I am such a huge fan of these stories because they’re short and sweet and full of detail. This one is a meet cute, one night stand turn second chance in the world of Hollywood. I loved that we got both perspectives of our characters. I thought both Jack and CJ were so endearing and the way they fell for each other felt so real. I’m always amazed by how many details and author can squeeze into 200 pages and this author certainly delivered!!

I liked it but didn't love it. This is such a short novella, yet it took me ages to finish because I didn't really care about the main characters.

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

A man who is enamored not just by the woman but the woman’s drive??? In more ways than one (life, career, romantically).

Totally for those that love movies, behind the scenes of the careers in it, and also a serendipitous moment years down the line. I really liked how the writing was done in Set Piece and setting the scene!

Years after a steamy one night stand, CJ and Jack unexpectedly reunite on the set of a Great Gatsby remake: CJ as the lead set production designer, Jack cast in a starring role. Their chemistry is just as strong as it was years ago, and this time, there’s a chance for something more. As they navigate long days on set and lingering feelings, they must decide if they’re ready to let their connection become something more.

I absolutely loved this novella! The chemistry between CJ and Jack is magnetic from the start, but what really pulled me in is how grounded their connection felt. There’s tension, passion, and just the right amount of emotional vulnerability as they navigate their reunion on set and the possibility of something real. I appreciate the healthy communication and how their relationship felt both mature and swoony. It’s a short read, but it packs in so much heart and heat!

Andi Arndt and Shane East both deliver solid performances in the audiobook. Each brings the characters to life with the right mix of pacing and emotion. Major props to both narrators for navigating British and American accents.

I read this book with both my eyes and my ears, and enjoyed all formats. Romance readers: put this on your TBR!

Thank you 831 Stories Romance & AE Titles / S&S Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

okay this made me giggle this made me kick my feet i absolutely loved her!!! there were times where CJ just pissed me off but I had to remember where she was coming from and what really set her apart was knowing her own flaws. also, showing us that they had chemistry from day 1...thank you my god thank you!!

Another amazing 831 book! This was so great, and I love being in any celeb/normie world. 831 Stories haven't disappointed me yet and I can't wait to see what else they put out.

This was a cute story. I really liked how the way the main characters had time to get to know each other. Even when they first met, they were able to find a connection through their passion. The relationship felt earned. I didn't really like how the conflict was resolved. It seemed odd, especially after they both had people in their lives who helped understand their contribution to their disagreement. Why did it take even longer or a special event for them to finally see each other? It didn't make sense. Overall, I did enjoy the story.

831 Stories has shone with their celebrity/normal person romances! Set Piece by Lana Schwartz was my favorite of their releases since Big Fan, this time set in LA with a breakout actor, Jack, meeting a production designer turned bartender, Cara slash CJ, for just one night. They meet again five years later on the set of a Great Gatsby adaptation and navigate their quickly returned feelings for each other while having to work together and then figure out how to have a normal relationship, from CJ now having a young daughter to Jack being burnout and looking for the right balance of work and life. There was enough Hollywood insiderness with a cool niche of production designer included, balanced with the ordinary parts of their lives. Jack and CJ were a charming pair to see fall in love and easy to root for.

My favorite of the books put out my 831 Stories so far! I loved these characters both separately and together.

Oh this was EXTREMELY my shit.

Y'all know I love a celebrity romance. But a one night stand with a bartender (CJ) and an up and coming actor (Jack), only for them to reconnect years later on a film set when he is a STAR and she is the set designer?! SIGN ME UP !

In the time since they met CJ has experienced the highest of highs: giving birth to her daughter and the lowest of lows: losing her mom. She has really hit her groove professionally and knows that this job could really take her career to the next level. Jack, meanwhile, has become the IT guy and is going one project to the next, leaving little time for anything else.

The chemistry jumps off the page and these characters were great - nuanced and messy, which are my favorite kinds. I devoured this in one sitting on a plane and it was the perfect escape. Well done, Lana Schwartz!

Big thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for gifting me an ARC for this sneak peak! Set Piece is out in the world on May 6!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

4.5 stars because i just cannot stand a second act break up, for ANY reason!

thank you 831 stories FOR SHORT ROMCOMS! i cannot stand that so many romance books are now pushing 500pgs! like babe! it’s not that serious!!!

set piece was a deliciously fantastic, short and sweet and steamy romcom about an up and coming actor and a production designer. i went in rather blind, and looking at the description now, i think that was the best option — especially for such a short romcom!

as for the audiobook — dual narrators are forever my favorite, and both narrators did fantastic.

overall, this was a fantastic romcom and i’ll be diving into 831 stories’ other romances!

Set Piece is the most recent romance novella from @stories831 and it was the perfect addition to their line up! I liked all of the references to classic films sprinkled throughout the book! If you like Notting Hill or celebrity/normal person pairings, this should be your next read! This could definitely be a finish in one sitting book and would be a perfect vacation book!

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!