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

I’ve been a huge fan of Mhairi McFarlane for years, and once again, she delivers an absolute gem! She never disappoints—her writing is sharp, her characters are layered, and her stories always have that perfect blend of humor, heart, and authenticity.

This book had me hooked from the start! Bel and Connor’s dynamic is the kind of slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers perfection that feels so real and earned. Their initial animosity is palpable—Bel is sharp and driven, while Connor is lost and frustrated—but as they’re thrown together in a fake relationship for the sake of a huge undercover story, the sparks start flying in ways neither of them expects. I absolutely loved watching their relationship shift from reluctant allies to something deeper, more vulnerable, and ultimately, completely swoon-worthy.

McFarlane’s signature wit is on full display here. The banter? Absolutely top-tier. The humor? Laugh-out-loud funny. But beyond that, the book also explores deeper themes—burnout, self-doubt, ethics in journalism, and the struggle of starting over when life throws you off course. The dual POV adds so much depth, letting us see both Bel and Connor’s perspectives as they navigate their feelings and personal challenges. And let’s not forget the friendships! McFarlane always writes strong, supportive female friendships, and this book is no exception.

By the time I reached the final pages, I was completely invested in these characters, their struggles, and their triumphs. This book made me laugh, made me feel, and left me with that warm, satisfied glow that only the best romances do. If you love witty, heartfelt, slow-burn romance with depth, this is a must-read!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sharing this remarkable romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishing, and author Mhairi McFarlane for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story follows Bel, a journalist focused on investigative reporting, as she chases a major story that could be a make-or-break moment for both her and her intern, Connor. However, things take an unexpected turn, pulling them deeper into a complicated situation.

I really appreciated the book’s exploration of mental health, grief, and resilience, which added emotional depth to the story. (Trigger warnings: mentions of suicide, depression, stalking, and drinking.) The female empowerment throughout the book was also a strong highlight, and I loved the friendship between Bel and Shilpa. Connor was a fantastic MMC, and I really enjoyed his character development and storyline!

That said, this was a 3/5 star read for me. While I usually love the fake dating trope, it didn’t fully land in this story the way I had hoped. The beginning felt slow, and I found myself struggling with some of the dialogue and slang due to the setting. I also had mixed feelings about Bel as an FMC—her lack of honesty at times made it hard to fully connect with her, especially in certain interactions with other characters.

Despite these drawbacks, the book had some great moments of humor, emotion, and strong character relationships. If you enjoy character-driven stories with themes of self-growth and resilience, this could be a good pick for you!

Mhairi McFarlane's books are absolute gems, and her newest one did not disappoint! Her latest book centers on two seemingly ill-matched journalists who go undercover as a couple to uncover a big story, and as they work closely together, they must both work through assumptions and prejudices about one another that leads to a sweet enemies to lovers romance. Just like her other novels, one of the strengths of the plot is the development of the characters. The dialogue is so well-written, smart, and swoony- I savored every single sentence of this book. I found the internal conflicts that the characters had with identity and confidence relatable, and I wanted to continue reading about them!

She has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and I cannot wait to read more from her.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager as well as NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book totally channels Bridget Jones’s Diary energy—especially because Conner is, without a doubt, Colin Firth in character form.

Set in Manchester, the story follows Bel, a journalist at a national paper, whose world is rocked when 34-year-old intern Conner joins the team. He’s in the midst of a career pivot, ditching the high-earning hustle for something with more meaning. But sparks do not fly at first—Bel and Conner immediately rub each other the wrong way, each assuming the other is snobby and out of touch. That all changes when they’re thrown together for an undercover assignment. Forced to rely on one another, they start to see past their assumptions—and discover they actually make a pretty incredible team.

I’ll be honest, it took me a bit to get into this one. The beginning is slow, but by the halfway point, I was fully invested in Bel and Conner, both as individuals and as a duo. The British humor is spot-on *chef’s kiss* and honestly, this would make a fantastic film. Colin, if you’re reading this—call your agent.

Huge thanks to @netgalley
@avonbooks and @harpervoyagerus for the ARC!

This was a fun read! I struggled with the first few chapters as an American reader because the dialogue is different, but you get used to it and start to pick up on the non-American humor.

If you're looking for a typical romance book, this is not it. In fact, there's no real romance plot until 3/4 of the way in. You have Bel and Connor, the investigative reporter and the intern who walks into Bel mid-investigation and gets sucked into the plot. Now, the two of them have to fake being a couple to investigate a sex scandal with the mayor.

This one kept my interest and was a fun break from the romance I usually read. If you liked Mr. And Mrs. Smith, you'll definitely enjoy this book. Thanks for the ARC!

