A little hard for me to buy in/believe this sort of character development from just one night, but I think the story was justly told. The buildup was worth it! I enjoyed Big Fan a lot more, but I am still looking forward to reading more from 831 Stories!

I know i dived into the book while knowing the trope and setting but still I struggled with getting adjusting to it because though it is a beautiful book it wasnt for me but it may be for you!

Thank you so much to 831 Stories for the advance copy of this!

As soon as I finished Big Fan I came back to see if the publisher had any other books to read and my luck they had this one. And even luckier that they approved me to read it.

I went into Big Fan knowing what it was about and knew that it had tropes that I loved whereas with this one I went in pretty blind. And I have to admit I struggled with this novella. I am not sure what about it caused me to take awhile to finish. I am not sure if it was the style of writing? Or how I felt like the story dragged a bit? Which I am not sure how that happened when this novella took place in a course of a night and that is one of my favorite types of tropes.

What I thought was interesting in this story is that you thought the story was going on one way rooting for a MMC but it pivots and you switch to a different MMC. I really loved how Max and Shera met and we learn later his move to get them alone. I think I was all for the characters until the part of Max talking about his past and how he cheated on his partner previously and suddenly Shera switched to a different person. I totally understand why this confession made her upset given her past history with her last long term boyfriend but I felt like it was a tad overkill? Sweet Max though he recognize that she was having a panic attack and knew what to do to help calm down. I will say the chemistry between the two was great and the author did a great job with the spice and their early banter.

There was just so much emotion and events that happened in one night that I think had this been a longer book we might have more time to develop the characters and the storyline.

This was not fully for me but it may be for you! I am going to keep an eye out for future books by this publisher as I love the initiative and also they have cute romance trope merch!

3.5

ahhhhh i loved the concept of this novella!! the majority of it being told over the course of a single night and the connection two strangers had was EVERYTHING. i'm learning i'm going to DEVOUR every book that comes out from 831 Stories...

special thanks to 831 Stories and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Shera is at a bar with her friends hoping it will turn into a date with the slippery Michael, whom she keeps running into but never quite catches. What she doesn’t expect is to encounter Max King, punk rock singer with his mop top, flirtatious Cupid’s bow and Irish lilt. Can one night turn two strangers into something more?

‘Hardly Strangers’ is a short and sharp character study about two flawed people unexpectedly finding and baring their imperfections to each other while carrying the ghosts of their past relationships.

I was thoroughly captured from the first sentence, feeling like a voyeur following Shera and Max as they meet, flirt, banter, spark, laugh, argue, challenge and reconcile. In some of the novella's most poignant moments, they force each other to confront their tender and wounded parts after it rubs against the other’s own wounds. I love the banter and dialogue and the conflict was handled beautifully.

I adored both characters and became fully invested. Shera is sharp but a wounded bird after a break-up. Max is flirtatious, forward and oozes with charisma. But he’s kind, patient and asks Shera about her, which allows her to reflect on her choices in men and slowly take her the last hurdle in her healing.

‘I feel like we met ten minutes ago, and in another, I feel like we’ve known each other for ten years.’

By the time A.C. Robinson kicks us, the reader, out of Max's house, I felt grateful for the privilege to meet Shera and Max, but also sad that I didn't get to see a time jump in the future to see where it all landed. That, in of itself, shows just how the ending was perfect. I want more though, please!

Thanks to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the ARC.

This novella tells the story of one night in which two people find each other while looking for something else entirely.

I am floored by how much I enjoyed this little novella. The characters felt so raw and real and I wanted more more more of their story. In a real-life setting I think I would’ve found Max way too direct in the beginning but I swooned while reading about it. I enjoyed Sherpa’s reflection of her ‘good-or-bad’-thinking and their healthy communication. The writing had a wonderful balance of interior monologue and witty banter.
P.S.: I did NOT understand the timeline of the first 7 or so pages…I was severely confused in which order these events happened despite reading it twice.

I loved the other 831 Stories title that is coming out in September, so had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I did not finish. The book starts in first-person present narration, which I don't mind when done well. However, it doesn't start narrating action that is happening, but instead immediately starts flashing back but telling it like you would a story to a friend? It was incredibly distracting and read somewhat amateur-ish. It's almost like this book wanted to be a TV-show script instead of a novel, with an overarching narrator throughout. The narrator hints at anxieties and issues they have, but none of it makes sense and instead comes off as whiny.

Fingers crossed the next book from 831 Stories is similar to Big Fan...Unfortunately this was not it. Thanks to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

Thank you net gallery for this arc.

This is a rare did not finish for me. This book was truly interminable to read and at around 50 pages I just could not anymore. There are no likable characters and there’s barely a plot and the conflict is nonsense. And the worst crime of this book is it’s a very dumb book that thinks it’s smart.

An alluring romance that captures the magical feeling of an unexpected spark with a stranger (and taking a risk to see where it goes).

Over the course of a few hours, we get to know Shera and Max, as their chemistry builds and as they try to get over their respective past hurts to move forward in the present.

This is a quick and compelling read and the author does a fabulous job of creating a cozy, intimate mood even when Shera and Max are in a noisy, crowded bar.

Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.