5 Stars!! Loved this one!! Set in my two favorite cities - Boston and DC - as she connects with her old teenage crush from her favorite boy band?!? Perfect combination. Loved the idea of living out the fan fics I read in high school!! Can't wait for what's next

Thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC!

*Big Fan* is a delightful and engaging read! Maya is a compelling character navigating the fallout from her ex-husband’s scandal while trying to reclaim her political career. When her teenage crush, Charlie, reaches out for help with his solo comeback, things get interesting. Their dynamic is fun and heartwarming, as Maya grapples with her past and her ambitions.

The blend of politics and personal growth is well executed, and the humor keeps the story light. While it occasionally dips into predictable territory, it’s an enjoyable exploration of second chances and unexpected connections. Perfect for fans of romance and light-hearted contemporary fiction! I can't wait to read more from Alexandra Romanoff!!

This book was very entertaining but shorter than I would have liked it to be. It seemed a little rush in the build up but overall enjoyable. I liked the political romance perspective! Unique compared to what is typical. I would recommend as a quick beach read. It was fun to have the celebrity aspect incorporated as well. Definitely an enjoyable reading experience. I would love to see and read more from this publishing agency.

Never one to pass up a celebrity-falls-for-normal-person romance, Big Fan was a delight! Our main character is a political operative who engages her teen boy band crush in supporting her boss' candidacy... and then they engage in much more. The pace was quick, the banter witty, and the characters lovable. Great for anyone who wants to relive the experience of reading or watching The Idea of You for the first time, with some new twists!

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff
Standalone Contemporary Romance Novella

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff is the first release from a new romance publishing company, 831 Stories. At just 176 pages, it’s a long novella, but luckily, it doesn’t feel like it skimps on anything important. It’s smart, sexy, and honestly, I’m a sucker for a good celebrity/normal person romance.

Maya, once a big-deal political campaign strategist, had her career wrecked after her ex cheated on her, creating a very public scandal. I mean, who wants a campaign manager with that kind of baggage, right? So, after taking a hit, Maya worked on rebuilding her image. She did a piece for Vogue, the same issue that happened to feature her teenage crush—Charlie Blake, former boy-band heartthrob from Mischief. Fun fact: she even started his fan club when she was 15, which is what kickstarted her whole career in politics.

After the article came out, Maya scored a new job with a Governor candidate. And then—get this—Charlie Blake called her, asking for help re-launching his career. Can you imagine your teenage crush just calling you up out of nowhere? Naturally, she agreed to meet him (because, duh), but she turned down the job. Her passion was politics, and she was set on making real changes in the world. But they did end up striking up a friendship.

“At seventeen and eighteen, he was a rangy kid with surprisingly broad shoulders and a wicked dimpled grin. Now he’s thirty-seven and filled out with muscle, crow’s-feet winking at the corner of each eye. His hair is still silky, but it’s dirty blond threaded with the barest hints of silver.”

Maya’s really into UBI (Universal Basic Income), and she took the Governor job because it aligned with that mission. UBI is a major theme in Big Fan, and while I like the concept, and it’s interesting to learn about, at times the book feels a bit like an advertisement for it. When Charlie joined the campaign to help promote UBI, their friendship started to shift into something more, but the last thing Maya needed was another high-profile relationship!

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff is a quick, easy read. The writing style is short and snappy, which does come off as a bit immature at times, but it makes for a breezy story about smart characters. The whole thing is in 1st person, so it pulls you right in. If you liked The Idea of You , you might get similar vibes here, but without the age-gap dynamic. And, from what I can gather, it may have even started as One Direction fan fiction.

In the end, Big Fan is short but satisfying. If you’re into steamy celebrity/normal person romances and don’t mind a bit of politics, you should check it out. Oh, and if you visit the 831 Stories website, there’s a great song from the book, an epilogue, and even some fanfic scenes from other authors. Just be warned—the hot pink and red color scheme like the cover is a killer for your eyes.

Rating: 4.25 Stars, 3 Heat

What a fabulous novella!! I’ve read the epilogue & I just want so much more of Maya & Charlie! I cannot wait to see what other fun romcom reads come from 831 Stories!!

One of my favorite reads of this year! This has all of the steam of the early days of Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, it really is romance for the secret romantics. The perfect length, and I would have read another hundred pages.

Thanks to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the ARC!

After hearing SO MUCH buzz about BIG FAN, a debut novella from Alexandra Romanoff, I was thrilled to receive an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I owe a huge thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher, Authors Equity | 831 Stories.

BIG FAN is just so much fun from start to finish. It tells the story of Maya, a political consultant who used to run a fan club for a classic 90s boy band, and Charlie, a singer in said boy band. I tend to love this type of story, but Romanoff put a unique and wonderful spin and flavor into this one. As far as novellas go, they can often be too short, or not pack enough substance, but I found this one to be truly delightful and satisfying! Would recommend to all!

A politico meets her childhood boy band crush?!?!

EXCUSE ME?!

If you know me IRL, this is basically THE DREAM.

Maya is a successful political consultant. While she played a big role on the last Presidential, these days she is more known for personal drama - a high profile breakup after her very famous now-ex husband cheated on her with a much younger woman. She is desperate to get back on track and have folks talking about professional work - and landing a spot on the team of the MA gubernatorial may just do it. So when she gets an inquriy about working on a project with the lead singer of her favorite boyband Mischief, she knows she should pass. She had pictures of Charlie on her walls and even cofounded a fan group with her childhood bestie.

But she takes the meeting - and is both charmed and impressed with Charlie. There seems to be some synergy that could benefit both of them professionally - even though their chemistry is undeniable...

