I continue to like these novellas. They are just the right size for a weekend read. I hope these stories find the right audience and continue to be published.

A novella that had me hanging on every word! I am a new convert to 831 Stories and Romanoff’s work specifically but I will be back!!! Square Waves is so much more than a love story, but it all adds to the heart of Cassidy and Leon. It’s not quite a dual timeline, but the deep dives into their pasts only added to their present. I highly recommend!!

Oh, how I loved this.

This was my first book by Alexandra Romanoff, so I hadn’t read Maya’s story and went into this with a fresh perspective—and with incredible sympathy for Cassidy’s situation. We’ve all been young and made regrettable choices, but few have had their mistakes broadcast on a national stage. The shame, the scrutiny, the self-inflicted guilt—it was heartbreaking to witness through Cassidy’s eyes.

Despite its short length, this story packs a huge emotional punch. It’s filled with warmth, redemption, and a cast of loving, supportive characters that made me want to reach into the pages and hug them all. Romanoff writes with compassion and empathy, and it shows.

Thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories, and Alexandra Romanoff for the privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit frustrating! Yes, we’ve met Cassidy in Big Fan, but to just be thrown back into her life with very little context made the beginning very jarring to read. Her connection with Leon was instant lust, which isn’t something I’m a big fan of.

Real humans, great tension, and a messy little HEA 💘 Cassidy comes back to her hometown for a sabbatical after spending 6 years trying to will her way through the aftermath of a public political scandal. A steamy little run-in with her high school rival kicks off a 2 week fling. I loved this author’s Big Fan and this follow up was equally surprising at how much punch it packs in only 200 pages. A quick, little read!

Thanks NetGalley for the arc 🫶🏻

Turns out, you absolutely can go home again.

Square Wave was one of those short books that somehow feels long in all the best ways. Alexandra Romanoff crafted characters so real and complete, it was a joy just to exist in their world. The plot? It hit the mark chapter after chapter, and despite being under 200 pages, it never felt rushed.

Cassidy and Leon were genuinely a joy to spend time with. Their journey from high school enemies to late-twenties lovers was captivating. What I loved most was how authentically flawed they both were. Sure, a political sex scandal isn’t exactly standard romance novel fare, but Romanoff made it resonate without ever veering into exploitative territory. Cassidy’s candidness about her emotional struggles—both with her past and the general chaos of being in your twenties—was so honest and relatable. And while Leon might lean into some classic MMC tropes, it absolutely worked for me. I couldn't help but love him.

Big thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the advance copy!

I was SO intrigued by the hook of a Monica Lewinsky-modeled female main character, but this book fell flat for me for a few reasons. Ultimately, I didn't feel I had enough emotional investment in Cassidy and Leon as a couple -- or conviction that they were actually a good match. The ending also felt extremely rushed to me, whirring through many months to get to a lightning fast resolution.

This short story was original the Monica Lewinsky reference brought me back in time. I liked the perspective of Cassidy who in part is a victim and we often forget female victims are often shamed in real life. This story doesn’t just concentrate in the event itself but in the self healing aspect. Leon was an interesting character who was often misunderstood. I want to thank @NetGalley and @831Stories for having allowed me to read this story in advance.

Square Waves is a beautifully disorienting dive into memory, grief, and identity. Romanoff’s writing pulses with emotion and lyrical strength. Some parts feel intentionally elusive, but that only adds to its dreamlike pull. A haunting, intimate read that echoes long after it ends.

I was excited to read “Square Waves” after really loving the first 831 Stories book by Alexandra Romanoff, “Big Fan”. “Square Waves” follows the story of Cassidy, the woman who had an affair with the woman, Maya, who is at the center of “Big Fan”. Cassidy is a self-described Gen Z Monica Lewinsky dealing with burnout after years of living in the spotlight. She returns to her hometown of Berkeley, CA to rest and recharge. But on her first night home she runs into her high school nemesis Leon … and they fall straight into bed together.

And when I say they fall *straight into bed* I mean it. They are having some incredibly graphic (and, from a plot standpoint, not yet earned) sex at only 10-15% of the way through the book. After that things slow down for a little while but it was such a jarring way to start the book that it was hard to really settle into it and feel like the author was trying to do something with the plot as opposed to just writing … ummm … smut. That said, I thought the exploration of the sentiment “people like boys who fail way better than girls who succeed” was good, albeit a little half baked and hard to fully explore in such a short book.

While this story didn’t really do it for me, it may be a better fit for readers with a short attention span or without much time to read who are looking for a quick fix of spicy fun. And I will continue to cross my fingers that 831 Stories can get back to the level that they achieved with their first publication, “Big Fan”!

