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Big Fan #2
Square Waves
From 831 Stories, the highly anticipated next book in The Big Fan series by Alexandra Romanoff, an enemies-to-lovers romance in which tabloid fodder mixes with a long-brewing rivalry.
"I finally found my first five-star read of the year, and it was this novella." —Margo Ghertner, the Skimm
Cassidy is done moving through her life as the headline-making other woman. She’s paid for what she did as a young campaign intern in spades.
After five years of working on anti-bullying initiatives in D.C., she returns to her hometown, Berkeley, to recalibrate—and she quickly falls into bed with her high-school nemesis Leon, the slacker to her try-hard. It’s just a one-night thing. That is, until they both find themselves helping their mutual friend Willa open her new ceramics studio and Cassidy sees Leon in a new light. If everyone’s misjudged her, is there a chance she’s underestimated him, too?
831 Stories is a modern romantic fiction company that prioritizes pleasure reading and celebrates the genre’s joyful, enthusiastic fans.
"I finally found my first five-star read of the year, and it was this novella." —Margo Ghertner, the Skimm
Cassidy is done moving through her life as the headline-making other woman. She’s paid for what she did as a young campaign intern in spades.
After five years of working on anti-bullying initiatives in D.C., she returns to her hometown, Berkeley, to recalibrate—and she quickly falls into bed with her high-school nemesis Leon, the slacker to her try-hard. It’s just a one-night thing. That is, until they both find themselves helping their mutual friend Willa open her new ceramics studio and Cassidy sees Leon in a new light. If everyone’s misjudged her, is there a chance she’s underestimated him, too?
831 Stories is a modern romantic fiction company that prioritizes pleasure reading and celebrates the genre’s joyful, enthusiastic fans.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
125 people are currently reading
9603 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews
July 17, 2025
excruciatingly uninteresting.
August 13, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an alc!
i didn’t realize this was technically the second in a series despite being easily read and enjoyable as a standalone, but that didn’t take away from my reading experience!
square waves follows our fmc cassidy who was a side character in big fan; cassidy was part of a political sex scandal as a young woman, and now at 28, returns home for a break from her non-profit job to recoup after facing intense burnout. she bumps into her high school frenemy leon at a bar, and the two spend the next three weeks getting to know the adult versions of themselves.
i really enjoy the bite sized romances from 831 stories — they’re hot and sexy, but also full of well written characters and plots.
as for the audio, i really enjoyed this narrator! her voice was vibrant and full of emotion.
i didn’t realize this was technically the second in a series despite being easily read and enjoyable as a standalone, but that didn’t take away from my reading experience!
square waves follows our fmc cassidy who was a side character in big fan; cassidy was part of a political sex scandal as a young woman, and now at 28, returns home for a break from her non-profit job to recoup after facing intense burnout. she bumps into her high school frenemy leon at a bar, and the two spend the next three weeks getting to know the adult versions of themselves.
i really enjoy the bite sized romances from 831 stories — they’re hot and sexy, but also full of well written characters and plots.
as for the audio, i really enjoyed this narrator! her voice was vibrant and full of emotion.
July 11, 2025
Another cute romance from Romanoff. I liked this one and found the conversations around success and shame to be interesting. Good sex scenes and a fun twist on enemies to lovers. I also loved the high school nostalgia. There were parts in the third quarter where I thought the book dragged a bit, but over all really fun.
June 26, 2025
i cried multiple times and not just because i spent five years of my childhood obsessing over monica lewinsky
June 18, 2025
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.
Thank you NetGalley and 831 for the eARC.
July 2, 2025
Overall, I really enjoyed the chemistry between Cassidy and Leon. Their interactions as their relationship grew drew me in. I do think this wasn’t quite long enough, I think I needed a few more chapters to fully love it.
Cassidy’s journey in dealing with returning home and dealing with the aftermath of the affair added conflict to the story and made me root for her more.
The writing throughout this novella was excellent and I truly enjoyed the style. I look forward to reading more by this author, starting with book 1!
