Lights. Camera. Marriage!

Sudden Falls #5

by Elizabeth Bemis

A girl with nothing to lose...

Deaf interpreter Sophie Redmond can fix anything--but her own love life. Jilted at the altar--but still a hopeless romantic, she auditions for the lead role in a reality TV show promising to deliver her the man of her dreams. At this point, she'll settle for the cash prize to help her fledgling business take off, but she can't help wondering...what if?

A guy who wants to get lost...

Jay Sinclair should have known better when he accepted his TV producer brother's plea to be a last-minute stand in for some crazy wedding reality show. A former military officer and current best-selling spy novelist, Jay wants nothing more than to lose in the first round of the ridiculous competition so he can take off on the trip of a lifetime--a trip he needs to make before he runs out of time.

And a one-way ticket to losing their hearts...

When Jay and Sophie meet, they know they're all wrong for each other...only the viewing public disagrees. As they vote Jay through round after round of Lights. Camera. Marriage! despite his best efforts to get kicked off, even he begins to wonder what it would be like to win it all. But reality show dreams don't really come true... right?

Don't miss the other books in the Sudden Falls series

The Mendoza Sisters:
LOVE & OREOS
FRIENDS & FORTUNE COOKIES

The Tremont Sisters:
PROMISES & PINA COLADAS
TEMPTATION & TEQUILA

The Redmond Family:
LIGHTS. CAMERA. MARRIAGE!
TROUBLE IN SUDDEN FALLS
BLOWING JACK'S COVER

And stay tuned for more Sudden Falls Books coming soon!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Adult, Amazon, Family

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2016

About the author

Elizabeth Bemis is a six-time Golden Heart® Finalist and 2012 Winner. Her first book, Love & Oreos was named a “Must Read” book of 2015 by USA Today, who said,

“Elizabeth Bemis makes her sassy, sexy, confetti-worthy debut with Love & Oreos, the first book in her Sudden Falls contemporary series. Bemis’ voice is humorous and sly, her characters realistically complicated, her storytelling engaging and silky smooth… The heart, heat, snark and energy in Love & Oreos make Bemis’ inaugural release a bright and buoyant win.”

When she’s not writing romance, she operates Bemis Promotions, an advertising agency for authors, fights for control of her house with her sons and various fur-bearing creatures. When she’s not in front of her computer she can occasionally be found running with her dog, training for the Little Miami Triathlon and the Flying Pig (half) Marathon.

You can find more about Elizabeth and her books at her website, elizabethbemis.com or you can like her on Facebook, follow her on twitter, or sign up for her newsletter.

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah

Not a bad story. I loved the way Sophie and Jay were explored as individual characters and as a couple. The light and dark of their chemistry was well done. Jay blew hot and cold leaving Sophie feeling like she was on an emotional roller coaster. I loved how the information regarding sign language wasn't made a HUGE deal of but was explored, fairly accurately too, by the author.

What lost the 2 stars for the book were:
1 star was deducted as I felt Jays brother Patrick's relationship with Elaine made the main story feel like it stopped and started, which made me frustrated.
1 star was deducted because Patrick's and Elaine's relationship was a lot more rushed and left me feeling like they should of had their own book where their relationship could of been explored a lot better.

Overall it was a sweet read and the main story was great. For a free read I recommend this book

[Dianna]

DNF

I keep hoping that reality TV romance is my thing, but this one didn’t work for me.

There are a couple of obvious things that most fictional reality TV bachelor/ette style shows do that get on my nerves.

The first is to offer a huge cash prize (in this case a million dollars). This doesn’t happen. It doesn’t need to happen, because people will go on the bachelor/ette because they want to fall in love. Or, you know, jumpstart a career in the entertainment industry, but let’s go with them mostly going on TV to fall in love.

I know that complaining about fiction not being true to form is frustrating and ultimately useless exercise, but what I really don’t like in making it about the money is that there’s always a moral motivation. In this case, the heroine, Sophie, would like to set up her own sign language school. This is a great dream, and I like it more than the usual ‘pay for someone I love not to die’ motivation. However, it just opened up more questions for me, about why she would do that in her tiny town where there seems to be only one deaf student, and why she can’t do what normal people with dreams do, and come up with a proper business plan and make a few sacrifices and compromises to make her dreams come true.

Why am I supposed to respect someone who effectively says ‘if I make nearly zero effort and get a million dollars, I’ll do something nice?’ I can say that. I can even do it if I ever get a million dollars. But wishful thinking isn’t taking positive action. This is just a character coming up with a vague, placeholder motivation that doesn’t make her seem like an idiot (thinking she can find love on TV) or greedy (using finding love on TV as an excuse to get on TV).

The other thing this book does is set up an incredibly long TV season. The premise of the show is the Bachelorette meets Idol. Sophie is the bachelorette, and each week the Nation votes and two of her suitors go home. She starts with 20. So that’s ten weeks of vote offs, then presumably another week to take it down to one man, then they get married, and then the show films them living together for months. That’s a really expensive way of filming a television show.

