⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 (Romance)
Releases: June 24, 2025

Synopsis: Cassidy Weaver is done being in the headlines for mistakes she made 6 years ago. Since then, she’s been working with an antibullying campaign but has been feeling burnt out. When she’s sent home to Berkeley for a “sabbatical,” she runs into her old rival, Leon Park. They have a one night stand but then continue to run into each other. Will Cassidy and Leon continue to let old rivalries get in their way, or will they decide to embrace their differences and give each other a chance.

My Thoughts: I really loved this! I really loved the catch up with Cassidy who is Maya from Big Fan’s ex husband’s mistress. I loved the romance but I also loved the commentary on what it must be like for the young woman in that scenario to have to live her life after it’s been blown up in the tabloids. I really loved the enemies to lovers aspect of this, because you could see why they actually hated each other. They had a deeper backstory. And when they became lovers! Yes please! I loved this. And will continue to read whatever 831 Stories releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for providing an early copy of this book.

If you love enemies to lovers romances or Big Fan, you’ll love this.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 stories for the opportunity to read this arc. It is always such a pleasure to read another installment from 831, and I feel like they just keep getting better and better! Slight spoilers ahead!



I loved Big Fan, but when I heard this story was Cassidy’s redemption arc I was all in. What I’ve loved most from Alexandra’s take on this little world is that Cassidy was never completely villainized, and that instead we were able to see more of how she came out on top from her scandal.

Watching Cassidy and Leon learn to communicate was painful at times, feeling like two people couldn’t be more evasive if they tried, but this only added to the satisfaction of seeing them finally get it right.

My favorite part was truly watching Cassidy learn how to love and show up for herself, a reminder I think a lot of us need from time to time.

Overall I give this book a 4.5 stars and cannot wait to see what’s next from 831!

A delightful follow up to Big Fan.
Case & Leon are maybe my perfect “enemies” to lovers and once again Alexandra Romanoff delivers a wonderful cast of characters overall.
Love the 831 Stories universe.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an eARC of this book for review!

This is probably my favorite from 831 stories to date! It gives off major Sweet Home Alabama vibes, which is the perfect setting for this second chance, enemies-to-lovers rom-com.

Escaping a major political scandal in which she had an affair with a married congressman, Cassidy retreats back to her hometown to re-evaluate her life and figure out what her next steps are. While she's home, she comes face to face with Leon, the one guy she always had a crush on in school. Leon and Cassidy's chemistry is evident right off the bat, with the sexual tension quickly turning into a night neither of them will forget - no matter how hard they try to pretend it didn't happen. Pretending becomes even harder when Cassidy is forced to work side by side with Leon at her best friend's art gallery to prepare it for opening. As is to be expected, the two of them cannot escape what they have and we see their relationship grow from a typical state of teenage miscommunication to an adult relationship that is meaningful and supportive.

My biggest critique with this one, as with most 831 stories, is that I wish it was longer! I love the quick and easy read, but for as great as this one was, I can only imagine how amazing it would have been had it been even just 50-75 pages longer.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the advanced copy!

I don't know how to explain how wonderful this book was to me, but I'll try. Alexandra Romanoff somehow addressed the complex and utterly human issue of how people change and how they need to recognize change in those around them in less than 210 pages and she did it unbelievably well. Her sophomore novel follows Cassidy, the other woman in a political sex scandal, returning home for a forced sabbatical years after it happened. Confronted with the Before Cassidy as the After Cassidy, as well as a cast of characters who are familiar with both versions, she works to re-discover who she is and what she wants out of life.

The romance between Leon and Cassidy was so beautiful and the way they learned to love themselves through the mirror of each other was accomplished so well through both banter and intimacy, I can't even compare it to anyone else - it is a complete MASTERCLASS in less is more.

I love the time that has passed between the political scandal and Cassidy returning home; so often we see the "other woman" label get addressed within a year and there isn't the appropriate grief-isn't-linear processing or the "I thought I was over it but am I actually" conversations happening. Putting the time between the events and having Cass reconcile with who she is and was felt incredibly raw and honest.

I'd be remiss not to mention that a really powerful message in the book for me was that of worth-by-career and the ever-changing areas of friendship. Millenials are confronted daily with the messaging that your career is what makes you worth something, but that it should also be a passion. For those who don't have a passion, who excel at excelling but at nothing in particular, that can be an excruciating part of adulthood. Romanoff explores that and shows that it is possible to have fulfillments outside of something you've spent years doing, and that it's ok not to know the answers to everything. She also explores the idea that we have people in our lives - family, friends - who know one part of us so intimately, and yet there is so much of our self that they don't comprehend. In the same manner that parents sometimes can't reconcile a carefree highschool child with the adult child who is more cautious, the friendship between Cassidy and Willa shows that the two selves can reconcile with grace and love.

