As a reporter myself, I really did appreciate the whole investigative storyline here. It's what drew me to the book in the first place — journalists and enemies-to-lovers? Count me in.

I enjoyed the book overall, but the story progression was a tad slow for me. The pacing felt like it could use a jolt, and the romance wasn't the strongest. Mhairi McFarlane's characters tend to be quick-witted, and the banter between the characters is always fun, but Bel and Connor, in my opinion, were missing that spark that made me really want to root for them.

The romance plot is usually secondary to whatever main story is happening in this author's books, and that's certainly the case here. I usually don't have any qualms with that, but Bel and Connor lacked the charm that made them interesting, which is why it took me longer than usual to finish this book.

If you came here looking for a romance that will blow you away, you won't find that. but if you're looking for a fun story with journalistic and investigative elements and a sprinkle of romance, I'd recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-arc!

Cover Story is about a journalist (Bel) and a late-in-life intern (Connor) pretending to be a couple to break a "Me Too"-esque story, despite strongly disliking each other. I found that I didn't particularly like either Bel or Connor (actually, the only characters I did like were Bel's bestie Shilpa and Connor's brother Shaun). I had a hard time believing the romance between these two people, who are determined to misinterpret each other's actions from the beginning to almost the very last page. Since it's a dual POV you get to see in detail how every single thing is misconstrued. And I'm supposed to believe these two are end game? Between their inability to read each other and their lackluster chemistry, I just was not buying it.

The investigation and story itself were fine, but not particularly intriguing, though I guess it created some tension, particularly combined with Bel's stalker.

Other notes:
-There was a bit of "Bel's not like other girls" bullshit that I didn't like.
-The author frequently writes the characters laughing as "Hahahaha" and I hated it. It's one thing for a written correspondence, but verbally? Absolutely not.

What a book! I’ve never read from Mhairi McFarlane before but Haley Pham had recommended her books for a few years now and I was so excited to get my hands on the ARC for her newest novel. Bel and Connor are some of my favorite characters of all time; they both were such good communicators and were both just such good people. I absolutely loved getting to know them and watch their story unfold as well as a fun mystery happening alongside. I was so sad for this book to end but it ended perfectly! Now I cannot wait to read more from her backlist.

Thank you NetGalley, Mhairi McFarlane & the publisher Avon and Harper Voyage for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased feedback.

This book will be released on October 7, 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book around 25%. This was only my second Mhairi McFarlane book but I was drawn in by the cute cover and the promise of fake dating and undercover journalism, even if the summary itself was not very telling and didn't give too much away. Right from the start I felt like I was coming into the middle of a book, I literally had to reread the first page 3 times to realize I hadn't already been reading this book for 30 minutes. There is very little in way of set up and you are not eased into the book at all. Details are given very sparingly and random things kept getting dropped in throughout the first few chapters. I think part of it too is that this book is set in the UK, and I wasn't able to understand, or make connections to, a lot of the references regarding accents, foods, and geography. Because of all this I was really struggling to connect with the characters, even with the dual POV (WHICH I LOVE) and I wasn't as invested in the plot, which promises an interesting undercover investigation. I do think that the fake dating in an environment such as this, involving investigative journalism, could be extremely well done and I might just not have been in the right headspace for this book right now. I do however, think this will be popular with fans of the classic fake dating trope and based on my prior experience with Mhairi McFarlane I'm sure there will be the slow-burn, swoon worthy moments everyone expects from a rom-com.

Mhairi never misses.

Full of witty English anecdotes and never ending banter, I could reread any of her books over and over again.

Cover Story is about 2 rival journalists who are forced to work together to take down the mayor.

The plot of this one was far different than any other romance I’ve read. A true slow burn, with the main focus on their undercover spy expedition versus the love story. Slightly more fiction than romance, the suspenseful undercover antics were a blast to read.

3.5 stars! While this was not my favorite Mhairi McFarlane book it still had everything I love in her books. I love her writing, humor, and how she does rom coms. This one just took a while for me to get into and I don’t think the characters will stick with me for a long time. Every time I read a Mhairi McFarlane book it leaves me wanting to keep reading all of her books!

From the first page, I was confused by this book. I’ve read books set in England before and have adjusted to the different slang and dialogue style, but this book took it to a whole other level. The references were heavy-handed and hard to relate to, so they pulled me out of the story. I also didn’t like how a character would say something to another, we’d have 3 paragraphs of explanations, and then another character would answer them. Like... I’d already forgotten what we were talking about! The reporter aspect had potential, but the story ended up being trite and boring. I also did not see the romance going anywhere interesting. So.... yeah.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited for this one, since I enjoy books about writers and journalists, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. I struggled to connect with the characters and become invested in the story, and at times the pacing felt slow and the plot longer than necessary. Perhaps it was the timing or the third-person perspective, but ultimately this one just wasn’t for me.

