As Cassidy tries to escape the reputation that has followed her around her life in DC, she goes back to to her hometown to recalibrate and figure out if she is content in the life she has made for herself. As she reunites with old friends, and frenemies, she begins to reassess her priorities and what she wants for her future. And of course if her old high school frenemy that she hooked up with on her first night home is maybe more than just a one night fling.

Since her mention in Big Fan also by Alexandra Romanoff, I was intrigued by Cassidy's character. I was hopeful for her story, and it delivered with its classic small town romance charm. Adding nuance and depth to the romance, Cassidy's role as the scorned "other woman" in anti-bullying campaigns led to interesting conversations about our judgmental society and the double standard of men and women in politics.

Thank you NetGally & 831 stories for the ARC copy!
What a short sweet romance for summer. I loved the setting and the history the two characters had. For the book being shorter, I really believed in there connection $ thought the struggles they had from their past were well explained and made sense for why they disliked each other at the start of the book. I didn't love the 3rd act break up but overall it was a great read and I loved the ending!

This may be my favorite 831 story after big fan. It was such a fun read. Did anyone who grew up in the 90s not picture Cassidy as Monica Lewinsky. I appreciated that this was years after the “scandal” and gave the perspective of how it felt to have to retell her story for the public over and over again. And as always I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers.

Alexandra Romanoff did it again! Such a fun spicy love story that was everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved the new perspective from Cassidy’s POV after ‘Big Fan’, and I have said this before and I’ll say it again- these 831 Universe easter eggs are just truly the best! What kept it from a 5 star was just that I hoped it would have had maybe another 50 pages to develop the ending a tiny bit more.

HUGE thanks to NetGalley, 831 stories (once again knocked it out of the park, love every single book they put out), and to Alexandra for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Cassidy returns home to Berkeley many years after weathering a political scandal in DC. She is forced to do some soul-searching, reevaluating her career, her life in DC, and her happiness. On her first night back in town, she runs into her old high school rival, Leon, and they quickly start to wonder if anything has changed in the 10 years since they last saw each other. Was there ever a reason to hate each other, or were they just teenagers who didn’t know how to communicate? Cassidy works on bettering herself after facing the scandal that made her a household name and grapples with its aftermath.

Yes, this was a short book, but I really needed 45-60 more pages to fully seal the deal—it just felt very rushed. This will not be my last book from 831. I'm excited to check out some of their other titles.

Thank you, Jesus, for the accuracy in Bay Area geography and cultural references.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

I've enjoyed all the 831 Stories I've read and really enjoyed Cassidy and Leon's story too. The balance of both of them growing through their struggles with identity, perfection, comparison, and identity resonated with me and their love for each other was so tender. Cassidy was hard to like for the majority of the story to me, but I came to care about her finding her way and finding more peace in her own skin/with her own path forward. I'll continue to read 831 Stories as quickly as they come out. Short, fun, and pack a punch? What's to say no to?!

eARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review!

Another banger from 831 stories! This has been my favorite since Big Fan. I really enjoyed the characters and their rivals to lovers storyline that started in high school I love the redemption arc for both. 10/10 would recommend!

Let me start by saying thank you to Netgalley and 831 Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first book I read by Alexandra Romanoff was Big Fan, which I LOVED. If you read Big Fan and enjoyed it, I think that you will also really enjoy Square Waves. Square Waves follows Cassidy- the "other woman" from the story Big Fan. Cassidy returns to her hometown to ground herself and stop moving through life as a walking headline story. Cassidy quickly finds herself in an enemies-to-lovers trope with her high school rival, Leon. While she swears that it will only be a one time thing, she quickly finds herself in a scenario where she will have to face him each day.

I personally enjoyed Square Waves as much as I enjoyed Big Fan. It was really interesting to see things from Cassidy's perspective, and I loved that the books were connected. This was a quick, easy read and kept me interested throughout. If you enjoy a fast paced enemies-to-lovers trope, this book is for you! I can't wait to pick up more books from 831 Publishing in the future.

Ugh, 831 always knocks it out of the park for me. I find their takes on romance so unique and different from the typical templated romcoms and this one was no different. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley & 831 Stories for the arc!

Square Waves is proof that short stories can still have a great impact.

I don’t think that this book should’ve been any longer. It wasn’t an extravagant plot that needed the characters to jump through constant hurdles, but a gentle love story about an over achiever and a perfectionist facing their own truths. The length and simplicity of the story encouraged the introspection of my own truths, which not only better connected me to Cassidy and Leon, but also left me with a sense of completion without the cookie cutter grand confession in the romance genre.

Short review for a short story that I thoroughly enjoyed :)

4.5 stars

Justice for Cassidy!! And Alexandra Romanoff understood the assignment! I was immediately hooked by this. Enthralled by the first scene of them at the bar and the one night stand. The story was intriguing and progressed at a natural pace. I loved the characters, especially Cass. I liked that this one from 831 wasn’t based on celebrities, Cassidy has notoriety but it doesn’t control her entire life. I will review on my page closer to the release date!

