Behind The Scenes

by Kathryn Austin

Welcome to Matched where happily ever afters are guaranteed.

Ambitious producer Ginger Moon lives and breathes hit reality show Matched. All her hard work is about to pay off with an executive gig overseas—if she can produce one more happy ending. Only problem? This season's star was her last season’s crush, and when the show wrapped, Ginger took her fantasy with the now famous bad boy too far.

America adored him, but Elliot Hale left last season heartbroken. Trusting the show’s relationship expert along with his panel of family and friends to keep him from blindly falling in love again, Elliot returns for the Matched marriage with a compatible partner. His insufferably hot producer promises to deliver, but she has three trust the process, answer the phone when she calls, and never ever mention their one-night stand.

When shooting starts, on-screen romances fall flat as the chemistry behind the scenes reaches a boiling point. To save the season, Ginger is forced to create a twist that will make her career—and break her heart—by matching the man she loves with someone else.

Genres: Romance

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2025

Reviews

[Darlingvbookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute. We meet Elliott & Ginger... Ginger is the producer for the reality show, where Elliott is main focus. The thing is that they had a one night stand the year before, right after the show's season ended and now Ginger is the one in charge of helping Elliott get his HEA. The story is very entertaining and had me hooked as it went on. At times, I did find myself annoyed at both the MCs but loved how they made it work at the end! I would say give it a try if you are looking for a reality TV romance 💕

[Manda Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝕄𝕪 𝕛𝕠𝕓 𝕧𝕤. 𝔼𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕥. 𝕀 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕤𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣”

THE TENSION!!!!! Had me on edge the whole time and I loved every stress filled moment. I was rooting for these two so much that my nerves on fire waiting for them to get caught.

Ginger is the definition of Girl boss and when the lead producer leaves for another opportunity to step up. Even if that means working with her one night stand she can’t forget.

Elliot was the runner up for the previous season and is back to not find love but a partner he wants a change in life after he wasn’t chosen by the one he has fallen in love with. But it isn’t who you think.

I have seen many reviews about Kat but I loved how honest she was with Ginger. When you look at the whole picture she was being the perfect friend she didn’t sugar coat ANYTHING. Looking from Kats perspective she sees her best friend with a guy who has come back to a show to find a wife who also has a bad boy/playboy history after the one night stand. She didn’t know the past or what had been going on so she went on her facts. I loved the tough love because we don’t normally see that we see the best friend falling over the second her friend tells her what’s going on.

Read this NOW!

~~What to Expect~~
🎬Forbidden
🎬Producer X Talent
🎬Workplace-ish
🎬Reality Show
🎬Pining
🎬Bitter Resentment to Love
🎬Hollywood Setting
🎬Opposites Attract
🎬Just This Once
🎬Second Chance
🎬Tension for days
🎬Close Proximity

~~Quotes~~
✨Each time I’m close to her I want her more than the last time
✨Ten women surround him. but for one amazing moment his gaze holds mine like I’m the only one.
✨“What if I’m not worth it?” “What if we are?”
✨I won’t miracously stop wanting you, Ginger. No matter how many woment they think I’m compatible with.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our courses are set. Signed in ink and locked down.

💖 Welcome to Matched where happily ever afters are guaranteed 💖
4/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶

🎬 Forbidden Love
🎬 Bitter Resentment to Love
🎬 Pining - so much pining
🎬 Hollywood romance
🎬 Opposites attract
🎬 High stakes/impossible odds
🎬 Wild Twists

Behind the Scenes was a fun, wild ride and I loved every second. Did I have to google what a tv show producer actually does? Yes. Did I feel like I was getting a look behind the curtain of every reality show I’ve ever watched? Also yes. Did I want more of this? Hell yes.
I ate this book up!

Things that I loved:
🎬 Elliot having so many feelings about her ponytail.
🎬 The food allergy representation. It's so small, but as someone that is affected by this, I appreciate the visibility.
🎬 The peek behind the reality show curtain and showing that it isn't all it's made out to be.
🎬 Elliot and Ginger's struggle with the consequences of their actions (all of them).
🎬 Without giving too much away, I would love to see what Kat was working on towards the end of the book.
🎬 THE PINING.
🎬 Compatibility. Communication. Compromise. Chemistry.

Things I didn't love:
🎬 I typically don’t love the miscommunication trope but the push and pull of it made sense for the story.
🎬 Please tell me Elliot just trapped the mouse and put him outside?
🎬 Kat was annoying AF and I’m not completely convinced she redeemed herself in my eyes.

