Cover Story

A Guardian Book of the Year!

A Spotify Romance Book of the Year!

Bel’s joined the tiny Manchester office of a national paper from her indie podcast.

Thirty-something Connor is going to back to the start as the new intern.

The latest office news? They can’t stand each other.

So of course Bel bumps into Connor when she’s working undercover on the biggest scoop of her career. And of course she’s forced to improvise, pretending they’re a couple. A couple deeply in love.

Two rivals. One fake romance. The headline writes itself…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A five-star read!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book is an absolute joy from start to finish. The chemistry between Bel and Connor is electric, and it’s impossible not to get sucked into their witty back-and-forth'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Mhairi McFarlane has done it again. At this point I think I'd even love reading her shopping lists' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Cover Story is another winner'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The characters are so well written and true to life… a joy to read'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Funny and gripping and, crucially, emotionally convincing. McFarlane's characters always feel like real people and this book is no exception'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Dry humour, top friendships and a romantic story … loved it'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviews

'[Mhairi has] a snort-inducing sense of humour' The Times

'Mhairi McFarlane's ability to encapsulate complicated friendships and relationships is incredible…every book she writes [is] unputdownable for me' Emily Henry

'I loved it so so much. I’m having withdrawal symptoms … delicious' Marian Keyes

'Smart, sexy and oh so addictive…multi-layered, complex characters woven into a story laden with belly laughs. I adored it' Lindsey Kelk

'Everything about this book is perfection … relatable, real, honest and a total joy from start to finish' Lucy Vine

'I literally inhaled it…I found myself going to bed at 8pm, three nights in a row, so I could finish it' Holly Bourne

'The most brilliant beady-eyed social commentary; Jane Austen if she knew where all the best Happy Hour deals were to be found' Emma Hughes

'Unputdownable … Mhairi is the queen of smart-as-hell romcoms' Cressida McLaughlin

'My drop-everything-unconfined-joy-read-or-die author; I love her books so much' Jane Casey

'Genuinely romantic and genuinely funny, while also being incredibly clever, pacy and observant' Niamh Hargan

'A smart, funny, and relatable heroine in Bel, and a sharp, layered hunk in Connor' Justin Myers

'Superb storytelling … puts her into that refined club occupied by Jilly Cooper and Jane Austen. Loved, loved, loved it' Jay Rayner

'Delicious and addictive … Mhairi McFarlane retains her place in the highest echelon of romantic fiction writers' Muireann O'Connell

'Massively entertaining: it's legitimately funny, with steamy chemistry and a heroine so relatable she felt like my friend … Mhairi McFarlane is the voice of genre, the queen of contemporary romantic fiction' Laura Jane Williams

'Hilarious dialogue, great location, hot leading man and an investigative journalism plot – Mhairi fans (there are millions), you are in for a treat' Hattie Crisell

'Smart, relatable and very, very funny. A brilliantly entertaining read – I loved it’ TM Logan