This was a delicious little novella! I haven’t read Big Fan so I don’t have the backstory on Cassie, but I found her endearing in this story and loved the evolution of her and Leon’s relationship.

I loved Big Fan which was my favorite book so far that I’ve read from the unique publishing group so was very excited to pick up Square Waves and see things from Cassidy’s side and how she was affected by the same scandal Maya faced in Big Fan. Altho this lended itself to a bit of Monica Lewinsky comp in my head I still was really invested in how being the other woman in a huge political scandal affects you even years later. The romance was great and I loved seeing her transition during her break back home. Novellas are really hard to flesh out full storylines for me so love that this was almost a continuation so it worked well for me. 4⭐️

I absolutely love these novellas published by 831 Stories! They are short, sweet, and really make sure that the author focuses on the characters and their growth.

In this one we see Cassidy, whom was the mistress in Big Fan, and what has come of her life since then. She made a mistake when she was young, which truthfully she was a victim of an older man with power, and what she has done to come back after being a media story. She is told to take a break from work for a few weeks to see what she can do to help herself. So she leaves DC and heads back to the Bay Area, where she reconnects with her high school friend while she is opening her art business. She then gets to know Leon, who was her enemy in high school on a new level.

The true story was Cassidy reclaiming who she was as an individual after everything that has happened to her. She became a story and a name, and got lost behind all of that. That was the true heart of the story. I appreciated how Leon was a great foil to Cassidy and how they both took time to find what was healthy to them.

Thanks to 831 Stories for this gifted arc in exchange for my honest review. #team831

Cassidy is burnt out on her job in DC and still dealing with the fallout of a political scandal when she returns to her California hometown for a few weeks to reset. Kicking off her visit with a one night stand with her high school nemesis, she quickly realizes she won't be able to avoid him in the aftermath. Cassidy will have to make nice with Leon, as they're both helping her best friend get her new art gallery and studio ready for opening.

Not for miscommunication trope haters, the story sees Cassidy and Leon slowly thaw toward one another, as they each recount their own version of their high school experience and what they detest about each other. Along the way, they discover more about themselves and each other.

Like all of the 831 novellas, this was a delicate balance between deeper character development and themes in a shorter story. I enjoyed the handling of Cassidy's mental health struggles, and thought Leon was a great reformed bad boy book boyfriend.

I have read and loved every book in the 831 Stories series and was so excited to read an early copy of this one. I really enjoyed Big Fan and this was a fun follow-up from Cassidy's point-of-view. I do think it helps to read Big Fan first -- this can easily stand-alone but I think it is enhanced by knowing what Cassidy has been through. And there's a fun appearance by Maya.

I loved this book -- I really enjoyed Cassidy's character and loved watching her decide to make changes in her life. I thought Willa's shop was such a fun location and I found Leon so endearing and swoony. I would have had a crush on him! The art show they talk about doing in high school reminds me of my high school friends, and I loved having that reminder.

As with the other 831 Stories books, I think this one felt complete for a novella -- there is great character development, tension, and sense of place.

I've said it before but I absolutely love what 831 Stories is doing with their books and I cannot wait to read more in the future! I will also be reading anything that Alexandra Romanoff writes as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

✅ Cassidy, 28, burnt out professional who returns to her home town of Berkley, CA & Leon Park, Cassidy’s nemesis from Berkley High
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ one night stand turned ???
🌶️: some

Thank you NetGalley, 831 Stories, AE Titles / S&S Audio, and the author for the ALC of Square Waves!

4.5 ⭐️ 3🌶️

This was truly an incredible novella. I cannot believe how well the author was able to tell this story in so few pages. From the very beginning, I was so invested in both of the main characters. I often find myself needing more from novellas (which I understand is an odd take when I’m picking up a book that is shorter and by definition will have less time for character development, plot, etc.). However - I now realize that maybe, I just haven’t been reading the right ones. Because Alexandra Romanoff was able to give me a fully fleshed out, entertaining, and believable story in just over 200 pages. Not to mention the fact that it was spicy without being cringy and without any insta-love vibes. I definitely think it helped that the two MCs had history, which made their relationship trajectory so much more believable and genuine.

