This was an adorable story. I appreciated both the main characters and how they felt decently fleshed out despite this being a shorter novel, and I appreciated how they handled the events in the story like adults; there was minimal conflict/miscommunication. This felt like what an actual relationship might be like, which I feel is very difficult to find in romance books. I'm very excited to continue with more from 831 Stories.

For someone who generally cannot stand insta-lust, I thought it was really well done here. There was good chemistry between the characters and I enjoyed watching them fall in love, but that is pretty much it and I wasn’t a fan of the ending. Set Piece is a very okay romance. I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick, fun read.

Thank you 831 Stories and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

This was a good novella. This was completely out of my comfort zone, but I did enjoy it. I definitely think anyone who is a fan of this genre would also really enjoy it. I did really like the celebrity aspect of the book and everything that came with that.

Set Piece is a short, terrific romantic read set behind the scenes of Hollywood filmmaking. It features CJ, a production designer making ends meet by bartending on the side, and buzzy new actor Jack, who find each other working on the same set five years after their one night stand. This book is also dual pov.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was impressively well-paced for a story this length, and I was rooting for CJ and Jack so hard. This book was a little sexier than it was romantic, but that didn’t bother me or detract from the relationship. Agnes, CJ’s daughter, was included the perfect amount, and her dialogue and presence felt realistic to how a four year old would behave (something A LOT of books struggle with).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE THIRD ACT BREAK UPS. This one had just the right amount of length to it, and just the right amount of introspective development for the MCs. I wish that the break up had made a tiny bit more sense, which we could have gotten with slightly more length to the book.

Things that didn’t bother me but might bother you: a lot of backstage shop talk. Set Piece feels pretty evenly split between the romance and their work, and not necessarily in a way that serves the story. I thought it was fun to get that perspective, some folks may not. The other thing is that not much happens in this book. Their relationship IS the plot, and it feels almost like slice-of-life writing. I like that a lot, but I know some folks who enjoy romance don’t.

I’d highly recommend this to readers looking for a palette cleanse or a short book with a cute dynamic, an independent (to a fault) FMC, and a sweet, direct MMC.

Thank you SO much to 831 Stories and Lana Schwartz for the advanced reader’s copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Set Piece comes out May 6, 2025.

This is my second 831 story and although this was predictable and the last 20% PMO to a whole other level I still appreciated the writing and this short romance novel/novella!

thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for a review!

I'm going to be so honest, it's fine. It's quick, snappy, it'll get you out a slump if you're in one (ahem) but it wont be much more than that to most I think. The main characters are a bit flat (barely any growth or change), the side characters are barely more than one thing throughout the whole thing, and the story didn't sweep me away.

So, overall, a perfectly fine read, but not something I'll grab for again.

Loved the MC’s and the overall story. Loved the character arc for Jack the most, his sections of the book were definitely my fav. I understood the conflict at the end but it wasn’t my favorite, still loved it and would recommend!

i know what they say about making assumptions, but i checked in with my girlfriend about this one and i think i’m in the clear. when two characters in a romance book have a one night stand and don’t reconnect until five years later — and one of them has a 4 year old daughter at that second meeting — is it not logical to assume this will be a plot point in which said one night stand resulted in a pregnancy? like i said, maybe that’s on me for assuming! it just was kind of weird to me.

agnes’s paternity aside, this wasn’t anything special, in my opinion. like, it wasn’t particularly offensive, but when the first whiff of the third act conflict rolled around i rolled my eyes because it was predictable (in a bad way). to a degree, many things about romances are predictable. it’s a steady genre for this exact reason! but there’s tried and true and there’s tired — this felt tired to me. i’m sure there are romance readers out there who will eat it up regardless, but i have seen it before and i’ll see it again. it was quick and breezy, i’ll give it that!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Lana Schwartz, and 831 Stories for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

We are SOOOOOO back!!!!!! Let me preface this by saying that I adore what 831 Stories is currently doing, and Big Fan (their first release) was probably one of my top reads last year. Sadly though, their next two releases have not quite hit the same for me due to issues I had with characters. But Set Piece? CHEF’S KISS! I loved this!! CJ and Jack had amazing chemistry, and the plot of this was fascinating. I don’t know much about set design, so I really appreciate Schwartz for going into that through CJ. It was a refreshing take on a Hollywood tale. I got wary at first when <spoiler> it was revealed CJ had a kid around the same age as her first hookup with Jack, but thankfully, it did NOT fall into that trope and quickly established that, which very much redeemed it for me. </spoiler> There were great musings about identity and self throughout, and I felt that Schwartz really nailed both the story and ALL of the characters, even secondary ones. I know that Big Fan is about to have a second novella set in that universe come out, and I would love to see Schwartz return and write more about CJ, Jack, and their friends! Can’t wait for a hot girl romance summer with 831 Stories.

Set Piece by Lana Schwartz was an absolute delight from start to finish! I was completely swept up in the story and couldn’t put it down. Lana’s writing style is so fresh and fun—it flows effortlessly and makes every scene sparkle. The banter between the main characters was swoon-worthy in the best way, and I genuinely found myself giggling and kicking my feet while reading more than once!

One of my favorite elements was the time jump, which was handled so well and added real depth to the characters and their relationship. Watching them grow and change, both individually and together, made their connection feel all the more real and rewarding. The chemistry? Off the charts. The tension? Perfectly built. The payoff? Chef’s kiss.

I really enjoyed every moment of this book, and I’m already itching to dive into more 831 stories. Lana Schwartz is definitely one to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 stories for the ARC!

Love all the novellas of 831 stories but think this one might be my favorite. Gave me Jack Black and Kate Winslet and Eli Wallace vibes with the Jack, CJ, and Stuart story. Loved the old Hollywood vibe especially mentioning my favorite movie, How to Steal a Million. A lot of fun. Could be read in an hour or two poolside this summer. If you do not like to read or don’t have the time, these are super short in pages but fun and rounded out in plot!

Rising star Jack and bartender CJ have an after-hours drink that turns into a one-night stand. Five years later, Jack and CJ — he a full-fledged movie star and she a production designer and single mom — meet again when they are hired for the same movie. Can they make things work this time around?

At less than 200 pages, SET PIECE is a quick romance that includes a lot of heart and tension but leaves the reader wanting more. The book was going to be a solid four stars for the first 80%, but a cliché third-act breakup is resolved a little too quickly without much conflict or explanation. Still, SET PIECE is a reliable addition to meet your end-of-the-year reading goals. Looking forward to reading more!

Thank you to #NetGalley and 831 Stories for the advanced reader copy of #SetPiece.

I want to thank 831 stories and NetGalley for providing me with this arc. The premise of this was very good, albeit not relatable (as most of us have not worked in a movie set). I did enjoy the yearning from Jack’s part and felt the love he felt for CJ clearly. I however think the story felt somewhat flat in between, maybe I was expecting the grand gesture and how the main conflict was resolved, did not satisfy my romantic heart. I did enjoy this, and the writing was clear but good. 3.25 ⭐️

I requested this after hearing good things about Big Fan (also from 831 Stories), and I wasn't disappointed! This is a cute, short story about CJ, a set designer, and Jack, a London-born actor who's starting to make it big. Five years after a chance encounter in LA, Jack is back in town filming another movie and they happen to be working on the same remake of The Great Gatsby. This book was cute and romantic without being overly cheesy like I find many romance novels to be, it was actually funny, and had some good pop culture references (loved that Jack went on Hot Ones). I was also pleased Would definitely recommend to any romance lovers looking for a good, short read, and I look forward to reading other books from 831 Stories!

Thank you to 831 Stories for the advanced electronic copy!

I love a celebrity/normal person romance and this was a fun, quick read! Jack is an up and coming actor when he has a one night stand with CJ, a bartender who also works in the industry. They reconnect 5 years later on the set of Jack's latest project, where they find that they still have undeniable chemistry.

I thought the level of character development was appropriate given the length of the story, and enjoyed the dynamic with side characters, like CJ's relationship with her dad.

At first, this felt like an adult version of Starstruck, which I loved—but that only lasted through the first chapter. The story is short but still manages to include a lot. Still, I found myself wanting more—more scenes, more backstory, just more time with the characters.
I really related to CJ’s stubborn independence

I loved it. It was a fun second chance romance, no notes honestly! I will be buying it when it comes out!

I loved this book from start to finish. I'm normally not a huge contemporary romance fan but everything about this was delicious. Jack Felgate, the man that you are?! I am literally obsessed. It was adorable and I read it in one sitting! A must read for any romance fan.

Love 831 stories so much! Their love story was very sweet and slow! Jack was a giant sweetheart. The conflict was a misunderstanding. Loved that the setting was LA! I also though the side characters of her daughter and Stuart were done very well!

The first third of the book really worked well for me, with both Jack and CJ working together, bonding over being movie nerds, and feeling like they are working on something special on set. I was also very excited that the trope of CJ's daughter being four, after she and Jack had a one-night stand five years ago, being secretly his was quickly not true. (I don't typically like kids in books because I don't find them precious or find any validity in the whole "I've gotta do it for my kid" line of thinking, but this was basically fine.) But them falling to pieces almost before they can even have their first date because...Jack has a schedule and CJ has a kid was a little too much to take. When Jack's "drinking the fat," before the 50% mark, I was really wondering where this was going to go.

I appreciate Jack taking a hiatus because he needed time off the hamster wheel, but it felt more crazy to me that he became a recluse (by Hollywood standards) just to date CJ than him suggesting that CJ come with him on his next project. It also felt a little wild to me that it took until December 22nd for either of them to even begin to talk about what he might do in the New Year once his self-imposed hiatus was up. I get that they were in the happy family bubble, but given CJ's attention to detail, it felt out of character for them to not be even talking about what's next and that it might be somewhere else.

There were a few too many time skips, and I felt like we didn't get to see them as a couple as much as I would like. It made the break up feel less earned because they were barely together before they have one fight and he's on a flight to London, where he apparently has no friends and just watches TV until he's back on a set.

The sex at the Oscars was a little much and there were a couple of lines that made me laugh in a bad way, but I was nearing the end, so it was easy to skim through.

They end up back where they started with they both working and needing to be in different places, but it's fine this time I guess because they had sex backstage at the Oscars. I wanted more from this book. There were several points where it felt like an ending and I wasn't sure where they were going to go next. Some surprises are fun, but this just felt drawn out.