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Director's Cut
Oscar-winning Valeria Sullivan finds herself trapped in a battle of wits with a sexy professor, but can she keep her cool when things heat up in and out of the classroom?
At twenty-nine, Valeria Sullivan is a celebrated, award-winning actress. But when 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 her other passion, she pours herself into a guest professorship at USC, hoping to transition to academia fulltime.
Standing in her way is her co-professor, Maeve Arko, whose brilliance and beauty is matched only by her contempt for Val. As Val rises to the challenges that teaching throws at her, though, Maeve starts to soften, and soon sparks are flying.
Now with a job and a girlfriend she adores, Val should be happy. But Hollywood isn't done with Val quite yet. Her directorial debut, Oakley in Flames, starts getting attention, and soon Val has to choose between her obligations to her class—and Maeve—and a burgeoning directing career.
At twenty-nine, Valeria Sullivan is a celebrated, award-winning actress. But when 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 her other passion, she pours herself into a guest professorship at USC, hoping to transition to academia fulltime.
Standing in her way is her co-professor, Maeve Arko, whose brilliance and beauty is matched only by her contempt for Val. As Val rises to the challenges that teaching throws at her, though, Maeve starts to soften, and soon sparks are flying.
Now with a job and a girlfriend she adores, Val should be happy. But Hollywood isn't done with Val quite yet. Her directorial debut, Oakley in Flames, starts getting attention, and soon Val has to choose between her obligations to her class—and Maeve—and a burgeoning directing career.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2024
59 people are currently reading
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September 28, 2024
**'All writer's have an intent to become very good storytellers -- but there are some who's only intent is to write anything that comes to mind which sometimes does not pan-out and then there are others who just wanna be great at it. Be the latter because readers always enjoy any of their books,,'
Meh!
Just a weird story --- and a lame attempt at telling a hollywoodish storyline. Best part was the indepth analogy of the movie business. Everything else, even the leads and supporting characters were all off and nonsensical to whatever storyline Ms. Greenwald was trying to tell.
2 stars is for info about the going-ons w/ the movie business & the book cover!
Meh!
Just a weird story --- and a lame attempt at telling a hollywoodish storyline. Best part was the indepth analogy of the movie business. Everything else, even the leads and supporting characters were all off and nonsensical to whatever storyline Ms. Greenwald was trying to tell.
2 stars is for info about the going-ons w/ the movie business & the book cover!
July 2, 2024
North-Americans need to understand that bidets are not a luxury, but a requirement.
March 17, 2024
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 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!
June 10, 2024
3.75 stars, rounded up | Thank you to the publishers for this advanced copy.
This was a very solid book! Valeria is an A-List actress and budding director who takes a guest teacher position at USC. However, despite undeniable attraction, she and her co-professor, Maeve Arko, get off to a rouge start.
Like a lot of sapphic romances, I really struggled with how quickly Val and Maeve got over their initial conflict and became so friendly. I feel like most of the time in books that center around a sapphic relationship, the author is almost afraid for them to have lasting tension. To just immediately make the characters open around each other isn’t super realistic, especially when it is somewhat implied that this is a rivals-to-lovers type situation. Very frustrating, like the general public does NOT need more weird straight people. Give me angst sapphics!!!
That being said, most of this book was good! I enjoyed the commentary on the entertainment industry and on academia, and the conversation around homophobia in these spaces was very thoughtful. Maeve and Val were both really well written, and other characters like Charlie and Mason were so much fun! There was some miscommunication at the end, but, again, the author’s aversion to her characters’ anger meant it was resolved.
Overall, I would definitely recommend! I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks once this comes out 💗
This was a very solid book! Valeria is an A-List actress and budding director who takes a guest teacher position at USC. However, despite undeniable attraction, she and her co-professor, Maeve Arko, get off to a rouge start.
Like a lot of sapphic romances, I really struggled with how quickly Val and Maeve got over their initial conflict and became so friendly. I feel like most of the time in books that center around a sapphic relationship, the author is almost afraid for them to have lasting tension. To just immediately make the characters open around each other isn’t super realistic, especially when it is somewhat implied that this is a rivals-to-lovers type situation. Very frustrating, like the general public does NOT need more weird straight people. Give me angst sapphics!!!
That being said, most of this book was good! I enjoyed the commentary on the entertainment industry and on academia, and the conversation around homophobia in these spaces was very thoughtful. Maeve and Val were both really well written, and other characters like Charlie and Mason were so much fun! There was some miscommunication at the end, but, again, the author’s aversion to her characters’ anger meant it was resolved.
Overall, I would definitely recommend! I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks once this comes out 💗
June 11, 2024
3.75 Stars.
June 21, 2024
Honestly, I have this book three stars because I enjoyed all the discussions about queer film theory, musicals, and general film studies. It was interesting and informative and I wish there had been more of it.
Unfortunately, what I did not really enjoy in this book was the romance and the main characters. Maeve, the love interest, has almost no depth because we have no point of view or dialogue from her aside from a couple of conversations. Val is an anxiety-filled mess and the only real conflict in the entire book is her not disclosing important information to her partner. A more interesting conflict would have been what is already present but barely discussed: the lure of academia and opting for a career that results in less anxiety overall for Val versus being a director and actor who makes a difference in the queer movie landscape.
The side characters are incredibly flat and have no really contribution to the story except periodically chiming in with advice and being ignored. Val spends the entirety of this book making lifelong commitment plans with someone based on one kiss and then avoiding any important conversations with this person due to her own trauma. I felt like there was a glimmer of interesting conflict when Maeve does not seem to enjoy having money thrown around by the obviously affluent Val, but this goes completely unaddressed after a few instances of Mave vaguely showing displeasure. "
Overall: no conflict, the main character makes life harder for herself instead of having one single conversation, and everyone else's characterization is too flat to impact the story much. Unfortunately, a disappointment for me aside from the film class lecture discussions.
