Thank you to Avon books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy, from one of my favorite auto-but authors 6fe16670-9052-49ae-9c72-5961e639fcd6.png😊

I can never resist a Mhairi McFarlane read - and of course this one was no exception. I adore her reads, they always deliver that perfect combination of depth, banter, and romance.

If you enjoy a lit fiction / women’s fiction read with a romantic lean, I highly recommend you try her reads.

Her newest, Cover Story, follows Bel MacCauley and Connor Adams. Bel is a former podcaster, turned investigative reporter. Conner the new career changing “intern”. The two clash upon meeting, a true pride & prejudice, enemies to more type story. Bel is on a case looking to expose a corrupt city official. Conner somehow stumbles his way in and the two are forced to not only work together, but fake a relationship as well.

All together, great banter and a heartwarming and satisfying conclusion. I felt both characters were well rounded, and I really enjoyed the works of this story. Can’t wait for more.

Bel and Conner are fairly new to the Manchester’s office as journalists. They are in their mid thirties and working through some heavy things from their relationships. They don’t start off with the best first impressions but they’re forced to interact in a fake romantic relationship as Bel goes undercover to reveal a big scandal. Bel finds Conner to be trustworthy and maybe not as mean as she gets to see his protective side. It’s a slow burn, office romance between two characters that have a lot of growing to do.

I’ve always enjoyed this author’s books and character developments. 3.75 rounded up

I received a complimentary email copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ms. McFarlane is a hit or miss author for me. Half of her stories have been some of my favorite reads and then the other half just leave me confused and seeking. This one just didn’t do anything for me and her characters were not interesting. I just don’t understand a romance where they only seem to clinically observe each other. Also, Conner seems to be still involved with his girlfriend and can’t quite make the split. I really can’t tell if I’ve outgrown this author or if she’s trying to be too much to everyone and doesn’t stay in that special lane she developed in her previous publications. DNF at 40%

Bel is a rising star at a national newspaper’s Manchester office and isn’t thrilled when the new intern turns out to be Connor, a thirtysomething ex-Londoner with a messy past and a chip on his shoulder. Their working relationship gets off to a rocky start, but when Bel uncovers the biggest story of her career, she needs Connor’s help to make it happen.
To protect her cover and her sources, they must pretend to be a couple madly in love. As the act continues, both start to wonder if their feelings are more than just part of the job. 3.5 ⭐️

3.25 stars.
This book felt like a rollercoaster. There were things that really worked and things that didn’t. I think ultimately the biggest issue is how rushed the romance feels. It feels like everything at the end happened with little to no build up, which ends up just making it feel flat.
BUT the investigative angle of this was soooo good. I was fully invested in the journalism aspect and thought it was done really well.

Ultimately, the book is fine! It just felt like the main focus was the investigation rather than the romance for the majority of the book, which would have been fine, but I’m instead made it odd when it was fully focused on the romance at the end.

3.5 stars. This was more like a mystery. I do like how the author incorporates womens themed issues and challenges into her stories and will read her again. This one focused on abuse of power, harassment, sexual blackmail, stalking... really a lot, so there wasnt much room here for the main character to work on her own love life! I will say a lot of the references and slang was over my head (or not here in the US maybe?)

This was really cute! I really enjoyed the writing style. It felt more contemporary than romantic. Overall, a great read.

Bel is a podcaster working in the Manchester office of a major newspaper. Connor is an ex–finance bro who chucked his cushy London life at 34 to become an unpaid intern in the grimy world of journalism. When his internship sends him north for a three-month rotation, an accidental run-in with Bel while she’s undercover ropes him into fake dating his superior as part of a Me-Too-adjacent exposé (a bit ironic, tbh—but we’ll let it slide).

So yes: workplace proximity. Fake dating. Dual POV. Millennial ennui meets newsroom slow burn. God bless it.

✨My Thoughts: 4 Stars, A Few Notes✨

This book is clever! First Mhairi McFarlane for me, and I totally get the Emily Henry comparisons—it’s smart, funny, and full of sharp cultural references. Some are delightfully British (and therefore flew over my sad American head), while others are so millennial it hurt. In the best way.