Thank you Kathryn Austin & The Author Agency for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Jody - Wicked Dark Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐

2.5/5🌶️

Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…

🔥Forbidden Love

🔥Bitter resentment to love

🔥Pining

🔥Hollywood Romance

🔥Just once to get it out of our system

🔥High Stakes—Impossible Odds

🔥Opposites Attract

🔥Wild Twists

🔥Spicy—Open Door

Ginger Moon is the main character in the novel, a successful producer in the global market. She struggles with unreturned feelings for Elliot Hale, the lead in the season she is producing, leading to a complicated relationship. The show highlights the theme of hiding the truth and keeping up appearances, which the book delves into while revealing behind-the-scenes insights. Ginger is shown as a strong professional and a vulnerable woman stuck on her feelings for Elliot. Her internal conflict and work challenges are key parts of the story. Elliot Hale has a rugged appeal but is also cautious. After losing the show, he feels heartbroken and turns to friends and a relationship expert for help. However, Ginger's unexpected return disrupts his plans, creating more tension in the story. The chemistry between Ginger and Elliot is intense, and Sparks expertly builds suspense about whether their past will affect the season. The detailed portrayal of the show's production adds richness, captivating the audience with its technical details and quick decision-making. I suggest "Behind the Scenes" for those who enjoy romantic dramas and stories about what happens behind the camera. While some plot twists may be expected, the characters and the exploration of reality TV's darker aspects keep the story exciting.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind the Scenes was a ride. Reality TV, forbidden love, career stakes higher than the ratings, and so much pining—it had it all.
Ginger is a badass, career-driven producer with her eyes on the prize—a promotion that could launch her dream show. But to get it? She has to make sure Elliot Hale—last season’s bad-boy runner-up turned leading man—finds love.
The only problem? They had a secret fling at the end of last season. And Elliot? He’s not over it. At all.
The push and pull between Ginger and Elliot was deliciously painful—the stolen moments, the secret looks, the pure angst of two people who want each other but can’t have each other. It hurt in the best way. And Elliot? Swoon. This man was so down bad for Ginger, trying to break down every wall she put up.
I enjoyed how this book gave us a fresh take on Hollywood romance—we see the behind-the-scenes struggles of the reality TV world, and the stakes felt real. There were some moments of frustration (Ginger, girl, please let yourself be loved), but by the time we got to the perfectly swoony ending, I was fully invested.
The emotional baggage? Heavy. The tension? Off the charts. The payoff? Worth it.

Read if you like:
🎬 Forbidden love
💔 Bitter resentment to love
😩 Pining—so much pining
🎥 Hollywood romance
⚖️ High stakes/impossible odds
🔥 Opposites attract
🤯 Wild twists

[Ashley Bolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. The main characters had to go through so much emotional baggage to find their HEA. Ginger is a career driven women. Relationships are not even part of her plan because proving herself was always more important. She meets Elliot as a producer on a reality show similar to the Bachelor. He is not picked during his season, so they bring him back to be the main character looking for love. Ginger is tasked with finding him his HEA. They both have a one night arrangement after the end of the first production. They go their separated ways but she never left Elliot's mind. The way Elliot wanted her was so swoon worthy. He tried to hard to break down her carefully constructed walls. The push and pull between them was strong. No matter how hard they tried to do what was right for the situation, they could not resist the temptation or the pull towards one another. This story was great. The author did a great job at world building and developing the relationships among the characters. If you like reality tv then this book will probably be right up your alley.

[ljamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a reality show junkie. I watch them ALL except dating shows. Now for some reason they give me an icky feeling. But, when I read this blurb I desperately wanted to read this book because it reminded me of a tv show called UnReal. Now I went into this book expecting lots of angst and I enjoyed every minute of it. Ginger is the producer of a dating reality show. She is strong, focused and driven. She is ultimate career woman, task, success, and promotion (that’s all she’s thinking). However, Elliot our bachelor was on the previous show and worked with Ginger but he did not find love on the show. Elliot found love with Ginger who he had a secret affair with last year. So Elliot has come back for Ginger. But, they both have contracts and allowed to be together. So you just imagine the looks of longing, stolen touches and moments. It was delicious. As a reality fan it made me happy. It was like experiencing a reality show in a whole different way. I loved getting that background view of something we never see and the side characters were certainly entertaining.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️.5

This book was super entertaining! Which I guess is a good thing, since part of the book’s setting is the business of entertainment!

Our MCs are Ginger and Elliot. Elliot is the main contestant on a Bachelor-like finding-love type reality show, and Ginger is in charge of helping him find love. Problem is, they had a one-night-stand a year ago after the previous season wrapped and Elliot didn’t get chose. And now, even though Elliot is on the show as the one looking for love, their chemistry hasn’t gone anywhere.

