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Lipstick & Camera Clicks
If you told me I’d be on a reality dating show with a man I can’t stand, while the guy I haven’t been able to forget films it all, I’d tell you to kick rocks. But alas, here I am, pretending to fall in love with a man who’d marry himself if he could all while my tv producer best friend has front seats to it all. It’d be a lot easier if the if the self-centered bachelor wasn’t hot as hell and charming beyond reason when the cameras are rolling. Or if I didn’t get heart palpitations every time my best friend looked at me.
Hot emotionally stunted men and old crushes aside, I’ve sworn off dating. I know people say that and then they’re with someone new next week, but I mean it. After being betrayed, I’m doing this for me, myself and I. While the other women compete for love, I’m here to collect a check and gain enough clout to help kick off my career as a makeup artist. If it’s between success or moving back in with my nagging mother, I’m not letting men knock me off my game.
Hot emotionally stunted men and old crushes aside, I’ve sworn off dating. I know people say that and then they’re with someone new next week, but I mean it. After being betrayed, I’m doing this for me, myself and I. While the other women compete for love, I’m here to collect a check and gain enough clout to help kick off my career as a makeup artist. If it’s between success or moving back in with my nagging mother, I’m not letting men knock me off my game.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2024
381 people are currently reading
4041 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Murphy
1 book213 followersD.J. Murphy is an author of contemporary romance and romantic comedy, with plans to sprinkle a little magic into future stories. She enjoys crafting flawed, messy, utterly lovable characters and throwing them headfirst into the chaos of love, laughter, and life. When she’s not writing, you can find her tangled in a crochet project, lost in a video game, or soaking up quality time with family. If there’s a way to make storytelling even more fun, she’s probably already dreaming it up!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 509 reviews
February 2, 2024
this book had all my fav things; mess, love triangle and set on a reality show but my favorite thing of all was that the main character is a black girl. absolutely love reading a book i had fun with and enjoyed but also could see myself in the character (lowkey literally cus the girl in the cover kinda look like me ngl) this was so amazing and i had such a good time kicking my feet and giggling while reading. cant wait to see what this author writes in the future.
May 3, 2024
4/5 ⭐️
- This book needs more HYPE!! It was so good and a really fun story. Felt like I was watching the reality tv show myself. It looks like the author is alluding to a second book and making this a series which is so exciting!! This author did an incredible job of showing how complex humans can be, but in such a fun way.
- This wasn’t too emotionally heavy, but still kept me so invested which is usually hard to do. Really enjoyed the fast paced writing style and how there was so much that happened within the story!!
- I’m usually not the biggest fan of love triangles, but I really enjoyed this story!! I love love loved all of the characters so much and I really hope to see them again in another book. If you’re looking for the DRAMA, you won’t be disappointed with this one!
- This book needs more HYPE!! It was so good and a really fun story. Felt like I was watching the reality tv show myself. It looks like the author is alluding to a second book and making this a series which is so exciting!! This author did an incredible job of showing how complex humans can be, but in such a fun way.
- This wasn’t too emotionally heavy, but still kept me so invested which is usually hard to do. Really enjoyed the fast paced writing style and how there was so much that happened within the story!!
- I’m usually not the biggest fan of love triangles, but I really enjoyed this story!! I love love loved all of the characters so much and I really hope to see them again in another book. If you’re looking for the DRAMA, you won’t be disappointed with this one!
February 13, 2024
My enjoyment of this book took a dive around 40% in and by 60%, I wasn’t rooting for Indigo at all. I can't remember the last time a romance novel had me rooting for the 2nd male lead and hating everyone else.
I never got a sense of who Indigo was. It took a while for me to realize what felt off about her. There were more descriptions of her make up looks and outfits than indications of actual personality. She goes around involving herself in others' problems and becoming their protectors, and I didn't know who she was by the end of the book. All I know is that she likes bad horror movies, she likes doing make up, and she flip flops on every decision she's ever made. Or, my prevailing theory, she's an idiot?
She was constantly surprised that the producers were doing awful things to generate ratings. She trusted girls who clearly hated her a lot. She was surprised when people knew something odd was going on between her and River when she was literally being watched 24/7. (Also, I call bullshit on no one connecting that she knew River. She had a very public, fairly popular instagram page and what - she wasn't following or followed by Ryan or River? Okay). Most idiotic of all, when the blackmail plot happens - she could've just TOLD KADE and RIVER. Also, I don't really think the tape would've done what they thought it would've considering she ended up with River anyway.
