Camera Shy

By: E.J. Russell

Narrated by: Greg Boudreaux

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Never assume….

…That your uber competent personal assistant will get it when you announce your (fake) engagement to him during a live on-air interview with your archnemesis.

Never waver....

…From your plan to punish your arrogant celebrity boss for his presumption by turning your (fake) wedding into a reality competition for event planners.

Never admit....

…That the feelings blossoming between the two of you through seven (fake) engagement celebrations, six (fake) bachelor parties, five (fake) wedding party luncheons, and four (fake) rehearsal dinners are about as (real) you can get.

Camera Shy is a boss/employee, fake-engagement, right-in-front-of-your-nose romantic comedy featuring a former child model-turned-PA who is so done with cameras, a cocky LGBTQ activist/talk show host who does not lose, more scarves than midwinter in Boston, and banter. So. Much. Banter.

©2022 E.J. Russell (P)2023 E.J. Russell

Cute story

Not a lot of depth, but a good fluff piece. Greg's narration always comes thru.

Humor with heart

A delightful screwball comedy of a romance. Ari and Dustin end up very publicly "engaged" because of Ari's big mouth and ego and Dustin decides on the perfect revenge. It isn't long, however, before both realize they've opened up something neither had planned on, nor can they control it. This is funny but with real emotional depth as these two start to lean into what they really have together. Greg Boudreaux is great with this type of story as he always manages to show us the emotions beneath the humor.

Fake Relationship...OK I guess

I'm glad I got to listen to the audio version rather that reading because I'm not sure if I would have finished this. This was DEFINITELY a slow burn romance. Arie wasn't a character I really liked...definitely not good enough for Dustin. Arie took toooooo long to realize really what he had in front of him and then was clueless until the end why Dustin wasn't trying to get on board with everything despite ALL the clues Dustin was leaving him. All the times Arie was messing up the backup PA's name wasn't cute to me...just showed how unbearably arrogant Arie was. Not sure why Dustin had feelings for Arie but it is what it is...All in all it was OK...even fun romance...nothing too angsty, steamy or spicy. If it wasn't for the narrator(which did a great job) this would have been a blah audio.

Original Storyline

Original storyline with interesting plot and likable characters. Sweet, funny, and romantic. Perfect narration, as usual, by Greg.

Delightfully Entertaining~Great Story & Narration

E.J. Russell puts her own unique spin on a fake engagement, boss/employee, enemies to lovers romantic comedy. The story is entertaining and it drew me in right from the start, grabbing my attention and captivating it straight to the end. Dustin Fremont, former child star and model, left that part of his life behind him, reinvented himself and became a personal assistant to talk show host, Ari Dimitriou, and he is very good at what he does. He would never mention it, because he knows Ari is a player, but he has a secret crush on him. Before taking the job, Dustin made sure there was a stipulation in his contract that he would never have to appear on camera, it was something he never wanted to do again. He prefers to work behind the scenes and keep his past life exactly that, in the past. Ari Dimitriou is a supporter of LGBTQ rights and he is not happy to have Jesse Sandusky as a guest on the show, they have bonked heads over marriage equality and other things. Ari was told to keep his cool, but when put on the spot he comes up with a fake engagement idea and names Dustin as his fiancé. Dustin was livid, but he is smart, resourceful and quick on his feet, and he puts an idea in motion and the powers to be go with it, a reality show and contest for wedding planners. Ari thought Dustin was a safe choice, but he was so wrong and the man could not see who and what Dustin really was to him until he lost him. This beautifully plotted story is well written with the perfect balance of drama, humor and wit, a touch of angst, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn romance. E.J. Russell, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the wonderful narration, Greg Boudreaux is a superbly talented narrator and a versatile voice artist. He did an amazing job bringing these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who he was portraying, gave each their own unique voice, one that suited that character perfectly and was believable in every role he played. He set the perfect tone for the story, handled the witty back-and-forth dialogue with ease, switched roles effortlessly, never missing a beat. You could hear how much heart he puts in to his performance as he captures all the character’s emotions and projects them into his performance. Boudreaux is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen. 

Very Sweet Romance

I really enjoyed this listen alot. Greg Boudreaux did a great job bringing the characters to life and making them distinctive from eachother. I love a good fake romance turned real and I thought this one pulled it off in an original way. Ari and Dustin both have communication issues when it comes to their feelings so this story was definitely a slow burn with all the miscommunications and things unsaid but it was still a very entertaining listen.

Interesting

Story was interesting. Narrator was great. The one thing I didn’t like was the best friend KK. She was way too pushy with her opinions. Otherwise, nice book to listen to.

Excellent closed-door romance

I've found with Audible that I will follow a voice actor/performer as often as I will an author, and it has led to a lot of new-to-me author finds and things I wouldn't have tried otherwise. Greg Boudreaux (or his hetero pen name, Greg Tremblay) is the top of this list, somehow making even a brand new to me author a comfort read the very first time.

