Cover Story

**A Guardian Book of the Year** ** A Spotify Romance Book of the Year** **Winner of the 2026 RNA Romantic Comedy Award** 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'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

**A Guardian Book of the Year** ** A Spotify Romance Book of the Year** **Winner of the 2026 RNA Romantic Comedy Award** 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'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A hilarious, emotional love story about an extremely anxious publicist who's tasked with keeping an extremely gay starlet in the closet - but who ends up falling for her instead.​ It's 2005, and Ali is a publicist for Hollywood's biggest stars. Part of her job entails keeping gay celebrities in the closet-which is pretty ironic, since she's a lesbian herself. When Ali is assigned a new client, Cara Bisset, upcoming star of a (hetero) romantic blockbuster, keeping Cara's sexuality under wraps becomes Ali's biggest challenge yet. Bold, unpredictable Cara hates that she has to hide such an integral aspect of her identity, and after a series of increasingly close calls, Ali is sent on her worldwide promotional tour to help with her image. Instead, she finds herself drawn to Cara's confidence and bravery. For the past year, Ali has been consumed by grief after unexpectedly losing her partner. But with Cara, Ali's fears about the world subside, and she begins to question the Hollywood closeting system that she contributes to. As Cara's fame rises, both Ali and Cara have to decide which is more important: success or a chance at true love? **** PRAISE FOR COVER STORY : ' Cover Story is a sharply written, delightfully boisterous novel about celebrity, publicity, anxiety, and sexuality that is both a celebration of love and an insightful examination of loss. It will be the smartest and sexiest romantic comedy you'll read this year' CAMILLE PERRI, author of THE ASSISTANTS and WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY ' Cover Story is everything you want a rom-com to be-hilarious, heartbreaking, sexy, and filled with early aughts nostalgia. I defy anyone to not be swept off their feet by Hollywood heartthrob Cara Bisset' LAURA KAY, author of MAKING IT

A hilarious, emotional love story about an extremely anxious publicist who's tasked with keeping an extremely gay starlet in the closet - but who ends up falling for her instead.​ It's 2005, and Ali is a publicist for Hollywood's biggest stars. Part of her job entails keeping gay celebrities in the closet-which is pretty ironic, since she's a lesbian herself. When Ali is assigned a new client, Cara Bisset, upcoming star of a (hetero) romantic blockbuster, keeping Cara's sexuality under wraps becomes Ali's biggest challenge yet. Bold, unpredictable Cara hates that she has to hide such an integral aspect of her identity, and after a series of increasingly close calls, Ali is sent on her worldwide promotional tour to help with her image. Instead, she finds herself drawn to Cara's confidence and bravery. For the past year, Ali has been consumed by grief after unexpectedly losing her partner. But with Cara, Ali's fears about the world subside, and she begins to question the Hollywood closeting system that she contributes to. As Cara's fame rises, both Ali and Cara have to decide which is more important: success or a chance at true love? **** PRAISE FOR COVER STORY : ' Cover Story is a sharply written, delightfully boisterous novel about celebrity, publicity, anxiety, and sexuality that is both a celebration of love and an insightful examination of loss. It will be the smartest and sexiest romantic comedy you'll read this year' CAMILLE PERRI, author of THE ASSISTANTS and WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY ' Cover Story is everything you want a rom-com to be-hilarious, heartbreaking, sexy, and filled with early aughts nostalgia. I defy anyone to not be swept off their feet by Hollywood heartthrob Cara Bisset' LAURA KAY, author of MAKING IT

Netflix's Inventing Anna and Hulu's The Dropout meets Catch Me If You Can in this captivating novel about an ambitious young woman who gets trapped in a charismatic con artist's scam. A Most Anticipated Book by Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, Parade, New York Post, Shondaland, E!, Fortune, PopSugar, and more! "It's exciting, it's surprising, it's satisfying, it's darkly funny, and it will keep you guessing."-Linda Holmes for Today.com After a rough year at NYU, aspiring writer Lora Ricci is thrilled to land a summer internship at ELLE magazine where she meets Cat Wolff, contributing editor and enigmatic daughter of a clean-energy mogul. Cat takes Lora under her wing, soliciting her help with side projects and encouraging her writing. As a friendship emerges between the two women, Lora opens up to Cat about her financial struggles and lost scholarship. Cat's solution: Drop out of NYU and become her ghostwriter. Lora agrees and, when the internship ends, she moves into Cat's suite at the opulent Plaza Hotel. Writing during the day and accompanying Cat to extravagant parties at night, Lora's life quickly shifts from looming nightmare to dream-come-true. But as Lora is drawn into Cat's glamorous lifestyle, Cat's perfect exterior cracks, exposing an illicit, shady world. A whip-smart and delightfully inventive writer, Susan Rigetti brilliantly pieces together a perceptive, humorous caper full of sharp observations about scam culture. Composed of diary entries, emails, FBI correspondence, and more, Cover Story is a fresh, fun, and wholly original novel that takes readers deep into the codependency and deceit found in a relationship built on power imbalance and lies. "[A] page-turner that's hilarious in its dedication to vamping on viral news stories about real-life strivers and cons from Delvey to Instagram personality Caroline Calloway ... a delicious read."-TIME magazine