She's not okay with violence, even in defense of others (not very Texan) unless it's River. She realizes she doesn't feel a spark when kissing Kade and then says she's not sure about her feelings for him. She hates Javi for completely fucking her over and making her look crazy online, and then she defends him when Kade and River rightfully treat him like a villain. She gets bad vibes from Cameron but lets her eat breakfast she made and borrows jewelry from her. She claims to know Sabrina isn't her friend and doesn't like her and then lets her help after things get bad with River.
What is this book?
The bit about her mother judging her for giving up on (an education?) and working (for some reason?) for a streamer made no sense because her mother was a living example of why no one should do that? The fact that her mother didn't care when her middle school aged daughter was sharing a bed with a middle school aged boy?? What the hell was that?
Legit thought Ryan was an opp at first because she committed crimes in disguise knowing Javi would blame Indigo. Also, to push her brother away from dating Indigo and then treating Indigo like an idiot for not starting a relationship with him. Did she get amnesia?
The Sabrina/Hanna reveal was easily predictable. Indigo telling Sabrina to just come out and then, when told her family would disown her, saying it's not so bad being poor? The way the narrative suggested Sabrina was being nonsensical for not just letting her family disown her and embracing potential poverty? WILD.
There were a lot of conversations where characters would drop their entire life story on Indigo and that was really weird?
The timeline of Indigo's childhood is all over the place. There were grammatical errors and typos (clucking of tongues??) and some things that just could've used editing (like "he pushed my braids behind my hair"). This book was about 100 pages way too long. I enjoyed the start of this book, but I found Indigo unlikable by the end and ultimately just wanted Kade to be happy with literally anyone else.
It was entertaining for the most part though.
I never got a sense of who Indigo was. It took a while for me to realize what felt off about her. There were more descriptions of her make up looks and outfits than indications of actual personality. She goes around involving herself in others' problems and becoming their protectors, and I didn't know who she was by the end of the book. All I know is that she likes bad horror movies, she likes doing make up, and she flip flops on every decision she's ever made. Or, my prevailing theory, she's an idiot?
She was constantly surprised that the producers were doing awful things to generate ratings. She trusted girls who clearly hated her a lot. She was surprised when people knew something odd was going on between her and River when she was literally being watched 24/7. (Also, I call bullshit on no one connecting that she knew River. She had a very public, fairly popular instagram page and what - she wasn't following or followed by Ryan or River? Okay). Most idiotic of all, when the blackmail plot happens - she could've just TOLD KADE and RIVER. Also, I don't really think the tape would've done what they thought it would've considering she ended up with River anyway.
She's not okay with violence, even in defense of others (not very Texan) unless it's River. She realizes she doesn't feel a spark when kissing Kade and then says she's not sure about her feelings for him. She hates Javi for completely fucking her over and making her look crazy online, and then she defends him when Kade and River rightfully treat him like a villain. She gets bad vibes from Cameron but lets her eat breakfast she made and borrows jewelry from her. She claims to know Sabrina isn't her friend and doesn't like her and then lets her help after things get bad with River.
What is this book?
The bit about her mother judging her for giving up on (an education?) and working (for some reason?) for a streamer made no sense because her mother was a living example of why no one should do that? The fact that her mother didn't care when her middle school aged daughter was sharing a bed with a middle school aged boy?? What the hell was that?
Legit thought Ryan was an opp at first because she committed crimes in disguise knowing Javi would blame Indigo. Also, to push her brother away from dating Indigo and then treating Indigo like an idiot for not starting a relationship with him. Did she get amnesia?
The Sabrina/Hanna reveal was easily predictable. Indigo telling Sabrina to just come out and then, when told her family would disown her, saying it's not so bad being poor? The way the narrative suggested Sabrina was being nonsensical for not just letting her family disown her and embracing potential poverty? WILD.
There were a lot of conversations where characters would drop their entire life story on Indigo and that was really weird?
