This one took me a while to get into—not because the premise wasn’t strong (journalists, fake dating, secret investigation... yes please), but because the voice is very British contemporary, and it took a bit to understand the vernacular. Bel and Connor are thrown together in a very awkward, very entertaining way: she’s an award-winning podcaster turned journalist, he’s a thirty something intern with a mysterious past and a chip on his shoulder. Their first impression of each other? Not great. But when Bel’s undercover work requires a cover story—one that includes a fake boyfriend—Connor becomes her accidental partner-in-crime.

There’s a slow-burn vibe to their chemistry that works well here. Admittedly it's not very swoon-worthy and while I usually want more romance earlier, it honestly made sense for these two characters. What really stood out were the heavier themes woven throughout the book. It tackles abuse of power, trauma, and journalistic integrity.

My major critiques: pacing, pacing, pacing. Plus, the investigation? Let’s just say, it was a bit elementary for the stakes involved.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper for the eARC!

This novel held my interest throughout but didn’t quite leave a lasting impression. It tackles important themes like mental health, loss, and resilience with sincerity, and the bond between Bel and Shilpa felt genuine and uplifting. Connor, the male protagonist, was a strong point with meaningful growth. I enjoyed the multiple subplots but some of them did drag and could've been wrapped up faster. The romantic thread only emerges near the very end, feeling rushed and lacking depth, especially due to the frustrating miscommunication that drags out unnecessarily. It’s hard to believe two adults could spend so much time convinced the other dislikes them. Overall, it’s an easy, somewhat entertaining read with moments of emotional honesty, but some storylines slow the pace, and the ending feels abrupt.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an ARC in exchange for my review.

This was very cute! Bel and Connor are journalists who get off on the wrong foot and end up pretending to be a couple for a story, so we’ve got Fake Dating and also Enemies to Lovers, with bonus There’s Only One Bed. The investigation for their story was intriguing too. My main complaint is the way the chapters cut off mid scene, which was jarring.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

I have read and loved all of Mhairi McFarlane's books, and Cover Story is no exception! In this book, we meet Bel and Connor, reporters assigned to the Manchester office of a national newspaper. They get off on the wrong foot when Connor joins the office of two, but that starts to change when Connor accidentally runs into Bel while she's working undercover on a big story. Bel impulsively introduces Connor as her boyfriend, and things take off from there.

The author does a remarkable job of combining the witty banter suitable for a rom com with a deeper story--sexual abuse and harassment by men in power. While rooting for Bel and Connor to get together, I was also rooting for the abusive men in the story to get their comeuppance.

I devoured the book in one sitting, and my only regret is that I now have a long wait for the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received "Cover Story" by Mhairi McFarlane for free in exchange for my honest review through Net Galley. I have read a few books by this author, and they are always great with a good love story. I highly recommend this book.

I like this author but found this story a little scattered and struggled to follow the characters. I wasn’t able to connect with the story

Mhairi McFarlane is probably my favorite contemporary romance author and this story checked the boxes for all the reasons why. Flawed but lovable characters? check. Enough plot to provide good momentum? check. Dreamy MMC? check!!!! Deliciously snarky British humor? check, of course.
I loved the investigation plot but that this book never tipped too far into mystery to let me forget it was a romcom. Bel and Connor's chemistry and enemies(ish) to lovers trajectory was delightful.
I was giggling my way through the end of this one, and highly recommend!

I hate to say it but I think Mhairi McFarlane may not be for me. This is the third book i've tried from this author that I just cannot for the life of me get into. The prose feels a bit too scatterbrained for me to parse through naturally - and taken with the fact that it's distinctly British it almost feels like work getting through her books. I just couldn't finish this one - but I do think she has a lot to offer the right reader!

THIS WAS PERFECT. i love this author so much. this book healed a piece of me that i didnt know needed healing. i couldn’t put it down. the writing was impeccable. these characters will forever hold a special place in my heart!

I enjoyed the reporter aspect of this story. It felt believable with high enough stakes to need a fake relationship and then low enough stakes that it could still be a hopeful rom-com.

I feel like I don't totally feel the ending was impressionable because there wasn't a big like "talk" about the 2 characters being in love and stuff.

I was really looking forward to Cover Story. The fake dating trope is one of my favorites, and I was hoping for a funny, feel-good romantic read. While the premise had potential, the execution didn’t quite land for me.

It’s on me for not catching this from the summary, but the humor was very much rooted in British wit, and unfortunately, it didn’t hit the mark for me. I often felt like an outsider looking in on inside jokes I couldn’t fully appreciate.

That said, McFarlane’s writing is undeniably strong. Her prose is smart and engaging, even if the story itself wasn’t quite my cup of tea. I personally would have preferred more romance throughout the book, but that’s a matter of personal taste, not a flaw in the book itself.

