I'll say it, this book was so lovely! The fake dating premise had me swooning. A SAPPHIC BODYGUARD ROMANCE!

Natalie and Taylor are so cute! Self empowering and cute moments!!!!! I just want to live with these two!!!!

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I grabbed Cover Story up so fast because I’m trying to read more sapphic reads. This one for the bill. I was sold on the fake dating storyline too. Unfortunately, there was something missing for me. I can’t quite put my finger on it. This was a fast and easy read besides that.
I felt bad for Natalie because she wasn’t really able to love her life after what happened to her. I think she needed some more help to deal with it and wasn’t getting that support.
Taylor was a good character and I liked how caring she was for Natalie. Maybe what bugged me was the characters were one dimensional. Like there wasn’t much too them for me. And the insta love totally happened and it didn’t bother me too much but it was super quick. And there were sex sciences but they weren’t that spicy. I am glad that they got a happy ending.
I would recommend this book to those starting out in sapphic reads.

Thank you to Montlake and Netgalley for the complimentary copy.

It's been a minute since I read a sapphic book, and Cover Story hit the spot. Cover Story follows Natalie, an actress who is in search of extra protection as her stalker is being released from prison, and she's still grappling with PTSD from being kidnapped, and Taylor, who agrees to be her bodyguard. But, because Natalie doesn't want to draw any extra attention, and in fact wants to keep attention away from any stories about her stalker, she devises a fake dating scheme with Taylor to explain her presence. Seems foolproof!

This certainly isn't a light read by any means. Natalie's trauma impacts her daily life -- she's skittish and nervous and doesn't sleep well. But with Taylor, she starts to be able to feel comfortable. And it's not a linear journey. There are a few one step forward two steps back moments, but at each step, Taylor is there with her. Taylor, who is a bad-ass bodyguard, which we love to see.

What I also loved about this book was that there were a lot of side characters, and they were all good. They all wanted good things for Natalie. I feel like it's really common to have villains in Hollywood-style books who are fueled by jealousy or something similar. But in Cover Story, the other actors, as well as Natalie's friends, are genuinely happy for Natalie when good things happen and genuinely concerned for her when things are tough. There also isn't really a third act break-up (it's more of an I need some space moment). While Natalie and Taylor's communication isn't perfect, it's something that they talk about needing to work on. Taylor gently pushes Natalie to share more of her feelings, and sometimes it results in resistance, and other times it results in Natalie actually sharing how she's feeling (or getting out some cries and screams), but Taylor is always there for Natalie.

One more thing I loved -- Lune and Orion the dogs, and Cassie the kitten. I'm a sucker for a heartwarming rescue story.

Cover Story exists in the same universe as Stars Collide, which has been on my TBR for a while now, but I'm definitely bumping it up the list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an eARC of Cover Story in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for access to the eARC!

Quick stats:
Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 2/5 🌶️
Tropes: bodyguard romance, fake relationship, slow burn, sapphic romance, PTSD representation, chronic pain representation

I absolutely lovvvvved this slow burn sapphic bodyguard romance. I was absolutely on edge throughout the whole book waiting for something bad to happen. The author was really great at portraying how Natalie was feeling from her PTSD of being kidnapped 8 years ago by a stalker. I constantly felt Natalie’s anxiety every time she left her house (literally, even when she’s in her yard, you will be anxious for her). I really appreciated the well fleshed out backgrounds and perspectives of both Natalie and Taylor so we can understand how they’re feeling. Taylor’s chronic back pain and how that threatened her job was really well written.

There was such a slow burn but in the absolute best way. Natalie and Taylor’s relationship is built up so well, with such apprehension from both sides in the beginning, even when they find the other attractive! The slow build of trust and safety between Natalie and Taylor and continuously showing how Taylor has Natalie’s back and is protecting her was just ugh, chefs kiss.

While I was on edge for 98% of this book I absolutely ate it up and couldn’t put it down. I loved both characters and their relationship as well as the slow burn. I feel like we got such good relationship development between these two in this book that it was really something special. I read at least a book a day so I feel like I know what I’m talking about when I say this was a good one.

