”It’s not your responsibility to stick up for me…No, but I should have stuck up for my own values.”

4⭐️
I really enjoyed that the majority of the plot happened on a TV Show set! It was interesting to learn and somewhat experience what it would be like to be behind the scenes of a film set. That’s an industry that I have little knowledge about, so I thought it was pretty cool! I also liked that Cali consistently stood up for herself in a male dominated field!! 🫶🏻 Jory’s character development was refreshing as well - especially when he realized he was being an ass simply because he didn’t want to learn how to change his “normal”. The spicy scenes were 🔥, especially that dirty talk, and the banter was a pleasant touch that didn’t feel overdone. It was nice witnessing two emotionally stunted individuals learn to trust, love, and grow!

Also, I ADORED Dan 🥰 He’s the best support character!!

-Rivals to Lovers
-Bossy MMC Who’s Good at Dirty Talk 🥵
-Workplace Romance
-Disease Rep 🏥

Narration = perfection! The narrator did an excellent job and I would very much enjoy listening to her work in the future!

“It obviously couldn’t be the way you like to control everything?”

LoveCameraAction by NoelStark is a 3.6 ⭐️ read. The Audiobook is Out On the 22nd APR 2025.

This book is Funny, Cute, Emotional, and very Entertaining! I found myself Laughing out so hard at times, that I had to stop and look around to make sure people didn’t think I was crazy! (Not that I care about people’s opinions!) Then there were moments of deep sadness and emotions I felt broken. And I so loved it!

The book felt like a breath of fresh air with an empowering storyline for the FMC who is all kinds of bad arse! Cali knows what she wants and she isn’t apologetic about it.

Favourite Quote: “ I only know ambrosia salad, it’s the salad of white trash gods!”

Spicy Level - 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Note: Please read and review all trigger warnings before reading any recommended book. We love to read for our pleasure, so keep your mind, and emotions safe!

Audio Book Available
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrator: MaxineMitchell
Publication date: 22nd APR 2025

This was a cute read!

I had got in a bit of a slump, with work and family life I was finding it hard to get into anything.
I had the arc audio of this and listened on the way to work and home while I done housework now this sounds like a lot but for me this is not a lot of reading/listening.
This book made me feel I was still in touch with the fictional world in my normal hectic life.
It was easy to follow even after a day or so of not listening, it wasn’t heavy, there wasn’t a bucket of side characters and side stories it was just easy enjoyable listening.

Cali is a director and jory is the director of photography. They need to work together to get the steamy series of ‘The demon’ out.
Close quarter working and a difference of opinion, not only that the previous director is being done for sexual harassment so everything in the work place on edge including the actors.
But cali has always fan girled over jorys work and jory is now starting to enjoy the push back he was never used to getting from previous directors.
Turns out the sexual tension from the actors is also contagious to the production team.

If you like Tessa Bailey you will love this!

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Cali and Jory butted heads from the beginning, despite Cali being the director and Jory being the first AD. Very quickly they realized that they worked better together than against one another and the orgasms were a bonus they could both agree with. I loved the narrator and loved the heavier topics that the author tackled in the book including an array of parental problems and loss, sexism in the workplace and Hollywood and health problems

DNF at 59%

I had high hopes for this one because I loved the concept but unfortunately, it didn't grasp me the way I had hoped it would. Instead it left me feeling bored.

I struggled to connect with the FMC. She has a cool job and got to where she was in a very non-traditional path which I appreciated. But her character felt very flat. Shallow, if you will. She lacked the depth I was hoping for and generally just didn't interest me.

The MMC was confusing to me. He expressed the most minimal amount of attraction to the FMC and a very sudden kiss out of nowhere suddenly meant he was infatuated. He was rude and clearly resented her, but not in a fun rivals or dislike to lovers way. Just in a plain, I don't like you way.

I felt zero chemistry between the characters and by 60% still didn't care about the characters, their story or relationship enough to feel the need to waste my time listening to the next 3 hours and 39 minutes.

All that said, I probably listened as long as I did because of the of Maxine Mitchell's narration. I could listen to her performances all day, but unfortunately even that wasn't enough to make me stick around to finish the book.

Not the way I was hoping to start April, but thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the ALC.

