First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to the author for providing me with an ARC. Being selected to read this book before its official release is genuinely appreciated.

Weak plot, but good chemistry.

Unfortunately, the book did not appeal to me as much as I would like although I still did find the storytelling enjoyable.
One significant drawback was the main plot's lack of coherence. Natalie's decision to hire a bodyguard and fake a relationship for the sake of diverting the press about Becker's release seemed implausible. The attempt to disguise the bodyguard's identity by changing her hair color to blonde felt outdated and unrealistic, particularly in the contemporary setting.
The main plot of the story doesn't make any sense at all. I can understand the cover story, it is known that many people in the entertainment industry use something similar if not equal but the reason for it in this book made absolutely no sense to me.
Honestly, I found myself skeptical. While this narrative might have been plausible in the 1950s, in today's era? Come on! You don't need to be a reporter to unveil Taylor's true identity. Even a curious teenager with ample free time could have unraveled Taylor's lineage in a matter of hours, particularly given Natalie's celebrity status.

The plot died for me there, but I liked the interaction between Natalie and Taylor enough to continue.

Then, we encounter our second significant issue which, once again, lacks coherence. Natalie claims her aversion to people stems from what Becker did to her, citing a constant state of fear and feeling like a caged animal reluctant to leave her house. However, her reality as an actress contradicts this portrayal. Natalie consistently engages with strangers on film sets, travels internationally for shoots, attends public award ceremonies, and even surrounds herself with a hair and makeup team at home.

Does that truly align with someone living in constant fear like a caged animal? The dissonance between her described fears and her actual lifestyle creates a glaring inconsistency. If Natalie genuinely felt like a caged animal, one wouldn't expect her to leave the house even for something as simple as a sunbath.
I also don't understand why the author felt the need to explore so much Natalie's fear for Becker and not use it on either the general plot or Natalie's mental stability. To me, it all just felt like words she was saying and not acting accordingly unless when it suited her.
Furthermore, I found Natalie's behavior in her narrative rather displeasing. Despite being identified as a 40-year-old actress, her actions and demeanor throughout the story suggested an age range more akin to someone between 17 and 23 years old.
This is what happened because she didn't win the Oscar:

"Now she felt doomed on both fronts and she knew she was overly emotional right now. She knew it was irrational to draw any correlation between this loss and her relationship with Taylor but in this moment sitting empty handed in the audience Natalie was trapped in an increasingly dismal thought spiral"

Seriously, Natalie?
I understand your disappointment over losing the Oscar, but how does that correlate with Taylor, really? You're forty years old! The notion that these thoughts even crossed your mind seems implausible; it's the sort of thing one would expect from a teenager, not a mature woman.
And that takes us to the sex scenes. Sorry to say this, but one particular scene between Natalie and Taylor felt so juvenile that I laughed. I laughed while two women were having sex.
There are numerous aspects in this book that fall short or seem unnecessary to the plot. The lack of character building is the main problem here, you dont see these people acting upon their or acting the way the narrative expresses.
What I did enjoy about this story was the refreshing departure from the often overused third-act breakup trope in sapphic literature which added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

Approaching it with a lighthearted perspective might make the reading experience more enjoyable.

Rachel Lacey is one of those authors who makes you feel every single emotion in her books. Cover Story is no exception. The character development for both Natalie and Taylor was brilliantly tied in with PTSD, which both had experienced. When reading, Rachel Lacey makes you feel as if you’re in the story with the emotional rollercoaster you’re on. This book is definitely a re-read and can’t wait for more books by her.

Rachel Lacey is one author that keeps blowing me away with every new release, and Cover Story is no exception.

After meeting Taylor in Stars Collide, I was super excited for her to get her own story, and it did not disappoint.

Taylor Vaughn is a bodyguard assigned undercover to pose as a girlfriend to Hollywood actress Natalie Keane. I thoroughly enjoyed both their own storylines and their relationship together. Plus, who doesn’t love a good fake dating trope! The story had great communication between characters, vulnerability, slow burn and a little suspense thrown in too.

