British baby—we love an accent!!

This book starts with a bang (literally) and only gets hotter from there. I loved the movie aspect of the book and their time on set; that was very interesting.

I loved Jack’s character growth and CJ’s strength, add in a cute kid and this is a great recipe.

I thought the two narrators did an excellent job and it was fun hearing all the accents and different voices. Great book!

I read this book first before getting a chance to listen to the audiobook. I thought the narrator was good. I wish they had made this a duet narrator instead. I think it would have flowed better.

This was a cute story. I really liked how the way the main characters had time to get to know each other. Even when they first met, they were able to find a connection through their passion. The relationship felt earned. I didn't really like how the conflict was resolved. It seemed odd, especially after they both had people in their lives who helped understand their contribution to their disagreement. Why did it take even longer or a special event for them to finally see each other? It didn't make sense. Overall, I did enjoy the story.

Cute but quick ! So quick I was left wanting more of this story, so it felt like a teaser rather than a fully realized story. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Narration note: I’m already a huge fan of these narrators and, as always, they both gave a fantastic performance.

I went into this book not knowing much other than the pitch of normal person and celebrity romance type trope. I'm a bit disappointed as there wasn't much character development and it mostly seemed like insta love to never moving on between the two main characters, It was a quick read which was nice but it wasn't mindblowing.

I previously read and reviewed this book as a digital version so obviously I HAD to hear the narration bring the story to life. I loved the narration, they brought so much depth to the characters.

What a well written romcom!!!! This is what I have been needing in my life to get me back into my regular reading schedule. It has pulled me out of the deep depths of my reading slump, which is truly a feat in itself.

This second chance romance follows Jack, an up and coming actor, and CJ, an aspiring production designer. After a hot and heavy one night stand and a five year time jump, Jack and CJ are brought together for a movie adaption of The Great Gatsby. Tension (sexual) is high as the pair are forced to spend day after day together on set.

I truly enjoyed this novella so so much! It had the perfect amount of spice and plot. I honestly cannot get over how well rounded the story feels at only 160 pages. It has the same impact as a full length novel, which is beyond impressive. I am so interested in other 831 stories!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and 831 for this ARC.

Set Piece by Lana Schwartz was an absolute delight from start to finish! I was completely swept up in the story and couldn’t put it down. Lana’s writing style is so fresh and fun—it flows effortlessly and makes every scene sparkle. The banter between the main characters was swoon-worthy in the best way, and I genuinely found myself giggling and kicking my feet while reading more than once!

One of my favorite elements was the time jump, which was handled so well and added real depth to the characters and their relationship. Watching them grow and change, both individually and together, made their connection feel all the more real and rewarding. The chemistry? Off the charts. The tension? Perfectly built. The payoff? Chef’s kiss.

I really enjoyed every moment of this book, and I’m already itching to dive into more 831 stories. Lana Schwartz is definitely one to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

This was a great, quick listen. I struggled to put it down because the quick pace, crackling romantic tension, and emotional arcs were entirely grabbing. Both narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. I also liked the little nods to other 831 books. This was a great romance with glimpses into the world of Hollywood and the film industry.

This short second chance romance came onto my radar from NetGalley and I was grateful to receive an ARC for review. In this expertly narrated audiobook (thank you heavy hitters AndI Arndt and Shane East), CJ and Jack have solid chemistry despite the glitz and glam of showbiz. This was enjoyable but maybe a bit forgettable.

This novella had a fun concept — a famous actor and a production designer reconnect after a one-night stand years earlier — but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

While I appreciated the Hollywood setting and behind-the-scenes details, the characters felt one-dimensional, the romance lacked real chemistry, and the emotional beats didn’t land. CJ’s choices, especially turning down her dream job, felt unbelievable, and Jack came across more like a bland stand-in for a British celebrity than a fully realized character.

The dual POV didn’t add much depth, and the story leaned too heavily on pop culture references rather than meaningful character development. While it follows the standard romance formula (quirky meet-cute, secret relationship, dramatic fight, happy ending), it didn’t bring anything new to the table.

Fans of quick, low-angst romances might enjoy this, but I was left wanting more emotional depth and better character growth.

Thank you Net Galley and AE Titles / S&S Audio for the ALC!

I am fully obsessed with 831 stories and I am always amazed at how much emotion and humor can be found in such short stories.

Jack and Cara meet at a bar and have an innocent one night stand before going their own ways. By chance, they met again five years later on a movie set and both of their lives are vastly different.

Cara now goes by CJ and is a set designer with a 4 year old (thankfully she is not the result of the previous one night stand). Her mother has passed away and she has an unusual relationship with her father. Jack is now an in demand actor who has dated lots and is very keen to be known. They have tension filled interactions while on set but decide to date after the movie wraps.