The tension and push and pull of their feelings for each other are so delicious, as most forbidden romances are. And they really do try to stay away from each other...but you know, forced proximity and all!

This is a great book for fans of reality TV watchers, but as someone who no longer watches reality TV, it was actually super fun to READ about it!!

[Noe Crockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of reality dating shows so this concept intrigued me. It definitely gave me a new perspective from the participants' and production's POV. Imagine being a well-meaning contestant being manipulated not for your best interest but for network ratings? Ugh. Gross. But also, likely the situation more times than not.

The plot got a bit convoluted and confusing at certain points and the ending felt rushed and a touch contrived, but I still found myself engaged in the book and cheering for Ginger and Elliott. It was a cute, fun, feel-good read.

The spice was consistent and well-paced throughout, solid 3.5 out of 5.

Also, I find it interesting that the author's next book in this series is following Kat's story. I didn't like her after this one and I don't want to, lol. She doesn't deserve good things, she's a jerk. I would much rather see Matt get a book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ginger is a producer in a show (think the bachelor / bachelorette) and she’s is up for a promotion. But success comes with a price, she has to help former contestant Elliot find love. Only she had a fling with him at the end of last season. Obviously complications emerge.
Behind The Scenes is a showstopper. It gives us the slow burn with action we need in a storyline.
This book offers a different kind of perspective , something i haven’t read before, but gives all the feels. At some point i got frustrated with Ginger and Elliot, because I could see the heartbreak, but i got through it.
I won’t say this was a breeze to read, but it does get you pretty hooked. Just like a reality show would.
The MC’s are very complex and the chemistry they share is sizzling and you can definitely feel it through out.

[Cassie Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎬 ARC Review 🎬

Welcome to Matched where happily ever afters are guaranteed.

This gave me The Bachelor vibes right off the bat and I was all for it! Producer of Matched Ginger and Elliot had a one night fling 6 months ago. Now Elliot is the star of Matched, can they pretend their one night together never happened?

This was such a fun read and I loved the whole plot. I thought Ginger was a little annoying. Elliot clearly only wants her and doesn't even want to be on the show. Ginger keeps going back to him, hooking up with him and then hurting him by saying it can't happen again.

If you love The Bachelor and reality dating shows then you should add this book to your TBR!

Overall rating: 4.5/5
Plot rating: 5/5
Character rating: 4/5

A big thank you the The Author Agency and author Kathryn Austin for selecting me to receive an advanced readers copy of Behind the Scenes 🩷

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combined all of my favorite things: Hollywood romance, reality TV, forbidden romance, he falls first, heavy tension... it was absolutely amazing!

Reality TV dating shows are my guilty pleasure so a book following "behind the scenes" was perfection to me! Also the whole premise of the show this book is following ('Matched') is so interesting and I would love to see it as an actual show.

Regardless, it became very easy to root for Ginger and Elliott and I loved the tension that the forbidden romance created. It was also easy to feel terrible for everyone around them that was impacted by their decisions, but that made the book feel even more real!

Highly recommend for romance readers AND reality TV lovers!

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Super, super, super cute!!

Ginger is a career-driven producer angling for a promotion to start her own show. It’s all she’s dreamed of and worked towards her whole life.

But then comes Elliot Hale.

The bad boy who wants commitment was the runner-up on last season’s Matched (a bachelorette style reality show) and is now back as the star. Except the one woman he wants is completely off limits.

I loooooved the push and pull between Elliot and Ginger. Their secret hookups were delicious but I totally understood her stance of how risky a relationship would be to her career. The ending was perfect and so swoony.

I did get a bit frustrated by the end and wish there had been some confrontation with her mom but overall this was very sweet and fun esp if you love cheesy reality tv!

[K. Ramjohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind The Scenes is book 1 in the Matched series and it follows Ginger, the producer of the hit reality dating tv show Matched and Elliott, the star of the show.

It was an entertaining tale that gave us a forbidden element and I loved the tension and angst Ginger and Elliot's sneaking around created. These two were perfect for each other but inspite of their great chemistry they couldn't be together as he had an iron clad contract and she needed her job. However, Elliot refused to give up and was persistent in his pursuit of her.

I loved that we got a behind the scenes look at the show and what goes into production abd I loved the secondary characters whovadded so much to the story. This was an unusual tale and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it to romance lovers

[Jessica Aranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎬Forbidden Love
🎬Hollywood romance
🎬High stakes/impossible odds
🎬Opposites attract
🎬Wild Twists

💗 Welcome to Matched where happily ever afters are guaranteed💗

🎞️ I am so grateful to @kathrynaistin and @aubtor for giving me the opportunity to read this book before its release on 2/13/25.

