alaynacp 's review for:

Cover Story by Celia Laskey

2.0

lighthearted fast-paced

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Cover Story had so much potential. Queer Hollywood, secret relationships, media manipulation. But unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The premise sounded sharp and timely, but the execution felt muddled and emotionally shallow.

One of the biggest issues was the setting. The book is supposed to take place in 2005, but it just doesn’t feel like 2005. Characters casually reference “social media,” talk like they’re living in a post-Instagram world, and act with a level of public awareness that’s much more 2025 or even 2015. These anachronisms pulled me out of the story constantly.

Ali’s character had real potential, and I appreciated the exploration of grief and anxiety, but it quickly became overloaded. Every emotional trauma and diagnosis was stacked into her arc, and it left little room for believable growth or relationship development. The romance with Cara felt rushed and lacked depth, especially with no real insight into Cara’s perspective.

There are some clever structural choices, like the redacted celebrity names, but ultimately, the story didn’t land for me. If you’re looking for queer Hollywood drama with more depth and emotional payoff, I’d suggest picking up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo instead.