This one wasn’t for me, but readers who enjoy British humor and clever, layered storytelling may find it much more rewarding.

After being disappointed with some of my previous Mhairi McFarlane reads, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Cover Story but I was pleasantly surprised. I think I’ve found I really enjoy Mhairi’s books that lean more contemporary fiction than romance. That’s not to say the romance between the two main characters wasn’t integral to the plot or not well done. Bel and Connor felt like real people with interesting and well developed backstories, the magic here was their character growth.

Some parts of the investigative journalism felt juvenile and missed the mark for me. The process wasn’t as believable or realistic - especially the plot to get footage from the iPad and to have that be the ONLY plan.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have come to really love Mhairi McFarlane's character development and storytelling. I love her witty dialogue and regional turns of phrase. Her reads are always so fun! Cover Story felt a little different to me than some of her past work but I loved that it took on the uncovering of illicit behavior that is far too common in our society and explored some interesting ethical dilemmas on the way. The romance was secondary to the story and very much a slow burn, but the story comes together beautifully in the end. I enjoyed this one and will be talking about it and recommending it to others, for sure! I regularly push Mhairi on my friends and they are all always blown away that she's not a household name here in the states. Such talent. Thank you for the opportunity to read this story early in the US. I loved it!

This one had a little bit of slow start for me, but then I was off and running and couldn't put it down! Mhairi McFarlane's writing is captivating, filled with humor and heart. Her characters are perfectly well-developed and flawed.

I waffled a bit between two and three stars for this, but I think McFarlane's strong writing pulls it into the three category. However, I would say this if far from her strongest work. Her characters were well crafted, but I didn't like them that much; the plot made sense and was well paced, but I didn't find it that interesting/insightful; overall the prose was smooth, but at times the dialogue was rather stilted. I usually avoid the fake dating trope, but I really liked If I Never Met You so I trusted McFarlane to sell me on this one; alas, it didn't work for me, as it had all of the fake dating aspects that irk me so much, namely contrived situations and miscommunication of feelings. (If you're a fan of fake dating in general, you'll probably like this a lot more than I did!)

While this book definitely had McFarlane's signature on it, it also felt like she wrote this to appease the masses more than her previous works. Her other books have been heavier on character growth than the romance, which I've liked, but this one had the romance take more of the center stage, and I think the rest of the book suffered because of that. I guess Bel learned some lessons, but I wouldn’t say that her character grew all that much. Also, I'm kind of sick McFarlane's female protagonists all having horrible exes—surely not all men are so horrible???

i'm just a sucker for anything Mhairi McFarlane writes. love her humor and writing style, her stories always keep me interested. another solid book.

I love reading anything by Mhairi McFarlane. Her writing is so sharp, her characters layered and the banter is laugh out loud funny. This was a slow burn enemies to lovers but was also just a good book. This is definitely worth your time, especially if you appreciate witty writing.

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Oh, Mhairi McFarlane... few things make me happier than a new release from her!

Bel is a reporter in a small satellite office of a big national paper, so small that there are only three people in the office - Bel, her colleague Aaron, and a rotating intern. When the new intern, Connor, starts, he and Bel get off on the wrong foot. But then he gets caught up in an undercover story she's working on and the two have to pretend to be a couple 0r Bel's story will be blown.

Loved the story, the characters, the relationship. Mhairi really can do no wrong!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC!

4 stars!

This was my first Mhairi McFarlane novel and it did not disappoint!

I will admit that this book took me longer to read than a usual fiction/romance book would, and that is because I have never read writing like McFarlane's, and it took some getting used to. I struggled a little bit at first to get my bearings, but then it clicked, and the slang, wit, and humor started propelling me through the book. Every time I picked it up, I did not want to put it down!

The characters and the story line of this book were both great as well. I found Bel to be hilarious but also realistic and flawed, and she felt like a real person as I was reading. I loved her dynamic with Connor and her relationship with her friends and just seeing her go through different road blocks and come out of them in a way that felt authentic. Connor was also an amazing character. He was intelligent and witty, but also protective and he just felt so genuine. Watching them navigate jobs and develop their relationship (fake or not) made the story flow really well and kept me entertained the whole way through.

Overall, this book was the perfect blend of fiction and romance. Mhairi McFarlane's writing is refreshing and her character work in this book was wonderful. I would highly recommend picking this one up when it publishes on October 7 if you are a fan of workplace settings, fake dating, and love reading books with humor and banter!

I do like a good Rom Com and this book certainly fills that criteria. Story does include some heavy topics like stalking and Me Too movement. I was glad to read it thru NetGalley and will look for other works by this author .