Sizzle Reel

chapter one

As I make my hour-­long commute to work, I convince myself that the reason it was mildly difficult to come out to my therapist is because she looks like Rachel Brosnahan. Which, yeah, doesn t make much sense without context, and who s to say my brain s working at seven in the fucking morning as I inch along the slog of Vermont Avenue, longing for the respite of the equally-­as-­red stretch on Wilshire Boulevard? In fact, I can confirm it is not. I m not even really listening to the Jenny Nicholson podcast I clicked on an hour ago.

Facts: Beverly Hills is seven miles from my apartment. My therapist looks exactly like Rachel Brosnahan. I ve been officially identifying as bisexual for four days.

Four days, and I m already a bisexual disaster. Or, rather, I became a bisexual disaster the moment I came out to Julia. Imagine for a moment the bright lighting of a therapist s office a block from the beach, with sun spilling in from the east because some clown didn t put the windows in the office facing the beach. We re doing a P.O.V. shot; Julia s perfectly centered horizontally but shifted up a little vertically to suggest her slight authority over me, a slight authority we don t talk about.

I m bisexual, I say. Camera tight on me, Julia off camera.

That s great! she replies. When did you figure it out?

I reply with: While watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

We quick cut to Julia s face and ­

Even running the story through my head, my cheeks still go hot with the memory. I knock my air-­conditioning up a notch. Everything s fine. Coming out has been fine. The Julia ­Rachel Brosnahan story is the kind of shit my best friends, Romy and Wyatt, will lap up like, well, like stressed-­out Hollywood assistants lap up hard liquor after work. And yes, I can tell them this specific story because they re the next people I m going to come out to.

Just as I reach perfect homeostasis from the air-­conditioning against

CARLYN GREENWALD writes romantic and thrilling page-turners for teens and adults. A film school graduate and former Hollywood lackey, she now works in publishing. She resides in Los Angeles, mourning ArcLight Cinemas and soaking in the sun with her dogs. Find her online on Twitter @CarlynGreenwald and Instagram @carlyn_gee.
 

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

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
 
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