Cover Story is yet another slam dunk from Mhairi McFarlane. I have come to love this author's signature voice. It's funny, acerbic, and witty. McFarlane's stories often straddle the border between "Women's Fiction" and "Romance" but with it's dual POV structure, this novel feels very much in the romance camp. Our MC's are likable and easy to root for despite them starting off on the wrong foot with each other. I enjoyed reading their interactions and found the element of their joint mission to be quite rewarding. It was refreshing to see issues of workplace harassment covered so well in this story without taking away from the relationship between our two MC's. My only complaint is I wish we got more of a wrap up at the end.

Another solid read from Mhairi McFarlane!
This one took a minute to get going (and the slang threw me a bit), but once it hit its stride, I was all in. Bel and Connor’s slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers arc felt real and earned—their fake relationship setup had great tension, and the emotional payoff was worth the wait. The romance isn't always front and center, but when it hits, it really hits. Smart, funny, and full of heart—classic McFarlane. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I LOVE Mhairi McFarlane's books, and was so excited to have had the publishers of her newest book grant my wish for an ARC through NetGalley! This book was SO good! I love the quirky main character Bel, her hilarious best friend Shilpa, and Connor. This is exactly the type of fun rom-com I enjoy! IT really had it all, enemies to lovers, journalists working under cover, mistaken first impressions, etc. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun, light but good, mood boosting, stay up until midnight to finish just one more chapter, read!

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Mhairi McFarlane delivers every time on loveable characters and whip-quick banter, and I always look forward to reading one of her books. Not sure the romantic plotline worked as well for me as the investigative reporting (it felt like we were missing at least a couple more chapters at the end to really bring their relationship home), but I still had a good time!

3.5/5

McFarlane never misses! I always love her characters & chemistry. This book has heart & humor on every page. I loved it.

Writing wasn't terrible, I just found it hard to get into the plot or the characters. Probably would have been better if it was less clutterred and was paced a little better at the beginning.

I love, love, loved this book! The plot locked me in from page one, and spit me out a new person on the last page. The characters became real to me and will live in my brain forever. The setting was tangible and perfect. The pacing was riveting, but not rushed. All coming together to be a book I can't wait to recommend to my friends.

In Cover Story, two journalists must go undercover as a pretend couple to reveal some dark secrets about Manchester's beloved mayor. As Bel and Conner work together, they help each other through various life problems and work drama- learning more about each other than they initially bargained for.

This was my fourth Mhairi McFarlane book, and my favorite so far! I loved both Bel and Conner so much- truly good and real characters. McFarlane always writes with such heart, and I love the British-isms throughout (very charming).

Also, I am usually pretty annoyed by fake dating, but this actually felt believable, and therefore not just a total reinvention of the same trope I've seen a hundred times (and usually abhor).

There is also just something inexplicable about her writing that I love. Certain phrases, rather innocuous seeming, jump out to me, such as, "Conner deeply resented it in the way you did when you knew the offering was to soothe the feelings of the giver rather than gratify the recipient." OR "Bel watched the muscles in his jaw move and wondered how many women he's been mean to."

Those are normal lines, but something about them draws me in! If you haven't yet read one of McFarlane's books, they are definitely worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishing, and author Mhairi McFarlane for the ARC in exchange for a review. :)

4.5 stars! Mhairi has the greatest gift of writing a story about romance without it being the center of it but instead this really great underlying theme. It’s beautiful and engaging and like real life. I love it and the only reason this wasn’t five stars for me is that I wanted more of Connor and bel. Once they figured it out I just wanted more of their feelings and relationship!

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book, and it definitely won’t be my last! I had a great time with this one—it had so many layers to the story that kept me hooked. The banter was sharp, and the characters were so fun. I appreciated that the romance wasn’t overwhelming; it was the perfect balance for this story.

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

Cover Story had such a fun premise—fake dating, workplace tension, and investigative journalism—and I can definitely see why readers love Mhairi McFarlane’s mix of wit and heart. The banter is sharp, and the newsroom setting adds a refreshing backdrop compared to the usual rom-com setups. I also appreciated that the book tackled weightier themes alongside the romance, giving the story more depth than a typical light read.

That said, this one just didn’t fully click for me. I found it hard to connect with the characters, and the pacing felt uneven—I was more drawn into the investigative subplot than the romance itself. The relationship development didn’t quite land for me, and I struggled to stay invested as the story went on.

Overall, Cover Story has plenty of charm and I think many readers will adore it, especially fans of slow-burn, closed-door romances with a strong dose of British humor. It wasn’t a perfect fit for me personally, but I can still appreciate the clever writing and engaging setup.

This book was so cute! I hadn't read Mhairi McFarlane since Don't You Forget About Me but now I must go back and read her backlog. Fake romance is one of my top tropes and this is why. The tension, the yearning, give me all of it. Add in the fact that it takes place in England and I'm set. Job well done!