I've loved everything Mhairi McFarlane's written so I was excited to access to Cover Story!

Bel, an investigative journalist and podcaster, works in the Manchester office of London based publication with Aaron. While they're the only full timers in the office there is a revolving door of interns, the latest being Connor, an ex-finance bro from London who's looking to reconnect with his passions. For Bel and Conner, it's dislike at first sight and it would have likely stayed that way if Conner hadn't stumbled into Bel's latest investigation. In order to get to the truth the pair has to fake date (love it) and find themselves engaging in a series of shenanigans that leads to chaos and a better understanding of what makes the other tick.

In addition to the romance, which is slow burn at it's best, the plot has a depth that I wasn't expecting. As a warning, there is a stalkerish ex and a male authority figure abusing his power in relation to younger women.

I really enjoyed this book. Bel was a joy to read and the undercover investigation was so interesting. It had me both nervous and excited to see what would happen. It also had one of my favorite slow burn romances. Conner was so protective and sweet. Watching thier relationship unfold had me happy sighing more than once. I'm not usually a miscommunications person, but this one was done so well. It really showed how snap judgements based on your experiences can go horribly wrong—whether the person is actually good or bad. I didn't want this book to end.

Anything by Mhairi McFarlane is an automatic read for me, and I’m please to say cover story did not disappoint. It’s so well written with great pacing and even better character development. I enjoyed following Bel and Connor navigate their relationship. There was depth to their characters and to their stories. You won’t be disappointed by this book!

Another great book from Mhairi McFarlane! The MCs are in their 30s, which I loved, and are tackling real world problems instead of some low stakes, unrealistic conflict. Mental illness was depicted with respect and wasn't made into just a plot point.

Bel was a relatable FMC, but I feel like we didn't actually get to see Connor's true personality until the end. I didn't love what went down with Amber because she was so sweet, but I also understand that she was supposed to be collateral damage due to the investigation; I was still hoping for a friendship HEA.

I took off a star because I absolutely loathe the 3rd act breakup being caused by miscommunication. I understand why it was done this way in the story, but it was also unnecessary when the MCs were finally being truthful with each other.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the free ARC.

Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane is an upcoming romantic comedy set to be released on May 8, 2025. The novel follows Bel, a journalist who joins the Manchester office of a national newspaper after her award-winning podcast. She clashes with Connor, the new intern, but their dynamic takes an unexpected turn when they must pretend to be a couple to land a major story. As sparks fly and secrets unravel, the line between fake and real feelings begins to blur. This witty and heartfelt story combines workplace rivalries, fake dating, and investigative journalism, making it a delightful read for fans of enemies-to-lovers romances.

I am an absolute sucker for a love story, and this was swoon worthy! I was charmed from the first chapter and the sweet love story the two characters shared. Well done! Beautiful story.

I just finished a new book that was so much fun. Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane comes out this fall. Don’t miss this one.

Another stunning book from the Queen of Romance, MMF! Fake dating, one bed, say less!!!

Bel (Isabel) is a journalist, it's just her and Aaron in their Manchester office, but they have interns every few months sent from the London office. Their newest, Connor, is an ex-finance bro from London and with the day Bel is having, doesn't give a good first impression. They seem to have mutual disdain for each other until Connor walks into her undercover story (literally).

The wit and banter here are UNMATCHED. This kept me up late reading, I LOLed at multiple points and cried.

It was just not my type of the story. It is absolutely hilarious and the characters have depth and are well written. But the romance didn’t spark joy and I couldn’t quite connect with the characters. Not my cup of tea but I’m pretty sure this story will find its audience.

This book is a kind of a romance story between two journalists. Bel just landed a job and started a podcast. She then noticed an intern named Connor. Connor is leaving his life behind to pursue his lifelong dream. Bel and Connor initially had a negative impression of each other. This book focuses on fake relationships, collaboration, and other things.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Harper Voyage for the earc!

Some of the lines in this book, just wow. They will stick with me for a long time (or they will sit in my notes app to surprise me later). The overall premise of this novel is just so interesting and different than anything I’ve read recently! An undercover journalist trying to make a big change, but with a fun play on fake dating? Sign me up! I adored Bel and Connor’s ability to read and bounce of each other. My only negative is that I wished the overall getting together wasn’t so… quick? Towards the end, I felt like we were speedrunning them getting together. The natural progression of them from colleagues to learning more about each other was baked in so well, that I feel like the romance could’ve been a bit smoother. Either way, I loved this book so much, and I’ll probably think about this book for the rest of the year.

I DNFed this book, BUT I still recommend it!

So I read to about 60-70% into this story and had two major conclusions. I despise third person POV, and I’m pretty sure this book was written for people who’s re much smarter and have better taste than I do.

The writing is beautiful, almost cinematic in a way. On top of that, the plot is interesting and you can’t help but root for the plucky leading lady even though she’s a teensy bit of a hot mess sometimes.

I will also ALWAYS be a stan of a mildly cold, standoffish man who ends up being exactly what she needs, even if the slow burn is PAINFUL. I think overall I will be giving this 4 stars despite my DNF, and I do think you should give it a go!

