SIZZLE REEL, Greenwald's debut adult rom com, comes out April 18, 2023 from Vintage Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Preorder links below!
An unputdownable queer rom-com about life and love in Hollywood.
For aspiring cinematographer Luna Roth, coming out as bisexual at twenty-four is proving more difficult than she anticipated. Sure, her best friend and fellow queer Romy is thrilled for her—but she has no interest in coming out to her backwards parents, she wouldn't know how to flirt with a girl if one fell at her feet, and she has no sexual history to build off. Not to mention she really needs to focus her energy on escaping her emotionally-abusive-but-that’s-Hollywood talent manager boss and actually get working under a real director of photography anyway.
When she meets twenty-eight-year-old A-list actress Valeria Sullivan around the office, Luna thinks she’s found her solution. She'll use Valeria's interest in her cinematography to get a PA job on the set of Valeria's directorial debut—and if Valeria is as gay as Luna suspects, and she happens to be Luna's route to losing her virginity, too . . . well, that's just an added bonus. Enlisting Romy’s help, Luna starts the juggling act of her life—impress Valeria’s DP to get another job after this one, get as close to Valeria as possible, and help Romy with her own career moves.
But when Valeria begins to reciprocate romantic interest in Luna, the act begins to crumble—straining her relationship with Romy and leaving her job prospects precarious. Now Luna has to figure out if she can she fulfill her dreams as a filmmaker, keep her best friend, and get the girl. . . or if she’s destined to end up on the cutting room floor.
Preorder SIZZLE REEL from your favorite online retailer:
Preorder a signed and personalized copy of Sizzle Reel through Pages: a bookstore
Praise for SIZZLE REEL:
“A charming, sharply observed, and wholly immersive debut. Sometimes you read a book and know from the very beginning that it’s going to leave a mark on you, and I felt that so deeply with Sizzle Reel. This vibrant, sun-drenched romantic comedy is both an irresistible love story and a riveting exploration of Hollywood dynamics, with a voice that shimmers on every page. Carlyn Greenwald has a permanent place on my favorites shelf.”
—Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk
“Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald is a hilarious and tender romance featuring the most relatable journey through figuring out what love, sex, and friendship can mean. After I finished reading all I wanted to do was explore LA with a camera, curate a playlist of my favorite angsty crush songs, and put this book in the hands of every friend I can think of who really, really needs this story.”
—Alicia Thompson, bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
“Fresh, sexy, and addicting, Sizzle Reel is the sapphic story of my dreams. Greenwald writes with such remarkable authenticity and care, this book is easy to fall in love with. Readers are sure to see themselves and feel seen.”
—Annette Christie, author of The Rehearsals
“Sizzle Reel is Romance in technicolor; every scene, emotion, and beat fully captivates the senses leaving readers breathless. Carlyn Greenwald’s writing is fresh, raw, and brilliant, whipping across each page in vivid, stunning strokes. The themes of sex positivity, deep self-care, and exploration of identity are beautiful, validating gifts to the queer community."
—Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love
“Greenwald’s coming of age romance is as charming and witty as it is tender, relatable, and poignant. LA and the high-stress world of the entertainment industry sizzles on the page. Greenwald affirms, with gentleness and care, the experience of grappling with sexuality and coming out later in life. This book is sexy, sweet, and full of love; for ourselves, for queerness, for found family, and for the one person your heart belongs to.”
—Ruby Barrett, author of The Romance Recipe
“A fresh, funny, and wonderfully tender rom com about identity, friendship, and the beautiful power of first love.”
—Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
“Fun. . . . Luna’s got a snappy voice, and the abundant pop culture references keep the tale firmly anchored in its Hollywood setting. . . . Greenwald shows real promise.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Greenwald's debut is an engaging comedy of errors that displays an insider's familiarity with life on a movie set...An unfiltered comedy about self-discovery and fulfillment."
—Kirkus