In Noel Stark's debut novel, up-and-coming (but Canadian) director Cali Daniels is hired last minute to helm a double episode of The Demon, a "hotly anticipated" supernatural TV thriller. In an industry that has always been short on chances for people like her - women, outsiders - this is Cali's shot to make her mark, and prove she can stay true to herself while doing it. But on set, Cali finds herself at odds with the gifted (but jaded) Jory Blair, the show's director of photography, who's more concerned with getting the episodes in the can on schedule and under budget, than with Cali finding a fresh take on the material. To top it off, to both Jory and Cali's horror, the two are also undeniably Hot For Each Other. And in a post-Me Too world, undeniable could also mean career-ending.

With that setup, the book gives itself a long to-do list of jobs to get through in the course of telling Cali and Jory's story. Make it believable that a network TV show premiering in the mid-2020s could be hotly anticipated. Give a crash 101 on film and TV production, with a quick detour into the climate north of Buffalo, NY. Truthfully depict the gendered power imbalances that persist in the industry. Be sexy and entertaining while recognizing and negotiating those imbalances. Happily, Stark is up for the jobs. Any needed exposition never bogs down the pacing, the story makes space to acknowledge real-world injustices, Cali and Jory are dripping with appeal both sex and otherwise, and Jory's wrongheadedness about Canadian weather is corrected.

The book truly comes to life when centered on the instinctual reaction Cali and Jory have to each other - they're not opposites per se, more like elements from different corners of the periodic table, and combining them will either make fireworks or set off an IED. I'm a sucker for competence porn - seeing Cali start to win over Jory through the sheer power of being excellent at her job was a delight, but as they get further in sync, the passion for their work is palpable and contagious, both for the crew around them and for the reader. In these scenes, Stark uses an easy and naturalistic style that stays out of her characters' ways, lets them bump and smash into each other, and fireworks aren't far behind.

At a couple points in the early chapters, I thought the narrative POV seemed to wander within scenes - but I was mistaken: Cali and Jory are so good at visual storytelling that at times they seem to be seeing both the other's outward appearance and the emotion and thoughts underneath. These are smart, clever people, each with deep scars, each facing down those scars differently, but both ending up in essentially similar (though differently rationalized) attitudes of solitude. As they come together, observing each other, feeling their way around each other, this is when Stark gives some beautiful prose and some nice observations - "how painful it is to get dressed" sticks in my head, coming from Cali post-sex. Or Jory looking at old photos, and feeling the absence of someone he hadn't yet met. Romance sans le supernatural isn't usually my thing, but these characters drew me in and pulled me along. (And honestly, a ghost or two thrown in here wouldn't have been out of place, given how present each protagonist's past makes itself to the story.)

Beyond the interesting setting and captivating leads, Stark incorporates wide-ranging and hefty themes - some expected for the genre and some not - all of which are treated carefully and appropriately and given at least some room to breathe. But the distance travelled and the velocity with which the story moves between those themes can sometimes make the book's tone feel uneven. As well, the first quarter or so of the book suffers from what seems like overlapping voices, a similar style of affected banter that pops out of different characters' mouths - maybe it's the writing trying to find its footing, or maybe Cali and Jory both watched a lot of BTVS in their formative years. Either way, it adds to the unevenness, given Stark's ability in other passages to fade into the background and let her characters be themselves.

The workplace conflict gets wrapped up in a deus ex machina-esque bow - to close out the couple's on-set troubles any other way, there's just not enough runway left in the romantic plotline without drawing it out unnaturally. That's the story that will make readers pick up the book in the first place, anyway, and being built around such lush central characters, the romance and its multiple peaks and valleys won't disappoint.

This is a fun enemies-to-lovers story, I liked the banter between the characters as their relationship evolved. I would have liked to see more outside of the work setting, but overall it was a nice light story.

This book will bring you joy! I urge you to go on this journey with the firey Cali and uncover her multilayered familial relationships, and her rocky, sweet, and sexy relationship with coworker Jory. True to life, and even more true to fantasy, you will laugh and cry. Impressed and intrigued by Noel Stark's debut, thankyou for your contribution to the Romance genre--don't stop here! Can't wait to read more in the future 🙏

This book was… ok. Just ok.