Unfortunately, what I did not really enjoy in this book was the romance and the main characters. Maeve, the love interest, has almost no depth because we have no point of view or dialogue from her aside from a couple of conversations. Val is an anxiety-filled mess and the only real conflict in the entire book is her not disclosing important information to her partner. A more interesting conflict would have been what is already present but barely discussed: the lure of academia and opting for a career that results in less anxiety overall for Val versus being a director and actor who makes a difference in the queer movie landscape.
The side characters are incredibly flat and have no really contribution to the story except periodically chiming in with advice and being ignored. Val spends the entirety of this book making lifelong commitment plans with someone based on one kiss and then avoiding any important conversations with this person due to her own trauma. I felt like there was a glimmer of interesting conflict when Maeve does not seem to enjoy having money thrown around by the obviously affluent Val, but this goes completely unaddressed after a few instances of Mave vaguely showing displeasure. "
Overall: no conflict, the main character makes life harder for herself instead of having one single conversation, and everyone else's characterization is too flat to impact the story much. Unfortunately, a disappointment for me aside from the film class lecture discussions.
June 17, 2024
i lovedddd this soooo much i feel so weepy and full of butterflies and love!!!!!
the switch up between hating eachother to flirting to in love was soooo fast but i think it was just the gay aspect if i’m going to be honest lol.
i also didn’t loveeeee the third act conflict. i’m ok with miscommunication most times because real humans are flawed!!! and we’re not perfect at communicating and we make mistakes!!!! i do think this was just a tad overboard!! bUT ALSO, i think it did, in time, make sense and it wasn’t just miscommunication for the sake of a conflict but actually contributed to the plot and spoke to their characters etc etc.
i kindaaaa wish this dual pov bc hearing maeve’s side!! especially in the beginning would’ve gone CRAZYYYY to put it simply.
overall such a great read!!!! loved it sm i didn’t want it to end at all!!!!!
the switch up between hating eachother to flirting to in love was soooo fast but i think it was just the gay aspect if i’m going to be honest lol.
i also didn’t loveeeee the third act conflict. i’m ok with miscommunication most times because real humans are flawed!!! and we’re not perfect at communicating and we make mistakes!!!! i do think this was just a tad overboard!! bUT ALSO, i think it did, in time, make sense and it wasn’t just miscommunication for the sake of a conflict but actually contributed to the plot and spoke to their characters etc etc.
i kindaaaa wish this dual pov bc hearing maeve’s side!! especially in the beginning would’ve gone CRAZYYYY to put it simply.
overall such a great read!!!! loved it sm i didn’t want it to end at all!!!!!
February 18, 2024
Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (rounded up on Goodreads)
.
Genre:
Sapphic romcom
.
Tropes:
Professor x celebrity, slow burnish, friends to lovers
.
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.
.
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.
.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (rounded up on Goodreads)
.
Genre:
Sapphic romcom
.
Tropes:
Professor x celebrity, slow burnish, friends to lovers
.
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.
.
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.
.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc.
March 24, 2024
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!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
September 28, 2025
It was an ok beach read. This had tons of potential but was limited by the single POV of Valeria. She has an Academy Award and just starred and directed in a movie. But she goes to teach a musical film class at USC after she basically has a panic attack on a talk show. She also has lots and lots of anxiety. But I didn’t really feel like there was much depth to her. She was just lost, but in a way that wasn’t that interesting. She has IBS, but we never really see that have an effect on her.
Maeve is the love interest but she doesn’t have much dialogue and it feels like the surface was barely scratched on her personality. Dual POV would have been amazing. There are some secondary characters, but only Charlie, Val’s friend, is the only halfway memorable one. And for me, it’s cause he was in a Star Trek show that got cancelled.
There’s a really dumb conflict because Val won’t have a conversation. She can’t have a conversation because she is anxious and unmedicated and, apparently had a terrible girlfriend at one time in her life. It’s not badly written, it was just shallow. I did love the cover! I also spilled beer on the book and dropped it in the sand and I sat on it when I got out of the ocean.
Maeve is the love interest but she doesn’t have much dialogue and it feels like the surface was barely scratched on her personality. Dual POV would have been amazing. There are some secondary characters, but only Charlie, Val’s friend, is the only halfway memorable one. And for me, it’s cause he was in a Star Trek show that got cancelled.
There’s a really dumb conflict because Val won’t have a conversation. She can’t have a conversation because she is anxious and unmedicated and, apparently had a terrible girlfriend at one time in her life. It’s not badly written, it was just shallow. I did love the cover! I also spilled beer on the book and dropped it in the sand and I sat on it when I got out of the ocean.
June 27, 2024
I really, REALLY enjoyed this enemies to lovers, forced proximity Sapphic romance between Val, a newly out actress turned director turned academic who gets paired up to teach a college class with Maeve, a Jewish, bisexual Film Professor.
Things get off to a rocky start when the two clash about course content but eventually the women end up falling for one another. When a film festival causes a conflict in schedules that Val choses to keep secret from Maeve, feelings of trust and betrayal get tested forcing Val to choose between her old Hollywood life and the new one she's created in academia.
The mental health (anxiety), therapy and medication rep in this book was extremely well done and relatable and was one of my favorite parts! It was also good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Helena Greer and Alexandria Bellefleur. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and ALC copy in exchange for my honest review!