Loved the dual POV. We get both Bel and Connor’s take on key moments, and while there’s a bit of miscommunication, it’s handled with nuance and self-awareness—more “this is how humans operate” than “just send a damn text.”

Also: shoutout to the journalism subplot. I was genuinely invested in the story they were chasing. It gave the book real depth and raised the stakes beyond the usual fake dating fluff.

The romance is a very slow burn and completely closed-door. No spice, and not enough post–fake dating time for my taste. I wanted more of the real couple payoff. But even without that, the swoon is strong—and I’ll definitely be diving into her backlist.

Thanks to @NetGalley, @AvonBooks, and @HarperVoyagerUS for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Story is out now in the UK and hits U.S. shelves October 7.

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane book but it won’t be my last! I really enjoyed this book and it captured my attention with all the different aspects of the story. The banter was witty and the characters were great. It wasn’t too heavy on the romance, and I kinda enjoyed that for this particular story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was one of my most anticipated romances of the fall. Everything about the summary screamed my kind of book. Unfortunately, it completely fell flat for me.
For positives, this really did feel like a classic British rom-com. It was cute, held my attention, and was a quick, easy read. Like other books by this author, I thought the dramatic plot line was very interesting and well done. I preferred it to the romantic storyline.
Moving into the things I disliked about the book, I was not a big fan of either MC. The MMC had moments that I felt were slightly sexist, and the FMC’s character traits seemed to be all over the place. I was looking forward to reading some of my favorite tropes - fake dating, workplace romance, one-bed. However, unbeknownst to me when starting this book, my least favorite tropes were also present - cheating and miscommunication. So much miscommunication that it was incredibly frustrating to read at times. The MCs consistently misunderstood and misinterpreted what the other was saying, which was the main source of conflict between them. Furthermore, I didn’t find the stalking subplot to be fully fleshed out. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it never did. As mentioned before, I preferred the dramatic plot to the romantic. The romance between the MCs felt flimsy and rushed. I didn’t love the ending and wished the author had at least included an epilogue so we could see a peak of what their relationship would be like. Finally, and this is definitely an issue with me being American, I found some of the British slang/references/vernacular to be difficult to follow.
All in all, this book was a letdown for me, but I still had a decent time reading it. My overall rating for this book is a 3/5. I’m unlikely to pick it up again, but I didn’t struggle to get through it and there were parts of the plot I enjoyed. I do think there are others that will really enjoy this book even if I didn’t.

This was SO good!! Thank you so much for the ARC. What I love most about her books is there’s always more to the plot than just a romance. I appreciate so much how she gives both MCs a lot of depth while also giving that same depth to the other characters as well. Here is my review posted on goodreads:

4.25

WOW! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!!

Mhairi McFarlane does it again!! This felt like it was so true to her roots but a little separated in the fact that it was just plain fun. I loved both the main characters and always enjoy that her books have wayyy more to the plot than just a romance. 10/10 recommend preordering before it releases in October :)

I was very excited to read Mhairi McFarlane’s new novel, Cover Story! I have read several of her other books and enjoyed them all. I like it when romances include real, actual problems, and not just miscommunication and people being immature. McFarlane writes novels with romantic storylines with more depth, like meaningful career plots, in-depth character arcs and growth, and real-world conflicts. Often there is depth along the lines of family dynamics, dysfunctional relationships, and more.

Cover Story has romance and depth in common with her other books. You also get the dry wit, sarcasm, and fast-paced banter between the two love interests that I’ve come to expect from McFarlane’s books. Cover Story does not disappoint; at times, the dialogue will have you LOLing. Some favorite romance tropes are also in Cover Story, including fake dating and rivals-to-lovers.

Bel is an award-winning podcaster trying to make it as an investigative journalist at a newspaper in Manchester, England. Into her tiny office of two (she and Aaron), enter a new intern named Connor. Connor’s life is on the rocks, because without his finance-bro job, his girlfriend in London is ready to end the relationship. Bel, meanwhile, has set up her new life in Manchester to get away from a stalker in her old workplace. When Bel gets a tip for a new story about the “nice guy” town mayor (who also happens to be a gaslighter, among other things), she takes on a new persona, “Bella,” to investigate undercover. And of course, she accidentally needs Connor to be more than a new intern—she needs a fake boyfriend. As far as fake-dating goes, there was actually a good reason this time.