I did like the setting - it was obvious that the author had great knowledge of the film industry and I did find it interesting. I also appreciated that she attempted to touch on some serious issues - #metoo, gender harassment in the workplace, etc. - even if it all felt a bit rushed and not fully flushed out.

I was not a fan of the MMC, Jory. He felt so wishy-washy, and I didn’t believe that he and Cali fell in love - it felt more like a fling than a lasting thing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I thought the chemistry between the characters was good. I wish we got to know them a little more outside of the workplace. I felt like this was too much work on set for me and not enough of them getting to see each other outside of that. I felt like they were both likable, and developed in terms of childhoods. Neither seem to have a life outside of work. It was a quick read, but it wa just ok for me. I would have loved to see that tension more aside from work tasks and shooting. I do love how they bring up industry challenges and misogyny. There is minimal spice, for anyone who is interested in that. I believe one full scene

I absolutely adored this book, the interaction between the characters was impeccable.
When the TV director lands their big break and then goes head to head with the photographer, what could go wrong?

This book is a light, enjoyable read, perfect for filling the gaps in-between heavier novels. With charismatic characters and an engaging plot, "Love, Camera, Action" offers an entertaining look at ambition, conflict, and the challenges of the film industry.

En pocas palabras este libro me gustó pero tampoco me encantó. La historias al principio me constó que me atrapará y debo decir que ese instalove que leemos en los primeros capítulos aunque los personajes se negaran…no lo sé, quizás por eso me costó tomarle cariño a los personajes.

Ya a la mitad del libro la cosa mejora y la trama agrega más elementos para querer conocer el desenlace de la historia.

Hay mucho vocabulario del mundo del cine y como estudié algo relacionado a, pude entender pero en otros sí me perdía haha.

¿Una lectura de fin de semana? Es ideal

4.5 ⭐

A charming and fun rom-com.

Very much character driven with the plot a loose (but very important) point moving things along at a good pace. Even the secondary characters are really well-written: the actors, producers, the crew, etc.
Cali's relationship with her sister and Jory's relationship with his father is used really well to contrast the two characters, their personalities, their struggles, and their choices.

Recommended. 👍

Thank you to NetGalley and AlcovePress for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I was a little hesitant about this book, nervous that the spice would outdo the plot. However, that was not the case. This book was actually a really sweet story. However, it followed the romance writing bible with no wiggle room: two characters, miscommunication, love, third-act break-up, and a HEA. There's nothing wrong with that pattern; it was a fun and easy read. For a debut novel, this was a great first book and hooks the reader. 

Read if you like:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Workplace romance

Love, Camera, Action is the story of directors on a movie set, directing mostly sex scenes. I had some reservations from the first page of this book because of that premise. The relationship and sexual tension between the main characters did not make sense to me and their personalities were not relatable. Unfortunately, I had to abandon the story at about 50%.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Love, Camera, Action.

This book was great! I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers! Great to see the two main characters overcome their personal trials!!

This book had a fairly slow start but I am glad I kept going. I loved both of the main characters. They each had their own struggles but still found their way! I loved getting to see the real side of the sister.

I think this is a 3.5 read.

Cali is a director who wants to deliver a show which will help springboard her big-time career in film and television. Jory is a block to this. He is the director of photography for the show and after a recent health scare is re-thinking the vision of the show and craves the director spot. The friction is real between the pair and this of course sparks chemistry. As they collaborate (in more ways than one), they need to decide if chasing their dreams is worth losing their future together.

I appreciated that there are some big subjects handled in this novel in a polite way (that is the best way I can describe it), two of those subjects being genetic disposition to cancer and sexism in the film and tv industry.

I don’t enjoy the miscommunication trope. I did enjoy this book, but really I want adults to ask literally one question and be able to get to the bottom of the conflict. When they don’t it seems immature to me. I didn't think the MMC had given any indication of duplicity, so the 'miscommunication' made the ending feel forced

I thought the writing and pacing was easy to absorb and kept the pace of the story going. There is some good banter between the pair, and they seemed to work through things together well, which was another reason the miscommunication threw me. Both characters took a bit of time for me to warm up to them, but overall I think if you enjoy quick reads and a workplace romance then you will get something out of this book.