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for the ALC.
Cassidy’s journey in dealing with returning home and dealing with the aftermath of the affair added conflict to the story and made me root for her more.
The writing throughout this novella was excellent and I truly enjoyed the style. I look forward to reading more by this author, starting with book 1!
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for the ALC.
April 26, 2025
As a big fan of Romanoff I was excited to return to the Big Fan universe to learn more of Cassidy’s side of the story. While this was ultimately a bit undercooked and felt a little too Monica Lewinsky fanfic for me, some of the charm and wit that drew me in to her first novella is certainly present, albeit in smaller doses. Worth a read, but probably not a story I’ll be returning to (unlike its predecessor).
Many thanks to 831 Stories and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Many thanks to 831 Stories and Netgalley for the e-arc.
November 16, 2025
Square Waves is a perfectly serviceable romcom novella from the exciting 831 Stories imprint and by the same author as "Big Fan," which was one of my favorite short romances of 2024. The writing kept the book moving at a fast clip and the short 200 page count made this just as devourable as its predecessor.
After being involved in a political sex scandal years ago, our FMC Cassidy has been working for an anti-bullying nonprofit in D.C. until her burnout reaches a fever pitch. Sent for a month-long sabbatical to get her life back in order, Cassidy decides to go back to her childhood home in Berkley to get some perspective on what she wants next from her life. She never expects to run into her old high school nemesis, Leon, and definitely doesn't expect to have to work beside him every day when she volunteers to help their mutual friend open a new art studio in the neighborhood.
While this should have been an easy 4-5 stars for me as it combines the aftermath of a political scandal with an enemies-to-lovers trope, I definitely feel mislead by the description. This isn't a spoiler as it's part of the description of the book, but the novel literally opens with the two main characters sharing a one night stand. When the "will they or won't they" element is removed, it becomes a far less engaging premise for an enemies to lovers arc. Despite that, the writer does an admirable job at creating chemistry and tension between the two main characters.
While it's difficult to include a lot of character backstory in a novel of this length, I do think the reader would have benefited from some additional context in places. We don't understand much about Cassidy's backstory and that's to the detriment of the story at times - her motivations and perspective aren't always clear, and that makes it harder to feel connected to her as a character.
Overall, I'm certainly not mad that I read this, but it suffered a bit more from novella syndrome than the other previous 831 Stories and I just wasn't as invested here. I'm looking forward to picking up the others from this imprint, though, as I know I can always turn to them for a bite-sized rom-com pick me up!
After being involved in a political sex scandal years ago, our FMC Cassidy has been working for an anti-bullying nonprofit in D.C. until her burnout reaches a fever pitch. Sent for a month-long sabbatical to get her life back in order, Cassidy decides to go back to her childhood home in Berkley to get some perspective on what she wants next from her life. She never expects to run into her old high school nemesis, Leon, and definitely doesn't expect to have to work beside him every day when she volunteers to help their mutual friend open a new art studio in the neighborhood.
While this should have been an easy 4-5 stars for me as it combines the aftermath of a political scandal with an enemies-to-lovers trope, I definitely feel mislead by the description. This isn't a spoiler as it's part of the description of the book, but the novel literally opens with the two main characters sharing a one night stand. When the "will they or won't they" element is removed, it becomes a far less engaging premise for an enemies to lovers arc. Despite that, the writer does an admirable job at creating chemistry and tension between the two main characters.
While it's difficult to include a lot of character backstory in a novel of this length, I do think the reader would have benefited from some additional context in places. We don't understand much about Cassidy's backstory and that's to the detriment of the story at times - her motivations and perspective aren't always clear, and that makes it harder to feel connected to her as a character.
Overall, I'm certainly not mad that I read this, but it suffered a bit more from novella syndrome than the other previous 831 Stories and I just wasn't as invested here. I'm looking forward to picking up the others from this imprint, though, as I know I can always turn to them for a bite-sized rom-com pick me up!
June 16, 2025
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.”
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.”
June 20, 2025
This book reads like if someone wrote fan fic about you and your high school crush actually getting together a decade later, and all the big complicated feelings that would entail. And, you know what? I’m here for it. Cassidy and Leon are messy; they are the epitome of enemies/high school rivals (begrudgingly) turned lovers. And I like them together. And as far as the story itself goes, I appreciated the overarching message that we’re all just trying to make the most of our weird, messy lives in a way that balances out the practicality of our choices with the joy they hopefully spark. I enjoyed this read (if you couldn’t tell, given I read it in a day) and once again can’t wait for my next 831 read!
April 8, 2025
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.
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.
July 1, 2025
less is more in 831 land! but here i would’ve liked a little more character development, particularly in leon. worthwhile concept and i enjoyed cassidy’s perspective.
March 13, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and 831 Publishing for the E-ARC!!
Looking for a bingeable highschool enemies to grownup friends(ish) to lovers?? Read this book!!
We follow Cassidy who we met in Big Fan, she was the mistress in Big Fan so it was really nice to see her story. We are a few years after the events of Big Fan with Cassidy being 28 I believe. When she goes home for a few weeks she bumps into high school enemy Leon, things progress between them making them question why they were enemies in the first place.
I loved how we saw the lasting impact the affair has had on Cassidy, and how she is going to therapy and trying to figure her life out and basically questioning if she is going to start over in a career aspect. The relationship between her and Leon was very believable, I could tell there was chemistry and while this is a shorter novel the relationship didn't feel rushed which I loved! Only thing holding it back from 5 stars is the ending, it felt a little rushed if we had maybe an extra 50 pages it would've been great, and it just didn't have that wow 5 star feeling.
Overall a solid 4 star read and I'm excited to read more from the author and publishing house!
Looking for a bingeable highschool enemies to grownup friends(ish) to lovers?? Read this book!!
We follow Cassidy who we met in Big Fan, she was the mistress in Big Fan so it was really nice to see her story. We are a few years after the events of Big Fan with Cassidy being 28 I believe. When she goes home for a few weeks she bumps into high school enemy Leon, things progress between them making them question why they were enemies in the first place.
I loved how we saw the lasting impact the affair has had on Cassidy, and how she is going to therapy and trying to figure her life out and basically questioning if she is going to start over in a career aspect. The relationship between her and Leon was very believable, I could tell there was chemistry and while this is a shorter novel the relationship didn't feel rushed which I loved! Only thing holding it back from 5 stars is the ending, it felt a little rushed if we had maybe an extra 50 pages it would've been great, and it just didn't have that wow 5 star feeling.
Overall a solid 4 star read and I'm excited to read more from the author and publishing house!
March 27, 2025
After a political scandal rocked her early twenties, Cassidy spent the next few years trying to reclaim her life and help other victims of cyber-bullying. But now, she feels stuck.
A break back in her hometown might be just what she needs. A trip down memory lane in her childhood home, reconnecting with her best friend Willa... and maybe hook up with her teenage rival; Leon Park.
This book accomplished so much in such a short number of pages. Alexandra Romanoff has bought these characters to life with limited back story and only sharing the important details that set the story up and move it along at an enjoyable pace. Romanoff has nailed the challenges of adult friendships and how none of us are the same at age 16 or 22.
The issue with short stories is that sometimes they feel unfinished and rushed, but that is not the case with Square Waves. I'll be sure to read more from Alexandra Romanoff and 831 Stories.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
A break back in her hometown might be just what she needs. A trip down memory lane in her childhood home, reconnecting with her best friend Willa... and maybe hook up with her teenage rival; Leon Park.
This book accomplished so much in such a short number of pages. Alexandra Romanoff has bought these characters to life with limited back story and only sharing the important details that set the story up and move it along at an enjoyable pace. Romanoff has nailed the challenges of adult friendships and how none of us are the same at age 16 or 22.