Things get off to a rocky start when the two clash about course content but eventually the women end up falling for one another. When a film festival causes a conflict in schedules that Val choses to keep secret from Maeve, feelings of trust and betrayal get tested forcing Val to choose between her old Hollywood life and the new one she's created in academia.
The mental health (anxiety), therapy and medication rep in this book was extremely well done and relatable and was one of my favorite parts! It was also good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Helena Greer and Alexandria Bellefleur. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and ALC copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 11, 2025
it was good… i was waiting for it to be great. some people need to take a walk around a block sometimes to feel the breeze on their skin and that was val for me. maeve deserved more!!
June 4, 2024
Unfortunately I did not enjoy this one as much as I wanted to. This is a rom-com about Val, a gay A-list Hollywood actress who takes a break to do a teaching gig at USC and Maeve, her co-professor, who hates her at first. It sounds fun and entertaining and lighthearted and gay. Who wouldn’t love that?
There were definitely many things I did enjoy! So here’s the PROS list:
-fun Hollywood life details
-everything was set in real life LA places which was cool to see. The setting itself was very well done imo
-touches on biphobia and homophobia in general
-the way it deals with mental health and medication for it
-the spicy scenes were not half bad
-Maeve calling out Val on her bullshit, especially about not taking responsibility for her actions and blaming her anxiety instead
-Charlie and Gwyn and the whole scene with Gwyn’s kids’ birthday.
However there were definitely some things that impeded my enjoyment of the book considerably. So here’s the CONS list:
-pacing. THE PACING! Oh my god!! So frustrating because the first third of the book is just Val and Maeve doing the lectures and IT’S ALL WRITTEN OUT!! Random trivia/history/analysis of musicals that they’re teaching about has NOTHING to do with the story!! Literal paragraphs and pages could’ve simply been replaced with a sentence or two just saying that they were doing their lectures. Their word for word transcriptions did not need to make it into the book. In the rest of the book this doesn’t happen and everything is much better for it so why is it happening for at least 30% of the book? Who edited this? It just felt like the author was filling up a word count when she could’ve used that part in the book to explore the transition between Maeve hating Val and becoming her friend because dear god was that not handled in a way that realistically made sense. Enemies to insta-lovers?
-this is also related to pacing but why the hell do we spend the other two thirds of the book basically spiraling with Val? I understand she has anxiety but it did not need to go into such repetitive nitty-gritty of it. Like at some point I felt tempted to skim because it was the same thing over and over.
-the conflict felt forced. Everything could’ve been fixed immediately with some very simple communication. I understand the point was that Val WASN’T good at communication but that could’ve been showcased with something a lot more subtle and complex that didn’t have such an easy obvious solution.
-Val is a young famous attractive white woman and obviously sexism and homophobia in the industry exist but she’s hardly the most marginalized person out there. Despite that she took on the gay persecution cross hard. Like girl, it’s HOLLYWOOD. NO ONE takes actors seriously, especially when they represent any kind of minority. Yeah it sucks but you CHOSE this career. Stop acting like JoJo Siwa who’s “the first in the generation to invent gay pop.”
Anyway, as I said, I wish I had liked this much more than I actually do. The potential was there but proper editing wasn’t and Val, despite all her charm, got pretty damn annoying. I also think a Maeve POV would’ve fixed a lot of the problems and made it a much more fun rom-com read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
There were definitely many things I did enjoy! So here’s the PROS list:
-fun Hollywood life details
-everything was set in real life LA places which was cool to see. The setting itself was very well done imo
-touches on biphobia and homophobia in general
-the way it deals with mental health and medication for it
-the spicy scenes were not half bad
-Maeve calling out Val on her bullshit, especially about not taking responsibility for her actions and blaming her anxiety instead
-Charlie and Gwyn and the whole scene with Gwyn’s kids’ birthday.
However there were definitely some things that impeded my enjoyment of the book considerably. So here’s the CONS list:
-pacing. THE PACING! Oh my god!! So frustrating because the first third of the book is just Val and Maeve doing the lectures and IT’S ALL WRITTEN OUT!! Random trivia/history/analysis of musicals that they’re teaching about has NOTHING to do with the story!! Literal paragraphs and pages could’ve simply been replaced with a sentence or two just saying that they were doing their lectures. Their word for word transcriptions did not need to make it into the book. In the rest of the book this doesn’t happen and everything is much better for it so why is it happening for at least 30% of the book? Who edited this? It just felt like the author was filling up a word count when she could’ve used that part in the book to explore the transition between Maeve hating Val and becoming her friend because dear god was that not handled in a way that realistically made sense. Enemies to insta-lovers?
-this is also related to pacing but why the hell do we spend the other two thirds of the book basically spiraling with Val? I understand she has anxiety but it did not need to go into such repetitive nitty-gritty of it. Like at some point I felt tempted to skim because it was the same thing over and over.
-the conflict felt forced. Everything could’ve been fixed immediately with some very simple communication. I understand the point was that Val WASN’T good at communication but that could’ve been showcased with something a lot more subtle and complex that didn’t have such an easy obvious solution.
-Val is a young famous attractive white woman and obviously sexism and homophobia in the industry exist but she’s hardly the most marginalized person out there. Despite that she took on the gay persecution cross hard. Like girl, it’s HOLLYWOOD. NO ONE takes actors seriously, especially when they represent any kind of minority. Yeah it sucks but you CHOSE this career. Stop acting like JoJo Siwa who’s “the first in the generation to invent gay pop.”