The timeline of Indigo's childhood is all over the place. There were grammatical errors and typos (clucking of tongues??) and some things that just could've used editing (like "he pushed my braids behind my hair"). This book was about 100 pages way too long. I enjoyed the start of this book, but I found Indigo unlikable by the end and ultimately just wanted Kade to be happy with literally anyone else.
It was entertaining for the most part though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2024
2.5⭐️
i really wanted to love this but it just didn't give me what i was looking for. :(
this book follows Indigo as she leaves a toxic relationship and decides to go on a reality dating show to boost her makeup artist career (not to find love... which is so obvious and boring. why cant reality show plotlines actually be about the show???) but as she is filming, she makes a reluctant alliance and begins to develop feelings for the show's bachelor Kade.
she also has a childhood-friends-to-lovers thing going on with River, who is a camera man on set.
the drama and plot was fun, but i didn't feel invested in any romance, the writing was mid (wattpad-esque descriptions of clothing/makeup over and over again, typos, unrealistic dialogue), and i think she choose the wrong guy in the end. also, too many side characters with barely any depth that were just there to perpetuate drama.
i found myself skimming by the end because i just wanted it to be over.
i really wanted to love this but it just didn't give me what i was looking for. :(
this book follows Indigo as she leaves a toxic relationship and decides to go on a reality dating show to boost her makeup artist career (not to find love... which is so obvious and boring. why cant reality show plotlines actually be about the show???) but as she is filming, she makes a reluctant alliance and begins to develop feelings for the show's bachelor Kade.
she also has a childhood-friends-to-lovers thing going on with River, who is a camera man on set.
the drama and plot was fun, but i didn't feel invested in any romance, the writing was mid (wattpad-esque descriptions of clothing/makeup over and over again, typos, unrealistic dialogue), and i think she choose the wrong guy in the end. also, too many side characters with barely any depth that were just there to perpetuate drama.
i found myself skimming by the end because i just wanted it to be over.
February 16, 2024
I can see what the author was trying to do but it felt like the writing fell flat in conveying it. We didn’t really get to know our main character on a deeper level and whenever someone claimed how much chemistry she had with another character it felt forced because it was so rushed.
January 13, 2024
Lipstick & Camera Clicks is not a romance story.
It is the story of a girl who wants to reclaim her narrative.
Aware that people will always create their own versions of who she is, to shape the storyline in the way that benefits their interests, she wants to take some control back. Which is how she finds herself jumping into a dating reality show. What she doesn't anticipate is to find herself falling for the guy she disliked, while the boy she could never erase from her heart is watching behind the camera.
She will have to navigate her feelings in this unusual predicament, careful not to hurt anyone - herself included.
It's a story of love and loyalty - not only romantic, but platonic, too.
The plot was compelling, full of twists and turns that made me laugh and stalled my breath.
D.J. Murphy did a beautiful job portraying the complexity of humanity, all the shades of gray that make us humans. The characters felt real, perfectly flawed and raw.
The book also touches important topics such as mental health and LGBTQ+ rep (shout-out to my bi bestie Ryan, coincidentally my fav character😉).
tropes:
💄 love triangle
🎥 best friend's brother
💄 childhood friends
🎥 fake dating
💄 forced proximity
🎥 slow burn
P.S: i need KadeCarter rn!!
thank you D.J.M Murphy for this arc in exchange for an honest review
It is the story of a girl who wants to reclaim her narrative.
Aware that people will always create their own versions of who she is, to shape the storyline in the way that benefits their interests, she wants to take some control back. Which is how she finds herself jumping into a dating reality show. What she doesn't anticipate is to find herself falling for the guy she disliked, while the boy she could never erase from her heart is watching behind the camera.
She will have to navigate her feelings in this unusual predicament, careful not to hurt anyone - herself included.
It's a story of love and loyalty - not only romantic, but platonic, too.
The plot was compelling, full of twists and turns that made me laugh and stalled my breath.
D.J. Murphy did a beautiful job portraying the complexity of humanity, all the shades of gray that make us humans. The characters felt real, perfectly flawed and raw.
