Val was the most compelling character in Sizzle Reel, IMHO, so I was super excited to dive into this sequel. More Val Is always better!

We open with A-list actress Valeria Sullivan taking a break from acting and returning to her academic roots by teaching a film study course at USC where she meets her gorgeous co-professor, Maeve Arko . Not one but two sexy professors? How did these USC students get so lucky??

Val feels like she’s not taken seriously by anyone for her academic pursuits, and she’s right; Maeve is initially dismissive despite the fact that Val knows her stuff as they clash over the syllabus, office hours and exam questions. The first few chapters are dense with film theory, but as the book progresses the focus shifts away from academia for focus more on the budding romance between Val and Maeve.

Eventually, they begin a relationship as Maeve realizes there is more to Val than her acting chops, but Val’s anxiety and mental health begin to get worse. Greenwald does an excellent job of portraying Val’s internal monologue, spiraling thoughts and out of control anxiety as she deals with the ramifications of her own fame on her relationship with Maeve. The pressure of being under a constant microscope and Val’s own deteriorating mental health threatens their nascent romance. Val can’t seem to get out of her own way, and Director’s Cut provides an honest, heartfelt look at the real drawbacks of fame and the challenges of being as gay celebrity.

We do also witness Val’s struggle with how she wants to show up (or not!) in Hollywood as a director, actress or leave the pursuit altogether for a quiet life in academia. She really goes through it while trying to work it out but the indecision feels authentic - it’s a huge decision made all that harder by her anxiety.

We thankfully get a happy ending for Val sand I would say this sophomore novel is even better than her first!

Thanks to Vintage and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was looking forward to this one because I thought the cover was so cute!

This was an enjoyable read. If you're a film buff, this is the book for you. All of the details about films and the discussions for their class went over my head, but I could see the value in the analysis that they discussed.

I would have liked more scenes between just Maeve and Valeria to help build the chemistry. If it weren't for the sex scenes, I would have said this felt like more like women's fiction than romance.

As a native Angelino, it was fun to see places I am familiar with on the page. Especially the city of Torrance, where I went to high school!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥

This book was my first queer romance novel & I believe this was a positive introduction to the sub genre. I liked the mental health rep, the open discussions about sex, & the way romantic emotional trauma was handled.

What I didn’t like was how quickly Valeria fell for Maeve. It felt odd/unnatural & I know Val was attempting to use Maeve & academia as a distraction but it still didn’t make sense when literally all Maeve did was decide to be nice to her for like one chapter at that point lol. Even with all that, I’d read this author again & I hope Charlie gets a book!

I didn’t understand the bad reviews about the first book in this series, Sizzle Reel, and I am glad this one has much better ratings! It’s FUN! I actually liked it more than the first book! The two main characters had a lot of chemistry and great tension and I really liked them both. I am pleasantly impressed!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Soo I liked this book. I'm having a little bit of a hard time writing my review though -- Let's walk through it:

This is my first Carlyn Greenwald and I enjoyed the blunt, brassiness of her writing style. *I think* this is the first full-length (almost 300 pg) novel I've read in first person that doesn't alternate back and forth between POVs. I've read some shorter 100-ish page stories from one POV, but this was a FULL book with one character.

In some ways I enjoyed it... The writing style took me a second to get into, but when I did it felt like someone you were close to was giving a life play-by-play. But I also felt like it limited our depth of connection with our other MC, Maeve. This limited perspective really relied on the reader connecting with Val -- I meannn, I did and loved it, but it was an interesting choice. I, personally, would have loved to get to spend more time understanding Maeve.

I loved the pairing of these two women. They felt perfect for each other, but even the most solid connection is not immune from past baggage and trauma. This story does a wonderful (and fun) job exploring that... It also made me put my Media & Gender Studies minor to the test. 😅 Great book. If you love sapphics, cinema, and musicals you're in for a treat!

I liked the general story line of this book but the first half was a little hard to get through. It felt like incomplete thoughts jumping from character thoughts to dialogue and back. I got lost in paragraphs many times and had to go back to reread or find the connection to something. Some of the extra characters like Mason where introduced to lightly so I had a hard time remembering their significance until they appeared as a character not a slight mention. The depth of film knowledge in the beginning also almost lost me. There was a ton of history and back story for the lectures being taught in the story line but then a lack of context of important characters and events. I’m still not sure if Val actually got a PhD or not. The second half did pick up a lot more and kept me drawn in. I think this story would have been great as a duel POV. I kept finding myself wanting to know more of Maeve’s thoughts and feelings.

Valeria Sullivan is an award winning actress who is trying to move into directing films. She has one bad interview on late night show. This causes her anxiety to spike and try and move out the Hollywood scene.

She finds the perfect escape to be a guest professor at USC and move to academia. She is co-teaching with Maeve Arko. The sparks fly between these two and must learn how to balance work and hollywood.