Thanks @netgalley @avonbooks @harpervoyagerus for the chance to read @mhairimcf latest masterpiece, Cover Story. It releases in the United States on October 7, 2025.

Mhairi McFarlane is my all-time favorite rom-com author. She has the best combination of witty British humor and gut-punching emotionality. Her latest is no exception. She manages to craft a truly excellent enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, toxic exes confection. I devoured it!

Investigative journalist Bel and Connor, her thirty-something intern at the Manchester branch of a newspaper, get off on the wrong foot on his first day. She’s aloof and he’s hostile. Not exactly a match made in heaven. But when Bel gets a career-making tip about a dirty politician, Connor unwittingly becomes her accomplice—and her fake boyfriend. If they can’t sell the lie, then they won’t be able to uncover the truth about the mayor. But the more time they spend together, the more the lines between real and fake feelings blur. Could what they feel be the real thing? Or will their deception cause everything to unravel?

Steam: 🔥
Tropes: fake dating, hate at first sight, journalists, only one bed x2, kiss to sell the fake relationship

This was fun. The banter between the mcs was great and the humor in this story was really good too. I didnt really feel a connection to any character. I liked the fake dating of it all and some of the things Connor said really warmed my heart, and I loved the way he was there for Bel but the ending was kinda rushed. Them being friends and suddenly telling each other their in love was so fast. I didnt really see or felt feelings developed between them.
Seeing all these shitty men get what they deserve was the perfect conclusion to every story and plot in this book!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Mhairi McFarlane is a gift to this generation. Her writing is always spot on. The characters, the plot, and the natural way the English interact - all spot on.

Her newest novel, Cover Story, is compelling, satisfying and difficult to put down. McFarlane accurately portrays the ways that abusive people twist the narrative amid the minefield of work relationships.

I highly recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fun story full of hijinks and romance! I enjoyed watching the two main characters' relationship change from mutual dislike to friendship to unspoken love to actual love, the best progression. The relationship history of the FMC was a little odd, but also fully believable and it set it up nicely to help accelerate the MMC need to step in and progress the relationship. I always love when a bit of a caper is involved and this story had a nice long running one that kept you on edge. Overall a fun story that pulled you in and made you keep reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishing, and author Mhairi McFarlane for an advanced reader’s copy!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The novel overall was a fun read, I enjoyed the characters for their realism and flaws, and as well as the narrative.

The beginning of the novel for me was quite a slow start and took a couple of tries rereading to truly understand the setting and plot. The language and setting was also a bit harder to understand coming from an American reader but was fine after immersing into the novel.

The auxiliary characters surrounding Bel and Connor were a bit harder to connect with however, some points felt a bit repetitive such as their overwhelming support of Bel and Connor getting together. Bel and Connor to me also felt underdeveloped; Bel’s difficulty in being honest I feel like hurt her character since she continuously lied even in resolving the situation with Amber. Connor’s development after the breakup with Jennifer felt stagnant and only posed to help Bel. The impact of his choices as an intern to go undercover did not feel as powerful as it could have been.

Despite these criticisms I still enjoyed reading the novel and the story regarding Bel and Connor’s past, how they impacted their work in journalism, and how they came together in the end. I ate up the enemies-to-romance plot and felt that their relationship developed nicely.

Thank you to NetGallley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

It was so chaotic in the beginning that I had to re read the first couple chapters over again. I have had this issue with the author’s other books but once I hit my stride, I was able to follow along better.

I adored Conner, he was Darcy 40 times over. Bel, on the other hand, took some getting used to for me. She was all over the place and hard to connect with but towards the end, with her conquering her demons, was able to enjoy her character.

If you enjoy Sophie Kinsella books, you will enjoy this author.

A cute story of two head butting coworkers to friends to lovers. I really enjoyed watching Bel and Conner get to know each other and realize that they are just both so awkward and their personalities are just so different from each other and that’s why they aren’t getting along. After they find their groove, I enjoyed the chemistry. The main plot of trying to befriend Amber and get proof of the mayor’s inappropriate behavior had me really invested. I was on edge wondering how Amber was going to find out and how it was going to fall apart. I also liked how it all tied together and the help from Amber. I didn’t really enjoy the random stalker Bel had thrown into the middle of the story or her rude ex boyfriend at the end. I think I would rate this book a 3.5.

Okay, I am officially obsessed with this book and need to read her entire backlog starting like yesterday now

Wow. Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane might be my new favorite book of the year? I devoured it in like two days because I couldn’t put it down. The banter? Phenomenal. The slow-burn romance? Perfection. And the main character, is so relatable—she’s messy, funny, and just trying to figure her life out (same, girl).

I’ve seen some reviews say the pacing is a bit slow at first, but honestly, I loved the buildup. The tension between Bel and Connor had me seriously wondering if they were actually going to get together, talk about serious enemies to lovers. Mhairi McFarlane just gets it—her writing is sharp, emotional, and hilarious all at once.

If you love rom-coms with depth, flawed but lovable characters, and a plot that keeps you hooked, this is 100% your next read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC