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!

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!