The book also touches important topics such as mental health and LGBTQ+ rep (shout-out to my bi bestie Ryan, coincidentally my fav character😉).
tropes:
💄 love triangle
🎥 best friend's brother
💄 childhood friends
🎥 fake dating
💄 forced proximity
🎥 slow burn
P.S: i need KadeCarter rn!!
thank you D.J.M Murphy for this arc in exchange for an honest review
June 19, 2024
1.5 stars. I only kept reading this book to see if Javi and Abbie got their comeuppance. The book was a whole mess of unrealistic plot devices----and undeveloped, barely likeable characters. It was pretty clear from the get-go who Indigo was going to end up with and the "love triangle" was so contrived that it made me lose respect for all the characters involved. Also, how old are they all? Combine all this with really sloppy typos and grammatical errors ("breath" instead of "breathe," "we'll" instead of "well," "wearily" instead of "warily") and I'm surprised I finished it at all. I guess that's one redeeming factor: the fact that it was a quick read.
Oh, and the comeuppance was also massively disappointing.
Oh, and the comeuppance was also massively disappointing.
March 20, 2024
Started off strong but then went downhill… I really wanted to like it but honestly I was left confused & frustrated by the end of it
January 22, 2024
4⭐️
Thank you to the author for this ARC!
This book gave me a headache (it’s either that or my lack of drinking water, who knows?)
Not gonna lie; I don’t think I’ve read a book with a love triangle since Wattpad was booming back in 2014 and with that said, this took me by surprise.
I came for the romance but stayed for the drama. IT WAS GIVINGGGG
In the beginning, I couldn’t really connect with the characters the way I wanted but as the story continued the more invested I became. Whether it was the fact that it felt like a reality TV show or because I genuinely wanted to see the outcome, I just knew I became an IPad kid eating all my meals while reading.
With that said, I liked this book! It was silly, cute and a fun read—not to mention GORG ASS COVER!!
Indigo was a hardworker and a sweetheart who could give even though she wasn’t acting girlboss all of the time.
Ryan was BFF goals (committing crimes while looking glamorous).
River was DOWN BAD ON THE DOWNLOW
Kade.. whew… 🤭🤭
Sabrina was so girlboss in this scene:
“You’re breaking contract, you’ll be fined.”
“I can afford it.”
Sis had me GAGGED.
Anyways, read if you like:
Friends to lovers
Best friend’s brother
Fake dating
Slow burn
Love triangle
Thank you to the author for this ARC!
This book gave me a headache (it’s either that or my lack of drinking water, who knows?)
Not gonna lie; I don’t think I’ve read a book with a love triangle since Wattpad was booming back in 2014 and with that said, this took me by surprise.
I came for the romance but stayed for the drama. IT WAS GIVINGGGG
In the beginning, I couldn’t really connect with the characters the way I wanted but as the story continued the more invested I became. Whether it was the fact that it felt like a reality TV show or because I genuinely wanted to see the outcome, I just knew I became an IPad kid eating all my meals while reading.
With that said, I liked this book! It was silly, cute and a fun read—not to mention GORG ASS COVER!!
Indigo was a hardworker and a sweetheart who could give even though she wasn’t acting girlboss all of the time.
Ryan was BFF goals (committing crimes while looking glamorous).
River was DOWN BAD ON THE DOWNLOW
Kade.. whew… 🤭🤭
Sabrina was so girlboss in this scene:
“You’re breaking contract, you’ll be fined.”
“I can afford it.”
Sis had me GAGGED.
Anyways, read if you like:
Friends to lovers
Best friend’s brother
Fake dating
Slow burn
Love triangle
June 20, 2024
2.6⭐️
This was not a good book! But reading it was slightly enjoyable because it was such a ridiculous mess💀 the writing was below mid, MC was dead annoying, and the third act conflict was so????? It could’ve easily been solved with good ol ✨communication✨ There was very dramatic, unnatural dialogue that made everything lack believability, and I cared about like none of the characters. Also who tf ends their last chapter with a sex scene I’m sorry-😟 it did not eat…. But all in all I WAS able to breeze past this book so Ig it kept me entertained ENOUGH, but I was very aware of it’s stupidity throughout.💀 If I had to describe this book in 3 words I’d say it was silly asf.
This was not a good book! But reading it was slightly enjoyable because it was such a ridiculous mess💀 the writing was below mid, MC was dead annoying, and the third act conflict was so????? It could’ve easily been solved with good ol ✨communication✨ There was very dramatic, unnatural dialogue that made everything lack believability, and I cared about like none of the characters. Also who tf ends their last chapter with a sex scene I’m sorry-😟 it did not eat…. But all in all I WAS able to breeze past this book so Ig it kept me entertained ENOUGH, but I was very aware of it’s stupidity throughout.💀 If I had to describe this book in 3 words I’d say it was silly asf.