A fake dating celebrity/bodyguard romance written by one of my favorite authors - what’s not to love?! After reading Stars Collide, which was absolutely wonderful, I was very excited to find out Taylor the bodyguard would be getting her own spinoff. And Rachel Lacey did not disappoint with this one! I loved the organic and palpable chemistry between these two. The desire and attraction was there from the beginning, but it was far from romantic. In fact, it was a bit clumsy and awkward which made it even better! Cause seriously…imagine walking the red carpet with someone you just met and pretending to be dating. 😳 But the sapphic pining. The “should we, shouldn’t we”. The growing emotional connection. The building sexual tension. And once that fire heats up…oh damn! THE CLOSET SCENE!!! 🥵🫠 ::swoon:: IYKYK! Natalie and Taylor, along with the adorable boxers, Luna and Orion, and rescue kitty Cassie, stole my heart! And if you love grand gestures…just you wait!

Natalie’s story was told with such care and compassion. Her trauma from being stalked and abducted by a fan and the sense of safety that experience stole from her, leaving her in a constant state of alertness, always looking over her shoulder and being overcome with fear nearly 24/7. Plus the loss of her mom at a young age and being raised by an inattentive aunt and uncle who never seemed to truly care for her, let alone love her. Failed relationships. Layers of life experiences that make it nearly impossible for her to let anyone into her world, let alone her heart. Rachel captured her journey through trauma and toward healing beautifully in these pages. I could feel her fear, her sadness. Her healing, much like the embers of desire between her and Taylor, took awhile to really ignite - but it was so worth it! And so powerful to witness.

Taylor also had her own struggles. After a fall and injury to her back she is finally ready to go back to active duty. Even though (secretly) her back isn’t quite ready yet. But between her career in the army and her career as a bodyguard, it’s all she knows. And watching her battle all this on her own was heartbreaking. I know what it’s like when so much of your identity is wrapped in your career and then you lose that part of you. It feels like losing yourself. Which is why Taylor minimizes her pain and fights through. She doesn’t know who she would be without this part of her.

I love a good “I never felt safe until I met you” kind of story. And if you love them like I do then you will love Cover Story. This element of the story is part of why I found Nat and Taylor’s relationship to be so authentic and their connection real. Nat had top of the line security and a bodyguard already. It wasn’t just having a bodyguard that had her suddenly finding a sense of safety she never thought she would. It was Taylor’s specific kind of care, attentiveness, and protection. It was simply Taylor.

I also love how Rachel wove elements of suspense and mystery into the novel. It took the celebrity, fake dating tropes and elevated them into something new and different. It was intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! I also love Rachel’s intentionality in creating a diverse cast of characters with her books. There were so many amazing and lovable side characters - Jeremy, Ali, Tommy! There was truly not a single character I didn’t like (well except for the stalker of course). Add to all that the astronomy pieces and aptly named pets, backyard observatory, and stolen moments under the stars…this book contained a whole galaxy!

Basically….I love Rachel Lacey. I love this book. And I highly recommend it! Go read it and then check out her backlist titles too!

🏳️‍🌈Rep: Lesbian MCs, Veteran, Chinese, Black, & Latine SCs

📝Tropes/Themes: Fake Relationship, Celebrity Romance, Star Gazing, Bodyguard/Actress, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, California, Movie Set, Trauma & Healing, Adorable Dogs/Kitten

⚠️TW/CW: explicit sexual content, PTSD, minor assault, injury, mentions of abduction, stalking, plane crash, parental death

This was my first Rachel Lacey book and it was a banger way to start off. This book has everything you could ask for in a story. Cute dogs and kitten, professional u-hauling and SO.MUCH sexual tension. Basically it is the lesbian trifecta.

This book is about healing from trauma and personal growth. The story follows Natalie Keane and Taylor Vaughn. Natalie is an actress who paid the ultimate price of being in the spotlight and was stalked by a crazed “fan”. Eight years after the incident, he is getting out of prison and Natalie is concerned for her safety and how the paparazzi will respond - which up until this point has been pretty messed up. So Natalie and her team devise a plan for Natalie to have extra security and hire a female body guard to pose as her girlfriend until things pass. Taylor is bored of being off active duty after a back injury and jumps at the opportunity to get back out there. TL;DR...this is a steamy celebrity/bodyguard fake dating romance.

