Lipstick & Camera Clicks

Indie is very relatable character and her connection with Ray and River was amazing. They were there for each other, no matter what. Kade’s character had a great development and in the end he was actually quite likeable.

This story is going to make you laugh, cry and it will also make you angry at times. It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster. So buckle up!

The romance is slow burn, but when it finally gets to those anticipated scenes, the level of spice is absolutely not low! I would give it 3.4/5 🌶️

This book was an easy read that pulls you in and you don’t want to put it down until you find out the ending.

The haunted house scene? Hello? river is so hot. 🫣

“𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.“
”𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙“

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this book as much as I did. I’m normally not a big fan of love triangles (although it’s low key my guilty pleasure) but I fell in love with both Kade and River.
And the drama in the entire book just felt like watching the making offs of bachelor and I enjoyed every second of it.

Also the lgbtq+ and mental health representation? I’m obsessed.

I never wanted the book to end and I cannot wait for the next book and for his happy ending !! I hope some of the other candidates also get their happy ending.🤭🤭

𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”
“𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

Rating: 4.25/5⭐️
Spice: 2.5/🌶️

Tropes:
- love triangle
- Reality show
- Best friends brother
- Friends to lovers
- Fake dating
- ”tell me to stop.”🫣😩

****THIS IS A NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW****

This book definitely feels like a modern day new adult romance in the best way. The dialogue sounded exactly on par with the ages of this book, the main character was likeable (always a plus), and honestly, the story concept was super interesting.

It’s giving the bachelor, all with a very interesting, very well done love triangle that I was surprised I enjoyed. My one gripe with the love triangle was that it was pretty obvious from the jump who she was going to end up with, but I do like that we had that glimmer of possibility with the other love interest. I also like that his story was open ended and we’ll be coming back to him in the future!

I love the ties between Indigo and River as well as her friendship with Ryan. I love the depth to their backgrounds and how they’ve been intertwined. I loved Kade, and how flawed he was. And I definitely enjoyed the personalities of the different girls on the Love Meltdown and what they had to offer.

I do wish the author was more descriptive in certain scenes— some settings are fleshed out, but others are left lacking.

Indy, grappling with a tarnished reputation, seeks to reshape public opinion by participating in “The Love Meltdown”, a Bachelor-style competition. The narrative unfolds with an intriguing love triangle involving River, the producer and childhood crush, and Kade, the initially annoying Bachelor that Indy can't stand.

The book offers a breath of fresh air, making reality TV aficionados, like me, rejoice. The author skillfully captures the essence of the show, providing readers with a vivid experience that feels like watching it unfold on screen. The promised drama is delivered in abundance, keeping the pages turning as Indy navigates the complexities of both the competition and her love life.

The dynamics between the female contestants feel authentic, mirroring what viewers often witness on such shows. The mysterious undertone adds an extra layer of excitement, leaving readers in suspense about the unfolding twists and secrets. This uncertainty keeps the story engaging until the end.

Overall, this books promises an entertaining blend of romance, drama, and reality TV intrigue and it resulted in an amazing debut novel. Looking forward to read more of this author.

“It’s weird how the world continues as normal when everything inside you is collapsing.” - Indigo

Lipstick & Camera Clicks by D.J. Murphy is a standalone novel and is hands down one the most refreshing, tantalizing, steamy, and dramatic stories I’ve read in a while. After Indigo gets cheated on, she devotes herself to her career. But when the guy she’s had a crush on since forever and the guy she’s pretending to date for a show, starts to open her up to love again, she has to figure out life again.

I have never yelled at a book so much in my life! The way some of these people are completely horrible, yet entertaining is beyond me! With that being said, I really enjoyed this book! Between the childhood crush relived in adulthood to the career focused female, there’s so much happening. I love that it’s a deep rooted love that she has for someone who may or may not even look at her the same way, sort of an unrequited love.