It helps when the author is awesome, of course! Part of what I love about Greg's voice performances is his solid characterization, and the depth of emotion he gives them (without blowing your eardrums out. Talent, take note: even if a character is yelling, YOU do not have to!). It makes the book easy to understand by tone alone and it's always clear who is speaking. Considering some voice actors seem to have never read the book before they start recording, and others have sing-song or flat, emotionless patterns they fall into no matter how heated the action (in any way!), and I've come to recognize how incredibly talented Greg is.

That talent added to excellent writing? Well! You get books like this. I really enjoyed this book, and not just for the main story (although, quite frankly, I adore that too. It kind of reminds me of The Swan, about transwomen for whom the top prize was full coverage for all surgeries they chose to transition with. I think that should be a universal right rather than the prize of a reality series, but that show was about a decade before its time). The representation shown in the characters is wonderful, the choices for things such as gender identity to not even be mentioned 3/4 of the way through for one of the secondary characters in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it way, women in all the roles of power, BIPOC women as the heads of the companies -- it was fantastic. In LGBTQ++ books, the T and Q and such often fall by the wayside (or under the bus) and it was fantastic just to see so much representation here of Enby, transmen (whom everyone seems to forget exist?), and an entire cast of people just... people-ing. The way we do.

It felt like home, as I've lived in the gay Village of Montreal for 10 years and on Church Street in Toronto for another 10 since. I've fought hard for things like marriage equality, and some very interesting arguments are raised in the book (but not really capitalized on). The character development is very strong from both main characters, which I really appreciated as it would be so easy to let Dustin fall back and have Ari keep the spotlight. The rude jerk he is at the beginning is sort of necessary to show just how far he comes and just what it takes to get him there.

There are mentions of some sexual acts (and fluids) but there is no on-page sex, it going to closed doors before things get any spicier. There is also a TON of swearing in this book (I know that matters to some people) but overall it's a PG-13 read. That doesn't make it any less in terms of emotional investment or enjoyment, though!

As a note, I loved hearing about network television from the production side. Sometimes we get books about actors and the like, but an Executive Producer is pretty awesome. I work in an adjacent industry and I'm always interested in how we may have re-invented the wheel several times because we didn't have anyone with a television background early on, heh.

Loved this read, will listen to it again. If it moves slowly I couldn't say I noticed, I listened to it all in one sitting and was never bored. Very pleased to have a new-to-me author who writes the kind of books I want to read, if this is any example, so I'm excited to look into their backlist and see if there are more books with this pairing of wonderful author and world-class voice talent.

Did not enjoy

I did not find the characters charming or interesting and did not see their relationship developing at all, Just a bunch of miscommunications, unrequited feelings, requited feelings now unrequited, and it just goes on and on. There wasn’t much comedy but it seems like that was the goal.

This is a very good performance by Greg Boudreaux, one of my faves (I didn’t even get that rum/room buzz of annoyance, as is usual in his narrations)

I Enjoyed It!

- - UPDATE 4.15.23 - -

I had the opportunity to listen to this on audiobook and I fell in love with it- probably more than when I initially read it. It was narrated by the fantastic Greg Boudreaux, whose voice and narrations I am completely in love with! He does an amazing job voicing the different characters and bringing them to life. As much as I enjoyed reading this book, listening to it was a wonderful experience that made the whole thing feel new.

Overall: 4.5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 4 stars


- - Original Book Review 9.24.2022 - -

I really enjoyed this book. The premise snagged me and I found it to be an interesting read. The concept of a fake wedding/reality competition was fun and I loved the dynamic reversal for the two characters. I loved Dustin- he was smart, very capable, and wasn't one to back down.

I did not like Ari very much at first. He was arrogant and entitled- but not obnoxiously so. It was like he didn't realize it until the tables are turned against him and he began to see things from outside perspectives, and see that he's messed up and needs to change. He grew on me and had good character growth.

An interesting and fun read. This is the first book I've read by this author and I would read more. 4 stars.

Fake relationship

I was already curious about this book because I like the topic of fake dating. But the reality TV show was also fun. Now about the characters. Dustin is absolutely adorable and sweet, I loved him. He's strong and he knows how to stand up for himself. Arie I had my difficulties with, as I found him thoroughly arrogant and selfish. Fortunately, he changed for the better. What I also liked very much were the side characters. Maybe we will see one or the other again in a new story. The ending of this slow burning and fun romance without angst also fit very well and I was satisfied.

Greg Boudreaux was brilliant as always and he and brought the story to life. He portrayed the emotions perfectly and did a very lively and varied reading.

