I have been anticipating Cassidy’s story since reading Big Fan and can finally say it was everything I hoped it would be! Cassidy returns home on a hiatus from work after years of coping with the scandal that ruined Cassidy’s career. A one-night stand with her high school rival turns into more when they are stuck helping a friend open her art studio.

Cassidy made this book a standout with her resilience and approach to helping others. She didn’t let what happened to her ruin her life and instead put in meaningful time with her friends. I also liked how we see her learning through therapy and applying herself to guide other young adults with tough experiences like hers.

The romance between Cassidy and Leon was sizzling from their first reunion, and didn’t let up throughout the book. They learn from each other that their preconceived notions from the past were false, and they had wanted to impress the other the whole time. They both had walls to break down, personal growth through finding new interests, and showed that it’s not too late to start over.

The pacing of every single 831 book I’ve read had been so on point, both with the romance and plot. Even though it’s a short book, it manages to pack a punch and hold interest until the very end. Cassidy’s story is fully fleshed out and comes to a satisfying conclusion but still leaves me wanting more from Alexandra!

Thank you to Netgalley and 831 Stories for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this short story! While it takes place over only three weeks, there is good character development and and I just adored Leon and Cassidy as well the Berkley setting. There is great spice that fits perfectly with the plot line and i devoured this book in a single day!

I loved how Romanoff captures the sheer vulnerability of rebuilding, not just reputations, but self-worth. The writing is crisp, the emotional beats hit hard, and the romance is layered with enough tension and tenderness to keep you hooked. If you’re a fan of complex characters, perfectly executed enemies-to-lovers, and stories that celebrate growth, this one is an absolute must-read.

This is my formal request for more books about high school nemeses, who reconnect years later and find out that there's more to each other than meets the eye! Seriously, I loved the premise of SQUARE WAVES, and it really delivered overall. I have yet to read BIG FAN, but that didn't make me any less invested in Cassidy's story. Her and Leon were so great together (their chemistry practically jumped off the page!), but I also appreciated the exploration of other themes beyond the romance—the perils of perfectionism and how perfectionism manifests in different ways for different people, recovering from burnout, the fallout from a very public scandal, and most of all, figuring out what you want out of life, and how that might change over time. I enjoyed following Cassidy's journey, and felt like even in a relatively short time, I really got to know her, Leon, and their whole world! Having the story take place mainly over 3 weeks was also a good choice pacing-wise, and had me quickly turning pages to see what would happen next.

If there's one thing I wanted more of, I would have loved to see even more moments between Cassidy and Leon. I felt like the ending in particular could have been drawn out a little bit, and we could have gotten more of their time together. Otherwise, I would recommend SQUARE WAVES, especially for romance fans who love the rivals-to-lovers and/or second-chance romance tropes! I can't wait to see what 831 Stories has in store next. Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

This was a really nice and quick read to get lost in. I didn’t read the first companion book but didn’t feel lost at any point. The story pulled you in and I enjoyed the exploration into the ramifications of a public fallout. However, I felt like the pacing was too quick at some points; notably, the ending. An additional 50 or so pages might have wrapped it up a bit better.

JUSTICE FOR CASSIDY!!! I actually liked this sequel even more than BIG FAN (and I quite enjoyed BIG FAN). I have some very uninteresting questions about timelines, but what I loved is the classic chaos x spreadsheet pairing of Leon and Cassidy, a hot slacker Asian love interest, and a subplot about loving yourself as much as coming to terms with always being in love with your high school nemesis. 10/10 no notes.

My biggest complaint about Square Waves is that I wanted it to be longer. I wanted more moments with each characters, individually, and together. Even the side characters were amazing.

Going into this novella, I wasn’t expecting much depth... mainly was craving just a cute romance - but Alexandra Romanoff completely surprised me. In such a short span, she brought these two incredibly relatable characters to life with so much depth.

Leon and Cassidy are both stuck, but in different ways. Cassidy is recovering from the trauma of having a deeply personal part of her life exposed to the public and is suffering from a burnout - with her job, but also her feelings. Leon is a perfectionist and a “fixer”—sometimes to the point of being incapable of finishing a task. These two characters have been rivals since high school, and their undeniable attraction pulls them together in the steamiest way. That attraction turns into friendship, which then evolves into something even more intimate, vulnerable, and real.

One of the things I loved most about this book was how well it captured the struggles of adulthood. How hard it can be to admit when we feel stuck in our careers, our choices, or just in life. The author did an incredible job showing how those fears can manifest in different ways, whether through pettiness, jealousy, or even pushing people away. Cassidy was frustrating in this way, her reaction and comments sometimes feeling harsh or cruel. It was very real, too.

I would have happily spent even more time with these characters. Square Waves is short but was so wonderful. This is the perfect read for anyone who loves rivals-to-lovers with heart, heat, and needs a little quick read to get them out of a slump.

This was a really good character driven romance. I wanted a little more in depth backstory on Cassidy's affair with the married politician, but the writing really supported her hesitation towards a new relationship. All the mentions of her and Leon's highschool personas felt a little heavy handed because it was highschool lol none of us knew what the hell we were doing or who we were back then. Of course the romance and spice were hand in hand equally delightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alexandra Romanoff for the opportunity to read an ARC of Square Waves.

This heartfelt and beautifully written romance follows Cassidy as she navigates the aftermath of a public scandal involving a politician. Haunted by the bullying and harassment that followed, she’s determined to rebuild her life on her own terms. Enter Leon—her former high school rival, now someone far more complex than she remembers. Though their past is filled with animosity, they soon discover they have more in common than they ever expected.