When I’m reading a book and I’m drawn in from the first page, I know it’s going to be a good book and it truly was such a good book. The sapphic tension, the swooning, the emotional and sexual chemistry between Nat and Taylor…it was so freaking good. It was spilling off the pages and I was invested from the beginning. Although I’m gushing about Nat and Taylor, I also really enjoyed the plot overall. It made sense and the thing’s that were frustrating were also so consistent with the characters personalities - which was amazing synchronicity, it just worked. Nowhere during the plot did I feel things were rushed or too slow, Rachel really nailed the plot, the consistency, the chemistry, the spiciness, the wholesomeness and the cuteness overload. Yes I’m mentioning the dogs and kitten again. Luna and Orion were Natalies boxers and I loved them so much. I also loved the kitten that quite literally chose Taylor and all her sassy cat qualities. I also thoroughly enjoyed the different characters personalities and the rep amongst side characters. I especially loved Ali. I enjoyed the banter between Tommy and Taylor.

Side note: This is a spin off from Stars Collide, but also works as a stand alone.

When Hollywood A-lister Natalie Keene learns her stalker and kidnapper is getting out of prison, she insists on hiring a bodyguard despite her team's urgings that she's safe. Trying to save face and belie her team, she hires a female bodyguard to go undercover as her girlfriend. Enter Taylor, who would be exactly Natalie's type IRL. But Taylor is hiding a back injury that would keep her away from field work, and she needs to focus on keeping Natalie safe--not on romance. But the two have such an undeniable attraction and connection that becomes impossible to ignore.

I had read and loved Lacey's Stars Collide, so I was super excited to see another celebrity romance from her. Female body guards are one of my favorite tropes (The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, Drama King by Penny Reid...) so it was fun to see a sapphic spin on it. I was obsessed with Natalie and Taylor together and really enjoyed seeing the innerworkings of Hollywood. I can't wait to see what else Lacey has in store!

Thanks to the author for my copy of the book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Hollywood starlet Natalie Keane hasn’t felt safe in 8 years, not since a stalker broke into her home and abducted her for 12 hours. She has built her home and life into a fortress, but when her stalker gets released from prison the little peace she’s gained is threatened. To create a distraction with the press she can control, and more importantly keep her safe, Natalie agrees to hire and fake a relationship with her bodyguard. Taylor Vaughn.

You may remember Taylor from Stars Collide, she was Eden’s Head of Security. Having recently been taken off active duty for a back injury she is itching to get back in the field. So even though fake a relationship and moving in with her protectee is a little unusual she is more than up to the task. If she is immediately attracted to Natalie, so what? She’s a professional, it is only three months.

Even though Natalie is an award winning actress her world is viewed through a very small lens. She goes to work, comes home, mostly avoids going out in public, and never invites anyone into her home. Even though the romantic tension between Taylor and Natalie is front and center in the story, the slow healing of Natalie’s trauma and the safety she feels with Taylor’s presence makes the connection feel real.

I really enjoyed this book. FYI: it is a lot less thriller than you may guess from the first few chapters.

SIDE NOTE: I NEED NOELLE’S SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE STORY PLEASE, THANKS!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Cover Story is a companion novel of sorts to Rachel Lacey’s prior release, Stars Collide. It can be read as a standalone, although Taylor, who was a supporting role in that book, is now one of the leads, and it’s fun to get to know her better.
I really liked both her and Natalie, and they had such a fun dynamic. Taylor was already established as a bodyguard, although she’s been on leave due to an injury, and is itching to get back into the field. And Natalie’s story is recognizable from many celebrity oriented romcoms, and the danger she’s in as a high-profile actress, including having to deal with stalkers, is well-rendered.
The relationship dynamics were a lot of fun, especially with it being a spin on fake dating, using it as a ruse to obscure the fact that Taylor was Natalie’s bodyguard. The two tropes blended together beautifully, and I loved seeing how hard it was for Taylor especially to let go of some of her “bodyguard” behaviors to keep the ruse going. This close proximity between them, along with their chemistry, made for a believable, steamy romance that I rooted for.
This was another great read from Rachel Lacey, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in sapphic romance, especially if you like the fake dating and bodyguard tropes.

The moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. “Cover Story” is a fun, heartfelt and swoony sapphic romance that I loved from beginning to end.

Natalie Keane is a famous movie star and on the outside, she appears to have it all. But underneath is a woman who is scared after her traumatic kidnapping years ago. It’s award season and her team comes up with a way to help protect her. Hire a bodyguard and have her pose as her girlfriend when out in public. Taylor Vaughn is coming back from an injury and this is her first assignment. The two have a connection and agree to three months of a fake relationship while Taylor is her bodyguard. But as the two get to know each other, a trust and bond is formed.

I loved Natalie and Taylor so much. They were individually great and even better together. Natalie’s past and her current fear broke my heart. Her fear was keeping her back and I couldn’t blame her at all. Taylor came into her life at the right time and was slowly able to help her work on some of those fears. Her protective and caring nature shined through and she made me swoon for her more than once while reading. These two went through so many emotions together and had to work some through things to be able to form a relationship. Natalie and Taylor had a true connection and I loved the slow burn of their love story. The foundation for them was solid and only got stronger as the story went on. There is so much to this story and Rachel Lacey did a wonderful job crafting this all sapphic romance. The ending was perfect for Natalie and Taylor and left me with a happy smile on my face.

I love the movie The Bodyguard, so when I read the plot of this book, I knew I had to read it.

Natalie Keane is a super star that needs more security because she has a stalker, and that's where Taylor enters, a celebrity bodyguard with years of experience, they have fake to be girlfriends in order to protect Natalie. It's such a slow burn... but I really enjoyed it, I loved all the Hollywood, celebrity culture and award season references.

Usually, I don't like fake dating in contemporary romances because in most of them the reason is absurd, however, the only exception for me is celebrity romances, in those, I do see faking it SUPER justified, obviously. lol
Like other books by this author, I loved it, and it is one of those books that when I started it, I couldn't put it down (even though i had stop sometimes because #adulting).


Thanks to the author and NetGallye for the eArc

I loved both Natalie and Taylor so much!! And don’t get me started on the dogs and the kitten🥹 I just LOVE animals so much and these 3 were adorable!

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t remember Taylor from STARS COLIDE, but I immediately fell in love either her! Her caring, protective nature and the way she cared for Natalie were adorable. She was so understanding and didn’t push Natalie but also tried to make her see herself through her eyes and understand that she was a lot stronger than she’d be in the past and gave herself credit for.

It was heartbreaking to know learn about everything Natalie went through in the past with her stalker and the impact it left on her; I can’t imagine what it feels like to be scared of leaving the house (and even scared of being in your home). So it was really heartwarming to see her growing comfortable around Taylor and feel safe around her, not just physically but also emotionally.

Taylor was able to help Natalie not feel so scared of being out and about, yes; that’s her job as a bodyguard after all. But she was also able to make Natalie feel comfortable enough to open up and be vulnerable, which she hadn’t been in a long time, not even with her closest friend, and that really helped her understand that she was stronger than thought and that she deserved to be happy. I loved to follow both Taylor and Natalie on this journey.

Overall, this was a great book. If you’re looking for a sapphic celebrity x bodyguard, fake dating romance with some forced proximity added in, then make sure to check this one out!

3.5/4 Stars

This book had a lot of promise! I love a celebrity romance, and the bodyguard/fake dating premise is one I've read before and enjoyed. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I had trouble connecting with the writing, which I felt ~told~ us a lot about the characters rather than ~showing~ us.. As a result, I didn't feel a connection to the characters and was never quite clear on their motivations/hesitations surrounding a relationship. This definitely has some fun aspects--paparazzi drama, a cute cat, stargazing--but I need my romances to have really in-depth character work, and this didn't do it for me.

