Book Review - Cover Girl by Nic Tatano

Amazon UK

Title: Cover Girl

Author: Nic Tatano

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 3rd September 2015

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Powerhouse romance editor Keira Madison is known as “Cover Girl” – because she’s come up with the concepts for the covers of the best selling novels in history. But right now, she’s desperate to replace her best selling author.

Wannabe author Alex Bauer has given up hope of ever selling his military thriller, so he takes a shot at writing a romance and sends it to super agent Bella Farentino. She’s blown away by the book, but more shocked to find out the author is a man. So she decides it’s best to keep it a secret when pitching the novel – what does a man know about romance after all?

When Keira buys the book, Alex needs a cover story to hide the fact he’s the real author. So he invents a fictional cousin who’s an agoraphobe; too shy to ever leave the house. He agrees to work as “her” intermediary during the editing process while getting a friend to “play” the author on the phone.

One major problem. He falls hard for Keira, a spunky redhead who is a dead ringer for the heroine in the book. And she’s smitten with him, as he’s a clone of the novel’s romantic hero, a fictional Mister Right come to life.

You see where this is going.

As the release date for the book gets closer, their relationship grows stronger while the tale of the fictional author goes over the top. At some point Alex will have to come clean that he’s the real author of the book but worries he’ll risk losing Keira because she won’t be able to trust him.

It’s “Tootsie” meets the publishing world… without anyone getting dressed up in drag.

• Keira is a top romance editor that believes men can't write romance books
• Alex Bauer is a man who has tried to write a romance
• Alex's agent is shocked to discover a man wrote this top manuscript
• She makes him pretend to keep the author's true identity a secret. 
• Alex when meeting Keira for the first time, pretends he is the cousin of the real author (a 400 pound agoraphobe) and then co-erces his flat mate and best friend to be the voice for the author
• Alex and Keira are clearly attracted to each other...however, they are both attracted to another person, who seems perfect for them
• Add in Gretchen, Keira's best friend, and Juliette who is really helping Alex out and you are left with a potentially confusing set of relationships and a whole lot of fun. 

Now that I have the key bits of the basics of the plot out of the way, I can say this is brilliant. There is a lot of fiction mirroring reality, and Alex is  a truly romantic man. If I wasn't currently still in love with another book boyfriend, I would want him for myself. 

Both Keira and Alex are going through very similar decisions in their personal lives, and when their other dates suddenly meet each other, it becomes a whole new level of crazy. 

There are quite a few twists and turns, and its as though the book that Alex has written is really his and Keira's story, but then there is the deception too.  

Cover Girl has a superb cast of characters and was a very enjoyable read. Nic Tatano continues to amaze me with the "Girl" series of books. All completely separate stories, but with strong female leads in common. Amazingly with this romance, there isn't much sex, plenty of kissing and lust though, which always makes a nice change, and heightens your sense of both characters relationship. 

Incredibly enjoyable book, that I am very happy I have had a chance to read. 

Thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion and review.