A very exciting romcom

STANDALONE
Cali knows everything there is to know about how to make sex scenes good. When she's hired to direct a steamy episode in a populat series, she knows it's her chance to launch her carreer in the industry. Unfortunately, the director of photography, a grumpy, sexy man called Jory, is determined to shut all her ideas down. But the tension between them is not just for show - something is brewing. Forced to collaborate despite their very different views on the project, they might have to learn to work together in order to achieve both their dreams...

I really loved this story. I'm a sucker for a shooting set romance, and this one had everything I long for. The author knows what they're talking about and it shows. Both characters were really interesting, with their own dreams, hopes and skills at what they do, and I liked to see them grow into their strengths. The sideplot with the secondary characters was also well-written and complimented the story very nicely. As for the romance in itself, it was truly beautiful and fun and exciting, making the book absolutely addictive. I couldn't stop giggling and blushing at their game of cat and mouse and dreading the third-act breakup, which was very well-done because it didn't feel like a real break and I LOVE that in romcoms. As you might have guessed, this book was a delight from start to finish with intense passion, relatable characters and an immersive set.

I highly recommend if you like romcoms set in the movie/TV show industry.

"And an unexpected despair coursed through him, because he’d done what he vowed not to, and fallen in love with her."

I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't like it too. It was pretty underwhelming, because I could sense no chemistry between the main characters. I expected a bit more, to be honest. However, I would like to read more by this author.

Heat Factor: They’re getting it on a lot, but after the first time the reader doesn’t get a ton of details

Character Chemistry: Their acrimony fuels their lust, until they figure out how to work together in a less toxic way. Also Jory is low-key sabotaging Cali at work.

Plot: Let’s make a TV show!

Overall: A bit uneven, but enjoyable overall

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into the making of prestige television but also only read romance novels, I have good news for you! According to her author bio, Noël Stark has worked in TV for years, and it shows here—there are tons of little details that really make the workplace portion of this workplace romance sing. Admittedly, the author gets a little too far into the weeds at times, which negatively impacted the pacing.

Here’s the premise: Cali is an up-and-coming director who has been hustling on indie and low-budget projects, when she is tapped to step in at the last minute and direct one episode of a hot new TV show. She got the gig partially because she’s known for her sex scenes, but mainly because she’s a woman and the show needs some good PR (and a female director in the roster) after the guy she’s replacing made some nasty comments about #metoo. She is both thrilled for the opportunity and apprehensive—if it goes well, it will open a ton of doors for her, but if it doesn’t, her career is toast. She’s also both thrilled and apprehensive about working with Jory, the Director of Photography. In the past, he’s done beautiful work that Cali really admires; hence the thrill. Unlike the directors, who cycle in and out, the DP stays with the show through the course of the full season, so Jory has a ton of power on the set, and is not planning on ceding that power to Cali and her vision; hence the apprehension.

Also, and perhaps this goes without saying, Jory is very sexy.

The workplace dynamic here is pretty interesting. (Note: If you’re like Erin, and hate HR violations, maybe skip this book, because it’s a whole mess of HR violations—but in a way that I suspect is pretty standard for working in TV.) Cali and Jory are engaged in a power struggle, which bleeds out to the rest of the crew. And their feelings about their power struggle are made more complicated by their attraction to each other, as well as by them recognizing each others’ talent (Jory much more reluctantly than Cali).

Jory and Cali are also dealing with some personal stuff: Jory with a health scare and Cali with her fraught caretaking relationship with her mother and sister. I did feel that these elements of the story were less well-developed and integrated into the central conflict. Jory’s fears about stomach cancer (and his implied depression) especially flitted in and out of the text. Obviously people in real life do not dwell on their potential illnesses at all times or have those thoughts shape every aspect of their relationship, but in a well-constructed narrative, meaty details like this should do some heavy lifting in terms of how a character interacts with the world, and Stark did not quite nail this part of the story.

The other piece that Stark did not quite nail was the relationship arc. The jump from slightly acrimonious teasing to an uncontrolled explosion of lust was a little too abrupt. Uncontrolled explosions of lust in inappropriate places need to have some kind of build up of tension for them to really hit, and Cali and Jory each thinking the other is hot was not quite enough build up for me.

Despite the uneven pacing and relationship development, I still enjoyed this read, and would read another book by this author (but not if it’s a Hot for Teacher story about Cali’s sister, because that is a whole bucket of yikes).

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Spicy, male female, 3rd person dual point of view, contemporary romance. I could tell the author works in the industry as the details mentioned in the book seemed very accurate. This didn't sing for me, but was still impressive for a debut novel. Though there was a bit of emotional strife and a super quick 3rd act "break up" this was mostly an easy to read workplace romance.

I wanted to love this but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. It was hard to believe that eventually they would like it each. It might be your cup of tea though so give it a try!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.

I liked the setting being behind the scenes in television production. I liked both main characters but their story was a bit too quick and their conflict was resolved too quickly at the end. I was glad that they included #MeToo but both main characters put the main actors on the TV show they worked on in situations that they shouldn't have been in.

