Book Review: Cover Story
Book Review of Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane: The book will be released on Oct 7, 2025.
I was very excited to read Mhairi McFarlane’s new novel, Cover Story! I have read several of her other books and enjoyed them all. I like it when romances include real, actual problems, and not just miscommunication and people being immature. McFarlane writes novels with romantic storylines with more depth, like meaningful career plots, in-depth character arcs and growth, and real-world conflicts. Often there is depth along the lines of family dynamics, dysfunctional relationships, and more.
Why You Will Love It
Cover Story has romance and depth in common with her other books. You also get the dry wit, sarcasm, and fast-paced banter between the two love interests that I’ve come to expect from McFarlane’s books. Cover Story does not disappoint; at times, the dialogue will have you LOLing. Some favorite romance tropes are also in Cover Story, including fake dating and rivals-to-lovers.
The Setup
Bel is an award-winning podcaster trying to make it as an investigative journalist at a newspaper in Manchester, England. Into her tiny office of two (she and Aaron), enter a new intern named Connor. Connor’s life is on the rocks, because without his finance-bro job, his girlfriend in London is ready to end the relationship. Bel, meanwhile, has set up her new life in Manchester to get away from a stalker in her old workplace. When Bel gets a tip for a new story about the “nice guy” town mayor (who also happens to be a gaslighter, among other things), she takes on a new persona, “Bella,” to investigate undercover. And of course, she accidentally needs Connor to be more than a new intern—she needs a fake boyfriend. As far as fake-dating goes, there was actually a good reason this time.
At the beginning, the way the Bel and Connor judge each other at first reminds me of Mr. Darcy and Lizzie Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. Bel assumes that Connor is arrogant because of his demeanor, when really he has a lot going on in his life and he’s taking a risk to work as a new journalism intern at age 30. Connor notices that Bel seems judgmental, because she really did assume that because Connor is very very conventionally good-looking, he must be an a$$hole. As the plot unfolds, there are tense scenarios, hijinks, and lots of laughs, with a message about coercive control and bringing men to account for their dangerous behavior, which added a satisfying layer to the book.
My Thoughts
Overall, I found the book more fast-paced than many romance reads. Cover Story might be my favorite Mhairi McFarlane book, which isn’t any easy title to win, because I LOVED the two books about Evie and her actor bf, Who’s That Girl? and You Belong With Me.
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pre-order the book from my favorite indie bookstore and Bookshop.org.