July 24, 2024
2.5⭐️ At first I was like she chose the wrong man but I think I just chose the wrong book. I didn’t feel the chemistry or love the book kept telling me they had. The stilted writing style and odd character choices made the plot a whole lot messier than it actually was. But it was a quick read and held my attention, I basically read it in one sitting.
June 13, 2024
This was such a cute freaking read, seeing how the friendships & relationships grew ughhh. There was one part I wasn’t expecting, pissed me off (in a good way bc the drama lol). A character was quickly introduced towards the end so I’m like…. Next book👀 the ending was so cute though ugh
March 12, 2024
i really wished i liked this but as it went on i was just bored and felt no connection to the characters… by the end i just wanted it to be over
December 15, 2023
This is the first ARC I’ve ever received and I had such a fun time with it.
I did receive this in exchange for an honest review and my opinion will completely unbiased.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It’s fun and the relationships between all the characters is fun and left me wanting to know more (in a good way.)
The FML is confident and relatable and I was rooting for her the entire book
I also loved the complexity of the “villains”. Yes what they did was wrong but there is nuance and everything isn’t so black and white. Overall this story takes twists and turns and wraps everything up neatly with a promise of a second book to ensure everyone’s HEA. I wouldn’t mind spin offs for the other female characters as well.
I did receive this in exchange for an honest review and my opinion will completely unbiased.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It’s fun and the relationships between all the characters is fun and left me wanting to know more (in a good way.)
The FML is confident and relatable and I was rooting for her the entire book
I also loved the complexity of the “villains”. Yes what they did was wrong but there is nuance and everything isn’t so black and white. Overall this story takes twists and turns and wraps everything up neatly with a promise of a second book to ensure everyone’s HEA. I wouldn’t mind spin offs for the other female characters as well.
February 10, 2024
Now this is how you serve messiness and drama in a romance book.
This book had a combination of a lot my favourite things notably the messiness and a damn good love triangle.
Absolute page turner, I was gagged from every chapter, honestly this felt like watching an actual reality show.
This was so much fun and I can't wait for the authors next release !!
This book had a combination of a lot my favourite things notably the messiness and a damn good love triangle.
Absolute page turner, I was gagged from every chapter, honestly this felt like watching an actual reality show.
This was so much fun and I can't wait for the authors next release !!
June 21, 2024
DNF @ 77%
I can't handle this anymore, definitely not the book for me there isn't even a single character I like and even though I just put this down I've already forgotten the main character's name.
I can't handle this anymore, definitely not the book for me there isn't even a single character I like and even though I just put this down I've already forgotten the main character's name.
January 11, 2025
it’s terrible your honour.
January 30, 2024
My first official review for an arc!!
I'm so excited :)
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review :) I'm very grateful
Let's start:
This book is fast-paced and fun and i was hooked from the beginning! Though there is a lot more drama and many more plot twists than i initially thought ;)
The protagonist, Indigo aka Indie, is in a love triangle with her childhood best friend, River, who also works as a producer on the reality tv show in which she has just been accepted. The other guy, Kade, is the bachelor, who the girls have to convince to fall in love with them.
It doesn't happen often that i actually like both of the men, so that was a good thing. At the beginning, I wasn't sure if the characters have a real personality but they do ;) (there's also a lot of jealousy involved)
We've also got a lot of nice representation in this book, like a black main character and bi representation as well as mental health discussions.
Another point is the miscommuicaton and the love triangle. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of those two tropes. But in this book, it was well done. Even though I can't understand some choices of the main character in the last third of the book.
All in all, I really liked the book and i'm happy that i got to read this one. I giggled a lot and was swooning over too many characters. I was feeling sympathetic with many characters so that my emotions got all mixed up at the end.
I can only say you're in for a ride.
-------------
but what about Hanna and Sabrina??
