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Cover Story
Catch Me If You Can meets Sweetbitter in this debut novel about an ambitious young woman who gets caught up in a charismatic con artist's scam.
It's grifter season in New York City and no one is safe.
After a rough year at NYU, aspiring writer Lora Ricci is thrilled to land a summer internship at ELLE magazine where she meets Cat Wolff, contributing editor and enigmatic daughter of a clean-energy mogul. Cat takes Lora under her wing, soliciting her help with side projects and encouraging her writing.
As a friendship emerges between the two women, Lora opens up to Cat about her desperate struggles and lost scholarship. Cat's solution: Drop out of NYU and become her ghostwriter. Lora agrees and, when the internship ends, she moves into Cat's suite at the opulent Plaza Hotel. Writing during the day and accompanying Cat to extravagant parties at night, Lora's life quickly shifts from looming nightmare to dream-come-true. But as Lora is drawn into Cat's glamorous lifestyle, Cat's perfect exterior cracks, exposing an illicit, shady world.
A whip-smart and delightfully inventive writer, Susan Rigetti brilliantly pieces together a perceptive, humorous caper full of sharp observations about scam culture. Composed of diary entries, emails, FBI correspondence, and more, Cover Story is a fresh, fun, and wholly original novel that takes readers deep into the codependency and deceit found in a relationship built on power imbalance and lies.
It's grifter season in New York City and no one is safe.
After a rough year at NYU, aspiring writer Lora Ricci is thrilled to land a summer internship at ELLE magazine where she meets Cat Wolff, contributing editor and enigmatic daughter of a clean-energy mogul. Cat takes Lora under her wing, soliciting her help with side projects and encouraging her writing.
As a friendship emerges between the two women, Lora opens up to Cat about her desperate struggles and lost scholarship. Cat's solution: Drop out of NYU and become her ghostwriter. Lora agrees and, when the internship ends, she moves into Cat's suite at the opulent Plaza Hotel. Writing during the day and accompanying Cat to extravagant parties at night, Lora's life quickly shifts from looming nightmare to dream-come-true. But as Lora is drawn into Cat's glamorous lifestyle, Cat's perfect exterior cracks, exposing an illicit, shady world.
A whip-smart and delightfully inventive writer, Susan Rigetti brilliantly pieces together a perceptive, humorous caper full of sharp observations about scam culture. Composed of diary entries, emails, FBI correspondence, and more, Cover Story is a fresh, fun, and wholly original novel that takes readers deep into the codependency and deceit found in a relationship built on power imbalance and lies.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2022
835 people are currently reading
46234 people want to read
About the author
Susan Rigetti
2 books424 followersSusan Rigetti is an author, journalist, screenwriter, and the editor of Future Tense at Slate. She is the former technology op-ed editor at The New York Times and was the founding editor-in-chief of Increment Magazine. She has been named a "Person of the Year" by Time, the Financial Times, and the Webby Awards, and has appeared on Fortune's "40 Under 40" list, Vanity Fair's New Establishment list, Marie Claire's New Guard list, the Bloomberg 50, the Upstart 50, the Recode 100, and more. She is the author of a book on computer programming that has been implemented by companies across Silicon Valley, and the critically acclaimed memoir Whistleblower. Cover Story is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,891 reviews
April 5, 2022
I got fooled.
100% add to your summer TBR! You’ll read it in a day.
100% add to your summer TBR! You’ll read it in a day.
April 11, 2022
It’s been a long time since I was convinced to buy a book that bookstagram told me I needed. I usually either have a review copy to read or I can’t fit it into my schedule. My TBR is already a disaster so I really don’t need to add more to it, especially if the book already was released. However, so many people kept telling me that I’d enjoy Susan Rigetti’s COVER STORY that I couldn’t ignore it any longer.
COVER STORY is definitely inspired by Anna Sorokin/Delvey’s massive scam and if you are up -to-date on Anna’s crimes or enjoy the Netflix show Inventing Anna, this book is for you! Rigetti has updated parts of the story to make for a juicy and creative story, but this book is definitely a homage to readers who can’t get enough of this story. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading and in fact read it in one sitting! The story definitely has its own drama that is unique to the book and the ending was spectacular. I was shooketh!
