Carlyn Greenwald's Director's Cut is a charming and heartwarming story about a young actress who finds her true passion in life. At twenty-nine, Valeria Sullivan is a celebrated, award-winning actress. But when her acting options start to decline and her attempt to transition to directing is complicated by a bad interview on a late night show, Val decides she's had enough of Hollywood. Intent on pursuing a neglected passion, she pours herself into a guest professorship at USC, hoping to transition to academia fulltime. Valeria Sullivan is a complex and well-developed character. She is talented and driven, but also insecure and vulnerable. She is determined to succeed in her new career, but she is also afraid of failure. Greenwald does an excellent job of capturing Val's inner turmoil and making her relatable to readers. The supporting cast of characters is equally well-drawn. Maeve Arko, Val's co-professor, is a brilliant and beautiful woman who is initially dismissive of Val. However, as Val rises to the challenges of teaching, Maeve starts to soften, and soon sparks are flying. The relationship between Val and Maeve is believable and heartwarming. Greenwald's writing is sharp and witty. She has a knack for creating memorable characters and dialogue. The story moves quickly and there is never a dull moment. Director's Cut is a delightful and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of women's fiction, romantic comedy, and Hollywood stories. One of the strengths of the novel is Greenwald's exploration of the challenges that women face in Hollywood. Val is constantly being judged for her appearance and her age. She is also told that she is not a "real" actress because she has not had a leading role in a major motion picture. Greenwald's novel is a timely reminder of the sexism and ageism that still exist in the entertainment industry. Director's Cut is a well-written and entertaining novel that explores the challenges and rewards of pursuing a career in Hollywood. Greenwald's characters are well-developed and relatable, and her story is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this novel to fans of women's fiction, romantic comedy, and Hollywood stories.

I wish I could give this book a higher rating but I just found it so boring that it made this book quite hard to get through. I understand some of Val’s struggles but they lead her to complain throughout 90% of the book. Maeve was fine I do wish we got her POV. The best part about this book was all the representation and diversity through all the characters.

Carlyn Greenwald's last book Sizzle Reel wasn't my fave and this one was kinda better. I thought the talks about anxiety and spiraling were so real and relatable. It did take me a while to get into it but overall it was a cute read that discussed important topics.

Director's Cut is my first novel by Carlyn Greenwald and what an wild ride it was. I really loved these characters and this story! I mean...sapphics on a tv show? HOOKED!

Easy Five Stars!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This follow-up to Sizzle Reel continues the story with Valeria "Val" Sullivan one year after her relationship with Luna. Having taken a break from Hollywood Val chooses to guest teach a semester at USC to try to combat her stress-induced anxiety. What she is not prepared for is falling for her co-teacher Maeve Arko.

This book takes a deep dive into the world of mental health through Val's thoughts. Her debilitating anxiety and spiraling thoughts keep her from making good decisions and figuring out what she wants for her future. It is a very honest depiction of anxiety and shows both healthy and destructive ways of handling it. Val has an excellent support system and is able to work through quite a bit throughout the book.

This book's famous/normie dynamic feels like it is mostly taking place in Val's head through her insecurities and past hurts. There are a few moments of adjustment for Maeve, but wholly this book is an exploration of a person accepting where they are at and pursuing the help they need to have a stable fulfilling life.

The romance is instant attraction from Val's perspective and I do wish the book had been written from both women's alternating perspectives because Maeve is adorable, but we don't know what she is thinking. I would have enjoyed seeing her thought process in some of the moments where Val is panicking in front of her.

Overall it is a good sapphic read and I think better than Sizzle Reel.

Lights, camera, action! Director's Cut delivers a rare glimpse behind the scenes with a Hollywood romance that feels refreshingly real. For any aspiring director or film buff, this book offers an engaging look at chasing your dreams while navigating love in the limelight. We get to see behind the metaphorical curtain on Hollywood romance with a behind-the-scenes look at life on a movie set. Please note, I haven’t read the prequel yet.

Though connected to the prequel, Sizzle Reel, Director's Cut stands on its own with a fresh storyline. At times, the inability for some characters to open up was frustrating! As someone who struggles with anxiety, I related all too well to Valeria's inner turmoil. Their path to resolution is bumpy but sincere.

Can't say a lot about this book.
It's a book to pass the time, forgettable. Sadly it just feels white and privileged.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This story just was not for me. The academic scenes provided a refreshing backdrop, and the debates on filmmaking added depth to the narrative. However, the pacing felt sluggish, and the story dragged on without capturing my full attention. Despite the intriguing premise, I struggled to connect with the characters, hindering my investment in their journey.

While Directors Cut offers glimpses of intrigue and intellectual discourse, it ultimately falls short of delivering a truly captivating narrative. Despite its flaws, readers may find enjoyment in the exploration of Hollywood's underbelly and the complexities of reinvention.

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

This book is all about being queer in Hollywood and the effects that would have on a person and their relationships. Well that might make it sound more serious then it is so I’ll also tell you that after a Rosie O’Donnell reference I started a ‘cringe-y millennial joke’ count and I got up to 42. Some of the jokes weren’t super cringe-y but just gave millennial, like a buzzfeed mention.(but there was a Glee reference that just made me put it down for a while) I liked how the main character was fighting the stigma behind metal health medication!!