Netflix's Inventing Anna and Hulu's The Dropout meets Catch Me If You Can in this captivating novel about an ambitious young woman who gets trapped in a charismatic con artist's scam. A Most Anticipated Book by Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, Parade, New York Post, Shondaland, E!, Fortune, PopSugar, and more! "It's exciting, it's surprising, it's satisfying, it's darkly funny, and it will keep you guessing."-Linda Holmes for Today.com After a rough year at NYU, aspiring writer Lora Ricci is thrilled to land a summer internship at ELLE magazine where she meets Cat Wolff, contributing editor and enigmatic daughter of a clean-energy mogul. Cat takes Lora under her wing, soliciting her help with side projects and encouraging her writing. As a friendship emerges between the two women, Lora opens up to Cat about her financial struggles and lost scholarship. Cat's solution: Drop out of NYU and become her ghostwriter. Lora agrees and, when the internship ends, she moves into Cat's suite at the opulent Plaza Hotel. Writing during the day and accompanying Cat to extravagant parties at night, Lora's life quickly shifts from looming nightmare to dream-come-true. But as Lora is drawn into Cat's glamorous lifestyle, Cat's perfect exterior cracks, exposing an illicit, shady world. A whip-smart and delightfully inventive writer, Susan Rigetti brilliantly pieces together a perceptive, humorous caper full of sharp observations about scam culture. Composed of diary entries, emails, FBI correspondence, and more, Cover Story is a fresh, fun, and wholly original novel that takes readers deep into the codependency and deceit found in a relationship built on power imbalance and lies. "[A] page-turner that's hilarious in its dedication to vamping on viral news stories about real-life strivers and cons from Delvey to Instagram personality Caroline Calloway ... a delicious read."-TIME magazine

Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets The Hating Game in this heartfelt, witty, and utterly unputdownable enemies-to-lovers romance from international bestseller Mhairi McFarlane, about two journalists who must fake a relationship in order to land a huge story. 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...

Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets The Hating Game in this heartfelt, witty, and utterly unputdownable enemies-to-lovers romance from international bestseller Mhairi McFarlane, about two journalists who must fake a relationship in order to land a huge story. 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...

'SUPERB... COLIN FORBES HAS NO EQUAL AT THIS SORT OF THING' SUNDAY MIRROR A journalist is brutally murdered and a video of her killing is sent to London by Soviet Intelligence with a warning - tell other people to keep away from Procane... Intelligence agencies are convinced that Adam Procane, a top Washington official, is about to defect. But the Presidential election is only two months away and it's the last thing the Americans want. Trouble is, no one knows who Procane really is, so nothing can be done to stop him. In London, Tweed of SIS watches and waits. Four highly suspect Americans have already passed through London en route to Scandinavia - the Deputy Head of the CIA, the National Security Advisor and his wife, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Any one of them could be Procane. So it's time for Tweed to act. To get back into the field. To find Procane before the Soviets wreak havoc... Cover Story is the third in the Tweed & Co series of gripping and suspenseful spy thrillers - perfect for fans of John le Carré, Ken Follett and Charles Cumming. PRAISE FOR COLIN FORBES: 'Utterly realistic and gripping action' Spectator 'A projectile of a thriller' New York Times 'Will keep the reader on the edge of his chair' Daily Telegraph 'Better than Alistair Maclean's suspense novels' Pasadena Star-News 'Suspense mounts swiftly, plenty of action and intrigue' American Publishers Weekly 'Out-Alistairs Maclean' New York Times

'SUPERB... COLIN FORBES HAS NO EQUAL AT THIS SORT OF THING'SUNDAY MIRROR A journalist is brutally murdered and a video of her killing is sent to London by Soviet Intelligence with a warning -tell other people to keep away from Procane... Intelligence agencies are convinced that Adam Procane, a top Washington official, is about to defect. But the Presidential election is only two months away and it's the last thing the Americans want. Trouble is, no one knows who Procane really is, so nothing can be done to stop him. In London, Tweed of SIS watches and waits. Four highly suspect Americans have already passed through London en route to Scandinavia - the Deputy Head of the CIA, the National Security Advisor and his wife, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Any one of them could be Procane. So it's time for Tweed to act. To get back into the field. To find Procane before the Soviets wreak havoc... Cover Storyis the third in the Tweed & Co series of gripping and suspenseful spy thrillers - perfect for fans of John le Carré, Ken Follett and Charles Cumming. PRAISE FOR COLIN FORBES: 'Utterly realistic and gripping action'Spectator 'A projectile of a thriller'New York Times 'Will keep the reader on the edge of his chair'Daily Telegraph 'Better than Alistair Maclean's suspense novels'Pasadena Star-News 'Suspense mounts swiftly, plenty of action and intrigue'American Publishers Weekly 'Out-Alistairs Maclean'New York Times