Thanks @beautyandthebook @basicbsguide and @novelgossip for convincing me to read this book. I went in not knowing anything else about this book besides what I noted above, and you should too! This book is definitely a contender for best of 2022 for me, so please let me know what you think when you pick this book up!
COVER STORY is definitely inspired by Anna Sorokin/Delvey’s massive scam and if you are up -to-date on Anna’s crimes or enjoy the Netflix show Inventing Anna, this book is for you! Rigetti has updated parts of the story to make for a juicy and creative story, but this book is definitely a homage to readers who can’t get enough of this story. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading and in fact read it in one sitting! The story definitely has its own drama that is unique to the book and the ending was spectacular. I was shooketh!
Thanks @beautyandthebook @basicbsguide and @novelgossip for convincing me to read this book. I went in not knowing anything else about this book besides what I noted above, and you should too! This book is definitely a contender for best of 2022 for me, so please let me know what you think when you pick this book up!
May 6, 2022
Oh my, my.
I kept waiting for the book to redeem itself, become more than an unrealistic, watered down version of Anna Delvey’s story. Alas, this novel is a TOTAL RIPOFF. Everything down to the details, like the $100 tips minus the broad strokes of the general storyline.
There were so many naive, unbelievable details included here, such as:
- Lora not able to get a school loan/reaching out to private companies. Err, school’s Financial Aid office + FAFSA is the way to deal with loans, not the private companies.
- Also, Lora sending Cat her W9 form when she’s interning for ELLE… umm, that’s illegal not to mention unnecessary. Doubt Lora would be stupid enough to do so. And if not, how did Cat get her SSN?
Devil’s in the details.
- Lora not paying her credit card bills then renting an apartment for $3,500 in East Village, in MANHATTAN, in 2018. LOL. Sure, her credit history must have been stellar.
- Anna… err, Cat is a supposedly 43-year-old posing as 27-year-old. BWAHAHA.
Sure, ruzzians don’t age apparently.
- The storyline with the book advance was particularly bad and amusingly unrealistic (said it again, yes). No one, and I mean, NO ONE ever gets an advance of 1.25M for a short story collection, besides the king, i.e. Stephen King. Short story collections do NOT sell, they are the least sellable/marketable category and the most a good writer would get is $100-150K.
- Speaking of books, I won’t buy even for a second that Olesya Dorokhova is such a brilliant writer who wrote all these books, including those by DR, PLUS had time to hustles at the insane rate she did. Nope. There are so few russian-speaking authors in publishing, and practically all of them grew up in the States (hence are as close to native-speakers as possible.) Good writing is not something you can just hustle and pop out of thin air, dear.
- As to Lora’s diary entires, it felt to me like I was reading the writing of Riley Sager.
Plus, MANY, many others.
Yikes.
At least it was quick & entertaining. 🤷♀️
P.S. I totally guessed the ending, whoopsies.
I kept waiting for the book to redeem itself, become more than an unrealistic, watered down version of Anna Delvey’s story. Alas, this novel is a TOTAL RIPOFF. Everything down to the details, like the $100 tips minus the broad strokes of the general storyline.
There were so many naive, unbelievable details included here, such as:
- Lora not able to get a school loan/reaching out to private companies. Err, school’s Financial Aid office + FAFSA is the way to deal with loans, not the private companies.
- Also, Lora sending Cat her W9 form when she’s interning for ELLE… umm, that’s illegal not to mention unnecessary. Doubt Lora would be stupid enough to do so. And if not, how did Cat get her SSN?
Devil’s in the details.
- Lora not paying her credit card bills then renting an apartment for $3,500 in East Village, in MANHATTAN, in 2018. LOL. Sure, her credit history must have been stellar.
- Anna… err, Cat is a supposedly 43-year-old posing as 27-year-old. BWAHAHA.
Sure, ruzzians don’t age apparently.
- The storyline with the book advance was particularly bad and amusingly unrealistic (said it again, yes). No one, and I mean, NO ONE ever gets an advance of 1.25M for a short story collection, besides the king, i.e. Stephen King. Short story collections do NOT sell, they are the least sellable/marketable category and the most a good writer would get is $100-150K.