What a fun ride by author Alexandra Romanoff this was! Big Fan has so many of my favorite things when it comes to romance - strong female lead, a pop culture tie-in, conflict that feels natural, tension that feels believable and FIRE chemistry. As someone who works in politics, I tend to avoid novels that places it at the forefront because I can get caught up in the details (if anyone ever wants to write a book involving politics, CALL ME!). But I thought it was handled quite well here, and provided a great connection and backstory to a complex character that was easy to get behind. I couldn't put it down - I basically red it in a single sitting,

This was just so fun and sexy. I am VERY excited about what 831 Stories is doing, and am so thrilled to have been gifted an ARC of Big Fan - the first book that they've published.

Fun, charming, fast paced. I dare you to not read this in one sitting. Any book that can combine serious discussion of Basic Minimum Income with steamy sex scenes is a must-read in my book. For anyone who has an interest in politics or ever loved a boy bander and wondered what if we actually got to meet?

** A copy of Big Fan was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

Oh my, what a short and sweet novella filled with big feelings! This was so much fun. Maya and Charlie are such a delight - I loved that they're both complex characters.

Also shout-out to 831 Stories for creating a unique reading experience with the addition of fan-fic, merch and music. It makes Big Fan feel real! I can't wait to see what they do next!

Who knew a romance about universal basic income would be so fun lol. I work in politics and live in DC, so it was fun to see Maya's career (sometimes hard to get past the inaccuracies but I thought overall the political storyline was well-done).

Celebrity-normal person will always be so fun. This is such a great homage to fan girls everywhere. This was a delightful read, love that it can be read in one sitting.

Thank you to Authors Equity, 831 Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I had heard a few of my favorite SubStacks raving about this novella and I immediately had to figure out how to get my hands on it. I found it on NetGalley and quickly requested it, jumping for joy when I was granted it.

This is one of my top romances that I have read this year, possibly ever. Maya is real, relatable, flawed and lovable while Charlie is dreamy, sexy, real and also flawed. The arc of this book was written flawlessly. When I wasn't reading this, I was thinking about them in a way that made me feel like I knew them both. Romanoff wrote a sexy, steamy and romantic story that swept me off my feet and is perfect for people who like real feeling romances. I was so sad to finish this and plan to purchase the physical book. 10/5 stars. I want to see more Alexandra Romanoff!!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for providing me with an arc for review.

Big Fan is the perfect ode to pop music, (boyband) fandom, and fanfic.
All grown up with a political consulting job and reeling from a scandalous divorce, Maya is still a big fan of Charlie, her teenage-years boyband crush. She even had a fan club for his band, Mischief, with her bestie. Maya and Charlie connect, deeply. It's cute. It's romantic. It reads like grown up fanfic (extremely complimentary.)

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I echo the sentiment that this debut romance novella (can I call it that at 176 pages?!) is The Idea of You meets D.C. Politics (insert your fav show: Scandal, The Good Wife.) We all have that boy band crush (no? Just me?) from when we were teenagers that we read about in Tiger Beat and hung the centerfold, watched every tv interview and appearance, followed every move of their career and then with age, it fizzled. Imagine being your adult self and becoming acquaintances with that person. This story of Maya and Charlie allows you to live in the "what if" that happened. Dreamy with a lil spice.

I don’t think I’m the target audience for this, it was a bit too political for me and as soon as they mentioned UBI they lost me.

Big Fan is a tight, fun, fast romance that delightfully unfolds between Maya, a political consultant in DC, who has just been unceremoniously ejected from her marriage after her politico husband has an affair with a young staffer, and Charlie Blake, a member of the boy band Mischief for which Maya and her best friend Kate had made the premier fan club.

There were so many lovely details throughout the novel that made the characters feel real. I adored Kate and Maya’s friendship and could just see the glee through the page from Kate as she’s munching on a bagel getting ready for her wedding finding out that Charlie Blake is going to be Maya’s date and be at her wedding. The romance that blooms between Maya and Charlie had me kicking my feet at points just due to how wonderful the interactions between them were.

I also appreciated the touting of universal basic income throughout the novel and the churn that Maya goes through while working on the campaign. The details really helped ground the novel even with a very dreamy premise. I also have to say, as a HeadCount Team Lead - I was so ridiculously happy to have the organization get a shoutout in the book from Charlie as he's been interviewed for a late night show. That alone helped bolster the book even more for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Author's Equity/831 Books for the advanced copy.

This is such a lovely read.

I devoured this one and was feeling strong emotions throughout. Charlie and Maya are both great characters and I love their relationship development. For such a short read there is still so much going on and I really enjoyed the story.

I would have liked it to be longer just to spend more time with them but it was hot and sweet and I loved the ride.

A fun and sexy novella about a normal woman and the boyband popstar of her dreams hooking up while working on a political campaign to popularize Universal Basic Income for all Americans??? Sign me up! This is elevated fanfic for the working woman, and I ate it up. Alexandra Romanoff was actually able to pack a lot of detail into such a short book, and I appreciated the little easter eggs to past political scandals. Charlie's song on the 831 Stories website and the epilogue were also a nice touch. Thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the arc!

I had been hearing so much buzz about this book and 831 stories and I'm happy to report, this doesn't disappoint! I especially appreciated that this was a second chance love story where the characters were in their late thirties. It felt mature but also still fun and hopeful. The tension and longing (especially from Charlie!) was so good. Both Maya and Charlie felt relatable, which always makes the story so much more enjoyable. A wonderful debut from Alexandra, can't wait to see what else she writes.

Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the ARC!