Alexandra Romanoff was the standard bearer for 831 Stories with their first joint offering, BIG FAN, which quickly became a cult favorite. No doubt the iconic 831 Stories vibrant checkerboard will have bookshelf trophy collectors salivating but inside is where the magic lies.
Washington D.C. is once again a component of this love story but from a distance. This hometown, second chance enemies to lovers romance will be consumed in a single sitting, satiating romance lovers everywhere.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Another solid read from 831 Stories. I like that most of their stories can feel really full even with a short page length. I would not have expected for Romanoff to have this as a spinoff from Big Fan but I enjoyed it. I could see this going even further, especially with the work that Cassidy did/does post-scandal. I loved that we spent just as much time with Cassidy and Willa's friendship as we did with Cassidy and Leon.

Thank you to 831 Stories for sharing this digital ARC! Having read Big Fan and been a fan myself, I was curious to see this follow-up story. I admit that I wasn’t sold on the idea of Cassidy’s story but went in open-minded.

I didn’t love Cassidy but I did come to admire her. I liked her boldness during her first encounter with Leon. We like a confident woman so of course I must support her. I do wish we go to dive more into her choices - I understood her trauma for the scandal dictating her actions, however, it was hard to follow. Like some other reviews, I wish this was longer. I wanted to explore Cassidy’s time in California and also her thought process as it related to her life changes. More importantly, I wanted more Leon!!

“People like boys who fail way better than girls who succeed”

This was incredible! I really enjoyed Big Fan, but felt this was a much more impactful sequel. As an exploration into the “after” for political mistresses, how these things follow them around even years later, especially when it doesn’t seem to haunt politicians the same way, I felt it was brilliant, a great way to bring awareness to how the media treats women in this scenario vs men, as well as the impacts of cyberbullying. I thought the characters were really flushed out, charming, and mature, things I really enjoy and know to be rather difficult to covey in a shorter story. Seriously amazing!

I am a huge fan of all 831 Stories and devour each one that I get my hands on, but this novella may be my favorite so far! I need a sequel!

After reading Big Fan, I wasn't sure how I felt about Cassidy getting her own book. I wasn't empathetic to the young and naive storyline of the affair, and really disliked her. However, this really was justice for Cassidy, not just because I found her likable, but also all the growth her character her did a few years removed from her scandal. I liked how the relationship with Cassidy and Leon picked up with the banter it had left off in high school, but after a few drinks, you just knew that they didn't really hate each other. And once they started opening up about their insecurities, it totally made sense for them to be together. I get why she stayed in DC and tried to put on a brave face, but I loved that she felt at peace coming home to California, and I loved how they tied her parents into that storyline. Even though we didn't get much about them, the little snippet to show that they were there for her, even when she didn't feel like she could talk to them were so sweet.

I really enjoyed Square Waves- the characters, art world, and enemies-to-lovers trope. This was the best book to read between two intense books. I love that 831 stories is publishing the perfect snack-sized romances. They are great to read on the kindle or on audio! Looking forward to the next one!

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

I really enjoyed the tension between Cassidy and Leon in this one and the focus on her journey of healing from the trauma of a high profile sex scandal. Feeling lost in your late 20’s is so relatable and so was the portrayal of perfectionism.

This was my first story from 831 Stories and Alexandra Romanoff, and I absolutely loved it! The story is about Cassidy Weaver, who was tangled up in a political sex scandal with a senator when she was an intern at twenty-two. After making headlines and working with an organization as an ambassador to share her experience with cyberbullying for six years, she finds herself back in her hometown after her boss gives her a rather forced sabbatical. Her much-needed time for rest turns into helping her best friend open her ceramic storefront, reconnecting with her high school rival, and figuring out where life will take her after.

While it was a romance, it was truly centered around Cassidy as she figures out what she really wants to do, and who she wants to be after what’s happened in her life. Despite being a novella, I felt that Cassidy was beautifully fleshed out. Right away, you know what was going on in Cassidy’s life and each chapter peeled back layer after layer. Romanoff’s writing makes Cassidy feel raw and real, with struggles that any person can face. As a reader, you get to see her unfold, from her unease in being back home to her feelings of being lost in her late twenties to eventually finding something that she wants to try in her professional and personal/romantic life.

My favorite part was the ending, how it wasn’t necessarily a happily-ever-after but an honest step forward in Cassidy’s journey to figuring out what her life could look like. It was an ending that fell into my hands at a time I felt like I needed it most, to remind myself like Cassidy that my life in five years won’t look the way it does now, and that’s perfectly okay.

Thank you 831 Stories and NetGalley for this e-Arc!