he covers his tattoos and scars with a respectable suit.

He’s loyal, brave, and pining for the one woman he wants. For years he’s watched over her, protected her, had dreams of her.

But beautiful Ellie Hammond’s off-limits. Everybody knows the bodyguard rules: Never lose focus, never let them out of your sight, and never, ever fall in love.

This bodyguard romance has the best tension and it was just so, so good! It’s got a slow burn kind -of vibe because Logan and Ellie have known each other since she was in high school.

But now that she’s older and ready to find her special someone, the chemistry between them finally boils over and it was perfect.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best bodyguard romance books worth reading.

You don’t have to read the previous books in the Royally series as this is a standalone, but I recommend it because they are just as wonderful.

The Mogul and the Muscle
by Claire Kingsley

A Female Billionaire Bodyguard Romance Book

Cameron Whitbury—billionaire aerospace mogul—can engineer her way out of any problem. But a potential scandal and attempted mugging has her hiring Jude Ellis as her bodyguard to appease her friends.

With the threat against Cameron heating up, it’s best to keep things strictly professional between her and the hottie, right?!

This was my first Claire Kingsley book and it blew me away. I absolutely loved Cameron who is this confident heroine but I adored Jude who is the silent, hot bodyguard type that I can’t get enough of.

I loved all the banter and the chemistry that sizzled between this aerospace mogul, female billionaire and motorcycle riding bodyguard.

It’s definitely one the best bodyguard romance books I’d recommend.

Moonlighter
by Sarina Bowen

A Hockey Player Bodyguard Romance Book

I’m at the height of my athletic career. Yet my arrogant brother is always trying to recruit me into the family business: a global security company. 

I always pass, but then he ambushes me with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy girl I knew when we were kids. Now she’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.

So, guess who’s on a flight to Hawaii? It’s going to be a long week in paradise. My job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing me with her tiny bikinis. Or maybe we’re torturing each other.

It’s all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And this jock must become her major league protector.

This book delivered so much. I’d call it a friends-to-lovers story between businesswoman and bodyguard with a bit of corporate espionage and suspense wrapped up in the perfect fake relationship angst. How can you pass that up?!

This was also a really sweet story as Alex is juggling a pregnancy when she finds herself in danger, but Eric, though reluctantly, steps up to help.

I loved their connection which builds from childhood memories they both share together. This is definitely one of my favorite bodyguard romance books! My Review.

The Plan
by Karla Sorensen

A Fake Relationship Bodyguard Romance Book

I don’t recommend fake dating your bodyguard. Especially if he’s like Erik Wilder: former football player, world-class know-it-all and unapologetic grump.

Erik’s words might say that the lines have to stay firm between us, but those dark eyes of his? They tell another story when he looks at me.

He’s just as stubborn as I am, but when our fake dating plan starts to feel a lot more real, it’s only a matter of time before his professional walls come crashing down.

This is a fun, good read. It’s a bodyguard romance that then morphs into a fake relationship romance that pushes Lydia and Erik even closer together.

I love strong heroines in my romance books and I enjoyed Lydia’s transition to move past a traumatic event.  

Erik is actually going through his own struggles but finds his way through them with Lydia’s help. Overall, this was a great bodyguard romance book that I’d recommend.

One Time Only
by Lauren Blakely

A Rock Star, MM Bodyguard Romance Book

I’m the bodyguard tasked with protecting Stone. Nowhere in my job description does it say I should lust after the hot rock star. But one night we combust and there’s no going back.

Not only is this a wonderful, HOT bodyguard romance book, but it fit my love of rock star romance books and MM romances as well. Yes!

The growing tension between Stone and Jackson was intense at the beginning that I was just chomping at the bit for them to give in to their desires.

Once they did (and of course one time only was not enough) it was on and had all the steaminess I expect from Blakely.

You won’t be sorry picking up this bodyguard romance book! My Review.

From Blood and Ash
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Fantasy Bodyguard Romance Book

Poppy’s life has never been her own. As the Maiden, the future of the kingdom rests on her shoulders, and she is to remain untouched, in solitary, until the day of her Ascension.