Finally, urgh, once again neither of the lead couple were particularly engaged or excited about being on TV. The hero, Jay, was in it because his brother, a production assistant, begged him to step in when one of the men couldn’t make it, and Sophie got a little drunk and sad and put in her application form hoping for a chance for cash for her sign language school.

The one thing I did like was the whole Idol vote off aspect. It’s so tense and potentially mean!

I could possibly have tolerated the set up, but the couple were really dull. Sweet, nice enough, bit of chemistry, but dull. The showrunners even comment that Sophie is really dull, and they’ll have to manufacture some conflict to make the show interesting.

Then, it’s also very quickly apparent that a lot of plot time is going to be devoted to the developing romance between the producer and her main production assistant (I will note that I don’t have the role titles correct). The producer once worked for her assistant, but his sit-com failed, so now he works for her. They weren’t terrible, but I didn’t like either of them much, and I didn’t want a second couple with almost equal plot time.

Nothing really grabbed me on this one.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half the book read tedious and unrealistic. The h's reactions to everyone around her were awkward and plastic and uncaring. She either bitched / moaned about being on camera (even thou' it was her choice to be there and she went through a lot of interviews / screenings to be there) or she talked or thought mean stuff about other people. Her professional choices were never explored, just hinted at. She was reticent or dismissive of everyone (even her own family), but not Jay. Her lust and 'love' for the H burst out of her like a firework. She decided, in a moment, he was THE ONE and, despite his attitude (would have put me off for good, even if the guy explained afterwards. What's done / said is done!), her record track with men (pathetic, to say the least. And the half a page interaction with her ex fiance was laughably bad written.), despite the amazing guys around her (the professor, the fireman, David, Tyler, etc.) who she never gave a chance and saw as lacking (to me it looked like they all deserved better that her), she fell in love (shesh !). At first sight almost. And she kept after him like a pathetic, mean-spirited, jealous, know-it-all, stubborn and fake puppy. I disliked how she tagged every man as unworthy from just a glimpse. That made her ugly in my eyes. And I disliked that they, the perfect couple, never once talked anything through. Just swept everything under the rug. Despite the HEA, I can see that divorce being filed in a few years, after he sees her for who she is and after his attitude, the selfish and aggressive one, resurfaces again. The 3 stars are for the story of the producers. That one I LOVED. From their attitudes when alone, to their interactions to others, to their conversations, to their fears, their chemistry...

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot better than the last one about a reality dating show I read. still, it was a bit...off. I don't see why Jay couldn't have been a bit more pleasant to Sophie during their marriage. i get not having sex on camera, but his behavior was borderline emotionally abusive at times, and it was a real turn off for me. then he smiles and makes nice and Sophie forgives him instantly. he came off as douchey and she came off as desperate. i wish more time would have been spent on the show half of the book (explain more WHY America thought sophie and jay were a perfect fit even when sophie and jay didnt know) rather than their miserable sham marriage. i did, however, really like the Elaine/Patrick tangent. I thought it was really sweet and loving.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jay and Sophie. Jay was too hot and cold before he was chosen as the winner of the contest. I felt that Sophie was too tolerant of his jerky behavior. The second story line of his brother and Eleanor should have been its own story. The switching back and forth was very confusing. Cameras in the bedroom once they got married. I'm sorry, that was just not believable. Finally, Jay was such a complete jerk once they got married and then everything was neatly tied up in the last couple of pages.

[Chelsea Baute · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Rebecca Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly enjoyable until the last third of the book

This book started out good, I really love the reality tv premise and the characters had a good chemistry. But then Jay was a stupid idiot up until pretty much the end, and I just couldn't enjoy the last 3rd of the book because of that. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I just didn't like him. Also Sophie should have said something about his stupidity instead of just ignoring it. It just made me mad.

There is a secondary romance in this book that I also just couldn't get into. I could have done without it completely.

I'm giving this book 3 stars because I did enjoy the first part of the book and it kept me reading.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

Based loosely on the TV reality show, The Bachelorette, this is a sweet romance, and a good summer read. Gives a little hint into how "reality" shows can make anything look the way the producer wants it to look. Fun, sweet, sexy, romantic ...not too deep. Very enjoyable.

[Maureen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor ebook editing

Terrible ebook editing with missing, wrong and duplicated words. Story was an ok romance with a twist in the way of finding each other.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line was great fun but there were too many explicit bits I prefer not to read so I got through it quickly.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheesy romance but good summer read

[Cary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and sweet.

[SandraE · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice reality show romance.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. The characters were well fleshed out and it kept me reading to see how the author would wrap things up. The only disappointment was the graphic scenes in the last quarter of the book. The entire book was engaging and clean up to that point and the scenes included were unnecessary. If it wasn't for that I would have given 4 stars.

[Anwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just so...sad.

