Christ in a bike this was a gut punch. A slap in the face with a giant wet fish. A rude awakening. An honest letter that hurts as much as it helps. I fear that anything I could say about this book would simply detract from the story. It all just felt so necessary and honest.

Square Waves explores themes of capitalism, passion, starting over at 28, feeling like a failure, resenting your past, feeling shame for things you didn’t know but should have, trying to make up for mistakes that were never yours to make up for, returning home, men in politics being assholes.. the list is endless and gloriously executed.

But central to all of this is a ROMANCE BABY. And Cassidy and Leon were just two mirrors reflecting back at one another and watching them go from hating one another to loving one another was also watching them learn to love themselves. It makes me emotional just thinking about it.

Speaking of emotional, I was definitely awake at 2am CRYING when Cassidy ‘realised things’ 😭

OH and when the spice hit, it was so intimate and raw and so fucking hot AND it ADDS TO THE DEPTH OF THEIR STORY WHICH MADE IT SCORCHING.

This is truly just one of those masterclasses in romance and storytelling and how it does not need to be 300-600-1000 pages long to tell a story so full of heart and love and a gripping character driven story.

“Fuck perfect, Cass. This is better. This is us.”

~Thank you NetGalley for the ARC~
Things I love:
- Books set in the Bay Area
- Enemies to Lovers
I started and finished this book on my flight yesterday and I tore through it. Great read and would recommend it!!

Thanks NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC! I really enjoyed Big Fan and was excited to dive back in for the "sequel". Even though the main character Cassidy is wrapped up in a very public scandal, I found her journey of self discovery and uncertainty in her late 20s to be very relatable and realistic. I know short novels are 831's thing, but this story felt a little undercooked. It could've used more development and a few extra chapters. The ending felt rushed, especially since the whole book takes place over 2-3 weeks, and I would've liked a little more time with the characters. Overall not a bad read just wanted more out of it. 3.5 stars!

Cassidy’s story may seem hyper-specific because of the public scandal of it all, but that’s not how it feels when reading it. I felt so seen by her late twenties situation— feeling unsure, stuck, and scared. Her need to compare her life to those around her and her anxiety around judgment from others spoke to me deeply.

Romanoff did such an impeccable job examining the differences in Cassidy and Leon’s perfectionism and how each form holds them back from so much in life. They dynamic was so palpable; I could feel their tension. I adored the mutual frustration that only comes from knowing past versions of one another and wanting so badly to prove each other wrong, while simultaneously crafting a desire and connection that burns so bright and only comes from maturing and learning from past mistakes.

I loved the evolution of their communication and how they both grapple with insecurities in their late twenties because it felt very real to that age. This story combined two things I thoroughly enjoy in a romance— rivalry and people from your past. These two elements build quality tension and give us stakes. Romanoff pulls it off so well and that’s why it’s so hard to ever put the book down.

Connecting and relating to these characters made me feel less alone in my own late twenties scrambling and their love story in this beautiful Berkeley setting gave me the quick escape I needed.

it is entirely possible that I had my hopes way too high for this release after <i>Big Fan</i>. I wasn't as enraptured as I was, though the romance was believable and paid off in the end. this was very bingeable, and I was able to finish in just a few hours.

Big Fan was a five star read for me - this book follows the intern whose affair with a married man setup Big Fan’s heroine for her HEA. Here, we find Cassidy six years after the scandal and still reeling from the fallout. She returns home and runs into her high school nemesis, Leon. What should have been a one night stand turns into a coworking situation as both lend a hand to a mutual friend. Do Cassidy and Leon still hate each other? Or did they ever really hate each other…?

This was just a like, not a love, for me. Solid four stars, but didn’t quite have Big Fan’s magic. At only 200 pages though, it’s low commitment and I think worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Looking forward to more 831 Stories in the future.

Loved this follow up to Big Fan! I flew through this one and hope there will be more in this universe

so, this wasn't for me! when I requested this, I did not realise that it was the second book in a series (completely my mistake!), so I think my experience was slightly hampered by that, and would be different to those who had read <i> Big Fan </i>

some context was definitely provided, but for me once I realise I'm missing an entire book of context to the backstory of the main character beforehand it takes me out of it!

overall, I thought the writing was okay, it was a bit fun, but ultimately wasn't for me. if I were have been able to read Big Fan it would've been a different experience!

thank you to NetGalley and 831 stories (love you guys) for the arc!!!

3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this novella!
We follow Cassidy whom we met in Big Fan. She was the young intern who had the affair with the politician. It was nice to see her story. She returns home for a few weeks and she bumps into high school enemy Leon. Their encounter is just a one-night thing to blow off steam. But then they are stuck in close quarters helping a friend and Cassidy begins to see Leon in a new light.
I liked this but not as much as I did Big Fan. Cassidy’s resilience and determination was the good part of the book. But Leon was a very surface MMC, with nothing much to say about him. The romance was ok, but it didn't give me butterflies. Overall, it was a cute novella.

Romanoff knows how to write a good romance. This story was detailed without being verbose, thoughtful, and sexy. I loved that the main character in this was a side character from Big Fan. So good, so fun. Just as long as it needed to be.

alexandra romanoff... you've done it again!! this is my fourth 831 stories book and it may be my favorite... (it's between this and big fan)! i hate that i really like these bc they're novellas and i'm always left wanting more!! this was such a sweet (misunderstood) enemies to lovers. it had the right balance between focusing on the romance and cassidy's self-discovery journey.. their chemistry started growing slowly from the night they reunited, and it was very cute to see them acknowledge and reanalyze the way they perceive each other. both cassidy and leon have their own flaws and we're able to see them work on them and make the same mistakes until they're able to work past them.

i liked that it showed that it's completely okay to be lost in life during your 20s and i liked that she didn't have everything figured out at the end of the book. she was such a real and raw character struggling with burnout and finding her place in the world while also trying to handle the aftermath of the scandal. everything felt so real and relatable especially with me also being lost in life, i definitely saw parts of myself in cassidy.

i'm very excited for what's to come from 831 stories!! thank you so much 831 stories and netgalley for the arc!! :)

This has to be one of 2025's most bingeable romances, that can be read in one sitting!

