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’!