- Speaking of books, I won’t buy even for a second that Olesya Dorokhova is such a brilliant writer who wrote all these books, including those by DR, PLUS had time to hustles at the insane rate she did. Nope. There are so few russian-speaking authors in publishing, and practically all of them grew up in the States (hence are as close to native-speakers as possible.) Good writing is not something you can just hustle and pop out of thin air, dear.
- As to Lora’s diary entires, it felt to me like I was reading the writing of Riley Sager.
Plus, MANY, many others.
Yikes.
At least it was quick & entertaining. 🤷♀️
P.S. I totally guessed the ending, whoopsies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2022
Once I started Cover Story, I couldn’t put it down! An engrossing, bingeable book that follows Lora Ricci, an intern at Elle magazine who dropped out of NYU after a rough semester, resulting in the loss of her scholarship. Lora is broke and hasn’t shared this change in plans with her parents.
At Elle, Lora meets contributing editor, Cat Wolff, and is captivated by Cat’s engaging personality, as many others are. The two women develop a friendship and Lora shares her current academic and financial struggles with Cat, who makes her a business proposition she can’t refuse. They begin working together, with Lora serving as Cat’s ghostwriter and living lavishly at The Plaza Hotel.
Told through diary entries, emails, and text messages, this is a fun read that will feel familiar to fans of modern scandals (Inventing Anna and The Tinder Swindler) with a surprising ending.
While Cover Story is fictional and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I can’t help but share that my sympathy for recent real life scam culture is Low — I see the criticism about victim shaming but seriously, is it not common sense to not get on a jet with a rando you just had coffee with for 30 minutes, and then refuse when he asks you to take out a loan for him shortly after? Or, refuse to front the bill on a foreign girls trip upon arrival, after you were invited on said trip as a guest? I may be a cynical skeptic at heart, but apparently, this has served me well ;)
Regardless, I still recommend this entertaining read!
At Elle, Lora meets contributing editor, Cat Wolff, and is captivated by Cat’s engaging personality, as many others are. The two women develop a friendship and Lora shares her current academic and financial struggles with Cat, who makes her a business proposition she can’t refuse. They begin working together, with Lora serving as Cat’s ghostwriter and living lavishly at The Plaza Hotel.
Told through diary entries, emails, and text messages, this is a fun read that will feel familiar to fans of modern scandals (Inventing Anna and The Tinder Swindler) with a surprising ending.
While Cover Story is fictional and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I can’t help but share that my sympathy for recent real life scam culture is Low — I see the criticism about victim shaming but seriously, is it not common sense to not get on a jet with a rando you just had coffee with for 30 minutes, and then refuse when he asks you to take out a loan for him shortly after? Or, refuse to front the bill on a foreign girls trip upon arrival, after you were invited on said trip as a guest? I may be a cynical skeptic at heart, but apparently, this has served me well ;)
Regardless, I still recommend this entertaining read!
April 19, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for goodreads. i DEVOURED this book and couldn’t wait to finish it 🤩
it gave me TINDLER SWINDLER meets DEVIL WEARS PRADA meets corporate vibes and i was here for it every second. all i can say is go into this blind—all i knew is that it had a shocking ending so that was enough for me! and boy did it ever 😮💨 i managed to figure it out but not until after it was done.
this would be SUCH a fun book adaption to movie/series. manifesting it now!!!
such a good #bookstagrammademedoit! full review coming on my IG later this week.
it gave me TINDLER SWINDLER meets DEVIL WEARS PRADA meets corporate vibes and i was here for it every second. all i can say is go into this blind—all i knew is that it had a shocking ending so that was enough for me! and boy did it ever 😮💨 i managed to figure it out but not until after it was done.
this would be SUCH a fun book adaption to movie/series. manifesting it now!!!
such a good #bookstagrammademedoit! full review coming on my IG later this week.
April 10, 2022
“She was absolutely gorgeous, without a doubt, but there was something about her that was beautiful in a way that I’d never noticed about anyone else.”
I was, dare I say, surprised by all the glowing five star reviews for this read as, though this was well-written and passionately got to the heart of several undoings, I unfortunately found the narrator, Lora, to be completely insufferable. I know she is meant to be portrayed as naive, young, and yearning deeply to find her sense of place in the looming, competitive world of publishing and writing, but it felt overdone and completely unbelievable. She falls so fast and easily that I couldn’t believe she had such an unblinkingly low concept of her self-worth, even given her desperate situation. She ignores all warnings people give her about Cat because she has become so entirely blindsided by her, but my main question is why and how, when she has access to change at least some of her circumstances and a loving family who, at the end of the day, wants the best for her.