I liked how Valerie talked about her anxiety and counseling. Maeve and Valeria made a great team. I liked the many diverse characters in this book and how it talked about the filming industry and trying to make a change.

Regretfully, I DNFed at about 20%. This story is written in the first person and I was left feeling far removed from the characters. There was the feeling of a wall between myself and the plot developing that I couldn't scale no matter how much I drooled for this book. Actor turning to academia and teaching at a University only to slam into love? Yes please! It was my cup of tea but the wrong biscuits were served.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the voice a little strong in the beginning, but once I settled in, I really enjoyed the voice of the narrator. Even though the main character is a famous actress, she seemed very relatable with her frustrations about being underestimated in general and being pigeon-holed once she came out. It was obvious the author has a strong background in film and Hollywood, and the details reflect that insider knowledge. I loved the way the main character's anxiety was addressed head on, and though I found her reticence to talk about her conflicts annoying, I also found them realistic. The miscommunication trope is not my favorite in general. But this was not a case of a simple misunderstanding being blown out of proportion. The main character was paralyzed by her anxiety, even though she knew the longer she waited to talk about the issues the more complicated she was making it. Anyone who has every battled anxiety or struggled with task initiation due to executive function issues will resonate deeply with that. Even the annoyance I felt with her over this issue felt genuine -- I have made situations much worse by waiting to address them and it's just as frustrating for the person at the center of the conflict as it is for everyone else affected/reading. My only real critique is that I didn't feel like the love interest's character was fleshed out enough. Part of this was simply due to the single POV of this story and the fact that she was a secondary character, not a dual main character. But even beyond that, I just didn't feel like I knew much about her aside from the fact that she was bisexual and devoted to her career. I would have loved more development for that character, and more development around the resolution of the story and her decision to go to Paris and resume their relationship. I was happy that was what she chose, but I didn't understand really why she did. That said, it was a very enjoyable read. I read it in a single day and would definitely recommend it.

Thank You NetGalley for the ARC.
I liked the book and was intrigued by the plot. The middle of story did get boring but picked up towards the end. I just didn’t connect with the characters as I would’ve liked, but I did find them adorable at times.

I struggled with this one a bit. When I read the synopsis I thought that it sounded like an intriguing story. However, I did not connect with the characters as much as I would have hoped. Also, I think there is another novel that can be read before this one? I did not realize that this book was a continuation of another one. So at times I felt a little lost.

I went into this book expecting to not enjoy it. I read "Sizzle Reel" a while ago and did not like it. I started this book thinking that I would feel the same, but I did enjoy this book a lot. I was rooting for Maeve and Val throughout the book, and while it did fall into the cliche of the third-act breakup, I still really enjoyed it overall.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! What a great read! This book is definitely in line with Ashley Herring Blake and Meryl Wilsner. I absolutely loved Greenwald's characterization and the consistent back story for each character. She did a great job of really setting up Val and Maeve's professional goals and conflicts. It carried so many possibilities throughout the story and I was consistently wondering what could happen next! As someone who has taught at both the primary and collegiate level, I think the author's portrays the educational aspect accurately. The information regarding media education was incredibly interesting and educating at the same time. The conflict between switching careers was well done, and so was the subtle inserts of Val's slow disinterest of her acting/directing career. The spicy scenes were tastefully done and kept the reader wanting more.

The only thing I would give 3 out of 5 stars was the change in characterization of Maeve in the beginning. At first she comes off as this hard professional. She seems mature, set in her ways, focused, and a little judgmental, but it works for her! It gave Val a reason to try extra hard and prove herself. There was a sudden shift when she sees Val teach a full lesson for the first time, and then she's all apologetic and sappy. I think the characterization switch was too abrupt and too different. I think if she carried those hard professional characteristics, it would have kept up with the "professor persona." Personally, I think she felt like she was written a little too young and timid towards the middle of the book.

Nonetheless, this was a FANTASTIC read! The author weaves literary components throughout the text, and it helps round out the story around the dialogue. I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved how unabashedly sapphic this was. There was so many different types of queer representation in this as well. I enjoyed the open discussion about therapy and medication use for anxiety. I had a lot of fun reading about the development of Maeve’s and Val’s relationship. I also loved the tidbits of their lectures as well which I thought rounded it out nicely. It was lovely to see representations of queer people in Academia and their work as well. My only issues was that the jump from them not liking each other to liking each other did give me a bit of whiplash. Val was also a bit confusing as a narrator at the beginning.

This was a really enjoyable read. The plot flowed well and the characters were well developed. There were a few places where the story was a little slow, but overall, I would recommend this book to to others, especially if they've read the first book set in the same world.

- 3.75 stars -

I’ve rarely jumped on the chance to preview a book as quickly as I did this one. Brunette professor, blonde actor-director, it seemed custom-made for my girlfriend and I. What I wasn’t expecting was the parts of Val’s journey that I would identify with as a performer.