Thoroughly enjoyed this and I look forward to the next one. Thank you to 831 and NetGalley for the ARC. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and 831 for providing me with an ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I primarily listened to this. I preferred it over physically reading it. I think the narrator did a good job of capturing the story and getting me invested in it. It felt easier to listen to.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed the story. I do wish it were a bit longer, though, as I feel like Leon and Cassidy could have had more time together. I will say, they did have good chemistry, I just wish they had fewer fights/arguments. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed.

I think overall this was pretty well written and interesting. This is the first book I read with a scandal involved. I do wish we got to experience in real time what happened to Cassidy or at least dive in more to what happened. (I didn't read book 1 so I'm not sure if it was in that or not, these are standalones to my knowledge).

I will share my Instagram link when I post tomorrow.

Square Waves was such a beautifully layered and haunting read—it stayed with me long after I turned the last page. Alexandra Romanoff has this quiet, lyrical way of writing that made every sentence feel deliberate and emotionally charged. It’s one of those books that doesn’t just tell a story—it pulls you into it, gently but completely.

The story itself unfolds like waves—calm on the surface but filled with undercurrents of grief, memory, and longing. I loved how Romanoff let things simmer slowly, how she allowed silence and space to carry just as much meaning as dialogue. It’s a novel that demands you to pay attention—not because it’s confusing, but because it’s so emotionally rich that you want to soak in every word.

I found myself especially drawn to how it explored the weight of unspoken truths, the pull of the past, and the ache of things unsaid. The atmosphere was stunning—moody, coastal, just slightly eerie in the way memory often is—and it made the perfect backdrop for a story about identity and emotional reckoning.

If you’re someone who loves introspective fiction with poetic writing and a slow build that leads to something quietly powerful, Square Waves is the kind of book that will resonate deeply. It’s subtle but unforgettable—and I’m so glad I picked it up.

I’m a sucker for an 831 Stories novella. I really enjoyed Big Fan, so I was excited to receive an ARC of Square Waves by Alexandra Romanoff. This is a fun, summery high school enemies-to-lovers story that also touches on figuring out who you are in your twenties and how friendships along the way. I’m always surprised by how much these authors can pack into such a small package. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the ARC!

Huge thanks to 831 Stories for the ARC of Square Waves by Alexandra Romanoff—a perfectly bingeable, 200-page, enemies-to-lovers delight with heart, heat, and great character depth.

This follow-up in the Big Fan series features Cassidy, yes, *that* Cassidy, the so-called “other woman,” six years after the scandal that made her tabloid fodder. Now focused on anti-bullying work and reclaiming her narrative, Cassidy returns to Berkeley hoping to reset her life. Instead, she has a one-night stand with her high school nemesis Leon, a charming slacker who is nothing like the overachieving political world she left behind.

But what begins as a fling turns into something more when they’re both recruited to help a mutual friend open a new ceramics studio. The result? All the opposites-attract vibes you could want, layered with smart reflections on judgment, growth, and second chances. The character development here is excellent, Cassidy in particular is wonderfully nuanced, and the romance is open-door spice done in all the right ways.

If you're looking for a quick but satisfying romance (200 pages!) with a fresh, modern voice and great emotional payoff, Square Waves is a ride worth taking. Add this to your TBR now!

With Square Waves, Alexandra Romanoff delivers a sweet, steamy romance, and ultimately, a story that understands what people mean when they say 25 (or 28) is the new 21. Cassidy’s struggles to process her trauma and figure out her next steps were incredibly relatable and presented with such compassion from the author (and, surprisingly, from the characters around her, too). While older readers may roll their eyes at her attempts to “find herself” this story felt realistic in a way I really appreciated.

It wasn’t a life changing read, and, as with many of the 831 Stories books, I missed some of the lived-in, detailed world and cast of characters that are difficult to achieve in a very short novel. But I enjoyed my time here, and will gladly read any future Romanoff fiction projects!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC!

This was such a fun & exciting read! I loved Leon and Cass, their chemistry was off the scale and the situation they find themselves in felt really original and unique.

Our love interests start as enemies and I was such a big fan of the friction between the two of them. When they bump into each other at the bar and Leon asks Cass what she's doing here and she replies 'having a drink' he snaps back by saying 'oh so we're being literal tonight' to which she replies 'what else would we be?' It's the little digs here and there at the beginning that made this book so rewarding to get through.

