LOVE SCENES is a standalone contemporary romance by Bridget Morrissey. While I was reading this, I got a very THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS vibe – in a good way. Actress Sloane Ford’s extended family is comprised of actors, actresses, producers, directors, and just about anything to do with the movie business. They are also an intense, quirky, and varying degrees of difficult. The family is currently working on a World War II-era romance with Sloane as the producer rather than an actress. Things change and then she replaces one of the main actresses, but her new position is no more or less filled with potential landmines.

Since LOVE SCENES is told strictly from Sloane’s perspective, she seems the most sympathetic. Sloane’s mother is a very complex character. While it’s obvious that she loves her children, she comes off a little competitive and harsh at times. It’s like a sucker punch when it’s revealed that the family have hired her nemesis as the romantic male lead for the film - Joseph Donovan. Bridget Morrissey does a good job of offering enough background info regarding Sloane and Joseph’s contentious past to make the reader understand why there’s some friction there. The author sprinkles bits of history between the other characters throughout the story, as well as scenes from Sloane’s recent bad breakup. The recent breakup serves as nice way to contrast and compare it to the unpleasant professional relationship between Sloane and Joseph then and the romantic one that develops between them in the present. These slices of history create an intimacy between the reader and the characters. The sexual tension between Sloane and Joseph through most of the book is delicious and the chemistry becomes stronger as they slowly reveal themselves to each other – emotionally and physically. I like Joseph’s vulnerability when it comes to Sloane, and the obvious way he is smitten with her. By comparison, Sloane struggles with letting herself be vulnerable with Joseph. This is understandable, given the betrayal she experienced in her last relationship.

LOVE SCENES has a love story within a love story and a couple with sensational chemistry. Bridget Morrissey balances the character development with the sweet and sexy scenes to create a well-balanced story. This is a story with layers upon layers and an intriguing level of character complexity. In addition to the main couple, the family members gain a better understanding of each other by the end of the book. I look forward to reading more from Bridget Morrisey.