Found Time

by Caroline Goldstein

In 1993, Lili and Reid lock eyes after a Jeff Buckley show at Sin-é in New York’s East Village. Their connection is immediate and intense—kicking off a steamy summer romance that cracks something open for both of them—but the pursuit of another passion cuts it short. Thirty years later, they’re both navigating midlife as single parents of teen girls when they cross paths once more. Can they find their way to each other through the complexities of adulthood better than they could during the relative simplicity of their youth?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, New York, Love Story

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i’m so glad that musician died so they had a reason to meet again” - something that sounds bad to say but you know what i mean !!!!!!!

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little corny nostalgia disease at first but then it turned into something very sweet. A good book to read if you are happy your divorced mom is dating someone who is nice to her :)

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4⭐️

[Stephanie Wilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. I loved Lili, Reid and their daughters. As someone who usually avoids "insta love", I was surprised by how believable their connection felt, even in such a short time. They were undeniably right for each other, which made their separation all the more devastating.

When they crossed paths again on the streets of NYC thirty years later, it felt like pure magic. That moment alone filled me with so much joy.

The story beautifully captures both the nostalgia of 90's New York and the pulsing energy of the present day. More than anything, I appreciated how hopeful it felt. It never leaned into unnecessary drama, instead letting the emotion speak for itself.

I especially loved the ending. It leaves enough space for the reader to imagine what comes next, making it feel like anything is possible. Such a great read.

[Annie Tate Cockrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whirlwind romance is revisited in Found Time - our protagonist reconnects with a former flame 30 years after the fact. The love store was charming and I liked reading about a couple finding love in their fifties. I would’ve liked even more moments between the main character and her daughter (!!) their sweetest moments brought me near tears. Also would’ve liked more moments between the main character and her best friend. Very sweet read!!

Out April 7th!

[Josh Hortinela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I wanted in a romance story! Longing, yearning and pining after years of being apart. Before Sunrise meets The Parent Trap. Nostalgic and laced with emotion. Packs a punch for a novella.

[Jen Ross Plude · Rating 5 out of 5]

831 Stories delivers another fantastic unputdownable romance. I've truly never read a book from 831 Stories that I didn't love and this one is no exception. Found Time is the story of a 30-year love between Lili and Reid that begins when they meet in 1993 and picks up again in 2023. The story spans 30 years, but most of their time was spent apart. During this time, both Lili and Reid were married and had children, but after becoming single later in life, they unexpectedly reunite at a music venue with their respective children (notably, a reunion show for the artist that brought them together in 1993). This book gives Lili and Reid a second chance at love and aims to find out what-could-have-been... with a little help from fate and a parent-trap-esque set up by their teenage daughters.

Aside from 831 Stories, I'm generally not a fan of romances - but these books never fail to reach deep into my cynical little heart and grab on. At its heart, this story and the characters are relatable - these people have jobs and lives and responsibilities. No one is throwing away their lives and the goals they worked towards to casually jet off into the sunset together. These characters are complicated.

I think that this story has universal appeal because it's something most people have in common - wondering 'what could have been' is a universal experience. This book quenches that thirst for Lili and Reid without being cheesy (but includes a lil spice, which never hurts). While the outcome was somewhat predictable, the point wasn't to be surprised by the ending, it was to enjoy the ride (er, read).

Hands down, my FAVORITE part of reading this book was the subtle crossover event. When I read the line that said Jack Felgate would be starring in a movie written by Reid, I scrambled to Google SO FAST to make sure I was correct - and I was!! IYKYK - BUT if you don't, I'll happily explain - Jack Felgate is a character from Set Piece by Lana Schwartz. I'm not an expert and I have not read all of the 831 Stories available (yet!!!) but this is the first crossover event that I've seen that spans completely separate stories and completely separate authors within the 831 Stories universe. I nearly lost my damn mind.

I need more 831 Stories immediately.

THANK YOU, 831 Stories and NetGalley for the eARC!!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

is it weird to be nostalgic over a love story that isn’t yours

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite 831 story yet!!