Anyway, as I said, I wish I had liked this much more than I actually do. The potential was there but proper editing wasn’t and Val, despite all her charm, got pretty damn annoying. I also think a Maeve POV would’ve fixed a lot of the problems and made it a much more fun rom-com read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
March 1, 2024
Hi all! A bit more information and some content warnings for DIRECTOR'S CUT. DC is a standalone set in the world of my debut, SIZZLE REEL; I wrote it intending for folks to be able to read the book on its own, but if you wanted to read SR first, it could provide some fun context. The book follows Val, a disillusioned actress who decides to use a vanity guest teaching spot at USC to try to distract herself from her declining Hollywood career only to clash with her hot co-professor.
TWs to be aware of: discussion of two past emotionally abusive sapphic relationships throughout; discussion of and depiction of mental health struggle including depression and anxiety (mostly focused on the anxiety); discussion of biphobia and homophobia; some medical issue-related disordered eating depicted throughout
There are two on the page sex scenes and one on the page masturbation scene.
I hope y'all love Val and Maeve (and Charlie) as much as I do! Happy reading!
TWs to be aware of: discussion of two past emotionally abusive sapphic relationships throughout; discussion of and depiction of mental health struggle including depression and anxiety (mostly focused on the anxiety); discussion of biphobia and homophobia; some medical issue-related disordered eating depicted throughout
There are two on the page sex scenes and one on the page masturbation scene.
I hope y'all love Val and Maeve (and Charlie) as much as I do! Happy reading!
June 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! Val was such a great character with such a great heart, and I appreciated the way the anxiety rep was portrayed. i also loved that the MC was Jewish. The love story between her and her co-professor Maeve was well developed and swoony but my favorite relationship was actually between Val and her best friend Charlie who I absolutely ADORED. I'm really hoping he'll have his own book (what do you say, Carlyn). Finally, the inside look at the entertainment industry, specifically musicals was really interesting and a learning experience that I didn't have to pay or study for. Win/Win!!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
May 21, 2024
I absolutely loved reading this queer romcom, my highlights were out of ontrol, and I spent a lot of time either laughing or blushing in mutual agony alongside Val and Maeve as they find one another smitten. Their lives couldn't be more different and while Val doesn't know what she wants out of everthing, she knows she wants Maeve and she knows her fame may might upend them. We go on a journey of laughter-inducing anxiety as Val sorts out the right steps for both herself and her relationship hopes. Of course, it takes a bit of time to get there, so along the way we meet a cast of queer characters, Val's Jewish family, students, and then some.
There's a lot happening in this novel, especially in the first half, but once Val and Maeve connect the book picks up speed and drama. It's a classic push and pull romance, one that's quite relatable as you get older and things like careers take the front seat. I connected to the story and ams oglad it introduced me to Carlyn Greenwald, because I'll absolutely be reading her prior novels now.
Highly recommend picking this one up!
ARC Provided
There's a lot happening in this novel, especially in the first half, but once Val and Maeve connect the book picks up speed and drama. It's a classic push and pull romance, one that's quite relatable as you get older and things like careers take the front seat. I connected to the story and ams oglad it introduced me to Carlyn Greenwald, because I'll absolutely be reading her prior novels now.
Highly recommend picking this one up!
ARC Provided
May 23, 2024
I hate myself for even saying this, but this book kind of disappointed me and I really wanted to love it. I was in fact bored with this one. I guess it's because it's single POV.
It's not that Valeria is unlikeable, its that she makes everything into this one big deal and get overly anxious without ever communicating her feelings. As in she keeps going in circle if Maeve actually likes her or would like to date a celebrity without actually talking about it with her. I just got every frustrated and wanted it to end.
Overall it was cute, I was just bored.
I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's not that Valeria is unlikeable, its that she makes everything into this one big deal and get overly anxious without ever communicating her feelings. As in she keeps going in circle if Maeve actually likes her or would like to date a celebrity without actually talking about it with her. I just got every frustrated and wanted it to end.
Overall it was cute, I was just bored.
I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 6, 2024
I wanted to love this one I really did… but between ALLLLL that movie theory talk and miscommunication I had the worst time trying to push forward.
A sapphic movie star who falls for a professor had the potential to be such a good book. But sadly the chemistry was not there for me between these two. Val and ??? (shit I already forgot the other persons name and I literally just finished it) just didn’t have the chemistry that I hoped for.
I feel like I was also attending their class because I learned way more about movie theory than I cared to. There’s also the problem of the miscommunication - JUST TELL HER THE ISSUE. literally the whole third act breakup could have been fixed with a simple convo. It really irks me when characters are this stupid.
Someone might love this one more than I did but unfortunately after taking LITERAL MONTHS to get through this one it just wasn’t for me.
2 stars
1/5 spice
Big thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
A sapphic movie star who falls for a professor had the potential to be such a good book. But sadly the chemistry was not there for me between these two. Val and ??? (shit I already forgot the other persons name and I literally just finished it) just didn’t have the chemistry that I hoped for.
I feel like I was also attending their class because I learned way more about movie theory than I cared to. There’s also the problem of the miscommunication - JUST TELL HER THE ISSUE. literally the whole third act breakup could have been fixed with a simple convo. It really irks me when characters are this stupid.
Someone might love this one more than I did but unfortunately after taking LITERAL MONTHS to get through this one it just wasn’t for me.
2 stars
1/5 spice
Big thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
May 23, 2024
2.5 rounded up because at the end of the day, it's fine? I guess this is my year for sapphic Hollywood romance novels! Initially, I really liked the setup of this, of Val and Maeve co-teaching a class on movie musicals and cult classics and having that be their meet cute, but I feel like too many things got thrown into the pot of their relationship. There's a weird intro of "oh she hates me because I didn't come off as professional" (because Val wore designer clothes?) that sets them against each other that segues into "she got off to my sex scene in this movie and now I'm getting myself off thinking about that and can I look her in the eye" which, maybe it's just me, but there's a lot of layers of separating character from person that made it feel uncomfortable and not at all sexy, then they're suddenly cool with each other, but both have a lot of past relationship abuse and trauma, and that's before we even get into the fame question, Val's thoughts on pulling back from Hollywood, her directoral debut, Maeve's academic career, and both of their futures, all of which factor heavily as obstacles to be overcome.
