I didn't think I would enjoy another romance novella, but this is a second chance romance done right! It's bite-sized, short enough to read in one sitting, and really fun. Something this short is an interesting take on romance and while I do think more could be done with another hundred pages or so, this entire series from 831 Stories is great for novice romance readers who need an entry point before they dive into the really wild stuff (I say, as someone who loves the really wild stuff).

As a self-proclaimed "romance hater", I can't get enough of the titles coming from 831 Stories publishing. After speed-reading through "Hardly Strangers", "Comedic Timing", and "Big Fan", I raced to Netgalley to request ARCs for their upcoming titles.

Kicking things off with "Set Piece", I was not disappointed. This charming little celebrity/normal person romance is reminiscent of Notting Hill (one of my personal favorites). Featuring Jack, an actor recently cast as Nick Caraway in (yes, another) film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" and CJ/Cara/Cah-ra, a set designer chosen to head the film's set and props department. five years following a chance one-night stand, these two reconnect on the set of Gatsby and a will-they-won't-they whirlwind ensues.

The Characters are both lovable and deeply flawed. The story is quick-paced and engaging. The spice is SPICY. The payoff pays WITH INTEREST. 831 Stories has earned a lifelong fan in me.

Want to love it but found this one lacking. A bit contrived and overwrought for my taste. This imprint offers great stories but they’re all starting to feel similar.

I honestly can't get enough of 831 Stories. I love how much is jam packed into one novella. I love that there are always elements of Hollywood/celebrity, a decent spice level while still feeling like a complete story and Set Piece was no different! It's remarkable to me that all 831 stories have different authors but they manage to be cohesive in their story telling and tone. I can't wait for the physical copy to come out and add it to the collection!

I’ve been a huge fan of 831 Stories pubs so far, but this one wasn’t a hit for me. I DNF’d around 30%- I couldn’t really see the chemistry between Jack and CJ beyond their original hookup! And the dual narration wasn’t my favorite in this case- I think just Jack’s POV could have worked better.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an advanced copy for review.

I guess I’m a romance novella girlie, as 831 Stories delivered, again.
Jack is a dreamy English actor. CJ is a no-nonsense bartender and set designer who refuses to let each other in.
And set piece is a second chance romance, set 5 years after their initial one night stand. Both are doing well in their careers when they meet again on the set of yet another Gatsby remake.
There’s highs, lows, smut. There’s CJ’s father, Stuart, who she was originally raised to believe was her uncle. There’s her daughter, Agnes, who Jack briefly thought was maybe his. It’s fun, quick and a reminder to me that I don’t necessarily hate all second chance romances.

honestly another banger (lol) from 831! i really enjoyed that this was a story with adults discussing their issues and coming to a happy conclusion in a reasonable and mature way. the two leads and the supporting cast all felt realistic and lived in, plus i enjoyed the details about new ways of creating community and family units that aren't restricted to the nuclear family. the pacing was great, the writing is very digestible without being simplistic, the chemistry is delightful. i loved it as a novella but i wouldn't have minded if it was a full length novel either!!!

"Set Piece" by Lana Schwartz was such a delightful read - my only complaint is that I wish it had been a full-blown novel! I really liked getting to know CJ and Jack. Their banter was fun, their chemistry leapt off the page and I'm a sucker for anything set in or around Hollywood. This was a really fun way to spend a few hours!

This was such an unexpected delight for me to read. I loved the Hollywood/film industry details that were added with the romance. Although Jack and CJ had insta-love, I believe in love at first sight and for them, it was much more believable when you find out that they have similar taste in movies. Although I'm not a huge fan of second chance romance, I couldn't help but root for them to get back together.

Jack didn't let celebrity get into his head and he easily assimilated into CJ's family life which I liked. CJ was headstrong and her desire to control every detail of her life was very relatable. They contrasted each other but I could see how they loved each other as they are and brought out the best out of each other. Jack was charming without losing his personality and CJ was uptight without being annoying.

For a short story, the third act break up was almost a waste of pages. I wished that they didn't have to go through it because they had something so wonderful and their getting back together wasn't as impactful or relieving. The ending wasn't strong enough for me to give it 5 stars. It would have helped if it was longer so that there was enough time to talk through and share what happens after they get back together because I did adore all of the family moments.

A fun read, but painfully average… which was disappointing because I love both second chance romances and a Hollywood romance.

Thank you to 831 Stories for the gifted ARC!