Alexandra Romanoff crafts a deeply emotional and compelling love story about resilience, redemption, and the unexpected ways people can heal together. Cass and Leon’s journey is both tender and hard-earned, making their romance all the more satisfying. Their chemistry crackles, their banter is sharp, and their growth—both individually and as a couple—feels authentic and rewarding.

With engaging writing, relatable characters, and a story that balances emotional depth with a slow-burn connection, Square Waves is a must-read for fans of second-chance and enemies-to-lovers romances. Highly recommended!

** A copy of Square Waves was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

Square Waves is a fitting companion novella to Big Fan. In it, we follow Cassidy and Leon as they deal with personal baggage, past misunderstandings, miscommunication, tension and growth. This is a novel of second chances - for Cass and Leon together and individually too. Like Big Fan, this novella is more than just the romance, it tackles heavier topics such as perfectionism, cyberbullying, career goals, and responses to traumatic events.

Two solid novellas from Alexandra Romanoff, can't wait for her next!

Thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was the easiest five-star rating I’ve given this month!

The story follows Cassidy, who we first met in Big Fan as Maya’s ex-husband’s mistress (ugh, I hate that word). Anyway! This is Cassidy and Leon’s story—a high school enemies-to-lovers short story packed with tension, spice, and second chances.

Since Big Fan was my book club’s first pick, I was already intrigued by Cassidy’s character and curious about her backstory. I loved seeing her arc and development here! This was such a quick, enjoyable read, and while it touches on a serious topic like cyberbullying, it only skims the surface rather than delving deep.

More than just a romance, Square Waves is about second chances—not just in love, but in life, career, and most importantly, with yourself.

Highly recommend for fans of Big Fan and anyone who loves a little spice with their redemption arcs!

The "other woman" from the author's prior book heads home for a much needed/work ordered break and runs into her high school rival on night one. I loved the growth from the FMC and her relationship with the MMC. I was shocked how much we delved into their relationship in such a short novel. Would have loved to read even more of them!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this. It was a great follow up to ‘Big Fan’ and it was nice to see Cassidy’s growth and how she navigated her trauma. I loved the dynamic between Cassidy and Leon, and Willa. All of the characters felt well fleshed out and overall it was a very refreshing read.

If there’s an 831 story, I’m going to read it!

This novella follows Cassidy, who was introduced in Big Fan, while she returns to Berkeley from DC in an attempt to figure out her life. She’s reunited with her high school rival Leon the first night she’s back.

I loved this as I’ve loved the other 831 stories I’ve read. They pack so much substance into a short book while still giving you butterflies!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

This is a follow up story of Cassidy, the mistress who slept with Maya’s ex-husband in Big Fan, as she reconnects with her high school rival Leon. I normally don’t read stories that follow the OW, but I loved this. It was a quick read, but Cassidy, Leon, and their relationship had depth.

Trigger warning: cheating (in the past)

4.5 stars from me! Thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. Square Waves follows the story of Cassidy, who made headlines in a huge scandal as the young intern who was involved with a major political figure. She’s been running, emotionally, from this experience for many years and after a forced sabbatical from her job to mentally regroup, she goes back to her home in California, reconnecting with her old high school rival (and secret crush), old friends, and eventually herself.

I didn’t realize that this book was the second in this author’s Big Fan series and that Cassidy was introduced in her previous book but, that didn’t affect my reading experience at all. From the start of the book, the plot was very clear and it was easy to see/empathize with how much Cassidy was clearly struggling. This story felt very authentic and the plot events felt organic; I think the author choosing to focus this on a narrow window of time, only a few weeks, helped her really hone in on the events of focus here without anything feeling too easily resolved or coincidental to be unbelievable. I think the characters were likable and I was invested in this story. Plus, there were some real issues for the female main character to contend with; her personal insecurities and struggles with mental health were well depicted and added depth to this story, beyond the romance plot. From the time I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down; it felt like the right length and this was such a great world to be immersed in for a little while. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and would absolutely read anything else this author writes.

I’d absolutely recommend this to contemporary romance and fiction fans. This story was heartwarming, had depth, and was a joy to read. This is the second book I’ve read by this publisher and I look forward to reading more from them— one to watch!!!

4 ✨

Thank you NetGalley and 831 Stories for my ARC that I received in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this romance between Cassidy (her generation’s Monica Lewinsky) and Leon (her high school nemesis), and especially Cassidy’s personal journey throughout it all. The majority of the book takes place over three weeks, while Cassidy is home in the Bay, on sabbatical from her job in DC. She does some soul searching, reconnecting with friends, and lots of…🌶️ with a certain someone.

Every 831 story shocks me with its ability to pack such a punch in a short form. I’m eager to drink up what they serve next!

I have become a huge fan of the titles that 831 releases. This has to be one of my favorites. The writing is effortless, and the story was highly addictive. I appreciated how authentic Romanoff portrayed the FMC and how she wrote the MMC. Excellent work! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book - I was a big fan of Big Fan, and I liked how Square Waves stayed in the same universe while not relying on any of the story elements from Big Fan. I really like Alexandra Romanoff’s writing style and I’m excited to read more from her.

I really loved the character development and the love story in this book, it felt realistic and natural. I only wish that the ending could have been more fleshed out or wrapped up - I found it a little unsatisfying and rushed.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is a fast-paced, fun read. It's short and sweet, and if you grew up in the days of Wattpad fanfic supremacy, this is sure to scratch an itch you didn't realize was still there. The writing is solid, and I felt immersed in the story right away. Honestly, this isn't the kind of book I would usually go for (I prefer romance over 300 pages, and I was tragically misguided away from the critical boyband obsession phase), but the style alone was enough to push me to continue it!