But when Hawke takes up the post as her Royal Guard, she begins to question her duty and the desire that he has awoken.

As tensions among the Desenters rise and attacks on the kingdom increase, Poppy is at risk of failing the gods, denying her destiny and possibly losing her life or her heart.

I’m including this on the list because I loved this book so much even though it’s so much more than a bodyguard romance book. But if this hook is what gets you to read it, you won’t be sorry.

It’s actually one of my favorite fantasy romance books and series, but the love interest does start off as a bodyguard romance.

Poppy is The Maiden and is to be protected when danger finds its way into the castle. As she escapes with her new bodyguard, she may not be escaping danger but finding it anew.

Definitely give this one a read. You won’t regret it. My Review.

Shared by Her Bodyguards
by Cassie Cole

Reverse Harem Bodyguard Romance Book

When a young senator is threatened, she needs to be protected. Why settle for one bodyguard when you could have three?

A Capital Policeman, a Secret Service agent and a man with whom she already has a secret history – what more could a presidential hopeful want?

Why read a bodyguard romance book with one bodyguard when you could read one with three?!

I loved the political angle to this romance where we have a woman senator running for the top office.

Despite being in the public eye and starting the biggest campaign of her life, she’s getting it on with not one but three bodyguards.

If you like reverse harem books or just love a good political story, check out this bodyguard romance book.

Twisted Games
by Ana Huang

A Royal Bodyguard Romance Book

Stoic, broody, and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules: Protect his clients at all costs and do not become emotionally involved. Ever.

He has never once been tempted to break those rules…until her.

Bridget von Ascheberg is a princess who dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.

But when her brother abdicates, she’s suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted.

And as she navigates the intricacies—and treacheries—of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can’t have. Her bodyguard. Her protector. Her ultimate ruin.

This is a great bodyguard romance book featuring a royal with a wonderful slow burn love story.

Though the attraction is immediate between Rhys and Bridget, they both push past their connection to maintain their professional relationship until Bridget is at the precipice of a huge life change.

The slow burn almost got achingly slow as the years go on, but once the line is crossed these two were really hot! My Review.

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More Bodyguard Romance Books to Read

The Protector
by Jodi Ellen Malpas

A Bodyguard Romance Book Made into a Movie

People think they have Camille Logan nailed, but Camille is determined to have a life free from her father’s strings.  

Now, after fighting so hard to be independent and happy, she finds her life threatened as a result of her father’s ruthless business dealings.

Caught between resentment and fear, Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. But nothing could prepare her for Jake Sharp.

Jake was distracted from duty once before, and the consequences were devastating–both personally and professionally. He vowed never to let that happen again.

Accepting the job of bodyguard to Camille Logan isn’t the kind of distraction from his demons he should take. But Jake soon discovers that she isn’t the woman she’s perceived to be.

He needs absolution. He comes to need Camille. But he knows he can’t have both.

I love it when the person who needs protect tries to evade their bodyguard in bodyguard romance books. It almost adds to the tension that is strongly building between both characters.

Jake is your alpha bodyguard who tries really hard to maintain that professional boundary but ultimately fails.

This bodyguard romance book also mixes a good amount of suspense into the story if you’re a fan of romantic suspense.

The best part? After reading this bodyguard romance book, check it out on the small screen on Passionflix!

The Royals Next Door
by Karina Halle

A Royal Bodyguard Romance Book

Piper Evans lives a quiet life in the tight-knit island community that still sees her, five years in, as an outsider. That is until a prince and princess with their brooding bodyguard move in next door.

Harrison Cole may be hot, but he immediately deems Piper a security threat.

Too bad that their constant run-ins show that underneath Harrison’s no-nonsense exterior lies a soft heart that tempts Piper into believing that maybe white knights do exist.

This bodyguard romance book made my best summer reads of 2021 list as it sounded too perfect for the summer season but I’d pick it up any time of year.

I love how this rom-com puts a different twist on the bodyguard romance as Piper isn’t the person Harrison is tasked to protect, but she sure does prove to be a threat to his heart.