“We have to find ways around the system. We have to break the rules, and we absolutely cannot feel bad about breaking them, not even for a moment. It’s the only way we can make it. It’s the only way we’ll ever have a shot. It’s the only way we can survive.”
I’m not blaming her but merely interrogating and indicating her relative agency over her own decisions, pointing to her self-will, especially when she is given outs before she gets in too far, too deep. Why does she continuously put all her faith into Cat when there are red flags aplenty and visible, obvious secrecy surrounding her? Why does she agree to be a ghostwriter, in the first place, when she’s aware she’ll be given absolutely no credit for all of her hard work? Cat tells her what she’ll be doing and how she’ll be doing it loud and clear and she STILL goes along with it…WHY? Her pining for Cat and relentless belief in her jarred me and made me question the forces of seduction/manipulation at work, and how much those came into play, since Cat, at certain intervals, is largely open about her terms with Lora, yet Lora continues to play into her game at every turn.
“ “Well don’t get too close to her.” she warned. “She’ll chew you up and spit you out and pretend you never meant anything to her. And then you’ll spend every day of the rest of your life wondering what you did wrong, wondering why she treats you like you no longer exist.” ”
This narrative becomes a cautionary tale to those that trust too easily, too fast, without asking the hard questions or stopping to hear the music, and in that regard it checked all the boxes and kept me turning the pages rapid-fire, ensconced in its multi-genre approach.
“And I’ve noticed that there’s this trick she has of making the people around her feel like they’re her closest friends.”
The ending, however, is what really blew my mind and ripped me to pieces. It is catastrophic, heart-wrenching, and deeply unsettling, and if you read this, read it even for that alone.
I was, dare I say, surprised by all the glowing five star reviews for this read as, though this was well-written and passionately got to the heart of several undoings, I unfortunately found the narrator, Lora, to be completely insufferable. I know she is meant to be portrayed as naive, young, and yearning deeply to find her sense of place in the looming, competitive world of publishing and writing, but it felt overdone and completely unbelievable. She falls so fast and easily that I couldn’t believe she had such an unblinkingly low concept of her self-worth, even given her desperate situation. She ignores all warnings people give her about Cat because she has become so entirely blindsided by her, but my main question is why and how, when she has access to change at least some of her circumstances and a loving family who, at the end of the day, wants the best for her.
“We have to find ways around the system. We have to break the rules, and we absolutely cannot feel bad about breaking them, not even for a moment. It’s the only way we can make it. It’s the only way we’ll ever have a shot. It’s the only way we can survive.”
I’m not blaming her but merely interrogating and indicating her relative agency over her own decisions, pointing to her self-will, especially when she is given outs before she gets in too far, too deep. Why does she continuously put all her faith into Cat when there are red flags aplenty and visible, obvious secrecy surrounding her? Why does she agree to be a ghostwriter, in the first place, when she’s aware she’ll be given absolutely no credit for all of her hard work? Cat tells her what she’ll be doing and how she’ll be doing it loud and clear and she STILL goes along with it…WHY? Her pining for Cat and relentless belief in her jarred me and made me question the forces of seduction/manipulation at work, and how much those came into play, since Cat, at certain intervals, is largely open about her terms with Lora, yet Lora continues to play into her game at every turn.
“ “Well don’t get too close to her.” she warned. “She’ll chew you up and spit you out and pretend you never meant anything to her. And then you’ll spend every day of the rest of your life wondering what you did wrong, wondering why she treats you like you no longer exist.” ”
This narrative becomes a cautionary tale to those that trust too easily, too fast, without asking the hard questions or stopping to hear the music, and in that regard it checked all the boxes and kept me turning the pages rapid-fire, ensconced in its multi-genre approach.
“And I’ve noticed that there’s this trick she has of making the people around her feel like they’re her closest friends.”
The ending, however, is what really blew my mind and ripped me to pieces. It is catastrophic, heart-wrenching, and deeply unsettling, and if you read this, read it even for that alone.
