thank you for the e-ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley!

DNF @ 47%
i just don’t think this writing style is for me.. i enjoyed the dual POVs and fake dating trope however the MMC gave me the ick pretty early on and there was no going back from it hahaha

A slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, story that leans more heavily on the investigative work that Bel does than the romantic relationship between Bel and Connor. But, I did feel like the slow burn was worth it and felt earned. Bel (and Connor's) work does lend itself well to the story as it's helps push them together and realize more about each other than they would have learned otherwise. A solid 3/5 dual POV story from Mhairi that's worth a read.

Bel has just landed a job at the Manchester office of a big national newspaper, coming off the success of her latest award-winning podcast. The team is small, consisting of Bel, her ambitious colleague Aaron, and the new intern. But when the intern turns out to be a thirtysomething man called Connor, she’s not impressed. She’s patronizing, he’s hostile: it’s a terrible start. Connor’s life is in a state of collapse. He’s left his seemingly perfect life in London—a well-paying job, great apartment, and beautiful girlfriend—for a chance to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a reporter. After a bad first impression with Bel, his internship begins to feel like another in a series of poor decisions. But if Connor were honest with himself, she’s the first bit of excitement he’s felt in a very long time. When Bel suddenly finds herself at the heels of a huge story, she’s determined to see it through— even if it means involving the inscrutable and aloof Connor. Before they know it, they must convince people they’re not just a couple, but a couple madly in love. If they mess up, Bel’s cover is blown and the biggest story she’ll ever have landed will disappear, along with justice for its sources. But as time goes on, Bel and Connor start to wonder if their cover story is just an act, or if their feelings are real.

Thoughts
I love these two characters! Bel has her flaws but she’s fully aware of herself and mistakes shes made. Connor is still in a bit of a fog after his job in finance did a number on his well being. I loved how they both confided and supported each other in this story. Office romance, fake dating, (kinda) enemies to lovers and a slow burn. Fun read!

4.5 // Ummm I loved this! It was so much more than a romance!

The FMC is an investigative journalist, so she is investigating a pretty big story involving the mayor, also she has a ‘stalker’, so there’s a lot going on (in a good way) to keep the story moving! And the MMC was suuuch a good guy throughout, I really loved him! Also, I love a fake dating trope.

I will definitely be checking out more of Mhairi McFarlane’s books. Thank you to NetGalley & publisher for this ARC!

Mhairi McFarlane does it again! I love every single one of her books and she delivers with Cover Story! Another great romance book about enemies to lovers - highly recommend!

DND at 40%

Okay I really really wanted to like this book. Fake dating? Always a yes for me. But I don’t know if it was setting of the book being in England and how different Americans and Brit talk but I just could not get into it. It was just too serious for me and I wanted more lighthearted banter in my opinion.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!*

I devoured this book! Cover Story is a workplace, slow-burn romance between two journalists. Connor and Bel's relationship was so well done, and the fake dating was everything you could ever want! The banter made me laugh out loud at times and the investigation plot line was so compelling- it had me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommend this book to any romance lover.

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: mentions of suicide, stalking, depression

Absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I've always enjoyed Mhairi McFarlane's books, but this one tops the cake. In this day and age, original stories are hard to come by...boy meets girl, they fall in love, third act break up, the HEA with common tropes of sports, fake dating, enemies to lovers, etc. But with this book, it felt like a breath of fresh air. This book felt like an onion with so many layers to peel. This book dealt with heavy material but in such an eloquent and compassionate way that it doesn't make you want to put it down. It has a massive side of romance. The chemistry between Connor and Bel was so good that it made me squeal. This is a book that I will be thinking about for months to come, and I cannot wait for everyone else who gets to read this for the first time.

P.S.- I want a BFF like Shilpa.

Read if you like:
- Dual POV
- Enemies to lovers
- Fake dating

Mhairi McFarlane's books are always an automatic read for me. This book felt a little different to me though. The first 50% of the book felt very much all over the place and very drawn out. But I ATE UP the second-half of the book. Once everything began with going undercover, it really picked up and sucked me in. I will say that some of the slang was a bit too hard for me to understand and I felt like I had to go back and re-read certain parts because of it.

A charming slow burn romance. Bel is a talented investigative reporter. She isn’t too interested in mentoring the new intern, even if he is an incredibly handsome man her age. Connor makes a terrible first impression on Bel and the feeling is mutual until Bel and Connor find themselves on the same side, trying to break an important story. While this is a bit slow to start and has a lot of plot packed in, there is plenty to enjoy and Bel and Connor have lovely chemistry. The author does a nice job of making this a fun and cozy read even with a couple of distressing subplots.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

In true Mhairi Mcfarlane style, this was a true delight!Her writing style and charm is top notch - I will always enthusiastically put a book of hers to the top of my TBR pile and Cover Story further proves why. I really enjoyed every page of this.