I will say that some of the conflict between the two MCs felt overdone at times - their reason for clashing didn’t really seem to warrant holding a grudge for over 10 years, IMO. And the conflict towards the end was frustrating for me, though I understand that this was primarily driven by unresolved trauma that the FMC hadn’t yet fully worked through.

Overall, I loved this and had such a great time reading it. I definitely plan on going back and reading Big Fan, given how much I liked this one!

I will read everything from this publishing house. Great romances in a tiny package. Enemies to lovers with depth.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Love, love, loved this!!!! Big fan was a delight to read and I was so excited that we were getting more from this universe and Square Waves did not disappoint!

Cassidy was always a victim in the whole situation in my opinion and I love that we get to see her side of things.

This is set 6 years after Big Fan so you see what happened to Cassidy after the affair and how she’s had to deal with her life getting blown up too.

She’s messy, she’s complicated and she’s endearing, as is her relationship with Leon. And spicy!!!

Pick this book up and enjoy some soothing candy for your brain.

I was excited to read this because I liked Big Fan and they introduced Cassidy in that book. She is an interesting Monica Lewinsky for the social media age character. I know this book is an “enemies to lovers” trope, but it doesn’t have any of the cliché competition. I appreciated that it was two people who misunderstood each other when they were young and didn’t have the words or emotional maturity to talk about it. Leon was a soulful character; I appreciated his sense of humor and depth. I was pulling for Cassidy to update her definitions of herself and others. The 831 published novels are like novellas. They always leave me wanting a bit more. I would appreciate a bit more character development at the end of the book. But all of these novels are like snapshots. It did seem ridiculous that these characters could afford Bay Area real estate though- that was the most unrealistic part of the book. Thanks to Net Galley and 831 Stories for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. 3.75 stars

Plzzz why are these novellas so good?? The storytelling and the writing are so well done you’d think you just read a 400 page book when it was only 200 pages (all in a good way). I fear I have no notes 👌🏼

Thank you NetGalley and 831 for the eARC.

5/5 - What a treat. Romanoff’s voice is so fresh and natural, like the characters are simply a part of the reader. I loved the unique plot of this story - the way she seamlessly weaves in personal discovery, romance, friendship and past pain. How do we honor our past selves while living in the present and hoping for a different future? I gobbled this up and while it was short, and I love a long story tbh, it wrapped up perfectly.

Thank you to @netgalley, Romanoff and 831 Stories for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review!

This is exactly the sequel I would have asked for after Big Fan, and I'm so glad Alexandra Romanoff decided to tell Cassidy's story.

Square Waves answers the question about what happens to The Other Woman after a sex scandal. Charming, witty, and a promise that life does go on after mistakes and failure when you put in the work. I loved the dynamic between Cassidy and Leon - I think the build up from their enemies/rivalry to friendship was really well executed, especially in a book this short. The ending was a bit rushed, so this was a 4.5 star read for me, but so emotional and weirdly cathartic that I loved it.

Recommended for fans of Monica Lewinsky, therapy, and romance that is more plot-forward.

I really enjoyed this latest romance from 831 stories. This was a fun and enjoyable story but also touched on some more important issues.
Square Waves tells the story of Cassidy (a side character in Romanoff’s earlier novella for 831, Big Fan), a young woman with a public shaming in her past (think Monica Lewinsky) who is back home in the Bay Area, while taking some time off to figure out her life. She bumps into, Leon, her old high school nemesis and sparks fly. Cassidy needs to wade through her earlier trauma and life uncertainty to see if they have a real future.
My one major criticism of this book is that it very much seems like a novella. A lot of character development seems like it was glossed over. The ending really came too quickly. This story would probably have made more sense in a full length novel. Despite that, I liked this book a lot and I definitely preferred it to Big Fan, though I may be an outlier on this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and 831 stories for an advanced copy of this book.

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.