April 9, 2022
What a wild ride!! Started this and didn’t put it down until I finished and that ending blew my mind 🤯 WILD
August 17, 2022
3 things:
1.) While I love the epistolary format (ie told in letters, text exchanges, emails, diary entries, etc), I don’t love when a book is 100% epistolary, because there is no format to tell the meat of the book. As a work around, all books like these utilize a diary to do the bulk of the story telling. (As a side note: the diary thing was my major beef with Silent Patient because NO ONE writes diary entries like this.
Second by second detail. Detailed descriptions.
Just admit defeat and turn those portions into the book-book and not a diary because that’s what it is and reads like.)
The longgggg and DETAILED exchanges of direct dialogue made my blood boil. I get that I’m the grinch and not fun (epistolary is meant to be fun), but it kills me every time. Add those epistolary elements but not 100%. Please.
2.) The ending is SO wild that you will have to be told where exactly to go look to make it make sense. I had to manually flip to that page and even still, I was like “what the (dolphin noise from SpongeBob).” It’s wild and YES there are some confusing plot holes/elements that I can’t make sense of, but kudos for the ending and making me #werk
3.) It’s fast-paced, it’s short (thanks to the format), and it’s easy to read. overall it’s worth a read so you can join in on the fun chats about the ending.
1.) While I love the epistolary format (ie told in letters, text exchanges, emails, diary entries, etc), I don’t love when a book is 100% epistolary, because there is no format to tell the meat of the book. As a work around, all books like these utilize a diary to do the bulk of the story telling. (As a side note: the diary thing was my major beef with Silent Patient because NO ONE writes diary entries like this.
Second by second detail. Detailed descriptions.
Just admit defeat and turn those portions into the book-book and not a diary because that’s what it is and reads like.)
The longgggg and DETAILED exchanges of direct dialogue made my blood boil. I get that I’m the grinch and not fun (epistolary is meant to be fun), but it kills me every time. Add those epistolary elements but not 100%. Please.
2.) The ending is SO wild that you will have to be told where exactly to go look to make it make sense. I had to manually flip to that page and even still, I was like “what the (dolphin noise from SpongeBob).” It’s wild and YES there are some confusing plot holes/elements that I can’t make sense of, but kudos for the ending and making me #werk
3.) It’s fast-paced, it’s short (thanks to the format), and it’s easy to read. overall it’s worth a read so you can join in on the fun chats about the ending.
March 20, 2022
That was quite a ride, Susan Rigetti! Despite the lack of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (and murder); this was still an riveting book experience. I really liked the format using diary entries, text messages, Instagram posts (will the actual photos be in the finished book?), FBI reports, and news reports. The setting in NYC was fabulous as well with a side of fashion journalism (Elle) and the Plaza -- yes, the one of Eloise fame. Been binging shows like "The Tinder Swindler" on Netflix lately? Check out this new release. The cover is beckoning you to jump in. I hope you do.
Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2022
That's really all there is to say about this. You looking for a treat? You loved everything Inventing Anna? Or are you like me and can't get the smart television to cooperate so you can't ever watch any Netflix programming, but enjoy stories about con artists and high-fashion lifestyles? If so, check this out. A tasty bit of brain candy for sure.
August 24, 2022
Reminiscent of the Netflix show “Inventing Anna,” this novel was distinctive enough to keep me intrigued and ultimately surprised. A fun read!
March 22, 2022
Holy freaking cow. 😳
I binged this book in one evening and it was wild. This novel had it all -rich people behaving badly, deception level 10, a TWIST, and a con artist you don’t want to miss! I can’t really say much without giving away the plot but I highly suggest going in blind!! The format of this book isn’t like a typical novel, it’s all in emails, diary entries, and instant messages. It definitely moves quickly and it’s hard to put down! This one is going in the “epic” category on my shelf and I highly, highly recommend it!
Pub day is April 5th sooooo *add to cart*!
I binged this book in one evening and it was wild. This novel had it all -rich people behaving badly, deception level 10, a TWIST, and a con artist you don’t want to miss! I can’t really say much without giving away the plot but I highly suggest going in blind!! The format of this book isn’t like a typical novel, it’s all in emails, diary entries, and instant messages. It definitely moves quickly and it’s hard to put down! This one is going in the “epic” category on my shelf and I highly, highly recommend it!
Pub day is April 5th sooooo *add to cart*!
April 25, 2025
what the actual fuck… that ending …
June 4, 2022
Summary: When Lora Ricci lands her dream internship at Elle Magazine, she immediately becomes taken with the very wealthy and enigmatic contributing editor, Cat Wolff. Before long, it becomes clear Cat Wolff is not who she claims to be.
Thoughts: Given that this book is best going into blind, I’ll leave the summary short and discreet.
This sleeper of a book hit Bookstagram like a house on fire. Overnight, the entire platform was abuzz with how amazing this book is, how impressive the twist, and how quick a read it was. And although the twist wasn’t as mind blowing as I had expected based on the excitement, I really did enjoy it as the great game of cat and mouse it is.
This book is told entirely in Epistolary form. While I love that style of novel, it sometimes makes it a bit harder to connect with the characters. I found myself with not much emotional investment in either Cat or Lora. What I did love was the chase between the special prosecutors, the FBI agents, and Cat Wolf. That was so much fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.
This is a solid thriller that I would definitely recommend, especially to those who really enjoy the letter/diary entry format. I’m excited to read more by this author in the future.
Thoughts: Given that this book is best going into blind, I’ll leave the summary short and discreet.
This sleeper of a book hit Bookstagram like a house on fire. Overnight, the entire platform was abuzz with how amazing this book is, how impressive the twist, and how quick a read it was. And although the twist wasn’t as mind blowing as I had expected based on the excitement, I really did enjoy it as the great game of cat and mouse it is.
This book is told entirely in Epistolary form. While I love that style of novel, it sometimes makes it a bit harder to connect with the characters. I found myself with not much emotional investment in either Cat or Lora. What I did love was the chase between the special prosecutors, the FBI agents, and Cat Wolf. That was so much fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.
This is a solid thriller that I would definitely recommend, especially to those who really enjoy the letter/diary entry format. I’m excited to read more by this author in the future.
April 10, 2022
Loved this binge worthy read! That ending though!! 🤯🤯
April 12, 2022
Really wanted to like this one, but it felt too ripped from the headlines without anything particularly new to say other than "what if Anna Delvey had ALSO written 'Cat Person'?" The book is written primarily as the diary of a very young, naive girl, and it is indeed like reading something an unformed author would have written. Even if that's an intentional stylistic choice, it kept me from getting very absorbed in the book. The twist made me go back and think about the clues planted along the way, but that wasn't enough to make me retroactively enjoy it more. Plus, there are some bits I can't reconcile along the way.
It's a very quick and breezy read, so there are worse ways to spend your time! Just found it hard to ever sink my teeth into this one.
It's a very quick and breezy read, so there are worse ways to spend your time! Just found it hard to ever sink my teeth into this one.
January 1, 2022
Written in diary entires, text messages, and even FBI memos this book was an escape read about a college student entering into a con artists world that I couldn't put down. After that fantastic ending, I have so many questions!
March 29, 2022
What an ending!
May 30, 2022
Hmmmm... interesting plot. Annoying format. I thought that ending might be where the story was headed, but yet it doesn't quite make sense when you have third parties, like the other interns and the whole ELLE staff, interacting with both Cat and Lora at the same time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2025
What on earth, that ending! What a fun ride, that was such a unique book!!! Thank goodness this was a book club pick, because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT!
Lora is a failed NYU student who just. wants. to. be. a. writer. Girl, don't we all? She lands an internship at ELLE magazine, where she meets Cat Wolff, a gorgeous Austrian heiress. Lora is struggling majorly to make ends meet and to figure out her next steps in life. Enter, Cat. Cat has need of Lora past their involvement together at Elle, so once that internship is done Cat moves Lora into her suite at the Plaza Hotel...oh la la.
Kat gets a taste of the good life, generously provided by Cat's father, and they work on their new project together. Lora is going to be Cat's ghostwriter on a series of short stories that will hopefully propel them to stardom and financial freedom. Only...Cat's not the most reliable person. She's flighty, flaky, moody, and then there's the matter of the weird closet of disguises that Lora finds. Oh, and while we're reading about Lora and Cat, we get glimpses into communications from the FBI, and someone named Oleya...
