I received this book as an ARC from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book isn’t the type of book I usually pick up— but it was everything I was looking for! The main character, Val, shows all sides in this story. We get to know her likes, dislikes, fears, strengths, weaknesses, and most of all we get to watch her fall in love.

This book definitely keeps you on your toes as it follows Val through the ups and downs of living the famous life. Things are never quite what you expect in the Hollywood World, but the author does a fantastic job of explaining all of the parts that feed into Val’s decision making and feelings.

All of the characters in this book are lovable and together they make for a great story. I’d love to see spin offs of their future, or maybe even some friends who get together next!

3.75

Setting: LA
Rep: lesbian Jewish protagonist with anxiety; bisexual Jewish love interest

I loved Carlyn's first book so I was really excited to get an eARC of this, but it didn't quite hit the same - I loved Val in book one but she irritated me in this one, I think mostly because the central conflict was so small and easily resolved but she blew it up so much. I get that it's due to her anxiety but it did feel over the top, and I felt that she probably wasn't in a place to be getting into a serious relationship, especially with how much she compared her new girlfriend to her ex from years ago. That being said, I Really liked Maeve as a character and I enjoyed the academic side of this in conjunction with the fame side. I think this could've worked great as a dual perspective book as it would've been nice to be in Maeve's head!

This was such a fun read and it was nice to return to Greenwald’s L.A.! I loved all the genuine industry knowledge and history sprinkled through and felt like it really enhanced the reading experience.

Thank you yet again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before it’s publishing date!

I wish I could give this a higher rating, but I just never fully got invested in this one. The main character kinda drove me crazy most of the time, and I felt that a lot of the dialogue and plot was rushed. Maeve was a gem though, so that’s where the 2 stars is coming from haha. If you want a somewhat light and fast paced romance that covers a lottttt of Hollywood facts and drama- this would definitely scratch that itch!

To be fair I don’t typically read romance novels but I was excited to see some sapphic representation in what seems like an overwhelmingly het dominated category.

This book was SO cool, seriously, the depth to each character and the amount of effort and detail put into their careers was astounding. Also, also, the sapphic romance in this book was such a highlight, I absolutely loved the workplace coworkers + enemies (ish) to wholesome discussions to lovers trope in this one.

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy, and to @steamylit for an advanced physical galley!

This book was so cute! Val and Maeve end up coteaching a class together. Val is an actor and is trying to break into directing. She takes an opportunity to teach a semester class in filmography.

Maeve is a sweet little baby and I love her. She comes off cold at first but I liked the way her and Val’s relationship develops.

I did not really enjoy the third act miscommunication… it was silly for something that small to devolve like that between two adults.

Overall enjoyable read

3 Stars

I really wanted to love this book and there are certainly parts that I enjoyed! The relationship between Val and Maeve was sweet. A bit of a switch from disdain to love very quickly but I enjoyed their love story. I love the musical theatre aspect of the lectures and thought there were some great points made of movie musical adaptations.

I had a hard time getting through the book and felt it was quite slow at parts. The self sabotage was prominent throughout.

I loved the ending! Once we got past the third act break up, I loved the reconciliation of Val and her anxiety, the relationship, and Val really finding out what she wants to pursue in the future. A great way to wrap up the story.

Overall I enjoyed the read and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a cute sapphic romance and enjoys the real side of Hollywood stardom.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well… I had a hard time with Val. At times I found myself empathizing with her but mostly I was frustrated with her & her self sabotaging ways. Obviously anxiety plays into that but I think the anxiety representation could have been written in a more empathetic way maybe? Maybe that’s not the way to say it. I’ll gather my thoughts more and come update my review. Overall I enjoyed it! Quick to start & had a lot of great conversation around homophobia.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc! this book was a cute story and fun to read!!!

I want to thank #NetGalley for an opportunity to review this book, out June 11, 2024. I was immediately interested in the premise and was excited to read about Val, the Hollywood star turned professor who spent the story trying to figure out how to fit into both worlds.

I wanted to love this book, but it fell short for me. Valeria was, in places, very immature. She also felt all over the place, waffling between wanting to be in Hollywood and wanting out, but not in a productive way; more of a meandering, goes-on-for-pages kind of way. Her relationship with Maeve was so much so fast and the enemies-to-lovers trope never benefits from moving too quickly.

