I liked the character of Birdie and enjoyed the subject matter of the book. The pacing however, felt off. It took a while to get into and would have preferred to stay in the past, as opposed to reflecting from 2018

thank you to netgalley and harlequin trade publishing for this advance reader e copy of the book.

while in many ways i felt kindred with birdie, she also frustrated me even in a readers perspective at times but overall i just felt heart broken for her- i wish that i would have had more of her thoughts and feelings that were less attached to their rock star boyfriend “unnamed”.


this was just overall not my favorite read but i am ever so grateful to have heard birdie’s story.

📖 Title: The Cover Girl-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Amy Rossi-debut author

📅Publication date: 8/5/25 | Read 6/9/25

📃 Format: eBook 384 pgs.

Genre:
*Adult Fic
*Historical Fic
*Contemporary

Tropes:
* coming of age
* the modeling world
* celebrity romance
*forbidden romance
*age gap

👆🏾POV: 1st person single

⚠️TW: SA/SH, child exploitation, AIDS crisis, drugs and alcohol, suicide attempt, cheating, mental health

🌎 Setting: Starts in Connecticut, NYC, Boston, LA dual timelines into the past 1975 to the present 2018

Summary: Elizabeth receives an invitation to Birdie's 50-year career as a modeling agent. As she contemplates whether to go, she recounts being discovered and living in the modeling culture with sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll.


👩🏾 Heroine: Birdie Rhodes/Elizabeth- from Connecticut, she is discovered in NYC at 13 and becomes one of Harriet's Girls modeling.

🎭 Other Characters:

* Harriet Goldman-Birdie's agent
*Birdie's parents-give over parental rights to The Rock Star
*The Rock Star-31, grooms and manipulates Birdie
*Lulu-befriends Birdie
*Debi-works with Harriet
*Azrian-a designer Birdie befriends

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a sad but intriguing look into the cutthroat modeling business. Birdie was apathetic and docile about everything that happened to her. From the grooming, harassment, and drug use, Birdie endured in silence. She was told to be seen not heard, so she kept quiet about everything. I mourned for her, but she was a true survivor.

Rating: 5/5 ✨
Spice level 2/5 🌶️

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing| MIRA, and Amy Rossi for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This poignant debut captures the haunting allure and quiet devastation of early fame with raw honesty and emotional depth. Birdie Rhodes is a compelling protagonist—vulnerable yet resilient—as the novel weaves between her glittering rise as a teenage model and the quiet aftermath decades later. The dual timeline structure works beautifully, revealing how the choices of youth echo far into adulthood. While some plot turns are familiar, the writing is thoughtful and nuanced, particularly in its exploration of power, consent, and the high cost of being “seen.” A bittersweet, atmospheric read that lingers well after the final page.

Thanks, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this early!

I really enjoyed this novel! It's perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins' Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (like me!) It's a beautifully written, intimate story of a young model finding her place in the world and facing the truth, beginning in the seventies and stretching through to 2018. The dual timeline structure created a sense of curiosity and added a meaningful dimension to the exploration of Byrdie's life and career. I learned a lot about the modeling industry over the decades, and felt for Byrdie as she navigated the world of high fashion and celebrity rock culture (via her much-older rock star boyfriend.) I felt moved by this deeply personal story and its captivating backdrop of glamour and grit. I'd love to read more by this author!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Cover Girl.. an incredibly haunting story of a young model in the 70s and 80s.

I felt so bad for Birdie. Her parents failed her, and honestly so did her manager. To usher a child into a modelling career and then allow her to be groomed by a rock star. It’s disturbing really.

What I appreciated most with this story was the older model realizing she was being groomed as a teen, and she did the best thing for herself by walking away.

It really was such a powerful story, and probably not far off from the truth of being a young model at that time. This book only loses one star because it was a bit of a slow read at times. I still really enjoyed the rawness of the book though. It could be a memoir in some ways.

This book reminded me of a sadder Toddlers and Tiaras sort if book. Betty interesting and would recommend if you like feeling all the emotions.

goddddd this one hurt in such a good way. birdie was just that girl that it became her downfall and I just overall feel so bad for her.

This is tough for me to review. I enjoyed The Cover Girl, but it also left me wanting. The only word I keep coming back to is heartbreaking. The storyline is broken into sections now 2018 and then 1975 - 1977, 1977 - 1978, 1978 - 1981, 1981 - 1987, and 1987 - 2000 with the 2018 sections interspersed between each past section. Rossi takes us behind the scenes of the modeling world, but more than that it’s the story of a very naive, young fifteen-year-old girl, Birdie Rhodes, who is essentially abandoned and left to fend for herself, taken advantage of for her looks and preyed upon by a man more than twice her age. All of this was ok because it was a “different time.”

I am just so conflicted about how to feel about Birdie and The Cover Girl. On the one hand I understand Birdie’s reluctance to do a deep dive into her past, because it sucked. But on the other, she’s lived life and wasn’t sheltered, she saw and did things. Birdie is just a broken shell of a person who sees no worth in herself except for how she looks. Sadly, this really never changes throughout the book, it ends with her in her mid-fifties. She just doesn’t move on or learn anything, and we’re supposed to be ok with that. There’s also an eighteen-year gap that’s never adequately addressed. Birdie is a case of extreme arrested development, and one she chose to continue living instead of addressing her issues head-on, until she’s fifty-six-years-old. Basically, I think The Cover Girl is a cautionary tale to anyone who wants to pursue a career in front of the camera and best of luck to you if you don’t have a choice. The Cover Girl is a sad story, but also one that unfortunately rings true.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for providing the digital ARC via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

This was a very interesting peek behind the curtain of modeling and agents - and horrible parenting! I was surprised by how emotional it became and the realizations that struck Birdie at the end were managed with a deft hand that captured the pathos without feeling over the top. I did not see where things were going for a long time. I admit I thought it was going to be your typical "model starts, gets famous, goes too far" story. But it became apparent surprisingly early on that there was much more to Birdie's story than just that - and that's where I think things got interesting. It was heartbreaking to see how many adults failed this poor child along the way - some in the name of money, some in the name of going-along-to-get-along, and some who were every bit as stuck with the hand they'd been dealt as she was. I quite enjoyed this one and would definitely read another Amy Rossi book.