And then there's the fact that Val's unmedicated anxiety becomes a huge major part of the plot and tension and triggered so many miscommunications, which is one of my very least favorite tropes. As someone with medicated anxiety, it meant that almost all of her decisions and actions in the latter half of the book made me extremely uncomfortable (and made me wonder what her long-time therapist was doing, especially for someone with huge relationship trauma in her first long-term relationship since). Kudos for an impactful depiction of anxiety and those decisions, I guess? But the root of them just didn't match anything else set up or how Val had been set up as a character either. There were so many points where I would look at the sentence on the page and go "what???"
As the class is a major part of a third of the book, we do get to hear a whole lot about musicals, but it also kind of goes nowhere and leaves you wondering why it was in there other than Greenwald really wanted to get those thoughts across and namedrop a bunch of movie musicals. Instead we get in-depth on things like that and absolutely skimming over things I wish had gone into more detail, like Val and Maeve's early relationship, or Maeve actually getting used to being with someone famous. It all just felt a bit slapdash and rushed, and mixed with Val activating my fight responses, I never really got to a place where I enjoyed this.
And then there's the fact that Val's unmedicated anxiety becomes a huge major part of the plot and tension and triggered so many miscommunications, which is one of my very least favorite tropes. As someone with medicated anxiety, it meant that almost all of her decisions and actions in the latter half of the book made me extremely uncomfortable (and made me wonder what her long-time therapist was doing, especially for someone with huge relationship trauma in her first long-term relationship since). Kudos for an impactful depiction of anxiety and those decisions, I guess? But the root of them just didn't match anything else set up or how Val had been set up as a character either. There were so many points where I would look at the sentence on the page and go "what???"
As the class is a major part of a third of the book, we do get to hear a whole lot about musicals, but it also kind of goes nowhere and leaves you wondering why it was in there other than Greenwald really wanted to get those thoughts across and namedrop a bunch of movie musicals. Instead we get in-depth on things like that and absolutely skimming over things I wish had gone into more detail, like Val and Maeve's early relationship, or Maeve actually getting used to being with someone famous. It all just felt a bit slapdash and rushed, and mixed with Val activating my fight responses, I never really got to a place where I enjoyed this.
February 23, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Going into this read I was super excited given that it was a Queer Romance with Hollywood as it's setting featuring two college professors.
Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me really quickly. I think the book had potential but the form it was executed in wasn't one that I found favorable.
For starters, I wish this romance would've been a dual POV, I think having both Val and Maeves POV could have done a lot for this book. It would have added much more dimension to the characters and their relationship. Having this book be strictly through Val's perspective, it was tough to understand the relationship that she and Maeve had.
I found myself having a hard time following the timing of this book because when the Val and Maeve meet for the first time. Val thinks Maeve dislikes her so they have this sort of "Disliking" relationship. This lasts up until about the 25-30% mark and next thing you know they like each other and are flirting and BAM! It's a serious relationship with commitments & "I love you's."
So in other words, this was a really fast paced romance more than what I normally would be comfortable with just given the lack of relationship foundation. I feel like they really didn't know each other much to enter a relationship so soon :/
My last point here is going to the conflict. I thought it was utterly unnecessary. The "conflict" was something that EASILY could have been solved with a dinner table conversation with one another. So the fact that they couldn't have such a simple conversation over the "conflict" arose some flags for me.
Despite my review, I had enjoyed the first 15% of the book and I really think this book could have had potential and benefited a lot more if we had Maeves POV. So in other words this book was moderately "ok" and pretty forgetful.
Going into this read I was super excited given that it was a Queer Romance with Hollywood as it's setting featuring two college professors.
Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me really quickly. I think the book had potential but the form it was executed in wasn't one that I found favorable.
For starters, I wish this romance would've been a dual POV, I think having both Val and Maeves POV could have done a lot for this book. It would have added much more dimension to the characters and their relationship. Having this book be strictly through Val's perspective, it was tough to understand the relationship that she and Maeve had.
I found myself having a hard time following the timing of this book because when the Val and Maeve meet for the first time. Val thinks Maeve dislikes her so they have this sort of "Disliking" relationship. This lasts up until about the 25-30% mark and next thing you know they like each other and are flirting and BAM! It's a serious relationship with commitments & "I love you's."
So in other words, this was a really fast paced romance more than what I normally would be comfortable with just given the lack of relationship foundation. I feel like they really didn't know each other much to enter a relationship so soon :/
My last point here is going to the conflict. I thought it was utterly unnecessary. The "conflict" was something that EASILY could have been solved with a dinner table conversation with one another. So the fact that they couldn't have such a simple conversation over the "conflict" arose some flags for me.
Despite my review, I had enjoyed the first 15% of the book and I really think this book could have had potential and benefited a lot more if we had Maeves POV. So in other words this book was moderately "ok" and pretty forgetful.
Read
August 16, 2024yeah i cannot do this.
-
I forgot I already tried to read this one and tried again because I saw it at the library and...I should've listened to my former self. The style makes me feel like I am being lectured because the main character 100% believes she is always right. It's not a good sign when the author has to explain jokes in brackets and it's very inside-joke-like about lesbianism in a way I personally find offputting (and way too online).
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I forgot I already tried to read this one and tried again because I saw it at the library and...I should've listened to my former self. The style makes me feel like I am being lectured because the main character 100% believes she is always right. It's not a good sign when the author has to explain jokes in brackets and it's very inside-joke-like about lesbianism in a way I personally find offputting (and way too online).
