A different and engaging take on the fake dating trope. Taylor is a bodyguard and she's been hired by Natalie, an actress who lost control of her life when she was stalked years ago. Now there's another threat just as she needs to be out and about. Taylor a calm and calming presence becomes first her friend then more. I liked this for the Hollywood angle and the slow burn romance. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

When I heard there was a Star Collide spin off I almost gagged. Then I found out it was centered around the fake dating trope and The Bodyguard. I died....of excitement.

Lo and behold, Rachel Lacey's newest foray into a sapphic celebrity story is a smashing success. I felt all the passion and concern for Natalie as much as Taylor did. In the end, Taylor and Natalie get the much deserved HEA.

But the best part of all....no third act breakup! I couldn't have asked for more. Overwhelmingly mature and spicy story that hits all the feels you want in a contemporary romance.

Thoroughly enjoyed!!!!!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a really easy read. I was instantly drawn in by the celebrity/bodyguard dynamic. I adore this trope and I was excited to finally read a sapphic take on this.

However, the writing style kind of let me down. I felt like there was an awful lot of showing and not a lot of telling and it made some of the more emotionally charged moments feel dry and formulaic, which in turn disconnected me from the romance a little.

I also felt like the stalker side plot was poorly handled. It felt like it was used as a crutch to bring Taylor and Nat closer in certain moments, or to draw emotion from Nat, which kind of just left me feeling a bit uncomfortable overall.

Celebrity x Bodyguard romance?! Fake dating?! I really understood Natalie's anxiety & loved her healing journey. The relationship (and the tension) between Taylor & Natalie in general. I can't wait to read other works by Rachel & like I've seen many other readers say - I hope we get a Noelle book!

Thank you again to the publisher & NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this in exhange for an honest review

Like the author said in the acknowledgements, who doesn’t love a body guard romance? A sweet, sapphic story.

2SLGBTQIA+ Steamy Romance following a glamorous actress who's worried about her safety during award season and filming a new movie agrees to have a bodyguard pose as her girlfriend.

3/5 stars: Lacey tackles the celebrity with this 2SLGBTQIA+ romance featuring an actress who was a stalking victim years ago. After the perpetrator's released from prison she agrees to discreet extra security, which leads to a veteran turned bodyguard, dealing with a back injury and pain, posing as her girlfriend. But soon the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur. Not only is Lacey’s writing excellent but their character work is great; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Natalie and Taylor are both tough and have been through a lot and I like how the two of them learn to support each other. Oh and the OPS scenes are swoony and deliciously steamy. While there are plenty of sweet and humorous moments, Lacey touches on some very serious topics; so please take care and check the CWs. Overall, this is a nice celebrity/bodyguard romance.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3.5 ⭐️ i will always love Rachel Lacey’s writing, it’s so easy to follow and from the start she pulls you right in! I enjoyed this one but it fell a bit flat for me. It lost my attention at times but i loved the characters and the side characters too that i want to know more of them!

Natalie Keane is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. 8 years ago a fan kidnapped her and has been incarcerated since, but he’s know being released and Natalie is feeling unsafe. A plan is hatched to get a bodyguard to play Natalie’s girlfriend for 3 months to help as a cover story to detract from attention regarding her kidnappers release. So Taylor ends up assigned for the job. But what starts as a cove story certainly manages to heat up later…

I LOVED THIS BOOK AS WELL! I LOVE RACHEL LACEY BOOKS! Sapphic, fun, cute and on topics I didn’t expect to enjoy in a romance???!!!! GENIUS! This book does light and fluffy so well despite its darker touches! Releasing on March 26th RUN DONT WALK TO GET THIS CUTIE IN YOUR HANDS!!! It’ll bring you so much joy 😩😩

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I blew through this book in a couple sittings because I couldn’t put it down. It has everything you’d ever want in a good story; romance, spice, suspense, healing and dealing with past trauma. I truly fell in love with Taylor and Natalie individually, and loved watching their romance story come to life.

What starts as a “fake dating” situation for Natalie and her new bodyguard Taylor, quickly turns real when feelings come rushing in. Natalie has so much trauma after being kidnapped by a stalker eight years ago, and hires Taylor as her new bodyguard as her kidnapper is being released from prison. To hide the story of him being released from prison they agree to a fake relationship played up in the press. But it doesn’t take much time for longing stares and extra touches between the two start heating up.

Read as part suspense, part romance, and part healing journey we get to see Natalie overcome her past and work towards a future with Taylor. Their happily ever after was absolutely picture perfect! If you’re looking for a new romance to dive into, I highly suggest this one!

(I also would love to see a book that details Tommy and Ali’s relationship in the future).

Tropes include
-fake dating
-forced proximity
-lesbian romance
-elements of suspense
-movie star and her bodyguard
-spicy

Remember Taylor, Eden Sands’ bodyguard in Stars Collide? After a back injury forced her to step down from the job, she’s ready to go back to work just when out actress Natalie Keane needs added security in the form of a fake girlfriend.

I loved everything about this audiobook. I was really excited for Taylor’s story and Natalie is another lovely character. Both women carry emotional wounds from completely different experiences that make them relationship-shy and perfect for each other at the same time.

Rachel Lacey is a wonderfully reliable author, whose stories are always engaging, with characters who are consistently lovable in all their imperfections, and super sweet pets, in this case two endearing dogs and an adorable kitten. I look forward to Lacey’s books because I know that I will be entertained and that my heart will be full by the end of the story. They’re the definition of heartwarming, comfort books. As a character-driven/mood reader, I don’t read Lacey’s books when I’m in the mood for my brain to be blown or my heart to be broken, I read them when I feel like a hug. When I want the kind of feeling cuddling a baby animal would give me. They’re far from being all fluff and carefree romance—in Cover Story, Natalie lives in constant fear because of a stalker, Taylor worries about her future since she injured her back—but they’re so full of love, tenderness, and hope that these are the emotions they leave behind, despite the trials the characters have to overcome.

