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

Oh Shera. I was (am?) rooting for you. Hardly Strangers is a steamy little thing. Max is pretty dreamy. Shera is obviously a Neurotic Hottie, and I much preferred her when she was talking about her Big Writing Dreams instead of her miserable ex. Or miserable filmmaker.

Maybe as a neurotic non-hottie myself, there was a bit of a disconnect with me. That's not to say that total babes can't have problems or neurosis, but Shera, girl. Giving up your dreams for the most mid man ever? Help. SOS. And then the constant looping spiral around Max was too repetitive for me. I feel like AC Cloud was working through some things on her own. I did enjoy the prose, and again, the steamy scenes were steamy. But it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

I'm loving 831 Stories novellas! I loved the concept and appreciate a messier, more rugged romance. But this one just felt like it was trying to do too much in such a short book. I wanted more from both of the characters. The writing was great, and I would certainly read more from this author.

✅ Shera, 20s, writer + aspiring noveist & Max King, lead singer in an Irish punk band
✅ Shera and Max meet when she gets quasi stood up on a date
✅ this is about 150 pages and happens in the span of one night. It reads like a movie, 100% would watch
🌶️: yes

I so badly wanted to like this book because I want 831 stories to do well. I love their concept. Unfortunately, for me, this book was overwritten and overwrought—especially for a novella. The behavior / situation that the female protagonist was trying to heal from needed to be presented with more explanation / care i.e,, more time on the page. The best part of the reading experience was the epilogue, which can be found on their website.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! After really enjoying 831 Stories' debut, Big Fan, I was excited for the second installment, but this ended up being a bit of a let-down. I found both the main characters to be unlikeable, and while I understood that the author was trying to make them flawed and angsty because of their traumatic pasts, they just didn't work for me. I know this imprint's niche is romance novellas, but the romance felt rushed and unsatisfying and left something to be desired at the end. It was described as a "Before Sunrise"-type plot which could've been exciting, but I really found myself not caring how their story ended. I don't know if this is a good thing or not but the story felt very LA - I've never lived or dated there but I think the author accurately described what it's like and confirmed it's not for me lol. I thought the writing style was great the plot just wasn't for me. I'm still excited to pick up 831's next installment!

Unfolding over one night, two people unite through an electric connection uncovering attraction, grief, and absolving yourself of past mistakes. A poetic voice lifts this novella up, while the careful attention to detail and Los Angeles setting create an unmistakable mood.

I am a big fan of 831 Stories and what they are doing. The premsie of this one was my catnip - I love a celebrity romance.

Unfortunately, the length of this one really felt like it did the story a disservice. It felt incomplete, and I wished there had been greater character development. I struggled to get invested with the characters because it moved so quickly.

Overall, it was fine but I wanted more out of it.

I was really afraid that Michael was going to be the love interest, and I could not figure out where this book was going because of that. I'm happy that wasn't the case. It's hard to have a satisfying arc over the course of one night, so I have to admit, Hardly Strangers doesn't quite hit the mark. I enjoyed the writing though and was interested in Shera as a character. I could have read about 100 more pages of this to see the characters fleshed out in a more satisfying way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Sometimes I think I don't like novellas because I'm just thrown into the world without context...but then I read something like this book, and I'm sold. The pacing was just right, and the chemistry between the MMC and FMC were spot on. I loved their whirlwind romance, and loved this snapshot of the east side of LA.

Definitely recommend this novella!

I had a hard time connecting with this one. Maybe it’s the writing style or the excessive amount of details, which for me was just unnecessary waffle. I simply couldn’t care less about the characters and secretly wished to reach the last page as fast as I could.

Sheera meets musician Max in a bar while waiting for her date. Sheera realizes she'd rather go home with this perfect stranger than the man she'd been waiting on.

Told over one night, this short romance is almost like a play. Sheera and Max have chemistry but then allow themselves to reveal more of their personalities and lives to each other, all over the course of one night. I liked that this was short and propulsive, almost like new couples' therapy. It has a good amount of sex, but also lots of introspection. It reminded me a lot of the Zendaya movie Malcom & Marie.

This is a book under the new publisher 831 Stories and I'm very interested to see what they are doing. They seem to be publishing well curated romances that are shorter in length, but every word is used wisely. I like their marketing strategies (all except their boring covers that look like republished classic books- definitely not my favorite.) So far, I've read two of their books and really liked both.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

3.5 stars! The premise of HARDLY STRANGERS had me hooked, and I really enjoyed the story. Shera and Max had obvious chemistry, and while readers only get to spend time with them for one night, it still felt like I got to know them as characters as well. A.C. Robinson does a great job of showing Shera and Max's messiness and flawed moments, while also making it difficult not to root for them, both as individuals and together. I'm looking forward to reading more titles from 831 Stories—I really love what they're bringing to the romance genre with their novellas! Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

Romance Novella

✨The Highlights✨
• Rockstar x Writer 🎸🖊️
• Second Chances ⏳
• One-Night Stand Turned Deep Connection 💫
• One Night Only (Literally)
. Irish Punk Rocker MMC ☘️
. Past Heartbreak 💔
. LA Vibes
• Single POV

✨The Feels✨

Whoa. Hardly Strangers packs a serious punch for a novella. I wasn’t expecting a short story to dive so deeply into heavy, raw themes, but here we are! Timing is everything, and just when Shera thinks she’s out with her dream guy, another one (hello, magnetic Max King) walks into the bar and turns her night upside down.