Highly recommend this book, and while it could be read as a stand alone, I do recommend reading Stars Collide first, as they're both great books and you do get a little extra back story on Taylor's world.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed it. It was also a quick read.

excellent side i guess sequel this time following Taylor story we readers in "stars collide".
unexpected play of tropes -bodyguard and fake dating which really worked.
it was real joy following Natalie and Taylor story and them learning to trust each other with really cute cat
and really cute dogos.

Cover Story is a sweet charming story about an actress falling in love with a bodyguard posing as her girlfriend.

The story puts a lot of time into developing the actress’ character — Natalie — and the way that she deals with the trauma of having been kidnapped by a stalker 10 years ago. This paid off, as I found that it did a great job of handling her problems in a sensitive way while critiquing the invasive nature of Hollywood.

As for Taylor, I loved the perspective put on her love for her family and facing recovery from her back injury.

I was initially interested in how both of these characters would come together and overcome their internal battles. But unfortunately, I couldn’t get invested because I felt that this book fell short for me in terms of conflict and tension.

This is partly due to the fact that I personally found the writing style stilted and disconnected. There is a lot of “this” then “that” then “this” to it. I previously mentioned that we see a lot about the characters’ internal conflicts, but we don’t really see it but are rather told it outright, if that makes sense.

Rather than being described a scene, or the way that a character truly feels, it just skips to “A” is feeling “this”, and “B” notices because it’s obvious. In that exact sentence format. There is little difference in it no matter the POV, which made it hard at some points to identify whether we were in Natalie or Taylor’s POV.

Similarly, there are a lot of time jumps where we miss out on scenes where the characters are meant to be bonding. A lot of it just happened off-page.

Due to this, I struggled to believe that they were truly falling in love with one another. I couldn’t pinpoint any romantic chemistry between them beyond them initially finding each other physically attractive.

Aside from the lack of romantic tension, I also felt that there wasn’t much tension in terms of the whole “forbidden fake dating” aspect.

The whole situation about what Taylor did to get the job is barely relevant. Them dating is not forbidden by Taylor’s company and never becomes a conflict. In fact, a bunch of characters are told of the fake dating situation outright, with barely any reaction to it, which made it lose even more tension.

In summary, though this book featured interesting perspectives, I failed to find myself invested in the characters or the romance.

Still, I am grateful to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Following well-known actress Natalie Keane and her struggles with trauma and anxiety for her own safety, Cover Story is a fake-dating romance which delves deeper into a lesser-known character, Taylor Vaughn, who was first introduced to readers in Lacey’s previous novel Stars Collide. This is a simple yet solid romance that was easy to read and enjoyable—fans of Lacey’s work should enjoy this one just as much as the Read Between the Lines series.

Rachel Lacey, author of Stars Collide, serves up a steamy tale of Hollywood fame and subterfuge about a glamorous actress and the sexy bodyguard posing as her girlfriend.

I LOVED THIS!!!!!

Rachel Lacey never misses with her books! I love them all.

This one was a little different because it was deeper and more meaningful to me. The relationship ends up meaning so much more because of the other background ongoings.

I rated this 4 stars and already can't wait for Rachel Lacey's next book.

I liked Cover Story in theory and enjoyed the characters, but I also found the book to be kind of slow-moving and boring. I was rooting for Natalie and Taylor, but I started losing interest in them because I wanted the book to move along more quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

No chemistry between Natalie and Taylor which doesn’t really make for an enjoyable read. Their characters seemed very surface level and we didn’t really get to know them.
A lot of it felt very forced and rushed.

Sadly, not for me, but if you’re looking for something light to read, this may be for you.

Thanks to @netgalley and Montlake publishing for the chance to review the ARC of Cover Story by Rachel Lacey. Natalie, a Hollywood starlet, was stalked eight years ago, and the paparazzi made her life hell. When her stalker was about to be released from jail, Natalie agreed to extra security... but with the cover that they were dating. Taylor is a badass security guard who had been out of work for a few months. Posing as a beautful actresses' girlfriend sounded like an easy assignment after coming back from an injury. But it was all for show, right?

