Listen to a sample
Cover Story
- Author
- Mhairi McFarlane
- Narrator
- Kristin Atherton
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 9 October 2025
- Run Time
- 10 hours 24 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Romance, Modern and Contemporary romance, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Humorous fiction
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
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'★★★★★
Critics Review
-
'Warm without being sloppy, sharp without being smug, and romantic without being ridiculous. McFarlane writes with a kind of relaxed confidence that makes it feel as though you are in safe hands – you can trust her with tone, with character, and the emotional landing' Sunday Mail
-
'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
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
'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
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
Most enjoyable with fabulous characters and a trip around Manchester too!
dizzydyslexic 2026-02-09
Details
- Author
- Mhairi McFarlane
- Narrator
- Kristin Atherton
- Duration
- 10 hours 24 minutes
- Release Date
- 9 October 2025
- ISBN
- 9780008808723
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Romance, Modern and Contemporary romance, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Humorous fiction
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
A Guardian Book of the Year! A Spotify Romance Book of the Year! Winner of the 2026 Romantic Novelists' Association 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'★★★★★
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.