It’s 1993 and Lili meets Reid at a show in the east village and they connect immediately. The only problem? He’s leaving NYC in just a few days. 30 years later, they find themselves in the same place at the same time, with their daughters.

The 90s NYC nostalgia in this book!!!! Was I here in the 90s? Definitely not. But who doesn’t love to romanticize? There were no insta-love vibes between Lili and Reid, just a beautiful example of the type of instant chemistry you can build with the right human. The way the flash forward is handled is so lovely. There was just the right doses of romantic and realistic. And their daughters? THE best side characters.

CW: emotional abuse, death of a loved one

Thank you to the publisher and author for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[Aida ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This is a story about what happens when you don’t get over your situationships. She could’ve paid an Etsy witch to do a tie breaking thing and be done.

[Cerise · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was tender and sweet and i love lili and reid!!

[Megan Strauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another cute NYC romance. A little too perfect of a meet cute leading into a week of no obstacles for the relationship. However, I liked the time jump and the real life issues the MCs went through the past 30 years to wind up back together. Having their teenage girls conspiring to get them together was a fun lil add in.

[Angela Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Lili and Reid's story! Getting to spend a few days with them, separated by 30 years, and seeing where they are the same and where they are different was really enjoyable. They have incredible chemistry, a lot of baggage, and only eyes for each other in a way that was so fun to read! Another fun tasty little treat of a book from 831 Stories!

Thank you to 831 Stories for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hanny]

Ahhhh this was such a heartfelt little read! I devoured it in one sitting. The on-borrowed-time instant romance felt genuine, which is rare to find in the genre. It felt like reading a more grown-up version of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, with the 90s, Jeff Buckley, and all, and THEN mixed with the Parent Trap. First read into summer break eeeeeee!!!

[Katie Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

whoops read it in one night.. loved!

[Nora Massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 - Outstanding. This will be one of my top 5 of the year for SURE. As an elder millennial I am very into a focus on the FMC/MMC as both young adults and adults in their early 50s. That felt so unique and was done incredibly well! The writing here - I had goosebumps. It’s beautiful and sensual and descriptive in this elegant way that felt so engrossing I quite literally couldn’t put this book down. The 90s nostalgia, NYC setting, second chance situation - all perfection. I only wish I had a zillion more pages of these two!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This itty bitty book had me hooked from chapter one. Found Time follows Lili and Reed from their whirlwind week-long summer romance set in 90s NYC to their reunion as adults in 2023. Despite the fast pace, their connection and story felt very authentic. I’ve come to really like this publisher/collection, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[bronách · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novellas have always been hard to rate because they don’t always carry the same emotional depth and character building as a 400 page book. However, I definitely felt more connected to these characters, specifically in 1993 (my birth year!!!). I really cared for them and their story was as much as it was right person wrong time, I felt sad at their decision after only knowing them a short time. Fast forward 30 years, fate brings them back together and I definitely didn’t connect with them as much this time around unfortunately. It did feel very predictable and so I lost a little interest. I did really enjoy the story and ending was very cute.

Thank you 831 stories and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

[Megan O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear 831 Books is allergic to bad books because oh my goodness another bite sized banger in Found Time!! So glad I found…the time…to read this one!!

When Lili is dragged by her coolest friend to a Jeff Buckley concert in NYC in the 90s, she meets the perfect man for her in Reid - who happens to be leaving the city in a week. They don’t let that stop them from developing feelings, but a career opportunity he can’t pass up comes his way and he has to jet back to the west coast, feelings be damned. When the two bump into each other 30 years later, also at an NYC Jeff Buckley (tribute) show, it feels like fate has intervened - and then so do their respective teenage daughters.

I loved getting to see them in different timelines, seeing their growth and understanding the different factors that were weighing on all their decisions at the time. Both had tough experiences before finding their way back together, and that impacts how they’re able to show up to each other, their kids, and their careers. Speaking of the kids, the daughters (especially sweet Emme) were total rockstars and I loved their dynamics with each other and their parents!!

