A simultaneously heart-racing and heartwarming sapphic love story, this novel shows the both the toll that severe anxiety can take on one’s life and relationships and how real and true love can help heal old wounds. Beautifully crafted and full of enrapturing detail, this book has Hollywood, academia, and queer love - what’s not to like?!

I'm never not going to like a Hollywood romance. But make is sapphic???? Be still my heart. This was such a fun read.

The book was a little slow-paced for me but had a few great spicy scenes.

About halfway through the book, I realized that I was not a big fan of the lead FMC, Valeria. She felt like she didn't know what she wanted and was willing to throw everything away for a possibility at a relationship with a person that she wasn't even sure liked her back to the same extent. Her behavior was very self-sabotaging and she didn't even think through her decisions or her omissions. It felt like she was frozen in her decision-making and just looking for a comfortable and easy path where no one would get mad at her.

However, I ended up not hating Val because she does make amends and realizes a lot of her flaws before the book ends. Ending redeemed the book for me - especially when she seriously begins trying to fix the things.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and Carlyn Greenwald for an ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed reading Director's Cut. Val was my favorite character in Sizzle Reel so getting to continue her story from her perspective in Director's Cut was a treat. I found Val very relatable even though I am not an Oscar-winning actress or film director... The story and the romance was really sweet and entertaining. As someone who loves movie musicals, I loved all the tidbits about them during the classroom scenes. There were a couple callbacks to Sizzle Reel, but this novel functions as a stand-alone as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with this Advanced Reader's Copy.

Director’s Cut is an Adult Romance I really enjoyed. The story is a standalone novel set in the same world as Sizzle Reel. You don’t have to read Sizzle Reel first, but if you do it will provide fun context to some moments referenced in this book as well as understanding a little better the headspace Val is in at the start of this book.

Valeria Sullivan is a famous actress and budding film director who recently came out publicly. She’s pivoting in her career to focus on a neglected passion: academia and is teaching for one semester as USC. Her co-teacher is the brilliant and beautiful Maeve Arko.

Throughout the book, Val comes to a crossroads in her career and she’s being guided in large part by her anxiety. I thought her internal conflict and arc was very well written. Val struggled and self sabotaged because of how severe her anxiety had become and I think that’s so relatable for so many people.

Some things I really liked: Maeve. She was level headed and mature and the exact positive influence Val needed in her life. I appreciated the intelligence of both women and how they challenged and complemented one another. I liked seeing the way Val healed from a toxic past relationship as well her progress in her mental health journey. Val has the greatest friendship in Charlie. And there’s a whole fun cast of side characters, including little callbacks to Luna!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Director's Cut, Carlyn Greenwald's sophomore novel, expands on the robust and deeply development characters from Sizzle Reel and gives the readers even more than they could have asked for. Valeria is one of the most nuanced, beautifully flawed, and dazzling protagonists I've read about in a long time. From the first chapter, I was hooked on her story of self re-discovery. The romance is realistic and romantic, and the characters work through such an impressive array of character growth. Fantastic story!!!

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of
Director's Cut by Carolyn Greenwald.

Director's Cut is a compelling romance novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. While navigating the ups and downs of the entertainment industry, the protagonist Val's struggles with anxiety and self-sabotaging behavior really struck a chord with me. I found her motivations relatable, and her journey felt authentic and raw.

Although at times the miscommunication between characters felt drawn out, it added depth to the storyline and highlighted the complexities of human relationships. The romance between Val and Maeve is electric and incredibly well-developed. The build-up to their eventual union kept me eagerly turning the pages.

I highly recommend Director's Cut to readers who enjoy immersive romance novels with authentic characters. Also to anyone looking for a good lgbtq+ romance!!