• unable to shake the messy headline-making affair from six years ago, cassidy takes a forced sabbatical from her non-profit job & returns home to berkeley for some r&r. after running into her high school rival, leon, at a bar and having a one-night stand, cassidy thinks it was just a good way to blow off steam. but when she goes to help their mutual friend set up her new ceramics studio, she & leon find themselves working closely together, and she sees he’s more than the slacker she once knew. can they both put aside their preconceptions of each other?
 
• this was the PERFECT follow-up to “big fan,” and i loved exploring cassidy’s story years after the affair blew everything up. i especially thought cassidy’s floundering trying to decide a new career path to be well done.
 
• cassidy & leon’s enemies-to-lovers storyline was *swoon* so good. it just felt messy & raw & authentic, considering they were both dealing with their own insecurities throughout the story.

I was a huge fan of Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff so there was no way I'd miss Square Waves. Thanks so much to 831 Stories for the E-Arc. It was another delicious little treat of a story. The premise of the follow-up on a political scandal had my attention right away. Cassidy was an interesting character struggling to find her way in the world, like so many do in their 20s.

Her dynamic with Leon was entertaining, though secondary to her friendship with Willa. I found the unfolding of that relationship to be relatable and I found myself always wanting more. How do we manage close friendships over time as people change, grow and live across the country? Life unfolds, but there are also a lot of choices that are made and I appreciated how Romanoff added this in.

In the end, I wish Romanoff would have delved more deeply into Cassidy's emotionality around the scandal. It felt very surface level in that aspect but I enjoyed it none the less. These novellas by 831 Stories are so quickly digestible and match my ever shortening attention span perfectly.

4.5⭐️
I really enjoyed this! The enemies to lovers tension was so good and Cassidy‘s journey trying to rediscover herself was really relatable. I appreciated seeing her deal with not only her romantic relationships, but also her relationships with her family and friends too. Initially this wasn’t what I was expecting after reading the first book though. I didn’t realize it was taking place 6 years after the big scandal in the first book so I had been hoping for more insight on Cassidy‘s perspective of what went down with that drama. However the whole book was her trying to distance herself from that as much as possible, and never discussing it haha so this could definitely be read as a standalone.
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From high school enemies to grown up friends/lovers this book delivers! You can’t help but root for the two main characters - adored this story!

This is Cassidy’s story, who we first met as the 22 year-old intern who cheated with the MC’s Senator husband from Alexandra Romanoff’s first 831 novel, Big Fan.

I am, admittedly, a large Big Fan stan. I think telling Cassidy’s story was a natural next step. And actually made me consider a lot of parasocial relationships we have with people in media. Is it okay to say hello to celebrities in the wild? Especially, ones who have gained notoriety from scandals. I appreciated exploring her being burnt out, her PTSD, when she says to her mom, “don’t you get tired of having to support me?” “No. I wish you would let me support you more. For a while, I thought maybe you were talking to your friends about this sort of thing and that that was enough. Then I hoped your therapist was breaking through. But over the last few years, I’ve started to wonder if you’ve just decided this is yours and yours alone to face.” Don’t we all wish someone would carry our burdens? Great writing.

I think overall, this felt like a novella more than Big Fan and that is my only critique. Big Fan felt full, this felt abridged - which of course, it is. Long live 831 and Alexandra Romanoff.

I liked the "Justice for Cassidy" working title more than "Square Waves" but the book itself didn't once let me down. Big Fan is my favorite of the 831 offerings, and Romanoff and I are clearly vibing because this hit all my marks. More than delivers on the central relationship dynamic with a healthy dose of quarter life crisis thrown in (complete with a "should I go to grad school?" spiral). For those of us who love FRANCES HA, a good political biography, and living in California.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as the other 831 books I’ve read to date. I liked the story of the female
MC finding herself and needing to reinvent her life but it fell flat for me in a few spots. While I found myself wanting to read more, it was mostly for the moments of deep connection between the love interest and less for the surrounding story and plot lines.

I was absolutely obsessed with Square Waves. Compulsively readable, and surprisingly one of the sexier books I've read in a minute. I just can't wait to read the rest of the stories from 831.

So different than any other romance! Tension, growth, emotions, everything you want to read about. This was also part of a series and a quick read. I love when you can dive deep into the characters head and thus have exactly that.

Alexandra Romanoff's second novella in the Big Fan series for 831 Stories features other Cassidy from Big Fan. Cassidy has paid her dues in DC working for antibullying intitiatives after the implosion of her time on Capitol Hill. Now, at 28, Cassidy is suffering from extreme burnout and heads to her childhood home of Berkeley for three weeks.

She runs into her high school nemesis, Leon, whose California cool laid back attitude always was in stark contrast to her Type A personality. They have a lust filled one night stand on her eve home and then--she finds out he's pretty solid and is helping her bestie start her dream biz.

Leon is intentional, loyal, and in complete contrast to everything she thought. I adored this sweet nugget of romance. 200 pages. Tight. Fantastic character development. Fan-freaking-tastic.