June 30, 2024
Director’s Cut
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Carlyn Greenwald
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Knopf and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Oscar-winning Valeria Sullivan finds herself trapped in a battle of wits with a sexy professor, but can she keep her cool when things heat up in and out of the classroom?
At twenty-nine, Valeria Sullivan is a celebrated, award-winning actress. But when 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 her other passion, she pours herself into a guest professorship at USC, hoping to transition to academia fulltime.
Standing in her way is her co-professor, Maeve Arko, whose brilliance and beauty is matched only by her contempt for Val. As Val rises to the challenges that teaching throws at her, though, Maeve starts to soften, and soon sparks are flying.
Now with a job and a girlfriend she adores, Val should be happy. But Hollywood isn't done with Val quite yet. Her directorial debut, Oakley in Flames, starts getting attention, and soon Val has to choose between her obligations to her class—and Maeve—and a burgeoning directing career.
My Thoughts: This was a cute enemies to lovers twist sapphics romance. There were some slow, even repetitive parts. Overall, I enjoyed the story. Oscar winning, celebrity, Valeria Sullivan wants to transition into full time directing but a bad interview has left in the wings. She decides she will throw herself into her other passion, academia. She lands a guest professor job at USC. Her co-professor, Maeve Arko, is not happy about the celebrity encroaching on her turf. The contempt blends into sparks and when the two connect, the chemistry flies out the door. Is Hollywood done with Val? Will Val have to make a choice to pursue the relationship or pursue Hollywood? This follows the tropes of enemies to lovers, celebrity romance, queer romance, and miscommunication.
This is narrated in a dual narration by Val and Maeve, from their respective perspectives. Val is a brilliant director and actor, who has won awards for her acting career. Her directly career was snubbed out early due to a bad interview, so she has pursued her other passion, academia, and is ready to walk away from Hollywood to be full time in academia, however, Hollywood is not quite done with her. Maeve has great contempt for celebrities who co-teach, and Val is no different. However, when the contempt blends into angst and later sparks, when they fully open up to each other, it is so beautiful and timeless. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and were intriguing. The supporting characters were timeless and perfect for this storyline, especially Charlie and Tyler. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, funny, swoony, steamy/spicy, creative, and beautifully executed and written. The little Easter eggs of LA culture really immersed you into the story, like you were a part of and not an outsider.
I was a little behind on reviews, so I purchased the audiobook on this one and the narrator was fabulous and really brought the characters to life and enriched the storyline. The author did an amazing job at representing mental health and anxiety and approached it with grace and care. The author explores tougher topics. There is a great balance between hard topics, such as Hollywood behind the scenes and homophobia balanced with sweet tender swoon-perfection moments.
TW: mental health. This was a beautifully written and well executed story of chemistry, celebrity status, and academia. Even with its slightly repetitve parts and slow burn, I believe it was beautifully executed with the perfect flow and pace. The only thing I would change, is the timing of Val’s news to Maeve, I think earlier timing would have elevated the story. This is perfect for fans of TJ Alexander or Anita Kelly. Available now. Highly recommend picking up!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Carlyn Greenwald
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Knopf and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Oscar-winning Valeria Sullivan finds herself trapped in a battle of wits with a sexy professor, but can she keep her cool when things heat up in and out of the classroom?
At twenty-nine, Valeria Sullivan is a celebrated, award-winning actress. But when 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 her other passion, she pours herself into a guest professorship at USC, hoping to transition to academia fulltime.
Standing in her way is her co-professor, Maeve Arko, whose brilliance and beauty is matched only by her contempt for Val. As Val rises to the challenges that teaching throws at her, though, Maeve starts to soften, and soon sparks are flying.
Now with a job and a girlfriend she adores, Val should be happy. But Hollywood isn't done with Val quite yet. Her directorial debut, Oakley in Flames, starts getting attention, and soon Val has to choose between her obligations to her class—and Maeve—and a burgeoning directing career.
My Thoughts: This was a cute enemies to lovers twist sapphics romance. There were some slow, even repetitive parts. Overall, I enjoyed the story. Oscar winning, celebrity, Valeria Sullivan wants to transition into full time directing but a bad interview has left in the wings. She decides she will throw herself into her other passion, academia. She lands a guest professor job at USC. Her co-professor, Maeve Arko, is not happy about the celebrity encroaching on her turf. The contempt blends into sparks and when the two connect, the chemistry flies out the door. Is Hollywood done with Val? Will Val have to make a choice to pursue the relationship or pursue Hollywood? This follows the tropes of enemies to lovers, celebrity romance, queer romance, and miscommunication.
This is narrated in a dual narration by Val and Maeve, from their respective perspectives. Val is a brilliant director and actor, who has won awards for her acting career. Her directly career was snubbed out early due to a bad interview, so she has pursued her other passion, academia, and is ready to walk away from Hollywood to be full time in academia, however, Hollywood is not quite done with her. Maeve has great contempt for celebrities who co-teach, and Val is no different. However, when the contempt blends into angst and later sparks, when they fully open up to each other, it is so beautiful and timeless. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and were intriguing. The supporting characters were timeless and perfect for this storyline, especially Charlie and Tyler. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, funny, swoony, steamy/spicy, creative, and beautifully executed and written. The little Easter eggs of LA culture really immersed you into the story, like you were a part of and not an outsider.
I was a little behind on reviews, so I purchased the audiobook on this one and the narrator was fabulous and really brought the characters to life and enriched the storyline. The author did an amazing job at representing mental health and anxiety and approached it with grace and care. The author explores tougher topics. There is a great balance between hard topics, such as Hollywood behind the scenes and homophobia balanced with sweet tender swoon-perfection moments.