Steamy, emotional, and passionate. I loved this storyline and the narrator is incredible. Workplace romance and a strangers to lovers trope. Joy and Cali are initially in a enemy type vibe (not rivals but enemy seems too strong) and embark on such a beautiful journey to love together.

I really enjoyed the themes of women’s empowerment throughout the book. It was cool to see the TV show they were making, and I liked the narrator; I thought she did a good job with all the voices. Also, the sex? Very hot!!!

Love, Camera, Action by Noel Stark, with narration performed by Maxine Mitchell. This is an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance.

Cali, an up-and-coming director, is asked to take over as director of a popular TV show after the initial director is ousted amid scandal. She is excited to prove herself in the industry and make money to help provide for her family. Unfortunately, she immediately butts heads with Jory, the director of photography, leading to animosity and tension on set. Of course this is truly just their chemistry sparking. The narration by Maxine Mitchell was the absolute highlight of my experience with this read, she did an amazing job and really brought the story to life! I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Cali and Jory, but the story felt choppy at times, with too many outside storylines confusing matter and muddling things.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author for this audio e-ARC.

Cali is a newbie director that gets her big break by default. She is brought in to replace a director who stepped out of line and while she knows what she is doing, she feels like she might be out of her league. Jory is a director of photography who has lost his inspiration. When he sees Cali for the first time, it's like his world lit up. They butt heads quite a bit and she doesn't do things the way he has always done, but she brings a light to set and a different way of seeing things and is bringing back his spark, one day at a time.
Neither of them know how to do long term, but they can't fight the connection they feel. It could be the best decision of their lives, but it could also bring the production crashing down around them.
I really felt for these two, they had so much baggage but still could see things from the others perspective and work to better each other and the production. I loved the side characters and their stories too and watching them grow.
I thought the narration was perfect.
Thanks to Dreamscape, Netgalley and Noel Stark for an ALC.

this was such a fun, quick paced workplace romance! i found both characters endearing even though their surrounding was frustrating and the inside perspective of a hollywood tv set was a fresh idea as i’ve not read many books (if any) that take place in or tackle the inequality women face in that setting in such a manner.

Cali is an up and coming director brought on last minute to help with filming the tv show The Demon. Jori is the DP (director of photography) on The Demon and as he has been in the industry for a long time has little patient for green directors. The two start out butting heads but slowly learn to work together and encourage one another's creativity.

This book was a mixed bag for me. The part I enjoyed most was the filming aspect of this book. I felt like the industry sexism was handled relatively well and I enjoyed seeing it. On the other hand the romance felt underdeveloped and like it moved at an odd pace. There were so many reasons to keep the MCs apart, but they were just all dropped out of nowhere. The sickness and family drama were only brought up when necessary then brushed over at other times.

I typically prefer dual narration when there are dual POVs, but in this case the single narrator did a decent job.

Tropes
* Workplace Romance
* TV film Set setting
* Rivals to Lovers
* Taking care of someone while sick
* Forced Collaboration
* Steamy Romance

3.5 stars

Thank you Noel Stark and Netgalley for the audio ARC!
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Releases: April 22, 2025
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✨️ FULL REVIEW BELOW ✨️
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“Love, Camera, Action” by Noel Stark, features our main characters, Cali, a sex scene shooting guru and Jory, the director of photography, getting attracted and involved without wanting to.
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Overall, I enjoyed the audio! This story has the tropes of enemies to lovers and workplace romance. The angst was angst-ing but wasn't over the top. It was a super cute cozy romance, but I feel like the pacing was a little off. It felt like it was moving too quickly but not quickly enough if that makes sense. I also couldn't connect to the characters, which both things played a role in that last star.
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tags
#arcteam #ARC #advancereadercopy #lovecameraaction #noelstark #audiobook #ebooks #bookfunnel #bookrecs📚 #netgalley

2.5 stars ⭐️

This book was a quick listen, and I think this story calls out important problems that people face in the workplace. However, some things that took away from the story are the elaborateness of some parts of the book, some parts also felt out of place or like the scenes happened before they should have, and the third person telling which didn't take away much, but I'm used to romances being first person. Overall, I'd recommend this book for those who like reading workplace romances.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook arc.

I struggled with this book. It seemed to be written just to have a spicy story than one with character development. The characters were annoying to me. I wanted to like it more but could not get past the characters annoyance.