I really liked all the character development that accompanied the exceptional plot and pacing. Cass is such a fascinating character, she has such an interesting back story with her involvement in a political scandal that branded her as 'Gen Z's Monica Lewinsky' and I thought it was such a refreshing and creative back story to give a FMC. The trust issues, shame and fame that she endures in the background of the romance added real depth to her character and the plot. Leon was also fun to read, he's so sweet and caring. I am tired of reading bad boy MMC, so it was lovely to get to know a nice guy who actually invested his time and energy into helping others. I did enjoy the contrast of personalities a lot. Leon comes across as really creative and very good with his hands *wink wink* whereas Cass is driven and thoughtful. Both great characters, just the spotlight was shone on different aspects of them.

The spice in this book did not go unnoticed. It's hard to ignore the absolute sizzle of electricity that runs through the dynamic between Cass and Leon. It was great to read a mutually excited pair as sometimes I feel like one character leads the spice more than the other but this was a nice balance.

I also want to dedicated a paragraph to Willa and Cass' friendship. It's sweet. It's endearing. It's the perfect combo of banter and true dedication. I feel like we learn so much about Cass through her friendship with Willa and their interactions so that was another nice subtle way to increase interest in the characters.

Some of the wording was a bit odd ('truly black mood' - huh?) Also, I'll be honest some of the plot did kind of wash over me. I did feel at points a little bored and as though I was just reading through to get to the faster parts of the plot. For instance, when Leon and Cass are hanging out because they are waiting for the traffic to reduce, it felt so unrealistic and dare I say silly. Because they hang out for so long, with the excuse of it being faster than driving home to just wait until the traffic subsides, that are some point I think it actually would've been faster to just go home - surely? Also the conflict they have in the third act of the book, felt so unnecessary. It felt like Leon did something annoying and it got blown so wildly out of proportion. And the conflict gets resolved so fast - in fact the whole ending felt like it was moving at 2x speed, it was super rushed.

Overall, a great read with some true moments of depth and emotion. My favourite moment was when we see Cass realise 'it's not just men I don't trust when it comes to love. It's also me' - this winded me!

Yeah ... I thought I would like this. The beginning caught my attention but eventually I could not get over how irritating our main character was. I thought Leon was a cool character; he is the main reason I did not dnf.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc!

This is short, sweet, and surprisingly deep for a 160-page novella. Cassidy's life was turned upside down six years ago when she was an intern on a presidential campaign and had what the media referred to as a sex scandal with her married boss. She endured endless scrutiny, double standards, and slut-shaming, and eventually joined an anti-bullying nonprofit as a spokesperson. But now, she's incredibly burned out and has no idea what she wants to do next, so she moves home for a few weeks. She ends up helping her high school best friend open her pottery stores, and of course she runs into her high school frenemy and sparks fly.

This is technically a sequel to Big Fan, but it's definitely not crucial to read it before (although it's a great quick read). Cassidy is immediately likable- she's prickly and guarded, but being inside her head gives us context on how broken and jumpy she feels. There were times where I thought she was being way too hard on the people around her, to the point where it was a little annoying, but that also felt realistic considering how hard she was on herself and how much people had betrayed her in the past. And people called her on her shit and she listened, which I always appreciate in a character.

The sexual tension and spice is extremely well-done: the 831 stories imprint is so good at that. This is another fun and well-written read from them!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for the opportunity to review early! This was another delightful read - Alexandra Romanoff became an auto-buy after Big Fan, and I'm so glad 831 has brought her into all of our lives! Pacing is sublime, there are so many lines I'll think about forever - just absolutely wonderfully executed.

Grateful to have received an ARC of this one as an 831 Ambassador. Despite being a novella, this one really dove into some hard feelings of anxiety, self-worth, and generally feeling lost. It’s in the same universe as 831’s first release by the same author, Big Fan, and while that one will probably always be my favorite, this one was a close second! Romance readers who like Jimenez, Monaghan, and Guillory will especially like this one!

Cassidy is burnt out. Cassidy is sleeping in her childhood bedroom while she’s on a forced sabbatical from her job. Cassidy definitely shouldn’t admit to her high school frenemy that she enjoyed their night together. But it turns out Cassidy is stuck working next to Leon Park, said frenemy who she does NOT feel attraction to, for the next few weeks as they both help a mutual friend open her own pottery shop.

Who is Cassidy? Cassidy is having a quarter life crisis. She’s at a moment in her life where push and pull of her circumstances have left her in an unstable situation. “Square Waves” is a surfing term that describes the place where two waves crash into each other and create a dangerous intersection of currents. It describes the crashing tension filled relationship Cassidy and Leon as well as Cassidy’s internal conduct about her professional life.

