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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Okay, I love how diverse the characters are. It’s nice to see that. Also, I adore the way the writing just connects, but I just couldn’t personally. I love the groveling though, it’s sweet.
Love Scenes is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance about two offspring of Hollywood royalty who made a film together that saw charming Irishman Joseph Donovan’s career trajectory take off and left Sloane Ford’s career almost in ruins, all because she complained about his unprofessional behavior on set. Finding herself unemployed after her character in a crime drama series is killed off, her actor/producer mother asks her to join the crew of her new movie Horizons (a World War II drama) with other extended family members working both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Having shared with the family her brutal experience co-starring with Joe, she’s shocked to find that he has been cast as the male lead. When she’s asked to take over the female lead, their chemistry is undeniable. He claims to have mended his ways after struggling through the grief of losing his mother and working on his sobriety, but can she trust that his new persona is genuine or all an act?
In a world where every move is scrutinized, fame is fleeting, and careers can be destroyed at the whim of directors and producers, it’s important for Sloane to guard her heart, especially after her ex-boyfriend, who broke up with her, makes her the subject of his heartbreak album. However, as they read lines together in his trailer, she gets a glimpse behind his effortless charm to the vulnerability underneath.
Morrissey has done a wonderful job of describing the nepotism in the movie industry while still getting readers to sympathize with the main protagonists. Yes, they didn’t have to struggle to break into the biz, but they still deal with insecurities and family dynamics that are far from normal. From Sloane’s divorced actor parents and step-parents to her drag queen/composer brother, lesbian sister who is making her directorial debut, and precocious 11-year-old stepsister, she has to navigate the fickle industry and carve out a place for herself while struggling with anxiety. Joseph, although nominated for an Emmy the previous year, still struggles with the perception that he doesn’t take his job seriously enough to learn lines and with living in the shadow of his famous father.
Morrissey mentions the roots of the #metoo movement which tanked Sloane’s mother’s career, and describes the role of an intimacy coordinator in some detail. She also doesn’t shy away from discussing alcoholism, grief, and the impact of being queer in the industry. She balances all of these issues with humor, smoking hot chemistry, and an appreciation of the hard work actors do to bring joy to millions. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
In a world where every move is scrutinized, fame is fleeting, and careers can be destroyed at the whim of directors and producers, it’s important for Sloane to guard her heart, especially after her ex-boyfriend, who broke up with her, makes her the subject of his heartbreak album. However, as they read lines together in his trailer, she gets a glimpse behind his effortless charm to the vulnerability underneath.
Morrissey has done a wonderful job of describing the nepotism in the movie industry while still getting readers to sympathize with the main protagonists. Yes, they didn’t have to struggle to break into the biz, but they still deal with insecurities and family dynamics that are far from normal. From Sloane’s divorced actor parents and step-parents to her drag queen/composer brother, lesbian sister who is making her directorial debut, and precocious 11-year-old stepsister, she has to navigate the fickle industry and carve out a place for herself while struggling with anxiety. Joseph, although nominated for an Emmy the previous year, still struggles with the perception that he doesn’t take his job seriously enough to learn lines and with living in the shadow of his famous father.
Morrissey mentions the roots of the #metoo movement which tanked Sloane’s mother’s career, and describes the role of an intimacy coordinator in some detail. She also doesn’t shy away from discussing alcoholism, grief, and the impact of being queer in the industry. She balances all of these issues with humor, smoking hot chemistry, and an appreciation of the hard work actors do to bring joy to millions. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
I really liked the sample and the writing style so I quickly purchased this book. This is my 1st Morrissey book and won't be my last. I really enjoyed it a lot that my 4.5 stars was rounded up to 5 stars.
Sloane Ford comes from a showbiz family and is an actor who is in between jobs so as her family movie project Horizons starts production, she gets roped into being a consulting producer. However they really wanted her to play the female lead character Elise, opposite an actor she worked with 5 years ago called Joseph Donovan, an Irish actor who is now a recovering alcoholic. Joseph was not easy to work with 5 years ago, but he has regrets. This is not quite an enemies to lovers trope, but it was enjoyable to see the romance bloom slowly as we learn about the movie making business of Sloane's blended family. The secondary characters were developed quite well. The writing itself was very well done and really enjoyed the experience. Good representation of a blended family and their quirks. Reccomend it.
Sloane Ford comes from a showbiz family and is an actor who is in between jobs so as her family movie project Horizons starts production, she gets roped into being a consulting producer. However they really wanted her to play the female lead character Elise, opposite an actor she worked with 5 years ago called Joseph Donovan, an Irish actor who is now a recovering alcoholic. Joseph was not easy to work with 5 years ago, but he has regrets. This is not quite an enemies to lovers trope, but it was enjoyable to see the romance bloom slowly as we learn about the movie making business of Sloane's blended family. The secondary characters were developed quite well. The writing itself was very well done and really enjoyed the experience. Good representation of a blended family and their quirks. Reccomend it.
Thank you so much to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced e-reader of this book.
This book had all the hits. You have two people who absolutely did not get along in their last on-screen romance, who then have to work begrudgingly together a few years later, Well, begrudgingly on one side, and hopeful on another. I really loved the setting of this book. It had all the checks and I was pumped to read it. It kind of fell a little flat to me though. I didn't really see or feel the chemistry between the two characters.
I honestly was more interested in how Sloane was so down on herself and her family was down on her two. The interaction between her and her family was what kept me going, not the romance itself (which is why it fell flat, since this is a romance novel). The family dynamic was *chef's kiss* and I loved to see everything unfold there.
Over all, this was really enjoyable! I just don't see myself ever picking it up for a reread.
This book had all the hits. You have two people who absolutely did not get along in their last on-screen romance, who then have to work begrudgingly together a few years later, Well, begrudgingly on one side, and hopeful on another. I really loved the setting of this book. It had all the checks and I was pumped to read it. It kind of fell a little flat to me though. I didn't really see or feel the chemistry between the two characters.
I honestly was more interested in how Sloane was so down on herself and her family was down on her two. The interaction between her and her family was what kept me going, not the romance itself (which is why it fell flat, since this is a romance novel). The family dynamic was *chef's kiss* and I loved to see everything unfold there.
Over all, this was really enjoyable! I just don't see myself ever picking it up for a reread.
slow-paced
Working with your family is never easy, much less a Hollywood family working on a movie. Sloane’s acting career was cut short and while her mother gave her a job on the movie the family is working on, she feels like it is a pity job. When things happen on set and she is suddenly given the lead role starring against the actor who made her life hell before we know that things will get interesting.
Love Scenes is a fun and easy book to read. The family dynamics are spot on with many tense moments along with a lot of laughs. I liked how there was ex’s, current spouses, girlfriends, sisters, mothers, and fathers all involved in the making of the film. It kept things interesting and fun to read letting me see the interactions of all the members of this Hollywood family. The fact that everyone, including the ex’s, seemed to get along for the most part was a relief. I liked that the family, for the most part, got along.
Joseph was a wild card for me. I could like him or I could hate him. He had to earn his keep with me. I liked that Sloane put her hurt aside and did what was best for the movie but she also did not quickly forgive him. He put in the work, did the job, and earned the trust back. I liked that it was a slow romance. The heat and attraction was there from the beginning but it took time for their relationship to develop and I enjoy seeing them get to know each other again.
Love Scenes is a fun and easy book to read. The family dynamics are spot on with many tense moments along with a lot of laughs. I liked how there was ex’s, current spouses, girlfriends, sisters, mothers, and fathers all involved in the making of the film. It kept things interesting and fun to read letting me see the interactions of all the members of this Hollywood family. The fact that everyone, including the ex’s, seemed to get along for the most part was a relief. I liked that the family, for the most part, got along.
Joseph was a wild card for me. I could like him or I could hate him. He had to earn his keep with me. I liked that Sloane put her hurt aside and did what was best for the movie but she also did not quickly forgive him. He put in the work, did the job, and earned the trust back. I liked that it was a slow romance. The heat and attraction was there from the beginning but it took time for their relationship to develop and I enjoy seeing them get to know each other again.
I think objectively, the pacing and certain lack of fleshing out of details would make this book more of a 3-4 star read but THIS IS MY GOODREADS AND MY RULES
I saw this book on a featured shelf at the library and quickly read the back when I decided to add it to my library haul. No clue why I chose this book to read first out of the ones I picked, but I was absolutely into Love Scenes and I flew through it. I appreciated the many characters (most peripheral but still felt real), messy families (I get that the author was trying to show Mom being flawed in parenting due to her own flaws in relationships, but oof, she just felt cruel to me?), and I liked the plot, aka the main character Sloane spending a lot of time coming to terms with things she probs should have seen a therapist about. Wished we could have read that the reason why she debated quitting acting wasn’t Joe (although an alcoholic scene partner sounds rough), but more about the misogynistic industry and peoples’ willingness to listen to dudes over women—felt way too light on this point.
The worst part though, and I am pointing this out because I am petty, is the main character whom we’ve been told a few times is generally “good” but mostly not as famous as her parents, names her foundation after herself. Lololol still loved it but that part made me cringe.
The worst part though, and I am pointing this out because I am petty, is the main character whom we’ve been told a few times is generally “good” but mostly not as famous as her parents, names her foundation after herself. Lololol still loved it but that part made me cringe.
How many characters are in this book? Eight or ten I think. Each has their story and show how much they change through out the book. KISS Keep it Simple Stupid. I wanted the bad guy to be badder, I wanted the sex to be hotter and the fights to be epic. But that is not what I got. I would not have beer with any of them and I do not think that Sloan and Joesph are together after a year.
Review originally posted at https://smexybooks.com/2021/06/angelas-minis-love-scenes-by-bridget-morrissey-and-subtle-blood-by-kj-charles.html
I kind of expected a soft, funny book with lots of shenanigans and on-set hi-jinks, but Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey turned out to be a whole lot more. This an emotional read, featuring an actress heroine from a big, diverse, creative extended family who are all in the Hollywood business. They write, they direct, they do movie scores… this is a bright and fun group who has issues but love each other.
Sloane Ford is the daughter of Hollywood big wigs and has taken a made up job as a producer on the set of a family movie project after her character is killed off on her longtime weekly tv series. Her career is in a slump and she feels like she doesn’t quite measure up. The star of the production is none other than the man who made her life hell when they co-starred in a movie several years prior. Sloane hates Joseph, but she’ll make this situation work, she’ll do whatever it takes to make this movie a success.
This is an enemies to lovers romance that takes place mostly on a movie set. I was surprised at how angsty and emotional this read was. While the entire book is told in Sloane’s POV, both she and Joe each go through their own character journies. Their romance builds slowly and sweetly, full of distrust at first and then onto a true friendship and eventually love. Joe is charming and believable in his sobriety and quest to find redemption from his past behavior, and Sloane is strong, yet also vulnerable while she starts to believe in herself and find a connection to her craft again..
This was a good read. Enjoyed.
Final grade- B
I kind of expected a soft, funny book with lots of shenanigans and on-set hi-jinks, but Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey turned out to be a whole lot more. This an emotional read, featuring an actress heroine from a big, diverse, creative extended family who are all in the Hollywood business. They write, they direct, they do movie scores… this is a bright and fun group who has issues but love each other.
Sloane Ford is the daughter of Hollywood big wigs and has taken a made up job as a producer on the set of a family movie project after her character is killed off on her longtime weekly tv series. Her career is in a slump and she feels like she doesn’t quite measure up. The star of the production is none other than the man who made her life hell when they co-starred in a movie several years prior. Sloane hates Joseph, but she’ll make this situation work, she’ll do whatever it takes to make this movie a success.
This is an enemies to lovers romance that takes place mostly on a movie set. I was surprised at how angsty and emotional this read was. While the entire book is told in Sloane’s POV, both she and Joe each go through their own character journies. Their romance builds slowly and sweetly, full of distrust at first and then onto a true friendship and eventually love. Joe is charming and believable in his sobriety and quest to find redemption from his past behavior, and Sloane is strong, yet also vulnerable while she starts to believe in herself and find a connection to her craft again..
This was a good read. Enjoyed.
Final grade- B