Fans of Big Fan (another 831 Stories gem!) will find this has a very different vibe: less dreamy, more real, honest, and emotionally intense. Shera and Max connect with playful banter and insane chemistry, but as their night unfolds, they end up baring their flaws, mistakes, and insecurities in ways that feel real and uncomfortably raw. This isn’t the kind of romance that sweeps you off your feet—it’s more a gut punch of vulnerability and humanity, the kind of love that requires total honesty and acceptance of even the most imperfect parts. This story doesn’t shy away from the darkness; it leans into it, revealing how complex and flawed we all are…and how that can sometimes make connection even more powerful.

✨The Spoiler-Free Details✨

Shera has her sights set on a date with her longtime crush, but a chance encounter with Max, a charismatic Irish punk rock singer, changes everything. They spend one night connecting in a way that’s as exhilarating as it is terrifying—revealing parts of themselves they usually keep locked away. But can two people really lay their hearts bare and walk away unscathed?



Content Warnings/Themes:
• Low self-esteem
• Panic attacks
• Infidelity
• Erectile dysfunction
• Regret and past mistakes
• Guarded hearts and themes of trust

spectacular, give me 14 more of them!!! I had the most fun ever with this bite sized rockstar romance. It was quick and hot and surprisingly emotional and I am deeply in love with Max King (and Shera tbh).

4.25 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and 831 Stories for my ARC!

I’m so excited about what 831 Stories is doing and I was eager to gobble up a new novella from them. I read this easily in one sitting, both because it was short and because it was super engaging.

I’m really impressed with the depth and emotion that fit into this shorter story. And it was such a unique concept, capturing a single (albeit long!) night between a couple who meet at a bar, each originally there to meet someone else. I thought this was done masterfully and magically!

It was a high bar to follow Big Fan, and this was less of a clean HEA and more complex and realistic, but I think that was actually a strength of this novella in the end. And you know I ran to read the epilogue online!!

I’m so eager for what 831 Stories publishes next!

I’m so obsessed with 831 stories and hope they continue to publish these romance novellas! Truly broadening and reshaping the genre! Slay etc

Hardley Strangers by A.C. Robinson is an insta-love romance novella inspired by the vibe of Before Sunrise. I love and fully support 831 Stories' mission to bring quality romance novellas to readers, but this one didn’t quite work for me. While the writing is solid and the premise intriguing, the insta-love felt rushed, and the emotional depth I craved was hard to capture in the shorter format.

I think the novella format might lend itself better to rom-coms, where a lighter tone and faster pace are more forgiving than in romance dramas. Still, if you’re a fan of love-at-first-sight stories, it might be worth the quick read.

For the yet unindoctrinated, 831 stories is a publisher of unrelated, romantically compelling novellas by different authors. Hardly Strangers is our second effort from this team. With online content and epilogues, fanfiction on their website, and delicious storylines, 831 stories is a fresh, modern take on the romance genre. And, for the record, I am HERE for it.

Shera, an LA based writer, is waiting for a guy she's been pining over for months at a trendy Silver Lake bar when she feels eyes on her. Her friend recognizes him as Max King, infamous leader of an Irish punk band. Their connection is instan, cutting and filled with banter and attraction. In the same vein as Before Sunrise, what unfolds is a winding night of confessions and realizations that will leave Shera changed.

This is a fun amuse bouche of a story! It's an easy single sitting read. These novellas are the perfect escape! Thank you to Netgalley and 831 stories for the advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, author A.C. Robinson, and publisher 831 Stories for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

831 Stories has been taking over my social media feeds recently, and I decided to check out their first novella, Big Fan, last month. To my surprise (as I am not always a romance girly), I devoured it and have still been thinking about it. I immediately went to get my hands on Hardly Strangers, since it was being published soon. Unfortunately, I was not quite as obsessed with this one, although I do believe that is more on my personal taste than with the novella as a whole. As with Big Fan, I flew through this and am absolutely LOVING the format!! Robinson has a perfectly paced story here that is all plot, no filler, and it makes it just a joy to read!! Even though I read it quickly, I didn't feel like I necessarily ~needed~ more because what was there was expertly done, and I enjoyed it for what it was. I really liked Robinson's writing style, and I thought Shera was an interesting character. I appreciate 831 Stories for publishing romances that feature such cool, mature women that even when not always fully self-confident, they read as having an innate sense of who they are. For me, what was a miss with this was the male protagonist, Max King. I do believe this is more of a personal problem as 1. I am a lesbian lol and 2. I am kind of picky with my personal tastes in romances. However, I just thought he read as too controlling/demanding. I didn't like how he was always assuming what Shera needed or wanted, and there were several times where it seemed he wouldn't necessarily take no for an answer. This didn't come off as attractive to me, and instead, read a little weird since he as a character was SO critical to the other male character Shera was interested in doing the same thing. I didn't necessarily buy Shera and Max's "insta-love" connection because of this. I personally wanted to see even more of Shera as an individual too, as I think she had an interesting story, and I would have loved even more of her friends present, as they were fun! This is where the limitations of a novella fall since there's only so much you can fit in the length. With this being said, I do think Robinson did a great job writing this overall, and I will still continue to pick up 831 Stories novellas, as they are a lot of fun and well crafted!!

831 Stories is doing it like no one else. Ate this up at the hairdresser and then recommended to her. Perfect if you currently have a short attention span and need a little escape.