Add this to your TBR now—Set Piece hits shelves on May 6, and it's another knock-it-out-of-the-park novella from 831 Stories.

This one gave me all the warm, swoony vibes of Nora Goes Off Script with a dash of Notting Hill charm. It’s a steamy, heart-tugging romance between a single mom and a now-famous hollywood star, and I devoured every word.

Told with just the right balance of spice and sincerity, this book captures the magic of second chances while still embracing the messy, real-life challenges of parenthood, fame, and timing. CJ is strong, grounded, and refreshingly no-nonsense. Jack is charming with just enough vulnerability to make your heart ache.

Their chemistry? Off the charts. Their history? Complicated. Their reunion? Absolutely worth the wait.

A perfect mix of steam, sweetness, and emotional depth—if you're not reading 831 novellas yet, Set Piece is the one to start with.

I love an “and they meet again” moment and this one was definitely done well. Reading about CJ’s determination in her career and motherhood was refreshing and inspiring to me, and the care taken in how her relationship with Jack melded into her family and professional life was so realistic (in contrast to many other books). I, as always, would like to keep reading this story for another 100 pages, just about their happy day to day with Stuart, Agnes, and bff Tom.

Thanks to net galley and 831 stories for the arc!!

This was a delightful read!

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CJ and Jack had a one night stand five years ago. Now Jack is staring in a movie that CJ is doing set production for. CJ is now a single mom and Jack is a celebrity. Can they reconnect and make those two lives mesh?

Second chance romance is my favorite trope and so is celebrity/normal person. This book did both of those things really well! The pacing of this book was great and each character had growth. I also really loved Stuart! My one complaint was sometimes the story felt a little too simply written and maybe that’s because it is a novella and I could have read a whole book about CJ and Jack. I just wanted more of everything. More Agnes, more intrigue.

A handsome English lead and type A workaholic woman could have been an easy trope to fall into, but the author did a good job of making them believable with their motivations. I also think often when we see a woman fall for a famous man part of his appeal is that he is famous and the lifestyle that affords them and it's interesting and arguably more realistic in this book that CJ falls for him in spite of his fame.

Thank you to @netgalley for the gifted arc. This was a second chance novella with a celebrity / forbidden romance connection. I actually really enjoyed it and thought for a novella it was well executed but of course, I wanted more! 4⭐️

Short and sweet, just as I've come to expect from 831! I'm shocked how fleshed out these characters feel with only 200ish pages. The heroine is strong and I loved hearing about her job as a production designer! (In another life, I'd put my film degree to use and work on sets). If you love the movies, this book will feel like a little gift <3

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 stories for the arc!

I’ve been loving everything coming out of this imprint so far, but unfortunately Set Piece is the exception.

Novellas have to work twice as hard as full-length novels to squeeze in their character development and I don’t think this one was very successful…. I felt zero connection to these 2 characters and their relationship and since the stakes were low, so was my interest.

Also, there was literally no reason for jack to be British. Nothing about his nationality pushed the story forward. Everything about him was so obviously a British dude written by an American and it kept distracting me from a story that I was already having trouble connecting to.

The constant pop culture references and name-dropping didn’t help either. They came off awkward and clunky, and half should have been edited out.

4.25
This was sooo good!!! I feel like recently we have been fed with books about famous people and they just don't disappoint. I really loved the writing and the characters.
I found it very hard to put this book down, had me hooked from page one.
Definitely will be checking out other books by this author!

This is one of those books you should go in blind and just enjoy the ride. It's such a quick easy read and I enjoyed it so much. I've been loving romances that incorporate the Hollywood scene and Lana Schwartz does it perfectly.

This novella is just over 200 pages and is the perfect book to sit by the pool and read this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for review.

4.5 stars!

I have adored every story so far from 831 Stories!

In this one we start with a steamy one night stand between Cara and Jack that leaves them both secretly wanting more, but with impossible schedules and living on opposite sides of the world, it doesn't seem possible.

Five years later, fate brings them back together but in a different dynamic. Cara is now an established set producer in Hollywood, no longer having to moonlight as a bartender and Jack is a well known actor looking for more "passion projects."

Their love story is cautious, yet optimistic, with both making each other into better versions of themselves. Old insecurities run amok and cause the 3rd act break-up but the ending is much sweeter knowing that both our FMC and MMC have accepted their flaws and are willing to work on them together to have a successful relationship! I hope we get to see Brianna or some of Jack's friends in a future 831 Stories novella!