I’m a self-proclaimed 831 Stories stan, which means any time they drop one of their slim-but-mighty titles in my mailbox, I’m diving in. Dare I call this one my new fave? I loved so much about it, from The Great Gatsby nods (it takes place on a film adaptation!) to the Hollywood details to the maturity of the love interests. So damn good.

This felt like watching a 2000s romcom (but a good one! With some substance!) and I was really invested in the characters. If this had been a full-length novel instead of a novella I think I would’ve enjoyed it more. Some parts, especially the ending, felt a bit rushed and lacked detail. I enjoyed the writing and character development a lot and look forward to reading more from 831 Stories!


Thank you to 831 Stories & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a short, sweet and very easy read/listen. The romance between the actor and set designer reminded me of the movie, The Fall Guy. After I finished listening I went to the 831 stories website and had to read the epilogue! It was a perfect way to end the story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

My first from 831 Stories, but I loved the length and how quickly it jumped into the story! Great, GREAT banter! Loved how adult these characters felt, and how real everything seemed!

Oooo I loved this one. Spicy, sexy, and WE LOVE TO SEE A FMC WHO IS GREAT AT HER JOB! The LA setting and details about being on set really gave this one great specificity and verisimilitude. I would read a sequel for sure!

This charming short book had its moments, though some events seemed random and the story occasionally lacked depth. A longer format might have enhanced these aspects.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, AE Titles / S&S Audio and 831 Stories for the e-arc and advanced listening copy!
I have read a few 831 Stories releases and I’ve really enjoyed each one. I find the characters quite relatable even if they have somewhat niche jobs sometimes and the stories themselves stand out since the characters are going through something very specific if that makes sense. This one includes both those aspects. I found the characters and their dynamic cute and something to root for and I love a story where two characters reconnect and go through all the things that come with that. I can struggle to enjoy romances which is what makes 831 Stories stand out for me. I have adored each story of theirs I’ve read so far, they have a romance I can root for while also having characters I like that are respectful and care about each other, Set Piece is no different. Even though these characters had not entirely relatable jobs, actor and set designer, the things they were going through and their worries were all very relatable. I also appreciate the family element in this book and thought those scenes were so sweet.

This was a great famous person normal person romance and it really made me more interested in movie sets as well. I loved the love story and it felt very realistic.

Loved it - excited to read more of these stories! So cute and just what I needed for a summer read - the length was perfect.

Thank you for the ARC :)!

I really enjoyed this one! I’d give it around 3.5 to 4 stars. I’m not usually the biggest fan of insta-love and that is definitely what this is, but I still found myself hooked. The chemistry between the characters was so strong and the writing pulled me in right away. I ended up reading it in just two sittings because I couldn’t put it down.

What I especially loved was the yearning from the MMC. For such a short novella, we still got some solid relationship development and the spice scenes were absolutely 10/10. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to the author for the ARC! 💕

CJ and Jack spent a memorable night together, and both of them thought that was it until they end up working on the same movie five years later: Jack as a star actor and CJ as the set designer. The sparks are still there, but Hollywood can be an unforgiving career for women, so they hold off until the end of filming. It appears they've found their happily ever after until Jack is offered his dream project in London. Can their relationship survive this new curveball?

I really enjoyed CJ and Jack's story! For the length of the short story, Lana Schwartz did a great job with character development and making the reader care about their outcome.

I loved this book so much. I think it was my favorite of the 831 books. The steam was great, and the characters were mature in a way that made their narrative feel very real. Perfect balance of steamy and sweet.

I thought this book was good and as short as it was, we got a fully formed story in which we got the chance to get to know these characters.

I enjoyed the romance between the Jake and CJ and I liked the chemistry between them especially at the beginning. I like that we got to see their relationship develop however towards the end it does start to drag for me a little bit and fall a bit flat

I feel I did struggle to relate to CJ especially towards the end when she did something that I didn’t really agree with. I also don’t like a third act breakup so I did struggle with that. But it was true to CJ’s character so I can’t be mad at that.

Jake was sweet but other than his looks and his talent, it wasn’t really clear why he was such a catch, I told it was mostly told and not shown to us.

I am very happy I got a chance to read and review this book.

Thank you to 831 stories for this ARC

A chance encounter leaves a breakout TV star and no-nonsense bartender wanting more, but life gets in the way. They find each other again five years later, while working on a movie set—but is there room in their lives for this second chance at romance?

First off, a big thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC of Set Piece by Lana Schwartz!

Listen… the “celebrity falls for normal person” trope? I’ll never get tired of it. Maybe the inner fangirl in me is still holding on to delusional hope 😂 but I was immediately sold on this premise. And Set Piece delivered a fun, quick read that hit some sweet notes, even if it didn’t hit every mark.

The setting was the real star of this book. Lana Schwartz did such a good job capturing the vibe of film production life, I could’ve easily read 500 more pages just about the behind-the-scenes of that Gatsby adaptation.

Now onto the not-so-glamorous stuff. While the setup had all the right ingredients (second chance romance, single mom, forced proximity), the characters fell a bit flat for me. I wanted to love CJ, but I struggled to connect with her, especially toward the end. And Jack… he was sweet, sure, but I needed a little more than golden retriever energy and nerdy charm to feel invested.

The romance started strong, with some lovely tension and banter early on, but it fizzled out faster than I hoped. Maybe it’s the short story format, but I found myself wanting more depth, more emotional build-up, and a little less “wait—that’s it?!”

That said, I still had a good time reading this. The pacing was a bit rushed, and the third-act conflict was predictable, but overall, it’s a solid 3-star read. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and set in a unique world.

(Thanks to 831 Stories and Netgalley for my ARC.) I really have been loving the short romance novellas from 831 Stories, and this is one of my new favorites from them! CJ is a set designer, but is working as a bartender after taking time off work for personal reasons, and that’s where she meets TV’s newest breakout star Jack Felgate, in LA for a friend’s bachelor party. CJ helps Jack escape some overzealous fans, and the two spend one steamy night together, and then Jack goes back home across the pond. Five years later, CJ and Jack bump into each other again – on set of the film adaptation of The Great Gatsby they’re both working on. I love a book about the “behind-the-scenes” of Hollywood, and this one was such a fun take on it. I loved their chemistry, and the juggling of careers in an industry that’s so built on who you are and who you know.

This famous person-regular person romance was everything!!! I loved everything about this from the Gatsby production to the first bar scene. I can't stop recommending this!

Thanks NetGalley and 831 Stories for providing me with an ARC.

Although this was significantly better than Hardly Strangers, I still didn't love it. This is such a short novella, yet it took me ages to finish because I don't care about these people !

Also the British lingo was wiiiiiild to me. Ma'am, noone speaks like that.

Thank you 831 Stories for a copy of Set Piece!

"For fans of Romantic Comedy and Notting Hill (so, everyone?!), a second-chance celebrity / normal person romance you’ll read in one sitting."

Look, one thing I love about 831 stories and Lana Schwartz is that when they say that a novella is this trope, it is this trope. No miscommunication, no fluff. Just straight to the point. Still so swoony but refreshing -- thanks to Lana Schwartz's writing! Perfect for romance readers who are tired of the miscommunication and third part breakup act.

Another banger by 831! Loved the movie production setting, women empowerment, and the very real push and pull of letting someone in. Jack is like a golden retriever and CJ more rigid and structured, making their relationship the perfect balance of exploration and stability. Left me wanting more in a great way!