I truly felt bad for Birdie when reading this book. Being young and then feeling unloved must be a lot to handle. Her parents absolutely failed her. She went through life with a false sense of love and it never being pure. Amy Rossi is a powerful new voice and you can tell she is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects.

Trigger warnings: abandonment, grooming, adult/minor relationship, emotional abuse, drug/alcohol use, suicide attempt, AIDS epidemic
SPOILERS INCLUDED

A phenomenally written coming-of-age story set "in the biz" of the entertainment industry. This was marketed to fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, which is spot on--though this is a step more adult, more graphic, and more literary. And a debut novel at that! Excellent tactile descriptions and realistic writing that placed me directly in Birdie's world.

Birdie has spent the years since avoiding what really happened to her. So much so that the exploration into her early years are surface level--forget seedy details and minutiae. Much is assumed and hinted at. Her traumatic experiences are not explicitly stated and I think the book is better for it. We've all heard this sort of story before and can fill in the gaps, haven't we? And what does that say about not only the entertainment industry, but also the world at large? Azrian says to Birdie in his final show, paraphrasing that "Birdie wouldn't feel so paralyzed if she can recognize truly the worst thing that happened to her." In the final chapters, Birdie finally comes to terms with her exploitation, abuse, abandonment and overall stolen youth. She finds a way towards showing up authentically in her platonic relationships and not as a "mirror," reflecting back what others want to see. She finally sees herself as Elizabeth and not a collection of body parts and the desires, needs, and creative vision of others.

Structurally, I enjoyed the dual timelines. As a reader, it was interesting to juxtapose the Elizabeth we meet in the first chapter with the Birdie we come to intimately know throughout the book. It certainly expanded my understanding that the road to self-acceptance and acknowledging trauma is not linear or speedy, and certainly never leads to a full restoration of the self.

I am grateful for the free ARC ebook copy that was provided to me by NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and MIRA. All opinions are my own.

This title releases on August 5, 2025.

This was a heavy read. We’re following a model through the ‘70s as she’s suffering from AIDs and being taken advantage of. My heart hurt for her at times. Very reminiscent in a way to 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but this one had more heart to it for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. The Cover Girl was a great read. The transitions in time flowed well and the writing felt as though I was reading an actual true story. I found the book hard to put down because I wanted to know how Birdie story ended. Definitely recommend this book.

Thank you for the ARC!

I think that this book is great if you love reading about celebrity relationships. There was a lot of interesting scenes and moments regarding the modeling/rockstar worlds that are fun to read about since they’re so far from my life.

I think the tone of the narrator was detached from the content of the book, and even though it seemed to be like that for a specific purpose, it kept me from really connecting to the story.

This book may not have been for me, but it was well written and I think if you’re more interested in this fictional memoir style then you will probably really enjoy it!

even though it took me a while to get into this book, about 50% into it, it picked up and it started to get really good.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. My issue was mainly with the writing style. It was choppy and jumped all over the place. The writing felt almost stream of consciousness, but in a bad way.

This book just didn't work out for me. I ended up DNFíng it but if I rate it as DNF it will count against my percentage. So, instead I will rate it here and say it just wasn't for me.

Welcome to the 1970's and the glamourous world of modeling! Or is it glamourous? When Birdie Rhodes is shopping with her mother in an upscale department store, they are approached by Harriet Goldman, a legendary modeling scout. Soon thirteen-year-old Birdie has a contract and is one of Harriet's "girls". As she goes to various modeling shoots and becomes educated on the ins and outs of the modeling world, her star begins to rise .When she is fifteen, a handsome rock start who is thirty-one-years old notices Birdie and her real education begins.

Years later, Birdie is now known as Elizabeth and still doing some modeling but mostly living a quiet life. When a letter arrives inviting her to a celebration of Harriet's life, she is unsure what to do. She has been estranged from Harriet for years. But in order to move forward she must come to terms with her past where she was not quite famous and almost destroyed.

This cautionary, coming of age story grabbed me from the beginning. As Birdie's star begins to rise, the author brings in other supermodels from that time period like Cheryl Tiegs to add authenticity to the story. There is sex, drugs, rock n' roll and an inside look at the world of modeling. I enjoyed this book. The Cover Girl will be published on August 5, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for the advanced reading copy.

⭐️⭐️.💫/5. The Cover Girl by Amy Rossi. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced reader copy. This is the debut novel by Ms. Rossi, and sadly, it wasn’t for me. In the 1970s, Birdie is discovered as she’s walking into Saks by legendary model scout, Harriet Goldman. Birdie was only 13, and she’s quickly thrust into the fast paced world of modeling. As one of Harriet’s girls, Birdie must maintain a high level of decorum. That all changes when at 15 she meets a 31 year old rock star. Quickly, the rock star takes over her life. Birdie’s uncaring parents even sign over parental rights. She makes sacrifices to her career to tour with the rock star. This novel takes us on a journey through Birdie’s coming of age, however I found it all incredibly sad. No one really cared for her. Finally, in the last two chapters, I was roped in a bit, but overall, it wasn’t for me. Too drawn out and depressing. #books #bookstagram #whatiread #bookgram #netgalley #advancedreaderscopy #bookworm #reading #goodreads #libbyapp