- like a film in a a true 90s/y2k romcom kind of way (people always say this but THIS time it’s TRUE) someone find katherine heigl
- leads circling and hobbling around one another after getting off on the wrong foot a dozen or so times (real annoyed to actually like you energy coming from them both)
- like the 5 stages of grief except as the 5 stages of i actually love you
- story they’re investigating and reporting mirrors personal relationships of leads (not with each other)
- explores consent and power dynamics in work relationships crossing to personal with dodgy mayor and stalker supervisor ( men abusing their positions of power in work bleeding into personal romantic relationships)
- sad boy male lead on antidepressants afraid we have to stan
- witty repartee abounds as always this is mhairi mcfarlane
- can we get an epilogue please tho
*Will edit and post review closer to publication date*

Well, I have a new tied for first favorite book from Mhairi - and is it any coincidence that it's tied with "If I Never Met You", which also features fake dating?

I read the first 20% of this book over a few nights while winding down for bed. And then I read the rest of the 80% in a 9 hour span, which is quite telling. When they say "unputdownable", they mean it on this one - I had to force myself to put my kindle in my trunk so that I couldn't sneak in a few paragraphs while sitting at red lights on my commute home lol. I'm also not embarrassed to say that after finishing the book, I slid into Mhairi's DMs on the 'gram to gush/ramble about how much I loved the book. I will try to make this review less rambly, but no promises!

First off, I was cackling so much while reading this book. If you've read any Mhairi before, you know her characters are usually quick witted and hilarious, but I felt like Bel and Connor, alone and vibing off each other, were even funnier than usual. There's a part at the end where I had to put the book down because I was laughing so hard.

From the outset, Bel and Connor just felt very real to me. Their interactions with each other were genuine-feeling - there was no insta-like for these two, like they genuinely did not like each other, which I feel most "enemies to lovers" are actually "we pretend we hate each other but really we're already ogling each other across the room", and this was definitely not that. And that felt real because that's what's more likely to happen in real life - a true slow warming towards each other as you get to know each other better after a bad start. I especially loved that we got both Bel and Connor's perspective of things throughout the book, because we could see how they each saw each the other from the start, and how that started to shift over time.

It's no secret that I love a fake-dating trope, and I'm so glad this one got set up quickly - but again, it felt like it was a very believable reason to fake-date someone (because that's usually not something that happens in real life ha!). You could feel the genuine "we both hate that we have to do this" vibes they were giving off through the page, because that's how much they disliked each other. Yet as they started to defrost towards each other, it still felt very "real life" (I keep saying REAL but I honestly cannot brain enough to come up with synonyms right now, I'm on a book high, ok?!), like how you might go from despising someone to tolerating them to maybe kinda finding their company enjoyable in the real world. Even the misunderstandings and miscommunications felt real to me - frustrating, as all miscommunication is, but not frustrating in a UGH JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER kind of way you feel with every Hallmark movie and so many romance novels. So for me, Bel and Connor just clicked from the outset, even though the initial clicking was disdain! But when they start to slowly trust each other and rely on each other and support each other and joke with each other - that's the magic.

Like all Mhairi books, this one had some serious issues at the forefront too that both Connor and Bel had experienced and helped each other navigate (CWs at the end of the review). It was honestly through all of this that really sold me on Connor - but I shall share nothing more spoilery than that here.

I highlighted so many things while reading this - some because they made me cackle, some because they warmed my heart, and some because it was just masterful the way Mhairi wrote it. Really I'm frustrated because I highlighted SO MANY things, but because it's an ARC, I have no way to import it into Goodreads for posterity and to come back to all of it. Guess I'll just have to read the book again when it's released, darn. (But for real, I paused my reading briefly today at about 35% to pre-order the book because I could already tell it was a winner, and I was right.)

This will easily be in my top reads of the year, and it's one I will be thinking on for longer than it took me to read it, I am sure.

----

CW: cheating, grooming, harrassment, blackmail, stalking, past suicidal thoughts, depression.
Lots of language and innuendo/sexual jokes.
Overall spice level is low though as there isn't anything happening on or off page in the bedroom. Kissing only with some handsiness in one scene.

I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my honest review.

This book has made me realize that Mhairi McFarlane books are just not for me. The blurb for this one sounded so up my alley, so I thought I'd give it a chance, but no, I just cannot connect with her characters at all (they don't even have chemistry with each other either). I also find that her books drag quite a bit.

I also found the dialogue in this super weird, it was changing styles. I understand that different people talk in different ways, especially when they're from different places, but this almost felt like a caricature or mocking in a way. It was very strange and would completely pull me out of the story when anyone would talk. So you can imagine how often that was.

I'm disappointed because this had so much potential with the fake dating and their whole set-up, but it just didn't work for me. None of the characters were likable and in a romance book, they need to be likable. I need to fall in love with the character right alongside the characters, or the author is not doing their job. I can totally see other people really enjoying this book, but it just wasn't for me, they were kinda toxic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.