I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm a big fan of celebrity romances but they HAVE to be well written and draw me into a Hollywood that feels real and believable. I do think it was interesting choice to create celebrities for this world but then also use real names and places for things it took me out of the story sometimes. (ex. Horses doesnt exist anymore because they had their own scandal) I also wished we had an extra chapter that focused on CJ and Jack after their one night stand, I couldnt place why that one interaction from 5 years ago was still on his mind all those years later. I did really enjoy the found family trope that Jack found with CJ and crew. I'm still kinda low key upset that there wasnt a groveling scene. I'd read more from this universe tho.

Thank you NetGalley and 831 Stories for this arc!

This was a short but, really enjoyable read for me. I like the Hollywood setting and how it was out there but also private. I also enjoyed the romance between CJ and Jack. It wasn't over the top and felt almost like a normal relatiosnhip.

Spice was perfect and the pace was better then most "novellas". Cant wait to read more stories from 831!!!

Fit many tropes into a small book: Celebrity / normal person romance , second chance , coworker
Great chemistry between the characters for a novella where most action happens off page. Stuart was the best character and loved living in the world of Hollywood with a focus in seeing more than just acting. The conflict was frustrating at times as it seemed characters were making decisions out of character for previous Conversations.

Thankyou to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

I really wanted to like the story but unfortunately it felt like random events occurring between two good looking people. There is barely any emotion in the book, CJ has a daughter but I almost forgot about it because she's busy being attracted to Jack. They're attracted to each other's appearance. That's it. They had a hook up once, five years ago, and they fell in love immediately? What? DNF at 50% because the story is just not going anywhere and it isn't interesting. The characters personalities fall flat. The sexual tension has no chemistry whatsoever. It's a boring read.

This was a cute read! I liked the premise and the meeting years later is always fun. I personally was a little annoyed at the timing of the conflict and the reasoning and can fully see it being a huge deterrent for some readers but I am willing to overlook it given that I could understand where it came from. Thank you 831 Stories for the early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for this ARC! I am always a fan of celebrity/normie romances and this didn’t disappoint. Jack is just joining the Hollywood crowd when he meets bartender Cara. After a one night fling, they don’t see each other for 5 years when they end up on the same movie project. Feelings haven’t changed and there are multiple swoony moments. It was a little heavy on the behind the scenes of the entertainment industry, but the main characters distracted me plenty.

Novellas from 831 never fail to disappoint and this one nails the famous/non famous dynamic perfectly. This includes a hot British actor, a single mom going after her dreams, a sassy four year old, and an eccentric grandfather.

I was once again pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book from 831 Stories. I never know what to expect with a novella because they are so short, but each time I find a well told story and the shorter format is a nice change sometimes. I read a lot of romance books, but I genuinely appreciate how well the experiences of women and the way we interact with the world are represented through these books. A quick and fun read!

Thank you to Net Galley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

This is my second 831 story, and so far, I can say they're solid reads. What really sticks out to me is how grounded the characters are. Their problems are realistic, which is refreshing. Where I think they falter is in their plot. Yes, the stories are short, but the time skips don't help; it often felt like we were skating the surface to cover more time since we didn't have the allotted page count that a full-length novel would have. Becuas eof that, I neer grew attached to either the fmc or mmc nor did I really have an investment in seeing how their relationship would turn out. The whole effect kind of left me feeling like I'd just skimmed a story. I think I'll continue to pick up 831 stories. I do really love novellas as a concept and I like when they're done well; despite my qualms with this one, I still stand by my initial statement that it was solid, and I look forward to seeing what else this publisher comes up with.

Set Piece was a quick, fun, sexy read. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. The book was short enough that it could be read in one sitting but was still flushed all the way out. The ending left it open that there was potential for a second book if the author desired. While the “celebrity/normal person” trope is overdone, this had a good twist in that when the characters “re-meet” the “normal person” is also in the industry. I thought the issues the characters faced were relatable to readers i.e. grief, loss of a parent, single-parenthood, gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace, cronyism, etc. Overall a good, enjoyable, steamy read.

Thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories, and Lana Schwartz for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, light hearted read! I flew through this one and loved the celebrity/normal person plotline. I wish there had been more so my only critique was that it was too short!