Cover Story is the slow-burn romance of actress Natalie and her bodyguard Taylor who must fake-date to fool the invasive press. Natalie was stalked years ago and remains traumatized from it. To her horror, the man is being released from prison. Natalie wants more security but does not want to alert the press to her predicament. Enter Taylor, a bodyguard who is ready to pretend to fake date Natalie. As the two grow closer, they will have to decide what to do when their fake relationship starts to feel real.

Natalie and Taylor have a sweet fake-dating romance. I was immediately drawn in by the cover and sapphic bodyguard premise. I loved the little ways that Natalie and Taylor showed love for each other, from building a wheelchair ramp to creating special code words to get out of stressful situations. Rachel Lacey thoughtfully portrays issues of PTSD and anxiety. Taylor and Natalie clearly respect each other's boundaries, yet also challenge each other to push past old fears. The sense of pacing is excellent throughout, while still maintaining a calm and lighthearted atmosphere. I loved Natalie’s adorable pets! Readers who enjoy Anita Kelly should check out this book. Readers who love fake dating, slow-burn sapphic romance, and the bodyguard trope will love Cover Story.

Thank you to Rachel Lacey, Montlake, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into when I read this book. I went in completely blind and am happy to report that it did not disappoint.

Spoiler warning!!!


I don’t think I have read a book similar to this before so it was very enjoyable to read something new. Reading Natalie’s fears was so eye-opening I really like how the story didn’t have the stalker come back and instead focused on her healing and her personal journey.
Taylor and Natalie were so cute together, I really liked how they just both knew from the start that the other was different. To add them naming the kitten Cassiopeia absolutely made this book for me, that’s the constellation I always look for, so I was so happy when I read that.

Overall, this book is more than I expected and I really enjoyed it!!

This book was good! I enjoyed getting to know the characters! The drama had me wanting to keep reading until the book was finished! I missed when I read the summary that the 2 main characters were lesbian. While there was lots of chemistry and plenty of heat, it was not my type of spice! Totally my fault, so I did not let that affect my rating! Thank you NetGalley and the publsiher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I am a sucker for any and all things involving bodyguard romance. Even better that it’s combined with fake dating. Really my one gripe is that I find it very unrealistic that anybody would have been able to figure out who Taylor was. Obviously books aren’t always meant to be realistic, but generally speaking contemporary romance isn’t known to delve too far out of the realm of reality. I couldn’t help but think “seriously?” at some of these moments where, in reality, fans of a super star such as Natalie would have figured out everything about Taylor in minutes. Besides that one complaint, I overall really enjoyed the romance. I thought the writing was good and I loved the chemistry between the two of them. Celebrity falls for “normie” is such a fun genre that I don’t think I will ever tire of. A wonderful book for those who enjoy celebrity escapism.

thank you to netgalley for this arc!

i absolutely loved this book! Natalie was such a good character, and seeing her mental state at the start was hard to read but so important. at the start you find out her kidnapper is leaving jail, and her reaction seems very realistic. books showing things like PTSD is great, and it was very well handled.

Taylor obviously loved her job so much, and wanted to do anything to prove she could work again after her back injury, including take on the strange request of being a fake girlfriend as well as a bodyguard. i enjoyed seeing her be a caretaker to her family, and realising she can change careers if need be.

their romance was so sweet. it felt like a slowburn, but they also had chemistry immediately. and the SPICE! it was incredible. i enjoyed how they both grew as people in and outside of their relationship, and that they’re both mature enough to deal with any problems they had.

overall i highly recommend!

Cover Story is probably my favorite @rachelslacey book yet! Thank you @netgalley and Montlake for the eARC. All thought are honest and my own. Swipe for synopsis. Content warning: PTS.
Natalie and Taylor had such great chemistry from their first meeting. Watching their relationship progress as they grew more comfortable with each other and let down their walls was so sweet. I felt their personalities were a great balance.
Overall, a very fun celebrity x bodyguard romance. Cover Story is available on March 26.