This was a fun one as I'm always here for an academic romance and a slow burn! I was also a fan of the anxiety representation - anxious girlies rise up! I do think the slow burn could have been a bit more drawn out and I also think the sex scenes were a tad cheesy and forgettable. But overall this was super enjoyable!

okay i’m going to start by saying that this might be the *only* instance of miscommunication in a book that i can hang with. because it was so self aware!!
alright, backing up.
this book was so much f*cking fun. i am the world’s biggest sucker for a hollywood/movie industry themed book (obviously), and i was not at all disappointed. it felt realistic and not at all like i was reading someone guessing at how making and releasing a movie works. so that was a big win. plus the warner bros lot mention made me cheese. accurate except that our to go coffee cups do not have the shield on them, sorry. also the new bev mention!! loved loved.
moving on lol. i thought val was SUCH a wonderful mc. she was real and flawed and funny and exhausting and smart and passionate! she had so many facets to her, and i loved it so much. even when i was yelling at her, i loved the whole character. she made mistakes and tried to make excuses for them, but in the end, she owned up to and took responsibility for them! things weren’t just swiped away for trauma, the trauma was addressed and confronted and progress was made. this was SO important to see.
maeve, of course, was a delight. obviously we have such a skewed view of her from val’s first person, but you could see her come alive through val’s eyes and i really loved it, even if it sometimes felt like we were looking at her through such rose colored glasses. you could just tell how cool she really was.
i think the side characters were fun and while not super fleshed out besides charlie and sort of ty, i didn’t mind that. i got what i needed out of them.
the pacing was great for me. we moved along nicely and stuck in the moments we needed to. i really, really enjoyed the details about val and maeve’s lectures and the general film analytics throughout the book. that is my SHIT.
i absolutely adored reading this book. it gave me all the warm and fuzzies and was such a great romance!!

This book brought me out of a month long reading slump! The character development and anxiety of Val allowed me to truly understand and step into the mind of her character. The only issue was the time line felt a little rushed and at one point the book just jumped months without me fully realizing. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read!

This book was a surprise for me! The plot and the characters were so fun to read and watch as they grew throughout the story. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this eARC! Carlyn has done it again, made me fall in love with this book while also stabbing me right in the chest. This book for PERSONAL and it hurt me so I am going to treasure it forever. and give it a place of HONOR on my shelf. Valeria's struggle with Anxiety is so devastating and so real. She and Maeve are such a good match because they challenged each other and Maeve isn't afraid to call Valeria out on her bullshit. I could just live in Carlyn Greenwald's books all day long, what an absolute talent.

"Director's Cut" by Carlyn Greenwald not only delivers a compelling narrative but also features charming and authentic main characters that readers can't help but root for. From the determined main character Valeria to her love interest the interesting and witty Maeve each character is expertly crafted with depth and nuance. Greenwald's attention to detail and keen understanding of human nature make the characters feel like real people, drawing readers deeper into their world and making their triumphs and tribulations all the more impactful. With its charming cast and authentic portrayal of navigating Hollywood and its ecosystem "Director's Cut" is a truly immersive reading experience.

I really enjoyed this book,
The main characters are Maeve and Valeria. Valeria is getting tired of the spotlight and decides to do a guest professorship at USC.
Maeve is the professor that Valeria will be working with. Maeve's first impression of Valeria is that she is not serious about the classes and not the right person for the job. Valeria senses that Maeve is not satisfied with her performance, so she switches gears that cause everything to change: Maeve's impression of her and the feelings between the two women.
Valeria wants to transition into academia for good, but a film she starred in and directed is being considered for Cannes. She is hopeful it will get in, but knows that Maeve is going to be observed that will determine the trajectory of her career. Leaving before then would not be good.
There are a lot of moving parts in this book that do resolve themselves by the end, but what a great read!
I would highly recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this a 3.5⭐️ I liked that this combined the celebrity trope with academia. To me, that made this feel more grounded and I was able to connect with the romance more. As a fan of musicals, I found it very interesting reading about their lectures and film theory.

Val’s struggles with anxiety and her self-sabotaging behavior really resonated with me. I understood her motivations throughout even if reading about the miscommunication (or rather, lack of communication) felt drawn out.