The issue with short stories is that sometimes they feel unfinished and rushed, but that is not the case with Square Waves. I'll be sure to read more from Alexandra Romanoff and 831 Stories.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
September 10, 2025
I ate this one up, as expected.
August 28, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
The more that I think about this book, the fonder I grow. Short, sweet and the perfect romance read for a woman in her 20s. Loved it!
The more that I think about this book, the fonder I grow. Short, sweet and the perfect romance read for a woman in her 20s. Loved it!
dnf
June 19, 20256/18/25 DNF’ed @ 42%
Read like bad Monica Lewinsky fanfiction.
Read like bad Monica Lewinsky fanfiction.
June 16, 2025
i never play about my 831 girls! this might be one of my new faves across all of their releases. i adored big fan and found this spinoff equally well-written in its wit, deep character understanding within a short amount of pages, and healthy balance of humor with deep emotion.
thank you netgalley and 831 stories for the ARC!
thank you netgalley and 831 stories for the ARC!
August 4, 2025
this was unbelievablyyyy sexy
September 6, 2025
4 / 5 🌟 These shorter stories are so fun! I loved this second in the series by Alexandra Romanoff - great writing, and I loved the enemies to lovers story line between Cassidy and Leon.
April 17, 2025
This story follows Cassidy as she navigates her life post political scandal. She runs into Leon , a childhood friend turned enemy, while back in her hometown. They have some sparks, but ultimately find themselves falling back in their bickering ways. After some prodding from a mutual connection, they strike up an unlikely friendship that builds into something more.
While I do believe this book has some wonderful romantic elements, it read more as a fiction. Cassidy is in a deeply relatable period of self exploration, feeling overwhelmed with the possibility that lay ahead for her.
There was something comforting in the knowledge that everyone feels just as confused about the sheer abundance of choices we face in adult life.
Genuinely a wonderful book, there is so much done in such a short period of time. There is so much development and depth that can be seen on page. This definitely strayed away from the romance genre more than I expected, but it was enjoyable as a piece of fiction.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
While I do believe this book has some wonderful romantic elements, it read more as a fiction. Cassidy is in a deeply relatable period of self exploration, feeling overwhelmed with the possibility that lay ahead for her.
There was something comforting in the knowledge that everyone feels just as confused about the sheer abundance of choices we face in adult life.
Genuinely a wonderful book, there is so much done in such a short period of time. There is so much development and depth that can be seen on page. This definitely strayed away from the romance genre more than I expected, but it was enjoyable as a piece of fiction.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
June 25, 2025
I loved BIG FAN by Alexandra Romanoff, so was excited to see she was putting out another novella with 831Stories – this time about Cassidy.
We first met Cassidy in BIG FAN but you don't necessarily need to read BIG FAN before SQUARE WAVES (but I would suggest to just because BIG FAN is so good!). (How many times can I write BIG FAN before it gets annoying?)
SQUARE WAVES follows Cassidy several years after the events in BIG FAN. She's burnt out at her public facing job and is put on leave by the organization. She heads home to the Bay area and runs into her high school rival/nemesis Leon the first night she's back. After what was supposed to be a one-night-stand, these two run into each other again when Cassidy starts helping out a mutual friend at her new ceramic and art studio and learns that Leon is working there part time too.
These two seemingly opposites soon find they have more in common than they originally thought. I loved seeing Cassidy and Leon get to know each other and learn how they've each changed – and stayed the same – since high school.
As expected, it's a quick read and it pulls you in right away.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We first met Cassidy in BIG FAN but you don't necessarily need to read BIG FAN before SQUARE WAVES (but I would suggest to just because BIG FAN is so good!). (How many times can I write BIG FAN before it gets annoying?)
SQUARE WAVES follows Cassidy several years after the events in BIG FAN. She's burnt out at her public facing job and is put on leave by the organization. She heads home to the Bay area and runs into her high school rival/nemesis Leon the first night she's back. After what was supposed to be a one-night-stand, these two run into each other again when Cassidy starts helping out a mutual friend at her new ceramic and art studio and learns that Leon is working there part time too.
