December 1, 2022
Luna Roth, newly out as bisexual, is navigating her identity and the beginning of her career. At the story's start, she works for an agent, who is a terrible boss, while trying to break into the movie industry as a cinematographer. When she meets Valeria, a movie star client who might be able to help and who seems like a potential romantic partner, Luna has to balance her priorities and figure out what is most important. She also has to decide where her long-term friends belong in her life, including former boyfriend Wyatt and roommate Romy, who has been out for longer and is helping Luna navigate her first crush on a woman. Featuring Luna's point of view, the novel deals with anxiety disorder and the fear of coming out to parents. VERDICT Readers who enjoy new adult romances with characters who are discovering themselves and their identities or those with an interest in the Hollywood setting will appreciate the latest from Greenwald (Effectuation).--Sydney Ashby
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January 2, 2023
Greenwald’s fun but unfocused debut rom-com sends newly out bisexual Luna Roth, 24, on several missions: find a way out of her toxic work environment at a Hollywood talent agency, pursue her dream of becoming a cinematographer, and finally lose her virginity—with queer superstar actor Valeria Sullivan, no less. Her roommate and best friend, Romy, agrees to help with all three, realizing too late that she feels anything but neutral toward the prospect of Luna ending up with someone else. To have the life she’s always wanted, Luna must come to terms with her developing sexuality, her precarious career in Hollywood, and who she really wants to give her heart to. The story splits its time between Luna’s career and love life, never fully committing to either, which may frustrate readers looking for a satisfying friends-to-lovers romance. Meanwhile, a lack of narrative tension sometimes robs the plot of momentum. Still, Luna’s got a snappy voice, and the abundant pop culture references keep the tale firmly anchored in its Hollywood setting. It’s not perfect, but Greenwald shows real promise. Agent: Janine Kamouh, WME.
March 1, 2023
An aspiring cinematographer finds herself torn between an A-list actress and her closest friend. Luna Roth didn't think her life would change much when she decided to come out as bisexual, but she didn't expect to be such a disaster at it, either. The truth is she's still trying to figure out exactly who to come out to and how. Sharing the news with her close friends? Somewhat nerve-wracking, but she can pull it off. Telling her parents? That's a different story. At the same time, Luna is trying to work her way up the ladder in the film industry, but leaving her job as a personal assistant to a temperamental talent manager without a safety net in place is easier said than done. When she collides with gorgeous actress Valeria Sullivan at the office, Luna isn't just bowled over by her first real crush since coming out; it occurs to her that Valeria, who is trying to become a director, might be just the woman to help her move up in her career. With the aid of Romy, her best friend, Luna decides to see how far she can go with Valeria as her advocate--not just in Hollywood, but maybe when it comes to figuring out what she likes in the bedroom, too, if the interest is mutual. Greenwald's debut is an engaging comedy of errors that displays an insider's familiarity with life on a movie set, but the true romance at its heart takes a back seat to the love triangle that dominates the plot. Luna's desire to have Valeria introduce her to the ins and outs of intimacy contributes to both her and the reader missing out on what could have been essential space devoted to more of her natural chemistry with Romy. An unfiltered comedy about self-discovery and fulfillment.
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March 15, 2023
Los Angeles-based Greenwald draws on her time in film school to lend a fresh Gen Z authenticity to her debut adult romance about an anxious twentysomething trying to make it in Hollywood while struggling to be confident about coming out as bisexual. Luna Roth dreams of becoming a cinematographer and is hoping for an industry boost from her boss, a two-faced talent agent, when she meets an up-and-coming movie star, Valeria Sullivan. Their low-key flirtation could be the start of her big break or spell disaster for both their careers. Luna reveals her sexual orientation to her closest friends, Wyatt and Romy, and is eager to finally lose her virginity to Valeria, but Luna is nervous about how to go all the way. Nonbinary Romy is the most experienced in queer relationships and supports Luna's coming out even as they hide her own feelings for her best friend. Some readers will find the protagonists' self-aware discussions of the mechanics of LGBTQ love-making empowering, while others may find that it takes the sizzle out of this friends-to-lovers romance.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.