I am a big fan of this author and can not believe I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book. I have to say she killed this book. I will read anything this author writes and they have once again proven to me why they are a top author of mine. I could not put the book down, I read it in two days. Slow burn will keep me locked in from the very beginning and this book did just that. Bel and Connor had such a fun dynamic in the beginning. I love that they started as not liking each other and then slowly as time went on that changed at a pace that was believable and fun to follow. The romance did not feel rushed in any way. McFarlane should be given an award for the banter that their characters have, they are funny and real and I just love reading her books as they always feel real and relatable which can be hard to find with a book that has a romance. Cheers to this author once again nailing it at their craft.

It was just too "wordy" for me! I wanted to like it but I couldn't quite get past that! The concept was good but the characters weren't likable enough for me to finish it!

This was a good read! I had a tougher time getting into it for about the first quarter of the book but then it began to pick up. The beginning felt a little slow but then it really started to pick up around 65% into the book. There is a lot going on in this story. It is a very slow burn which was enjoyable! Check this one out if you like workplace rivalry, enemies to lovers, and fake dating!

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Cover Story is a fun enemies-to-lovers story with the witty banter and fun but authentically flawed characters that McFarlane does so well. The undercover journalists plot line was an interesting twist in a rom-com that I was very invested in. I also always enjoy how thoroughly British McFarlane's books are; there are always references or turns of phrase that I don't immediately understand which gives me a chance to expand what I know about British culture.

Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

McFarlane never fails to produce smart rom-coms that are ACTUALLY funny. The MC's side conflict with an ex fell a little flat (and her weakness in handling it for much of the book felt contrary to her character), but loved it overall.

✨Release Date: Oct. 7th, 2025✨

I love love love Mhairi McFarlane novels so much and I think Cover Story might be my favorite one yet (I’ll always love you, Just Last Night).

Mhairi’s writing has the very rare ability to draw you in and hold your attention in such a captivating way that putting her books down feels physically painful. I’ve thought a lot about what makes this the case and i’ve decided that it’s because the voice is as witty and quick as the dialogue. All of the descriptions of characters, places and events are always so funny and smart.

I loved these characters and this story. Two journalists who have made hasty judgements of each other wind up in an undercover relationships to land a huge story.

Bel and Connor both felt so real to me - flawed and going through tough life transitions - but deeply tender and kind hearted. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop in a way that felt authentic. I was also LOCKED IN on the undercover story they were trying to get and wanted to see that through.

A random side note, but I also love how she lets her characters eat and drink very well. I always want to go out and get a good meal afterwords.

Big cheers for this amazing book

This novel started as a slow burn but slowly amped up speed towards the end. The office, fake dating, cover story banter was great! All of the plot twists came full circle. Fun read!

Mhairi McFarlane is the queen of women’s fiction: meaningful storylines, realistic characters, and emotional weight. Add to all that literary goodness a whopping dose of clever wit and great banter and you have some of the best contemporary writing around. I don’t know how she does it year after year, because her writing is never stale, her humor is always sharp, and her protagonists always somehow fully 3D. She’s just the best! I keep seeing her classified as “rom-com,” but I feel like that’s misleading, because while the humor is perfect and there’s always a guy in the picture, the “rom” is never at the center of her writing - the struggle and triumph of her female protagonist is.

In this latest gem, Bel, an award-winning podcaster, has taken a job as an investigative reporter in the small Manchester office of a major UK paper, where her only workmates are the ambitious Aaron and a rolling cycle of interns, Conner, older than the usuals, being the latest. Their initial impression of each other is less than positive, but as Bel is about to break a really important story, Connor accidentally gets pulled in to her investigation. The two are forced into a “fake dating” situation in order to not jeopardize Bel’s lead. Let the slow burn begin.

I appreciated Bel’s commitment to justice and to supporting the women who’d been victimized by the subject of her investigation. I also appreciated watching Connor wrestle with his personal doubts and vocational frustrations over starting in a new career in his thirties. Once again, McFarlane writes characters who come to life on the page. I loved them!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of my favorite author’s latest novel.

2.5 ⭐️

I had a hard time getting into this book—it just didn’t hold my attention the way I’d hoped. The premise was definitely intriguing, but there was so much happening that it became distracting rather than engaging. I also struggled to connect with the characters, which made it even harder to stay invested in the story. While the idea behind the book had potential, it ultimately didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Books that offer slowburn friendships and deep emotions are rare gems. This one delivers all of that, giving the kind of story that pulls you in and makes you feel every moment.

The way the characters’ friendship grows feels natural and unhurried, which made the emotional scenes hit even harder. It’s a story that takes its time to build real connections, and that made the experience much more meaningful for me.

By the end, I was left thinking about the characters long after I finished reading. If you enjoy stories that focus on genuine relationships and powerful feelings, this book is definitely worth your time.