This book was a workplace rivals to lovers and oh my gosh it was cute and funny and very entertaining it felt like it was all about empowering women which I really appreciate.. the writing is fast and kept me gripped the entire time

Loved parts of this story and others made me grind my teeth. The narration was fabulous. I adored Cali Daniels, the MFC. She is trying so hard to keep it together. When she gets a wonderful make or break career opportunity she is all in. She is also her family fixer/caretaker and never puts herself first. When she gets to the show set, she meets Jory, the director of photography and the sparks are real. All she wants is to succeed and he seems like a good guy and all about supporting and protecting women. That should be a good thing, but it is it real or all for show? . It’s a good listen (or read) that leads to the expected happily ever after. That said, I wasn’t a big fan of Jory. He was a pompous, supercilious, hypocrite. I’d have liked the story better if it didn’t take so long for him to be better.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars
This book resonates with me. I enjoyed Jory and Cali as characters and their development both personally and as a couple throughout this story. These two captured my attention from the very beginning and held it until the very last word. Stark did a good job handling some heavy and strong emotional topics and did it with depth hand. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. I loved the role that family played in both the main characters’ lives and what it added to their story and development as characters. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrators.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an advance listening copy of #LoveCameraAction. This story is delightful with great narrators. 4.5 stars.

Love Camera Action is about Cali, an up-and-coming director getting her first big break. However, on the set, she finds herself in a fight for control and at odds with Jory, the director of photography. Their bickering and banter soon turn into lust. But will the on-set hookups be enough, or will Cali and Jory catch unscripted feelings?

The audiobook was well-narrated, and I loved its theme and premise. I loved Cali’s character as a stubborn, strong, take no crap woman fighting for her spot in a male-dominated field. However, I did not connect with Jory, the MMC, and felt put off by him and his behavior.

Love, Camera, Action was an enjoyable listen overall and a great debut novel by the author.

Read if you love…
💕TV Show Set Setting
💕 Enemies to Lovers
💕 Workplace Romance and Hook Ups
💕Banter
💕Dual POV

🛑Trigger Warnings 🛑 Open Door Romance, Contains themes or mentions of Cancer, Sex scenes, and industry sexism

Thank you, debut Author Noel Stark, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley, for the free audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

🎬🎧 Love, Camera, Action by Noel Stark – Audiobook Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis:
Cali Daniels is a rising TV director, finally getting her shot at directing a high-profile, steamy episode of the hit series The Demon. This is her big break—except for one problem: Jory Blair. As the show’s top director of photography, Jory is used to doing things his way, and he’s not about to let a newcomer change that. After a recent health scare, he’s also vying for a director’s spot, making Cali not just a challenge, but competition. Their creative clashes spark as much tension as the scenes they’re filming, and when industry politics start pulling the strings, they’ll have to decide if fighting for their careers is worth losing something even bigger—each other.

🎤 Audiobook Experience:
The dual narration added so much depth to the story. The narrators captured the fiery banter, intense chemistry, and emotional moments between Cali and Jory perfectly. The pacing was smooth, and their performances made the tension feel even more real. If you enjoy audiobooks that truly bring characters to life, this is one to add to your list.

🎬 My Thoughts:
This book delivered everything I love in a workplace romance—witty banter, electric tension, and a slow-burn relationship that kept me hooked. The Hollywood setting felt fresh, giving an exciting behind-the-scenes look at TV production, while Cali and Jory’s passion for their craft made them compelling leads. Their push-and-pull dynamic had me rooting for them, even when their ambitions put them at odds. The industry drama added an extra layer of depth, making this more than just a romance. While I would have loved even more emotional vulnerability in certain moments, this was an engaging, smartly written story that I flew through.

🔥 Tropes:
🎥 Workplace romance
🔥 Enemies to lovers
📺 Behind-the-scenes Hollywood drama
💘 Forced collaboration
🎞️ Career vs. love dilemma

⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
🔹 Workplace conflict/politics
🔹 Mentions of past health scares
🔹 Industry sexism

💬 Let’s Chat:
If you could direct a TV show, what genre would it be? Drop your dream project in the comments! ⬇️

#LoveCameraAction #HollywoodRomance #WorkplaceRomance #EnemiesToLovers #RomanceReaders #NoelStark #AudiobookReview #BehindTheScenes #Bookstagram