Yet, as full of tension as these characters are, the story oozes low key California vibes. As a life long east coast resident I am both attracted and repulsed by this. And specifically the low key California man. I like him more theoretically or aspirationally— like buying a fun hat on vacation. Yet I was charmed by Leon. He is the consummate laid back California guy, he knows how to surf and rock climb and paint his own landscape portraits. He lets Cassidy embody her own emotions without trying to fix her or punch someone. He’s the chillest of chill.

Cassidy on the other hand has absorbed all the toxic east coast work culture she could in the last 10 years of working in DC. Her backstory is very clearly a Monica Lewinsky reference but make it Gen Z. Figuring out how to move on from her highly publicized romantic indiscretion is backstory to her current status as a burned out 28 year old unsure of her future. This is dynamic and propels the story forward. Their love story is fraught with conflict and 10 years of yearning and is so so fun to read. This book reminded me of One Star Romance by Laura Hankin because female friendship also plays a large role in this story, and Funny Story by Emily Henry because of the way both characters are actively figuring out what they want to do next with their lives.

I’m left wondering if I wanted it to be a little longer, because some elements of the story felt rushed— her parents seemed so wonderful and until her visit yet she had been ignoring her mom for years— why? There’s all these references to baseball and how she’s Nationals fan now, yet they don’t go to a game and it’s just background info on how cool she is? I love a novella as a way to just get a quick shot of plot driven romance, but the downside is that the characters can’t have too much personality or too many interests because there just isn’t enough time to explore them.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the advanced reading copy!

Square Waves is the next novella in Alexandra Romanoff's Big Fan series—an enemies-to-lovers romance mixing tabloid scandal with hometown second chances. Cassidy returns to Berkeley after five years in D.C., hoping to address her burnout and at least temporarily escape the notoriety of having been a headline-making other woman. A one-night stand with her high school nemesis Leon, the easy-going one to her try-hard self, turns complicated when they both help their friend Willa open a ceramics studio. As Cassidy sees Leon in a new light, she wonders if there is mutual attraction simmering under their long-held contempt.

This has been my favorite 831 Stories outing to date. Unlike with Romanoff's first work for the publisher, I didn't *feel* the novella's length. The characters were well-drawn, despite the limited page count. Both Cassidy and Leon's redemption arcs, to use the novella's term, felt earned. Perhaps most importantly, for a romance novel, their pull toward one another felt genuine and entertaining. In both her books, Romanoff provides a wonderful sense of place--the Bay Area setting was also depicted with detail and care.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Square Waves follows Big Fan in the Alexandra Romanoff universe, picking up with previously "minor" character, Cassidy, five years after her involvement in an affair that scandalized the DC political world. We find her back in her home town of Berkeley, CA while on a kind of forced sabbatical, searching for answers of what's next for "After Cassidy." Square Waves feels relatable, in that we all completely mess up in our early lives to varying degrees, and sometimes spend years or decades after reckoning with decisions we made in youth, while trying to find a path to not let a mistake define the rest of our lives. This novella explores the hard truth that it is often harder to show yourself the same grace and forgiveness that you would extend to friends or strangers without question. I love how both Cassidy and Leon are flawed adults who have put in the time and effort to work on themselves to be able to enter into an emotionally open relationship. You're able to see their growth through their own self-reflection and the way they handle their romantic conflict throughout the story.

These books leave me wanting more, in the best way. These novellas are like if @humansofny offered longer narrative glimpses into little moments along the way in a couple's origin story. I'd recommend to anyone who loves romance novels, but especially if you're looking for realistic, non-toxic, relationships where the characters could truly be someone you know in your own life.

Big Fan was one of my favorites of 2024 and easily one of the best novellas I’ve ever read. I was so excited to dig into this follow up by Romanoff— and it did not disappoint. This story follows Cassidy who was involved in a big scandal in DC as a young intern to a major politician. From there she has spent years working as on anti-bullying initiatives, but feeling burnt out she takes a break and returns to her hometown of Berkeley, CA where is runs into her high school arch nemesis, Leon. She reconnects with and finds herself helping their mutual friend open a new art studio.

For a novella, Romanoff’s ability to take on so many topics into a satisfying romance that felt realistic, vulnerable and highly relatable, is truly a gift. All the characters in this book are doing some soul-searching in terms of figuring out what they want to do with their lives. I also loved how Romanoff was able to depict the complicated feelings of returning home, and reconciling your past and current self, as well as maintaining friendships from different phases of life. I truly enjoyed being immersed into this world, and couldn’t put this one down.

4 - I will say this didn’t feel like a true enemies to lovers, but it was a fun, sweet, thought provoking little novella!