Anyway, this was a fast read, a fun one, and if you guess the ending of the book I will eat my very own physical copy.
Lora is a failed NYU student who just. wants. to. be. a. writer. Girl, don't we all? She lands an internship at ELLE magazine, where she meets Cat Wolff, a gorgeous Austrian heiress. Lora is struggling majorly to make ends meet and to figure out her next steps in life. Enter, Cat. Cat has need of Lora past their involvement together at Elle, so once that internship is done Cat moves Lora into her suite at the Plaza Hotel...oh la la.
Kat gets a taste of the good life, generously provided by Cat's father, and they work on their new project together. Lora is going to be Cat's ghostwriter on a series of short stories that will hopefully propel them to stardom and financial freedom. Only...Cat's not the most reliable person. She's flighty, flaky, moody, and then there's the matter of the weird closet of disguises that Lora finds. Oh, and while we're reading about Lora and Cat, we get glimpses into communications from the FBI, and someone named Oleya...
Anyway, this was a fast read, a fun one, and if you guess the ending of the book I will eat my very own physical copy.
May 26, 2022
You can read my full review and others here: https://teatimelit.com/
It’s been almost a month since I first read Cover Story, and honestly, I’m still a little mind blown! I had heard good things about Cover Story from some friends, so when I was trying to pick an audiobook to start at work one day it seemed like the obvious choice. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I listened to them and gave this book a chance, because I am obsessed!
I loved everything about Cover Story. I loved the epistolary writing style and think that it was the perfect way to tell this story. Because we read the majority of the story through Lora’s journal entries, I think it’s easy to get cast under Cat’s spell — but not necessarily in the same way as Lora. With every page I found myself more and more suspicious of Cat and was dying to know more about her as most of the details of her life are very vague. She’s the daughter of a clean-energy mogul, she’s a contributing editor at ELLE, she’s rich and knows all the right people — but who exactly is Cat Wolff? No one really knows, and that’s what makes her so captivating.
The ending of this book…I won’t really go into detail because I don’t want to spoil it, but I have not stopped thinking about it. I’ll be going about my day and suddenly my brain goes, “So the ending of Cover Story” and I just stand there like the wide eyed emoji. I definitely had a feeling that things would play out the way that they did, but I didn’t truly know until the end, and I was shocked that my suspicions were correct because it just felt so improbable. I finished the book and just sat there at my desk going, “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!?”, which, in my opinion, is the mark of a great twist! I’m looking forward to rereading it and really analyzing all the clues that were dropped along the way.
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i'm SCREAMING this was so good oh my gosh, i'm going feral. i *knew* it, but i didn't truly *know* it until the end. amazing.
i also really love how the entire story was told through journal entries, newspaper articles/journals, text messages, emails, etc. i thought that was so well done. oof, i'm definitely gonna have to reread this one.
It’s been almost a month since I first read Cover Story, and honestly, I’m still a little mind blown! I had heard good things about Cover Story from some friends, so when I was trying to pick an audiobook to start at work one day it seemed like the obvious choice. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I listened to them and gave this book a chance, because I am obsessed!
I loved everything about Cover Story. I loved the epistolary writing style and think that it was the perfect way to tell this story. Because we read the majority of the story through Lora’s journal entries, I think it’s easy to get cast under Cat’s spell — but not necessarily in the same way as Lora. With every page I found myself more and more suspicious of Cat and was dying to know more about her as most of the details of her life are very vague. She’s the daughter of a clean-energy mogul, she’s a contributing editor at ELLE, she’s rich and knows all the right people — but who exactly is Cat Wolff? No one really knows, and that’s what makes her so captivating.
The ending of this book…I won’t really go into detail because I don’t want to spoil it, but I have not stopped thinking about it. I’ll be going about my day and suddenly my brain goes, “So the ending of Cover Story” and I just stand there like the wide eyed emoji. I definitely had a feeling that things would play out the way that they did, but I didn’t truly know until the end, and I was shocked that my suspicions were correct because it just felt so improbable. I finished the book and just sat there at my desk going, “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!?”, which, in my opinion, is the mark of a great twist! I’m looking forward to rereading it and really analyzing all the clues that were dropped along the way.