I'm so excited :)
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review :) I'm very grateful
Let's start:
This book is fast-paced and fun and i was hooked from the beginning! Though there is a lot more drama and many more plot twists than i initially thought ;)
The protagonist, Indigo aka Indie, is in a love triangle with her childhood best friend, River, who also works as a producer on the reality tv show in which she has just been accepted. The other guy, Kade, is the bachelor, who the girls have to convince to fall in love with them.
It doesn't happen often that i actually like both of the men, so that was a good thing. At the beginning, I wasn't sure if the characters have a real personality but they do ;) (there's also a lot of jealousy involved)
We've also got a lot of nice representation in this book, like a black main character and bi representation as well as mental health discussions.
Another point is the miscommuicaton and the love triangle. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of those two tropes. But in this book, it was well done. Even though I can't understand some choices of the main character in the last third of the book.
All in all, I really liked the book and i'm happy that i got to read this one. I giggled a lot and was swooning over too many characters. I was feeling sympathetic with many characters so that my emotions got all mixed up at the end.
I can only say you're in for a ride.
-------------
but what about Hanna and Sabrina??
February 2, 2025
“My timing sucks, I know that. But I’ve done my waiting. I want you.”
“Production is messy for this one.”
“Anything worth having takes a leap of faith.”
“When I’m with him, I’m constantly sitting on the other shoe to drop because it feels too tight. How can someone be that perfect?”
Listen… I had a time with this messy, entertaining , and a captivating story! I ate this book all the way up, to the messy vibes from the very first chapter all the way to lovely HEA. I was here for the plot, the characters and everything in between! This was such a fun read surrounding a reality dating tv show! The author did such a great job with writing this story because it truly felt like I was watching a reality tv show in real time…. like it was absolutely everything those shows have, messy people, male centered women, iffy production people, and more! This story truly hit the mark and was able to incorporate serious themes such as misogyny, black mail, being outed for one’s sexuality, mental health, anxiety and more! Every character had a purpose and a specific theme and the way author still made this story fun and light with serious themes needs to be studied! THIS WAS SO GOOD!! Some moments I was actually laughing out loud because of the 2nd hand embarrassment and just how some scenes were so funny.
Indigo is an extremely loveable character, I love her whit and personality and overall her pov truly was the best for this story! I support women’s right and women’s wrongs and tbh I don’t think she did anything wrong!!!
One lesson we can always go to… A man will always have the audacity (aka Javi. -__-)
“Production is messy for this one.”
“Anything worth having takes a leap of faith.”
“When I’m with him, I’m constantly sitting on the other shoe to drop because it feels too tight. How can someone be that perfect?”
Listen… I had a time with this messy, entertaining , and a captivating story! I ate this book all the way up, to the messy vibes from the very first chapter all the way to lovely HEA. I was here for the plot, the characters and everything in between! This was such a fun read surrounding a reality dating tv show! The author did such a great job with writing this story because it truly felt like I was watching a reality tv show in real time…. like it was absolutely everything those shows have, messy people, male centered women, iffy production people, and more! This story truly hit the mark and was able to incorporate serious themes such as misogyny, black mail, being outed for one’s sexuality, mental health, anxiety and more! Every character had a purpose and a specific theme and the way author still made this story fun and light with serious themes needs to be studied! THIS WAS SO GOOD!! Some moments I was actually laughing out loud because of the 2nd hand embarrassment and just how some scenes were so funny.
Indigo is an extremely loveable character, I love her whit and personality and overall her pov truly was the best for this story! I support women’s right and women’s wrongs and tbh I don’t think she did anything wrong!!!
One lesson we can always go to… A man will always have the audacity (aka Javi. -__-)
February 23, 2025
4.25 Stars
Ah this was so cute and sweet. I had a wonderful time reading a book about reality TV, childhood friends to lovers, and a love triangle. Honestly I was a little worried the guy I preferred wouldn’t be chosen, but I was incredibly happy with the outcome.
I adore the characters in this book, though I wish we saw a more positive one for the man who wasn’t chosen, here’s hoping he gets his own story of healing, friendship and love.
For a smaller author and an indie book, I am incredibly impressed. Of course there are some critiques, but I had fun and was almost tearing up at the end so I’m keeping my rating high.
Ah this was so cute and sweet. I had a wonderful time reading a book about reality TV, childhood friends to lovers, and a love triangle. Honestly I was a little worried the guy I preferred wouldn’t be chosen, but I was incredibly happy with the outcome.