McFarlane understands romance in a way few authors manage to do well. She lets us get to know the characters intimately until the relationship feels far from contrived. Brilliant novel, great characters, I will never stop picking up her books.

Not a bad story, but I feel like everyone has a book coming out this year with journalists fighting for a story. It was nothing new and having them fall in love is the same trope over and over. I feel like this book had so much going for it with plot line, but fell flat in certain parts.

Thank you HarperColins Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC E-Pub

So pleasantly surprised by this, probably one of the more enjoyable romcoms I’ve read in a while. I really liked having both Connor’s and Bel’s perspectives and the investigative elements of the story. The ending was very satisfying and sweet. Not usually my favorite genre, but I thought this one was super well done and cute. Very lucky to have received an ARC (:

Ive read a lot of books by mhairi and never connected. they were okay but nothing to wrote home about... this book?! 5 stars. A extremely well deserved 5 stars.

I love this book so much I might reread it this exact second. The story was phenomenal. No stone went unturned. She made sure there were details and descriptions to back every turn and fully develop her characters.

Someones review said theres only romance in the last 5% of the book and i totally dont agree. I feel the most connected to them because we spent this whole time getting to truly know them separate and together and it was so incredibly believable. not only do i fully believe they exist, but the romance too. People forget you cant have fantastic romance unless you do the work on the beginning. she wanted us to really see the progression of their relationship and buy into it.

I will be recommending this book to every reader I know. It was truly spectacular.

i think i'm going to settle on a 4.25!

there is no doubt in my mind that mhairi mcfarlane is extremely talented when it comes to blending wit, banter, and emotional topics. this book is packed full of humor, a little bit of suspense, and difficult situations. i really really enjoyed my first work by her!

i thought the premise was very fun and i personally haven't read much like it so i was very invested. the only two things that i had a little bit of trouble with was the very beginning as we find out the background and the ending. at first, everything felt very thrown at me and i had a hard time following who was who and what their relationships were to each other as well as their history, etc. it took a little bit of processing for it to fully click in my brain. and at the end, i felt like the romance plot concluded very quickly and felt a little bit rushed. i also would have loved more of them embarking in their relationship (but maybe that's just because i'm a sap for these two).

i loved the mcs and their banter. i was fully invested in their "adventure" and kept wanting to read to see where things were going in the mission and in their personal lives ;)

huge huge thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc! cannot wait to read more by this author!!

Cover Story follows Sushma, a journalist navigating grief, friendship, and unexpected romance while investigating a celebrity scandal. Something that I think Mhairi McFarlane does very well is write about grief, and this was no different. I loved that Sushma felt real and her feelings were relatable. I'm not the biggest fan of slowburns, but the quiet love throughout the book was so great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the journalism elements of the story! Both the main characters are flawed, however, you still want to root for them both individually & as well as for them to get together in the end. The author does a good job making both characters well rounded and human. My main issue was that for a romance, this was an incredibly slow burn but it felt like a realistic pace.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Mhairi McFarlane, and Netgalley for providing me with the e-arc of this in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book, and its safe to say I will definitely be reading more of her work! The humor throughout the book actually had me laughing out loud at some points. One thing that is no fault of the book and is entirely on me is that I did not understand a lot of the British jokes/references, but that's on me for being a silly American.

I really enjoyed the slow burn of this book, which is not something I expect to say usually. The slowness of their relationship really helped to show the growth of Connor and Bel's relationship. And it felt super realistic considering their thoughts of each other at the very beginning.

This one was really fun, and I cannot wait to try out more from Mhairi!

4/5 stars

3.5 stars for my first Mhairi McFarlane & I'm excited to read her other works!! I had a great time reading Cover Story, especially as someone who loves a workplace romance + fake dating.

Cover Story follows Bel, who gets an inside scoop on a huge scandal that she goes undercover to investigate for her newspaper. When her intern Connor (who did not get off on the right foot) ends up in the middle of her undercover operation they have to fake date to keep the ruse up. What could go wrong from here?

I absolutely loved the growth you see in both characters throughout the entire story. You really learn that first impressions are not always correct, and there can be a lot underlying that you just don't realize about this other person. Connor especially had a lot of depth you don't see in the beginning, and I really enjoyed his character and how he treated Bel.

For me, I felt like the beginning was super slow and I was struggling to get through the first 30% or so. I felt like there wasn't much progressing and also throughout the story felt like there were a lot of side stories that took me away from the main objective. I didn't feel like all of them were necessary, which is why I didn't completely get immersed at times. With that said, I still had a great time and couldn't put down the book once I got past the halfway mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is enemies to lovers & fake dating of two journalists working undercover on a story. There is a lot going on and I found it difficult to connect. I enjoyed the dual POV, however, I did not enjoy it in third person. There is some funny banter and sweet moments but overall I struggled a bit to get through this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC.