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!

They're simply not writing fun, GOOD, romcom novels like this anymore! I was indeed giggling and blushing on my commute to work. I've heard if you grew up reading fanfics you would like this and I have to agree. Really enjoyable, quick read. Exactly what you need to drag you out of a slump or as a palate cleanser.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Cute and quick rom com. Would have liked to see more plaid into the past marriage storyline of the main character but nevertheless enjoyed it.

a political girlie gets her own sidequest when her teenage dream crush pursues her professionally... and more? this novella squeezed social commentary in with a celebration of girlhood and coming back to oneself that had me cheering for our main characters. although less than 200 pages, readers still get good character development and some spice. hard to put down, 'big fan' is a well-written easy read. it's almost a shame it wasn't longer because I wanted more time with the characters.

4.5 stars / thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the eARC!

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff manages to thread the needle between smart, sexy, and heartwarming in less than 200 pages. The chemistry between Charlie and Maya was palpable, the stakes felt real and compelling, and I could not put this story down, needing to know how it all was going to turn out.
This novella is the encapsulation of everything I love in a romance novel and if you were looking for a romance novel that is a Scandal mixed with The Idea of You, then you need to pick this up.

This fun and flirty novella is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The story centers on a political strategist who finds herself tangled up with her teenage crush—a former boy band heartthrob—and the sparks that fly are just as complicated as you’d expect. Romanoff’s writing is light and breezy, making it a fast read that’s easy to get lost in.

The dynamics between the characters are entertaining, and the playful nostalgia of dating your teenage crush adds a charming twist. It’s a lighthearted escape with just the right amount of drama and romance to keep the pages turning. While it may not dive too deep into character development, it’s perfect for when you want something easygoing and sweet. If you’re looking for a quick, feel-good read, Big Fan hits the spot!

@831storieshq if this is your debut book, consider me 100% loyal to all future endeavors. The only thing I have to complain about with Big Fan is that I wanted more! Alexandra Romanoff managed to craft the perfect combo of steam and heart into a bite-sized morsel of a novella. If you, like me, fit into the center of the Venn diagram of loving The Idea of You and The West Wing, you’ll be a big fan of Big Fan. It’s the perfect antidote for the anxiety of election season. @zanopticon can we get a sequel please?

Maya is a political strategist who was publicly disgraced by her cheating, connected husband. She just wants to do her job well and not be brought into his cheating drama. Enter Charlie, a former boy band member who is looking to restart his career as a solo singer/songwriter. As a teen, Maya was the president of his fan club, so Charlie reaches out to her to do her relaunch PR. Instead, Maya and Charlie bond and Maya inspires Charlie to be more politically active for Maya's new governor candidate client. But Maya's client does not want Maya to be associated with a pop star in her personal life because of her previous personal history. Will the politico and the pop star find love and be able to balance their work selves and their personal relationship?

I really loved this book. It was fun and fast paced and not long. Sometimes you just need to read a book that makes you happy and this is that book. I loved that the main characters enjoyed their jobs and made them priorities as well as how complicated that made the rest of their lives. I felt how unjust it would be for a woman in politics who did nothing wrong to be affected by a very public cheating husband. I also loved the character arches and that this is romantic drama. This one is worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.