And then there’s Quinn Riley’s narration. Riley’s energy and her musical, clear voice fit Rachel Lacey’s universe and characters perfectly. A brilliant combination for an uplifting listen. 4.5⭐️

This was a fun read! I like the combination of bodyguard plus fake relationship (having read it previously in The Bodyguard by Katherine Center) because it just makes for such a fun mix of forced proximity, forced interactions, and protectiveness that just really works for me. Our two main characters had good chemistry as a couple and I thoroughly enjoyed following their story together and their individual stories as well.

Celebrity romances are always very hit or miss for me, but I loved this one!! After reading Stars Collide last year I became a Rachel Lacey fan, so I was optimistic already, but didn’t realize this took place in the same universe! It was a bit of a slow burn, even though the feelings clearly developed quickly. I thought Taylor and Natalie had fantastic chemistry from the beginning, and I was super invested in their love story. It was just the right amount of steamy to work with the plot, and I found myself really looking forward to picking up the book to read more. I totally recommend this when it releases a month from today!

Cover Story by Rachel Lacey is absolutely perfect from the word go. The banter and absolute realness of the budding relationship between Nat and Taylor is beautiful. Lacey writes in such a way that makes you feel all of the emotions of each character at once. It's beautifully written, there are several quotable moments throughout the book. The tie-in from Stars Collide was awesome, and I loved that we got to know Taylor better. Oh! And there are dogs, a kitten and plenty of stars. I highly recommend this book as it was an incredibly wonderful experience cover to cover.

This was my journey into this author’s writing and I’m afraid to say it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get past 15%. I tried to stay engaged but the story just wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed Natalie & Taylor’s story - a fake dating & celebrity/body guard story, say no more! The chemistry was there from the first time they met and they just seemed to fit together so well, if a little awkward.

There’s also a serious side to this romance, and at times it does feel like the romance takes a back seat. However, I feel that this was needed as the trauma that Natalie has from being stalked & abducted makes up such a large part of her day to day life, and it’s not something that can be magically cured by the love of a good woman.

This was such an enjoyable read , and just so easy to binge. I loved seeing Eden & Anna from Stars Collide in the epilogue & would love to see more from this world - fingers crossed we get Noelle’s story!

Not a favorite but still a fun read! The characters dynamics were really fun, and I enjoyed the banter and energy that they shared. I think that the characters were stronger than the plot at times, and sometimes it felt like reading the book was a drag. All in all, a decent read.

Sizzling, sexy and with a bit of a mystery too. Rachel Lacey has written a highly entertaining lesbian love story with great dialogue and amazing chemistry!

4,5⭐️
How can anyone ever feel safe again after being stalked in the worst possible way? That's exactly Natalie Keane's problem. As one of Hollywood's most successful and recognizable actresses, it's impossible to go unrecognized in Hollywood, and with a new threat, she feels like she's at the mercy of others. But just another bodyguard would again attract too much attention and raise questions, she doesn’t want to answer. The perfect cover story? Yep, a bodyguard disguised as the girlfriend.

Taylor, who was relegated to office work for a few months after a stupid accident and a back injury, finally wants to do field work again. She has been a bodyguard for various stars for several years and is desperate for this job even before she knows how unusual the request is.

Natalie's situation is quite heartbreaking. Instead of enjoying her life, she lives in fear and is, literally, locked up in a golden castle and lonely. But letting Taylor into her home and being restricted in her privacy is also not easy, but necessary. Taylor, who from the beginning can see behind her facade and see the real Natalie Keane, slowly helps her move forward step by step and fight her traumas.

Playing a fake girlfriend sounds easier than it is. It was hilarious how awkward the two of them acted at the beginning. It is obviously not so easy to let go of the deep-rooted bodyguard attitude Taylor has acquired over the years. They have great chemistry, the attraction is strong, and fighting it is ultimately pointless, and the love scenes are hot.

Rachel Lacey does a great job and expresses so many feelings and emotions, that her stories go to the heart. It must be extremely liberating for Natalie to feel safe again for the first time with Taylor by her side. She has to learn to trust her and to open up to her. Taylor, on the other hand, wonders if a star like Natalie can love someone like her. Showing vulnerability when it comes to feelings and health problems is something that no bodyguard finds easy.
All this is wrapped up in a heart-warming love story, peppered with humor, good dialogue, interesting backstories, and accompanied by well-integrated side characters. And not to forget, the furry friends who play an important role too. A fake girlfriend and celebrity romance that you will love.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

I don't have the words to say home much I loved this book.

It is beautifully written with characters that are so fully formed I expected to see a real article with updates on their lives as they walked off the page. The author simultaneously held up everything I expected and loved about this genre and trope while smashing it all to pieces to create something better and unexpected. Both characters were flawed, with baggage which is handled realistically and beautifully.

I wish I would have known is that from the outset this is a stalker story without the stalker. Then I could have sunk into the warm story the author created without suspecting every character to set something nefarious into motion. I don't consider this a spoiler since it is something the author outlines in the author notes at the end because it was her intent to write the story this way.

This is maybe one of my favorite books of the year even though it is very very early. My only comfort is that there are books in this authors backlist that I can read until a new book comes.

“The cover story” by Rachel lacey is a very well written celebrity- bodyguard romance novel which I could not put down after the 50% mark. The frustration and agitation arising out of stardom and fame is very well portrayed here and the author’s work is praiseworthy to say the least. I highly recommend this novel and hope to read more of her work in the future.