As an Hollywood romances’ sucker, I was immediately attracted by this book. And I was right. It’s an hell of a book! The writing is really good and it’s a romance full of grief and other stuffs (please, read the TW!). I like when a romance talking about this kind of themes.
Yes, something get me off, because it felt like we were in the 2000s, and yes that period was not so bad, but was also full of negative things, slurs, etc. but it’s realistic and I like it.
And I love the love story between Ari and Cara. They were wonderful.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

So right off the bat I was struggling with this book because it tries to throw in a lot of tragedy/serious stuff, and I don't love that in my romance novels. As the book continued, I just found it to be poorly written and poorly paced, and I thought it was very dated. Obviously the book takes place in the mid-2000s, but that doesn't mean it has to (in a bad way) feel like it was written in the mid-2000s! Part of what contributed to this was how the book talked about a variety of groups of people. The characters asking each other if they were gold star lesbians felt gross, especially when it became clear that this was just a reason to later bring past sexual assault into the story as a one page aside. The use of the r slur a few times in a passage was uncomfortable, even if it was supposed to be a "sign of the times." The Black side character naming her business with the main character after Gone with the Wind, a famously racist book/film was a weird choice. The way that Dana talked about her trans partner and his transition felt iffy to me. There being one bisexual side character whose entire personality was being slutty felt stereotypical, and I don't even usually mind a slutty bisexual character, but combined with everything else it rubbed me the wrong way! I also did not care for how Ali's mom's bipolar disorder was handled.

This was lovely! Celia Laskey writes with a lit-fic-esque edge, which I loved, and coupled with the early 2000s nostalgia, the Los Angeles vibes, and the really sensitively done exploration of grief (falling in love again after the loss of a partner), this is going to hit with fans of Ava Wilder. But despite the heaviness and (deeply relatable) anxiety that circles Ali at the beginning of the novel, what Ali and Cara have is rather playful, lighthearted, and charming, with plenty of deadpan humor and wit. Come for a sapphic love story with plenty of spice and substance, but also an underlying sweetness that I think many will find healing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 🙂

Cover Story

Five stars!

At a glance:
- F/F lesbian romance
- Spice 3/5
- Medium paced (but felt fast because I loved it so much!)
- Moods: hopeful, playful, funny
- Tropes: age-gap, celeb/publicist (idk if that’s a trope but I’m making it one)
[Content warnings at the bottom > beware of spoilers]

Cover Story is the lesbian rom-com I have been waiting for! The novel follows Ali, an anxious grieving widow, who also happens to be the publicist assigned to a younger up and coming actress, Cara. A very lesbian actress who Ali (also lesbian) is tasked with keeping in the closet. A not-so-easy feat when the sparks start flying…

While Cover Story is a rom-com, it delves into deeper topics such as grief and anxiety. Ali is not perfect, but I found her struggles to be relatable. Her character growth left me, the reader, feeling hopeful. I appreciated the communication efforts between Ali and Cara. Unlike other romances I’ve read, I didn’t find myself yelling at the page trying to get the characters to just talk it out already!

I thought Celia Laskey’s writing was humorous and almost bubbly at times. I felt giddy while reading the interactions between the main characters. I think that’s what I loved the most about this book: The characters felt sexy and silly and real. As a lesbian myself, I could see a genuine relationship between Ali and Cara. Their relationship didn’t feel overly sexualized, romanticized or fantasized. When reading, this easily could have been a story starring someone I know.

Five stars for the lesbian representation and the perfect balance of silly, sexy, and heartfelt. This book was cathartic for me, and I especially appreciated the author’s note.

I highly recommend this book especially those looking for: les fic, rom-com, age-gap, or a romance with depth.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions above (and below) are my own.

Final thoughts:
- verboten
- Glen is perfect

Content warnings below, beware of spoilers, and please note these may not be all inclusive.
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Last warning for potential spoilers
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Content Warnings: anxiety/mental health, past death of a loved one, death, compulsory heterosexuality, sexual assault (recounting/discussed with partner), sexually explicit content, alcohol, systemic homophobia

Cover Story is a supernova of a romance novel, bursting with humor, heartbreak, and hope. Celia Laskey takes readers on an unforgettable journey through closeted celebrity hijinks in early 2000s media and the emotional rollercoaster of love after loss. Ali and Cara have a permanent place in my heart.

I loved this so much. Its fun and flirty, its about grief and anxiety. It really has everything. My favorite romance of the year.

Cover Story by Celia Laskey is a hilarious and emotional journey set in 2005, where Ali, a publicist, is tasked with keeping her new client, rising star Cara Bisset, in the closet. It’s an ironic job for Ali, who is a lesbian herself, and as she grows closer to Cara, she begins to question everything she’s been complicit in. Cara’s fearless authenticity challenges Ali, and as the two bond, Ali must decide whether to keep up the façade or embrace love and truth. This book is a perfect mix of humor, heart, and emotional depth, with a love story that will stay with you.

This story follows Ali, a grieving, neurotic widow as she falls for an up-and-coming actress navigating the mid-00s and what being gay in Hollywood could mean for a career.

Overall, I think there were some portions that were too TMI in a way that took away from finding chemistry between the characters. I think overall, Glen the dog was my favorite character. I think it's unnecessarily long in portions, the dialogue suffers from trying to be a period piece, and it's hard to see the chemistry between the two leads. Cara is first described as the embodiment of Gross Dude- greasy hair, pimples oozing, etc. And it's just hard to buy into the romance portion of it all.

Some sections were very long and a bit too much detail. It often has more telling than showing, which is a little frustrating. This is not to negate the style. I do believe the author is a good writer, I think it could use a bit more editing.

This was such a cute, lovely, and gun sapphic read!!! I loved the characters and the story reminded me of early 2000s romcoms- which is the BEST feel for romance books to have. I will continue picking up books by this author!!