I’m not a huge fan of a third act breakup but this one made sense and I enjoyed how they found each other again. I really enjoyed this audio too!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

4.5 stars because i just cannot stand a second act break up, for ANY reason!

thank you 831 stories FOR SHORT ROMCOMS! i cannot stand that so many romance books are now pushing 500pgs! like babe! it’s not that serious!!!

set piece was a deliciously fantastic, short and sweet and steamy romcom about an up and coming actor and a production designer. i went in rather blind, and looking at the description now, i think that was the best option — especially for such a short romcom!

as for the audiobook — dual narrators are forever my favorite, and both narrators did fantastic.

overall, this was a fantastic romcom and i’ll be diving into 831 stories’ other romances!

First off, thank you Net Galley and AE Titles / S&S Audio for the ALC.

5 ⭐️ - Short and sweet, but packs a PUNCH.

The hook:
Jack Felgate, up and coming actor from London, walks into a bar… and hits it off with the bartender, CJ. Their instant chemistry leads to one memorable one night together. 5 years later Jack and CJ cross paths again when Jack books the lead in a Great Gatsby remake. Turns out, CJ is the production designer on set for the same movie and they realize this is their chance to explore more than one night together.

My general thoughts:
I have been wondering what 831 Stories are all about - I kept seeing this similar type of book cover pop up and was already drawn to its simplicity. So simple, but instantly catches my attention. I am so glad I gave this one a shot. I usually stay away from short stories because I don’t feel there’s enough time for me to invest in the characters or story. But boy was I wrong about that here!

This book tugged at my heartstrings, had me crying but also swooning. I wasn’t expecting how powerful the story was. At its root - it’s a woman who has had to be independent her whole life. She’s stubborn but confident and refuses to accept help. When she starts to open up to Jack and realize she doesn’t have to do this all alone, without compromising her morals or integrity - it’s a beautiful coupling of two strong characters. And of course, I always have a softness in my heart for any single-mother stories. While I am childless now, I could relate so intensely to CJ’s fierce independence and reluctance to have anything handed to her in her life or career.

The romance was sweet and I absolutely loved reading these two together. There was so much character growth and clear development of feelings and trust. I thought that would be hard in a short-story. I would even say this story was more well developed than some 500+ page books I’ve read.

I love when you can tell an author really did their research - reading this I would assume the author is a set designer or part of the movie-making world herself. But come to the author acknowledgments, I learn that it isn’t the case but instead she had insight from industry professionals to bring this to life. And that makes it all the more special, I felt so immersed in this world that I knew nothing about prior and now have insight into a whole industry I wouldn’t have understood otherwise. Excellent writing across the board, I have no notes!!!

Overall - so happy with this book and I am really excited to read more of the 831 Stories productions.

Audiobook specific notes:
-This is dual POV and dual narration
-I can be really particular about accents so I was worried with this being a British MMC and American FMC. I was SOO impressed by the ease and flawlessness of these narrators. They absolutely cursed the accents and it was so seamless I never once had an issue with the actual narration.
-I’ve always loved Andi Arndt but I am not as familiar with Shane East. However I thought both of them had incredible performances and were excellent matches for their characters. I couldn’t imagine anyone else narrating Jack and CJ.
-Pacing and production were perfect, again-- no notes!

5 starts ACROSS THE BOARD!

This book is delightful! The narrators have such a wonderful way of bringing these characters and this story to life, The character development between Jack and CJ felt so heartfelt and honest, Schwartz created a in depth story for so few pages with deeply loveable characters.

This was an adorable story. I appreciated both the main characters and how they felt decently fleshed out despite this being a shorter novel, and I appreciated how they handled the events in the story like adults; there was minimal conflict/miscommunication. This felt like what an actual relationship might be like, which I feel is very difficult to find in romance books. I'm very excited to continue with more from 831 Stories.

Thank you NetGalley, 831 Stories and Lana Schwartz for the chance to listen to this ALC!

I give this 3.5-3.75 stars and 1 1/2 🌶️
It’s a quick, fun, steamy read. A good palate cleanser between bigger more in depth or darker/spicier reads.

The FMC is single mom with career in production design. The MMC is a movie star from England(and who doesn’t love a movie star with a British accent?)They meet and have a tryst, then meet again five years later. They reconnect and fall in love despite the issues and hang ups along the way. So sweet. If you like quick reads and tropes like second-chance, celebrity-non celebrity with some humor and a little spice you’ll love this story,

I enjoyed the characters and found them likable. There were some funny moments and good banter between the characters. As expected with a quick read there wasn’t a lot of character growth and things didn’t go in depth much. There was a good plot though and it was entertaining. The only reason I didn’t rate this 4 stars is because it started out with a steady pace then it picked up and felt rushed to the end. It was still a good read though.