Val's previous relationship colors some of her relationship with Maeve, but in a bulky and odd way. The same goes for Maeve's previous relationships. Their exes are clearly not good people, but as plot devices they're inconsistent. The third-act miscommunication, though a short little blip, is also a trope I didn’t love. The good news? It’s resolved pretty quickly!

The highlight of this story was Val’s knowledge and love for movie theory. It’s clear that Greenwald has a history with Hollywood and her joy shines through in Val’s teaching lectures. I learned a lot about movies and musicals from this book. Overall, an easy read with some redeeming moments! I loved Charlie and hope he gets everything he wants!

It wasn't the book for me, but it might be the book for you!

I thought Director's Cut was a cute story. I love a good queer romance. This didn't 100% meet my expectations, though. I felt the characters weren't 100% likeable. I almost wish there were chapters from Maeve's POV- I feel I would have enjoyed that a little more.

I liked learning about these two characters as their feelings develop and their relationship changes. Both the Hollywood and academic worlds are built well and are easy to fall into.

There is a part at the beginning, before they've both shared their feelings, that felt off in how Maeve talked about sex without a consent check in, but I'm demi so what do I know. I did love the bisexual and multi-attraction spectrum rep.

The third act miscommunication did kind of annoy me, as many do. But I liked how they both handled it and felt it was much more mature and realistic than a lot of romances would have handled it.

CN: anxiety, abandonment, toxic relationship, homophobia & biphobia (challenged), on-page sex

A sweet & spicy sapphic romance set in academia? Count me in! I particularly loved using co-teaching as a new twist on the “forced proximity” trope, while keeping the classic opposites-attract vibes. The discussion of problematic past relationships was also a refreshing reminder that queer relationships have the same challenges as those facing hetero couples. 5/5 stars.

3.5 Stars
3 Steamy Scenes, including reference to a strap-on.

PROS:
- great and fun narrator.
- relatable anxieties and good representation of medication use.
- Takes place at real places in LA - a love letter to anyone that knows LA.
- A+ for musical representation - I need to watch La La Land Little Shops asap!
- Amazing and dynamic side characters.
- A variety of representations of gender, sexuality, and race.


CONS:
- I couldn’t keep the timeline of Val's career/studies straight.
- I didn't feel like I experienced the main characters falling in love. It went from disdain to insta-love too quickly. Lack of detail in some places made me lack connection to the characters.
- The film industry felt unrealistic. We’re talking about an Oscar Award Winning actress but she’s only truly “recognized” once or twice.


"Director's Cut" by Carlyn Greenwald takes you on a rollercoaster ride through Hollywood, with a narrator, Valeria “Val” who's both fun and relatable. They go through a variety of levels of anxiety that show true representation. Conversations with therapists and medication bring a relatable note.

Let me say, I wanted to LOVE this book. Who doesn’t have a hot professor fantasy or Oscar winner/actress fantasy - just me?!

I went into this thinking it was going to be much more a love story than it is. This is very much Val’s story and she just so happens to fall in love during the period of her life we’re experiencing. It’s a enemies-to-instalove story. It lacked the depth and moments I needed to truly fall in love with Val and Maeve's love story. Though I will say I was smiling all the way through the epilogue.

My biggest issue with this story was the biggest conflict between Val and Maeve was Val being too scared to talk to the woman she says/feels she loves. Maeve even says “it wasn’t a big deal” but was made to be the biggest conflict in the book (apart from Val’s anxieties, but it’s all tied together) and it could have been solved with one simple conversation. It made it difficult for me to sympathize with Val.

This is a companion novel to “Sizzle Reel”, which I have not read. About halfway through, when I realized this, I think a lot of questions I had (what in the world is Vals acting/student timeline) would have been answered if I had read “Sizzle Reel” first.

Nevertheless, “Director’s Cut” remains an entertaining exploration of the entertainment industry, offering moments of humor, romance, and introspection. Gwyn and Charlie are my MVPs and shine throughout the book.

All in all if you enjoy Hollywood books with great writing I recommend this one. Carlyn Greenwald is a great author, and I’m looking forward to her next one. I need to go read “Sizzle Reel” now.

This was an engrossing sapphic romance! Reminded me a bit of Meryl Wilsner’s “Something to Talk About” with its nuanced, witty exploration of fame and romance.