These two seemingly opposites soon find they have more in common than they originally thought. I loved seeing Cassidy and Leon get to know each other and learn how they've each changed – and stayed the same – since high school.
As expected, it's a quick read and it pulls you in right away.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2025
I liked this but not as much as I did Big Fan. A few more chapters would’ve been nice. I liked the Maya reference though and I want more of her. Cassidy’s resilience and determination was the best part, and her working to avoid her issues was so relatable. The male love interest was just there. Nothing much to really say about Leon. All his reasons for being a slacker in high school and letting Cassidy down were kind of just stupid. I wanted more on Cassidy’s relationship with Maya’s ex husband. But cute novella!
Also the fact this was essentially Monica Lewinsky fanfic left me feeling a bit uncomfortable. The whole sleeping with a married politician, becoming an anti-bullying advocate, very similar vibes. Very uncomfortable.
“People like boys who fail way better than girls who succeed.”
Also the fact this was essentially Monica Lewinsky fanfic left me feeling a bit uncomfortable. The whole sleeping with a married politician, becoming an anti-bullying advocate, very similar vibes. Very uncomfortable.
“People like boys who fail way better than girls who succeed.”
September 15, 2025
Wanted to take off two stars for the deeply rude choice to make the main b plot an under qualified 28 yo struggling to enjoy a gap in employment, but what I’ve come to realize is the 831 books lean so far into specificity of place that I feel engaged from the start pretty much every time. Anyways, I think I’ve read all but one of them on planes in single sittings, and this one was no different
June 22, 2025
Another great release from 831 Stories!!!! Really loving this publisher.
Cassidy is burnt out from her very public job and very public scandal. She returns to her hometown for a break where she encounters a high school rival, and what follows is an honest and relatable journey that I was hooked on from the start. A little trope-y but it works. This is a quick read at under 200 pages, and absolutely worth picking up.
Also Mollie Stark was the *perfect* narrator for this audiobook!!
Thanks NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC! Square Waves releases June 24, 2025.
Cassidy is burnt out from her very public job and very public scandal. She returns to her hometown for a break where she encounters a high school rival, and what follows is an honest and relatable journey that I was hooked on from the start. A little trope-y but it works. This is a quick read at under 200 pages, and absolutely worth picking up.
Also Mollie Stark was the *perfect* narrator for this audiobook!!
Thanks NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC! Square Waves releases June 24, 2025.
June 24, 2025
Square Waves was an easy listen, and I mean this in the most loving way. It was easy in the way I did not want to stop listening. The narrator did a fantastic job telling the story of Cassidy, an ambitious woman who has had some quite difficult life experiences. Mollie Stark crafted distinct and compelling portraits of Cassidy and Leon beautifully.
Massive thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this ARC!
Massive thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this ARC!
October 24, 2025
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I entered the giveaway after I read 'Big Fan', which I thought was cute. I liked this one even more, I think.
I liked how Cassidy and Leon were totally themselves and didn't change for each other. Cassidy made me think about people who are famous against their will, and how that fame is something that affects their lives for years in many different ways.
I also liked how they both did and didn't escape their former selves, but they matured in ways that felt realistic.
Definitely read the extra materials on the 831 website!
I liked how Cassidy and Leon were totally themselves and didn't change for each other. Cassidy made me think about people who are famous against their will, and how that fame is something that affects their lives for years in many different ways.
I also liked how they both did and didn't escape their former selves, but they matured in ways that felt realistic.
Definitely read the extra materials on the 831 website!
July 20, 2025
My only complaint is that these books are far too short. Absolutely loved it.
November 22, 2025
amazing no notes. starting to think that alexandra romanoff was made to write romance stories. she amazes me with her abilities each time and i hope she writes for all eternity.
December 16, 2025
2.5 i still don’t know what square waves means
Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews