Love Scenes

I tried, I really tried to like this book. After all, a Hollywood family, the sexual tension of costars... everything sounded like a great story. However, it's been a struggle to finish.First, there were several instances of outright racism. This author directly insults "straight, white men" more than once. Maybe that's ok with this author, to put down people based on race, but I don't want to read that. I get enough racism talk on the news, the last thing I want to read is this author's clear dislike of white men.Secondly, it took forever to get to the bulk of the story. Lots of back story about people that I wasn't yet invested in.

3.5 starsI’ll be upfront and honest that I don’t get people’s fascination with celebrities at all. I never have and never will, but there was something about the synopsis of the book (not the cover at all) that made me request it and my wish was granted. I liked this book a lot, I felt like it explored celebrity families very well and showed just how messed up and honestly crazy they can be. I felt the heroine was a bit of a drama queen and not as strong as everyone around her seemed to think she was. I enjoyed the hero quite a bit, there were a lot of layers to him and he was the one character I felt was properly developed. The secondary characters were a varied group and added a lot of interest into the story almost too much though because I felt the romance/relationship suffered because there were just so many other characters. Granted the book would not have been the same without them, but I personally needed to see the two main characters together more on their own developing their relationship and sadly that didn’t happen.Sloane Ford grew up in a famous family, her actor father was a multi-award winner, her actress mother was as well until after their divorce she was blackballed (not related to the divorce but her sexuality), her younger sister is a director, her younger brother scores movies, her once step-mother is an actress, her step-father is a director so to say her life is all Hollywood is putting it mildly. Fired from the series she’s been working on for 5 years (actually killed off of it) Sloane has no choice but to accept a producer role in a film written by her step-father, being directed by him and her sister, featuring a sub-romance between her mother and her step-mother, scored by her brother, and her former co-star that almost ruined her career starring in the lead. She is not looking forward to working on this movie because of Joseph Donovan, her co-star who she will not have to see every day of production.The chaos of making the movie was interesting to read about and I felt I was part of the action which is always a good thing. The immediate tension between Sloane and Joseph was easy to feel and I could tell that they had a lot to accomplish to become lovers and I enjoyed their journey, there just wasn’t enough time with them once they figured it all out. Sloane’s family dynamics was fascinating and I enjoyed watching how everyone interacted with each other because they were one huge dysfunctional family yet there was an underlying sense of camaraderie between them all that was interesting to watch.The biggest disappointment in this story were the storylines that went nowhere; Sloane’s ex, a singer Kearns Adam releasing and entire album painting her and their relationship in a bad light and then doing a benefit concert on the night of a gala her foundation hosts every year. The album I get, it made her reassess and look at her life and their relationship, but the concert on the night of a gala was made out to be this huge thing and it honestly went nowhere, and it could have been handled so easily by someone reading a gossip column about how poor of a turnout his concert had or something, there was NOTHING and it just hung out there stinking up the story. Why didn’t Joseph’s dad show up beside the “he missed his flight” and why wasn’t the scene written in, the conversation between them so the reader can get a better feel for their strained relationship? Leaving these two big tangents hanging made the story feel unfinished.Love Scenes was definitely enjoyable, but more of a women’s fiction with romantic elements than a romance when you get down to it. Did it hold my attention? Absolutely, but the plot lacked depth and the romance was lacking leaving me feeling a bit unsatisfied.Review copy provided for a voluntary review.

Sloane Ford is an actress with a famous family. Both of her parents are Hollywood royalty. However, Sloane is down on her luck, after being killed off of the hit crime TV show, "The Seeker." Her family throws her a bone and hires her on as a consulting producer of a historical movie, where her entire overbearing and dramatic family is either working on or starring in it. Much to her chagrin, the leading man in the movie is none other than Joseph Donovan, her former onscreen nemesis that almost made her quit the business five years ago. When Sloane's tasked to help Joseph run lines before filming each morning, she's furious. Can the two survive the close proximity or will sparks eventually fly?Wow. I was completely blown away with Love Scenes. It is more than just a romance. This book tackles difficult family dynamics all with comedy and sexual tension thrown in. It was anything but predictable and I read this book in less than 24 hours. I simply could not put it down.Sloane's family is so over the top and outrageous, but it just fits, especially with how incestuous Hollywood is. Her mom is an absolute piece of work and gives zero F's. I truly hated her in the beginning. However, as the book progresses, I found myself rooting for Sloane's entire family as their motivations for their actions were slowly revealed. Families are tough and messy and Love Scenes depicts this perfectly.Joseph is the perfect hero. Irish, dark, handsome and charismatic, he can charm the pants off of anyone. But I loved how vulnerable he was with Sloane and never shied away from the truth or admitting he was wrong. Joseph knows he messed up five years ago and is bound and determined to show Sloane just how much he's changed. I also loved that the book was written in Sloane's POV, because Joseph is shown with an air of mystery. With each interaction between the two, you can see the wheels turning, but you don't know Joseph's thinking. But his actions prove his words.Sloane's transformation in the book was amazing to read. How could you not be just a tad messed up growing up the way she did? She holds her cards close to the chest, afraid to let others in. Sloane is determined not to be seen through the privilege her family affords her; she's willing to work for everything she has, plus she gives back selflessly to others. And to add to it, coming off a truly horrible year, I loved that Sloane could have sabotaged the movie out of spite, but she rose to the occasion. I absolutely loved her character.This is definitely a book you are going to want to pre-order! I loved it so much! It has everything - enemies to lovers, Hollywood drama, and a large, meddling family.Thank you Berkley for an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.