this was very cute and wholesome! as a character driven girly, i wish we got to know more about CJ and Jack, but they were still quite lovable. i don’t know if i was as fully invested in them as i could have been, but enjoyed the quick and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Set Piece" was a short, sweet & spicy novella. A quick read with not enough angst to be stressful, but enough to keep you wondering what will happen.

Cara is a bartender taking care of her mom, but dreams of being a set designer. Jack is an actor dealing with instant fame after his show goes viral. They hook up one night and then cross paths again five years later. I kept waiting for a twist that never came, but overall it was a good read.

I enjoyed this book but had a couple of issues with it that may just be a me thing? First, the pacing. I felt like it started off great and established chemistry without veering into instalove. But the rest of the story felt like it was dragging or completely glossing over time and events. Then the end felt a little rushed and the scene with Cecily was so weird.
I will say that I did not mind Agnes in this when normally I can’t stand kid characters in books. This author has actually been around and interacted with children so bonus points for that!

This was a quick, witty, yet passionate read. Cj and Jack both have feelings but let too much time pass by. This was a classic story line. Although, it was a short read, enjoyed that there was proper resolution. There was a touch of humor and teasing which was funny to read.

a short and sweet story about understanding how to love the person you love, and learning how to not push people away when you get scared of the unknown. also offers a glimpse into the experience of being a woman behind the camera in the entertainment industry.

i really liked cj and jack, and could definitely read a full-length novel about these two (and their little family) <3

Thanks to 831 Stories and Netgalley for this eARC.

I’m in love with 831 Stories, and Set Piece was no exception. An explosive romance between a set designer and the leading man - the tension and chemistry was palpable. You could feel it in every page. It oozes with romance and a heavy dose of lit fic, I definitely recommend.

So happy to be able to read another book published by 831. Great twist in the beginning and such a slow burn. Characters show readers how it’s important to find your happy place and know when to set boundaries with work and life.

I've read every installment from 831 stories and I think this is my favorite one yet! I received this as an ARC (thank you NetGalley!) and went into it without knowing the plot. When I realized it was a famous person meets "regular person" trope, I prepared for it to be formulaic and focus on how the fans, media, and paparazzi get in the way like every other book I've read in this sub-genre. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that the book was much more character-driven and was able to develop the main characters' relationship in just around 150 pages. I liked how the female protagonist was strong-willed and career-oriented, but that it was never painted as a bad thing and I equally enjoyed how the male protagonist was mature and self-aware.

On top of the characters and plot, the writing was excellent! It sufficiently built romantic tension between the characters which made me keep wanting more, but was also surprisingly funny and depicted real emotions like grief and guilt. I only wished it were a little bit longer to fully develop the plot, but I know short stories are this imprint's thing. Can't wait to read the next one!

4 stars ⭐️ I am loving 831’s novellas. This is a celebrity / normal person trope. The pacing was great for a short story. If you loved Big Fan, you’ll love Set Piece too!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Disappointing! Especially because the top reviews are positive. This lacked depth.. the characters are dull and lack any research. I feel like the author just put British into chat GPT. I don’t even think I could accuse this all of being AI cause at least ai can come up with a storyline? I don’t know what the point of this was. I’ve never read a wattpad book but this is what I imagine 12 year olds writing y/n fanfiction are cooking up, but tbh they might be doing better. At this point I feel like i just read the transcripts to an episode game where the player ran out of diamonds 5 minutes in.

Thank you to 831 Stories and Net Galley for providing me with this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to May 6th, 2025 when the title is available for everyone to read!

Another home run from 831 Stories. This meet-cute based novel by Lana Schwartz was so fun and raw at the same time. Girl meets Boy at a bar while he is in Los Angeles for a Bachelor Party, their chemistry is palpable in that single night together.

Fast forward to a few years later and they meet again on the set of a new film. This whole novel really worked for me, there was a magnetism between the two main characters that I felt as the reader. I enjoyed the unconventional family and relationship dynamic between CJ and Jack as it was not a standard relationship only involving the two of them. I also felt that the Hollywood setting was interesting as set design is not something I knew much about. I would have LOVED for this novella to be a bit longer than the standard 160 or so pages, so maybe we will get a part two from Lana Schwartz if we are lucky!

I have read all of the published 821 novellas. This was my least favorite so far. Felt drawn out for a short story.

while i liked the characters, i would have liked more time to flesh them out and their story. i appreciated their connection though and i wish it were more than just a novella so you got more time with them

this was cute. unfortunately, though, i find i'm in a "it's not you, it's me" situation (for always lusting after novel-type details when it's not created as such). the pinnacle of why "Set Piece" was a little disappointing lies in the fact that it's a novella, and if the characters were given a chance to be fleshed out, i'd have liked that more. also, i thought (spoiler!!) him not being the father seriously felt like a deleted scene in a film. if presented correctly, the angst and reconciling would have made for such a strong, emotional plot. i was holding my breath in anticipation for that reveal until Garrett proved to be the dad. alas, i loved the side characters of Stuart, Tom, and of course Agnes. and i looooved that Jack saw Cara for who she truly was and chose to constantly be a pillar of support. thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories, and Lana Schwartz for providing this eARC!

A delightful, perfectly-paced read that proves good things do come in small packages. The novel's concise length works brilliantly in its favor, allowing the story to unfold with just the right amount of detail and momentum. Schwartz has created a cast of endearing, well-drawn characters who feel authentic and relatable from the first page. The clever plot moves along at an engaging clip, making this book hard to put down and even harder to forget. If you're looking for a satisfying read that doesn't demand a huge time investment, this gem should be at the top of your list.

3.75 ⭐️ I enjoyed this second chance, normal person/famous person romance from 831 Stories. The story centers around Jack, a famous British actor, and CJ, a set designer from LA, who have a one night stand and then connect again five years later when they end up working on the same film.

I thought that CJ’s connections to the industry made their romance/relationship believable and I appreciated that they were both relatively mature and level-headed characters. I don’t typically love kids in romances, but I didn’t mind the dynamic with Agnes. While it was cute that CJ and Jack connected over their love of old movies (and this made sense in the context of the story) these references were lost on me. I’m sure if I was more of a cinephile I would have appreciated it.

I noticed a few callbacks to 831’s first publication, Big Fan, which was a fun little bonus. I love the novella format and am excited to read more from 831.

Overall, I would recommend this story for a quick, spicy read.

ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley

this was a super cute novella, though I do think 831 stories is leaning a bit too hard into the celebrity/normal people trope. the dynamics of this story, though, created an emotional conflict that felt understandable - family dynamics, single motherhood, distance, and timing. it was a quick read, though I did find the beginning to drag just a hair.

thank you to 831 stories and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

After really enjoying the first two books published by 831 Stories, this latest offering was unfortunately a letdown.
I didn't care for the story or characters.

With thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for this e-ARC.

Fantastic premise, let down of a book. Novellas have never really been my thing, but this one sits at just over the 200 page mark so I thought I'd be safe but...apparently not. For a contemporary, there was too much world-building going on for something I'd be perfectly happy to suspend disbelief around. Add on an extra hundred pages to compensate for that and it would have been a fine enough read.

Such a fun novel! I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. I love a novel that reunites old lovers and this one delivered.