Love, Camera, Action manages to be both an easy reading experience and deal with serious topic of fear and paranoia of the characters. Now, don´t misjudge the use of the word paranoia. It's refreshing to see a book who doesn't shy away from people's honest fears.
Read it in a day and i cant say that i definitely got that empty feeling after finishing it. Who never wished to live in their favorite book? Loved the main couple and their whole dynamic, it was obvious they needed to be in each others lives from the very beginning. The book managed to discuss real life issues without taking away from the magic of the worldbuilding and that alone must be praised.
Overall, it is a great book and would definitely recommend it to any friends who are needing to rest and enjoy life a little bit more.

This book id a great balance between the fun, fresh and serious. I've read the rom coms from the actor/actress' perspective, from the agents perspective but never the director and camera man so this was something new and something really clever. The book had depth and was written and paced really well.

This is a great rom-com. The banter between the main characters is unmatched. Cali is a struggling director and when she gets her chance on a popular series she takes it and proves her talent. Even just reading about her I could feel her positive energy and how passionate she is about directing. I feel like she was very realistically written.
Jory's problem with his burnout and lost spark was well-written. Him seeing Cali work and the sparkle in her eyes when she directed was great. Seeing him slowly realize he's been losing his excitement and then trying to once again do the thing he loves and cares about.
I really liked the little crew family they had on set. It made the set a bit more homey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for thos ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Five Jory and Cali stars.

I was in the mood for a strangers to Lovers romance that is light on angst but not an insta attraction / love story. This book delivered and didn't disappoint me.

It has the following Tropes that I ❤️ 😍 love.

✔️ Enemies to Lovers- When Jory and Cali first meet as directors on a new series, it's Calis first big break and shes excited to meet hee idol, seasoned director of photographer 📸 Jory. He's not excited to meet her though. He sees hee as wet behind the ears and he thinks she doesn't know what she's doing.

✔️ Workplace Romance- The main story takes place over a few days as they film an intimate scene between two actors who are in a similar position as Cali and Jory as one is an experienced actor and one is new to acting. They but heads but slowly realize that there's a mutual attraction that they can't deny.

When they give into their attraction, both Jory amd Cali run into roadblocks in their personal and professional life which leads to one of them pushing the other away.

Will they have a HEA like the characters they film? I highly recommend you 📚 read to find out.

This was a cute, little read. The romance was well written and it kept me hooked. It did feel slightly rushed at times, and everything resolved in a couple of pages at the end which felt a bit jarring.

But overall a fun read!

I was fortunate to read this debut novel through NetGalley. This is a steamy enemies to lovers story that I couldn’t put down. Calliope Daniels (Cali) is a director from Canada who is known for having the magical touch in directing sex scenes. She is brought in after the prior male director was fired Jory Blair is the Director of Photography, who has ambitions to also direct. They both have baggage from their pasts, but when they collaborate, both in work and outside of the set, magic does instead occur.

3.5 stars.
An enjoyable story with a vibrant outlook on the film-making world, “Love, Camera, Action”, by Noel Stark, features engaging characters getting attracted and involved without wanting to.
I liked the characters in general and the building of attraction and chemistry between Cali and Jory, that ineffable, invisible current making them react, clash, diverge, connect.
Cali is a strong, energetic woman, carrying others’ burdens in her shoulders, yet a caring, empathetic person in the demanding, ruthless field of filming.
Jory is going through an anguishing phase and trying to evade, avoid and postpone as much as possible. Cali’s exuberance and light is a much needed distraction and balm.
I liked the depiction of working on set, a blend of cooperation, camaraderie, rivalry. Professionalism, inventiveness and creativity and technical knowledge shine throughout the scenes.
It seemed Cali and Jory got entangled too quickly despite their initial reservations and the peculiarities of the professional field.
The sex scenes went on for too long and felt redundant.
I felt Jory’s medical issues were downplayed and sometimes seemed forgotten.

Not sure if it was the writing style or the story itself, but I did not enjoy it. The story is set on a film set and the story goes into such detail of how to film a movie, that the underlying story was lost. I got bored trying to read through the movie filming jargon that I almost did not finish it. The relationship between Jory and Cali seemed so superficial that it seemed to be missing a true connection.not a story for me.

It fell a little flat for me. While I loved the last 20 pages of the book the rest of it felt drawn out and like a lot of conflict. It wrapped up far too quickly for me and it didn't really make sense to me. I will say though I loved the two main characters and I did love the aspects of them taking care of each other. I am such a sucker for that.

