Natalie Keane has a picture perfect life, a successful career in acting, a gorgeous home, adoring fans. However, behind closed doors she is a different person. Ever since she was stalked and kidnapped 8 years ago she has jumped at every noise, wary of every shadow. So when her life is potentially put in danger once again she will stop at nothing to ensure her safety. Even if that means pretending her new bodyguard Taylor is her girlfriend. The closer they grow though, the easier it may be to lie…until the only person she’s lying to is herself.

Taylor Vaughn is no stranger to danger as resident bodyguard to the stars. And after three months of desk duty from a back injury she is ready to get back into the field. So when a position opens up for A-lister Natalie Keane she can’t help but jump at the chance. However, as the charade continues Taylor starts to realize what she feels for Natalie may be more than a professional concern for her safety. Will they be able to let their guards down and accept the love they both deserve? Or will fears and anxieties from their pasts keep them from truly exploring their feelings? Celebrity relationships and fake dating have met their ultimate match in, Covery Story.

What a beautiful slow burn romance. Rachel Lacey consistently does an amazing job of creating relationships that feel real. And recently I’ve seen more lust than love in some of the books getting a ton of hype. Which is amazing and I love that but I sometimes miss the genuine feelings of connection that I found in this book. Their chemistry is the perfect example of why taking the time to really develop a relationship pays off.

Natalie is a tough nut to crack and with good reason. She has untreated PTSD stemming from her attack and even before that was an introvert. Naturally it would be grossly against her personality to immediately jump into a romantic or sexual relationship. So when Natalie does start to open up it means more because you know what it took for her to get there. Which lends itself to a mature and well thought out romance between them.

Not to negate the spice though as the premise of Taylor being Natalie’s bodyguard is beyond hot. Taylor’s desire to protect Natalie’s phyiscal and emotional wellbeing sets the stage for some serious hot under the collar moments. And consent!! So much enthusiastic consent was present when they did get under the sheets. Not to mention their conversations flowed at a realistic pace. They didn’t info dump all their trauma two seconds after meeting. They took their time and got to know each other until they felt comfortable enough being vulnerable. Which made me swoon!!

The characterization was on point here. I’ve already touched on Natalie’s introversion but Taylor is a caregiver at heart so the things she does for Natalie feel natural, rather than just trying to get something from her. The portrayal of Natalie’s PTSD also felt genuine and showcased how much one incident can completely derail your life, especially if you don’t get the necessary help. And there was no one “i’m cured moment”, which always makes me want to slam the book shut. This story let Natalie work things out on her own time and with help from Taylor and a therapist I have no doubt that she would eventually have almost complete relief of her symptoms.

Obviously romances are more character focused and utilize familiar tropes because that’s what readers want with the genre. And this book delivered a fun, flirty and fresh take on the workplace/fake dating tropes. The stakes were just high enough to make it a page turner but not too high as to create unnecessary stress. Even the plot point of Natalie’s stalker was handled with care and never felt unrealistic. A factor of this was the characters being in their late 30s, which I feel is underrepresented in popular romance. Plus no third act breakup!! Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good “get her back moment” but I think they are so often fueled by wanting forgiveness for a cruel act. Whereas this books big “wooing” moment was out of an effort to show her that she does want to get serious, instead of trying to make up for something.

All in all this steamy and slow burn celerity workplace romance is a must read. From the emotional maturity to the heart pumping award shows this book is a page turner. The soul-mate worthy match of Natalie and Taylor will have you in tears by the epilogue. If you like romances that have depth to them while also delivering on the spice then this book is for you. Happy reading!

Thank you so much to Rachel Lacey for the signed ARC copy. I actually cried when I received this in the mail, it means the world to me.

CW: Alcohol, Anxiety, Depression, Kidnapping (off page reference to and memories), PTSD