This was super cute and entertaining and dual pov done right. The main characters starting out at odds made sense and was actually realistic instead of something that felt manufactured to create rivals. The tension was amazing and then the eventual hook up was perfection. I also thought the ending was so well done.

<i>Love, Camera, Action</i> started slow for me. The first half of the book felt very dull, making it difficult to connect with the characters or their romance. Cali and Jory’s dynamic was distant, focused more on the job than each other, and while I understood that the slow burn was intentional, I had a hard time investing in them as a couple.

It wasn’t until Jory shared his hobby of collecting and developing old film cartridges with Cali that I finally started to care and by this point we’re nearing the end of the book and here comes unfortunate plot device conflict out of nowhere to give a more exciting conflict, I guess? But the film moment added a layer of vulnerability to his character and gave their relationship some much-needed emotional depth. Before that, their interactions felt surface-level, and I struggled to see what was supposed to be pulling them together. Once that aspect was introduced, I found myself more engaged, but it was a long wait to get there.

The conflicts in the book were a mixed bag for me. I didn’t particularly care about the tension with Cali’s family—it felt more like a way to force drama than a meaningful point in her character or the story, background noise that we did not need and ended up putting Cali in a negative light. On the other hand, the storyline involving the misogynistic showrunner was compelling, largely because of how disturbingly realistic it was. His refusal to allow an intimacy coordinator on set for a show with numerous intimate scenes simply because he didn’t want to pay for one was infuriating but, unfortunately, very believable. It painted an unsettling but accurate picture of the industry’s power imbalances and the ways in which people in positions of authority disregard the well-being of those beneath them.

The subplot involving an actor sexually harassing another actress was handled in a way that left me feeling uncertain. I appreciated that the book acknowledged how common these issues are in Hollywood, but the way the situation was resolved—specifically with the actor turning himself in—felt almost unrealistic? I also <i>hated</i> how all of this was discussed, feeling stilted and unnatural at times and then downright gross at others. It didn’t sit right with me, particularly because of the conversation that followed between Cali and the actress. It was one of those moments where I wasn’t sure if the discomfort was intentional, meant to highlight the complexity of these situations, or if it just wasn’t executed as well as it could have been and Cali just kind of sucked.

Overall, I feel pretty torn over <i>Love, Camera, Action</i>. There were pieces of the story I really appreciated, especially once the romance found its footing and the industry commentary came into play, but other aspects didn’t land as well for me. It’s a book that had potential, but didn’t always know what to do with it. None of the characters, except perhaps Jory, feel developed or standout at all and I felt so detached from the plot for nearly the entire book.

As for the narrator, I honestly don’t remember them? I feel like they could have been AI and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me.

Love, Camera, Action is a rivals-to-lovers romance between an upcoming director (Cali) and established director of photography (Jory) .Who clash while working on a steamy Vampire Diaries-esque show called The Demon.

Starr really lived by the “show, don’t tell” rule. Cali was competent at her job through on-page actions: she instructed the actors and crew, resolved conflicts, and brought out stronger performances from her actors. It was well written and genuinely interesting. I felt like I was a fly on wall ofvThe Demon set.

For a relatively short book, both characters had enough individual depth. Their dry humour and wit was enjoyable, but the jump from arguing to hooking up was abrupt.

This was minor but I'll give a soiler warning here:

Spoilers

Me Too was referenced and its inclusion was clever! It was a culturally significant event which highlighted systemic sexual misconduct, so it would be relevant in a romance book between a male and female director. While the book was generally supportive of women, one part of the discussion felt clumsy.

Jory is a wealthy , film school graduate. He worked on The Demon for longer, and had opportunities lined up afterwards . Cali, on the other hand, needed this job. She had less director credits, grew up poor and was a substitute on the show , after the previous director publicly denounced #MeToo . She was also belittled and threatened by the sexist showrunner.

Despite arguments over their differing directorial styles, building tension led to a heated kiss
on set set. Afterwards, Jory worried that Cali would report him to HR and he would be lumped in with the “other men in the name of Me Too”. He wasn’t abusive like them, but if she was uncomfortable and publicised it, his reputation would be at stake! Ah yes, the ole fear of being falsely accused !And how that “allegedly ruins” the reputation of men in power.

With the prevalence of such discussions in Hollywood, his concern is not completely unfounded. However, this framing positions women in the industry as perpetual false accusers; bloodthirsty vixens who are just waiting to entrap men in scandal, instead of victims.

It was even more odd, because most of his character arc was Cali (and himself) interrogating his position of inherent privilege as a wealthy, white man in film. The narrative explored those aspects, but not his misunderstanding of Me Too? Missed opportunity.In spite of that inconsistency, I liked both characters development, especially cali’s.

The conflict resolution was a bit too convenient for my taste , undercutting the very commentary it made about power dynamics film , but I digress . Sometimes we need hope!

This was an overall quick , easy listen.Big thanks to Dreamscape Media for the ALC! Maxine Mitchell narrated this, and she was great!.