The witty banter along with the self-conscious and self-deprecating inner dialogue made Bel and Connor incredibly charming and easy to love. Their development and growth along with the way they each handled their prior relationship challenges made them easy to root for in their character growth. Plus the hilarious (sometimes tense!) and chaotic hijinks were icing on the Mcfarlane cake!

All the stars - always! I loved every page of Cover Story.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were relatable, the plot was interesting, and the story was great! I would definitely recommend!

To no one’s surprise, I LOVED "Cover Story" by Mhairi McFarlane! She continues her streak as a five-star author in my book, every single time.

This one had everything I adore: relatable, real characters (Bel and Connor felt like people I actually know); a deliciously slow-burn romance; and classic tropes done so well -- fake dating, enemies to lovers and the always-entertaining forced proximity. The banter was sharp, funny and full of tension, and watching the relationship between Bel and Connor shift and evolve felt so natural and satisfying.

The pacing was just right, with emotional depth balanced perfectly by wit and charm. If you love romance that takes its time and gives you all the feels, this is it. Another gem from Mhairi. Thank you to Mhairi McFarlane, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

Reading a Mhairi McFarlane book is always delightful. Her characters are witty and sharp, and her writing style is top-notch. The dual POV really added to the story and I liked it.

Bel and Connor misjudge each other when they first meet and it lays the foundation of a good enemies to lovers book (which I love!) Their misunderstanding of each other leads to awkwardness when they have to pretend date in order to try to break a very big story. So many issues make up the story in this book that are now part of our contemporary world - burnout, revenge porn, stalking, ethics and mental health. She does a great job making them realistic and relatable.

As always, there is the best friend who's a gem. I love love that part of her books; good female relationships are so important!

This book is a great read and I devoured in one sitting. The characters are smart, complex, makes imperfect decisions and relatable. Her storytelling well-paced and immaculately told. It'll make you laugh and is thoroughly enjoyable. The romance is slow burn and almost didn't happen as they still couldn't understand each other's true feelings when their time together was coming to an end but thanks to Shaun (Connor's brother) always being right, Connor finally tells Bel that he loves her in the end. Cue HEA and good feelings both in the book and for me.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a truly delightful read.

I will say, as an American, the dialogue took some getting adjusted to. This book is brimming with British slang and terminology that I was not aware of, so with some Googling and a bit of puzzling on my part, I found that this became a part of the atmosphere.

This was the story of a very adult romance between two very well developed characters. Recently I have found that my romances tend to feel cookie-cutter, and this one is very much not that. These characters have flaws and faults and difficult conversations, which made me very sympathetic to both of their stories, even though they may be somewhat spiky and unloveable at times.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the subplots of a stalker mystery and workplace investigations - I was thoroughly engrossed the entire read. Sometimes romance seems to take the spotlight when it should not, and this book was perfectly paced throughout.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

As a longtime fan of Mhairi McFarlane, I was excited to dive into A Cover Story—and it delivered so much of what I love about her books: sharp writing, layered characters, and smart, witty dialogue. Bel and Connor were both compelling in their own ways, and I appreciated how real and flawed they felt. The fake-dating setup made for some great tension and emotional depth.

That said, I would’ve liked a bit more focus on the romance itself. While the character arcs were strong, the romantic development sometimes took a backseat to other plotlines, and the ending felt a bit rushed. Still, McFarlane’s voice and character work shine, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. A solid 4.25 stars!

I enjoyed this one! It’s my first one by Mhairi McFarlane and I’m convinced to check out her backlist!

Bel and Connor have an instant enemies-to-lovers connection, but manage to start working together on a big story Bel wants to break about the mayor. When they end up creating a fake dating relationship as part of their cover, there’s definitely not instant chemistry. I found Connor and Bel to be complex, flawed, relatable characters with real issues to work past, both individually and together. If you love tropes like fake dating, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and only one bed, this book may be right up your alley (especially if you’re a fan of a true slow-burn romance)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the early reader copy of this book!

Even though I'm not a fan of the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith nor the book The Hating game. I did enjoy this one, as it was enough out of my wheel house to keep me turning pages to find out what happened.

cover Story is everything I love in a book. Shilpa was one of the best best friends I've read in a while. I was a little bit obsessed with her.I really did adore this book and sped through it

Cover Story
Mhairi McFarlane

Bel and Connor

Bel used to host a podcast, but a personal issue took that away, and her to Manchester.
Bel is a journalist in Manchester and Connor comes in as an intern to help her. They are doing an undercover assignment which has them “fake dating”.
Mishaps and misunderstandings seem to always stand in their way.
I liked it was not an insta-love book. It was a slow building burning love. A part that made me think was a turning point was the situation with Tim at the wedding. Connor stepped up to help Bel. Plus Connor lets something slip at the wedding and Bel doesn’t find that out until close to the end of the book.
It was a good book. I liked the characters and overall feel of the story. It was not predictable.
A book you will not be disappointed with.