This was a light, funny and cozy romance in which we explore the perspectives of both main characters and experience a full range of emotions. I had such a fun time and I enjoyed myself greatly so let me tell you why✨️

The novel shows a unique side of the film and movie industry, a heavily misogynistic environment that Cali is able to navigate with tact. She treats everyone with empathy and, as the director, takes the lead, solves conflict and holds Jory accountable for his actions. The male lead on the other hand, even though recognizing that he has the advantage in a male dominated work space, tries to subtly take control over Cali's work but, ends up falling in love with her ingenuity, sincerity and intensity. He craves the color she brings to his life and most of all, the fun, the companionship, the pleasure.

Being in a grumpy-sunshine dynamic there is an easy, almost unavoidable chemistry between the characters making the banter worth kicking your feet in the air. Our leads take leaps into each others lives, and use their work and subtle scenes to figure out misunderstandings. The author is able to touch, in a limited amount of pages, on subjects such as grief, illness, absent parents, self-destructive tendencies and women friendship(Thalia was my favorite<3).
I have to say that I am not a fan of miscommunication but the way it was handled left me satisfied and hoping that I could see more from this author in the future.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a fun time with this book! I really loved the dynamic between Jory and Cali, and Noel Stark did a great job cultivating their chemistry and banter, I was so tender to both Cali and Jory, and I was really rooting for them both individually. The dual POV definitely helped with that, and I thought flowed effortlessly. I also loved seeing a more unique take on a typical Hollywood trope, especially with neither of the characters being actors. This book was the perfect balance of serious and fun, with overall being a light read.

I am so, so looking forward to anything else that Noel Stark releases in the future. I feel like I've found a great, new diamond of an author and I am son excited to see what she releases next!

This was a cosy romance that followed the pattern to the T. There was miscommunication in the beginning and at 80%, blossoming love, and then grovel and a HEA. It was a fun read over all and did not require me to think too much.
Jory was prudent and stoic (I ABSOLUTELY LOVE STOIC HEROES) and Cali is as strong as an oak (so, she obviously does not take shit from anyone). They banter, they fall in love, one of them has a scare and creates miscommunication *cough its jory cough* and they get back together like the love birds that they are.
This would be an ideal read for the lovers of Abby Jimenez

Thanks to NetGalley, the Author, and Alcove Press for the ARC

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and comments are my own.

At first I was a bit scared that it was going to be too sexual , but once I got more into the book it was also a sweet romance 🥰

Wonderful quick romance, following Cali as she takes on a directing role in a chaotic environment, from caring for everyone around to having to care for herself. While taking on this big role, she has chemistry unmatched with a camera man. This romance is steamy and cute all at once.

The writing style and pacing makes this read easy and a perfect palette cleanser. Enough dialogue, enough description, enough depth. This is a good debut novel.

The characters are lovable, and you will be rooting for the relationship. Both characters have depth and emotions and feel real. You are in the world of cinema and directing, so if you like that you will love this. I really enjoyed their banter.

Any romance reader would love this novel, and I would recommend to many.

[ARC Netgally -Alcove Press - Apr 22 2025]

Love, Camera, Action is a unique romance. I thought the set up was interesting. Cali is hired to film a steamy episode of a TV show but is having trouble with the intimacy part which is where Jory comes in. At first I wasn't sure how this was going to work out. It seemed like having Jory possibly working against her was not going to make a good romance but I was pleasantly surprised.

I liked how the author wrote Cali & Jory's chemistry. Their banter is great and they definitely have a lot of friction. This is workplace enemies to lovers for sure. I felt the romance was built up nicely and felt believable. The steamy scenes were great. Steamier than I was expecting.

This is a great debut that felt unique in the contemporary romance genre.

This is such a feel good cute workplace romance. Cali got a new directing job after the other director was fired. Trying to make her mark as a woman surrounded by men who don’t take her seriously she uses her special skills and tactics to make everyone around her comfortable and brings out the best in them . Cali and Jory have this spark they try to ignore bc well it’s work, and Cali has sworn off love and relationships because of what her mother and sister have gone through. It’s one of those full circle moments where it all just comes together and makes sense.

Yes! This is a rom-com, indeed! A laughed a lot! Sweet, funny and very sexy - I mean she directs "romance" scenes!
a heartfelt story with lovely characters and great chemistry - and like an onion, they have layers :)

Defently worth a read!

Post coming on IG the 10 of sep 2024

This was surprisingly really good. At first I thought that it was too sexual and would just be super sexual the entire time, but the romance was actually really sweet at times. Love, Camera, Action is such a cute and fun little read. 4.5 ⭐️

Cali Daniels is a director of film hired to direct a steamy tv episode. The problem? Cali understands sex, but the intimacy and relationship and love part? Yeah that’s not her thing. That changes when she meets the directory of photography for the show, Jory. They frustrate each other and are the definition of the miscommunication trope. Both are controlling and like to challenge each other. Admits all the hostility and banter, can they both accept that these feelings are something MORE?

I don’t typically enjoy a miscommunication trope, but I did enjoy the banter the two main characters had.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for this ARC.