A cute rom-com with well-developed characterisation and a less developed setting. The world feels a little small, a little contained - but for anyone looking for an easily readable, quick rom-com, this works well; there’s enough crackle to make it genuinely entertaining, if forgettable.

-

I am grateful, whatever my personal views expressed, for the opportunity provided to me by NetGalley and Alcove Press to read this ARC.

This book had a lot of potential for me, but fell a bit short. Love camera action follows a director and director of photography on set of a Supernatural-come-romance tv show. As someone with heaps of friends in the film industry and married to an ex-film professional, I was excited to see this setting as the main stage for a romance novel.

There were references to the rampant sexism in the film industry and the me too movement, which is important to see in 2024. However I don’t think the books went far enough in its depiction of this, and the general exploitation felt by people working in the film industry (including unpaid work, sexism, lack of job security and flexibility, long hours and unsafe work).

I feel Noel Stark did too much in this book by trying to include elements of this in a romance plot, but feel like this needed more nuance and space to give it what it deserved. There was also information about the main characters back stories that while interesting, didn’t have enough development to feel like a strong element of the book. I’m not sure we needed the complex family histories in a book of this length.

All things considered, I enjoyed this book enough to give it 3 stars, and think the setting was interesting enough to keep me entertained throughout the book.

ARC review, book provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book has everything I quite enjoy in romance, banter, strong characters, a cool setting, and different points of view.

Cali is a new female director who has a lot to prove. In a predominantly male industry, this new job will make or break her career.
Jory is the film producer, who has seen many directors come and go. He's set in his way of doing things and doesn't like to take risks. After years of thinking he can be better than the directors he works with, he wants that position himself.

I really enjoyed the banter with these 2, especially when, in the end, it resulted in amazing shot scenes.

I liked the background story of both of them individually, thought very different type of trauma, trauma is trauma and presents differently to everyone.

I enjoyed the representation of sexual harassment in the workplace, especially the film industry. Although some scenes by the actors from the film left a lot to be desired, things in the end didn't really compute.

Jory attitude was also a bit weird, they are both set in their rules of no workplace involvements, but (after a steamy kiss), Cali saying no more, one and done, he's like oh were on baby! Doesn't compute!
Anyway, was still a fun and easy read, would recommend.

This is the story of Cali and Jory, a new director getting a shot at a great opportunity and a well-established director of photography. They clash, but they’re attracted to each other and working on set with their relationship constantly in flux makes life tough for everyone else. I enjoy a romance that has more background story than just the mushy parts. This book had that, but I often wondered if the author was trying to do too much here. Both main characters have personal trauma that holds them back from opening up to others, but workplace misogyny, patriarchy, the MeToo movement are also brought in as an extra layer. Then there were the other relationships at play as well: Cali’s sister, Jory’s dad, other cast and crew members. For how much this story tried to tackle, the plot was pretty thin. The story resolves itself extremely quickly given how much of the timeline is dedicated to creating layers and layers of tension between all of the characters. Overall, it was fine.
I’ll give it a solid 3 stars.

The story follows Cali Daniels, a talented but a rookie director hired to film a steamy episode for a TV show. Alongside her is Jory, a renowned director of photography. From the start, their professional relationship is rocky, filled with frustrations and misunderstandings, but there's an undeniable attraction between them.

Set against the backdrop of TV sets, the narrative unfolds over a few intense weeks. Despite the tension, both Cali and Jory grapple with their growing feelings for each other. Will they confront these emotions and take a leap into something more?

While the story touches upon significant themes such as workplace harassment, gender discrimination, and personal health challenges, it does so in a hurried manner, leaving some topics feeling underdeveloped. I appreciated the author trying to be more inclusive but, it felt forced rather than integrated into the plot.

Unfortunately, I found it hard to connect with the characters, and the chemistry between the leads felt lacking. I also felt like I was dropped into the middle of the story without enough context, making it difficult to fully engage with their journey.

Overall, while the premise held promise, the execution left me wanting more depth. This book might appeal to those looking for a quick read, workplace romance with a backdrop of behind-the-scenes drama, but it wasn't quite my cup of tea.

Thank you @netgalley and @alcovepress for the ARC

A fun, romantic romp that checks all the boxes. Whilst not necessarily revolutionising the romance genre, it definitely offers a warm winter romance for all looking for it.