I wanted so badly to love this book but something just fell flat for me. While the character development was solid for a shorter novel, the relationship building between the love interests feels rushed and incomplete. I loved the character’s initial connection and then the further I read, the less attached they came across.

Sometimes, you need a book to be romantic and spicy and fun to read, while not having to compromise your standards when it comes to great writing, humor that's actually funny, dialogue that isn't so cringe you have to close the book constantly to contemplate your life choices, with a plot that actually makes some modicum of sense...and this book is IT baby! Listen, I'm kind of obsessed with everything 831 Stories is doing, and their latest is so exception. Set Piece is right up my rom-com alley in so many ways—hot british male love interest! celeb/normie relationship! so many old hollywood film references!—and I had an absolute blast reading this. If you're looking for novella-length romances with some sugar and lots of spice that are written with an obvious affection for, and knowledge of, the genre as a whole, these are for you!

Set Piece was written for the folks who love Letterboxd !!! Easily my favorite 831 stories novella. Unfortunately or fortunately this is a situation where you'll wish this was a full novel and that the author had more space to further develop the plot/characters. I like that the celebrity/normal person trope didn't go the most obvious route and allowed more exploration into their connection. I'm also now invested in Cecily Close; she's an icon.

A refreshing look into the movie/television industry, mixed with a little slice of life, strong FMC, a really sweet MMC. Best to go in knowing little but getting a lot out of these 180 pages. I laugh, my heart did the squish thing, I loved Agnes & Stuart and their unique relationship (can I get a curated movie watching list made by the two of them?)

Thank you to 831 Stories for this eARC, I'm ready to dive into more of your stories!

This was a really quick read that I really enjoyed. It has a slow burn and a great twist at the beginning. Although I thought the plot and pacing were excellent, I could also see this title being developed into a full-length novel!

Most definitely my favorite 831 story so far!! I could not put this one down. I skipped the synopsis and went in blind and I definitely recommend doing it that way.

I loved the dual POV and getting to be in both Jack and CJ's mind. Jack was such a simp for CJ and I really fell in love with his character. The chemistry between them popped off the page and I flew through this short story. I also loved the setting -- set in LA, while we also get a glimpse of Jack's background from London. The production design on the different movie sets was also super interesting to me -- I learned a lot and it was a breath of fresh air!!

Read if you love:
-film production/acting/behind the scenes
-a touch of celebrity romance
-one night stand turned second chance trope
-dual POV
-single mom FMC

The writing was solid; like I said, definitely my favorite story so far!!

4.5 out of 5 stars! Definitely a winner that I'll recommend to all romance readers!

This book was such a delightful read! From the very first page, I found myself completely immersed in the story. The writing was so approachable and warm, making it easy to connect with the characters and the plot. I loved how the book felt both inviting and engaging, without ever being too complex or hard to follow. It was just the right mix of comfort and intrigue, and I truly enjoyed every moment of it. It’s a wonderful read that I’d happily recommend to anyone looking for a heartwarming escape!

This was a pretty cute story and a quick, easy read.

I felt like I was reading a lot about their romance and their shared work, which was fine, but I would have loved more of their actual life to make it feel a bit more personal.

The pacing felt really rushed to me, and though I do love a novella, I think this could have been made into a great novel with some more detail and time within the story. For example, one chapter he was meeting her daughter and the next was like two months later. What happened in between?

I also found a couple of spelling errors, so I would suggest one more edit before publishing.

I do think that if you're looking for a fast, fun read, you'll enjoy this one. I just wished it gave me more of the characters so I could feel more connected to the characters.

Thank you to Lana Schwartz, 831 Stories and NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book!

My rating: 18+ - sex, language, alcohol
Spice 5/5

I truly enjoyed this super quick read. It's my first time reading 831 Stories but I look forward to reading more. The romance was nice, and the ways the characters acted was relatable for the most part, but the parts I enjoyed most were about the sets the characters were on. The setting of romance novels is often rushed but even in this shorter novella, it had great imagery.

I would recommend this to all romance readers, particularly those who are interested in Hollywood and celebrity romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.