I adore the characters in this book, though I wish we saw a more positive one for the man who wasn’t chosen, here’s hoping he gets his own story of healing, friendship and love.
For a smaller author and an indie book, I am incredibly impressed. Of course there are some critiques, but I had fun and was almost tearing up at the end so I’m keeping my rating high.
February 2, 2024
Such a cute read!
I liked the drama throughout the book and how all the pieces fell together at the end. I wasn't sure if I'd like the premise of the reality TV dating competition but it was written SO WELL.
It has a bit of spice but not so much that it interfered with the plot. Would highly recommend this book
I liked the drama throughout the book and how all the pieces fell together at the end. I wasn't sure if I'd like the premise of the reality TV dating competition but it was written SO WELL.
It has a bit of spice but not so much that it interfered with the plot. Would highly recommend this book
February 2, 2024
3 ⭐️. There were parts of this book that I liked but also parts that really frustrated me. It started off pretty solidly with the FMC and the break up drama…setting groundwork for the purpose of the whole signing up for a reality show situation.
I was explaining it to a friend and in summarizing it there were some interesting elements to the book. First, I thought the messy break up was a solid start, then there was friend betrayal, the reconnection with old friends, getting back on your feet, and then…reality show? Ryan was definitely giving main character energy. Aside from keeping the two people she loves most from being happy together, she was decently entertaining. She later says she just forgot that her brother was in love with her best friend. How is that something you just forget?
There was an obvious connection between Indie and River but for the life of me I just don’t get why he would wait until she was in the house for the show to seriously confess his feelings. He had several other opportunities. As for the situation Jose and Noah blackmailed her about…I I’m not much of a reality tv watcher but am well aware that the houses they film in have cameras EVERYWHERE. How does River not know this? And Indie being so shocked that Jose sold her out…River specifically told her that Jose was not her friend.
Poor Kade was just there to distract Indie from River. He served no real purpose except to be the extra corner to form a somewhat flimsy love triangle. didn’t understand how there was so much electricity in their kisses but they had no romantic feelings for one another.
It was a decent read that wasn’t at all too heavy or emotional. I think it would be a good palette cleanser in between more emotional reads if you don’t get too caught up in the details.
I was explaining it to a friend and in summarizing it there were some interesting elements to the book. First, I thought the messy break up was a solid start, then there was friend betrayal, the reconnection with old friends, getting back on your feet, and then…reality show? Ryan was definitely giving main character energy. Aside from keeping the two people she loves most from being happy together, she was decently entertaining. She later says she just forgot that her brother was in love with her best friend. How is that something you just forget?
There was an obvious connection between Indie and River but for the life of me I just don’t get why he would wait until she was in the house for the show to seriously confess his feelings. He had several other opportunities. As for the situation Jose and Noah blackmailed her about…I I’m not much of a reality tv watcher but am well aware that the houses they film in have cameras EVERYWHERE. How does River not know this? And Indie being so shocked that Jose sold her out…River specifically told her that Jose was not her friend.
Poor Kade was just there to distract Indie from River. He served no real purpose except to be the extra corner to form a somewhat flimsy love triangle. didn’t understand how there was so much electricity in their kisses but they had no romantic feelings for one another.
It was a decent read that wasn’t at all too heavy or emotional. I think it would be a good palette cleanser in between more emotional reads if you don’t get too caught up in the details.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2023
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this review in exchange for an honest review!
This book I loved. I couldn’t put it down and it was one that I found myself smiling and suffering heartbreak all within 320 pages. You aren’t going to miss this one.
This book I loved. I couldn’t put it down and it was one that I found myself smiling and suffering heartbreak all within 320 pages. You aren’t going to miss this one.
February 9, 2024
I typically despise love triangles cause why choose but this was well done! Kade and River are my dream man! Quick read and I can’t wait to read more by this author.
April 11, 2024
I am so freaking irritated that I read this book. When I read the synopsis, I was excited. I was thinking ooh a why choose romance with a black female lead. I love it. No. This shit was a fucking love triangle. There is not one page in this book that I enjoyed. From the first page this book was depressing. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt giggly or excited about what happened next. I was just hoping that the book would end soon. And she didn’t even end up with the guy I wanted her to be with.