Honestly I wish I loved this book more than I did I really thought it was going to be a lighthearted enemies to lovers kind of book that I really fell into. Unfortunately it was hard to understand this book and I found myself confused multiple times as the plot developed. The weird relationship between the FMC and MMC was something I don’t know how to explain. They hated eachother at times but also acted like they didn’t care either it was an odd book and I am sorry I couldn’t fall in love with it

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced release copy of this book. This was a great read! I finished it in a day!

I’m going to be very honest I did not enjoy this book. It felt like there wasn’t a lot going on and I didn’t like the main characters. I didn’t even like any of the side characters. Especially the baby monitor part just felt so weird. I don’t like giving books bad reviews, but this one was just so hard to read.

Love, Camera, Action is a solid three star read. While it is a romance novel, it deals with grief, health scares, and weird family dynamics. The main characters’ chemistry was a bit off for me, the romance aspect of it all was kind of meh for me. It was still an interesting read, especially in terms of getting a look at what the ins and outs of a TV set are.

Love this! It's a workplace romance where the enemies become lovers! I don't like anything more than this!!!

I loved the behind-the-scenes setting and the slow-burn tension between Cali and Jory. Their chemistry was electric, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic was so well done. A fresh, engaging debut perfect for fans of smart, steamy romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

As always all my reviews are spoiler free.

It's an honest 3.9/5 (rounded to 4) from me.

There was a review that stated that they didn't like Cali since she comes in and bosses everyone around. I don't think they understand how hard it is to be a female director despite the strides the world has taken towards women being treated equally in the world today. I think Cali's character is flawless in terms of where she stands as a director. She is calm, patient and handles situations with grace and to be very honest, I hope to be more like her.

I fell for Jory's mysterious vibe and I'm not ashamed to say it. You're rooting for the characters from the word go.

The themes covered in the book make the characters stronger. But I think what I found lacking was the fact that the plot was on strong enough to hold me. It was slightly predictable. Towards the end, the characters were hanging on to a invisible thread of a plot. The emotions were high but the stakes were too low.

Either way it was a fun read. Would I recommend this book to anyone? Only if they understood what it's like to be in the film industry.

Here’s a rephrased version of your paragraph:

*Love, Camera, Action* is a rivals-to-lovers romance between rising director Cali and seasoned director of photography Jory, who butt heads while working on *The Demon*—a steamy, Vampire Diaries-style TV show. Stark excels at "show, don't tell," illustrating Cali’s skill and passion through her on-set actions: directing actors and crew, handling conflicts, and elevating performances. These moments were well-crafted and immersive—I felt like a fly on the wall during production. Despite the book’s short length, both characters were developed with satisfying depth. Their dry humor worked well, though the transition from clashing to hooking up felt sudden and unnecessarily impulsive.

This is an entertaining romance set in the film industry. Both main characters had interesting depth and backstories, and I enjoyed watching them navigate their challenges individually and as a couple. I appreciate the insight into the culture within the film industry. Overall a great read!

Wow, so much good representation in this book. From a misogynistic workplace environment to loss and grief. The characters had such good evolutions that it felt really realistic.

Jory was such a complicated character. To live with the fear of having cancer, I think that is one of the hardest things to do. He's also the complete opposite of Cali: he starves himself because he thinks that he's going to take the test every day, and Cali constantly scurries away food because she doesn't know if she'll find food that easily in the future.
Their love language is really based around control and relinquishing it.

Cali is such a cool woman. She fends of her misogynistic boss because she really likes her job and wants to keep it. She still has her own view of the show and manages to keep that style even though her boss makes comments about it constantly. Also, being the oldest and having to be the caretaker of her family must be so hard. It's all too common in our world, so this problem felt super real. She just wants to take care of everyone, that's kind of her own love language, even though she doesn't always like it.

Their chemistry was so good. I think the aspect of secrecy made it even better. They both know that what they're doing is wrong, but they just can't stop. I especially liked Jory's inner thoughts about this, because he's such a gentleman and he doesn't want to be perceived as a manipulator in the workplace.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #LoveCameraAction by Noel Stark in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I had a pleasant experience reading this book and there were moments I even really enjoyed but at other times, I didn't completely understand what motivated Cali's character choices. I was really looking forward to the directing/filming a movie aspects of the story but I think the author forgot that most of the audience reading this book would not understand the film industry as much as Stark does. It would have been helpful if some things had been spelled out more clearly. I never quite understood if Jory was Cali's boss or if she was his boss so and that made things unclear within the developing relationship.

I was really excited about this one as I love anything set in film/tv and I especially love a female director narrative, but this was unfortunately not to my style in terms of the romance or the comedy.

TV director Cali Daniels goes head-to-head with director of photography Jory Blair on her very first day on set. Sparks are flying on and off the screen. Their chemistry was undeniable from the start. They do their best to keep their attraction at bay to protect themselves and their reputations. There is banter and spice and everything nice. This was a good debut romance that I enjoyed! The audio was great and enjoyable. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining romantic comedy involving the movie industry with a girl who knows what she wants and goes for it, and another person who has rethought what she wants and is not happy with Cali's involvement.

I spent a good time disconnecting my mind with these characters, everything about their jobs I really liked, I wanted to know more, and the romance catagoria more like a “I dislike you to lovers” has been fun.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.