Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I feel like if The Idea of You and (insert one of these) Emily Henry/Abby Jimenez/Carley Fortune had a book baby, this would be it. This little novella packed quite the punch! Male actor from across the pond pursues female PA who is a single mom in L.A. five years after meeting in a bar. The sexual tension and all the feelings had me rooting for this couple!

Thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories, and the author for the ARC of Set Piece! This was a really lovely second chance romance. I liked and connected with the characters. Well written, heartfelt, and Lana Schwartz packed a lot into a tight page count.

831 Stories has done it again. If you like famous/non-famous romances, showbiz behind the scenes, and pop culture, this book is absolutely for you. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to recommend it to my friends.

Simply put, 'Set Piece' is a second-chance romance between an Actor and Hollywood set designer - but that's just the start of it.
Lana Schwartz has created two characters that have insane chemistry, and are just trying to figure out how to co-exist in each other's orbit.

I am thoroughly enjoying the 831 Stories publications.
These novellas nail it in less than 250 pages.

my favorite trope !!! loved an inside look into set decorating. loved the time jump. loved the characters and how lived in they felt despite the short page count. other than that, it was not stand out to me - i think maybe because of the shortness, i would have loved to linger longer with these characters.

This was so much fun to read and had everything you’d want in a romantic comedy. The famous person trope was done well and the world the characters lived in felt realistic. Great amounts of yearning and chemistry that will satisfy any reader.

A perfect example of tight romance writing. We start with a banger of a one night stand ON THE BAR, and then these two meet back up on a movie set 5 years later. I am obsessed with how much Jack respects CJ's work - more respect for women in crew! But the conflict that separates these two was very frustrating to me. Still, the story is emotional and sexy, the characters are interesting and it has just the right amount of Hollywood glamour. Drink this book: Enjoy with a slightly chilled Pinot Noir from California.

First off, the 831 stories are so quick and cute! I really liked Jack and CJ’s story. Even though this was a little over 200 pages I felt like the characters were developed enough and the chemistry was there (and the spice!). I love a dual pov and the Hollywood setting was fun.

Thank you for the eARC!

How-many-actors/movies-can-you-name challenge.

(a lot if you both are annoyingly well-cinematic-educated people)

Thanks to 831 Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this story. It was well written. This is my first book from this author. I have found a new author to look out for

I really enjoyed this "second chance" love story. Given the female main character is a set designer (combined with the author's writing style), many of the scenes were particularly descriptive when it came to details of the setting/ physical locations. It made we want to also experience this story visually - through a tv show or movie.
Despite one of the character's being a movie star - it felt realistic (as a result of her industry profession) and mature.
Jack's character and career trajectory reminded me a bit of Paul Mescal - from hit romantic limited series (with a well known sex scene haha) to movie star. His relationship with former co-star Ginny also reminds me a bit of the air of mystery around Paul and Daisy Edgar-Jones' friendship and chemistry. All that to say - Jack's character felt like getting a hypothetical look into hollywood's favourite young stars and the industry dynamic. While completely different genre than comedic show "The Studio" which just aired this past season on Apple - the background look into set-studio-star-crew dynamics in Hollywood and call back to the lore of Old Hollywood across the two stories in different mediums felt tangibly related/ relevant.

831 Stories does it again! Love their stories, and this one is no exception. Jack and CJ’s chemistry was well thought out, and their story never felt like it lacked anything. I liked how they also pushed each other to be better, and also pushed each other’s relationship boundaries. I also loved Stuart (I visualized him as larger than life lol), Agnes, and all the behind-the-scenes knowledge of working on a movie set :)

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I flew through this book. A perfect read for lovers of old hollywood and a little spice. It reminded me a bit of Notting Hill or other classic rom-coms. The story was fairly short but a fun read throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

This is my favorite 831 Stories book yet. This was so sweet and swoony. I loved the Hollywood setting and the vibe of an old Hollywood movie. It was so sweet and felt so heartful. Read it all in one sitting, I couldn't put it down!

831 does it again! I love the celebrity x normal person trope and Set Piece didn’t disappoint. I was sad when it ended because I wanted more!

2 stars
Thank you, Net Galley and 831 Stories for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my cup of tea, either due to the fact I’m in a bit of a reading slump or because a romance novella is not the easiest thing to accomplish.

Of course, novellas just cannot contain the same amount of character development, but, it just seemed…very lacking.
The characters didn’t seem to have much development, together, or separately.
The love story itself was, essentially, insta love. More of their instant infatuation, than the actual relationship building up.

Additionally, CJ being a mom didn’t *add* anything to the story, other than having a familial connection/conversation that I believe would’ve been very sweet if we had seen more of that relationship.

Also the smut…was almost emotionless to me. It felt rushed and had zero chemistry.

4.5 stars

I haven’t been in a big romance mood lately, but I devoured this. The build up was so good and this short book packed a lot into it. I loved the characters, MCs and more.
I really liked CJ and Jack. I wouldn’t necessarily say it is a celebrity and normal person romance as CJ worked on set, but I had a great time.
The audio was super fun and enjoyable. The two narrators brought the characters to life so well.


*thank you so much 831 stories for the ARC and ALC and physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't get enough of 831 Stories, and this one did not disappoint! I LOVED Set Piece - it's one of my favorite romance tropes and it was a great balance of sweet and spice. I enjoyed the characters and story and wouldn't be mad if they ever decided to do a sequel ;) Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this e-ARC.

I enjoyed how both characters were professionals and lived their lives pretty much together. I thought the spin on the famous/not-famous person part was great. Every character was incredibly well-developed, and I admired the personal development they experienced to reconcile and maintain their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. I love this east short romances! So wonderful