Square Waves, the latest installment in Alexandra Romanoff’s “Big Fan” series, is a sharp, emotionally resonant take on the enemies-to-lovers romance. At its heart is Cassidy, whose life was upended by a political scandal years earlier. Cassidy’s journey is one of redemption and personal growth. She’s determined to move beyond her messy past, but small-town gossip and her complicated history with Leon make that anything but easy. As they’re thrown together by circumstance, old wounds resurface and new feelings emerge. The plot balances a breezy romance with a surprisingly deep exploration of memory, shame, and self-forgiveness.

I'm so glad we got a second book in this world. While this can be read without reading the first, I recommend reading Maya's story before this one. Thank you, NetGalley and 831 Stories, for this eARC out June 24th!

I got this ARC (thank you NetGalley) & I really enjoyed it!! I had read Big Fan, was obsessed with the writing, so I knew this one would be good. I love the little tie into a character from Big Fan. This book had enemies to lovers, spice & a character arc. I really enjoyed it!! The perfect palette cleanser!!

Square Waves is a great novella that pulls you in from the very start. Alexandra Romanoff masterfully builds tension early on, creating an undercurrent of anticipation that carries through the story. The emotional stakes feel real, and the chemistry between the characters is palpable. It's a quick read, but one that lingers with you thanks to its well-crafted pacing. A compelling, well-written story that delivers both heart and heat.

Love this side story from Big Fan, so glad we got Cassidy’s story. This was very bingable and easy to read. Lived the flow and the tension. I am also so impressed that these short stories feel so fully developed. Plus, Cassidy’s story felt so true to her character!

This was my least favorite 831 stories novella so far, and I’m not sure why. I didn’t feel the connection between the characters at all, I only felt there intense to like of each other, so when they got together, it didn’t feel believable to me. That really took away from my enjoyment of the whole book, but as usual, the writing was great.

I love that these bite size stories that I can read in one sitting have the depth of a full length novel. It’s hard to do and Romanoff does it again. Cassidy would be the villain in a lot of people’s stories but here she’s made so human and relatable. Big Fan is still my favorite but this takes a close second. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

Thank you so much for the early eARC!

I was a big fan of BIG FAN ;) and I love Romanoff's writing. I was so excited to get the "mistress's" story from the first book.

Again, I thought the writing was top notch and I'll definitely continue to read from this author but I didn't love this one as much. For a romance to work for me, I really need to feel the chemistry between the love interests. I don't know if it was a lot of "tell" instead of "show" but in my opinion, Square Waves lacked the banter and flirtation that is needed. The author "told" me there was tension and want between them, but didn't really show me during their dialogue or moments together. I was rather bored during a lot of this and some parts felt like a slog to get through. I just didn't feel anything for these characters or their connection.

I know a lot of it was about the FMC re-discovering herself after the scandal and I appreciated that part of the storyline, but I needed more oomph from the romance and quite frankly I needed more personality from both characters.

2.5/5 rounded up! Thank you!

In a follow up to Big Fan, 831 Stories’ great debut, Alexandra Romanoff jumps to focus on Cassidy Weaver several years after the scandal and fallout of her relationship with Maya’s husband. Cassidy has spent years alternatively healing and outrunning her pain, hiding from the scandal, and using it as part of her job, from which she is now very burnt out. She heads home to Berkeley on a forced sabbatical and ends up working with her high school rival Leon at her best friend Willa’s store as they help prepare it for opening—after sleeping together the first night she’s home. I loved how Romanoff explored Cassidy’s burn out, feelings of being lost, relationship to her trauma, and need to be productive. She also did a great job with Cassidy and Leon’s relationship and past rivalry, especially with Cassidy reckoning with her own past behavior and how it made Leon feel. They were a sweet couple, Leon balancing out Cassidy’s intensity with calm and quiet support. Like Big Fan, this is one that could have been expanded to a full length novel, but still functions very well at 200 pages, with a full and satisfying arc.

831 stories does it again!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Square Waves absolutely captivated me from start to finish!**

This enemies-to-lovers romance is pure perfection. Cassidy's journey of self-discovery after returning to her hometown hit me right in the feels - watching her navigate the aftermath of her past while rediscovering who she truly is was incredibly moving. The way Alexandra Romanoff writes Cassidy with such depth and empathy makes you root for her every step of the way.

Leon completely stole my heart! Their high school rivalry dynamic was so authentic - you know how those old perceptions can stick, even when people have grown and changed. Watching them slowly peel back those layers and see each other for who they really are now was beautifully done. The chemistry between them builds perfectly, creating that delicious tension that makes you unable to put the book down.

What I loved most was how real everything felt. Cassidy's struggle with burnout, feeling lost, and trying to figure out her next chapter - haven't we all been there? The pottery studio subplot added such a lovely touch, showing how sometimes helping others can help us find ourselves too.

The romance is swoon-worthy without overshadowing the personal growth storylines. Both characters get their moments to shine and evolve, which made their connection feel earned and genuine.

This novella packs so much heart into its pages. If you're looking for a story that combines incredible character development with butterflies-inducing romance, Square Waves delivers on every level. Can't wait to see what Alexandra Romanoff writes next!