We’ve all been there at some point, the hyperfocus on work because we don’t want to deal with problems or getting hurt again. It’s portrayed so well in this story and Indigo has a serious rollercoaster ride of events happening to her. I also love the relationships presented throughout. The strained, overbearing, yet wanting the way for her daughter, relationship with Indigo and her mom. The friend trio who have had each other’s backs since childhood and then the new situations, no matter how chaotic they may be.

I also enjoyed the fact that this is centered around a Black female lead and has potential for not one but two interracial relationships. Love triangles are always fun! I wish there was more on the perspective of being the child of a person with mental health and the toll that takes on you. The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of was how annoyed some of the characters made me feel, which of course is a great thing, they did their job!

I highly recommend this book to anywho who loves soulmates, close proximity, fake dating, love triangles, interracial couples, BIPOC characters, independent women and let’s not forget reality tv! This is for you! Enjoy!

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Lipstick & Camera Clicks from D.J. Murphy via NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC of Lipstick & Camera Clicks for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 4/5

Spoiler-Free Review:

"I really enjoyed reading this book. Although the cover might give the impression that it's exclusively a romance novel, the story takes you to so many other places. Yes, there are some steamy scenes, but the build-up to them is worth it. The book is clever, funny and insightful. If you're a fan of reality TV dating shows like The Bachelor, and you're curious about what goes on behind the scenes, then you'll have fun reading this book. I had a great time reading it, and even though it wasn't what I was expecting, I will be recommending it to friends who are looking for a light-hearted fiction with some romance. I hope to see this book highlighted on the shelves of my local bookstores."

Lipstick & Camera Clicks is a story about Indigo, Indie for short, who just got put of a toxic relationship after being cheated on She reconnects with two best friends (one was her childhood love) and signs up for a dating reality show as a form of revenge. There she meets Kade who she is also attracted to. In the end she gets together with River who just understands her and treats her right.

This is a medium burn, friends to lovers story. Loved it.

Lipstick & Camera Clicks by D.J. Murphy blew me away!
I absolutely loved this book!
The story was heartwarming and beautiful, with a romance sweet enough to cause you to lose yourself in your reading. I couldn’t put it down! I love how real and authentic these characters were. This book had such great characters. You could feel every single emotion.
This was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down until I'm done. I truly enjoy the story and I want more.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SO MUCH🥰
This was an absolute cute and fun read. As someone who is black, I love that the FMC is also black. A bonus is that this book has all my favorite tropes (fake dating, reality dating show, forced proximity, and a love triangle).
The plot and characters actually have depth to them and are interesting. I read this in one sitting. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future🥰

No because I absolutely loved this book! Completely ate it up! Indie is literally every girl post break up, finding out who she is and what she wants to be. The found family aspect made the book even better. There’s so much representation in this book it’s unbelievable. Absolutely loved and will be buying!!

I love this book so much!!! I read it within a day and it was not a book I wanted to put down! The writing is so smooth I barely felt like I was reading! The story was like a wild adventure and I needed to know what was gonna happen next! I love all the characters so much, everything felt so realistic! The emotional range in this book is extraordinarily! I’m so excited to read more!

1000000/10 🦋🦋🦋

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✨ swipe next for the blurb and some of my favorite quotes ✨

This book makes me giddy!!!! Reading this made my heart hurt not because It'll hurt you but because you'll realize you're single and will never be treated the way River takes care of Indigo 🥲 I want the found family in here. Her relationship with her bestfriend UGH I WANT IT.

This book taught me to trust the process. We may do things AGAINST our will thinking it will help the other person but bro talking it out and deciding for the both of you will solve ALMOST ALL problems. Lol coming from me who will shut the whole world when I'm hurting 🤡

Thank you @netgalley and @d.j.murphywrites for letting me read this book in advance. Will be out tomorrow 2/1/24! Make sure to grab the copy because this book WILL NOT bore you 🥰

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💄 Bestfriends brother
💄 Childhood bestfriend
💄 Forced proximity

If you want a love triangle book down well this book is for you! I loved the dating show setting and the romance was five stars. I would highly recommend this book!