2.7⭐️


Tengo que decir que me sorprendió que el tema de la dirección de películas se me hiciera aburrido, pensé que me encantaría, pero no.


Val se me hizo una snob y egoista, es una lástima que Maeve no tuviera povs porque era una persona agradable y le hubiera dado equilibrado a la lectura y un respiro de Valeria.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Vintage for a free copy of #DirectorCut in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start by saying that I wanted to love this story. I am nothing if not a sucker for any kind of sapphic romance. Add in a dash of academia and Hollywood, and I should theoretically be a goner.

That was not the case with this book. I never skim books, and I found myself quickly skimming the final 50% just to complete. This review may contain spoilers, so beware!

I want to start by saying I LOVED Maeve. She was such a fun character! A beautiful, intelligent academic! Val on the other hand? She drove me up a wall! She was conceited, pretentious, annoying, inconsiderate, and rude. And the fact that this book was 100% from her point of view, I couldn’t wait to get out of her head. I understand this book relies heavily on the miscommunication trope (all because of Val), and a lot of that miscommunication is explained away due to mental illnesses. I am not in any way questioning the difficulty of living with anxiety paired with an uncomfortable physical illness as well like IBS (which Val also has). I am, however, uncomfortable with how the author is portraying mental illness in this book. All of it felt sloppy and not fully researched. It all felt like generalizations and stereotypes. I have anxiety, I am not on medication, and I have done the work to make sure I still find ways to communicate important things to my loved ones. Val has allegedly been in therapy since she was a child. Even without medication, she should have learned skills to prevent the major issues in this book.

Like I said, I wanted to love this book! I am not typically a tough reviewer. But this book just wasn’t the right fit for me. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I received a free ebook from netgalley and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

I devoured this book when I got it as I was very invested in seeing a HEA for Val (in this genre, that's not a spoiler, lol). I fell in love with Val listening to the audiobook for Sizzle Reel, and was curious to get more of her story. TBH, I was glad that I already was gone on Val, because I'm not sure I would have been so taken with Val had I only read this book. To be fair though, I listened to the audiobook for Sizzle Reel, and sometimes i just straight up prefer to listen to books rather than read them for the extra element of performance, so I'm actually really looking forward to listening to the audiobook when i get a chance (Val's voice was straight up swoony in SR).

Greenwald is great at her use of locations and world building as you can tell that she has very intimate knowledge of her settings (LA, and USC) and I felt the same mastery in her previous book Sizzle Reel as well.

I really appreciate queer, anxious, Jewish, LA (and midwest/OH) rep in her books.

It feels odd and pedantic to mention, but the midwest jewish representation didn't resonate with my experience and understanding: It feels different to be Jewish in a red state like Ohio than in LA, and I'm sure it feels different to be Jewish in Northeast Ohio vs the smaller college town of Gambier (100,000 jews in NEO in 2023 vs Kenyon college's hillel says it serves about 300 undegrad students, but Gambier as a whole according to this site which doesn't seem very official says 0.0% https://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/ohio/gambier). Greenwald's grasp of the midwest did not feel as rich as that of her LA settings.

I feel really nit-picky bringing it up, but it was niggling at me: I think it would have bothered me less had Maeve been from a place like NE Ohio where there are plenty of Jews, or to have addressed being only one of fewer jews in a less populated area which is a different experience all together.

Like I said, I'm still excited to listen to the audiobook, and I'm glad that Greenwald continues to write characters that are queer, Jewish, and anxious, among other things. (I'm also just a sucker for hollywood/LA romances), and I look forward to reading her future work.

This book was very sweet- very heartwarming. I really enjoyed Maeve and Val as characters. I love that they are both strong, intelligent women. I love that it explores real life issues while advocating for GLBT rights. Balancing careers, relationships, friendships, etc is not easy, but finding a way to do it is so important.

Romantic novels generally aren’t my favorite as they feel pretty textbook (no pun intended)- meet, fall in love, have an almost-relationship-ending issue, reconcile, live happily ever after…. But this was sweet and I enjoyed reading about Maeve and Val.

While this book was a little slow to pull me in, I really enjoyed it at the end and found myself rooting for Val, Maeve, and even Charlie (!) throughout the whole story. I loved that the author tied in some mental health struggles and showed how Val handled it. I think it’s so important to have representation in books!