Camera Shy by E.J. Russell

Narrated by Greg Boudreaux

E.J. Russell’s Camera Shy is a sweet, snarky, fake-relationship story featuring a self-absorbed TV talk show host and his long-suffering assistant. I’ve only listened to one other book by this author – the 1920s-set Silent Sin – which I enjoyed very much, so I thought I’d give this contemporary a try; plus, with Greg Boudreaux in the narrator’s chair, I knew satisfaction would be guaranteed in terms of the performance.

Dustin Fremont has worked as the PA to Ari Dimitriou, host of a nightly talk show and LGBTQ+ rights activist, for three years – the longest anyone has lasted in that particular job. Ari is very good at what he does, but he’s also arrogant, demanding and self-obsessed, relying on Dustin to run pretty much every aspect of his life. Dustin juggles it all with aplomb; he’s bright, well-liked and hugely efficient, he doesn’t take any crap and has no problem putting Ari in his place when warranted (which is often) – and steadfastly ignores the tiny crush he might have on his gorgeous boss, burying it beneath layers of snark and exasperation.

Preparations are underway for that evening’s show, and Ari is particularly looking forward to locking horns with his guest, Jesse Sandusky – a queer man who has been outspoken in opposition to marriage equality – and getting one over on him on live TV. But Ari is way over-confident, and when Sandusky effectively backs him into a corner, pointing out that Ari’s reputation as a player doesn’t align with his being a cheerleader for the institution of marriage and pressing him on why he hasn’t got married himself yet – there’s no way Ari is going to let Sandusky win the argument. He calmly announces that he’s actually engaged. To Dustin.

Dustin is understandably furious, not least because Ari tries to drag him onto the set and Dustin has very clear stipulations in his employment contract that state that he will never appear in front of the camera. But it’s mostly Ari’s blithe assumption that Dustin will simply fall in with his plans and his observation that Dustin is the “safe option” for a stunt like this because he won’t have any expectations of it turning into an actual relationship that really outrages him – and has him coming up with the perfect way to get his revenge. He pitches the idea for a reality show – Ari and Dustin Tie the Knot – which will feature a group of wedding planners who will vie for the opportunity to plan the perfect wedding for the *ahem* happy couple. Of course, he won’t appear on camera himself, but Ari is the draw, so that won’t be a problem – and with the network desperate to avoid any accusation of sexual harassment, Dustin is immediately re-assigned as executive producer of A&DTtK. Hopefully, by the time they get as far as filming the finale – the wedding – he’ll have worked out a way for them to avoid going through with it that will play in such a way as to preserve Ari’s reputation and career – even if it means Dustin’s name will be mud.

The reality-show-as-revenge plot coupled with the slightly different spin on the fake-relationship trope make for an entertaining story, and I appreciated the focus on Ari’s character development. He’s an arrogant dickhead when we first meet him, totally oblivious to almost everything – unless it’s directly related to him – and doing exactly as he wants while others – namely Dustin and Gus (his lawyer and best friend) – actually run his life. But when he realises that in (effectively) proposing to Dustin on camera he’s also (just as effectively) fired him, Ari starts to realise what a great inconvenience not having Dustin around is going to be. For him, of course. But over the weeks that follow, through frank conversations and subtle moments of insight, Ari comes to see what a shitty boss he’s been, how much he’d taken Dustin for granted… and exactly what he’s lost. His character growth is very well done, because at the end of it all, he’s still Ari; not perfect, still capable of being overbearing, but much more aware of the needs of others around him.

Dustin is funny, efficient, intelligent and creative, and I was pleased that we actually get to see him being good at his job; so often in romance novels, we’re told a character is a whizz at whatever they do, but we never see them actually doing it, but here, we get to watch Dustin stepping up as he moves into his executive producer role. His background as a child model and actor is what led to the stipulations about never appearing on camera – after all the negativity that appeared when he started to grow out of being a cute kid at the age of ten, he has no wish to become the subject of one of those ‘here’s what they look like now!’ features that regularly crop up on the internet or to be reminded of his past. His parents exploited him and treated him like their meal ticket, and after emancipating himself at sixteen, he’s never looked back, burying ‘Dusty Darling’ beneath the reality of Dustin Fremont. He’s done everything he can to distance himself, from his previous life, but insecurities about his looks still cling to him, and his desire for the kind of closeness and affection he’s never experienced led him to place his trust in the wrong person. Disaster was, thankfully, averted on that occasion, but everything he’s experienced has made it hard for him to trust – which is another reason Ari’s careless announcement about their engagement hurt so much. Dustin had thought he was safe with Ari, who, while he can be high-handed and demanding was never petty or mean – until he threw him under the bus in front of a live audience.

I’ll admit that there were times I wanted to yell at the pair of them to have an honest conversation – and I found Dustin’s self-consciousness about his neck rather… odd. I suppose we can all get fixated on certain perceived flaws, but this just seemed a strange one. Fortunately, Ari discovers a neck fetish, so I suppose it all turns out for the best!

The narration is, of course, excellent. Greg Boudreaux’s characterisation of the leads is perfect, his pacing and comic timing are spot on and he employs a variety of timbre and accent to voice and differentiate a set of well-defined secondary characters. Ari’s rich, deep baritone is nicely contrasted with Dustin’s lighter, livelier tones, and their witty back-and-forth is handled with supreme confidence and ease. Mr. Boudreaux is so good at finding the essence of the characters he performs, expertly bringing them to life and finding a voice for each one that is a perfect fit, and he always finds the heart of the story, skilfully conveying every emotion and nuance. It’s a terrific performance and one that added considerably to my enjoyment of the audiobook overall.

Camera Shy is a lot of fun, and I raced through it in a couple of sittings. If you’re in the market for a snarky/sweet slow-burn romance about two people who find love right under their noses, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Caz

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