I love how their constant run-ins and needling push them closer, even when a scandal erupts.

Guarding Temptation
by Talia Hibbert

A Bodyguard Romance Book Novella

James Foster knows the rules: you don’t fall for your best friend’s little sister. Nina is too young, too reckless, and too busy saving the world to be tied down by the commitment he craves.

If he was smart, he’d stop wanting her. But she’s the one thing on earth James just can’t quit.

Political campaigner Nina Chapman is sick of one-time things. She wants forever, and she wants it with her brother’s best friend.

So when a controversial article lands Nina in hot water, she finds herself under his protection and under his roof.

So there’s really no choice but to include a book that the author describes as fast, fluffy, and filthy. 😊

If you just want to dip your toes into the bodyguard romance book waters, then check out this novella about a radical, leftist heroine and her over-protective hero.

Plus it’s a great fix for those who love the best friend’s little sister trope too!

Tempting Fate
by Kerrigan Byrne

A Historical Bodyguard Romance Book

Disfigured in fighting pits as a lad, Gabriel Sauvageau has lived his entire life without the touch of a woman.

As the brains and brawn behind London’s most ferocious smuggling syndicate, he knows he doesn’t deserve shy, bespectacled Felicity Goode. But that doesn’t stop him from watching her. Guarding her. 

Shy and anxious Felicity Goode has vowed never to become a bride since she can’t bring herself to share a simple conversation with a man without trembling and stuttering.

Once news of her obscene inheritance circulates through the ton, she is barraged not only by a slew of suitors, but also several distressing threats against her life. 

What she needs is a bodyguard. The large, scarred ruffian she finds on her stoop is exactly what she has been looking for. So why does his presence make her tremble in ways that have nothing to do with fear? 

I’m a sucker for historical romance so the fact that Byrne has combined this category of romance with a bodyguard romance book sounds like heaven.

Bodyguard romance books already have this thrilling, underlying tension to maintain a professional relationship once feelings develop.

Heroes and heroines may even be less likely to act upon their feelings in any overt way in this type of relationship in historical novels (especially where the hero is a virgin!) so I’m expecting some great build-up in their chemistry.

I also love a great, opposites attract love story so I can’t wait to see how Gabriel and Felicity finally succumb to their attraction.

Mister Bodyguard
by Lauren Rowe

A Contemporary Bodyguard Romance Book

My buddies laughed when I told them about my ridiculous new job. They figured three months on a tour with a world-famous beauty, glued to her hip, would have me crossing the line.

But I’m a professional and I won’t touch her. That is until I go and fall for the girl.

Why wouldn’t I want to read a book that’s all about a bodyguard, a beauty, and a bet?

This is another bodyguard romance book where the heroine wants nothing to do with the bodyguard from the start but we know how quickly those feelings can change! 😊

Damaged Like Us
by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

An MM Bodyguard Romance Book

Maximoff Hale is headstrong, resilient, and wholly responsible. The twenty-two-year-old alpha billionaire can handle his unconventional life, having been born into one of the most famous families in the country.

When he’s assigned a new bodyguard, he comes face-to-face with the worst case scenario: being attached to the tattooed, MMA-trained, Yale graduate who fills Maximoff’s fantasies.

Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene has one job: protect Maximoff Hale. But when feelings surface, protecting the hot, stubborn celebrity becomes increasingly complicated.

Together, boundaries blur, and being exposed could mean catastrophic consequences for both.

This is another bodyguard romance book that will appeal to MM romance fans! Moffy’s new bodyguard happens to be his childhood crush which will definitely make things a bit awkward, trying to hide his attraction.

Pick this book up if you’re a fan of Ritchie’s Addicted series or if you’re looking for something in the MM category.

Nobody Does It Better
by Lexi Blake

A Hollywood Bodyguard Romance Book With Female Bodyguard

Kayla Summers was an elite CIA double agent, working inside China’s MSS. Now, she works for McKay-Taggart London, but the Agency isn’t quite done with her.