TW: mental health. This was a beautifully written and well executed story of chemistry, celebrity status, and academia. Even with its slightly repetitve parts and slow burn, I believe it was beautifully executed with the perfect flow and pace. The only thing I would change, is the timing of Val’s news to Maeve, I think earlier timing would have elevated the story. This is perfect for fans of TJ Alexander or Anita Kelly. Available now. Highly recommend picking up!
August 14, 2024
guys... you know i love little shop of horrors!
in a way, i felt like i could've written this. not because i think the writing style was unimpressive, but because i genuinely think carlyn greenwald and i have experienced the same life. who else would ever write in multiple paragraphs about the mc purposefully watching their love interest crossing their legs in a skirt??
val and i were... alarmingly similar to say the least. an anxious, unintentionally self-sabotaging "i can fix her/this" mc in love with a perfectionist introverted femme professor? get out of here that's been my fantasy since middle school!! and maybe it's because i've been reading a lot of first person lately, but i actually didn't hate that it was the chosen perspective. in fact, this a great example of how first person can be done very well. given her battle with anxiety, choosing val as the perspective for this novel offered a lot of complexity to the story. maybe i'm also just an anxious mess, but balancing the hollywood life vs professor/love life was definitely anxiety inducing as a reader, but kind of in the best way. i really did like that we got to see different parts of val and got a good look at how her schoolyard crush turned into a very self-aware bordering love obsession with maeve. also, maeve is a hot ass name. romance novel name fr.
maeve was also pretty complex for a character we were seeing solely through the eyes of her girlfriend. also, like... hot. what can i say, i love a tease! (btw the sex scenes weren't cringy despite them being in first person, everyone cheer) the only part i wish i could've had maeve's perspective was her sudden switch up on val and how their relationship just began to flourish, but otherwise i enjoyed her very, very, very much.
besides literally including all of my thoughts and interests in one book, i really liked this novel. do i love a third act breakup.... ehhhh... no. could the inevitable breakup be a bit better? sure, but books aren't always about reinventing the wheel.
overall, 5/5
in a way, i felt like i could've written this. not because i think the writing style was unimpressive, but because i genuinely think carlyn greenwald and i have experienced the same life. who else would ever write in multiple paragraphs about the mc purposefully watching their love interest crossing their legs in a skirt??
val and i were... alarmingly similar to say the least. an anxious, unintentionally self-sabotaging "i can fix her/this" mc in love with a perfectionist introverted femme professor? get out of here that's been my fantasy since middle school!! and maybe it's because i've been reading a lot of first person lately, but i actually didn't hate that it was the chosen perspective. in fact, this a great example of how first person can be done very well. given her battle with anxiety, choosing val as the perspective for this novel offered a lot of complexity to the story. maybe i'm also just an anxious mess, but balancing the hollywood life vs professor/love life was definitely anxiety inducing as a reader, but kind of in the best way. i really did like that we got to see different parts of val and got a good look at how her schoolyard crush turned into a very self-aware bordering love obsession with maeve. also, maeve is a hot ass name. romance novel name fr.
maeve was also pretty complex for a character we were seeing solely through the eyes of her girlfriend. also, like... hot. what can i say, i love a tease! (btw the sex scenes weren't cringy despite them being in first person, everyone cheer) the only part i wish i could've had maeve's perspective was her sudden switch up on val and how their relationship just began to flourish, but otherwise i enjoyed her very, very, very much.
besides literally including all of my thoughts and interests in one book, i really liked this novel. do i love a third act breakup.... ehhhh... no. could the inevitable breakup be a bit better? sure, but books aren't always about reinventing the wheel.
overall, 5/5
June 30, 2024
3.75!
The perfect sapphic romance for fans of movie directing, movie musicals, and hot women that are able to develop healthy communication skills, and also strive for more gay media in the film industry!
Val is an actor and director that has recently publicly come out as a lesbian to her audience, and ever since she came out, she has found herself pigeonholed into strictly lesbian roles, and is facing inappropriate comments and questions about her sexuality in every interview she participates in. In an attempt to escape the toxic environment that is manifesting around her acting and directing career due to her sexuality being picked and prodded upon constantly, Val decides to try being a professor again, and signs up to co-teach a film class on movie musicals. That will be easy, right? It will quell all of her rampant anxiety about work and herself, right?
Wrong. Despite their charged first impressions, the co-teacher Maeve is hot. and smart. and funny. And maybe saw her naked in a movie once.
As they grow to get to know each other, we learn their flaws and hyper-fixations, their insecurities and hobbies, and we learn to basically be obsessed with the both of them together and want the world for them. But first they have to figure out what in the world THEY want, outside of each other.
I loved the realistic touches of the relationships shown in this book, despite the love story of a famous actor and a USC professor maybe being unrealistic in itself. Maeve and Val are at times frustrating, especially Val with her having such a busy career, but we discover all of the valid reasons for their apprehension and the love we see between them and others throughout the novel is so much more believable in the face of all of the complexity they harbor from the time in their lives before they’ve met. The magical symphony of this book is both diegetic and non-diegetic, because even at the times they don’t hear the significance of it all, we do.
TW: they talk about the musical Cats
The perfect sapphic romance for fans of movie directing, movie musicals, and hot women that are able to develop healthy communication skills, and also strive for more gay media in the film industry!
