This was just at 3.5 star read, rounding it up to 4 stars for the rating. I don’t really have to much to say except that if you were hoping for a romance with any type of sex scenes, not your book. I think that McFarlane did a slow burn with Bel and Connor, which I know some romance readers like, but then it just felt like we got zero pay-0ff in the end. And I have to say, I really need longer timelines in books if you have the leads fall in love in what feels like seconds.
Cover Story follows journalist Bel who is working at a Manchester office of a publisher after moving away from her ex and….other ex. Bel meets the new 30 plus year old intern, Connor, who she thinks takes an instant dislike of her. Bel is given a tip about the mayor being a serial sexual harasser and she does her level best to make friends with a woman she believes is giving the mayor a secret love nest. When the woman meets Bel and then Connor comes along and almost blows her cover, Bel lies they are dating, and from there on, Connor and Bel are forced to pretend to be dating to keep up the ruse as they keep investigating.
This really wasn’t a “pure romance” since most of the book was about Bel’s investigation into the mayor and dealing with her ex that was stalking her and other ex who is being a jerk. I just didn’t think we got enough moments to just see Bel and Conner outside of the messiness of the A and B plots. Connor’s issues with his current girlfriend and feeling at a loss of what he should be doing with his life felt a bit tacked on.
At times I kept thinking that the book felt a bit unfinished or was setting up for a sequel since there were some loose ends left open with regards to Bel’s best friend and her ex-boyfriend.