I flew through this book and enjoyed how Val and Maeve’s relationship developed. I was craving a fun and fluffy sapphic romance and this definitely satisfied that want! I didn’t know this was part of an interconnected series and I may read Sizzle Reel when I want to spend more time with these characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I breezed though it. I loved Val. It took me a while for Maeve to grow on me but once she did i fell in love with her as well.

I loved learning both about Hollywood and the Academia worlds in this book. When they were teaching I felt like i was learning along with the students and I loved that. I did find it a little frustrating with the main communication between Val being able to talk to Maeve a little frustrating at times. I wanted it to move a little fast but overall I really enjoyed the book.

This was a light fun read that I think many will enjoy.

Fun, sexy, and a great mix of internal growth and outward change. Really enjoyed this one, and the added celebrity angle is always a bonus!

This book was hard for me to get into as someone who isn't big into film studies. I was lost on a lot of the topics of conversation and it made it really difficult to get through the book. About halfway was when the romance started and it became less about film and that's when I started to enjoy it more. I would say if you are into film, especially musicals, this book would be a good book for you and you could probably relate to the material more. I like the aspect of a celebrity with a non-celebrity and wish that had more development and had been a bigger focus of the book. I received an ARC copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley I was able to read one of my most looked forward to book of the year, Director’s Cut, and while it had a lot of potential it unfortunately all fell flat to me.

The book follows Valeria Sullivan as she moves from being a successful actress to a professor at USC, and Maeve Arko, her co-professor. I was excited as the concept of an actress having decided to give up her Hollywood fame sounded interesting, but unfortunately the writing was something I couldn’t get past.

I felt myself unable to connect with the characters and wishing that they were introduced in a better way. The storylines lacked in substance to me which was disappointing given how highly reviewed the book is.

I was lucky enough to be sent an eBook version of “Director’s Cut” by Carlyn Greenwald for my honest review. Thank you so much to the publisher, Vintage, and NetGalley!

If you’re intrigued by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and relish peeking behind the curtain, this sapphic romance may be for you. After coming out as queer, Oscar-winning actress Valeria Sullivan’s struggles with lack of opportunities for new roles and transitioning from acting to directing. Initially, the amount of the story dedicated to digging into the intricate details of Val’s professional struggles slowed the narrative for me, but as the story unfolded, I appreciated the insights into her journey.

Val is hounded by the press, not about her upcoming directorial movie’s debut, recently earning her PhD, or current work, but about her love life, being queer after covering for so long, and answering the question of if she’ll go back to acting again.

Frustrated with the superficiality of Hollywood, Val takes a bold step. She accepts a guest teaching position at USC, hoping to reignite her neglected passion. It’s here that she meets and is smitten by her brilliant and beautiful co-professor, Maeve Arko, who treats Val with open distain and dismissal. I couldn’t understand how Val could remain drawn to someone who shows no interest in understanding her or treating her with at least respect.

I was ready to stop reading when Meave had a sudden, and jarring, personality transplant. Her newfound apologetic and thoughtful demeanor caught me off guard. While I appreciate the shift, I yearned for a more gradual evolution of their relationship. I was still not a fan of Meave. The absence of dual points of view (POV) is a missed opportunity at this point. Seeing the story through both Val and Meave’s eyes would have enriched the narrative, especially during the moments when sparks ignite between them. Also experiencing things from Meave’s perspective would have helped pull the story together and made it more believable.

As sparks begin to fly between them, Val has to navigate her new feelings for Meave while juggling her Hollywood dreams. However, the pacing feels erratic, and their relationship lacks the depth I crave. The inevitable conflict, thankfully short-lived, adds tension but was easily avoidable and didn’t add anything to the story. I found myself thinking about what I was going to read next far too often as I read.

While I wasn’t enamored with “Director’s Cut” I think the book offers a unique view of living in a world of fame but wanting more from life. You’ll find passion, romance, redemption, and second chances - and how those things can move and change us.

I encourage you to read and judge for yourself!