✨Wow! I couldn’t put this book down! I haven’t read something like this before, the behind the scenes of a reality tv show. I loved the tension between Ginger and Elliot. If you love a good forbidden romance, this is for you! There really wasn’t anything I disliked about it, other than I wanted more!

🫣 Do they get the happy ending or will they be forced to move on? You’ll just have to read to find out! Releasing on 2/13/25!

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

My guilty pleasure is reality dating shows, there is something just so unhinged about them that really does it for me. So, when I saw the synopsis of this book, I KNEW I had to give it a read. It was so interesting getting a behind the scenes, get it, look at what the production looks like from the other side. It was a refreshing romance! The tension between Ginger and Elliot was almost too much...so so so good. This is definitely a must read, and you don't have to be a reality dating show aficionado to love this book.

Thank you Kathryn Austin & The Author Agency for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨eARC Review✨
I 👏 could 👏 not 👏 put 👏 this 👏 down!!

I am NOT a reality show fan by any means but OMG the chemistry with Elliot and Ginger was unbelievable. I want to read it all over again for the first time!

Ginger is a producer on a reality dating show. When Elliot isn’t chosen by the girl at the end of the season, him and Ginger cave into their attraction to each other and have a one night stand. They reunite for the next season with Elliot as the main bachelor looking for love. Their chemistry, is proving to be harder and harder to avoid. But Elliot is in an iron clad contract and ginger has her career. Will they choose love?

OMG read this! Super fun read and CHEMISTRY 🔥

[Kelsey Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginger is a producer on a successful reality dating show. Elliot is coming off being dumped on the latest season. Will just one night turn into so much more?

I do not watch any reality dating shows, but I am a sucker for books about them. However, I took a star off because it took a long time to get to the happy ending and the spice was nice but always so rushed. I wanted to see the couple actually get more time to be together the way they both wanted deep down. Overall, it was a solid book but the plot just took us in some unnecessary loops. We want to see love!

[Esmee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het begon erg leuk maar viel daarna tegen en het einde was afgeraffeld.. het ging echt lang door en werd onnodig dramatisch. Vond hem eigenlijk ook niet zo leuk.. hij heeft zijn wilde haren verloren en staat nu open voor serieus... Maar hij lijkt een moederfiguur te zoeken. Ik kreeg bijna stress van Ginger. Ze moest zo verantwoordelijk zijn

[Anabella Shay Xo(RomanceBookWormXoXo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love The Bachelor/Bachelorette. So reading this was like watching a season unfold. I was wanting Ginger and Elliot together the whole book. I loved this!

[Tiffany Sturms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! A forbidden workplace romance in the Hollywood world, what could be better? If you’re looking for a fun, decently quick read, give this one a go!

[Alicyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

Good premise - reality tv show and a producer/contestant…some of the character moments just pmo and the behavior wasn’t working for me but wasn’t bad!

[Ashley Eppley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great charismatic read . It was Something new, something fresh—something groundbreaking. I enjoyed it very much. Filled with mounting tensions and passion that I couldn’t put down well done

[Calleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

elliott + ginger
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

standalone | 1st book in Matched series | MF | Hollywood | dating show star x producer | he's 30, she's 28 | opposites attract | bitter resentment to love | swiss army knife keepsake | pining | just once to get it out of our system | high stakes & impossible odds | wild twists | HEA📺

Thank you Kathryn Austin & The Author Agency for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Ginger has been tasked with coaching Elliot Hale on how to find his perfect life mate on the hit series Matched. It should be easy as Ginger is a professional and she's a competent producer, right? Oh no, no, no. Last season, when Elliot didn't get chosen as a match, Ginger let herself have a ONS with the star and now has to suppress her feelings for Elliot. She needs to find him a match so she can get the promotion she's been working towards. But can she stay away?

The PUSH/PULL between Elliot and Ginger was so freakin' delicious. I literally couldn't get enough of the Elliot and Ginger scenes. I was clutching my Kindle with all my might because when Kathryn says "pining" she means PININGGGGGGGGGG. Elliot is the piniest piner for Ginger and she pines for him right back but is way better at hiding it and suppressing. The forbidden trysts - in the limo, private bungalows, camp sites, and hotel rooms - brought the angst level way up. I neeeeeed the banter between mcs and Kathryn nailed it. The supporting characters were enjoyable - Vanessa, Kat, Michelle, Natalie, Matt, and even Irene - which heightened the story even more.

I LOVED this story because it had a little bit of everything in perfect balance. It was like going behind the scenes of The Bachelor and getting to see the inner workings and dialogue that creates those Hollywood shows was fascinating. Unlike anything I've read before! Highly recommend this read.

***buying shelf trophy!***