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.

Thank you to Noel Stark, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

Love Camera Action follows Cali as she steps into her new role as director on a steamy romcom. With a lot riding on her success, Cali is hoping for a smooth start, but things quickly get complicated thanks to Jory, the show’s director of photography. He’s stubborn, argumentative, and frankly, FAF. What unfolds is a classic enemies-to-lovers romance.

I had a lot of fun with this book. Yes, it’s cliched and predictable, but sometimes that’s exactly what you want.

That said, the characters could have used more depth, with some side plots feeling half-baked and lacking real development outside of the central romance. I also felt that the issues on set, particularly with the lead actors and showrunner, were unnecessary and clumsily handled. I’m all for including serious, relevant topics in fiction, but they deserve to be explored with care and intention, not just as convenient plot devices.

Still, this was an enjoyable listen that delivered on the romcom vibes and gave me a much-needed escape.

Move over actors, this is the Cali & Jory show!
I would adore a book 2 with Paulo & Talia because we all know Paulo is head over heals!

Description
Up-and-coming TV director Cali Daniels knows sex. Well, okay, she knows how to shoot sex scenes, and she’s been hired to direct a highly anticipated steamy episode of the popular series The Demon. This job is her chance at a big-time career in the film and television industry—all she has to do is deliver an unparalleled show using her hard-knocks know-how and ample creativity.
If only the director of photography—effortlessly sexy Jory Blair—would stop shutting her ideas down at every turn. Jory has spent years cultivating his career as an A-list director of photography, but a recent health scare has him rethinking his life and craving the director spot. Now this creative newbie, who he can’t get out of his mind, wants to change the look of his show. Even worse, the friction between them is sparking into blistering chemistry.
As collaborating takes on a whole new meaning, and the show’s producer not-so-subtly suggests that Jory sabotage Cali in order to achieve his own goals, they’ll have to decide if chasing their dream jobs is worth losing the dream of a future together.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!

Love, Camera, Action
by Noel Stark
Narrated by Maxine Mitchell
Publisher Dreamscape Media

I was given the opportunity to review this book via NetGalley, Dreamscape media and author Noel Stark, thank you so much. Narrated by Maxine Mitchell

Hopeful up and coming director Cali has been hire on as a replacement director, coming in mid season for this particular sexy episode, she has something to prove. Established photography director Jory is there to push her every button and question her every thought.

Rom-com 😍🤣
Enemies to lovers😠😘
Forced proximity 👥
Behind the scenes betrayal 👀
Third act breakup🙄

3.25 stars I think is reasonably good rating for this book. It was cute but didn’t have much connection or chemistry with the FMC and MMC. I appreciated current Hollywood topics that were mentioned throughout the book like the Me Too movement and Whistleblowers.

She successfully made me hate Howard no problem there 🙂 no one should ever have that much power over another persons career. I liked that the author gave the characters opposite views on love, Cali not believing in it due to her mother and sisters behavior and Jory, always seeing his parents happily in love until an illness takes his mother. A illness he might have himself. I didn’t care for this didn’t feel a connection to this plot.

The narrator was great. I always have enjoyed Maxine with Joe Arden, sad he couldn’t be apart of this as a dual narration.

This book was just okay. It started off strong in the first few chapters, but then became cliche and boring. It irked me that the leading man thought Cali was the one that doubted him for so long, and Jory didn’t correct the idea. Both Jory and Cali had some personal drama that was meant to give them depth but just over complicated the whole thing. This was well-written, but I just didn’t connect with the plot. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook.

While I had high hopes for this novel, it ultimately fell short.
The narrative seemed rushes, due to which I struggled to connect with the characters or feel any genuine chemistry between them. Additionally, the plot wasn't really engaging or interesting. The novel does make an attempt to address the gender disparities in the film industry, but this theme felt somewhat underdeveloped.

Overall, it was a 'Meh" read for me.

I appreciate the opportunity to review this ARC, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and Noel Stark for the ARC!
Cali and Jory had a great premise for a storyline. The plot was well written and both characters were complex and I could feel their trauma coming through. I also liked the cancer representation in this story.
I had trouble with the chemistry of the two characters. That typical enemies to lovers story with extreme chemistry and passion just wasn't there in this book. I think this is a great debut book. I can see future reads getting better.
The narrator did a great job in the audiobook. Pace and tone was well done.
Just struggled connecting with the characters and their lack of chemistry.

This was my first Noel Stark book, and it was a fun read! If you’re not into explicit content, it may not be for you—but if you don’t mind, you might really enjoy it. I do wish Jory’s health journey had been explored more, as it was a strong part of the story. It’s also a great light read if you need a palate cleanser. I especially loved the character banter.

Jory and Cali had their sweet and spicy moments. But ultimately, they were just okay to me.

What I did love: I listened to the audiobook and the narrator’s voice was great! I also enjoyed the behind the scenes of what goes into filming any one particular scene in a show/movie. This book handled some sensitive topics through Jory and Cali’s familial relationships and I appreciated the way the author conveyed those messages.

Read if you like:
🎥 Enemies to Lovers
🎥 Workplace Romance
🎥 Miscommunication Trope

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cali's been hired as the new director for a tv show, which means she gets to work with a DP she really admires. But things on set aren't quite what she'd hoped—for starters, there's no intimacy coordinator, the showrunner is a rude, and there's a lot of tension with Jory, the DP. The tension caused by two people with different approaches and visions...but also the tension cause by two people who are both fighting their attraction to each other.
I really liked both Cali and Jory, and loved how the relationship between them played out.
Where this lost stars for me was on the resolution on the conflict between the actors—the actor adds two unscripted kisses to scenes, the actress (rightfully) gets upset...and then at the end when they finally get an intimacy coordinator, they get so into it they keep kissing after the cameras stop rolling. That moment completely cheapened that entire arc and made my stomach turn. The way Cali handled the situation also wasn't great and definitely made me side-eye her pretty hard—enough that her finally securing an intimacy coordinator felt to me like she was mostly just covering her own ass, rather than actually looking out for the actress. Especially considering how much the #metoo movement was brought up, it felt like a HUGE problem for that storyline to end the way it did. Aside from that this book would have been a solid 4.5 for me, but that plotline's "resolution" dropped it to a 2.5 (which I'm rounding up to a 3 here).
I loved the rest of the book and the narration, but the few issues I had were pretty massive.

Thank you for the ARC!

This book was not it for me. Both characters were annoying and immature and lacked any sort of depth. The FMC was such a know it all pick me and absolutely insufferable.

The plot was so predictable and boring. I did not enjoy

”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.