(Spoilers start here!) Val relishes the idea of settling into academia as she struggles to imagine a future in the film industry. However, she learns she DOES want that future. She wants to create. She wants to act. Her anxiety was what was standing between herself and that dream, and she didn’t realize it until she was forced to face the consequences of that anxiety — among them, the way it was impacting her relationship with Maeve — head-on. As someone living between the worlds of education and performance, someone who holds both close but is unsure how to shape these passions into a future that works, Val’s journey is going to stick with me, especially as I stand on the precipice of decisions that could push me one way or another. The decision should belong to me, not my anxiety.

But beyond that, I love the kind of love these women fall into. While the physical aspect is certainly present and may be a huge draw for some readers, what struck me was the way Val and Maeve’s relationship grew into something where the future was at the forefront. Allowing yourself to imagine a future with someone you love is something that sapphic women often have to fight for, and to me, it is beautiful when Val reaches a place where she can do that, and even more so when Val and Maeve exchange their dreams and desires for a future together as the book comes to a close. It’s a future in which they can be each other’s calm amidst the storm of such high-pressure lives, a future where they are honest about their struggles and can lean on each other, and a future where they pledge to support each other in their careers in a way that makes their successes that much sweeter.

Like many books I’ve been reading these days, this one could be pretty buzzwordy at times, which can take me out of a story. Let's leave the discourse-reminiscent blurbs for Tumblr where they belong (and I say this as a Tumblr user). There were also moments it felt a bit disjointed, or like I was missing something. It wasn't until I went to post this review that I discovered there was a precursor to this book, but it seems like maybe I was better off just starting with this one. For the most part, it stands on its own quite well. It took me a minute to get into it, but once I did, the carefully measured reading plan that I had constructed dissolved into a page-turning frenzy! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to access this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I want to start off by saying that, as a lesbian, jewish, director from the south bay, this book completely robbed me of an individuality complex. It’s actually crazy how much Valeria and I have in common.

I loved how rooted in LA this book is. The little easter eggs, like mentioning a big mall in Torrance but not saying Del Amo, made me feel like I was an insider.

I love Maeve. I almost wish we got to see her in her pre friends with Val era for longer, but I did enjoy the pace at which their relationship progressed.

The two things I didn’t like about the book are how quickly it starts and how long it takes Val to tell Maeve her news (keeping it vague and spoiler free). The first few pages felt like I was being thrown into a world too quickly. So many new characters were introduced at once, and I had a hard time retaining all of the information. The miscommunication trope is my least favorite, and I’d say the middle of this book dips its toe into that territory. I think Val got way too ahead of herself and spent so long in an unnecessary flurry of anxiety. It just made it hard for me to empathize with her because she was self sabotaging.

Overall, this book made me feel so seen and represented, not to mention it is laugh out loud funny. Mark your calendars for June 11!

I loved this book! After finishing Carlyn Greenwald's debut, SIZZLE REEL, I thought about how great it would be if Val got her own book...and my wish was granted with DIRECTOR'S CUT! The story re-introduces readers to Valeria Sullivan, an award-winning actress who's feeling a little stuck. With dwindling options for future projects and a disastrous interview on a late-night show, Val decides to take a break from Hollywood, moving on instead to a guest professorship at USC with goals of transitioning to academia full-time. When sparks begin to fly between Val and her co-professor, Maeve Arko, and Val's directorial debut starts getting attention, Val is forced to consider what—and who—matters most to her.

I flew through DIRECTOR'S CUT—I literally could not put it down! I love both the Hollywood and academia settings in books, and thought Greenwald did a wonderful job of developing both worlds, and showing how Valeria clearly has a connection to both of them. The Jewish rep and mental health rep were definite highlights of the story for me, too! And as a huge fan of musicals, I especially enjoyed reading about Val and Maeve's class—the descriptions of the lectures and ideas they had for the course were all so fascinating. I also thought the romance between Val and Maeve was very well-done. I loved seeing how they balanced each other out and truly brought out the best in each other. My only minor gripe was the way the miscommunication trope was used—I did get a little frustrated with Val sometimes because I wanted her to be more upfront with Maeve about certain things, but I understood her anxiety and why she was so hesitant. Overall, I would highly recommend DIRECTOR'S CUT, and can't wait to see what Greenwald writes next! I hope we see these characters again somehow, too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! The miscommunication was frustrating and I wish the tension had gone in for longer, but other than that, the author’s storytelling is very solid.

Director's Cut is a book that sucks you in, once you start it, you don't want to put it down until it's over. It's a whirlwind of emotions dealing with relationships, old and new. The sex scenes are steamy too, if you're into those within your reading. There's one part of the book that felt slightly targeted and that's only because I, too, was obsessed with a certain X-Files actress. I felt seen in that moment. I think this book encapsulates a realistic take on a relationship where you love them so much that you have moments where you need to tell them something but don't want to hurt their feelings or ruin a good thing. Happy moments, sad moments, pull at your heart string moments, it's all in here. I really enjoyed reading it and I can't wait for you to read it too!