At the beginning, the way the Bel and Connor judge each other at first reminds me of Mr. Darcy and Lizzie Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. Bel assumes that Connor is arrogant because of his demeanor, when really he has a lot going on in his life and he’s taking a risk to work as a new journalism intern at age 30. Connor notices that Bel seems judgmental, because she really did assume that because Connor is very very conventionally good-looking, he must be an a$$hole. As the plot unfolds, there are tense scenarios, hijinks, and lots of laughs, with a message about coercive control and bringing men to account for their dangerous behavior, which added a satisfying layer to the book.
Overall, I found the book more fast-paced than many romance reads. Cover Story might be my favorite Mhairi McFarlane book, which isn’t any easy title to win, because I LOVED the two books about Evie and her actor bf, Who’s That Girl? and You Belong With Me.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane

Absolutely loved this. Amazing energy, incredible humor and a heartwarming romance. Bel and Connor have a fun dynamic, delicious banter and incredible chemistry, even when they’re fighting it. It’s fun from start to finish.

I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun reading a new-to-me author. I can’t wait to devour everything Mhairi has ever written.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Out 10/7 💕

Thanks to Netgalley & Avon/Harper Voyager for the E-ARC! So cute!! Loved the characters & the bookish themes. Great pacing too. Another amazing book by this author!

absolutely adored this book! am incredibly grateful for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I want to read several more books from this author in the future

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Mhairi McFarlane for the ARC of Cover Story!

Rating: ⭐️ 3.5/5

This was a fun, rom-com-style read with lots of twists and subplots—almost too many! Each storyline felt like it could’ve been a book of its own.

The main plot follows Bel, a well-known podcast journalist chasing a juicy story about the Mayor. Along the way, she ropes in Connor, her intern, to help with her undercover investigation. There's an a best friend going through a divorce, an ex-boyfriend, a stalker, a coworker with a crush, fake dating, political scandal, and of course, a slow-burn romance.

While the setup was entertaining, the ending felt rushed and left a lot of threads unresolved. I would’ve loved an epilogue to tie things up—and after all that buildup, a single kiss felt a bit underwhelming!

Still, the book had charm and potential—I just wish it had a little more follow-through.

I was really looking forward to this book, especially since Mhairi McFarlane is sooo often recommended by readers I trust. but this one just didn’t quite click for me. I had a hard time connecting with the writing style, and I struggled to buy into the relationship at the center of the story. It didn’t feel as believable as I expect in a romance book.

Even though this book wasn’t my favorite, I can see why McFarlane has such a big following. There’s potential in her storytelling, and I’m still curious to pick up whatever she writes next. Sometimes it’s just a matter of the right book at the right time!

*thank you netgalley for the ARC!*
3.5 ⭐️
let me start by saying WOW! this was my first read by Mhairi McFarlane and it will not be my last! Y’all know i’m a sucker for some enemies to lovers/fake dating and this hit the nail on the head for me!!! Im also not normally a huuugee third person fan, but this one was super digestible and i still felt like i could fully engulf myself in Connor and Bel’s story. My onnnlllyyy thing was sometimes the pacing of the story was a bit inconsistent & some terms used in the book i had to look up 🫣🫣 overall recommended however!

What could go wrong with a fake romance? Bel, a podcast host and newspaper writer, goes undercover working on a scoop for a big story, runs into Connor, the new intern, while she's there. They are forced to pretend they are a couple deeply in love. They are big rivals so it is not easy. Will she be able to finish the story or will this game finish them? Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Cover Story
4.25 ⭐️

This was so much more investigation than I was expecting, but in such a good way!

Bel is investigating a nearby Mayor who has been accused of some pretty horrible crimes, but Connor gets caught in the crossfires and ends up going undercover with her.

I really enjoyed this book! Dual perspective with the main focus on the investigation was such a nice pace to keep it different and real. These two were so cute!

Thanks to @netgalley for this arc!