She’s now tasked to enter Hollywood’s glamorous and dangerous party scene to shadow a movie star hunk. When she finds herself in his bed, she realizes she’s not only risking her life, but her heart.

Joshua Hunt is a legend of the silver screen. But after being betrayed more than once, he keeps his relationships transactional, and that’s how he likes it, until he meets his new bodyguard.

She was supposed to keep him safe, and satisfied when necessary, but now he’s realizing he may never be able to get enough of her.

Lexi Blake, how do you come up with your story ideas?!

This bodyguard romance books looks to have so much to unpack given a female, CIA double agent is tasked to go undercover as a submissive girlfriend/bodyguard for a Hollywood A-lister who may have ties with a Mexican cartel. Wow!

Yeah, I’m all in on this one, especially with a female at the helm.

The Bodyguard
by Katherine Center

A Fake Relationship Bodyguard Romance Book with Female Bodyguard

Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than a bodyguard. Her latest assignment:  protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton.

Jack Stapleton has been out of the public eye and off the grid, but when his mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out.

Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about the danger following him or his bodyguard. That’s why Hannah finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover.

But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak.

Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

This may be the perfect bodyguard romance book for those who enjoy more “closed door” romances.

Let’s all swoon for the man who wants to be there for his mother while she’s going through cancer treatments.

Then let’s cheer for the heroine made as the bada$$ who can protect our hero with something as benign as a butter knife. I love it and am all in.

Protector for Hire
by Tanya Finske

A Forced Proximity Bodyguard Romance Book

Haunted by his time in Iraq, former soldier Schwartz Patton goes off the grid, retreating deep into Montana’s untamed wilderness.

Now, ten years into his self-imposed solitude, his brother tracks him down and asks for a favor. A woman is in danger, and she needs help, and Schwartz is the only one who can protect her.

Designer-loving city girls like Janelle Keebler don’t belong in the wilderness. Unless she’s a witness to a crime committed by her ex-husband.

Still, Janelle can’t help the immediate physical response she has to her protector that leaves her wanting more than she could have ever imagined.

I have a sweet spot for heroes who have troubled souls and that seems to be the case for ex-soldier Schwartz.

I mean the man has lived by himself for over ten years in a remote cabin in Montana. Now a woman in need is coming to stay with him?

Cue the heat with this forced proximity, bodyguard romance book that I can’t wait to read.

Wild Spirit
by Audrey Carlan

A Bodyguard Romance Book with Suspense

When I lost my parents, I ended up in Kerrighan House, a home for girls just like me—girls who’d lost everything.

Mama Kerri took me in and treated me with nothing but love, as did the rest of my sisters of the soul. In that house, we formed a bond that could never be broken.

Now danger seems to follow all of us. But what danger could come to me: a petite, high-school Spanish teacher who’d never hurt a fly?

The only one on my tail is Omar Alvarado, the bodyguard hired to protect me from the danger lurking around my sisters.

The more I shun his advances though, the harder he tries to earn my favor.

I kind of love how the bodyguard in this romance has no problem sharing his feelings from day one.

Plus, I’m a sucker for a girl squad who always has your back. Queue up the Sisters of Soul for me in this hot bodyguard romance book.

Booty Call
by Ainsley Booth

A Virgin Bodyguard Romance Book

Alison Dashford Reid wants three things for her twenty-first birthday: a trip to New York City, a break from her steeped-in-scandal family, and for her sister’s much older bodyguard to take her virginity.

Scott Mayfair—ex-Navy SEAL, ex-spy—doesn’t like losing control of his life. So when his accounts are locked after a dust up with the British Government, he gets a job running security where Ali Reid twirls into his life.

She’s lovely and light, pure goodness, and is bent on seducing him. His life is complicated to say the least. But when she texts him at four in the morning, he can’t say no.

Not going to lie, the title of this bodyguard romance book is all it took to sell me on it.

I like a heroine who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. Seducing the bodyguard with a late-night text, bring it! I have a feeling Scott isn’t going to have any chance of resisting her in this one.

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