Enjoyable! I was entertained reading this book. I think Lana did a good job with the characters and the Great Gatsby parts were fun to get into. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Set Piece is a short, sweet, and clever second-chance romance. The story is written with dual perspectives, which I love for a novella, because you get to know both lead characters well in a short amount of time. The leads (especially CJ) are authentic and compelling, with great chemistry, and I always love a romance where the characters have real adult lives and concerns outside of the relationship. A delightful and satisfying read!

Thanks to 831 Stories and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My second favorite book from 831 Stories (Big Fan is forever my #1). Newly viral British actor, Jack, meets bartender CJ at her workplace and is immediately attracted to her. Sparks fly, before they part and five years go by before they happen to run into each other again. The same attraction is still there, but now there's an added complication...they're coworkers! The chemistry can't be denied, though, and eventually they have to admit something is there...

I really liked how good CJ was at her job -- and how much Jack respected it! The book is also super hot, and you really believe their attraction to each other. However, there were also parts I didn't like. Firstly -- and this is a problem I have with the novellas from 831 stories in general -- the pacing felt off. The conflict showed up much too late at the end, and then didn't seem believable. Additionally, it's alternating narration between Jack and CJ, but we never spend long enough with either to really get into their narrative. The book is too short to alternate, and I would have picked just one. I'm also (spoiler) baffled by the addition of Agnes! Was there a draft where CJ got pregnant after the night at the bar? It fleshes out her character for sure, but no more so than having Stuart as her father would have. It's unclear what Agnes is supposed to add to the narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the opportunity to review...I look forward to keep reading what comes next from them!

This novella by 831 stories is a wonderful story. To me it just has that something extra that I am always looking for in a romance. The chemistry between Jack and CJ absolutely jumps off the page. I enjoyed the famous person/regular person storyline and I liked learning a little about what happens on a movie set. CJ’s walls and boundaries seem realistic and it was a joy to watch her slowly break them down to be able to enter a real loving relationship. Despite its short length, I felt that I got to know the characters and their motivations and that there was a fully developed story. I have not been feeling many romances lately but this one totally hit the spot.
Thank you to Netgalley and 831 Stories for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this short, but engaging romance. Both characters felt realistic and mostly squashed any possible miscommunications with mature communication. I couldn't put the book down. My only minor complaint is that I would have loved an epilogue with a look ahead into their future.

My first 831 Stories book and it was excellent. The story of CJ and Jack burrowed into my heart in a way I didn’t expect. The only thing I wish is that there was more time with them! I wasn’t ready for the book to end

A fun, engaging romance (and glimpse at production design).

CJ and Jack have an instant connection and spend a perfect night together. Years later, they meet again and discover that the spark between them hasn’t faded. However, things are more complicated now as CJ is a single mom determined to succeed on her own and maintain a private life while and Jack is a now a major celebrity.

This was great! There is dual POV and CJ is a compelling character (I loved Stuart as well!).

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

3.5⭐️

I’m enjoying this collection of novellas (so far all romances with some type of entrainment connection). I loved Big Fan, but I liked this, too. This one follows CJ (Cara) and Jack. They have a one night stand and then reunite 5 years later while working on the set of a movie, him as an actor and her as the production designer. She’s also a single mom (not to his kid, I don’t know why I assumed it would be?). It’s a sweet story. My biggest issue was the 3rd act. I’m fine with them if they make sense, but they could’ve avoided it by talking everything out.

Really liked this short novel, the story didn’t feel rushed despite the shorter length of the book. Felt like a rom-com plot and characters, and did a good job of pacing the story over months/years so that it didn’t feel like insta-love or unrealistic. Want to read more books by this publisher, I love the concept of the shorter novel.

I loved this story. The characters were all well developed, and had realistic flaws. I appreciated the dual point of view, or allowed me to connect to both of the main characters. I appreciated the discussions of sexism in Hollywood. I look forward to reading more works by this author.

I enjoyed this short book about two Hollywood types trying to make it work on set. I liked the time jump, the FMC's new situation (avoiding spoilers), the way the MMC loved the FMC's take-charge nature, and the grandfather character. I was left with questions about what happened right before the time jump that prevented further communication, and felt that the story ended abruptly, with little time to see them be happy.

Set Piece by Lana Schwartz is a second chance love story full of Hollywood glamour and finding love when it seems impossible. The novel begins with a spark filled night between Jack and CJ. Life pulls them apart, until fate brings them back together five years later on a movie set. The book is full of humor and emotional depth with characters you will love! These covers are everything, and I can’t wait to add this gorgeous new one to my bookshelves.

Set Piece was a cute little romance with some great pacing and enough human hardship to feel relatable in some moments.

The story follows CJ (aka Cara), a bartender turned production designer, and Jack, a breakout TV star turned...breakout movie star? They have instant chemistry and a one night stand that they both remembered, before discovering that they are to work on the same movie together and trying to see if each other still has the same feelings as they did five years ago.

I enjoyed that these were older characters. They start off around 29, which as someone who's in their mid 20s, it was nice to read that sometimes life takes a little longer to figure out. By the time they meet again they are 34 and CJ has a kid. The story touches upon topics such as absent parents, being a single parent and being hyper-independent. Schwartz also does the passage of time well in this book, so while the attraction is near instant - the story progresses for over 6 months, which is a long time in such a short book.

That being said, the actual romance did not have me rooting for our main characters. I think it was in part that Jack did not feel like a very developed character to me, despite the fact that this book was in dual POV. It was a quick read and I enjoyed the time I spent reading it, it was just not very memorable.

[Special thanks to Netgalley and 831 Stories for providing me with an arc]