For being a novella, I didn't feel like we were shorted at all. I still felt connected to the characters and understood all the reasons that CJ was hesitant about this relationship. I loved having the dual POV to understand Jack's emotions in his rise to fame and dealing with celebrity, while also staying true to himself and his friends. And that he spent their years apart searching for a "Cara" in the credits - big swoon.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this one. I have been loving everything that 831 Stories has been putting out there.

5✰
“i want to live here, in this perfect moment.”
... and i want to live here, in this perfect story!

i’m writing this review at 3 am. “just a few pages before bed … you’ll get plenty of sleep," i said. i couldn’t have been more wrong. between cara and jack’s effortless banter and their magnetic chemistry, i was instantly hooked. 831 stories has done it again. a beautiful story about love, personal growth, vulnerability, grief, self-reliance and allowing yourself to follow your dreams and fight for the future you want — all neatly packaged in under 200 pages. 10/10 would recommend.

thank you to lana schwartz, 831 stories and netgalley for this arc 🖤

This flirty, sexy, second chance romance between British actor Jack Felgate and single mom/production designer CJ was sooo up my alley. I loved the romance between a celeb and a normal person - what a fun trope. What made this extra enjoyable for me was that each character was authentic with their struggles and trepidations which made me appreciate them on a different level. It felt truly honest, and that’s what makes a modern romance work for me. The fact that this took place on a Gatsby adaptation set was such an added bonus. Anything Gatsby related gets extra brownie points in my book🤭

Thank you for the opportunity to read early! Another home run by the 831 family, exactly the perfect length and still as satisfying as something much longer. Distilled and clear and lovely.

cute! I love a fun short story/novella, and this definitely fit the bill. I loved that so much of the story revolved around being on set and being in the film world in general, but was still able to remain realistic feeling. I had some issues with pacing, but overall I really enjoyed! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgally for the early copy!!!
Find me an 831 Story I don’t like. I’ll wait!!!
This book? Adorable. Thoughtful.
Jack is a famous actor who’s also somehow grounded, kind, and emotionally available (like…does he even exist outside fiction?). But I bought it. CJ had a few moments where I wanted to shake her gently and say, “Ma’am, please let this perfect man love you,” but honestly? I got it. She’s relatable. The whole thing is sweet, satisfying, and leaves you wanting another chapter.

The beginning started off very hot and heavy but unfortunately , for me, it was difficult for me to stay engaged with the storyline and really get invested in the characters. I really love the novella format, but I think sometimes it's is very challenging to keep a reader engaged and develop a character arc. It has an interesting twist on your usual rom-com stories but it wasn't it for me.

Set Piece by Lana Schwartz is a quick fun read! I loved the Hollywood/filmmaking angle.

I always look forward to an 831 Stories book because they introduce me to new authors. They are quick reads and you know they are going to be swoony—Set Piece did not disappoint. I cannot wait to read what 831 Stories and Lana Schwartz.

This started out really strong for me, but didn't nail the middle/ending. It's a quick romance but since it's a novella I felt the characters were a bit one dimensional and I found myself skimming to finish.

Thanks for the advanced reader copy Netgalley & 831 Stories.

So much fun and a super fast read. I was immediately pulled into the story and didn't want to put it down. Really liked the characters and the glimpse into the behind the scenes of filming movies. Looking forward to reading more from this author and this publisher.

I'm a fan of this publisher, 831 Stories, and was excited to fet this eARC in exchange for my honest review. These books are like long novellas, they leave you wanting more, and in a world of 500+ page romance books, its very refreshing. Loved the meet cute. Loved the meet cute take 2. The main characters, Jack and CK, were so likeable and has great chemistry. Their central conflict was relatable and about their blindspots; not at all contrived. I was really pulling for them. I was wanting a bit more of their story by the end, but again, thay seems to be this publisher's style. Thw writing was well paced and descriptive. Will definitely read more by her. 4 stars.

A really well-developed novella. CJ and Jack's relationship develops so organically, an impressive feat given the length. Even though we jumped forward in time several times, I never felt like I was missing something. The breakup didn't feel too forced, and I think it made sense given the story. I also loved seeing CJ with Stuart and could've used even more of them. I would have loved to have seen this as a full book but I enjoyed it even with the shorter page count.

thankyou to NetGalley and 831 stories for the advanced copy

i really enjoyed this and thought it quite effective for a novella
it can be hard to build complex characters with depth and presence in a book this size, however i thought it was well executed. i do believe the characters had a lot of initial chemistry, and this wasn’t quite as present when they reconnected later in the story.
i thought the complication at the end could have been worked more effectively

overall, was impressed and keen to read more from this author and publisher

Sigh, can 831 do no wrong? I’m starting to notice a trend here in the stories they publish. String independent female lead? Check. Character driven story? Check. Mature adults who have mature adult problems and handle them in adult ways? Check. Celebrity romance? Che..well ok there were only two other celebrity romances but this one hits just as hard as the others.

I loved the dynamic between the two romantic leads, The instant attraction that first draws them to each other and the friendship that develops along the way are *chef’s kiss*. I’d read another 200 pages of these two.

Another great famous/normal person romance novella from 831 Stories! This story was so much more developed than I expected and I really felt like I got to know the characters despite its short length!

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Set Piece by Lana Schwartz is about Cara, a single mom who bartends and designs/builds sets for movies, and Jack, a very famous actor who meet in a bar and have a one night stand… only to circle back and both be involved in the same movie five years later.

I’ve eaten up every 831 story I’ve read and this one was no different! This is a fast paced, dual POV read that I couldn’t put down. I really enjoyed the story and the writing. I didn’t love the third act breakup, but I see WHYYY it was necessary to flush out Jack and Cara’s relationship and for them to stay happy in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and 831 for the advanced copy in exchange for a review!!

Set Piece is proof that a romance novel can check all of my boxes (and a few bonus boxes) without being more than 230 pages. I loved this so much!

3.5/5 rounded up.

I enjoyed the premise of this and I loved how strong the FMC was, but something was off for me in terms of the chemistry between the two main characters. It kind of felt like the transitions between them talking and then getting down & dirty was a little clunky and I didn't feel like there was enough tension for me to believe the chemistry. Especially for them to then still be obsessed with each other 5 years later.

I did actually really enjoy the context around set design/filmmaking so that was a fun addition, though I do wonder if that would have been better for a longer novel so that there could be more focus on the character development.

However, I do think the resolution was done well and helped redeem the FMC for me near the end (I did find her to be overly controlling so I’m glad that was addressed), and the MMC was a dreamy English man so that’s always a plus. Overall a nice easy read, just not an all time fave for me!

Jack and CJ happen to meet at the high-end bar where CJ works — and she doesn't know that the handsome Jack is a breakout TV star until he's swarmed by admirers, and she swoops in to rescue him. But after one night together, their lives diverge — until five years later, when Jack is set to star in a new movie where CJ has been hired as the production designer.

Unfortunately, I did not feel any sort of chemistry between these two, and it did not work for me. Their initial meeting felt forced and rushed, which made it hard to care about them coming back together years later. While this was not my cup of tea, fans of the famous person-regular person romance trope may enjoy this one. Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

This was a quick and endearing read. I loved the nods to filmmakers and to women that want to be known for their work!!
This honestly felt very grounded for a normal/famous person romance — I would even say it was more along the lines of colleagues. Cj & Jack are very compatible and you cannot help but root for them.
However, I think this would have benefited of having more time/being a full novel to truly relate with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.