 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bel is cohost of an award-winning podcast and has just landed a new job as an investigative journalist at a Manchester newspaper. Her partner, Aaron, and Bel have had a succession of co-partners in the office, with the newest one being Connor. He seems nice, if a little green around the edges. One day, Bel gets an anonymous tip that intrigues her enough that she meets the tipster at a graveyard. She learns that Manchester’s married mayor is luring young female employees in his office into affairs with him, then, when he is done with them, getting rid of them and threatening to expose them by posting their nude pictures. Bel decides to go undercover with the person who manages the rental where the trysts occur. If she can get the proof in the form of a ring video, then it will be the biggest story of her career. Bel does get close to the manager, Amber, but one night, she runs into Connor while out with Amber. Oops! Of course, he recognizes her, so a quick-thinking Bel pretends that he is her boyfriend. To her relief, he goes along with it. Unfortunately, Amber now wants Bel and Connor to attend parties with her. Bel must hastily build a cover story in the amusing COVER STORY by Mhairi MacFarlane. She kind of treated Connor with disdain when he joined her office at the newspaper, but she soon realized he was helpful as he helped her out of a few jams. She can’t give up the story because she feels horrified that a mayor, a man in a powerful position, is treating young women like this. Amber has taken a liking to Bel, but when they run into Connor and he is roped into being Bel’s pretend boyfriend, Amber accepts Bel even more. What a great opportunity, and Connor is good at the pretend thing. The more they are around each other, the more they learn about each other. Bel is growing to like Connor a lot. Bel has another side story in COVER STORY. The reason she left her hometown and came to Manchester is that she recently broke off with her ex (who has now moved on to a mutual friend of theirs), and she is also dealing with a stalker. The stalker was once her employer, who took advantage of Bel, leading her to escape to Manchester. Unfortunately, he isn’t giving up. She can’t go to the police because he already said he, a successful man, would twist and turn her tale into her being a spurned lover. One can see why she is full speed ahead with the story about the mayor. In this tale, also, Connor breaks up with his fiancée early on after she cheated on him. He’s a free man, as Bel is a free woman. Will we see them falling in love with each other? The best answer is that it comes slowly. First comes respect, then friendship, then love. Will there be a happily ever after for them? An intriguing tale that starts to pull readers in, COVER STORY is a multilayered story that will have you rooting for Bel and Connor. The story does bog down at times, but it then becomes interesting and hard to put down. Be sure to check out COVER STORY. Patti Fischer |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COVER STORY – Mhairi McFarlane