
Love Scenes
By Bridget Morrissey
Rating: 4.25/5 Genre: Contemporary Romance Steam: Closed Door Publisher: Berkley Romance Pub Date: June 22, 2021 Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for my Advanced Copy! You're the best! Available: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop
Love Scenes Synopsis: Sloane Ford is unemployed after losing her continuous role on a soap opera. And unfortunately for her she comes from a famous family that just happens to have found the perfect job for her there, even if it’s made up. When things get a little crazy and they lose their leading actress, Sloane must step up and take the role. Joesph Donovan made her life a living hell and ruined her career the last time she worked with him, but with him as her opposite she has to make things work. If only he weren’t so different and charming. Between her chaotic family running the show, her unfortunate ex making things difficult, and Joesph being entirely too charming, there’s a lot for Sloane to handle.
Love Scenes is one of those books that you read and then instantly want to reread it. The family dynamics, the fun dialogue, the movie-in-a-story, and the plot made this book so enjoyable to read!
Love Scenes Review:
From the first page you’re sucked in the book! Sloane was an incredibly likable character that I really felt for when reading this book. It was both better and worse than what I had expected. The romance was lacking, but the family dynamic and reflection of Hollywood was beyond perfect. It was a really, really enjoyable read! Perfect for the summer!!
The Good:
The relationships she had with her family members were written so authentically. Not everyone has a perfect relationship with every family member, and each person has the thing you go to them for. It was so well brought up in this book. The fun dynamics of such a large, mixed family in showbiz was one of my favorite parts of the book. I honestly just want a TV show about them! I especially loved the woven in representation of the LGBTQ+ community and BIPOC. While most of the characters were white, the ones that weren’t were fully fleshed characters that didn’t fall into the stereotypes.
The dialogue was fun and witty. It kept the story moving. The discussions around life in Hollywood were some of the best elements of the novel. Between the prevailing issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, to the rampant sexism in the film industry, to being the children of famous people were all nicely handled and easily woven into the narrative. All in all it’s a great escapism novel with just enough grittiness to make it not sugary sweet.
The Meh:
My biggest complaint about the book was that the romance didn’t feel fully formed. Sloane is coming off of a bad breakup and her and Joseph had a poor experience working together years ago. That’s a lot to overcome for a relationship! Especially since the film that they starred in years ago lead to Sloane’s ruin in Hollywood (even though that’s not fully addressed in the novel and I’m still a little unclear about that). Joseph has the beginnings of being a REALLY good romantic interest, but nothing comes of it. He feels very one dimensional. But there’s nothing that really gives you the butterflies or makes you feel so happy that they’re together. I’m a big romance reader, but I really didn’t care about the romance in this novel.
Long Story Short
Do I recommend Love Scenes? Yes! Overall I did really enjoy the book. I wish there had been more romance in it, but the family dynamic and character interactions made up for it. I think that this is the perfect read for summer. It’s lighthearted with just enough depth to the characters to make you invested in them. The story is cute and Sloane is a very likable main character. I will definitely be purchasing my own copy to have when it comes out.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If You Liked This One…
I highly recommend picking up You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria as it also features movie sets, coworkers in love, and intervening family! My Review.
Or try Shipped by Angie Hockman for similar steam level and story telling! My Review.
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