All the men in this book were irritating. There’s a part of me that feels like they deserved what they got because they were being dumb. Why are you pretending that they aren’t cameras and mics everywhere? You’re that horny that you can’t think about the possible consequences of your actions. I just cannot root for main characters who think more with their genitals than their brain. And all the main characters had a freaking savior complex. I even hated the side characters too!
All the men in this book were irritating. There’s a part of me that feels like they deserved what they got because they were being dumb. Why are you pretending that they aren’t cameras and mics everywhere? You’re that horny that you can’t think about the possible consequences of your actions. I just cannot root for main characters who think more with their genitals than their brain. And all the main characters had a freaking savior complex. I even hated the side characters too!
January 31, 2024
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!
July 28, 2025
If I could use three words to describe this book it would be entertaining, messy (in respect to the drama), and unexpected!! I had a great time with this audiobook. It was narrated by Nia Serge and I thought she was fantastic.
Indigo is fresh out of a relationship that ended terribly and goes on a reality tv show (sorta like the bachelor where she has to date a man name Kade) to gain exposure for her career as a makeup artist. Her childhood friend, River, happens to be working on that show as a producer. Oh, and she’s basically been in love with him since they were kids. Cue the messy drama!!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with a love triangle where I wasn’t sure which way it would go. I think towards the latter half of the book, it’s pretty clear who she’ll end up with, but for a bit there I was genuinely not even sure who she’d pick or who I even wanted.
I liked seeing Indigo’s relationships with both River and Kade develop. I will say that I was initially not River’s fan because I didn’t think he was being fair with how he was suddenly all up in her dating life, when he’d had his chance with her before. However, the more certain things were revealed, the more I understood and grew to love River. Kade was a complex character with his own nuanced motivations, but I liked all of the depth we got and his character development.
The reality tv setting made for such an exciting, fresh read. I think it did a great job exposing all the manipulative, nasty things that can go on behind the scenes. It also showed how toxic parasocial relationships with prominent public figures can be and how the media can paint one picture but the reality can be so far from what we’re made to believe.
I didn’t care for some of the secrecy in this and everything that the characters held back, however, it was a great representation of what it’s like to be human and make human mistakes.
The epilogue was beyondddd cute and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
Indigo is fresh out of a relationship that ended terribly and goes on a reality tv show (sorta like the bachelor where she has to date a man name Kade) to gain exposure for her career as a makeup artist. Her childhood friend, River, happens to be working on that show as a producer. Oh, and she’s basically been in love with him since they were kids. Cue the messy drama!!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with a love triangle where I wasn’t sure which way it would go. I think towards the latter half of the book, it’s pretty clear who she’ll end up with, but for a bit there I was genuinely not even sure who she’d pick or who I even wanted.
I liked seeing Indigo’s relationships with both River and Kade develop. I will say that I was initially not River’s fan because I didn’t think he was being fair with how he was suddenly all up in her dating life, when he’d had his chance with her before. However, the more certain things were revealed, the more I understood and grew to love River. Kade was a complex character with his own nuanced motivations, but I liked all of the depth we got and his character development.
The reality tv setting made for such an exciting, fresh read. I think it did a great job exposing all the manipulative, nasty things that can go on behind the scenes. It also showed how toxic parasocial relationships with prominent public figures can be and how the media can paint one picture but the reality can be so far from what we’re made to believe.
I didn’t care for some of the secrecy in this and everything that the characters held back, however, it was a great representation of what it’s like to be human and make human mistakes.
The epilogue was beyondddd cute and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
February 23, 2024
(4.5⭐️)
Will be back to write a more in depth review, but this is my initial thoughts after just finishing it🤍
This was exactly the kind of romance book I needed to read! I’ve caught myself smiling every other page and I haven’t been able to put it down!
Absolutely loved it!
Thank you so much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC
Will be back to write a more in depth review, but this is my initial thoughts after just finishing it🤍
This was exactly the kind of romance book I needed to read! I’ve caught myself smiling every other page and I haven’t been able to put it down!
Absolutely loved it!
Thank you so much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC
March 18, 2024
river beck i need you sooo bad 😭
May 15, 2024
I really really really enjoyed this book and I usually don’t read romance at all because it can cringe but this was soooo fun and funny! I loved every page.
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