Overall, just what a great book!!!! Thanks so much to Caroline Goldstein, 831 Stories, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!!! I love romances about divorced moms.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was such a reflective, emotional little novella that kept me interested the whole way through. Lili and Reid had this instant spark that didn’t feel like instalove, it felt true to who they were at the time. Their chemistry held up decades later, and I loved how believable that “what if” connection felt.
The ’90s details were done really well, not overdone, and I enjoyed how emotional the writing was without being dramatic. Their journeys as single parents in midlife felt real, valid, and true to parenthood. The theme of getting out of your own way and allowing yourself to be happy really stuck with me.
A sweet, hopeful second-chance romance about timing, healing, and choosing yourself.
Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & 831 Stories for the ARC!

In 1993, Lili and Reid lock eyes after a Jeff Buckley show in the East Village. Their connection immediate and intense, kicking off a brief but electric romance that ends when life pulls them in different directions. Thirty years later, both now single parents to teenage daughters, fate brings them back to the same room for a one-night tribute show, and that old spark turns out to be very much still alive.

As a self-proclaimed queen of second chance romance, this one checked every box. Sweet, sexy, and wrapped in the kind of 90s NYC nostalgia that just hits differently. There's something so specifically wonderful about a love story set against the backdrop of the East Village in its heyday, with all the dive bars and tiny apartments and pre-cell phone magic that comes with it. The era does a lot of heavy lifting here in the best possible way.

What really sets Found Time apart though is the age of our main characters. Lili and Reid are in their early 50s, reuniting after meeting in their 20s, and that life experience adds a richness and emotional depth that younger protagonists just can't bring.
There's so much more at stake...more history, more complexity, more of that push and pull between what your heart wants and what your very full adult life allows for. It's aspirational in a way that feels real and earned. The story is just the right length too; long enough to genuinely connect with these two and root for them, without overstaying its welcome. A really lovely read.

[Alexandra Serbanacht · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a small novella that packed a big punch. Short, sweet and spicy. I really love the second chance romance trope and with its 1990s/2020s time setting in New York, this was right up my alley. We follow Lili and Reid, who meet in 1993 at a Jeff Buckley show and have a weeklong whirlwind summer romance until Reid has to return to his hometown of Los Angeles for a new job opportunity. Inexplicably, the two lose touch and many decades pass. Reid becomes an Oscar-winning screenwriter; Lili a photographer. They meet 30 years later at a Jeff Buckley anniversary show, both single parents with their teenage daughters in tow. As a millennial, I loved the parent trap element between the two spunky daughters and how they tried their best to bring their parents together again. The 90s NY nostalgia was really fun as well and it was cool to see two characters in their 50s, a little broken from life's hard knocks, sure, but once they come into each other's orbit, their youthfulness and hope return like they're 18 again. The yearning was really present, and the banter was enjoyable. I would have easily read 100 more pages on this! The one gripe I had when I finished was no epilogue??? I had to find it a few weeks later on the 831 website which made me think why not include it in the book? This was my first 831 Stories novel and it definitely wont be my last! Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Mary Vojt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars - This is my favorite 831 Stories book I have read so far and I think the large reason is I felt like the pacing moved very well and I felt overall satisfied with the end. I would have preferred if there was a little bit more at the end to see how it all wrapped up after Reid headed back to LA, but still, in general, I liked the ending.

I love a second - chance romance, and even better when you add a single parent in there, and with this one, it was two single parents who both have teenage daughters who both wanted to see their parents happy again. I loved the way the daughters meddled just enough to push Reid and Lili to see each other more when Reid and his daughter were in town. I thought Lili's fears were so real, especially after what she went through with her ex-husband and how it was not the marriage that Lili had envisioned for herself. And then on the other side the way that Reid called her out on those fears and made it clear that he understood why she had them but that should not stop them from trying, just really hit me in the heart. I felt like Lili and Reid were soulmates but had to take some different paths to lead them back together.

I am so impressed with this story, especially with it being less than 220 pages. I could not put it down and would love to read more by Caroline Goldstein!