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i'm SCREAMING this was so good oh my gosh, i'm going feral. i *knew* it, but i didn't truly *know* it until the end. amazing.
i also really love how the entire story was told through journal entries, newspaper articles/journals, text messages, emails, etc. i thought that was so well done. oof, i'm definitely gonna have to reread this one.
April 10, 2022
This was excellent (and a very quick read)! I'm shocked that more people aren't talking about this because it feels so in line with the zeitgeist. If you've been binging any of the scammer series TV shows, you'll love this. Cat Wolff is an enigmatic contributing editor for Elle Magazine. Cat pulls Lora, an Elle intern, into her orbit and convinces Lora to ghostwrite a short story collection intended to net Cat a book deal. As Lora gets more involved in Cat's glamorous life living at The Plaza Hotel, we learn that Cat is not who she seems. The story is creatively told through a combination of FBI records, emails, Instagram posts, texts, and diary entries. I was unsure for the first 50 pages or so, but then I was HOOKED. Cat is a compelling mashup of Anna Delvey, Elizabeth Holmes, and Caroline Calloway and WOW it works!
April 4, 2022
Unfortunately the characters are not very compelling and if you’re paying attention the surprise ending isn’t actually a surprise.
July 12, 2022
THAT ENDING
August 10, 2023
SUPER BINGE WORTHY!! You can quote me!
This was recommended by my dear friend Laura (laurasloaninglibrary on IG) and it did not disappoint! It’s a very fun and clever take on the Anna Delvey story, with subtle twists that made me wanna forego all adult responsibilities in order to finish.
I docked one star off because sometimes the parallels between this story and the Anna Delvey case were too on the nose; but overall, TERRIFIC 👏🏽👏🏽
This was recommended by my dear friend Laura (laurasloaninglibrary on IG) and it did not disappoint! It’s a very fun and clever take on the Anna Delvey story, with subtle twists that made me wanna forego all adult responsibilities in order to finish.
I docked one star off because sometimes the parallels between this story and the Anna Delvey case were too on the nose; but overall, TERRIFIC 👏🏽👏🏽
April 16, 2022
1.5 stars; I don’t understand the high ratings (I almost DNF’d this but I kept thinking it would get more interesting). I was so excited about the mixed media aspect and the summary. Unfortunately, the writing style was really immature. Even the FBI agents were clueless-they can’t hack into unencrypted emails? It was just an annoying book.
April 25, 2022
immediately yes. 5 stars. read this book
July 4, 2022
Read this!!! That's it- that's the review.
For more thoughts and book talk, check out my podcast Book Talk, etc. https://www.booktalketcpodcast.com/
For more thoughts and book talk, check out my podcast Book Talk, etc. https://www.booktalketcpodcast.com/
July 21, 2022
I literally read this book in one day.
Told via journal entries, emails, chat messages, and social media posts we meet Lora Ricci, a young woman who leaves her college program (for reasons unmentioned) and is desperate to make it as a writer. She interns at Elle Magazine and meets Cat Wolff, who takes her on as a ghostwriter.
Lora gets further and further sucked into the enigma that is Cat. Until it all cracks wide open. I could not stop reading this and for that alone I had to give it 4 stars. However, there were quite a few missteps, it was perfectly crafted, but such an enjoyable journey I can't help but easily recommend to almost any reader for this summer. I did guess the twist (which hardly ever happens) which bummed me out a bit, but there's just so much to discuss afterwards. Will we ever actually know what really happened? Part voyeur, part celebrity scammer, pure fun!
Told via journal entries, emails, chat messages, and social media posts we meet Lora Ricci, a young woman who leaves her college program (for reasons unmentioned) and is desperate to make it as a writer. She interns at Elle Magazine and meets Cat Wolff, who takes her on as a ghostwriter.
Lora gets further and further sucked into the enigma that is Cat. Until it all cracks wide open. I could not stop reading this and for that alone I had to give it 4 stars. However, there were quite a few missteps, it was perfectly crafted, but such an enjoyable journey I can't help but easily recommend to almost any reader for this summer. I did guess the twist (which hardly ever happens) which bummed me out a bit, but there's just so much to discuss afterwards. Will we ever actually know what really happened? Part voyeur, part celebrity scammer, pure fun!
July 14, 2022
Wait...WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!
4 stars
4 stars
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