The narrators Shane East and AndI Arndt done amazing, as always. They captured the characters personalities and emotions so well. I was able to stay in the story and engaged in it start to finish.

I had read the eARC initially and i wanted to reread it with audiobook form so i did! my opinions generally stayed the same but i thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook and i think the voices paired well with the story and brought the book to life properly! but in terms of the book itself...

3.5⭐️ i feel like this is one that you should go into it blind. it’s a relatively short book and most of the plot is revealed in the synopsis. all you need to know going into it is that it is a second-chance romance and it’s actor x film production designer. i love stories that feature the bts of hollywood (it reminded me of the kdrama melo movie in that aspect! + the way talked to each other on set or about the film was very similar to mubi and gyeom!!) their relationship felt very mundane so it was easy to root for them and hope that it lasts because they were simple people with each other, despite who/how they are publicly.

without spoiling anything that happens, the conflict that occurs during the third act was infuriating!! i wanted to punch a wall because of the issue that was created + it could have been prevented with something that they were doing so well: communication. i hate miscommunication, but what i could appreciate from this one is that the person who was at fault quickly understood their mistake! they actually used their brain instead of staying there, wondering what they did wrong.

i’m not typically a standalone novella kind of reader but 831 stories has slowly changed that for me with every release of theirs that i read! (bonus points for the friends + kiki’s delivery service mention)

Jack and CJ have a one-night-stand after CJ saves Jack and his friends from all of his fans on a night out. He thought about her numerous times since that night and when he shows up on set five years later and CJ is the production designer, he is shocked. They have both changed so much but their chemistry and attraction to each other has not changed.

This spicy read was so fun and I really enjoyed the development of CJ and Jack as individuals and as a couple. They were very thoughtful in their decisions on their romance considering that CJ had a child but they still brought the spice and I love a shorter read!

This was nice and short. There was too much film production talk for me and I wanted more CJ and Jack. The ending was super rushed and I wish there was more time spent there. Overall I liked the second chance romance and that CJ had a child who she put first.

Okay, I’m honestly kind of torn on my rating. On one hand, the premise had me hooked. I’m always here for a second-chance romance, especially when there’s that “long-lost connection” vibe, and Jack and CJ definitely have that going on. The whole “sudden fame” thing with Jack turning into a total celeb was fun, but also, he was a bit of a mixed bag for me. He’s charming, sure, but at times he came off a little too self-absorbed (I get it, fame is overwhelming, but still).

CJ was a character I could really vibe with. I liked how she had this grounded, no-nonsense energy, especially with being a single mom. She was super relatable, and I found myself rooting for her more than Jack sometimes. The dynamic between them was interesting though, because it wasn’t just about rekindling that old flame. It was also about navigating who they were now after all the time that had passed. And honestly? There’s a lot of chemistry there, which kept me turning the pages.

But here’s the thing, sometimes (most of the time) the pacing felt really off. Like, it dragged a little in spots. I really wanted more conflict or depth in the plot. The fact that Jack’s fame seemed to overshadow a lot of the relationship development frustrated me a bit. I needed a little more from the whole "will they/won’t they" situation, especially since they have this complicated history.

Also, the ending? Kinda rushed. I won’t spoil anything, but I felt like I didn’t get enough closure on some of the bigger emotional arcs, especially CJ’s. I don’t know if I was expecting more depth from this, but I couldn’t help but feel like it didn’t hit all the emotional notes I wanted it to.

Overall, it’s a short and quick read and it was cute and fun, but I was hoping for a little more. Definitely not a bad read, but it left me wanting more substance than sizzle. If you like a quick, steamy read with some celebrity romance vibes, you might like this, but it’s not gonna rock your world.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

3.5 stars —

• after meeting in a bar leads to a one-night-stand, cj & jack haven’t been able to stop thinking about each other in the five years that have passed. it’s definitely a shock to them both to find out that cj is the production designer of jack’s new movie. but as the two get to know each other (& learn a lot has happened in five years), they realize the spark from the bar is still there. maybe they each have room in their lives for something beyond the one night.
• cj & jack were very cute, and i was able to put aside the fact that this did veer a bit into insta-love. this was a fun story, but the film production talk got a bit too granular for how short this novella is.
• compared to other 831 stories, i liked this more than ‘comedic timing’ but not as much as ‘big fan’!