[kailin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“just a chapter or two before bed.” cut to 3 hours later and i realized i never even got to use the cute bookmark that came with this book.

holy shit. 831 stories has never let me down, but i think lili and reid’s story might be my new favorite. there is just something so sweet about a second chance romance, esp with the added layer of parent trapping that occurs. there was something about their story that felt so tangible, so many elements felt deeply familiar—from the feeling of inevitability meeting someone, the instant comfort to small details woven throughout, like songs and books. i kept finding myself thinking, “was this written for me?” even down to the fact that they referenced my two favorite 831 stories, set piece and hardly strangers.

tldr; this second chance romance was impossible to put down. 10/10 would recommend.

[Ro_Monique_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and 831 Stories for the advanced reader copy of Found Time.

3.5 stars | This is my sixth read from the 831 Stories collection of romance novellas. I appreciate the imprint’s ability to highlight stories with diverse characters and unique connections. They are whimsy and still pack a little punch.

Found Time follows Lili and Reid who meet at a concert in NY and experience a whirlwind summer love during college. When Reid returns home to LA to pursue his screenwriting career, the two lose touch. Thirty years later, a chance encounter and a mini intervention brings these two back into orbit after lots of life and pain. It takes immense courage to overcome fear and take a risk after being hurt.

This felt very The Parent Trap coded as their kids play a key role in their union. Be sure to check out the external epilogue for a conclusion to Reid and Lili’s story.

[Mariah (bookswithmariah) Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great @831Stories book!

Thank you @netgally and the publisher for the gifted copies.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lili and Reid have a whirlwind romance for one week in their 20s. But Reid gets a job offer across the country he can’t pass up and Lili won’t ask him to give that up. 30 years pass and they run into each other back in NYC with daughters of their own. Can they get their second chance?

Love love love that the main characters are in their 50s! That was so fun!

While some parts of this book dragged the romance felt very real. Each character came at this romance with real life baggage. They’ve lived a lot of life and that shows. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Second chance romances are my favorite trope and I wasn’t disappointed. This was a quick read and I’d totally recommend!

[Lizzie Chalpan · Rating 5 out of 5]

831 Stories does it again! Found Time is such a fun second chance romance! It follows Lili and Reid who meet in 1993 at a Jeff Buckley concert in the East Village. They are young, in their early twenties and have their lives and dreams ahead of them. Their instant connection sparks a brief, fiery fling until work and responsibilities take Reid back home to the west coast.

The story picks up again in 2023, with Lili taking her teenage daughter to a tribute concert honoring Jeff Buckley 30 years later. Here, Lili and Reid meet again. Lili must reconcile who she is now with the uninhibited, dreamer she once was.

Yes, the Jeff Buckley storyline at the beginning was a little cheesy, but Lili was so relatable and the characters were so likable, the cheesiness was very easy to overlook.

This book was nostalgic, spicy, and heartfelt… making every page enjoyable to read! If you’re a fan of romance or you’re looking for a shorter novella to break out of a reading rut, this one will not disappoint!

Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy Dickinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. The chemistry, the second chance romance, the parent trap vibes, the music and art and pure NYC of it all. This is everything I love about a romance, with fun and joy balanced with the reality of being a human and having a past. I am once again blown away by what these authors achieve in a shorter novel with 831 Stories, and grateful for the inevitable win it feels like for me as a reader to get to experience something so profound in a short amount of time.

Thank you to 831 Stories and Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Celeste Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet to meet a book published by 831 Stories that I haven’t loved. This one is no exception of course, with this story centered on a once young twenty year old in her home of NYC, with a life completely ahead of her, now in the middle of her life looking back at all of those nostalgic moments. And one of those moments gets rekindled.

Lily and Reed are absolutely stunning together, both raising their children as single parents, with a whole separate life lived without the other, and remembering with such fondness, their time together when they were so young and scared of all the things they did not know were coming.

This was nineties nostalgia, second chance, single dad, single mom, gloriousness. I could’ve lived in this world with these two forever