"Love, Camera, Action" by Noel Stark had its moments but didn't entirely captivate me. The premise was promising, and I appreciated the behind-the-scenes insights. However, the enemies-to-lovers relationship (one of my favorite tropes) between Cali and Jory lacked depth and didn't feel fully developed. Maxine Mitchell's narration was a highlight, bringing the characters to life, but with the dual POV story, I would have prefered having a male narrator alongside her. The story itself felt somewhat predictable and didn't evoke strong emotions either way. Overall, it was an okay read—not bad, but not exceptional.

This story was alright, but i had some difficulties getting into the story. The chemistry between the characters felt underdeveloped and I thought a lot of their motivations were just told to us versus seeing it through their actions, interactions, and dialogue.

There were some decent side characters and a cliche villan in Howard that I loved to hate.

I enjoyed the narrator's performance! Great as an audiobook.

I just finished listening to Love, Camera, Action by Noel Stark, and it was such a fun experience! The audiobook brought the story to life with engaging narration and vivid characters. The chemistry between the leads was electric, and the film-set backdrop added a unique twist to the romance. While there were moments of miscommunication that felt a bit frustrating, they ultimately made the resolution more satisfying. Overall, it was an entertaining and heartfelt listen—perfect for anyone who loves a good workplace romance with a touch of Hollywood glamour.

Love, Camera, Action
By: Noël Stark

The vibes:
- female director + producer on a hit tv show
- workplace romance + enemies to lovers
- both have their reasons to avoid love
- humor + chemistry
- fantastic debut novel

I really loved this book! The writing and plot gave Katherine Center or Emily Henry vibes, so I will be looking for this author’s future work!! I gave it 4 stars because it started off super spice heavy which isn’t my cup of tea, especially when it feels unnecessary to the plot which was kind of the case in the beginning. But overall, I SO enjoyed this book! The characters had depth & were each working through healing and self discovery journeys! Cali and Jory’s chemistry was off the charts & the workplace romance dynamic was so entertaining 🔥 Highly recommend!

Trigger warning: loss of parent, grief, cancer, illness, mental illness

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

"Love, Camera, Action" by Noel Stark didn’t completely wow me. The premise had a lot of potential, and I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes glimpses. The enemies-to-lovers, slow burn dynamic between Cali and Jory didn’t feel fully fleshed out.
While the narration by Maxine Mitchell was strong and helped bring the characters to life, the story overall felt a bit predictable and didn’t fully pull me in emotionally.
It was fine. Not bad, not amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Noel Stark for the ARC!

“Love, Camera, Action” by Noel Stark was... fine. Just fine. It occupies that vast, nebulous middle ground where "meh" and "okay" collide. I didn't actively dislike it, but I also didn't find myself particularly invested.
The premise, a romance blossoming on a film set, had potential. Stark writes with a breezy, easy-to-digest style, making it a quick read. The characters were present, and they did things, and they talked to each other. The dialogue was serviceable, and the plot progressed in a linear, predictable fashion.
However, nothing truly stood out. The romance felt a bit paint-by-numbers, lacking the spark that would have made it memorable. The supporting characters were largely forgettable, and the "action" element of the title felt somewhat understated.
Ultimately, “Love, Camera,Action” is a perfectly adequate book. If you're looking for something light and undemanding to pass the time, it will do the job. But if you're searching for a story that will linger in your mind long after you've finished reading, you might want to look elsewhere. Three stars, because it was, at its core, a book, and it was read.

Overall this book was pretty enjoyable. I think it was well-written and I really enjoyed the premise of it.
I personally didn’t feel a connection to the chemistry between the characters and it made me hard to root for them as a couple.
The author did a great job hitting some heavy topics like Jory’s health scare and Cali’s family history. It added depth to the characters and made me interested in them individually.
This is a good debut and I would definitely read anything else this author puts out in the future.
As for the audio aspect, the narrator was great and captured the characters really well.

Thank you to the author and Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

cali is a new tv director who just got her big break - she's in charge of a steamy episode of the hit show 'the demon' . it's her chance to prove herself, but there's one problem: jory blair, the show's hot and talented director of photography, keeps shooting down her ideas.


i recently finished listening to this audiobook, and if i'm being honest, i had some difficulties getting into the story. it was a slowburn romance, which i usually enjoy, but the chemistry between the characters felt underdeveloped. i found myself losing interest in the plot multiple times. it became quite boring and cliché.

i really enjoyed the narrator's performance, though - she did a great job bringing the characters to life. the narration definitely contributed to my rating, as it kept my attention throughout, even when the plot could've been more engaging.
it would've been even better if there was a different narrator for the mmc's pov, though, to avoid confusion about whose pov we were listening to.

the characters kinda fell flat to me and i couldn't really connect with any of them. i was annoyed by their behavior, and both of them seemed immature and lacked depth.
i did appreciate how cali was trying to take care of everyone, sneaking food for jory - that was really cute, but tbh, i didn't really care about them.
i absolutely despised howard - he was such an awful person and i was hoping to see his world fall apart.

i really liked how the book shed light on the challenges women face in the film industry.
there have been far fewer women than men working as directors (especially in big hollywood movies) for a looong time, and i also appreciate the mention of the #metoo movement.

there was a miscommunication trope between cali and jory, which I absolutely hate, and i found myself getting frustrated with it a bit too much for my liking.

overall, it was a decent debut - not too good, but not too bad either. i'm open to reading more from this author.



*thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Noel Stark for the ARC of this audiobook!*

So freaking cute. I loved the connection between Callie and Jory, the instant connection but almost slow burn romance was perfect. I love when a romance has tension and the push and pull between the main characters cause by internal and external forces and this book handles that with aplomb.

Thank you NetGalley but I’m not sure this book was for me. I softly DNF’d the books with hope of trying again but the first few sentences felt like the narrator was chanting sex, I believe they said it 10 times in a paragraph and I know this book is spicy and the MFC is a spicy director but the opening to the book could have been done better.

Cali is the epitome of an older sister who has fallen into the role of taking care of all those around her. I found it very sweet when she met Jori and was able to let someone take care of her a little - in multiple ways. ;-)
I really enjoyed the story and the way it highlighted the struggles of women in this industry. I think we can all agree we hate Howard and I would have loved to have gotten to see his life truly crumble a little more for how gross of a person he was, but all in all, I loved the way this story was a well rounded escape with real life topics, justice, and definitely some spice.

I listened to an audio version of this story provided by Net Galley, Dreamscape Media, and Noel Stark.

I listened to this book and was really impressed with the narrator's performance. They did a fantastic job voice acting the different characters, bringing each scene to life. There were moments that sparked a physical reaction in me—especially when Callie stood up for herself and her team. I wanted to clap!

The story had some laugh-out-loud moments, and I thoroughly enjoyed the romance. It’s a workplace romance with a delicious slow burn, and the tension was such a fun part of the listening experience.

I also appreciated the thoughtful undertones of the Me Too movement and the emphasis on respecting women’s comfort and boundaries in the workplace. These themes were handled with care and added depth to the story without overshadowing the romance.

Cali Daniels is hired to direct episodes of a steamy tv drama after the original director was fired for being sexually inappropriate. Her first interaction in the set is with the brusque director of photography, Jory Blair. They get off on the wrong foot and have different creative visions resulting in tension. Despite their professional differences, they are inexplicably attracted to each other.

This rivals to lovers, workplace romance should work, but the chemistry between Cali and Jory feels underdeveloped. Both are avoiding relationships for personal reasons and that avoidance gets resolved so quickly that it feels superficial. Also, considering the emphasis on #metoo scenarios, both MCs appear to put the actors in uncomfortable situations that cross the line of appropriateness.

The spicy parts of this book are plenty steamy, even if they seem to come out of nowhere. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the entertainment industry.

The audiobook was narrated by Maxine Michell who held my interest even when the plot did not. There’s definite potential here. It simply requires some better pacing and a bit more development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Love, Camera, Action by Noel Stark 📕

This book is not for me. It didn’t keep my attention and I found myself drifting off whilst listening to it and thinking of others things.

The book is written in duel point of view but it is only narrated by one person. Whereas the narrator puts on a different voice whilst reading MMC’s conversational parts, they talk in the same voice when reading both the MFC and MMC inner monologue.
This was problematic, especially when the book was struggling to keep my attention, as I found myself getting confused as to whose POV I was listening to.

I did not connect with either the MFC or MMC - I didn’t find the MFC relatable and I didn’t particularly like the MMC’s personality.

2 stars ⭐️

Cali Daniels is an intimacy coordinator for tv/ movie sets. She is being brought in to work for a popular series with Jory Blair, director of photograph - and feels an instant physical attraction to him.

They clash over the vision of the story but start to crush on each other through the process, too. This book had an interesting set up and some unique story lines. It was a fun workplace, enemies to lovers romance. For a debut, very impressive! I'm in a bit of a slump, so I didn't love it, it was just okay for me. Would give the author more reads in the future.

Narrator was great!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 4/22/25.

I was definitely entertained by this story. I liked it but don't think I loved it, it's not a reread book.

Cali is an up-and-coming TV director and Jory is an established director of photography. Cali arrives on the scene to direct an episode of a popular TV show, hoping this will launch her career into more. She has ideas, and they're good ones, but Jory doesn't always see her vision and isn't willing to bend. Too bad he's also extremely attracted to Cali which makes things even harder for him.

There's a side story here with Jory getting medical testing after his mom had issues and then passed from cancer. I don't hate the side bit, but it just felt underdeveloped.

The sex scenes were not it for me, I don't know if it was the scenes, or the narrator and the tone given to Jory.

At one point I checked my progress (listening to audio while at work) and could NOT believe I was only 76% into the book. I really thought we were going to be rounding the end.

I did like the overall idea of the book, but I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two main characters, which made it hard for me to care about their relationship.