I generally love the short format of the 813 books, but this one just didn't hit for me. Something about the characters just felt slightly less compelling than I wanted them to be. I didn't totally buy Leon and Cassidy as enemies or as lovers--maybe we didn't have enough backstory? Maybe the chemistry just didn't feel there for me. I did love that Cassidy was in therapy and that she was trying to figure out what she really wanted to from her life.

This novella was…not my favorite of all the 831 Stories I’ve read. (Big Fan, by the same author, is my favorite, so far.) While I’m here for a Cassidy redemption arc, I didn’t feel like I got that in this book. I enjoy an enemies to lovers trope, but I didn’t understand why these characters were so antagonistic towards each other in the first place. The way the FMC treated the MMC was so harsh that at times it felt like bullying, and also, hypocritical.

While this story may not have been a top pick for me, I can get behind 831 Stories and their vision as a company, and I will absolutely read more of their books! Thank you for Net Galley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

The book was a good romance! However I do strongly believe it was just good. I wanted more about the characters especially about their past. I would’ve loved to have more flashback of their high school of them growing up together. Lovely story I just wanted more.

Justice for Cassidy!! I did not know I needed a story for Cassidy until I had it. Cassidy is six years past her sexual scandal in D.C., but is she ever really going to be past it? She has been working for a non-profit in D.C., speaking about cyberbullying, but has lost her passion for it. Her boss gives (tells) her a month off work to take a step back, which lands Cassidy back in her hometown of Berkeley, CA. Leon is her high school nemesis, friend, or acquaintance? He annoyed her, and he wanted nothing more than her attention. These two are thrust back to their routine of bickering when Cassidy helps their mutual friend open up her art gallery. It is beautiful how these two learned that they were obsessed with each other in high school, but neither wanted to admit it. I am a big fan of Novellas because you get right to it! No time to waste, and this one did just that. I am so glad Cassidy got a chance to “redeem herself,” and Leon is the perfect person to break her out of her “after” Cassidy shell. Thank you for this e-arc!

This enemies to lovers novella by Alexandra Romanoff is a fun summer treat. Cassidy returns home on a required sabatical to regroup and figure out what she wants with her life in her late twenties. She reunites and reconnects with a high school rival--Leon. Romanoff's story of these two perfectionists letting go and letting each other in was lovely. Highly recommend for fans of Big Fan and 10 Things I Hate About You.

I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that Square Waves was an exploration of a character from Big Fan. I’ve always love when books create a universe that is rewarding as a reader to be “in the know”. I loved the hometown and frenemies aspect because it created delicious tension throughout. And those sex scenes were HOT. I’m glad they gave us one early on and then you’re almost pining for it again! 4 stars :)

Every time I see there’s a new book published by 831 I know I won’t be disappointed. The idea of this book alone is everything and more. After reading Maya’s story in Big Fan, it was great to read about Cassidy. Giving a voice to both women separately and showing the internal and external struggles they’re dealing with because of a relationship is something I haven’t seen before. Can’t wait to recommend everyone to read.

I loved this enemies to lovers novella from 831 Stories. This is a follow up to Big Fan, and follows Cassidy, who was enmeshed in a sex scandal in DC in her early 20s. We meet her several years later as she returns home to California to reevaluate her career and life plan. The first night she arrives, she runs into Leon, her high school rival. Leon is Cassidy’s opposite in a lot of ways - a lanky surfer/skater/stoner who never tried very hard. The two end up hooking up, and then quickly realize they will be seeing a lot of each other as they help a mutual friend over the next few weeks.

I actually preferred Square Waves to Big Fan. I really liked Cassidy and Leon and thought they were well developed characters. I loved that we got Cassidy’s story in this book, and I thought the portrayal of her continuing to cope with her trauma from the scandal in DC was really well done. Leon was also a complex character and I loved seeing Cassidy learn about his growth/change since their time in high school. I thought they had great chemistry. This was my favorite 831 novella yet!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice and hopeful read but the romance aspect of it fell a bit flat for me. It read more like women’s fiction than a romance to me which was lovely and maybe my bad that I was expecting more romance?

Romantically Leon didn’t really feel very important to Cassidy’s development as a character, and I’d have liked to see a bit more of their relationship develop. And maybe even get to see Leon as a more dynamic character himself.

Thanks for letting me read this early!

The story of a burnt-out counsellor Cassidy returning to her hometown on a work-mandated “sabbatical” who is trying to figure out how to combine her Before and After self to fit into a future she’s too scared to envision and friends and flirts from high school she barely recognises anymore.

Cassidy was not necessarily the most likeable fmc, her walls were up high and her actions felt reflective of the fears she kept facing in therapy and in her past relationships. Due to the length of a novella, her growth felt a little rushed but not unrealistic. Some of the complications (third-act break-up) were frustrating but I guess that usually comes with the genre. I do really enjoy Romanoff’s writing and her characters.

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

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff was a real page-turner for me, and I was thrilled to get an ARC of her new book, Square Waves. It’s like a side adventure to Big Fan.

Cassidy Weaver needs a break from her crazy DC life and the never-ending scandal that won’t let her move on. So, she takes a trip across the country to her cozy home in Berkeley for some much-needed PTO time to relax and recharge. But instead of just chilling and letting her mind wander, Cassidy gets roped into helping her high school bestie, Willa, open up her new business. And guess who’s also helping Willa? Leon, the high school slacker who’s always been at odds with Cassidy. This enemies to lovers story is all about long-time friendships and how going home can be a healing experience and a chance to start fresh with old friends.