So not a rom-com

M/M
Boss/ employee
Fake relationship

Arc review

I had the hardest time getting into this book. This was an (author described) rom-com that lacked both comedy and romance and had a main character I couldn't stand. Dustin was sweet and deserved way better. Ari was a selfish blowhard. I had zero interest in their relationship as they had zero chemistry. Ari treated Dustin like crap and yet Dustin had a crush on Ari simply because he's good looking. I didnt buy it. I don't care how cute a person is, if their personality sucks then it ruins all their appeal for me and Ari only caught feelings for Dustin cause he was the only one that would put up with his bs. This book could have been saved if things got better early on but sadly they didn't and by the end it was too little too late for me. Also, there is a huge lack of communication in this book and the plot just didn't make sense.

So Much Fun! Boudreaux is Wonderful

Oh my gosh, Camera Shy is clever and cute, and so very funny! E.J. Russell has such a marvelous style of writing, I just know everything of theirs I pick up I'm going to enjoy.

Great characters, witty batnter, and a perfectly executed fake engagement trope. Winner!

The audio is beautifully performed by Greg Boudreaux. Boudreaux just gets Russell's sense of humor, and I hope this duo stays together permantley.

an audiobook copy of Camera Shy was provided to me for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own

Ari and Dustin

I really enjoyed this unique twist on a boss/employee, fake-boyfriends romance. I thought I'd read just about every iteration of these themes imaginable, but Ari and Dustin proved me wrong. Ari's passionate, if self-centered, worldview and strong personality made him a fascinating character to explore, and Dustin was an even bigger mystery to unravel. Their peaceful work coexistence shattered with one hairbrained, blurted out fake proposal, and from then on I never knew what to expect out of these two. Dustin concocting a crazy reality TV show scheme to punish Ari for his actions? Sign me up for that hilariously unexpected chaos. Ari developing compassion and realizing what a catch Dustin was? Cue the swoony romance and steamy sexual tension. I stayed engaged through show planning, wedding events, and lots of long days at work as Dustin and Ari gradually realized they were better off making their fake relationship real, and the payoff was definitely worth it. I loved how deeply these men got to know each other over the course of their journey, and I've always been a sucker for big romantic gestures right at the climax of a story.

Fantastic

Another fantastic story by EJ Russell. Dustin and Ari are interesting characters to follow on this journey. Greg Boudreaux did a super job with the narration,
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Great narration!

I loved the ebook version of this audiobook, so I wanted to hear how Mr Boudreaux managed Dustin and Ari's story. And he did an amazing job! His beautiful voice and great acting skills were wonderful narrating all the funny situations and hilarious banter between Dustin and Ari, and all the incredible moments they had together. I laughed so much! I also loved the wonderful characters, the heartwarming moments and even the few angsty ones. A great narration of a wonderful book! Loved it!

Adorable!

Okay, this was adorable. Russell made a note that this was her first romcom in a couple years, and it was a perfect return! Ari was hard to like in the beginning, but I hung around for Dustin and I'm so glad I did because Ari grew so much and ended up being romantic and perfect. They just had such wonderful chemistry together and I loved their banter, their friendship, and their slow fall into love! My one gripe is it did seem like the feelings were a little rushed at the end, but it still completely worked for me. So many characters I want stories for, I truly hope this becomes a series!

Boudreaux and Russell are just the perfect team. The timing, the humor, it always works so perfect and delivers an amazing audiobook.

Made me smile

Enjoyable story with quite a few laughs, a bit of snark and good story. There are quite a few well known themes in this book, so don't expect anything original. The narration is spot on and the power balance between the two main characters is far more equal then what you'd expect. Both facts that improves this book significantly.

Wonderful book!

This book had so many tropes that I love. Celebrity romance, fake dating, the reality TV show. It was so much fun!
I loved Dustin, I loved how strong he was and how he stood up for himself. And I loved how much Ari grew and changed and became a better person. And the way he protected Dustin was heartwarming.
The secondary characters were also great. I would love to read stories for some of them
And the ending was very satisfying.
The narrator was brilliant and brought the story to life beautifully.

An Instant Favorite

Camera Shy is a standalone contemporary romance that I want to see as a movie or TV show immediately. I loved this book so much that I almost didn’t go to bed. I stayed up way to late listening to the audiobook because I couldn’t bear to pause it.

When talk show host Ari makes a huge blunder on live TV, it’s up to his personal assistant Dustin to save the day. That’s the bland summary of this amazing book, but that’s the overview of the plot. What ends up happening is so much more rich and delightful. The banter and interaction between Dustin and Ari is hilarious. My absolute favorite moment is when Ari realizes that he is actually in love with Dustin. What a moment. The drama. The scandal. The heart warming romance mixed with humor and sarcasm. I would love a follow up book – even a novella or short story will do – of these two men. I just want another glimpse into their lives because I love them so much.

The audiobook was narrated by Greg Boudreaux who does an outstanding job, like usual. I love Greg’s voice and he is such a top-class narrator. The performance was entertaining and smooth and all the characters were voiced perfectly. The audiobook production was well done.