I did get uncomfy at one part that mentioned her noticing that the other girl had double jointed fingers….. Also there was a significant portion of the book where I felt like the main conflict was the fact that the main character wasn’t telling their partner something and that felt like it dragged a lot. I also got second hand embarrassment when they talked about singing and that happened several times.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book! Something I really liked about it was that characters like Ty and Charlie and Gwyn felt like they were very significant and meaningful to the story. I feel like that should be a given in a book, like the side characters are there for a reason. I just felt very attached to them as well as the main character and the love interest, which was nice.

3.5/5 | Fed up with Hollywood, Val opts for a change, dedicating herself to a guest professorship at USC to pursue a neglected passion with hopes of a full-time transition to academia. The plot takes an intriguing turn when she crosses paths with Maeve, her co-professor.

The book's premise intrigued me from the start, but the initial chapters were a bit challenging to navigate. The miscommunication trope, not a personal favorite, created a bumpy road for me. Despite this, I recommend giving it a try; the story is entertaining and could be a delightful read for others, even if it didn't quite resonate with me.

I loved this!
Sapphic romance is a yes from me everytime and Director’s Cut was so well done. The story is told from a famous actress/director’s POV and follows her story as she takes on academia and her love interest, a co-professor. The spice was fun too!
I don’t like the miscommunication trope. There were times where I wanted the mc to JUST TELL HER ALREADY but other than that, I enjoyed reading this and I loved the mental health/anxiety representation in this book. Do recommend! 4.5 ⭐️

While I struggled to get into the story at first, I absolutely fell in love with it.

As a bisexual woman pursuing an acting career, I have never felt so seen during a book. I loved reading all of the thorough film analysis. And the realities of the industry were so well-written. On top of that, the portrayal of anxiety resonates deeply. The tonal shift throughout the book, where you can see her thought patterns changing as it takes over, felt like reading my own thoughts.

It’s been a long time since I read something so relatable. I can’t wait to recommend it to others.

Overall I gave this a 3.5 stars ⭐️ I enjoyed the blending of Hollywood and the academic side of thing. There was definitely a diverse range of characters throughout the book and the relationship development between the main characters was pretty realistic. Where is struggled the most and what brought this down for me was the inability to communicate. I know that a lack of communication between partners is extremely realistic but it got to be too much for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (rounded up on Goodreads)
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Genre:
Sapphic romcom
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Tropes:
Professor x celebrity, slow burnish, friends to lovers
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Main Concepts:
LA celebrity Valerie Sullivan has recently come out. The media is a whirlwind of questions that’s leads Valerie to become overwhelmed and step out of the spot light. Her escape is academia, where she meets Maeve Arko. The two teach a college class together and shenanigans ensue.
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Overall thoughts:
I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book and how it ended. I feel complete in reading it and do not have any further questions. The ending was nice and sweet and I love that an epilogue is included in this read.

So, at first I didn’t really like Valarie as a character, she was kind of written to give off vibes of stuck up Hollywood in a way but slowly her layers were peeled back. She’s honestly a pretty complex character and I feel as though she uses designer things to hide behind and pretend she’s sure of herself as a person and in her career. All throughout the book readers see Val’s internal conflict with her career and how she’s just panic living through life. She as a character goes through a lot of growth in realizing her dreams for her future do matter and that her anxiety is real and she does need medications to help her.

Maeve Arko turns out to be just the level headed adult that Val needs in her life to help her realize that she needs to stop living in the past. She also helps Val in her communication skills and in her self confidence.

A side character I really love is Val’s best friend, Charlie. Their friendship is just so pure and loving. I love the banter between the two and how they are basically like brother and sister.

Overall, I believe that this book handles themes such as coming out, self confidence and mental health awareness pretty well. I do feel like each theme was accurately represented and worked through. I honestly enjoyed this book the most for the heavier themes it includes and the way humor and romance is incorporated. Everything just felt so smooth and well written. I enjoyed that the romance wasn’t the main main theme and that everything felt so real and authentic. I also do believe that the book incorporates Hollywood and academia pretty well.

I personally stopped after chapter 1. The stakes felt contrived, and I didn’t find myself interested in the characters or the story. That said, it’s easy to read and easy to follow. I’d guess three to four stars for the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

This was definitely a different take on the celebrity trope, and of Hollywood. It's in first person which I'm not a huge fan of, but the author did well with it throughout the book.

Val comes out of the closet and her prospects in acting have dried up, and she wants to turn to directing and has hopes for her film, but isn't holding her breath. She ends up teaching for a semester with Maeve who is the other MC. It was more academic then I expected and there were throwbacks to another book of Greenwald's that I haven't read, but this worked as a standalone.

The writing was good and the setting was interesting, but I had a hard time getting into the book. It wasn't until at least half way if not more until I was invested. The romance itself was a fresh dose of realistic which was nice, but I wish we could have had Maeve's POV and Val's constant issue with letting things build and build was annoying.

Overall, not a bad book, just wasn't for me. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is gonna be a huge hit this summer. I’m calling it.
This couple has my heart and soul. Please give this a chance.
You’ll smile from ear to ear, cry, laugh, and feel everything.

I really loved this! Maeve was great and it was fun getting to be back with Valeria but this time in her head! I appreciated her character development and new things we learned about her in this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel. As someone in higher education myself, the book captured what it is like to work in academia very well. I loved the added mix of Hollywood in there.

What brought this book down for me is that I really didn’t enjoy Val as a character. The lack of being able to communicate with a partner was realistic, but not enjoyable.

I loved the diverse cast of character’s and representations, but this book just didn’t do it for me.