I want to express my gratitude to 831 Stories, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

No one is doing work like 831Stories. I’m greatly enjoying their short but impactful novels. This is for true fans of enemies to lovers and anyone who had preconceived notions of high school.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m becoming quite a fan of Alexandra Romanoff. This book was an extension of sorts of Big Fan, a book I thoroughly enjoyed. The story gives off the vibes of a Hallmark movie where the girl with the job in the big city goes home because she’s burnt out and ends up falling in love with someone from her past, but make it California and not some small town in Wisconsin. I loved it all the same. Quick read and it kept me engaged the entire time.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the arc!

I often tend to avoid novellas, because I find it hard to grow attached to characters and to find satisfaction in an ending when I’m only . So far, that has not been the case with anything published from 831 stories, including Square Waves, despite their shorter lengths.

This book was so tender and caring with its characters and their journeys, and managed to give us such complete portraits of 2 very different characters at both 18 and 28. I felt a deep connection to all the versions of Cassidy and Leon. Being on the cusp of 30 (or even just on the other side of it) is such a weird-uncomfortable-scary time that is simultaneously like a kind of rebirth where anything is possible, and I think the author captured that beautifully. I know that some people will present this as a “high school rivals to lovers” book, but is so much more than that. I’m very excited for everyone to read this and find out why!

An amazing follow-up from Alexandra Romanoff to one of my favorite reads of last year, Big Fan. I think Big Fan is the strongest of the books to come out from 831 Stories, and Square Waves is a close second.

Following Cassidy, who we met in Big Fan, this book shows us what it's like to keep living and working in the public eye after experiencing a sex scandal at a young age. Cassidy is the "other woman" in Maya's story, but here we get to see what her life is like many years later. I appreciated the fleshing out of her character! She is still dealing with the trauma of being in such a public scandal, and we can see the way it impacts her to this day. At almost-30, she's finally hitting a point where she wants to step back and take stock of what's important to her, so she decamps to her parent's house in Berkeley. There, she runs into her old adversary, Leon, at a bar. Sparks fly from there, but it's how they bridge the animus in their shared history -- and fix their misunderstandings of each other -- that make up the bulk of the book.

I thought this was a very realistic portrayal of adults trying to find their way to each other! Overall the attraction felt real, but so did their challenges. While Big Fan will forever be my favorite book by the author, this was a great follow-up and I would love to read more set in this world.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this novella!
I really enjoyed this book. This is only my second novella by 831 stories and my second by Alexandra Romanoff and Big Fan is still my favorite (absolutely a 5 star read for me), however I really enjoyed this as well.

This is an enemies to lovers novella taking place in the Bay Area, and the location is almost another character. The main character does not have everything figured out and undergoes a lot of growth in such a short book. I loved Leon and though the characters don't start out with transparency between each other or themselves you can definitely sense the years of tension on his side.

Bottom line, I will keep reading 831 stories and will be keeping my eye out for Alexandra Romanoff's next work.

One of my favorite things about 831 stories is how much story can be packed in a short book without it feeling incomplete. I first read Alexandra's writing in Big Fan and really enjoyed it so I was excited to read Square Waves.

The story follows Cassidy who is back in her hometown trying to figure out her life and what she really wants when she runs into her high school rival, Leon. What she thinks will only be a one night stand turns into helping her discover that there might be more to who she thought he was, who she was and who she gets to be moving forward.

To me this story is about second chances and not letting other people write your narrative. It's about going back to the people and place that saw you become who you are because sometimes the only way to move forward is to go back to the beginning. I enjoyed seeing Cassidy and Leon figure things out. I really loved the heart to heart that Cassidy and Willa have. Overall, really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read what Alexandra writes next!

Thank you Netgalley, 831 Publishing, and Alexandra Romanoff for the ARC!

This was such a great short story! Cassidy and Leon really go through it and Leon’s patience for Cassidy’s history and need to work on herself is amazing. Definitely recommend!

Loved Big Fan & couldn't wait to read this once it was announced. Really enjoyed it & was impressed by how many deeper topics were explored in a novella. Not feeling sure about your career or life in your late 20's is so relatable. There was so much character development in such a short book. Leon & Cassidy's chemistry was incredible from the start. My only complaint is this was not true enemies to lovers (have not seen this marketed that way - have just seen other reviews mention it & went into it expecting that). Also wish the end was a chapter or 2 longer to get more insight into her next steps.

Highly recommend & already can't wait to read the next book by Alexandra Romanoff!

Alexandra Romanoff is the next it-girl of romance literature you heard it here first!!! I loved this & ate this up just as much as I did the first in the series. The dialogue + the tension + the sneaky depth to the characters = chefs kiss. Cassidy’s desire to find solid ground at 28 after burying herself in work is so, so relatable and I loved seeing both her and Leon rewrite their pasts through each other.

Romanoff’s writing felt along the lines of Ali Hazelwood / Abby Jimenez / Julie Soto for me and I’ll definitely be sticking around. Thank you so, so much to 831 Stories and NetGalley for entrusting me with this ARC and valuing my review!