Val is an actor and director that has recently publicly come out as a lesbian to her audience, and ever since she came out, she has found herself pigeonholed into strictly lesbian roles, and is facing inappropriate comments and questions about her sexuality in every interview she participates in. In an attempt to escape the toxic environment that is manifesting around her acting and directing career due to her sexuality being picked and prodded upon constantly, Val decides to try being a professor again, and signs up to co-teach a film class on movie musicals. That will be easy, right? It will quell all of her rampant anxiety about work and herself, right?
Wrong. Despite their charged first impressions, the co-teacher Maeve is hot. and smart. and funny. And maybe saw her naked in a movie once.
As they grow to get to know each other, we learn their flaws and hyper-fixations, their insecurities and hobbies, and we learn to basically be obsessed with the both of them together and want the world for them. But first they have to figure out what in the world THEY want, outside of each other.
I loved the realistic touches of the relationships shown in this book, despite the love story of a famous actor and a USC professor maybe being unrealistic in itself. Maeve and Val are at times frustrating, especially Val with her having such a busy career, but we discover all of the valid reasons for their apprehension and the love we see between them and others throughout the novel is so much more believable in the face of all of the complexity they harbor from the time in their lives before they’ve met. The magical symphony of this book is both diegetic and non-diegetic, because even at the times they don’t hear the significance of it all, we do.
TW: they talk about the musical Cats
July 31, 2024
Director’s Cut
By Carlyn Greenwald
Thank you so much partner @vintageanchorbooks for the gifted copy.
About the book 👇🏽
After taking a guest teaching gig, Oscar-winning Valeria Sullivan finds herself trapped in a battle of wits with her sexy co-professor, but can she keep her cool when things heat up in and out of the classroom?
✨My thoughts:
A quick and easy read you’ll be able to read in one sitting! It’s a fast read that touches on many topics readers will find relatable. The character that stood out the most for me was actually the best friend Charlie, where Val wasn’t very likable for me, and Maeve stood right in the middle. I liked the way it ended, it was nicely rounded out! Honestly I think I would have enjoyed it more* had the pacing not been a bit off but that may not be an issue for others and probably just a me thing. I will say though that my absolute favorite parts of this story were actually Val’s lectures, and I’d give them all the stars if I could. Even if this wasn’t a total hit for me, I’d definitely read another book by this author. Director’s Cut is out now!
Happy reading 📖 🎥
By Carlyn Greenwald
Thank you so much partner @vintageanchorbooks for the gifted copy.
About the book 👇🏽
After taking a guest teaching gig, Oscar-winning Valeria Sullivan finds herself trapped in a battle of wits with her sexy co-professor, but can she keep her cool when things heat up in and out of the classroom?
✨My thoughts:
A quick and easy read you’ll be able to read in one sitting! It’s a fast read that touches on many topics readers will find relatable. The character that stood out the most for me was actually the best friend Charlie, where Val wasn’t very likable for me, and Maeve stood right in the middle. I liked the way it ended, it was nicely rounded out! Honestly I think I would have enjoyed it more* had the pacing not been a bit off but that may not be an issue for others and probably just a me thing. I will say though that my absolute favorite parts of this story were actually Val’s lectures, and I’d give them all the stars if I could. Even if this wasn’t a total hit for me, I’d definitely read another book by this author. Director’s Cut is out now!
Happy reading 📖 🎥
June 25, 2025
Oscar winning actress Valeria is a guest professor in a USC film class this semester. At first her collaborating professor, Maeve, is not impressed. But as the semester goes on, they start to realize they have more in common than they realized.
I applaud the author on the cute concept. However, this was not well done. The discussion of queer cinema was actually really in depth and was a highlight. Other than that, this story felt like it was half baked. The characters felt two-dimensional and there was no chemistry. The dialogue was disjoined and didn't always make sense. And there were so many things that were unrealistic. Like you're really telling me that
Anyway, thank you to Vintage for the gifted copy.
I applaud the author on the cute concept. However, this was not well done. The discussion of queer cinema was actually really in depth and was a highlight. Other than that, this story felt like it was half baked. The characters felt two-dimensional and there was no chemistry. The dialogue was disjoined and didn't always make sense. And there were so many things that were unrealistic. Like you're really telling me that
Anyway, thank you to Vintage for the gifted copy.
June 29, 2024
A nice romcom. I liked the two MCs they had great personalities and good chemistry. Explored mental health issues of anxiety in a thoughtful and educated way, and this theme helped the story line. Learning about the film industry, as well as part of the action taking place in academia hit points of interest for me. The two MCs teach a course in movie musicals together and it's fun information. Nice spice, too.
September 15, 2024
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book!
Eh. This was fine, it had some cute moments, but also a lot of issues that were actually such non-issues that it was painful to read about how long it took to resolve them.
As a bisexual woman, I liked the representation that Maeve gave us, and as someone with anxiety, I found the main character’s to be so weird - I can’t even explain what was wrong with it, but the way it felt like a plot device rather than something the mc was constantly living with just felt off.
Overall, a fun quick read that I’ll forget in no time.
Eh. This was fine, it had some cute moments, but also a lot of issues that were actually such non-issues that it was painful to read about how long it took to resolve them.
As a bisexual woman, I liked the representation that Maeve gave us, and as someone with anxiety, I found the main character’s to be so weird - I can’t even explain what was wrong with it, but the way it felt like a plot device rather than something the mc was constantly living with just felt off.
Overall, a fun quick read that I’ll forget in no time.
August 25, 2025
this was so cute and cozy. I loved Valeria in Sizzle Reel and loved getting a deeper look at her here. I loved the talk on anxiety because it really doesn't make sense sometimes. would love a 3rd book in this characters friend group!
December 16, 2025
dnf @ 60%. i loved the plot and idea of this book but i cannot get through valerie’s narration. the writing from her perspective is difficult to tolerate and her character is unfortunately generally unlikable for me.
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