This sapphic romance was cute and spicy.

Sapphic celebrity and bodyguard fake dating romance!

Natalie is a successful Hollywood actor with a glamourous lifestyle. But she also struggles with PTSD following an extreme issue with a stalker years before. Meanwhile Taylor is trying to get back to life as a bodyguard following injury... she's just not quite as far down the road to recovery as everyone else thinks. To help ease her security fears, while giving positive publicity, Natalie hires Taylor to be her fake-girlfriend bodyguard.

Ok so we have a fair few tropes going on here: celebrity, bodyguard, fake dating, forced proximity. But for me this book goes far beyond those tick boxes. It's all the little moments that make this book so magical. The times that Natalie lets her guard down, particularly when she's accidentally honest, are so sweet.

Natalie's PTSD and anxiety play a big part in her life and therefore this story, but I thought these were handled really well. And I was so impressed with how the stalker plotline was handled too.

The sexual tension in this book is off-the-charts. It builds and builds and builds for so long. And the pay off is absolutely worth it. Super spicy, and very fitting to the characters.

And shout out to the side characters with their adorable contributions: Taylor's parents, Natalie's colleagues, and (of course) the pets!

Honestly, I feel like I can't do this book enough justice. I was grinning throughout reading, and can't help but smile now every time that I think about it. Highly recommend to any contemporary romance fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy. All thoughts are my own.

Natalie Keane, a Hollywood A-Lister, is in need of extra protection after the release of a previous stalker. However, the details surrounding her beefed up security need to be kept to a minimum to not draw attention around the release of said stalker. Enter Taylor Vaughn. Taylor is in need of an assignment after an injury has kept her out of work for the last three months and quickly agrees to the assignment. While it is unconventional to pose as a fake girlfriend, it makes the perfect cover story for Natalie.

I adored this book! I did not read the previous book, Stars Collide, but I don't think that is necessary to enjoy this one. I enjoyed how Lacey explored the hardships of being a celebrity and how scary it can be, especially as a woman. I loved how character driven this story was, exploring trauma, anxiety, and the feeling of loneliness. The romance was slow-burn but I enjoyed watching Natalie learn to trust when she had been so unwilling before.

The only reason I knocked off a star is because I wanted more! I thought certain plotlines would be explored more, but overall I am very happy to have read this book. It has made me want to pick up Lacey's work.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love Rachel Lacey’s work and the minute I saw an ARC for this on Netgalley, I knew I needed to have it!

The unexpected follow on from Stars Collide, Taylor is no longer Eden Sands bodyguard and is now looking for new work and finds herself interviewing for Natalie Keane, a famous Hollywood actress attempting to hide from a previous stalker. They plan to fool the press and pretend to be girlfriends to distract everyone from the fact Natalie’s stalker is being released from prison.
Along the way, the relationship dynamic changes and we see Taylor and Nat go from client and bodyguard to friends and finally to a hint of something more. Watching the natural progression of their relationship and how they change each other and support one another was really lovely to read and it felt so real and you felt Nat’s frustration and Taylor’s empathy.
The spicy scenes for this book are also something wonderful and Rachel really has a way of drawing you in and hooking you.
Honestly I really enjoyed it and have already recommended it to multiple people. It has a lot of appeal with both characters and story and once I got into it, it was hard to put it away.

Thanks to Rachel Lacey and NetGally for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As an unapologetic Rachel Lacey fangirl. I've been looking forward to this book for months! Once again, Lacey wrote an absolutely hit!

Hollywood It Girl Natalie Keane needs a female bodyguard/stand in girlfriend. After living through a horrifying kidnapping, Natalie is horrified to find out her kidnapper is up for parole. Already taking her security extremely seriously, she needs protection in plain sight. Enter Taylor. Taylor can be her guard at public events, etc while posing as her girlfriend to not draw attention. But working so close together causes both to fall in love.