I don't watch much reality TV, but for some reason I usually really enjoy books that revolve around them. This book's setup for why such a nice, normal woman would go on a reality marriage show was very reasonable, which is difficult to pull off.

Early in the book I felt like I wasn't getting enough detail during the reality show's filming. Everyone was staying in the same mansion, I guess? But the heroine apparently interacted with the men only when the cameras were on--yet she lived there? This was the period when the "hero" kept trying to be a jerk on-camera to get kicked off the show, but when they (and only these two managed this) were alone together, he couldn't help but be fun and funny and they had chemistry together. This was the best part of the book.

The hero accepted a spot on the show to help out his brother, who promised he'd get voted off quickly. He and his agent negotiated special rights for him since he needed to finish and promote his books. But of course they didn't negotiate the important thing, that he could not be monetarily penalized if he "won" but refused to marry the heroine.

When he's voted to be the groom, he's set to lose all profit from current and future books if he won't marry her, and if she refuses to marry him, she'll lose out on the million dollars she was going to use for a genuinely awesome-sounding cause that she'd been trying to achieve for awhile.

So the sad part of the book, with wayyyyy too much detail: the months and months of their miserable, on-camera marriage. All those times that the "hero" couldn't help but respond to her and be nice and fun to be around? It never happened again. Do we all have some friend (or ourselves) who endured a slowly dying relationship? All the tiny nice things that someone doesn't do, or tiny mean things that they do, basically treating one as a hated roommate? That was half or two thirds of this book.

Spoilery!!!!: --------------------------------------------------
At the end the divorce papers are ready to be signed, but the "hero" has some relative mumble to him something like "don't be stupid" and blam, he's rushing back to the heroine's side to beg her to stay married to him. And...she does.

Because she loves him.

And we all know, love is ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that matters. Not being treated as if we are loved. Or respected. Or convenient. Or worth putting any effort into a relationship.

I'm sure they'll be very, very happy together from now on, right?

[Caffenero · Rating 2 out of 5]

good premises, weak plot

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an unexpected, and delightful read this turned out to be! Having purchased this book months ago, I didn't know what this book was about when I started reading yesterday (besides the obvious info the title gives away)... I randomly scrolled through my books and this one was the one I landed on - and I certainly wasn't disappointed!

Lights. Camera. Marriage! was intense. I smiled, laughed, swooned, cried, and got pissed, all in a span of a few hours while reading this book. I haven't felt this range of emotions while reading a book in years! YEARS!! The one thing I'm currently struggling with is that the moment everything works itself out, the book is over! I was like, What? No! There has to be a sequel... only to find that there wasn't.

I'd recommend the book. I was hooked within a couple of chapters.

[Carol Tietsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to think about this book when I started reading it
then I wasn't sure if I liked the whole premise...I'm not one for reality t.v.. But the book grew on me, like a fungus. I tried several times to put it down and go back to sleep. I wound up reading the whole thing. And, spoiler alert, I loved it! I'm going to have to keep an eye on this author.

[Debra K. Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary

It was a nice book to read. Two romances in one. It was good to both brothers were able to find love in the end. I would recommend this book for others to read. It's not often that a man moves away from a loving situation but Jay did but then he found Sophie that he knew he needed Sophie and the end And they found

[Chantiele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel Lights, Camera, Marriage has a reality television feel, it is about 4 main characters Sophie Redmond & Jay Sinclair who are the two “Main Contestants” that the story revolves around. As well as Patrick Sinclair and Elaine Bosworth who are in charge of the reality series ‘Lights, Camera, Marriage’

To read the full review go to http://maweway.co.za/book-review-ligh...

[Porschia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love

This book was so real in how love can play out. The behind the scenes view of ordinary people unsure of their ultimate fate but finally getting exactly what they deserved was a great warming read!

[Paula Bothwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lights. Camera. Marriage! - R
Violence: none
Language: <75 swears including deity and FBombs
Sex: descriptive kissing, foreplay about 80% in (dang) and the sex just keeps going.
Returned for content. Detailed sex overload.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy reading, mind candy. if you get the gist of the Bachelor / Bachelorette then this book is easy to follow along. some spelling and grammar issyes, even a few botched character names. overall, entertaining. reads as a standalone book even tho says part of a series

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was funny, it was sad, it was romantic. I felt a little more drama between the bachelors would have been okay. Jay had too much of a stick up his butt, IMO.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5

It was ok for me. The beginning started strong and then it kind of fizzled out at the end. Why the need for the cameras in the bedroom?

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

I found this to be an awesome book that was pretty clean. It had sex scenes but nothing overpowering. I will add this book to my read again list.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great book to read

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amusing read. The plot revolves around a reality TV show. The characters are believable and well well defined.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different take on a romance book with a little twist having it be a reality tv show. I liked the characters in this book a lot.

[blacgold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give 5

This story was not only the tale that was promised she managed to sneak in another love story in the process.