Is it a tale as old as time? Yes. Is it also still absolutely worth a read? Also yes! Cover Story was one of the best books of last year hands down, so I knew going back into this world would be a treat! This one is a bit deeper than Cover Story, meaning Cover Story was a love story/later in life sexual awakening, this one delves into themes of kidnapping, PTSD, trauma, etc
It's not a bad difference, just a marked difference in the story themes. Natalie's fears and trauma were handled so well, and it really gave an eye opening look to those who maybe haven't dealt with some of the same things in real life. Taylor was as absolutely wonderful partner with her love and support, while at the same time giving Natalie the time and space she needed without question. Because Rachel is one if the reigning queens of sapphic spice, there was plenty of it! But as always. It enhanced the story and isn't just thrown in for shock value. The consent element is am added bonus I always love to see! If you love sapphic romance as much as I do, do yourself a favor and pre-order this one NOW!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Rachel Lacey, Montlake, and NetGalley. 💕

I wanted to kick 2024 off with a bang and figured what better way to do that than with a Rachel Lacey book, and I was absolutely correct. This celebrity/bodyguard romance was exactly what I was looking for. From the attraction to the vulnerability to the suspense, I could not put it down. Don’t miss out on this incredible book’s release March 26th. Fingers crossed for Noelle’s story in the future.

Rachel Lacey, author of Stars Collide, serves up a steamy tale of Hollywood fame and subterfuge about a glamorous actress and the sexy bodyguard posing as her girlfriend.

I don't read a lot of romance, but I couldn't resist the promise of this one. It was really well done and I enjoyed it a lot.

When an actress with loss and a traumatic experience in her past needs yet another bodyguard, it’s deter
Ones that it should be a woman they can present to the public as her new girlfriend so as not to present her as too vulnerable to her fans. The characters are realistic in that they each have experiences, vulnerabilities, and desires that sometimes work in direct opposition of each other (as do most of us in the real world!). The story is fun and touching and includes a real unearthing of their lives and traumas, as well as how they were able to acknowledge that they needed counseling support. I liked that the book talks about supporting mental health as a normal, healthy process, something that a reader might need to hear. Fun book. Spicy but not gratuitous!!
I was lucky to have been provided an ARC from the author.

This was a super cute and fun read! If you liked the vibes of the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this book will be for you.

I love romances with movie star MCs and Natalie having a background of being kidnapped was a nice twist to the plot. All the other characters were super likable. I adored Ali (and was definitely rooting for her and Tommy!) and Taylor’s parents were so sweet. I also thought the animal characters were written well. I felt like they added a lot to the story instead of just being filler details and I enjoyed reading about Cassie’s antics.

I did feel like there was a lot of repeated information that sometimes interrupter the flow of my reading. I also was shocked the characters were so old. This read a little YA to me, or at least 20-30s, not almost 40. Overall a solid feel good romance to add to your tbr!

This is another amazing book by Rachel Lacey! I have loved so many of her books, and this one is amazing too! I was so happy to see that Taylor, the bodyguard character from 'Stars Collide' was getting her own book! I couldn't wait to read this one.

Natalie is an actress who has dealt with a stalker and some trauma in her past. She feels unsafe in her home, and she wants to get another bodyguard. She doesn't want to seem too obvious about it, so she comes up with a plan- find a bodyguard who can pose as her girlfriend. Enter Taylor. Taylor is an Army veteran and a celebrity bodyguard, but she is recovering from a back surgery and injury. This seems like a great opportunity to get back into being a bodyguard again.

Natalie seems closed off, but Taylor gets her to open up. Over time, Natalie's walls start to come down, and Taylor and Natalie develop real feelings for each other. Fake dating might be turning in to something real.

This romance had so many tropes that I love: forced proximity, slow burn, fake dating, and steamy sapphic romance.

Natalie and Taylor stole my heart, and I loved this story so much!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for an ARC of this amazing story.